PONDLIFE BLOG

Tuesday, May 27, 2008 BELLA CIAO pt2.....

....you wanna know the story behind the song?....then read on.

Bella Ciao -goodbye beautiful (or beloved).
Originally the anthem of the Italian Partisan movement who fought Mussolini's blackshirts in WW2. The bravery of which cannot be underestimated. just check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_resistance_movement

fast forward 60 years....
The "carnival of capitalism" comes to Genoa, yep, the G8 summit -and with it comes a HUGE protest movement....and an anthem. Bella Ciao, its words updated for the occaison.
A protester -Carlo Giuliani is shot dead at point blank range by the police. Chumbawamba translate the lyrics of Bella Ciao into English and dedicate it to his memory.
Then we nick it off Chumbawamba and it becomes an instant live hit for us as well.
So a very big thank you to Chumbawamba for bringing such a beautiful folk song to English speaking ears(?!), we're just doing our bit -not enough bands do protest songs and not enough bands do protest songs you can dance to. In Italy, its almost an unwritten rule that any vaguely rebellious bands play it in their live set. (check out youtube if you dont believe me!).In that spirit, Pondlife present to you our version of such an esteemed rebel song -Bella Ciao.
Does that make us officially "vaguely rebellious"?

so,raise your glass...
To Carlo Giuliani, Bella Ciao!

Next week: "cant get you outa my head" by Kylie Minogue -a critical analysis.

Monday, May 26, 2008 BELLA CIAO!...

...Hurrah!...songs are starting to emerge from the sausage factory that is the recording process, well done Cap'n, mission on!
the first sausage out is Bella Ciao -guaranteed to be free of gristle and packed with heart,guts and bollocks! (cant believe i wrote that). you can even download it to your i-box thingy and have it for lunch or as a snack in the car. dont say we never give ya nuffink.

we're off to the Scillies for a jolly old weekend camping on St Martins 6/7 june and to justify such opullance/frivolity (ie pay for it) we shall be entertaining the good folk of St Marys in The Scillonian Club on the friday and using a years supply of electricity for St Martins in The Seven Stones Inn on the saturday. lets hope its windy before then eh?
seriously looking forward to this, if youv never been to The Scillies you really MUST go sometime. paradise islands 28 miles off Lands End....and we're playing there. makes up for all those hours freezing our bollocks off rehearsing up at Powder Mag.

more news as an when it happens.....

drekly

the pondys x

Tuesday, May 13, 2008 OOH OOH GIG ALERT!....

....oh yeah we're back at "the first and last" in sennen (the top bit near lands end).
a fine establishment with fine beer and an exuberant crowd (whatever one of those is).
bit of a legendary night there last time so blag someone into driving.

love
the pondys x

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008 Yeeeeaaaahh!

....the season has started!
cheers all for a wicked night down the acorn.sold the place out and loads couldnt get in....sorry! the reoffenders were wicked as always and attila got himself a load more fans as well. cheers to them for the collaborations. we had attila up playing fiddle on liquidator and bella ciao and we had heather and hoover joining him -and us on kazzoo for guns of navarone....now that’s something ya dont see everyday is it? (bet ya wish you bought a fuckin ticket now dontcha dal?)

next up, on saturday 5th april we’re at the watering hole in perranporth. you just dont get beach bars up country do ya? -come along and then text one of your mates up country bragging how your getting pissed in a beach bar on the sand dunes skanking yur arse off to a wicked ska band. i’m sure they will be glad to hear it sat at a formica table drinking flat beer and feeding crisps to their dog in their local working mans club.

then on friday 11th april they foolishly booked us to play st just beer festival at st just rugby club. they have onsite camping facilities so you dont even have to drink and drive!...oh yeah and its free -to get in,i think you have to pay for the beer though.
if your brave enough,the wurzels are playing the next night.no shit...and theyr hilarious live!

