Last night, leaving work mercifully early I headed east to the Simon Bookish 3rd Album launch. It was great, the band started at 6:30 and played a tight 35 minute set of new stuff and old favourites re-interpreted. The rendering of the music has shifted from radiophonic electronica to big band sax but the underlying structures and feeling remains familiar; surreal, off kilter, uneasy with few choruses and much interesting word play, beautifully sung in an unaffected English accent (slightly 80s Cope-ish maybe).

The whole thing took place in the impossibly trendy surroundings of Pure Groove Records and was over by 7:15, a Minutemen friendly time* that I thoroughly approve of as it leaves ample time for pizza and beer afterwards. I intend to check out more of these instore performances which are handily announced here (though unfortunately no RSS) so let me know if you fancy anything on the list.

As far as I rember the set list was : Portrait Of The Artist As A Fountain, Prince of Wales, Dumb Terminal, Interview, Carbon (my early fave on the new record I think), Alsatian. But I think there may have been some other stuff too.

*The Minutemen, possibly the best band to ever exist, used to play early so that working men could come and see them and still get a good nights rest ready for the grind the next day.