TRANSLATE this site into another language...(sort of) OLD NEWS (commencing Friday 2nd Feb 2001 and going backwards...)

...Shoeshine News & Gossip...

Home * Drop us a line * Shoeshine Discog * Soundclips * Spit & Polish * Links * FAQs * Live

Alex Chilton * Amy Allison * Amy Rigby * The Beauty Shop * Ben Vaughn * BMX Bandits * Boa Morte * Cheeky Monkey *Jason Ringenberg * John Herald * John Miller * Kim Fowley * Laura Cantrell * Major Matt Mason USA * Michael Shelley * Neil Cleary * Nice Man * Paul Burch * Radio Sweethearts * Schwervon * She-Haw * Speedboat * Steve Young * Tim Carroll * Tom Armstrong * Tom Clelland * Various Artists ("Shoeshine Chartbusters")

* Click here to order Shoeshine/Spit & Polish CDs for £9.99 or less *

Friday 30th March

Julie Fowlis "cuilidh"

"Sublime" (Living Tradition)
"Utterly charming" **** (Observer Music Monthly)
"Beautifully produced" **** (Scotland On Sunday)
Julie can't fail to capture you heart" ***** (The Sun)
"Traditional material transformed by clear, thoughtful vocals" **** (The Guardian)
"Implausibly accessible music that never seems old-fashioned" (Daily Telegraph)
"For those of us who don't speak the language, Julie's records are like beautiful messages from another world. As enchanting, beguiling, and fascinating as songs by Kate Bush and Bjork." (Mark Radcliffe, BBC Radio 2)
"You'd need a cold heart indeed, to not be touched by her music." (Philip Selway, Radiohead)
"She's great. But I have no idea what she is on about" (Ricky Gervais)

5 star Evening Standard live review here

March 5th

Glasgow's next big thing Attic Lights (www.myspace.com/thoseatticlights) will be previewing songs from their almost-finished-and-it's-soundin'-great new album at a free home town gig with The Parsonage www.myspace.com/parsonagechoir this week:

Venue = downstairs at Maggie Mays, Trongate (opposite the Tron Theatre), Glasgow
Date = Wed 7th March Admission = Free!
Doors = 8pm-ish
The football = will be showing up the stairs (if that's a concern)

"cuilidh", the wonderful new album from Scots Gaelic songstress Julie Fowlis, will be released on March 26th on Spit & Polish. Ricky Gervais is a fan as is Phil from Radiohead. Julie has a big March/April tour looming - www.myspace.com/juliefowlis

Camera Obscura return from USA/Canada/Mexico/Australia/New Zealand to play a tour of UK/Europe in March/April - www.myspace.com/cameraobscuraband

Francis Macdonald (bloke who was in BMX Bandits / drummer with Teenage Fanclub) will play a rare solo acoustic gig at The Barfly Glasgow on Fri 9th March. Other acts = Isoceles, The Phantom Band and headliners Popup. www.myspace.com/francismacdonald

Watch out for some news on The Poems soon - www.myspace.com/thepoemsmusic

Feb 7th 2007

Shoeshine is proud to announce the release (on Spit & Polish) of "cuilidh" (pronounced kool-ee), the new album from the Scots Gaelic sensation JULIE FOWLIS on March 26th. Julie won the Best Newcomer award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2006, only to be nominated 8 months later for Singer Of The Year. "Fowlis could be the first Scottish Gaelic crossover star in the making" (DAILY TELEGRAPH)... "For those of us who don't speak the language, Julie's records are like beautiful messages from another world. As enchanting, beguiling, and fascinating as songs by Kate Bush and Bjork." (MARK RADCLIFFE, BBC RADIO 2) www.myspace.com/juliefowlis

Big congratulations to KARINE POLWART who won Best Song with "Daisy" (from the brilliant Spit & Polish album "Scribbled In Chalk") at the Radio 2 Folk Awards. It turns out the great Bob Hoskins is afan! Don't forget to email your favourite DJs to play this beautiful song - www.myspace.com/karinepolwart

CAMERA OBSCURA are currently selling out shows all over USA/Canada. They are also set to play Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. And in March/April - they return to the UK for another tour including Koko in London April 18th) and ABC1 in Glasgow (21st April).More info here - www.myspace.com/cameraobscuraband

Glasgow's best-kept secret ATTIC LIGHTS are putting the finishing touches to their debut album and it is going to be great. Hear some demos here - www.myspace.com/thoseatticlights

10th Jan 2007

Spit & Polish is proud to announce that KARINE POLWART'S beautiful song "DAISY" has been added to the BBC Radio 2 playlist.

Karine has been nominated in 2 categories at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards held in London on Feb 6th - Best Singer & Best Original Song ("Daisy").

