We're going to work on Midnight...
The
Skinbat
Scramble Archives
Featuring a cast of a thousand and one knights
Above Left: Ferg - Above right: at Elephant Studios
above: andy's wedding and Volume 5 art
beow: the legendary rototoms of doom...
Above Nicky and Mark at the Forum
above: Ferg and Gary at Elephant Studios
below:
Carl at the Forum, 2008
below: imogen's live scramble debut
below: carl's coral
above: mark and gary at the Cave? in London, years ago
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mark. granary studios
gary carl piers mark imogen. forum
above: Guest Guitarist Malcolm Lenny (Packabeats)
Forum - Sunday Sept 6th 2009
photo courtesy Rob Munro www.robertmunro.net
below: Grand Nifty
Forum - Sunday Sept 6th 2009
photo courtesy Rob Munro www.robertmunro.net
Gig History of the Renaissance Scramble
8 July 2007, Forum
Old Dolphin Brigade and Nifty Eagu and the Glo Pilots play; Gary guests with the Glo Pilots on sampler and synth after the ODB set - Mark Nicky and Gary realise that they are on stage together again after all those years, and they rather enjoy it...
16 September 2007, Forum
OBD play a chaotic but glorious set, and the firm idea of a new Scramble is formulated partly in the afterglow.
21 October 2007, Forum
The kernel of the new Scramble (Mark, Gary, Piers and Carl)
play a very long and rambling version of the newly worked-up "Peppermint Schnapps" to a small and uncomprehending audience of rockers.
11 November 2007, Forum
This is more like it. With Nicky on board, we do a "proper set" supporting the wonderful Vorderman, Heat From A Deadstar and Rachel's...
We did these songs:
"Peppermint Schnapps" - "Starfields" - "CinemaUsherettes" - "Un-named Improvisation" (which later becomes "Stop Trying So Hard").
30 December 2007, Forum
New Year's Nifty Night - The New Purpose Cadets was a thinly veiled reference to The Old Dolphin Brigade*, sneaking in the back door after being "banned" from playing the Forum (!) Mark, Piers, Gary, Nicky and Carl; an excellent set...
"Improvisation" (which later becomes "The New Black") - "Peppermint Schnapps" - "UFOUK" - "Starfields" - "Integration" - "Stop Trying So Hard"
(*ODB performed "Bye, The Sea" and "Relentless")
Happy New Year!
20 January 2008, Forum
Full-on Resurgence!
"The New Black" - "Peppermint Schnapps" - "UFOUK" - "Starfields" - "Integration" - "Stop Trying So Hard"
17 February 2008, Forum
We amaze each other, as we settle into a groove...
"The New Black" - "Peppermint Schnapps" - "UFOUK" - "Gutshot" - "Stop Trying So Hard"
4th May, 2008, Forum
Brutai didn't show up, but everything else went like clockwork, especially the things that weren't included on the poster... we did the following:
"Statue of Limitations" - "Gutshot" - "UFOUK" - "Stop Trying So Hard"
Sunday 13th July 2008, Forum
with
Rachel's Got A Flamethrower
and
Vorderman was very very successful; if you missed it, then sorry it can never be repeated. Console yourself with looking at the flier, above.
Allegedly, we attempted to perform
"Statue of Limitations" - "Gutshot" - "Integration" - "Stop Trying So Hard"
September 14th, 2008... Forum. Nnaaargh we were variously described as "genius", "ramshackle" and "Psychedelic Blitz" - and that was just one of the band!
It was a bit of a funny one to be honest, algorythms all wonky, biorhythms thrown off by September's humid clutch or something...
showcasing choons from the NEW ALBUM!
And IMOGEN's Skinbat-on-stage debut on the BASS!
Utterly NOT TO BE MISSED, though it was by many of you!
we were good but 8/10 could do better. Everyone to the Anderson, The Lebanons, (Chop Chop cancelled - Epideme inserted themselves into the gaping hole thus left).