t’other news is we’re off to play mr eavis’s tea party aka glastonbury festival. stages tbc
have to say it didnt take us long to decide we’d accept their offer of a gig. would have been rude not to really and we’re very polite.....that does mean however,in the first time in the history of pondlife, we wont be playing golowan which is heartbraking but we will be back next year. call it a fling or a midlife crisis or something.

righty-o, hopefully catch you at a gig drekly

the pondys x

Sunday, March 23rd, 2008 PENWITH CALLING...TICKETS SELLING FAST!

you can get yours from http://www.acornartscentre.co.uk/ if you aint got one already.

dont forget it’s early doors with THE REOFFENDERS going on at 8.30 as we have a ridiculous amount of entertainment for you...and you really dont wanna miss the meyhem do ya?
come and bear witness to some never-to-be-repeated collaborations and get all sweaty while your at it. lordy,theres even a late bar for ya too!

PONDLIFE/ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER/THE REOFFENDERS -OUR MISSION IS TO SPOIL YOU ROTTEN!

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 Penwith Calling!

PENWITH CALLING!.... SATURDAY 29th MARCH....ACORN ARTS CENTRE....PENZANCE
(that's the saturday after easter as it happens)

That'll be PONDLIFE, ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER AND THE REOFFENDERS ALL ON THE SAME STAGE! (possibly all at the same time) and you might just get to see/hear/feel some one offs if your lucky...and if we pull our fingers out....and its all to raise awareness for TRANSITION PENWITH, well it was a good excuse to put a big gig on as well like but hey,why not do it for a good cause to promote?

Find out more about 'em at http://www.transitionpenwith.com/ Anyway, tickets are only a measly £6 (+£1 booking fee per transaction) and its AN EARLY START so we can fit it all in. Doors open at 8pm, bands on at 8.30 (yes,really!).

While i've got your attention, the as-yet-untitled-album is almost recorded and will be wicked (youth speak,keep up!). Early mixes are sounding sick(apparantly thats a good thing) and killah (also good). Ooooh, you'll love it! We'll obviously let you know when it comes out cos we're good like that. Righty-o, better get your tickets cos it might well sell out and you dont want all your mates telling you how good it was and you missed it cos your a lunchout do ya?

See yuzall there!
The Pondys x

Thursday, January 31, 2008 Roll Up! Roll Up!

...OK so you aint seen us out and about for a few weeks. hibernate? us? nah!... busy recording up at Powder Mag since yer asking. Abbey Road was fully booked so we decided to do it at our HQ instead which is probably more handy and definitely more pikey.
The Cap'n and Robin have captured 5 songs or thereabouts so far-ish and nobody has been electricuted -either accidentally or deliberately,yet.(watch this space!)

New Years Day saw us in varying degrees of hungeroveredness up at Powder Mag for a photo shoot. What other band in the world would even think about doing a photoshoot on NYD?... Well, our owd mate Baz Emelbi was down from yaaaarksha -lured to The Major's house with a bottle of Absinthe- and if you care to look, he's a rather good photographer so hey,call it an anti-fashion statement -we call it opportunism,( though we try not to be so intellectual about it).
So an ENORMOUS THANK YOU TO BAZ EMELBI, photographer,singer,songwriter,top bloke.
http://www.myspace.com/emelbivibes

and the other news is...the website is back up and running,revamped,refurbished,make-overed and looking damn classy -if i may be so bold to say.
yet again we are in heavy debt (Northern Rock?nah,Cornish Ska) to The Cap'n for that. Someone remind me how Pondlife worked before he came along.Oh,it didnt.
Go and check it out, get yurself on the forum while your at it and say hello.We dont bite...well,we dont leave marks.
http://www.pondlifeska.co.uk/

Righty-o you lot, next gig is at the Acorn in PZ with Attila the Stockbroker and The Reoffenders AND hopefully (ahem!) album launch! 29th March. It's gonna be a legendary night. with that line-up its bound to be.

hope youve all broken your new years resolutions by now,

love
the Pondys x

 

20 January 2008 News just in:

 

23 Dec 2007 STOP PRESS..!

...i've just heard on the radio that "there wont be snow in africa this xmas", so our feelings go out to the poor snow-deprived inhabitants of the great continent (except those in the atlas mountains or kilimanjaro). to help with this terrible situation we are asking everyone to take a minute or two out of their busy lives to scrape out the icebox of the fridge,carefully place it in a jiffy bag and address it to...

