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Archive for the ‘We Were Promised Jetpacks’ Category

We Were Promised Jetpacks / Breakup Shoes (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, October 30, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Barenaked Ladies, Breakup Shoes, Housemartins, Jersey City, NJ, We Were Promised Jetpacks, White Eagle Hall on October 30, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 30, 2022] We Were Promised Jetpacks / Breakup Shoes

I’ve seen We Were Promised Jetpacks a couple of times and they put on a ripping show.  I had seen them play White Eagle Hall back in 2020 and it was fantastic–the crowd was really responsive.

But recently one of their original members left and they seem to have changed their sound a bit.  I didn’t enjoy it quite as much.  But they tour around here all the time, it seems (especially for a band from Scotland).  I’m curious if their shows will be as intense.  However, this show was right in the middle of a bunch of shows–I had been to shows the four nights previous.  So I had to give up something and this was it.

So, I’m sure WWPJ will be back again.

Breakup Shoes reminds me of The Housemartins/non-funny Barenaked Ladies–soda pop sweet, surf-flavored indie rock but with dark lyrics that you might not pick out.  All of this wrapped in a more 90s sound–buzzy guitars and fuzzy production with guitar solos.

I rather enjoyed the few songs I heard.

 

 

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We Were Promised Jetpacks / Breakup Shoes (Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore PA, October 26, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Ardmore Music Hall, Ardmore, PA, Barenaked Ladies, Breakup Shoes, Housemartins, We Were Promised Jetpacks on October 26, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: October 26, 2022] We Were Promised Jetpacks / Breakup Shoes

I’ve seen We Were Promised Jetpacks a couple of times and they put on a ripping show.

But recently one of their original members left and they seem to have changed their sound a bit.  I didn’t enjoy it quite as much.  But they tour around here all the time, it seems (especially for a band from Scotland).  I’m curious if their shows will be as intense.  However, this show was right in the middle of a bunch of shows and I had tickets to see Band-Maid, who I’d never seen before.

I also didn’t quite think that Ardmore Music Hall was the right venue for them.

So, I’m sure WWPJ will be back again.

Breakup Shoes reminds me of The Housemartins/non-funny Barenaked Ladies–soda pop sweet, surf-flavored indie rock but with dark lyrics that you might not pick out.  All of this wrapped in a more 90s sound–buzzy guitars and fuzzy production with guitar solos.

I rather enjoyed the few songs I heard

 

 

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We Were Promised Jetpacks / Frankie Rose (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, April 14, 2022) [DID NOT ATTEND]

Posted in Dum Dum Girls, Frankie Rose, Philadelphia, PA, Underground Arts, Vivian Girls, We Were Promised Jetpacks on April 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

[DID NOT ATTEND: November 14, 2021] We Were Promised Jetpacks (postponed from November 14, 2021).

I’ve seen We Were Promised Jetpacks a couple of times and they put on a ripping show.

But recently one of their original members left and they seem to have changed their sound a bit.  I didn’t enjoy it quite as much.  But I still had a ticket to this show and figured they’d still be great live.

But when Gustaf announced a show the same night, I knew I’d be going to that one instead.  I saw Gusaf open for Idles and imagined that their headline show would be amazing.  So I chose Gustaf.

Frankie Rose is evidently a legendary musician who has played with everyone like Vivian Girls and Dum Dum Girls.  She sounds like she’d put on a good show.  Although her poppier sound suggests that WWPJ were leaning a bit more pop on this album.

 

 

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We Were Promised Jetpacks (Underground Arts, Philadelphia, PA, November 14, 2021) [POSTPONED]

Posted in Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Postponed, Underground Arts, We Were Promised Jetpacks on November 14, 2021| Leave a Comment »

[POSTPONED: November 14, 2021] We Were Promised Jetpacks (moved to April 14, 2022).

indexI was lucky enough to see We Were Promised Jetpacks in February.  They announced a surprise show in June–a kind of last show before we leave the States thing.  Of course it was cancelled.

Then they put out a new album and announced a new States tour.

I was kind of surprised that their show was postponed, but it appears that this Fall tour was just a kind of quickie before the larger tour in the spring.  SO they just added our local dates onto that tour. (more…)

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We Were Promised Jetpacks (Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, June 17, 2020) [CANCELLED]

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Cancelled, Coronavirus, Philadelphia, PA, Quarantine, We Were Promised Jetpacks on June 17, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[CANCELLED: June 17, 2020] We Were Promised Jetpacks

indexI had just seen We Were Promised Jetpacks back in February. The show was fantastic.