Upcoming live dates:
20 Jan Grand Hall at Celtic Connections, City Halls GLASGOW
22 Jan Radio Ballads Live at Celtic Connections Festival Royal Concert Hall Main Auditorium GLASGOW
25 Jan BRUSSELS European Parliament BRUSSELS
26 Jan Celtic Connections Festival, The Fruitmarket at The City Halls GLASGOW
28 Jan Songs of Conscience at Celtic Connections Festival, Royal Concert Hall Main Auditorium GLASGOW
30 Jan Ballads of The Book at Celtic Connections Festival, Royal Concert Hall Strathclyde Suite GLASGOW

www.karinepolwart.com - www.myspace.com/karinepolwart

More exciting news soon.

18 Aug 2006

New Karine Polwart and Camera Obscura live dates are available here...I've got a myspace an' blog an' that here: www.myspace.com/francismacdonald...Teenage Fanclub play Bandwagonesque show at the Barrowlands, Glasgow on Sept 29th. Yay...Bob Dylan's new album is out this month. Even more Yay!!...

14 Aug 2006

Everyone should see this

28th July

Sorry. I've been neglectful. But I suppose there's not a whole lot of news. Camera Obscura and Karine Polwart are both still brilliant - what's new about that?...Karine's live dates are here. She makes a cameo on the new Roddy Woomble solo album (lead singer with Idlewild) which is receiving lots of good reviews...Camera Obscura are touring the US where the kids are loving 'em. Next single is album title track "Let's Get Out Of This Country" released 11th Sept. More UK/Swedish/German/Irish dates in August. Again, up-to-date info is here...Some TV viewers in Scotland may have heard Amy Allison's song "Baby You're The One" feature in an ad for the One Directory (see what they did there?)...I just played The Forum with Teenage Fanclub for the Bandwagonesque show. Original drummer Brendan O'Hare did a fine job in the first half (great to see his wife and wee boy watching from the side of the stage). I've never walked onstage hafway through a TFC gig before. Anyway, it was a special one-in-a-lifetime experience. Never to be repeated. We're doing it again in Sept in Glasgow....Say Bob Dylan has only just gone and played Laura Cantrell's "When The Roses Bloom Again" on his radio show. Crazy! Nice article here....Remember, the Shoeshine Shop is always open....Oh - I had a wee holiday in Mallorca and played 2 bizarre-but-fun gigs. Great trip. I even drove aleft-hand-drive car on the other side of the road for the first time. What life experience milestone. It was like reaching puberty all over again. Besos, F.

3rd June 2006

Hello.

Camera Obscura's new album "Let's Get Out Of This Country" has been picking up some great reviews and it's out on Monday 5th June. Yay.

The band tour the UK this month (before jetting of to the USA in July):

Jun 8 Faversham Leeds
Jun 9 Dry Bar Manchester
Jun 10 The Adelphi Hull
Jun 11 Cargo London
Jun 12 Norwich Arts Centre Norwich
Jun 13 Colchester Arts Centre Colchester
Jun 15 Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff
Jun 16 Leadmill Sheffield
Jun 17 QMU Glasgow
Jun 19 The Tunnels Aberdeen

More info here - www.myspace.com/cameraobscuraband

The wonderful Karine Polwart is also still on tour promoting her excellent new album "Scribbled In Chalk":

Jun 4 Memorial Hall INNERLEITHEN
Jun 5 Globe Theatre LONDON
Jun 6 Carnegie Hall DUNFERMLINE
Jun 7 The Lemon Tree ABERDEEN
Jun 8 Aros Centre PORTREE, Isle of Skye
Jun 9 Hootenany's INVERNESS
Jun 10 The Queens Hall EDINBURGH
Jun 11 Oran Mor GLASGOW
Jun 15 Loughborough Town Hall Loughborough
Jun 17 Middlewich Boat Festival MIDDLEWICH
Jun 26 Whelans Dublin 2

Watch out for Karine on BBC TV's "The Culture Show" on Saturday 10th June. More info on Karine here - www.myspace.com/karinepolwart

So I saw "Down In The Valley" t'other day. I was really digging it (as the young hip ones like to say); the cinematography, the characterisation, the relationships between all concerned. But it all went a wee bit kerazee..."One In A lifetime", the story of the New York Cosmos soccer team was a riot. Erm.... Gee...TFC played theCamber Sands / All Tomorrow's Parties fstival recently. I didn't see many other acts but I wish I'd caught The Brianjonestown Massacre becuase I saw "Dig!" the other night and that was quite something....

Emm...I've still got that myspace site - www.myspace.com/francismacdonald...Erm..right I'm off.

