Mel The Clientele

Going acoustic in Spain

2011-01-14T04:24:00.000-08:00

We are playing the Spanish festival - 'Tanned Tin' on the 27th Jan and are going drummer-less as Mark is moving to the canal!

So, we've decided to go as acoustic as possible. That means we'd better have an uncharacteristic practice this week......

The Clientele go busking

2010-08-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

Don't be fooled by how warm and pleasant it looks, the wind chilled our bones so much. It was very hard to make the fingers move and the mouths sing.

See for yourselves.....

http://bandstandbusking.com/artist/the-clientele

Benicassim - extra gig added

2010-07-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

We are off to Benicassim festival this weekend, The Clientele will be taking factor 50 sunscreen for our pale faces for sure.

We are playing on the Eastpak Club stage at 11pm on the Saturday and have just been told we will also be playing the Jack Daniels tent at 8pm for an acoustic 30 minute set.

We like Jack Daniels.

The last Clientele tshirt

2010-04-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

At the end of our recent Liverpool gig, we gave the last Clientele tshirt left from the US tour, to James - the promoter. A few shots were taken but I haven't seen any yet....?

The tshirt is bright pink and large.

Mel

Tights

2010-03-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

One pair of tights will stay up but are usually too see-through.
Two pairs of tights are the right density but pull each other down.

I would like one of these to appear by magic

2010-01-15T05:06:00.000-08:00

in my bedroom whilst I am sleeping.

New song from our album previewed on Stereogum

2009-09-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

It is here...

http://stereogum.com/archives/mp3/new-clientele-harvest-time-stereogum-premiere-_088131.html

Daddy Longlegs

2009-08-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

What are they here for? Why do they only live for one day?

Do they have to cram a whole lifetime of living into 24 hours?

Why do they always fly into your face at top speed. Why do they hide in your hair and then when you think they have gone away, fly right back at your forehead at top speed?

What do they eat?

Daddy long legs are to me a mystery

We've been having fun

2009-04-27T03:54:00.000-07:00

in the studio.

That's it.

David Kilgour

2008-08-05T04:54:00.000-07:00

The Far From Now.

Such a wonderful album, listening to it makes you feel like you've been lying on a beach with soft waves washing over you.

(without getting sand in your face)!

I don't know much about him except he was in The Clean with Bob Scott. James knows his NZ bands and introduced me to this album.

Whose baby is that in our Clientele photo's?

2008-07-24T09:13:00.000-07:00

Lower tones

2008-04-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

I don't suppose someone has a spare viola they would like to give me?

not another band blog, what is happening to me....

2008-03-25T15:11:00.001-07:00

If you haven't yet listened to The Fleet Foxes, you really should. They played with us a couple of times in Seattle and we all fell in love with their sound from the first.

They now seem to be getting the attention they deserve. Go and see them if you have time, they are touring the states at the moment and coming over to the UK in May.

~mel

XTC

2008-02-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

I love it when you meet someone who offers you a copy of their favourite album. Especially when it is by a band that was playing on people's record players before I was even born.

During a quiet drink in Alexandra Palace last weekend I was asked if I liked XTC, I was obviously shocked at this at first but was soon informed it was in fact a band.

They are absolutely brilliant. Like the beach boys, the beatles and a bit of jeff buckleys voice and all the things I love rolled into one sound. (I can't describe it so well, you'd need to listen, plus I don't like explaining a bands sound by a comparision to others, although sometimes it does help)

It instantly grabbed me.

I was given a copy of Nonsuch, any recommendations on which to listen to next would be greatly appreciated.

~mel

The sad story of the lost blue hat

2008-01-23T04:31:00.000-08:00

This is a long shot but has anyone seen the pictured hat?

It could well have fallen out of a van I was in around Christmas time, probably somewhere between London and Oxford.

If you see anyone wearing it please do let me know - I am beginning to suspect foul play.

mel x

Never bundle

2007-11-05T09:52:00.000-08:00

I have learnt my lesson the hard way.

After maybe one sip too many mulled wine I got rather over-excited and starting rugby-tackling my 'friends' whilst we were all watching the fireworks from the top of Alexandra Palace hill.

I found it all very funny watching the big guys fall over, until someone took it too far. He did it back to me and now I can't move my neck. Moan moan moan.

