New Solar Year

We were still playing at midnight at Mono so could welcome in the new solar year properly, thanks to all the venues we've played over the last year, to all the bands and artists that have shared the stage with and thanks to everyone that came out to see us in 2014, bought a 7" single, or CD, or download, or badge-set, or watched a video or listened online. 2015 has some really cool stuff happening and we're really looking forward to it. Happy New Year.

Set List 20/21 December 2014:
The Changes
Only Everything
Uhrwerk
The Wargame
Checkered Land
Glide On By
Checkpoint Charlie
I Can't Say
Chalk Circle
Sit By The River
Maid Of The Grey
Girl On The Roof
Love
You've Got To Move Too
There's No One There

(and thanks to Miles Walton for these photographs, Owen was there playing too but we've not got any pics with him in - let us know if you got one)

mono

Our last gig of 2014 is at Mono in Chorlton on 20 December, DJ from 8pm, Luke Gallagher is doing an acoustic set too, There are three albums to pick from and we like to change the set round a bit so we've been working on some new songs and some old ones Owen hasn't done before and its looking like a 60% different set to our last gig its going to be a good night. Get down there if you can, its free entry.

live photos

Thanks to the audience, here are some Photos from our gig on 7Nov 

Set List:

I See You Everywhere That I Go

Checkered Land

Uhrwerk

The Wargame

Girl On The Roof

Maid Of The Grey

I Can't Say

Love

Sit By The River

There's No One There

Post gig, outside the Kings Arms

The Transmitters also played an excellent high energy set, big thanks to them too

Radio podcast from Berlin

It was a top gig with The Transmitters on Friday with a good turn out despite Manchester blocking all the roads and turning on their xmas lights. We're back at the Kings Arms Theatre in January, but more on that later. 
Thanks to Don Campau for featuring Maid Of The Grey in the No Pigeonholes show on Radio Marabu in Berlin (and broadcast across Europe). 
There's a listen link here we're on at 21'00" but there's some very cool stuff in there; for example if you've never heard Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing played on a cello? Now's your chance.

We were first played on the radio in Berlin on Lord Litter's Kentucky Fried Royalty show in late October 1989, just before the East/West frontier was opened. Twenty five years after the wall came down its cool to still be on the airwaves there. 
Radio Marabu has been going for 30 years its eclectic, risk taking and alternative if you're fed up with commercial radio blandness give it a go.

 You can stream Radio Marabu live here

Viva Magazine has done a preview feature on our 7Th November gig with The Transmitters: 

Manchester’s underground alternative band The Speed Of Sound are back in action after their Night and Day gig on 16^th October with their new drummer; 18 year old Owen Deane joined veterans of the independent music scene John Armstrong and Kevin Roache in their new pan-generational line-up.

 “Age isn’t important in music, it’s about enthusiasm and ability” said bass player Kevin.

John added that “Every time the line-up changes the songs evolve, everyone brings something different in their style. Pete (the last drummer) was sparse and minimal where Owen’s drumming hits you like a waterfall - it’s very different.”

Following on the success of their Manchester Fringe all day “What’s the alternative?” event, the band will be returning to the theatre at The Kings Arms in Salford to host a series of gigs featuring other independent and minor-label artists. The first is on 7^th November with visitors The Transmitters have a change from their tour slots supporting music legend Bruce Foxton’s From The Jam. David Lees, singer with the Bolton based four piece said“We are mixing new recordings at the moment and we will have some new songs for you in the Kings Arms set.”

The “What’s The Alternative?” nights will continue to run in alternate months throughout 2015. John from The Speed Of Sound said “It’s great to be back playing in such an intimate space as the Kings Arms Theatre again with some very exciting bands; some we’ve played with before, others are bands I’ve only seen from the audience. Music in the 21^stcentury is very much alive and well, we want people to realise there is an alternative out there.”

You can hear The Transmitters on Soundcloud HERE

The Speed Of Sound’s recent double-A single is on sale in Piccadilly Records and Vinyl Revival as well as on the internet via Bandcamp plus the usual digital retailers. 