(Buy good music here)

13th May 2006

Grant McLennan RIP

Karine Polwart is off on tour and wowing fans old and news - www.myspace.com/karinepolwart - look out for an appearance on BBC TV's The Culture Show at the end of the month.

Camera Obscura's new singe "Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heatrbroken" is released on Monday. Isn't the video fun?

It's streamed here - www.myspace.com/cameraobscuraband

More soon...

19th April 2006 - So Teenage Fanclub played 3 songs as part of a very special Daniel Johnston night at The Barbican last Friday. Got to meet Daniel (his very last song was a cracker - I still find myself singing it). Talked about the Beatles and what not. And he did a drawing for me...

I got myself a myspace page - www.myspace.com/francismacdonald...I enjoyed "The Squid And The Whale" and - a million years after everyone else - "Sideways"......I am reading a good book of interviews with film music composers....Erm...

OK - OTHER NEWS:

KARINE POLWART: the brilliant new album "Scribbled In Chalk" continues to receive rave reviews:
"Album of the week." (SUNDAY TIMES)
"Silken voice and heart of steel - righteous and beautiful.” 4 STARS (MOJO)
"Songs of warmth, wit and intelligence. If you can remember when records could surprise you and move you, this little gem comes heartily recommended.” 4 STARS (INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY)
BBC website Album Of The Week - www.bbc.co.uk/music/
Watch the video for Karine's single "I'm Gonna Do It All" here - www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YYRXrW-XKA
Karine tours the UK in May/June. More info here - www.myspace.com/karinepolwart

CAMERA OBSCURA: new album "Let's Get Out Of This Country" is released in the UK on Elefant Record on June 5th.
First single "Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" is out on May 15th. www.myspace.com/cameraobscuraband Live shows:
May
Sat 13 Liverpool Korova
Sun 14 London Luminaire
June
Thu 8 Leeds Faversham
Fri 9 Manchester Dry Bar
Sat 10 Hull Adelphi
Sun 11 London Cargo
Mon 12 Norwich Arts Centre
Tue 13 Colchester Arts Centre
Thu 15 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
Fri 16 Sheffield Leadmill
Sat 17 Glasgow QMU
Mon 19 Aberdeen Tunnels

THE TOURETTES ( www.myspace.com/thetourettes) are Stockholm's best-kept guitar-punk/synth pop secret. They play their first ever Scottish gig at the McSorley's, Jamaica Street on Wed 29th April, promoted by Dolly Mixture (www.myspace.com/dollymixclub) and supported by Nice Man & The Bad Boys, solo project of FRANCIS MACDONALD (Teenage Fanclub/BMX Bandits).

FRANCIS MACDONALD: (Teenage Fanclub / Shoeshine Records (me)) will introduce 2 short films at the CCA, Glasgow on Sunday 30th April as part of the Glasgow International arts festival:
"A Short Film About The Beauty Shop" (directed by Francis) & "Introducing Amy Allison" (produced by Francis)
Francis will also introduce both films at The Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries on April 25th.

THE BEAUTY SHOP: the brilliant new album "Yard Sale" out now. www.myspace.com/thebeautyshop. On tour this month...!

APRIL 2006
Fri 21 - London
Sat 22 Northampton (Soundhaus)
Sun 23 Stoke (Underground)
Mon 24 Wolverhampton (Little Civic)
Tue 25 London (Borderline)
Wed 26 London
Thu 27 Manchester (Jabez Clegg)
Fri 28 Liverpool (Academy 3)
Sat 29 Glasgow (Stereo)
Sun 30 London
MAY
Mon 1 London (Hoxton Bar & Grill)

THE SHOESHINE SHOP - is open: www.simbioticstore.com/shoeshine/

SOME LINKS
www.shoeshine.co.uk
www.camera-obscura.net
www.thebeautyshopband.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYuUA_e5aEA
www.thetourettes.com
http://www.karinepolwart.com/ecard/
http://www.amyallisonmusic.com/

Mwah! Mwah! Byee!!

29th March 2006

I know, I know. Thought I'd forgotten all about you, huh? Well, I've been working hard on the upcoming release of "Scribbled In Chalk" - the brilliant new album by Scotland's own Karine Polwart...Want to see the new video to her first single ("I'm Gonna Do It All" released April 24th)? Hit the play button below...

"Scribbled In Chalk" will be released on April 10th and is very, very special!