This is war, he thinks he is forgiven but wait till it next gets dark. His name is Roshan, if you see him, tell him I'm looking for him.

And he laughed afterwards!!

New York

2007-09-05T08:36:00.000-07:00

We are back! Still a little dazed after the flight as I stupidly took 2 night nurse with one hour left of flying thinking we still had another 4 hours....

We're in the lovely Brooklyn right now, staying with Ladybug's Gary before the first gig with Peter Bjorn & John tomorrow night.

Off alla spiaggia now,

Molti baci, x

Benicassim and beyond!

2007-08-08T02:21:00.000-07:00

What fun we had in Benicassim!

I got stuck in the path of Iggy Pop as he finished his pretty amazing gig and ended up having his wiry and very tanned am around my neck as he walked back to his dressing room. The conversation went something like his....

"Good gig Iggy"
"Hey Baby, what's your name baby?"
"Mel"
"You from England baby?"
"Why yes I am Iggy"
"What you doing here baby?"
"I'm playing tomorrow night"
"what's your band called baby?"
"The Clientele"
He was also surrounded by what seemed 500 photographers at the time, all very confusing for me!

I have to say I was rather surprised at his size as I always thought he was a towering hunk of a man but he is actually very small, well-formed though, orange with very tight size 0 girls hipster jeans on.

We went off to Australia straight after and I ended up having my ticket stolen in Shanghai so nearly got stranded there, luckily James and Mark saved me - now we just have to get the £1000 back from the airline that they owe....

Had great fun playing with Robert Scott, he even let me have a go at some violin on a few songs in his live set. He has the most haunting voice, was a pleasure to get to see him play every night.

Sweden and Norway here we come!

2007-07-02T02:56:00.000-07:00

Just 2 more days and we're off to Scandinavia. Apparently we're playing a festival in a hotel basement so after we've finished we can just pop upstairs to bed and have an early night!

We've been pretty busy since coming back from the states, we did a video shoot for the single, I got to be makeup artist for the boys which they obviously loved (have a look at James's radical makeover on our flickr site theclienteleflickr ) Al was probably the least keen to let me apply his blue eyeshadow.

The Yahoo music feature we did is up, sadly 50 cent or 25 pence as we kile to call him didn't manage to make into any of our photos.

Been listening to a lot of Robert Scott recently as we're playing with him in Oz and NZ soon. Everyone apart from me seems to have heard it but I'm loving his music now.

x

p.s. I have spell checked this as I am dyslexic and did spell genius wrong on my last blog.

Brian's Poem

2007-06-22T02:15:00.000-07:00

Not meaning to jump on the bandwagon with The Brian of Bark Studios blog but I had to mention his great poem.

It is situated just above his loo in Bark Studios.

"If you sprinkle when you tinkle,
Be a sweetie, wipe the seatie."

Pure genious. It's obviously there for the male users and not ladies like myself.

x

p.s. Take that Al NO spelling mistakes today!

To Pezaaz or not to Pezaaz

2007-06-19T02:46:00.000-07:00

Over the tour James lost his Pezaaz.

It was a very strange incident-one moment it was there and the next, gone gone gone. (!) It happened whilst he was merrily sipping gin in Montreal.

He seems to have recovered a little of it upon our return to the UK but still something is missing and he doesn't seem quite 'right'.

If anyone hears of anything on this matter, please do help. Poor James needs you.

It's my Birthday in New York!

2007-06-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

And I can't wait, have been looking forward to playing the BOwery Ballroom all tour.

Got a load of people from Wieden + Kennedy New York office coming ( I used to work in the LOndon one) some friends from London too, and of course the Great Lakes and Ladybug lot will be there. I think there may be some treats in store for the stage that night as Louis Phillipe is in town, Heather our tour manager (also in Elf POwer) may bring along her Cello and I heard there may be a trumpet popping up somewhere...maybe!

Montreal tonight, have loved Canada so far, the Econolodges are a cut above. Bagel time, bye bye x

The Ladybug Transistor

2007-05-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

We miss you!

Gary sent us some great photos, I'll stick a few up here. WE had great fun touring with them, nights of Elton John piano recitals by Kyle, Trumpet lessons from Gary......after listenening to their new album every night I now know all the words and every trumpet solo.; Gary watch out, you're not the only trumpet player around here.

