Long standing supporter my ass. I should kick the lot of em, scoundrels. Not content with forgoing mention of radio and TV appearances aplenty, they’ve now taken to only mentioning where to watch their one and only show of the year the day after they play it. I’d be pissed, but I’m too busy laughing. Couldn’t have made it anyway, but thanks for letting us know eh lads?

Seriously though, I was expecting a break up e-mail ala Cr.. no. Instead we get two albums and a show (yesterday, you know, like, not today, or tomorrow, yesterday). New track up on the FaceSpacePlace. And a, erm… new website. “Official” an’ everyfink. Yeah yeah. It’ll never have anywhere near as much sarcasm and vitriol of this place. It’ll suck. Like yesterday.

Oh yeah, if you did manage time travel - or just checked their website a few days earlier and were ever so luckily in the right place at the right time - send me pics n shits. I’d say I’d post em up here, but, I once promised that to a guy in 2005. He’s still waiting….

UPDATE: Twat. Twat. And indeed, twat. That post I though said 13th December on the official site mentioning the gig, actually, 13th October. So I’ve been in like a crazey hazey daze for months then… Thanks Joe for pointing out the error of my ways. Next year, I shall be there, come rain or shine (or two feckin months notice) ’tis Crimea time. For now though I’m snowed in so fuck em. No wait maybe just another spin of Milky Bar Kid on the discotequemabob…

Just spotted this on the forums here… “April 30, 2009. The Field Of Dreams. owen Hopkin”. Hmmm… Any ideas?

Meanwhile, Davey’s recording a new album (title includes words Field and Dream?) and playing at SXSW again, between March 18th and 22nd. Lets just hope nothing blows up this time…

Yes, it said 17th a couple days ago. Yes, I already have my train ticket to come back on the 18th. Yes, they suck balls. And yes… this means… Holly gets to see the gig? Oh hang on… you didn’t get them to change it did you hol? Sneaky minx, you owe me a fiver!

Anyway… if you ain’t figured it out yet, The Criema have yet again re-aranged a gig. At least I didn’t travel all the way to Aberystwyth for this one Appologies to all those that have arranged anything (as if there’s any fans left… *que tumbleweed*), but the Crimea Christmas Gig at Fortress Studios in London has been moved from Wednesday 17th December 2008 to Thursday 18th December 2008. So if anyone’s doing owt on Thursday, or has somewhere to stay, let me know. Otherwise I’m off to Heathrow to harass some important new arrivals

Listen to seashells; they know everything - Davey solo shows announced & news
I suspect they mean www.tarablaise.com. Well it’s not like there’s many others with the same name, is it?

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So… This place is deserted then. I’m currently spending my time doing a million things, well… playing video games, but it’s practically work. At least, I’m making money and cadbury’s cream eggs from it, if not much. But I have a real job interview soon too. So then I’ll have even *less* time for this place. Sorry guys. Tragedy rocks. Still, you’re not missing much, but there are a couple of things you and your blue dog need to know about.

Yup, two solo shows from Kernel Krok, Thursday 20th Nov (in two days time!) and Thursday 5th December, both at old Crimea utopian haunt The Enterprise, you know where, and if not, get outta here! Expect old skool tracks - Frog on a Stick, Bluster Boy, Lottery Winners, Oliver Twisted… maybe not; I can dream.

The other thing is the pantented super shiny all conquering Crimea Christmas Show. Should be at Fortress Studios in Shoreditch, London, on 17th 18th December. I’ve said it before but really, if you’re expecting many more of these things you’re on something stronger than Davey’s ever taken, so it’s really one not to sit back and miss.

And that’s it. To think, this time in 2005 I was posting 8 updates a day, I guess youth doesn’t last. Still, you can still find you much more up-to-date Crimea news on both their MySpace page, Davey’s newly launched Facebook page, and of course the official Crimea website. Now be gone, and leave this place to dangle from a streetlight on an autumn afternoon. And who knows, you loved em once, maybe they’ll stun you enough to empty your cash kitty and fund Davey’s next song on the back of an envelope.

We’re gathering up the vigilantes again to deliver some good old fashioned mob-style justice.  Go to the Vodafone Live Music Awards nomination website here and type The Crimea in the ‘LIVE UNSIGNED’ catagory.  Vote early, vote often.    

