Metal likeness, 25mm
Badges… badges everywhere
A strange feeling, putting yr image into a 25mm metal circle. How do bands cope with their gormless faces plastered all over T-shirts and other… “merch”? Come to a gig and take these damn things away.
…But there are several more to come, including a third go with Safehouse in the Wildcard Quartet, end of June. Details here, as they become available. Anyway, ask me for a badge and you can have one.
11 June gig, Hope & Ruin, and other stories
My next full-band gig’s on Mon 11 June at the Hope & Ruin, with Pink Narcissus, Peter Cat & Lewis McKale. I’ll be onstage from 8:30, with a new drummer and new songs – truly, playing with the big boys…
Before that, there’s a return to Mr Wolf’s in Bristol (tomorrow!) and another go at Bar 42 in Worthing (electric this time). I chase the phantom wherever it leads, till the oil runs out and the lights go off.
I love a blog entry studded with enticing blue links. So – another track from the new EP can be heard on the second Mixcloud from Plugged In Brighton, along with loads of other really good hard stuff. Listen at leisure.
new EP & gigs (April-June ’18)
There’s a new EP due on 11 May in all its ugly glory… I got tired of introspective stuff and dialled up the noise/sarcasm/repetition. It’s also, for the most part, very… direct. Here’s advance word from xsnoize.com.
I’ve already recorded the follow-up, and that’s different again. Meanwhile, think of this one as an outburst of protest – although the final track may be one of the prettiest things I’ve ever done. A conundrum, for sure (but not too much of one… it’s getting playlisted a lot, which is very welcome).
Gigs are lining up – solo, as a guitar/drums duo, full electric band – and dates so far include:
Another improv gig, as described previously, in the Wildcard Quartet:
Mon 21 May, Short Steps presents @ Fortune of War (Brighton) – w/ Ja Sputnik, Noisferatu & Pete Wiseman
Mon 28 May, Mr Wolf’s (Bristol)
Fri 22 June, Real Music Club @ The Brunswick (Brighton) – w/ Andy Roberts & The Boy In The Cupboard
More tbc for June onwards. Ugliness, ugliness everywhere (and I love it)… x
EDIT: you can hear a track from the EP on Indie Arena Radio’s Mixcloud here
never to be repeated: Safe House improv gig, 31 Jan
the venue (Verdict Jazz Club) in a quiet moment
So I’ve been going to Safe House here in Brighton for a while, and it’s helped keep me honest and open-minded musically (flexible, too). It’s a, well, it’s… right, this is off their site:
…collective that hosts two separate nights that focus on improvised and experimental music: Safehouse, on the first Wednesday of every month, and On The Edge, on the last.
[…] There may or may not be any rhythm, tonal centre or structure to the pieces played. The music is free in that sense. No premeditated ideas or constrictions. Any sound is valid. It is a sonic conversation, in which players respond to each other as spontaneously as possible.
It can be brilliant, terrifying and beautiful or absolute shit, depending on the quiddities of the moment. Some of the players are very advanced indeed, but I’ve managed to reach a point where I can hold my own onstage well enough as part of a free improv scratch ensemble – or at least not embarrass myself too often. One aspect of the gig nights is the Wildcard Quartet: four names are selected at random to go on as first support and improvise for about twenty minutes, no quarter asked or given. (They’re very clear about this… it’s not “jamming”, it’s improvisation. Start spamming out riffs by rote and they take you out back and shoot you. Horribly distorted electric guitars are permitted, however.)
Anyway, my name came up for the gig on 31 Jan. It’s exciting stuff, and will be entirely unique, which is kind of the point.
Event link here // Tickets here (£6/5)
The program:
Graham Dunning, Colin Webster, Sam Underwood
In this trio Graham Dunning plays turntable, dubplates and dentristry tools, walkmans and amplified objects. Colin Webster plays saxophone and Sam Underwood the tuba.
In 2014 Graham and Colin released two albums of recordings on the Linear Obsessional and Raw Tonk labels. They also toured the UK and Switzerland – the video below is from their set in Zurich.