What's that? What else has kept me busy? Gee, well. Let's see. I escorted my charges Camera Obscura (single "Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" released June 15th and will knock your socks off; album "Let's Get Out Of This Country" is out on June 5th"; it will knock your trousers off...) to the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas where I discovered that the obnoxious bass player of a certain band has never had his bottom spanked enough as a wee boy (buy me a beer and I'll tell you about it). But the gigs were fine and/or very good and I had some nice burritos. Camera O played further good shows in Chapel Hill and New York (I *heart* NY) and are gearing up for more UK dates in May and June, then a US tour in July, then some European stuff. Yay. It was extremely groovy to hook up with Michael Shelley and his daughter, Amy Allison & Jon Graboff and Schwervon! while in NYC.

One or two Teenage Fanclub projects coming up, though I will be vacating the drum stool to make way for Brendand O'Hare for the Bandwagonesque/Don't Look Back Show in London this Summer. More about the other gigs soon.

The Beauty Shop hit the UK in April to promote "Yard Sale" - the best of their first 2 albums which features a cd-rom version of "A Short Film About The Beauty Shop". Say, "A Short Film About The Beauty Shop" and "Introducing Amy Allison" (a short film about Amy Allison) will both be shown at the Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries on 25th April and the CCA, Glasgow on 30th of April

The Tourettes from Sweden will play a gig in Glasgow promoted the nice gang from Dolly Mixture, with a rare hometown appearance by Nice Man & The Bad Boys (golly). Gavin Dunbar (Camera Obscura) will DJ too...

I picked up a cheap copy of the Complete Ripping Yarns on dvd. Not really as good as I remember it, but still enjoyable in a nostalgic-for-the-golden-age-of-slightly-stilted-comedy kind of way. How can you not like Michael Palin...

Haven't heard much that excited me lately except the Paul Williams song "Someday Man". So much crap out there.

The Shoeshine Shop is always open....

18th March 2006

Click here and enjoy.

10th Feb 2006

Release April 10th 2006...

18th Jan. 2006

Belated Happy New Year.

Say, Amy Allison has a UK/Ireland schedule - yay!:
Tuesday Jan 31st - Dublin Whelan's, Patty Griffin support plus ppearance on RTE TV show The View.
Wednesday 1st Feb - London The Spitz, opening for Camera Obscura
Thursday Feb 2nd - Glasgow ABC2 with Lucky Luke and Francis Teenage Fanclub FC doing some country DJing -
Friday Feb 3rd - 5th Watch This Space
Tuesday Feb 7th - London Dingwalls, Gretchen Peters support

The new album "Everything And Nothing Too" (out soon on Spit & Polish) is picking up good reviews:
"A few bars after she's made you laugh she's more than capable of achieving the opposite effect." (Word)
"A perfect example of someone who shouldn't be judged too hastily" 4/5 (Maverick)
"By the time I'd played it all twice, that voice sounded like the most perfect thing in the world (Net Rhythms)

Camera Obscura play The Garage, Glasgow with Karine Polwart on Sat 21st January. Should be a great night. Then they hit The Spitz, London on Feb 1st.

Thanks to anyone who made it along to see my directorial debut "A Short Film About The Beauty Shop" at the GFT, Sat & Sun. Audience reaction was more natural the night I didn't introduce it. What does that tell you? I dug "Brokeback Mountain" and "Good Night, And Good Luck". I think "North Country" is a good film but not great, despite the appearance of several Bob Dylan songs. It lost its poise and subtly in the last 20 mins and got a bit 'Hollywood manipulative / unlikely'.

BTW - yours truly will be DJing some country/folk/roots tunes at The Amy Allison / Lucky Luke gig at ABC2, Glasgow on Feb 2nd. Any requests??

Visit the Shoeshine Shop!

30th Dec 2005

So, was Santa good to you?

Remember Camera Obscura gigs coming up:

Jan 13th (Edinburgh - Teviot Underground)
Jan 21st (Glasgow - The Garage with Karine Polwart)
Feb 1st (London - The Spitz).

Amy Allison "Everything And Nothing Too" will be released on Spit & Polish on Monday 30th January.

You can see exclusive footage of Amy duetting with her father Mose Allison if you visit this page http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/music/features/mose-allison.shtml. Some live dates to be anounced shortly.

Got some more excitng news that I can't share with you - yet

Remember to visit the Shoeshine Shop for mail order and digital download delights!

* Camera Obscura have some new live gigs confirmed for 2006:

Friday 13th Jan - Edinburgh, Teviot Underground, Teviot House, Bristol Square
Saturday 21st Jan - Glasgow, The Garage, Sauchiehall Street (Celtic Connections Festival)
Wed 1st Feb - London, The Spitz, London, Spitalfields Market

Visit www.camera-obscura.net and www.myspace.com/cameraobscuraband

* Shoeshine boss and Teenage Fanclub drummer Francis Macdonald will have his short film directorial debut "A Short Film About The Beauty Shop" screened at The Glasgow Film Theatre on Jan 15th & 16th, 2006. "The Beauty Shop" will be shown before "Screaming Masterpiece", a documentary about the Icelandic music scene with exclusive footage of Sigur Ros and Bjork. Francis will make a short introdcution and will hang around for a Q&A, providing As if there are, indeed, any Qs...

