Amph [Crowded House] Yay! My favourite band's getting back together!

Damn. I'm excited about this.

 

This is quite cool - a blog by one of the unlucky drummer auditionees;

 

New in-studio shots of the band recording the new album up at frenz.com;

[image=http://www.frenz.com/crowdedhouse/phx/rdr-01.jpg] [image=http://www.frenz.com/crowdedhouse/phx/rdr-03.jpg]
[image=http://www.frenz.com/crowdedhouse/phx/rdr-02.jpg] [image=http://www.frenz.com/crowdedhouse/phx/rdr-04.jpg]

 

CROWDED HOUSE WEBCAST AND COMPETITION

[image=http://www.farewelltotheworld.com/images/studio_photos/5.jpg]

http://www.farewelltotheworld.com/

Be amongst the first to see and hear the newly reformed Crowded House line up in a VERY intimate setting... your own home, in front of your computer. Crowded House have just about finished their brand new studio album "Time On Earth" and are now rehearsing before taking the new band on the road for the first time in 10 years, starting with the Coachella Festival in California on April 29. The band are currently rehearsing near Bath, in the UK, and they'd like to introduce you to their new drummer. This Saturday 17th March, the band will be performing new tracks and old favorites for a special live interactive webcast at 10pm GMT (3.00pm Los Angeles, 9.00am Sunday Sydney, 10.00am Sunday NZ), through www.crowdedhouseofficial.com. The band will take time during the performance to read out comments and answer questions from you. You can email your comments and questions for the band now to questions@crowdedhouseofficial.com and the band will answer as many as they can.

What's more a very lucky few (UK residents)will be able to attend the webcast this Saturday, in Bath with the band and be amongst the first people in the world to see the new Crowded House line up performing live in a unique and very intimate setting. You must be able to make your own way there and back. No accommodation will be provided.

Here's the contest link for anyone able to get there...

 

30 minutes until 9:00pm GMT by my reckoning. They forgot to take the end of Daylight Savings into account on the 10am NZ time above, should be starting at (9:00am in NZ).

There's now a windows media player embedded in the page;

http://www.crowdedhouseofficial.com/webcast.php

But no test stream up yet.

You may be able to load it up into a standalone Windows Media player by using the URL;

http://relay.dgen.net/01.asx

 

Webcast has started - just audio testing - Neil playing some song snippets. No video yet.


Edit: video up - jamming on some blues number. Classic!

Edit2: Looks like Neil doesn't realise they're broadcasting yet - now they're playing Zep's Dancing Days. Heh.

Edit3: It's gone offline. Looks like it's supposed to start at 10pm GMT (not 9 as I previously thought), so seems like we got a sneak look at a few warmup tracks while they tested everything out. I like their new direction as a Led Zep covers band...

 

There was lots of chatter, answering emailed in questions, tuning up & small song snippets here and there. The 'proper' setlist was;

Mean to me
World where you live
Room to Move (John Mayall's Bluesbreakers song snippet)
Something so strong
English trees
Silent house
Pineapple head
Fingers of love
Pour le Monde
You're the one
Transit lounge
She called up
Love you 'til the day I die
Black & white boy
When you come
Better be home soon
Heaven I'm making
Nobody wants to
Don't stop now
Nails in my feet
Locked out
Weather with you
Four seasons in one day
Don't dream it's over

 

HELLO! Hello! hello.

 

Yeah, so right now at

mms://219.88.243.186/roundhead

Neil Finn's launching his new recording studio. There's a bunch of kiwi musicians, led by Neil, jamming on some old Crowded House & Split Enz numbers.

It's loose, it's a bit chaotic, but if you're in the least a crowded house / split enz / Neil / Tim Finn fan, you could do worse than check out he webcast link above (windows media player stream).

 

Yay. I scored tickets to a 'secret' showcase / fanclub only gig in a tiny venue in Auckland next month. Should be sweet.

Here're details for other such shows around the world - there may still be some tickets available at some of them.

Crowded House Tickets For Exclusive Performances available

CROWDED HOUSE: 5 DATES, 4 COUNTRIES, 3 CONTINENTS, 2 AND A HALF WEEKS -
AND NONE FOR MORE THAN 500 FANS!

In anticipation of their world tour kicking off in North America this
August, Crowded House will be performing a number of unique intimate
events as part of a whirlwind trip around the world over the coming weeks.

Starting with a special performance on July 2nd for just 300 people at the
renowned ICA Theatre on London's Pall Mall as part of ITunes Festival:
London, the band travel out to Australia, where they will follow their
Live Earth appearance with a true homecoming show at the Corner Hotel in
Melbourne on July 9. Then it's across the Tasman Sea to play the Kings
Arms in Auckland on July 12. Across another ocean and on July 17 the band
make their first ever appearance at L.A.s legendary Troubadour Club.
Finally it's on to New York where Crowded House will play a very special
show for The Artists Den in a secret location.

For fans lucky enough to get tickets, these very special shows will be a
unique opportunity to see Crowded House up close and personal and the
perfect counterpoint to their huge festival appearances and forthcoming
world tour, more details of which will be announced very, very, soon.

Here's how to get tickets:
London ICA as part of the ITunes Festival: London July 2
This is a special invite only show. Fans can win tickets by clicking here
: http://email.parlophone.co.uk/a/tBGeWe4AQUBzFBN8SFsAQsfA8S4/link26

Melbourne, Corner Hotel, July 9
Tickets will be available from here :
http://email.parlophone.co.uk/a/tBGeWe4AQUBzFBN8SFsAQsfA8S4/link27 from
9.00am local time Thursday June 21. Limited to two per person.