The trio performed a memorable set at Supernormal festival in 2015 and released a CD called Bleed on ADAADAT label – a track from which is below.
https://soundcloud.com/mrunderwood/tarnlavadust#t=0:00
Fettucini Spicer
Fettucini Spicer attempt to provoke/shock each other into action by the application of a multitude of instruments and objects too numerous to mention!
Wildcard Quartet
…I have no idea what to expect, and trust me – neither do you.
last 2017 gig: Cargo LDN, 16 Dec, 10-hour homeless charity benefit
A big title, but then it’s a big day. Runs 12 – 10:00pm on Sat 16 Dec, promoted by 69X Music, features:
Amber Anderton/Elliot Falla/Danny Martin/Spidasense/LegPuppy/The Wax Lyrical Sound/Act of Love/40 Shillings On The Drum/LaFlamme/Lauren V/Nemesis…
Plus film crew, a “surprise guest” and me – kicking it off at noon.
Proceeds to homeless charities http://www.streetlink.org.uk/ | http://dotslondon.co.uk/ | https://www.mungos.org/
A good one to go out on for 2017, then.
Here’s a short fb vid:
tour Oct – Dec 17
infoOut on tour for the first time in years, by fits and starts till December.
It’s written up in Misfit City:
“If Matt’s got a keynote as a songwriter, it’s his knack for seamlessly juxtaposing the macabre with the ordinary […] These days he’s a little wiser and friendlier, but just as stubborn; and still worth spending time with.”
Guitars? Who Cares – gig with band, Brighton 8th Oct
So I’m playing at this all-day celebration of noise on Sunday, with bass and drums and a loud electric guitar again. We’re on about 6pm, but I can recommend arriving earlier: check that line-up.
5 quid, 11 bands, 9 hours of mind-smashing volume in Brighton’s best, most dimly-lit venue. Sounds like heaven to me.
BLURB
An All-Dayer showcasing the best Brighton bands and artists playing Alt, Indie and Grunge. Only £5 on the door. #Brighton #Alt #Indie #Grunge #Punk #Rock
Pink Narcissus
Brighton Freak Rock est. 2009
https://pinknarcissus.bandcamp.com/
Idle Bones
Alternative Rock from Brighton.
https://www.facebook.com/IdleBonesUK/
Hell Beings
Fuzz Chug Wailers
https://hellbeings.bandcamp.com/
Matt Finucane
Deliciously dysfunctional, hard-edged art rock.
https://mattfinucane.net/
Thirty Giants
Homegrown heavy featuring bits lifted from all your favourite bands.
https://www.facebook.com/thirtygiants/
ARXX
A fine tuned mix of garage rock and gospel.
https://www.facebook.com/arxxband/
Spleen
https://www.facebook.com/spleenbrighton/
Frank & Beans
Two-piece thunder punk outfit from N. Ireland.
https://www.facebook.com/Frank-Beans-1502143416758541/
https://frankandbeans.bandcamp.com/
Embet Henx
Brighton Rock/Noise Pests
https://www.facebook.com/embethenx/
https://embethenx.bandcamp.com/releases
WitchShark
Punchy, noisy, melodic punk from Brighton
https://witchshark.bandcamp.com/releases
Young Francis
One Man Punk Band
https://www.facebook.com/yyoungfrancis/
BBC session free download
Here’s a free download, moved across to Bandcamp from Soundcloud.
It’s a BBC Introducing: South session with my previous live band (including links by DJ Melita Dennett – these were included in the original files they sent me afterward, and add a pleasing sense of the captured moment).