Exciting, huh?

15th December 2005

I know, I know. I've had a lot going on, OK?...Huh? Well... a pretend solo career in Germany for a start (thanks for the schnitzel, the applause, the beautiful venue with the terrible acoustics in Leipzig, the experience of taking a shower in a cubicle in a kitchen in a cold water flat in Halle in the former Eastern Germany (I suppose it still is eastern Germany but you know what I mean), hearing Dark Of Side Of The Moon in its entirety and releasing that my lifelong hunch was right - it IS godawful, the homemade cookies, letting me sing "Fraulein" without lynching me, etc.)...then there was the Camera Obscura album wrap party where I sang a duet with Tracyanne (you know that if a tree falls in the middle of a forest thing? Well, is a duet really a duet when your mic is turned down so low that no one can hear you?)...Camera Obscura had a great show in London too a wee while ago. They are going to have an exciting 2006....The Beauty Shop had sone London gigs (what a bloody BRILLIANT band!). And The Tourettes (watch this space)...Oh!And how could I forget the rest of Teenage Fanclub's European tour?!? The whole this was a fun treadmill but it was hard to beat the experience of playing 4 shows with The Go-Betweens in Spain...

Amy Allison's new album "Everything And Nothing Too" will be released on Spit & Polish on Monday 30th of January. Visit the Shoeshine Home Page for a sneak preview. This is a wonderful album. And Elvis Costello thinks so too - so there.

TFC are nipping off to Ireland tomorrow for a TV show which will air next year. There is talk of some long distance gigs in March but we shall have to wait and see (I'm so inscrutable)...

Say - did I ever tell you about the Piriteze jingles I wrote but were never used? Here's one (LISTEN). Genius, right? I tell you, those drugs companies are musical philistines...

It's Christmas! - Go Shop!!

Friday 4th November

Nice Man & The Bad Boys (solo project from the multi-talented Francis Macdonald (Teenage Fanclub, BMX Bandits, etc., Golly....) album "The Art Of Hanging Out" is out now in Germany on Firestation Records (http://www.firestation-records.de/). The band will play live in Germany next month:

December '06
04 Hamburg, Fundbureau
05 Kiel, Nachtcafe
06 Münster, Gleis 22
07 Köln, Blue Shell
08 München, Prager Frühling
09 Halle, Tanzklub
10 Berlin, Magnet
11 Leipzig, UT Connewitz

"Cayo" from the album got used in the soundtrack of a Korean TV advert - see it here.

The Beauty Shop have some London shows very soon:
Tuesday 8th November - 12 Bar Club, John Hoeffleur (of The Beauty Shop) solo acoustic
 ONSTAGE - 9.30pm 
Friday 11th November - The Borderline, The Beauty Shop (full band)
 ONSTAGE - 8.30pm
Sunday 13th November - the Barfly, The Beauty Shop (full band)
 ONSTAGE - 1pm        
Monday 14th - The Windmill, Brixton
 ONSTAGE - TBC - opening for Milkcan
Tuesday 15th November - Health & Happiness Club at The Social, The Beauty Shop (full band)
 ONSTAGE - 10pm

Camera Obscura play London Water Rats on NOV 29th and we will be anouncing an interesting Scottish show very soon.

The Tourettes (Stockholm's best-kept guitar/synth punk/pop secret) also have 2 London shows with month:

23rd Nov - Death Disco, Notting Hill
24th Nov - Dublin Castle, Camden

Teenage Fanclub tour is groovy. The Go-Betweens are bloody great!

The Shoeshine shop is always open...

Mon 24th Oct

Where does the time go?? Teenage Fanclub European tour has been grr-rr-eat so far. Gigs in Spain, Italy and now Germany. We return to Spain to play some shows with The Go-Betweens in a wee while. Yay!!!...Too much to report. Just check back for gigs by Camera Obscura, The Beauty Shop and The Tourettes. Schnitzel Time! x