You can listen it HERE

Advance tickets are available on the Kings Arms website HERE

You can see the full article on Viva's Site HERE

The Transmitters

No.1 for 100th post

Coincidence but the 100th post on the blog gets to say we're No.1 in the Reverbnation Alternative Chart for Manchester. Nice. Thanks for listening. Charts are like opinion-polls, they only get quoted when they give the desired answer, But, we've been at it for a while and not everyone gets there so the band are just going to feel a little smug about this for a day or two. Thanks again, its you lot that put us there.  

here

back live

It felt good to be back at Night And Day on Thursday for Owen's first gig with us, even if he was barely visible hidden behind the wall of amplifiers.

 Set list:

Girl On The Roof
Maid Of The Grey
Uhrwerk
Love
Checkered Land
There's No One There

Owen's well coordinated t-shirt and the backdrop.

John, David Lees, Owen
If you were there thanks for coming down and it was cool to catch up with David Lees (centre) of the Transmitters there. Our next gig is with them at the return of "What's The Alternative?..." at The King Arms on 7 November.

Return to Night And Day

We are live at Night And Day again on 16 October

its our first gig with Owen our new drummer. Its a great venue and a constant supporter of independent bands. Its good to know Night And Day survived the licence renewal after the bizarre single complaint about noise (why would you get a flat above a live music venue?) Anyway. Five bands for a fiver.
Set time obviously subject to alteration, but:
Doors at 20h00
Chaika 20h10
The Speed Of Sound 20h50
Kashmere 21h30
Black Sonic Revolver 22h05
The Jackobins 22h45

We did a short walk up set at The Blue Cat in Heaton Moor on 6th October, (Setlist was - Checkered Land, Girl On The Roof, Love, There's No One There) but this will be Owen's first actual gig at proper (or improper) volume with us.

Live in session

The Speed Of Sound live in session on Caroline Boyd ALLFM 96.9

Acoustic live radio session and plenty of chitchat with The Speed Of Sound and Caroline Boyd on a hot Tuesday Evening in July. Technical gremlins meant the session was only archived for listen-again today. Give it a go. 

What 'influence tracks' did John, Kevin and Pete pick? 

What makes them tick? 

With live versions of Checkered Land and Love.

We are on from 10'30" til 50'00"

Listen here

there are some session photos here: Link to post from 15th July

A new engine

We have a new drummer.

Not a revolution, no musical differences, just a new drummer. We played an unannounced farewell set on Thursday with Pete and 36 hours later we were rehearsing with the new guy.
No drama, no fuss and no prime time TV show to vote for the replacement.
Pete has been with us since May, two practice sessions and he was live - fearless and confident, but he's a student again now (while working) so won't have any time. So...

Welcome to Owen our new drummer, he's got a very different style to Pete and we're reworking the songs with him.
We will be back out there very soon.

The Speed Of Sound:
John Armstrong - Vocal/Guitars
Owen Deane - Percussion
Kevin Roache - Bass

twenty five years

On a Sunday morning; 17th September 1989, a Manchester band walked into Real To Reel recording studio in Macclesfield and recorded their first release. Four songs. One EP. The session ended about 3am on Monday 18th. The four songs were picked to show a cross section of what the band played, at the two extremes were I Wanna Feel Good, an all out two minute garage punk rant, and Nightmare a surreal and translucent horror. between them were the straight guitar driven pop of I Aint No Doll (aka I'm Real) and Checkered Land, which is still regularly in the live set now. 



That was 25 years ago and it is very very good to still be playing after all that time. I never doubted that would happen because making music is an inner need that has to be fulfilled. 1989 is as distant now as 1964 was then, but it really does feel like just the blinking of an eye.