We did "Radiator Heaven" - "UFOUK" - "Integration" - "Gutshot"- "Stop Trying So Hard"
October 2008...Mark Piers Imogen and Nicky performed as part of The Sons Of Quag at the "Cabaret Sauvage" in Paris. This was legitimately a sort of a Skinbat offshoot affair, as some of the rehearsal time was Skinbat-oriented, and it left a certain Hawkwind cover version at our disposal for future reference... Performed were "Born to be Wild" and "Silver Machine".
9th November 9th, 2008... After the wiggy indiscipline of the last couple of rehearsals (and probably the last gig), the loop of energy reconnected for this gig and IT ROCKED> some glimpses of pure white hot reined-in wild atomic-age primal magic poured from the monitors all over the place. Some audients danced. It was a fab gig for us. After this, the superb Vorderman!
Featuring "our Carl". Anamorphic and Luna Park Rescue topped the bill. Good, nourishing stuff.
Skinbat Scramble performed "Silver Machine", "Integration", "Gutshot" and "Stop Trying So Hard"
7th December 2008. Forum. There was discipline and there was rocking out, sometimes so very hard it spanked ass. Skinbat Scramble did a slightly longer set than usual at this Niftiest of Nifty Nights...
We kicked off with an extended rascal of a song, a new one - "The Legend of Big Joe the Chicken Man", into which Gary splurged vocoded wedges of "Metal Way" and sampled gobbets of the soundtrack to 2001 - a smorgasbord of a song, which can run to 55 minutes in rehearsal. Goodness knows how long it ran at the gig, but we were all smiling. Then another first; "Heartbreak Hotel". Kind of a further mutation of the John Cale/Eno version. It was good, powerful and covered in sleazy spacedust. Another untried stage song next, in the form of "Camel Lights". An unruly beast this one; we tamed it and made it stand on a podium with our heads in its mouth. The performance rounded out with a very muscular version of "Gutshot" and a downright trippy "Stop Trying So Hard". Imogen and Piers are really shining as the rhythm machine; Carl reached new heights of frenzy on the Coral; Nicky shone as usual; Mark pulled his riffery and solos from thin air; Gary tweaked and shouted and twisted knobs, even when the lead had been yanked from the Korg by over-enthusiastic mic-stand bashing...
Merry Christmas, and god help us, every one.
XMAS EVE (DECEMBER 24th 2008)
FORUM ACOUSTIC NIGHT
GHOST LILACS appearance featuring
Nicky, Mark, Imogen
and special guest Dave from Chop Chop; Bear Touch!
"Sad Spring" and a cover of Basement 5's "Last White Xmas"
Gary's ectoplasm wafted from his sickbed to accompany on percussion...
22nd February 2009
Ghost Lilacs (acoustic set)
Forum, Tunbridge Wells
A tribute to the poet Norrie Thornton. Nicky on vocals, Mark on guitar, Carl on sitar and JJ on percussion. The ghost of Norrie moved chairs. read more at the Ghost Lilacs myspace site, just here.
SUNDAY 22nd March 2009
TUNBRIDGE WELLS FORUM
Luddite Explorations/Apollo Records night
with Luna Park Rescue, Lebanons, NIVK
and SKINBAT SCRAMBLE
Compered by the incomporable Rob from Apollo Records;
This four-bander turned into a three-bander. After getting snitty with the promotor because he didn't know they had changed their name from "NIVK" to "The Carnaby Fleet" (they insisted on printing up little stickers to deface the poster), NIVK pulled out of the gig with very little notice. Perhaps they realised it was mother's day. Anyhoo. LEBANONS were first with an excellent set. Focussed mayhem, a physical embodiment of art vs noise. Then we were on: a pretty tidy and slightly extended set from usual... we did "The Legend of Big Joe the Chicken Man" - with the full-on "Chalybeate Spring" vocal and a demented chorus of "We've got to go to work at midnight" - vampires, chickens or foxes? Then we did "Gutshot", which worked well as usual, Nicky's vocals with pa echo worked a charm, and continued with a loping, groovy "UFOUK". "Heartbreak Hotel" followed snapping at its heels, then we tried a souped-up and mutated version of "Ringmain Dancer". It worked remarkably well, even though Imogen's vocal got lost in the mix a bit. A good stab at an elusive mood piece. We'll try again. The audience liked it. "Stop Trying So Hard" was next, its usual towering presence was topped off with incredible singing. We bridged this into "Silver Machine", which worked well, ending in an implosion of looped noise as we left the stage. Nice nice nice, and some very good feedback from people who matter. After us there came to the stage LUNA PARK RESCUE, much more assured than last time we saw them, pretty good stuff all round.