Mon 10th Oct

3 Cheers for Alan Bennet...And Kath & Kim Series 2...And Martin Scorses & Bob Dylan....Big Teenage Fanclub euro tour starts in a few hours. Gulp and yikes. Quite an adventure. Should be fun. Swedish punk-pop geniuses The Tourettes support in Stockholm (yay!). And they have November London shows on 23rd (Alan McGee's Death Disco, Notting Hill) and 24th (Dublin Castle, Camden). www.thetourettes.com...Camera Obscura play Water Rat's, King's Cross, London on Nov 29th. Album recorded and ready to mix and its going to be a corker...www.camera-obscura.net...and the wonderful Beauty Shop will visit our shores again next month....www.thebeautyshopband.com...Dipping into Michael Gray's Song & Dance Man III. Weighty but rewarding. I'm on quite a Dylan kick these days...Some bampot challenged me to a fight while riding my bike in the town centre. I just calmly, unprovocatively (or so I thought) asked him why he had honked his horn (let alone cut me up) when I was minding my own business. Quite how him - and maybe his charming pal just for good measure - kicking my head in would have explained anything is still beyond me. As Paul McCartney says to Michael Jackson (or is it the other way about?), I'm a lover, not a fighter. To paraphrase Citizen Smith, "Come the revolution - bop, bop, bop...". It'll be such a wrench leaving Glasgow for a while...Remember - the Shoeshine Shop never closes...

24th Sept 05

Ciara MacLaverty has self-published some lovely poems - www.ciaramaclaverty.co.uk

19 Sept 05

Well I had a nice weeked. Caught up with 2 old buddies (biddies?) in deepest darkest Lanarkshire on Fri night / Sat morning. Then on Saturday I hooked up with Ms. Laura Cantrell & band plus her touring pal Holly Williams (daughter of Hank Jr. - grandaughter of the legendary Hank WIlliams Snr.!) and a few more folks and headed to Glasgow's Grand Ol Opry, illustrious country club on the south side of the city. Introduced as "the grandaugher of *mumble mumble*, Lucinda Williams and Laura Cantell (!?!)", CantRell and HOLLY brought the house down with a version of I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry. Someone got Holly to sign her copy of the Sunday Mail newspaper. Only in Glasgow. My personal highlight was my fiddlin' pal John McCusker getting up to dance - extremely, extremely reluctantly (I had to push him as hard as I could) - to do the Ali Cat (is that no' just for women?) to Tony Christie's "Is This the Way To Amarillo" with some chap who wouldn't take no for an answer ("Come on - get on the floor - you're making me look like a pr**k!). Wonderful. Then on to a wee house party with more sing-songs including a rendition of I Love My Jean from Camera Obscura's own Tracyanne Campbell and Gillian Welch's Orphan Girl from Holly and Laura. On Sunday I bought a bike and I watched and enjoyed The South Bank Show special on Eric Sykes...Watch this space for news on Amy Allison (great new album in the can), Camera Obscura (about to make a new record in Sweden), The Beauty Shop ("Desperate Cry For Help" single released on Snapper on Oct 24th) and The Tourettes (London dates in Nov)....The Shoeshine On-line Shop is open for business....

16th Sept '05

Salutations.

Music & Movement rock....Camera Obscura play Water Rats, King's Cross on Nov 29th (order tickets here)...I bought Bravemouth for 99p - faults and all, Billy Connolly is the funniest person in the world...Laura Cantrell is on tour in the UK now (dates here)...The Dylan Bootleg Series Vol 7 CD is genius. Can't wait for the Scorcese documentary!!!...TFC are gearing up for a big European tour - dates on the Shoeshine Live Page....I can't recommend The Aristocats to everyone - but I liked it....I'm 35 - what's up with that?!?!...What else? Hmm, I've written a couple of children's songs that may never see the light of day. And some time I'll need to share my failed hayfever medicine jingles with you....Say, you know you can buy music via mail order AND download at the Shoeshine Shop - here ?

6th Sept 2005

Say - from 12 midday, 7th Sept 2005 (GMT) you can check out the new Camera Obscura website *here* and their new forum *here*....

Wow!

30 August 2005

I met Pat Nevin last night.

29th August 2005

Saw Jens Lekman live last night (at last). Brilliant. Gothenburg's finest. A man of rare talent...Shoeshine is getting involved in management - Camera Obscura, The Tourettes, The Beauty Shop among others. Watch this space...I won't be performing or recording with BMX Bandits anymore. No acrimonious fall-out. Just the passing of time, different perspectives, musical differences, etc. It wasn't my idea but it probably should have been. It would be a bigger deal if this were a few years ago but in the circumstances I have to wish Duglas and co well and remember a lot of special experiences and a bunch of songs of which I am proud....And so to bed. x

26th August 2005

Hi...Well, Teenage Fanclub's jaunt went very well. Chapel Hill is a swingin' place. NY is the best. Except for San Francisco. And LA (got a real feel for that place for the first time...). What's that? You want me to drop some names? Well, Norm and Co hung out with Dan from The Darkness at the Beverley Hills Hotel (while I grooved with the groovy Ben Vaughn) where William Shatner and Prince were also floating about. Robbie Robertson and Rick Rubin both walked past me at Village Recorders. The Dixie Chicks were also there recording. Stevie, Stuart & Sarah from Belle & Seb hooked up with us in LA too. "Which was nice...". Met the great Roddy Frame at Summer Sonic Festival in Tokyo and Osaka, Grant McLennan came to the first of 4 gigs in Australia before we headed to Dublin to open for The Pixies. Can't think of any highlights. It was all good if a bit blurry....I'm back and I'm knackerd and looking forward to opening for The Pixies on Sunday and then hitting the road with TFC - UK/Europe in Oct/Nov. But right now, I'm away for a wee nap. PS - Nice Man & The Bad Boys look set to rock Gemrnay in early December....