Very cool words from the very cool Brooklyn Vegan blog.  They host a radio show on Sirius so fingers crossed that we hear some Crimea on the digital airwaves.  And tonight is the last U.S. show (for now!).  If you’re in the NYC area, drop by Goodbye BLue Monday and watch Davey and Joe play their acoustic set.

Massive thanks to eagle-eye Carla for finding these on YouTube…videos from the Crimea’s performance at McCarren Park in NYC last week.  Perhaps an even bigger thanks should go to YouTube user TangyGal, who is responsible for putting them on YouTube in the first place. So go and show her some love at the comments section. 

Reviews keep coming in for 48a.  Check out the 4.5 out of 5 stars given by Matthew Hirtes of UK Fusion. Massive!

And last but certainly not least - Martin (grand overlord of the US Street Team) has some photos from the NYC and Boston shows here.     Enjoy!!

So the Crimea have invaded the US at long last:  guns blazing, cannons roaring, gatlings cranked and ready for action. And all this on famished bellies as food rations are a tad scarce. Nevermind, reports from the front are that spirits are high. Huzzah!

The 48a Waiting Steps is getting some more radio airplay. Passport Approved, is a radio show on Indie 103.1 in Los Angeles that currently has The Crimea on their playlist.  The syndicated show plays in many markets across the U.S. as well as on MotoFM in Germany.

We’ve also been trying to get the word out to the US music blogosphere and to music critics.  We have an appearance here regarding the upcoming Los Angeles shows.  If you know of a good music blog (or music critic, for that matter)  that could use some Crimea awareness, let me know by dropping me a line at hmboswell@auxarcltd.com

Some U.S. Press release action in the house -CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS EAT YOUR HEART OUT 

“A new album is building buzz on music blogs for its upbeat sound,  wistful lyrics — and unusual price.” “WALL STREET JOURNAL

“Davey’s ability to create such delicious and bizarrely logical imagery through his lyrics proves to be one of the defining strengths of Secrets of the witching hour.” – The Guardian

“Husky soulful vocals and a mixture of lazy, hazy-day summer songs, bursts of heart-string yanking nostalgia and slow bittersweet melodies”  - NME  

The Crimea attempt to conquer the Americas by candlelight and chinese whispers with the official U.S release of their free album “Secrets of the Witching Hour” on July 14th 2008. Long before Prince, Coldplay, and the likes decided to give their music away for free, Back when Thom Yorke was still goin “MP.. what?”.The Crimea were the original pioneers of this revolutionary marketing concept. They became the first established band to release a ‘free album’ in late spring 2007, a landmark industry event which led them to appear in Q magazine’s “Top Five Moments That Changed Music History”, receiving global news attention from the Hindu Times to the Hollywood reporter, and everything in between. The Crimea are a cottage industry with global notoriety. By harnessing the all-encompassing, global reach of the internet, they have radically boosted their revenue streams through syncs, increased profile, and therefore increased live audiences and CD, merchandise sales to form the basis of a brave new business model that places the emphasis back squarely on artistic development and control.  

If you sit there and think,
Who am I?
How did I get here?
what is going to happen when I die?
You can scare the hell out of yourself
For all our science and philosophy
 Nobody actually knows what happens after the last gasp,
Where we go?
Or what we become?
After the last gasp

The above are the opening lines of “Secrets of the Witching Hour“. Released in the USA on July 14th for one week as a free download on Tripwire, then available to download for the duration of all time at www.thecrimea.net , The exclusive U.S.A version of the album has “tywanna jo baskette’ a mysterious songstress from the deepest darkest South, whispering spooky sweet nothings between the songs, The album is free to all, with nothing required from the listeners in return - not even an email address.Recorded above a sweatshop in East London, a crumbling house in Norwich and in the wilds of Latvia. The record was produced by the band over seven agonizing months, ably assisted by Dave Allen (The Cure).

The Crimea first came to light in 2004 when Davey gave a demo to the legendary John Peel who happened to walk past as Davey was sweeping the streets of Soho - John played all 11 tracks and a band was born. The Crimea have always asked people to stop and think, they have been blazing their own trail for years, get played when babies are born and people are buried.