"snow appeal"
africa
AF1 1CA

PLEASE use a first class stamp. also, i've "procured" a bottle of absinthe for new years eve so if you have a liver to donate - as soon after jan 1st as possible,please send it, again with a first class stamp (demanding or wot?) to:

"liver appeal"
the major's house
penzance
TR18 5IK

just leaves me to say thank you for your support through 2007-it would have been crap without ya and beast wishes for xmas/solstice/new year,keep in touch, see us soon and/or give us the money you owe us (delete as applicable)the pondys xxx

 

 

17 Dec 2007 Oi Oi..!...its nearly xmas again!

obviously that meant busking ska'd up carols again for the amusement of any xmas shoppers in earshot and us drinking warm wine with sticks floating in it.some shoppers even threw coins at us but missed with them landing in a guitar case carelessly left open in front of us. everyones a winner ...and hopefully it blocked out "last xmas" by wham from peoples minds for a few minutes. call it a public service.

oh and a big cheers to the top crowd at the driftwood spars gig which now seems months ago (i sound like my dad), we actually played as an 11 piece band that night with dal and the major sharing bass /larking about with percussion duties. so a big thanks to dal,always at hand when the major breaks his.you may possibly have noticed weve posted a whole raft of gigs up. not sure entirely what quantity a raft is but sounds reasonably impressive, anyway, adventures to france,the scillies and some festys are in the pipeline. pondlife dont get out of penwith?pah! -never at home!so that leaves us the winter off to freeze our arses off up at powder mag while we do some recording (believe!!) and get some new songs in the set (just to keep you happy) -all of which shall be unleashed at the acorn in pz in what can only be described as a "spectacular"....if you go to one gig this year...

ch,ch,ch,cheers

all the pondys x

 

 

06 Nov 2007 Pondys in print...

...oi oi!, we've been seeing the good name of PONDLIFE in various esteemed publications of late y'know.
Weve had a feature and some gig n' cd reviews ...and theyve all been complimentary (amazingly)- not always as you perceive yourself,but, the gods of journalism have been kind to us. its costing a fortune in bribes though and we might have to sacrifice a member of the audience if needs must. any volunteers?
with our new found z-list celebrity status we are now offering a supermarket and village fete opening service for a reasonable fee.maybe.Apart from that, weve had a really busy run of gigs including a legendary night in the first and last in sennen where people were dancing in the street outside and it was a beer festival and england won the footy and rugby and there were loads of st justers there and...it just went nuts. if you were there, thanks, that was a wicked night.

oh yeah, and we supported the beat at the acorn -a 45 min killah set from us and a kick-ass set from them. "a stonking night" (the cornishman).its official!SPECIAL MESSAGE TO PENWITHIANS - ever wondered what happens if you carry on up the A30 (y'know,the big road)?, we're playing the driftwood spars in st agnes on nov 23rd which is virgin territory for us. great music pub right by trevaunance cove.
Go east out of penwith on the A30 (dont be scared!) til your wheels go bbbbbump on the rumble strips, this is chiverton cross, now take 2nd exit and follow to aggy.easy!
dont forget,when you get out of penwith your sposed to have tax discs (round things that go in yer car window) and your not allowed to drink 8 pints and drive. they have all these funny rules when you go that far up country. Righty-o, see yuz at a village fete near you!the pondys x

 

 