Live-wise, my next gig’s in Brighton at Campbell Rd Studios, for these guys:
Feel free to pig out on all of the above.
gig, Thur 13 April – with electric band
Octopuses (Bouncy Castle single launch!)
alt indie dance from the bottom of the (Brighton) sea
https://www.facebook.com/octopusesband/
Matt Finucane + band
chanelling Lou Reed stylings with backing band
https://mattfinucane.net/
AK Patterson
folk singer songwriter…
https://m.facebook.com/akpatterson
live at the Prince Albert on Thursday 13th April
Doors Open: 8pm
Entry: £4
tickets on the door only
email: dazedawake@gmail.com
a band (definite)… some gigs (rumoured)
by Pete Wiseman
Not been idle, as the ultra-swift sketch above shows – that’s me playing guitar at an open mic, you can tell by the eyebrows.
Been testing out a lot of new songs lately, getting a heavy slab of stage-time over the last few months – some of it transcendent, some of it pure fucking grim. But even the misfires excite me.
Okay, enough brand-management. What news? Put together an electric band end of last year, just a three-piece but very powerful and much more simpatico – in both senses – than my previous attempt, which was fine but hardly built to last. Our first gig will be here in Brighton sometime around 30th March, details still tbc. Before then I’ll be back at the Coach House with Sam Cutting on Thur 16th Feb – more info soon.
May this glorious new year bring you a few moments’ respite from the crushing fear and horror
x
Halloween GIG of inspired madness
be afraid
Got no idea what to expect – here’s a link.
It’s At The Coach House, and therefore will be mental & beyond… Also ties in neatly as a celebration of Lilith coming out.
…And as an exaltation of the evil spirits of the unclean dead rising to destroy the living, of course. All good wholesome fun.
Kind words from Shindig Magazine, radio play & GIG
recommendation indeed
Shindig Magazine had some good words for Lilith – see above.
Doing a free gig in Brighton tonight at Molly Malone’s for StrungOut Music. Onstage early, 8:30ish, which means I’ll probably still be sober.
You can hear Lilith on RoundSound Radio – looks like a good show, all kindsa stuff going on. That’s from 8pm this eve.
Finally… got a nice (brief) write-up from SupaJam, complete with Soundcloud link.
So that’s 3 different ways you can check out the song for yourself, since I’ll also be playing it live: have a reckon.
Phantom Hound III – Sept 9th
o sweet lord it’s happening again… EVENT LINK
As you can see, this gig happens on Wed 9 Sept At The Coach House… If you don’t know about this venue, you should. Same goes for the performers – I’m not playing this time, am just the door-bitch, but in ascending order we have:
Shonalika – one of the best singer-songwriters in a town full of ’em
Crysi di Milo – excoriating spoken word mayhem
& headliners Broken Ears – so tight and heavy it’s frankly SCARY
Music from 8pm, no messing. The hound of pleasure calls! x
Trans Pride & beyond
can you tell which one’s me?
Had a blast backing Crysi di Milo at Trans Pride last weekend (then in a sex-dungeon at Fag Machine on Wed 29th). We absolutely killed, so might go into a studio soon and make some horrendous noise, see what happens. Both events were lovely and it was a privileged buzz to play a – very minor, but fun – part.
Wed 8 July gig – photos to snare the eye!
grey is not a rock n roll colour
The Phantom Hound gig went down on Wednesday, and here on my Facebook page are some great photos taken by Andrea Shamlou – all the artists, all the atmosphere, the very smells themselves.
Many thanks to those who came, those who played, and those who supported in other ways: it was a blast. Hopefully I’ll do it all again in September, but different. x
GIG, 8th July, Brighton – PHANTOM HOUND presents…
cute, isn’t he
This is going to be a very interesting gig.
It features super-powerful performance poet Gary Goodman, renowned multi-instrumental improviser Alistair Strachan, some attention-whore with an Irish surname that’s hard to pronounce, and devastatingly dark new talent Rochelle McLean.
And it happens in one of the – if not the – coolest venues in Brighton. Wed 8 July, folks. It may be Summer, but BRING BACK DARKNESS.
NO POSITIVE VIBES!!! (a proposal)
we’ve all been there, right?
I’m thinking of starting my own regular music/performance event here in Brighton.