Tues 2nd Aug

So Ray Liotta is staying in the same Vancouver hotel as Teenage Fanclub. He has walked past me twice. Second time wearing shades. Must be too shy to say hello, poor thing...

Fri 29th July

TFC North American tour has been going very well (unfortunate Detroit cancellation aside). Caught up with Michael Shelley, Major Matt / Schwervon! in NYC. What a city. I also got to visit The Parkside Lounge where the late great John Herald used to play regularly. Karen the owner is a lovely person. It was a kind of comfort to see her and see John's 'home' in the city....I've eaten Taco Bell in Toronto, Benny's Burrito's near Greenwich Village, Country Kitchen (the king of buffets) en route to Chicago and deep dish pizza at Geno's East when we got there. Met John and Ariane from The Beauty Shop in Chicago. The hoopiest froods. Pity I'll miss their UK shows next week...Chapel Hill, NC seems a long way off but that was a fun show and it was groovy to meet the good folks of Merge Records (Maggie is my Employee Of The Month)...What else has been happening? Erm...saw Amy & Beth formerly of She-Haw in Phillie. Great gals. And that was a rockin' show. My favourite? Hard to say..Right, I'm boring myself now. Just thought I'd check in and post this:

Wed 27th July 2005

I found out a few days ago about the sad death of John Herald. This is the first time I have been able to get to my PC since then. Alex Chilton (who copped Alligator Man from him) first told me about John and his music sometime around 1998 or so. I plucked up the courage to call John much later and it turned out he would be in Glasgow for a Woody Guthrie Tribute show in the next few weeks - his first time in Scotland. We got John a couple of solo shows including a memorable night at the Radio Sweethearts Club in the 13th Note Cafe, Glasgow. I also set up two rushed recording sessions (one of which was kind of a soundcheck) from which John compiled tracks for Roll On John, the Spit & Polish album which would be his first in 16 years. John was a true legend. The real musical deal. A great character, a kind and sweet man, a lover of nature, a wonderful storyteller and a powerful live performer. Over the next couple of years I got to know John more and more and he visited Scotland and the UK several times - winning new friends and fans on every occasion. Touching a lot of lives. I can understand that some people would consider Laura Cantrell as Shoeshine/Spit & Polish's finest moment. But I think Laura herself would be the first to understand if I were to say that releasing Roll On John is possibly the project of which I am most proud - or perhaps the project which seems most 'worthy' and important. I'm not doing a very good job of articulating my feelings. That's not to put any other music or artist in the shade. Anyway...So many moments, memories and stories. To try and dip in to them would somehow be a disservice. Too much to convey. I wish I had had more contact with John in recent times. I wish I could have done more for him. But I am blessed to have known him and to have helped him reach some new music fans out there who will miss him along with so many others. Karen, the wonderful, sweet lady who owns the Parkside Lounge in NY where John played regular bluegrass nights, told me that the following interview was a comfort. If you haven't read it, it may give you some insight into why John Herald was such a respected artist and special individual - John Herald Interview...Rest In Peace, John.

16th July 2005

Erm - this flyer should say SUNDAY 7th AUGUST...

27th June 2005

Hello - Shoeshine Presents The Beauty Shop, Eugene Kelly (solo acoustic) & The Hermit Crabs at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow on August 7th. Tell your pals....Reading A Parrot In The Pepper Tree. Lovely...

13 June 2005

Goodness - is that the time? Sorry I'm so late with this. I was disappointed by the Hitch-Hiker's film but if you were dropping by in the last month looking for a News update you could have been forgiven for thinking I'd gone and killed myself and left my brief critical analysis as an explanatory suicide note. It wasn't *that* bad....Well, I'm back and things are cool/groovy/OK/whatever....