“That could go on for another three quarters of an hour as far as I’m concerned” – John Peel  

“Secrets of the Witching Hour” has been creeping virally and stealthily into peoples conscious, the counter can only go up, Venice beach isn’t gonna know what hit it, the vikings are coming, the Dunkirk landings are going to look like the Boston tea party, “Secrets of the Witching Hour” is coming to America for all eternity, the Crimea perform the following U.S. dates: 

July 
12 NY Cake shop ; 13 NY Union hall;  14 NY Mccarren park 8pm,Bedford/north 12th entrance, outdoor East coast release gig/party; 15 Boston,  TT the bears; 16 LA, Tangiers; 17 LA Silverlake; 18 San Diego Epicentre; 19 LA Venice beach P zone, 8 pm, outdoor West coast release gig/party; 22 NY  Goodbye Blue Monday 

 The man Ledlin does it again. My new favourite Crimea fan was at The Enterprise on May 8th to video the whole thing, and Davey’s just upped the majority to his Youtube page. Long gone are the days when you just got a shitty cassette recording using some old headphones as a mic, or even my poor attempts at minidisc recording with excess base levels. Hell this guy even makes my dad’s MP4 recording digital camera redundant. It’s like there’s no use for me in the world no more Oh well, quality vid time Check the rest out at youtube.com/user/daveymacmanus.

And don’t forget, if you wanna see them there’s no better place than at Sister Ray records in London on this coming Monday (30th June). Not only will you get a chance to buy a hard copy of the new single and a special instore apperance but you’ll also get access to the evening’s secret gig with non other than old skool Crimea guitar goddess Julz Parker featuring one way or another. Meanwhile I’ll be stuck here praying to god the J meister’s doing his thing again as it’s the only way I’m gonna get to see owt. O spare room where for art thou?

Davey just posted a live performance of ‘Jellyfish’ from The Crimea’s Enterprise gig on 06 May 08. Check it out at his YouTube Channel.

West Coasters, sync your iCals with these 2 new Crimea shows :

• July 18th - Epicenter in San Diego  (8pm) Advanced tix are $7/ $9 day of show
• July 19th - Venice Beach, Los Angeles (7pm) Free show, the West Coast version of the Official SOTWH release party. 

Also, you’ll want to check back here on a regular basis because there’s a LOT of press and other stuff in the pipeline.   In the meantime, check out this interview here,  see Davey’s little promo blurb for 7-Digital here, CultureDeluxe.com’s review of 48a Waiting Steps here, and by the way, did you people forget there’s a competition going on?  This guy didn’t - he’s the first entry in the “make your own video for the 48a Waiting Steps” thing.  (Maybe a winner will actually be declared, unlike the ‘remix Loop-A-Loop’ thing…)  

If you’re looking for something to do in London Thursday night (05 June), might I suggest popping down to the North London Tavern around 7:30-ish, which should give you enough time to gather a fine spirit from the bar before Davey and Joe take the stage at 8pm. Davey said this is a warm-up gig for the *free* Proud Gallery solo set on Sunday afternoon (08 June) and the full Crimea gig at the Enterprise on Monday (09 June). It’s only 5 quid to get in and there are two other acts on after Davey and Joe. (Burning Leaves at 9pm, Rodney Fisher & the rest).The Crimea are bringing their candle-lit shows to Cardiff and Glasgow next month. Catch them at The Gate in Cardiff on Wednesday, 02 July and at the Barfly upstairs in Glasgow on Monday, 07 July.Finally - one more new London gig - Bush Hall on Wednesday 09 July.  Crimea by candle light in an Edwardian- era music hall…if you haven’t been to this venue check out the website.  Chandeliers, fancy millwork…stunning.   All I can say is they better play there again when I move back to London!Watch this space - there are probably more shows in the pipeline!

A few posts ago I mentioned the Tripwire Podcost (#037) that featured the ‘Always on My Mind’ mash-up and Loop-A-Loop.  Well the blackbirds’ best friend (otherwise known as Davey to you and me) let me know that at 50-ish minutes into the podcast there’s an interview he did with the DJ. Granted, the DJ gets a tad few more words in than Davey did but bless him, at least he was enthusiastic about the band.  So follow this link,  scroll down the page until you find the embedded player, and just fast forward to the 50-ish minute point

And a quick update about the Playground at the Proud solo gig happening this Sunday — Davey goes on at 4pm.