I never expected them to announce another show at Boot & Saddle (where I first saw them back in 2018).  Although at the end of our show (which was the last night of the tour), Adam said how much fun they’ve been having playing this year.

So I thought, hell yeah, I ‘ll see them again, if they’re sticking around.

This cancellation is one of the sadder ones.  Not because I was dying to see them, but because of the details of their cancellation:

Hello there,
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I hope everyone is doing ok and finding ways to bring some normalcy into their lives in these very strange times. I’m sure you don’t need to hear it from an ageing Scottish indie-rock band but wash your hands, stay inside, don’t be a dick, and lets stop the spread of this virus so we can all go back to hanging out with each other in real life as soon as possible.
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Unfortunately we have no option but to cancel our May – June North American tour. We were so looking forward to getting back out there and playing shows. I’m in no way exaggerating when I say that the tour we did in February was some of the most life affirming shit we’ve ever done with the band. I loved every second of it and I am so grateful to be able to do this with my pals.
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At the moment we can’t plan to reschedule the tour as our Visas expire in July and our priority this year is to finish writing and recording our fifth album. It’s been strange being unable to meet up and write in our rehearsal space, but we are trying to embrace technology and work on projects and send them back and forth over the internet. It’s a new way of writing for us and we’ve been enjoying it. It has definitely lifted our spirits and given us renewed focus.
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A couple months back we had put together an EP of unreleased songs and early demos of songs that are on The More I Sleep The Less I Dream. The EP is called ‘out of interest‘ and there will be a limited amount of vinyl available to pre-order ‪from May 6th‬ with release date of ‪June 19th.‬ Today, you can hear the first single entitled ‘when getting lost.’ (Link in bio.)
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That’s just about all our news. I’m so sorry we have to cancel but there’s not really any other option, I hope you understand and we will hit the road hard to make it up to everyone when we can. Thank you so much if you did buy a ticket. You will be able to get a refund at your point of purchase.
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Thanks for reading and please take care of yourself and others!
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Adam, Sean and Darren

 

Obviously, they’ll be back, but it’s a shame they couldn’t get in a few more shows.

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We Were Promised Jetpacks (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, February 29, 2020)

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Frightened Rabbit, Jersey City, NJ, We Were Promised Jetpacks, White Eagle Hall on February 29, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 29, 2020] We Were Promised Jetpacks

I saw We Were Promised Jetpacks two years ago at Boot & Saddle, a wonderfully intimate place to see a band.  Although I had read that when they played slightly bigger venues, they really maximized the stage space.  In particular, guitarist Michael Palmer was a wild man.

Last time, lead singer Adam Thompson had a shaved head and he looked kind of fierce.  For this show, his hair was grown back and he was giddy, smiling up and down at everyone and clearly enjoying himself.

What was also different was Michael Palmer.  When he came out, I thought–I don’t remember him looking like that at all. Did he grow his hair super long?  And why is he so mellow over there?  Well, it turned out that that was not Michael Palmer. Palmer retired after last year’s tour (which I was supposed to go to but then couldn’t).  This new guitarist was Andy Monaghan from Frightened Rabbit. His playing was excellent, but he was not a very dynamic performer.  That just meant that Thompson was the main focus as he strode around the stage and hammed it up for the people up front to take pictures. (more…)

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Slaughter Beach, Dog (White Eagle Hall, Jersey City, NJ, February 29, 2020) [WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS]

Posted in Jersey City, NJ, Modern Baseball, Nap Eyes, Slaughter Beach Dog, We Were Promised Jetpacks, White Eagle Hall on February 29, 2020| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: February 29, 2020] Slaughter Beach, Dog

I had heard, vaguely, of Slaughter Beach, Dog but I didn’t know anything about them.  So I was really surprised that a band with a name like that wound up playing quiet folky music.

The band was a three piece, but aside from singer guitarist Jake Ewald, I don’t know who else was on stage.

I found out after the show that Ewald was previously the singer/guitarist for Modern Baseball, a band I’d heard of but didn’t know.  I also read that Ian Farmer, bassist for Modern Baseball played on the latest Slaughter Beach, Dog album.  But I’m not sure if that was him on stage.

So they came out on stage, and Jake Ewald was soft spoken and funny.  Had I known he had been a front man for so long, I wouldn’t have assumed he seemed a little nervous or shy up there.  Perhaps that’s just the persona for Slaughter Beach, Dog (I have no idea what he was like for Modern Baseball).