01 Oct 2007 October...

...well who would have put money on october being here already eh?it's been a mad ol' couple of months with a fair few gigs and a particularly mad night with 2 gigs followed by "afters" at powder mag. to the posse who went to both...WE SALUTE YOU! -not even matty bone managed that and he's in the band.this month we are going to attempt to squeeze the 10 of us into a corner at the first and last in sennen and im gonna see how many of my bandmates i can hit with the headstock of my bass.a few days later and its the acorn in 'zance supporting the beat. yes, THE BEAT! dont need a crystal ball to work out thats gonna be a top night do ya? get yur tickets from the acorn to avoid the hassle of trying to blag your way in cos theyv sold out. dont say you aint been warned!we've also got a couple of party gigs aswell but unless you know thye secret code(?) you cant come. (cue sinister "hammer house of horror" laugh).dont forget the pondlife boutique is now open with a selection of tee shirts for all the family, might even remember to bring 'em to a gig in the near future. apologies to the people whove asked for them all the times iv forgotten....just as well we dont have sales targets innit?right,that just leaves us to say SOLIDARITY TO THE BURMESE PEOPLE and cheers,see yuz all at a gig soon.

 

 

04 Sep 2007 2 GIGS THIS SATURDAY! impressed?

...2 gigs we really wanted to do and didnt want to miss either so its worked in our favour -best of both worlds eh? dont get that everyday now do ya?
so, get yersel down to the QUEENS ARMS BEER FESTIVAL in BOTALLACK cos we're on there 9ish and then we take the north coast road a measly sticks throw to ZENNOR CARNIVAL and thats based at the TINNERS ARMS.
camping is available at both and we will be surrounded by an array of damn good beer all night....hence the camping.

i feel an epic night coming on!

 

 

07 Aug 2007 Big cheers for Gig Green...

....a very big thank you to the various pondys and crew who created an amazing venue out of bits of old tat and hard graft. obviously i wasnt involved in the hard graft and was stunned to hear that it doesnt just beem down from outaspace,but there ya go,learn somet new every day.

anywayz, the mammoth effort payed off, krafty didnt kill anyone and nobody got busted. oh yeah and we played a cupla tidy gigs aswell.

good to see moonbuggy,mad cows(on top form),gadjo and the inner terestrials, good to play at the last chance again. good to finally meet neckie from moonbuggy (theyr playing the golden lion.stives on friday-go see).

righty-o, holifest on satdee,think we're on at 6pm.

i'll have a pint of that 8% scrumpy if yur buying.

px

 

 

19 Jul 2007 LAFROWDA FESTIVAL...

...this satdee , headlining the main stage no less!

so that'd be 'arf 9/ 10ish i reckon, plenty of time to get a few beers in beforehand from st justs many fine hostelries.

also, say hello to darren who is bravely standing in on bass for the major who will be in the outer hebrides (thats actually true!) so be nice to him,he's a top lad and he's even gonna have a crack on the ol' tea chest bass. no other stand-in has had such skills!

lafrowda is well worth coming down for the whole day, loads of wicked bands etc...and its free!
have a gud'n.

the pondys x

 

 

12 Jul 2007 CONGRATULATIONS...

....to mr&mrs moose on the safe arrival of a BABY GIRL!

born on wednesday weighing in at 7lb 10oz....we hear gill was a star and seamus just stood there looking cool in a pair of sunglasses. no name as yet but apparantly she will have one, so a big YEAH! from all us pondys and i spose we better get the beers in!

pondlife -the most fertile band in the southwest.

 

 

04 Jul 2007 ATTILA THE STOCKBROKER IN ST IVES

...sunday night at the western hotel. punk poet and defender of the leftfield faith also funny as fuck,
if you aint seen him before -get yur arse down, if you have,you dont need me to tell you how good he is so we'll see yuz there. daft not too!