SUNDAY 12th April 2009
NIFTY NIGHT / FORUM
- EVERYONE TO THE ANDERSON
- SMILE AS YOU KILL
- SKINBAT SCRAMBLE POWER TRIO
a great evening, even though the poster proved inaccurate... firstly, for various reasons 3 of the 6 Skinbats were absent, so Gary, Piers and Mark performed support as a "power trio" - we were originally billed as "Captain Headspace", but faced facts that even in this diminutive configuration, we are the Skinbat Scramble. We performed a lengthy "Statue of Limitations" (a song worked up by Mark and Piers in practice) which segued into a further mutated and gnarled version of "Ringmain Dancer", which (as Gary used a completely new set of words at this gig) has probably moved so far from the woods that it's a song in its own right now. Let's call it "Going to work at Midnight" for now.
Social Extortion; very energetic, punk/ska - engagingly old skool for a bunch of youngsters. Good stuff.
Smile as You Kill were a last minute replacement for Heat from a Deadstar (don't worry, they will be back at the next Nifty Night). Another bunch of prickly youngsters, semi-confrontational nu-punk, high on energy and comment.
Everyone to The Anderson - excellent set as usual, these guys are good. Even when the drummer has a broken ankle. Yes, he did.
SATURDAY 25th April 2009
SUPPORTING HEAT FROM A DEADSTAR
AT THE WINDMILL, BRIXTON...
A stripped down drum and bass version of the Scramble made a return for our first London gig in 23 years (not actual D'n'B, but a psychedelic punk freakout utilising those instruments) with Heat From A Dead Star and Lord Lucan. Andy B of Social Extortion guested as drummer and synthist with Piers taking the same duties alternately. Pierrique of Heat From A Dead Star guested on guitar with Nifty playing bass (and stepping on his guitar lead so clumsily that he destroyed the jack plug and nearly rendered his bass inoperable). We played a stunning 25 minute version of "Statue of Limitations" incorporating a Skinbat classic that was actually played at the last gig of the "old scramble" in 1986 - "Eternity, Indecision & Death". A spiteful heckler in the audience during Heat From A Dead Star's set was nowhere to be seen once the Scramble had finished - think he got the message. Andy B stole the show on drums with Piers in hot pursuit of his usurped crown. Lord Lucan followed with a long dreamy number that reminded me strongly of Soft Machine's "The Soft Weed Factor".
above: Nicky at the Granary
above: Gary and Mark at the Forum
above: Gary and leads, not in leeds, at the Crowborough Time Centre
above: Mark, near a Granary
below: St. Martin's ART COLLEGE Cafe
Above Piers and Carl at our first reconvened gig, 16 Sept 2007
Below: Elephant Studio Polaroids
Above: Mark
Below: Gary Mark and Ferg at Elephant Studios
Above: Gary promo shot - note Lene Lovich's 1950s cocktail cabinet just visible at left of shot...
Below: Gary and Mark, Forum, 2008
above: gig blackboard art
below: shadowy guitar mark
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below: imogen's bass. granary
Above: Engineer Guy Denning (l) and Mark Eason (r) at the Granary Studios, 2009, recording "Dead Rabbit Universe"