There’s a lot of smug, cosy, middle-of-the-road bullshit for grownup children – and very little that’s genuinely got any darkness or challenge to it. Something has to be done, and soon. Therefore, I propose:
(Although I back-pedalled later on the “we don’t want yr money” bit, when someone – quite rightly – pointed out that making it free was, in its own way, just as blithely bourgeois as the stuff I was railing against… and meant the bands couldn’t get a share of the door. I stand corrected… And from now on, you pay!)
SINGLE RELEASE & LAUNCH GIG
In The Evil Empire is released today by The Animal Farm – it can be bought on Bandcamp, Amazon and all the others. I even have some CDs, but those are for sale at gigs.
Speaking of gigs, there’s a launch event in 2 days here in Brighton – Phantom Hound #1 in Kemptown. The venue (At The Coach House) is unusual and the lineup’s great. Also, it’s free.
Here’s the single’s artwork in all its splendid ugliness:
words/music/more words – a dish of news, July ’14
this, but on the radio
I’ve got an hour of spoken word and live music coming out on Radio Reverb, hopefully on Sun 27 July at 11pm (then repeated three times the following week). A preview of the first two and a half minutes can be heard here. That’s 97.2FM kids.*
It was a buzz to put together – kind of nerve-wracking too… if I manage to hold yr attention, unsettle you a bit: good.
Otherwise, got some gigs coming – including a London leg of Waterghosts.
UPDATE:
*& it’s now going out on Sun 24th August. Not sure what happened there, but it’s confirmed for broadcast on this date.
…& now it’s gone. Waterghosts, plus gig news
Waterghosts was a success; both on its own terms and going by audience reaction. Jamie Sturrock, awkward visionary, I salute you (many people can talk a good game about stuff like this, very few actually risk doing it).
It was exciting to read out my writing in the pulpit, and to work with so many talented musicians and performers; sitting in the engine room and feeling all that improvised sonic deviltry strafing the church was wonderful.
Now I’ve got some gigs, first one Sunday 1 June.
a few Waterghosts pics – more on my Facebook page:
Lou Reed tribute gig, Sat 7th Dec, Kemptown
visitation of an American Poet
I’m playing at a Lou Reed tribute night in Kemptown, (At The) Coach House. It starts at 7pm, on Sat 7th Dec. Here’s the address:
22 Walpole Road
Brighton BN2
There’ll be loads of people playing songs from all across his incredible body of work. I’m doing… Actually, no. If you want to find out, you’ll have to come along. Anyway, it promises to be a fantastic celebration.
feast yr eyes…
A few pics from Saturday’s gig At The Coach House:
…As you can see, it’s an interesting place, the kind worth playing Just Because (that thing in the 3rd photo’s a beyond-vintage speaker, not a municipal radiator, btw). Gig went well and got recorded – might stick it on Soundcloud, whole or in part, in the near future.
Unpeeled album review + TOUR NEWS
The 13th August update of Unpeeled has very positive things to say about Glow in the Dark – “once in a blue one, you come across something of genuine interest”, for a start – and I’ve taken the liberty of quoting the entire review somewhere on here. Go to the site, though, it’s all good writing (and they clearly have excellent taste).
Tomorrow sees the first date of MINOTAUR – South Seas Live in Sheffield. Facebook pg for that specific gig here.
Wish me luck – or a gloriously messy death. x
New X Inn gig: verdict (I, Loudmouth)
I haven’t fronted a band since Empty Vessels on 14th Dec 2006 at The Montague Arms (SE15): so what’s changed? Happily, very little.
Solo acoustic is a totally different animal – I’d forgotten how charged the atmosphere at a real gig can be. The New Cross Inn on Friday was vibey as ever; I, Ludicrous sounded good – well, their soundcheck did, we’d buggered off back to Brighton in the van by the time they went onstage, I’m ashamed to admit – and the sheer power and physicality of the experience was… well, there aren’t any words. I just love feeling the drum-cracks and noises blast my spine, and aiming my voice right… through… the middle; worth every second, every minor discomfort and expediency.
It went over well, too; nice crowd. It’s good to be back.
oh, and many thanks to Andy Clarke, without whom…