 

 

24 Jun 2007 Queen FiFi as Mock Mayor!
Category: News and Politics

Yes - as The Major so eloquently explains in his Mazey rant, our very own Fi - lead vocalist, fiddle player, erstwhile keyboardist, percussionist and aspiring author - has taken advantage of the ancient, open and democratic process to become Penzance's latest Mock Mayor, following in the tradition of others luminaries such as Helga the Hormonal.

Brushing aside the challenges of lesser candidates, it was a walkover from the moment she stumbled on stage looking for her mobile phone. Perhaps the crowd thought they were getting another encore, or maybe it was just the flash of flesh as she searched the darker corners of your psyche - whatever, it wasn't long before she was reclining regally on the throne enjoying the applause and adoration she has always known to be rightfully hersIgnoring screams from the band of: "Dont do it Fi - it's not as if you're not busy enough already!", she has succumbed to the lure of fame fortune and power. We know she'll rise to the challenge, and we wish her a lucrative year in the gravy train of local democracy. Guess that also makes us the official civic band!

Moose x

 

 

24 Jun 2007 MAZED!!!...

...(adj. old cornish -to have partied hard and be suffering its consequences)Golowan festival in penzance is absolutely unique.pagan in its origin,it remains true to its roots and is irreverant,anarchic and a superb community effort. the whole town goes nuts!
the organization this year was superb,ticket prices were sensible once again and the proof of that was obvious by the sell-out performances over the weekend (including us!)....so a massive thanx to the golowan organizers.
friday night we sold out the marquee and did a blistering set to a right bunch of skankers,many of whom probably still ache. its such a buzz looking out to see so many people going mental. it wouldnt work without you lot,so thanx!
after us was the mock mayor election where a drunken crowd vote for a drunken mock mayor in a monumental piss take of the electoral system -sleaze is whole-heartedly encouraged....enter our very own fi! during the election she walked on stage looking for her lost phone and ended up standing for the pondlife party....one thing lead to another (well fi flashed her sussies actually) and t'daa! the new mock mayor of penzance is...Fi Read! mazey day started with breakfast avec the real mayor followed by an interview on bbc radio cornwall.other civic duties were discharged during the day and then came our annual appearance outside the dock....
for those who dont know, "the dock gig" has become a golowan institution. every year we do it,every year that corner of pz goes feral -dancing on top of walls/portaloos/tables etc. (only one table broken,sorry les!). this is one of the highlights of the year for us and this year was no exception,...just come along next year if youv never experienced it! they even sell spingo, which probably explains a lot.
so,a enormous thank you to robin, mat and martin for sound engineering, the venues and to you lot....you make it happen -WE LOVE YOU!
cheers
the pondys x

 

 

20 Jun 2007 PONDLIFE GOLOWAN FRIDAY!

ye gods!...the hour is nearly upon us...DO NOT MISS THIS GIG!...will you be able to say "yes i was there that night" instead of cursing to yourself that you were a lunchout?...this could be a legendary night!...a stage big enough for 10 people and their toys....loads of new songs...video projections...horrible suits...great beer...stupidly danceable ska...followed by the completely anarchic and irreverant mock mayor election (one of the things that makes pz a great place to live)...followed by a giant firework display over mounts bay....then the surpent dance ...yours for only £6....stupid not to!doors open 7pm
pondlife 8pm
mock mayor 10pmsee yuz there!

 

 

14 Jun 2007 pondlife in penryn...

...with our mates the eyelids at miss peapods on the quay in penryn,satdee night 8ish.
live in mid-cornwall and never seen us? GET YER ARSE DOWN THEN!...its gonna rock.
so whats it gonna be for the weekend? same old,same old?...or a mad one in penryn with pondlife and the eyelids? you choose!
see ya there.

 

 

02 Jun 2007 farewell bosuns locker

...we've had some awesome gigs there and the place will go down in penzance folklore.
so cheers nige, all the best and we're sorry to see you close -what other venue would let a 10 piece band extend the stage with ropey old plywood and bricks?
legendary!