Auckland, Kings Arms, July 12
Tickets will be available from here :
http://email.parlophone.co.uk/a/tBGeWe4AQUBzFBN8SFsAQsfA8S4/link28 from
9.00am local time Thursday June 21. Limited to two per person.

Los Angeles, Troubadour, July 17
Tickets will be available from here :
http://email.parlophone.co.uk/a/tBGeWe4AQUBzFBN8SFsAQsfA8S4/link29
password ecosystem from 9.00am local time Saturday June 23. Limited to two
per person.

New York, from a secret location, July 19
This is a special invite only show presented by The Artists Den. Fans can
win tickets via a ticket lottery at here :
http://email.parlophone.co.uk/a/tBGeWe4AQUBzFBN8SFsAQsfA8S4/link30

HYDE PARK CALLING
The band are due to play Hyde Park Calling this Saturday, and if you
haven't got your tickets yet, you can still get your hands on some by
clicking here :
http://email.parlophone.co.uk/a/tBGeWe4AQUBzFBN8SFsAQsfA8S4/link31

The band are also playing at the AOL Summer Cooler on 28th June. Winners
will be picked and notified this week so if you entered make sure you
answer your phone when we call!. For more details check out here :
http://email.parlophone.co.uk/a/tBGeWe4AQUBzFBN8SFsAQsfA8S4/link32 ,
videos from the event will be hosted as soon as they happen!


DON'T STOP NOW OUT ON DIGITAL DOWNLOAD THIS WEEK - ONLY 50p!
The brand new single Don't Stop Now is out on digital download this week,
with 7 digital selling the ipod friendly MP3 for only 50p, just click the
link below to go direct to the page to buy, and listen to your hearts
content!

7 Digital Store :
http://email.parlophone.co.uk/a/tBGeWe4AQUBzFBN8SFsAQsfA8S4/link33 iTunes
: http://email.parlophone.co.uk/a/tBGeWe4AQUBzFBN8SFsAQsfA8S4/link34

The physical single is released on CD, ECD and limited 7'' next week
including exclusive bsides and videos (ECD). Click here :
http://email.parlophone.co.uk/a/tBGeWe4AQUBzFBN8SFsAQsfA8S4/link35 to
visit recordstore and buy all the formats for only £5.

For more dates and information go to www.crowdedhouse.com

 

Crowded House are going to do a 45 minute long or so set live-to-air on NZ Radio (I saw them in concert last night, brilliant stuff).

The set starts 1:10pm, Friday 13th July NZ Time (ie, in about 10 minutes from the time of this post).

Live stream here;

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/home

(click on Listen Live link upper left, and choose National or possibly International if national doesn't work.

 

So how do you like the new album, jp? I'm downloading it from itunes right now.

 

I'm warming to it - it's more akin to one of Neil's solo albums that Crowded House in many places (the full band only play on 4 of the tracks). Some great moments for sure, but a few flat spots too, and it's all a bit samey, pace-wise.

They're back in the studio in Jnuary, so I'm really looking forward to the results of that - an album meant to be a Crowded House album from the get-go.

Here are some of my notes on their Auckland gig last Thursday written for the Tonfue in the mail list, cropped from 3 separate emails, so a bit disjointed;

 

The Next Generation!

Neil Finn's eldest son, Liam releases his debut solo "I'll Be Lightning" album on Monday (His band, betchadupa is on a break).

[image=http://a32.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/22/l_a5a27a81f14e01073ab2fedcb6d52d2f.jpg] [image=http://a800.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/48/l_b75f3ce0898199643cecab3e6357252f.jpg]

Glowing review in today's paper (4/5 stars), not up on the Herald website yet, but no doubt it'll go online in the next day or two.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/index.cfm?c_id=264&ct=16

"...That's not to say traces of Finn Snr are absent. Liam and his dad share a love of melodies that don't take the easy route, twisting themselves around the unpredicatble chord changes, harmonies and loping structures that don't quite finish where you expect them to..."

Aaaand interview and performance from last night's Campbell Live TV current affairs show

Audio samples etc here:

http://www.myspace.com/theliamfinn

 

New live Crowded House concert on MSN right now. Dunno if it'll be looped or archived. It's the Chicago House of Blues show from August 18.

Check it out.

 

Damn it, I didn't see this thread earlier tonight. Did they ever archive that Cochilla festival performance?

 

The album is really growing on me. My main complaint is that I wish they'd cut it down to about 10 songs and weeded out a few of the weaker ones. This is especially true when you take the itunes bonus tracks into consideration. Still, I'm really starting to love People are like Suns and Silent House. The latter is especially interesting when compared to the equally great Dixie Chicks version.

 

The MSN webcast is an archive, so playable on demand...

 

Crowded House Concert tonight!

With Supergroove as support (I saw Supergroove on Friday in a warmup / showcase gig. They were smoking!)

 

Holy crap, the Albert Hall 2 nights ago looks like an absolute scream...

Opening Track Recurring Dream

Matt Sherrod does Jimi Hendrix / Santa Claus before Pineapple Head

Road Crew & equipment techs sing "It's Only Natural" while the band watch from a private box

Neil sings "Message to my Girl" down the phone to his wife in NZ

Audience asked for obscure requestss, band play "In The Lowlands"

Italian Plastic (written by Hessie)



Looks like almost the whole show is up.

 

Holy Crappier, Japes -- they're playing a show at a small club in Salzburg on July 15. Have to see if we can find a babysitter!

 

Be there!

 

New Tim Finn video (featuring his son, too).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEvVvJx9i94

Delightful.

 

I saw Liam opening for Eddie Vedder a couple months ago and it was pretty badass Been listening to his album pretty steadily every since.

 

i never knew johnny marr played for crowded house