See you all in New York on the 8th June!

The Owl necklace.....

2007-05-25T11:56:00.001-07:00

Had rather a strange thing happen which I forgot to mention before. When we played in Hoboken, this guy called Simon Cardwell came up to us and asked if I would like a fairtrade silver and rubies necklace completely free! Apparently he had seen the artwork on the new album and thought it quite fitting that I should have it! I'm so glad Al didn't end up drawing a hippo or something, not sure I would have ended up wearing that around my neck......

Anyway, it turned up at Merge offices a while back and I love it, I haven't taken it off since it arrived.

Check oiut his stuff on www.designsbycardwell.com

It's Atlanta night

2007-05-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

And we're just sitting backstage listening to Beach House for the first time before going on They sound great!

Had a shambolic but enjoyable gg last night at the Map room with The Explorers Club supporting, was loving their 4 part harmonies. Even managed to swindle a free CD out of them!

Got suck in the most hugemongous rainstorm today from Charleston to Atlanta, rain, lightning, dead skunks and everything. Been eating far too many Nachos out here-I don't even like them, the boys had their first waffle house today, I escaped without eating any hashbrowns this time.

Better go write a setlist.....

We are here!

2007-05-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

After the best flight ever, with about 10 rows of seats each and a glass of champanski.

Got the first gig tonigt in oboken, I didn't realise we were in New York, again, made the same mistake last year when I got my boyfriend to fly to New York to then find the city ad sate were 2 very different things. A 9 hour train journey soon got him to the right place though....

Looking forward to plaing tonight, even though my brain is telling me it's 6pm already.

Over and out, x

Tour is nearly here...

2007-04-23T03:30:00.000-07:00

And I cannot wait. Just a few more days of working then it's a month of playing every night.

We've got our dear friend Ricky from BJM playing with us in San Fran, he has a new band called Mellow drunk, should be great fun. Beach House are supporting us all the way around, have never met them but like the sound of their music.

I've just realised it's going to be my 24th Birthday the night we play Bowery Ballroom in New York, never have played a gig on my brithday before, should be interesting!

This is my favourite flyer from the last states tour..I wonder if there will be any better this tour?

See you soon! Mel x

My first ever blog......

2007-03-27T07:19:00.000-07:00

Blimey, I can't believe I'm actually turning into a computer geek! Al persuaded me to do it-might be quite fun when we're on tour. Or I can just put up some awful pictures of the boys dribbling in their sleep or something....

Well, our USA tour is all confirmed, I am so excited-these are the dates so far....

Sun-May-06 Hoboken, NJ Maxwell's Mon-May-07 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's Tue-May-08 Washington, DC Black Cat Wed-May-09 Charlottesville, VA Satellite Ballroom Thu-May-10 Carrboro, NC Cats Cradle Fri-May-11 Charleston, SC Map Room Sat-May-12 Atlanta, GA The Earl Sun-May-13 Nashville, TN The Basement Mon-May-14 Memphis, TN Hi Tone Wed-May-16 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon Thu-May-17 Houston, TX Walter's on Washington Fri-May-18 Denton, TX Hailey's Sat-May-19 Austin, TX Emo's LoungeMon-May-21 Tempe, AZ Modified Tue-May-22 San Diego, CA Casbah Thu-May-24 Los Angeles, CA Knitting Factory Fri-May-25 Visalia, CA Howie & Sons Pizza & Beer ParlorSat-May-26 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall Sun-May-27 Portland, OR Doug Fir Mon-May-28 Seattle, WA Crocodile Café Thu-May-31 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar Fri-Jun-01 Madison, WI High Noon Sat-Jun-02 Chicago, IL Subterranean Sun-Jun-03 Detroit, MI Magic Stick Mon-Jun-04 Toronto, ONT El Mocambo ***NEW DATEWed-Jun-06 Montreal, QUE Club Lambi Fri-Jun-08 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom Sat-Jun-09 Boston, MA Museum of Fine Arts

And then some more in other places.

Had a great time in Denamrk Aarhus last weekend, we drank solidly from friday 6pm until touching down in the UK again sunday at 1am. It was propbably the best gig I have ever played-I enjoyed it so much even though my tummy was hurting rather! Had my first shot of Absinyth too.....it made me lose my balance.

x