 

 

28 Apr 2007 venue change!

surprise surprise!...we've had a venue fuck us about again!
top work and all credit to the eyelids for sorting out an alternative venue and saving the day. its now going to be a right ol'night down miss peepot's in penryn, coincidentally its the new venue of our old occaisonal sax player from years ago!
expect drunkeness and debauchery from the eyelids and ourselves.

 

 

14 Apr 2007 HEAR YE! HEAR YE..!

...news just in...PONDLIFE to play the marquee on friday 22nd june aka MOCK MAYOR NIGHT...this is one of the highlights of GOLOWAN FESTIVAL down on the prom in good ol' penzance...PONDLIFE...MOCK MAYOR ELECTION...FIREWORK EXTRAVAGANZA!...thank god golowan is finally being run by people who believe in the local music scene again...END OF MESSAGE.

 

 

01 Apr 2007 GOLDEN LION

...this friday in st.ives, 9pm kick off- which is like doing a matinee to us.
bit more do-able if youre pushing your luck or you need babysitters, still too late if youve got a tag.
i have it on good authority(?!) the golden lion sells the best beer in snives now...and you get to see pondlife in all its 10 piece raggedy-ass glory too!
the only way we could make this a more attractive night is if we gave away the female members of the band at the end of the gig. which we wont. (sorry)
see yuz there!

 

 

15 Mar 2007 reoffenders in helston...

...at the bell on friday.
go check 'em out, they dont get this far west very often so this is a right treat.
a sensible way indeed to spend your dole and/or daffy money.
see yuz there

 

 

06/03/07 re.turning rebellion into money:

roll up! roll up! oh gullible wannabe revolutionarys! you can now buy...che guevara shopping bags in penzance- i kid you not!
it never ceases to amaze me (ok,it doesnt actually surprise me) the depths some people will go to "market" rebellion. imagine if che was a right ugly bastard? who would be the "face" of
revolution then? what would be "my first political t-shirt"? imagine the gaps between the kurt cobain and "take me to your dealer" posters on every right-on student's wall exposing 3x4 of 'orrible wallpaper! whilst i have every respect for che guevara and the fine work he did, his image has been turned into a cliche by default(well actually by capitalist bastards who have an eye for a money making opportunity and the gullible "revolutionaries" who buy into it). now, hands up if you
know what hugo chavez looks like? nah didnt think so! thats cos ugly mugs dont "shift product". mr potatohead in a red shirt dont make revolution sexy. stylize him and he looks a bit better...but he aint got "that" look. now take a look at what he's done. venezuela has the biggest oil reserves outside the middle east, they were almost entirely exploited by the US with very little renumeration to venezuela - except of course those in power who allowed it to happen. chavez hosted a succesful
coup (revolution) with very little loss of life, held elections and is legally president. the US obviously got a bit nervous and sponsered a counter-coup which ultimately failed. chavez kicked the yanks out of the oil industry and nationalized it. with the revenue from it he continues to develop education and healthcare for the masses. he also sells oil at cost to other impoverished nations and quite frankly,anyone who doesnt like the yanks! of course, there is a huge propaganda campaign against him orchestrated by his many enemies and will almost certainly be
assassinated.turning rebellion into money? now were talking!Take a butcher's at these:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2023038,00.html

http://www.zmag.org/content/LatinAmerica/marquez_chavez-enigma.cfm

The Major X

 

 

27 Feb 2007 festys just getting the festy calender sorted...and its looking good.
expect to see us at big green gathering ,hollifest and shambala. stages and all those fine details TBC.
whatever, bring on the summer!

 

 

16 Feb 2007 BOSUNS GIG

next friday -23rd feb down the bosuns in pz you get to see falmouths finest female four piece punkers The Eyelids kicking it all off followed by penwiths pikeyest performers -Pondlife!
its gonna be late, its gonna be messy. dress accordingly.
see ya there....mines a guiness.

 

 

WELCOME TO THE PONDLIFE BLOG FEB 2006