But, technically the gestation period was longer and it all started two years earlier, the day Andy Warhol died: 

22 February 1987, that was a Sunday too. Never die on a Sunday, it is a PR disaster. 
TV News on Sunday is shorter than during the week, and he got a quick mention before moving on to football results - more like fifteen seconds of fame than the fifteen minutes that he'd said everyone would be famous for. I said something along those lines to some of my house-mates and it sparked; a song was written and a band was born. The next night we recorded 'Andy Warhol's Dead' straight onto cassette using the cutting-edge technology of the day - a Walkman. The sound quality is best left to the imagination. It was uncomplicated filthy garage punk. (Transvision Vamp must have had parallel evolution, they had a song on their first album with the same title in October '88.) 
The Droogs L-R 
Andrea. Mark A, Steve, Mark H & John, 

But, that was a very different band, more of a pre-history or prelude. 
A fistful of songs carried forward from The Droogs to what became The Speed Of Sound. The 1989 incarnation was a four piece with dual vocals, 12 string guitar and 6 string bass, Christine left after a year and the format has been three piece since then. The name changed from The Blood Oranges to The Speed Of Sound around 1995. Because it meant more; however fast (or slow) the music is played the sound waves still travel at the same speed…

Here's a review from 1989 by Stick It In Your Ear magazine:
(the old Post Office Box address has been removed to avoid confusion)

And here's a link to the 1989 EP:

(its free listen/download)

Link to hear the 1989 EP

I Wanna Feel Good - Crunching snarling garage punk
I'm Real (I aint no doll) - Guitar driven power-pop
Checkered Land - To take you through the looking glass
Nightmare - Surreal menace of the unknown

Still here, still evolving and still enjoying it. It’s good to be loud. Thanks to everyone that’s ever listened, or seen us live and to all the people I’ve played guitar with over the years in bands, socially or just a jam - music is life.

Play Loud Play Often.

Scootfest 2014

Over 350 scooters made their way to Scootfest today, it was buzzing with energy as Rossendale '60's festival came to a close for this year.
We shared the stage with Lost Legions, The Getsettes and The Transmitters. A cool gig.
Thanks to Scootfest for having us; and thanks for listening if you were there.

 

SET LIST:

Checkpoint Charlie

Glide On By

The Wargame

Unhrwerk

Seen It All Before

Chalk Circle

I See You Everywhere That I Go

Sit By The River

Maid Of The Grey

The Changes

I Can't Say

The Moment Is Now

Checkered Land

There's No One There

Love

Only Everything

Girl On The Roof 

all organised by The Mod Barber, well worth the effort.

The new venue was Haslingden Cricket Club and they added to the atmosphere by having a game on in the afternoon.

...and a gallery

LDCD gallery are stocking our limited edition vinyl 45rpm single...
...and both CD albums, this is very cool. Bottom left bellow.

It is the official opening tonight. 

There is some pretty good stuff in here. 

LCDC Gallery, 38 Albert Road, Levenshulme, Manchester M19 2AB

Scootfest 2014

Our next gig is Scootfest, which has a new venue this year - its at Haslingden Cricket Club.
14 September 2014
We're doing a full-size 75 minute, 17 song set. which means to fit the other bands in we're starting the proceedings off so get there early. We're on from 10:30 in the morning.

Radio

We're on Californian radio this weekend on the fantastically named KWTF
Lord Litter's Magic Music Box is aired at:
Pacific Time
23h00 Friday 5 Sep 2014
(BST 05h00 Sat 6 Sep)
07h00 Saturday 6 Sep      
(BST 13h00 Sat 6 Sep)
15h00 Saturday 6 Sep    
(BST 21h00 Sat 6 Sep)

There's a listen-live link on their website  here.

 

The Roadhouse

It was a top night at The Roadhouse on Bank Holiday Saturday                                                           

Waiting to soundcheck:
Pete slightly bothered by the dressing room mirror, Kevin photographing John and Pete.

Set List:

Girl On The Roof
Checkered Land
Uhrwerk
I Can't Say
I See You Everywhere That I Go
Love
Chalk Circle
There's No One There

Jimi Wade, Dead City Souls and Wilson shared the night.

  

Thanks to The Roadhouse and Soundman Rob, it sounded great through the monitors. Cheers to everyone that came to see us, but special thanks to Matt for coming from Burton-on-Trent, the furthest traveled gig-goer of the night (probably).  

Nice notice: