The Last Working Day Of The Month: Issue 25

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(MJ Hibbett & The Validators FACT, February 28th 2007 )

Hello all, and welcome to the terrific TWENTY FIFTH issue of our EVER LOVING BLUE EYED newsletter. Let's make it HAPPEN shall we?

GIGS TO COME

This month I shall be playing the following places:

Friday March 2 - BB's Social Club, London (Solo)

Saturday March 3 - The Pleasure Unit, London
(The Validators at a Conceited night, with The Suggestions, Champion Kickboxers and Foxes!
Tickets available from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/15598)

Friday March 9 - Glass Onion, Peterborough (Solo)

Saturday March 24 - The Portland Arms, Cambridge
(Ciarafest 9, with Dolittle, Daniel Flay & Tom Conway
Tickets available from http://www.wegottickets.com/event/15290)

Thursday March 29 - Jamm, London
(Short solo spot at Vic Lambrusco's Cabaret Corner)

Further details for all these are at http://www.mjhibbett.net/gigs/gigs.htm - do come along if you get the chance, I'll be trying to play some new songs (of which there are a LOT) at the solo gigs, while the one at The Pleasure Unit is another outing for me and The Performing Pattisons, which should be GRATE.

GIGS WE'VE DONE

The only gig I did this month was at a Birthday Party in Nottingham, where I played in the Totally Acoustic stylee on a stairwell - I had an absolutely LOVELY time!

RECORDS

The next single, "The Lesson Of The Smiths/The Gay Train" is FINALLY at The Manufacturers - and here's what's going to be ON it:

1. The Lesson Of The Smiths
2. The Gay Train
3. Never Going Back To Aldi's
4. Other Bands' Setlists
5. We Only Ever Meet In Church (acoustic version)
6. Vicar In A Tutu
7. The Lesson Of The Smiths (Radio Edit)

Ooh, look at us with our "Radio Edit" - it's basically the same version, but with all the NAUGHTY WORDS removed, it sounds like a cross between URBAN HIP HOP and NORMAN COLLIER. Also featured is our cover of "Vicar In A Tutu", which is one reason it's taken so long to get sorted out as I've had to get a licence from MCPS. Other reasons include Artwork (we RE-DID it from scratch and it is now GRATE) and the multimedia, which features a whole LIVE ALBUM as well as the video for The Gay Train. When it's released it should ALSO be available on iTunes, but with the demo of "Hey Hey 64K" instead of "Vicar In A Tutu". It's all on the CUSP of changing from being A Bit Of A Hassle to EXCITING - more news next time!

MEANWHILE I've got a solo track (the new improved acoustical version of "Sod It, Let's Get Pissed") on a new compilation from Cowboy Democracy Recordings, "They Wanna Make A T-Shirt Outta Yr Dreams". It also features GRATE people like Lardpony and Mr Pete Green and it's only four quid - you can get it from http://www.cowboydemocracy.co.uk/ .

I've also DONE my track for the Local Heroes album of Spoken Word songs - I've heard a few of the others and it sounds like it's going to be RATHER good - further FACT when I know any!

RADIO

That nice Mr Steve Lamacq played the demo of "My Boss Was In An Indie Band Once" on his 6Music show a few weeks ago, which was all a bit thrilling. I'm just putting together the RADIO mailing list for the single, so if anyone's got any ideas for places I should send it to then please let me know!

OTHER THINGS

Every now and then John The Publisher receives a Call For Songs, like last year when I wrote "She Tastes Like Sugar" for a Call For Songs about fizzy drinks, INNOCENTLY UNAWARE of the double entendre inherent in my chosen title. A couple of weeks ago he got one asking for a protest song to highlight the PLIGHT of Warnesford Meadow in Oxford, so I wrote "Save A Meadow", recorded it, then sent it to John who forwarded it to the campaign group. Much to my surprise they REALLY LIKED IT and are going to USE it! They say they've got all sorts of interest from The Media so you never know, you MAY hear me BELLOWING ABOUT MEADOWS over the airwaves during the next month or so.

This is all part of a MASSIVE flood of songs which I'm writing at the moment, as we get ready to re-start our Learning New Songs SESSIONS. There's been all manner of hindrances, such as Derby County moving their midweek games and me being POORLY, but we seem SET now, and we're hoping to actually do some RECORDING in May. Whoo!

And finally, prepare to watch MTV and that in a month or so's time, as The Fighting Cocks have a brand new video for "Hang Up The Moon" currently in the editing SUITE, and it's got ME in it! I went over to the SHOOT a couple of weeks ago (there were cameras on GURNEYS, it was PROPER) to do my CAMEO for the start of the song and felt VERY glamorous!

That's your BUMPER NEWS FACT for this month then - thanks for listening!

Cheers,

Mark

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