They played about seven or eight or ten songs. (more…)

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We Were Promised Jetpacks (Boot and Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, March 12, 2018)

Posted in Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, We Were Promised Jetpacks on March 12, 2018| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 12, 2018] We Were Promised Jetpacks

I didn’t really know all that much about We Were Promised Jetpacks’ music, but I knew I wanted to see them live.  I had enjoyed what I’d heard but I knew there were diehard fans in the audience.

But WWPJ were also working on a new album–finishing it up by the end of the month, they said.  So there would be new songs which meant most people wouldn’t know all the songs.   This was their second night at Boot & Saddle and the final night of their tour.

WWPJ are from Glasgow.  And of course, I enjoyed hearing Adam Thompson’s accent when he spoke.  They played with one of the darkest stage lighting I think I’ve ever seen.  And since they were all wearing black, it was like a black hole up there.  Which worked well with their moody, often loud sound.

I was in a slightly bad location (up front) for them because it seemed like I couldn’t hear the vocals very clearly and that Michael Palmer on guitar was a little too quiet.

Sean Smith’s bass was a wee too loud in the beginning but that got EQ’d properly.  Darren Lackie’s drums were just perfect all night.  He used those drums like a lead instrument much of the time and that was awesome. (more…)

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Active Bird Community (Boot and Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, March 12, 2018) [WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS]

Posted in Active Bird Community, Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia, PA, We Were Promised Jetpacks on March 12, 2018| Leave a Comment »

[ATTENDED: March 12, 2018] Active Bird Community

I have always loved the name of the headlining band–We Were Promised Jetpacks.  I didn’t know too much about their music but what I’d heard I’d enjoyed.

I thought it might be fun to see them in a small setting, so I grabbed a ticket (before they sold out).

The opening band was Active Bird Community who I’d not heard of.  Imagine my surprise to see they formed in 2005 (!–apparently when they were ten years old or something) and put their first record out in 2012.

The band had great stage presence (touring for years, obviously).  And they wrote incredibly catchy rocking songs.  They seemed to be having a lot of fun and I enjoyed their set a lot.  I was in front of lead guitarist Andrew Wolfson who was really fun to watch, playing with his gear and making really interesting sounds. (more…)

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Tom Gauld–You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack (2013)

Posted in Art, Books about writers, Comic Strips, Consumerism, Death, Demons, End of the World, Fables, Fantasy, Funny (ha ha), Funny (strange), Golems, Meta, Myths, Nature, Neurotics, Noir, Short Books, Smarty Pants, Surreal, Technology, The Future, The Guardian, Time Travel, Tom Gauld, Travel, UFOs, Video Games, War, We Were Promised Jetpacks on July 14, 2013| Leave a Comment »

jetpackSOUNDTRACK: WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS-“Quiet Little Voices” (2009).

jetpacksWhen you have a book with “Jetpack” in the title, the appropriate band is We Were Promised Jetpacks, no?  I’ve heard a lot of good things these guys.  But all I knew for certain was that they were Scottish.

I listened to their debut EP, The Last Place You’ll Look, which I liked a little.  But I didn’t care for the sound of the EP itself, it was rather flat.  A few listens got me enjoying the melodies and such but it never grabbed me.  Especially when I compared it to “Quiet Little Voices,” the lead single from their debut full length, These Four Walls.

The vocals are a bit stronger, the guitars and bass are both more clear.  The overall feeling is just brighter.  Now this may be a sign of selling out (is that something bands still do?), but really I think it’s just a better production for this song.  Which has a big chorus (and good backing vocals).

I listened to a few more tracks from These Four Walls and they are all good too.  I guess start with the albums and save the EP until after you’ve absorbed the band.

[READ: July 5, 2013] You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack

Gauld makes comics like no one else I know.  Most of his people are silhouetted or are the most rudimentary designs–simple triangle-shaped clothes, circle heads with dots for eyes and little else–maybe a nose if it’s profile. (Okay, there’s a bit of Chris Ware, but more like a much more relaxed Chris Ware).  And the wonderful thing is just how much he can convey with these painstakingly simple drawings.

The content of his comics is usually quite clever and often literary.  While I admit there were some I didn’t get (Like the Eric Gill cartoon–shame on me?–Aha: “[Gill’s] personal diaries describe his sexual activity in great detail including the fact that he sexually abused his own children, had an incestuous relationship with his sister and performed sexual acts on his dog.”  Geez, now the comic is very funny.).  There were some in which I liked the set up but would have preferred something funnier (like the Tom Waits comic–shame on him?)

But overall this collection was really enjoyable.  And I laughed a lot. (more…)

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