Far and away the funniest, sharpest band performance video I’ve seen in ages, this is the new single from Hold Your Horse Is “You Show Up” – which they’re currently offering as a free download. The vid was made by John Peddie’s JProductions company: in an era of constantly tracking camera angles, flashy VR effects and dancing casts of thousands, it goes to prove that vision, originality and sheer ability win out over mega budgets every time. You’d need the cold flinty heart of a cynic to sit through this four minute gem without a grin creeping over your face. Hold Your Horse Is meantime take off on a major 28 date tour in the UK through September with Shoes & Socks Off: the Facebook event is here – but you can also view the full list of shows on the HYHI MySpace page.

I was gutted to miss Merrill Garbus (aka tUnE-yArDs) at Glastonbury last week. We heard an outstanding session from her on the Marc Riley show earlier this year, but somehow it’s only when you actually see her smashing out “Hatari” with nothing but a ukulele, that you appreciate the true wild originality of her talent.

This video comes from the Secret Garden series produced by New York’s Hooves on the Turf blog, where they film artists performing a few songs outside the context of a regular show… In this case in a friend’s apartment in the Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn.

It just goes to show: you don’t need expensive equipment or production techniques to make truly gobsmacking music or – come to that – videos. All it takes is a bit of talent, a lot of time and the determination to make it happen.

Before we recently played the above track “Panzoni Pasta” by  oddball French outfit VLADIMIR BOZAR ‘N’ ZE SHERAF ORKESTÄR the BBC compliance department asked us to find out what the words actually meant, and Pedral kindly replied as follows:

————————————————————
OK, so the lyrics are very stupide! Sorry in advance! It’s about suicide and pasta:)
I just don’t really like plaintive people…and it’s cynical and comic:)
Panzani is a label of Pasta in France and i made a diversion: PANZONI Pasta

The begining is
“Si tu n’as pas le moral pense à tes amis et si tu n’as pas d’amis t’as qu’à te faire HARAKIRI
(if you feel bad, think to your friends and if you don’t have friends you can kill yourself)”

Banzaï sepuku yori panzoni pasta o taberu no de yoku naru
(it’s in Japanese and it’s mean “Instead of suicide you just eat Panzoni Pasta and you will feel better”)
“Ma vie est affreuse, ma vie est affreuse…(Ma life is horrible, my life is horrible)”

“T’as qu’à pleurer, Si t’as de la peine et si ça ne va pas vraiment mieux
(just cry, and if you fell sad and it’s not going better and better)
une dépression, si elle ne freine: 10 pillules rouges, 2 pillules bleus
(a depression(bad moral), if it’s not stoping, 10 red pills, 2 blue pills
T’as qu’à te pendre ou te couper les veines, un pistolet oui, je peux te vendre sans problème
(you can hang you or cut your veins, a gun, i can sell you easily)
Une fuite de gaz, une petite corde, un beau saut de l’ange de la falaise
(a gas leak, a little string, a beautifull swan dive from the cliff)”

Ma corde est trop courte, je ne peux l’attacher à cette belle poutre que je n’ voudrais pas abîmer
(My string is to short, i can not attach it to this beautiful beam i won’t like to damage)

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

La vie est belle mais quand des fois, j’ai envie de mourir, je me fais des pâtes des pâtes
(Life is wonderfull but when sometime i want to die, i just cook some pasta some pasta yes but only Panzoni!)
oui mais des Panzoni
Tu aimes les Panzoni? oui, oui, oui
(you like Panzoni? yes, yes)
C’est que tu aimes la vie! ohhhh
(that’s because you love life)

Pensez à bien les rincer, à égouter
(think to rinse it, to sewer)

Le plus difficile, c’est la sauce
(the hardest is sauce)
Les ingrédients à choisir
(ingredients to choose)
Savoir y mettre la bonne doseeeeee / t’avise plus de chanter R’n'B
(just have the perfect dosage/don’t sing RnB anymoreeeeeee)

Pâtes au pistou, à la carbo, j’men fous
(pesto pasta, carbonara pasta, i don’t care)
Pâtes au pétrôle, à la bolo, au sel, au beurre doux
(petrole pasta, bolognese, salt, sweet butter )
Pâtes à la merde ou patatra, ça va!
(shit pasta or Patatra, it’ great)
J’ai besoin d’aide!Tu le vois
(i just need help)
Cours vite m’acheter des pâtes Panzoni
(please just run to buy me some pasta)
(punk yaourt)
Life is long, is so precious, so nice
just cook some pasta, n’oublie pas l’aîe
(don’t forget the garilic)
————————————————————
So now we know !

Slept late this morning, came down to a favourite breakfast with my favourite people. Big thanks for the lovely presents (you know who you are) but this birthday card from my wife was the high, erm, point of the morning…

Highpoint of the evening will be tonight’s Glad To Be Grey gig at Shepherds Bush Empire… a celebration both of my birthday and of the musical joys of BBC 6 Music…

Latest news on the gig:
Doors at 7pm as advertised but the show starts at 7.30pm sharp with me on stage to start the evening, I’ll then be joining Cosmo Jarvis on his opening set to sing on the chorus of his song “Gay Pirates”.

Longstanding friends of my radio show the magnificent Chew Lips are also playing as are Tyneside indie legends Little Comets and Domino recording star Eugene McGuinness. The recent special guest additions to the bill Toumani Diabate plus Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy from Franz Ferdinand have been confirmed.

And Manfreds/Blues Band/McGuinness-Flint legend Tom McGuinness will be joining my band onstage to perform the (somewhat appropriate) song he wrote with me “Never Get Old”… Plus songs from my good friends TV Smith, Gideon Coe, and Shaun Keaveney. And an exclusive new song by Nitin Sawhney on which I co-wrote the lyrics.

The whole evening is hosted by Steve Lamacq. Cheapest way to get tickets, avoiding all booking charges, is cash on the door on the night. For more info see gladtobegrey.net

Tom Robinson
1st June 2010