Teenage Fanclub UK/Eire tour was, over the piece, more or less...fun! Too many memories to replay. Fell in and out of love with Sudoku...watched half of A Year In Provence....struggled on with the Restaurant At The End Of The Universe (it was good - great even, but somehow it didn't make me jump up and down), and the gigs were fine too (Newcastle were up for it - Glasgow was a wee bit overwhelming.... London was very satisfying....).But thinking back over the highlights and lowlights I'm still stung by the memory of a drunken rugby player lumbering up and interrupting my conversation with my pal Allison from Lo-Max records in a late night central London drinking den, putting his arm around her and saying "You don't want to spend the rest of your life with him do you?". I mean I'm sure she doesn't but what am I? Chopped liver?...Anyway... TFC have upcoming shows in Paris, Sweden, USA, Japan & Australia. Yay!

Say, The Beauty Shop are no longer on Shoeshine. I will keep working with them in a management capacity but I am pleased to say that they are now licensed to Snapper Music, owned by the legendary Bryan Morrison (Pink Floyd, Free, The Jam, Elton John, George Michael). Let's see if John Hoefleur & co. can sell a million albums plus too. They sure deserve too...

"Essential Americana" is out now - click here and find out why Uncut said "Spit & Polish has been vital to the roots revival"...

OK, I'm gonna love you and leave you but I promise to keep in touch a bit more. Don't be a stranger...Oh! Talking of stangers, I am reading "Deep Probings" by Ian MacPherson. I received it from (I presume) a secret admirer on Valentine's Day 2 or 3 years ago. Great book. Daft and dense and silly and hilarous. Whoever sent that has great taste (obviously...)

13th May

The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy film was pish.

12th May

Teenage Fanclub have a day off in Bristol. Wonderful city. Bristol and Brighton are where it's at, man. As the youngsters say...The shows have been fun. Roll on the rest of the UK and Paris and USA and Japan and Australia...Say, there is a brand new mid-price Spit & Polish compilation available now from the Shoeshine on-line shop. Check it out...Upcoming news about Amy Allison, The Beauty Shop and my secret Scandinavian geniuses.....Right, I'm off to try and catch the Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy film...

-F

3rd May (!)

Where is the year going?!...Let me see, what's been happening...Major Matt Mason USA is a genius, of course. Caught his show in Edinburgh a few days ago and even got to drum with him on one song (sorry about that second stop, Matt - got the first one but I had my head up my ass for the second one - you try playing drums in that position...). I really think Matt is brilliant insightful short story writer trapped in the body of a great lo/fi rockin' acoustic singer-songwriter. I think Townes Van Zandt said of Steve Young something like "for that voice, those songs and that guitar to come together is one person is very special or amazing or something" (I'm paraphrasing and it may even have been Steve talking about Townes. Gee, I'm so lame). Anyone, that's kind of what I think about Matt's voice, lyrics and melodies. When will the world wake up and agree? Pantsuit were fun too. That reminds me - be sure and check out those 2 Schwervon! videos - they really are excellent...BMX Bandits played Big In Falkirk t'other day. Lots of rain and mud and we had to follow Tony Christie (Amarillo's that way, pal) but we got our photo taken with him and had some fun...The Geographic event at Glasgow's Tron as part of Triptych was a fair old happening. I was asked to sing a Brazilian song with the Open Field Curch, organised by my great pal from Sao Paolo Eduardo. I don't think Jorge Ben will be sweating over my version of Mas Que Nada but hey - you hire Francis Macdonald, you get Francis Macdonald fun...Me and Gerry from Teenage Fanclub DJ'ed at the Born To Be Wide club in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago. You can see most of what we played if you browse around here - ..I'm halfway through The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe. Douglas Adams was a great talent. Apparently his doctor told him to get fit so at the age of 49 for the first time he went for a session at the gym and promptly died of a heart attack. Crazy....BMX Bandits have a Best Of The Creation Years out on Sanctuary soon. More info will appear in the near future at www.bmx-bandits.com....Teenage Fanclub hit the road this week (eek). After UK/Ireland we have a show in Paris in late June and there are mumblings about other European dates plus USA / Japan / Australia. Golly. Check www.teenagefanclub.com for all the news as it breaks...The Spit & Polish compilation "Essential Americana" is out very soon..Of course there is more to tell but that will do for now....Remember, the Shoeshine Shop (downloads, CDs, you name it) is open....now!

25th April 2005

Hello....If you're going to see Tarnation, be warned - it's infuriatingly vain, indulgent and exploitative. OK so it was made for less than $300 and the use of music was pretty good (now that I think about it, I doubt they cleared any let alone all of the music for $300...), and the opening 10 minutes or so were engaging - even moving, but Jonathan Caouette hi-jacked his own potentially powerful documentary about his poor star crossed mother by placing himself centre-stage for most of the time. Narcissistic drama queen. And all that zany stuff with swirly visuals. Epileptics be warned. Non-epileptics be warned! Jeez... I was left suspecting his motives everytime he appeared in shot. It could easily have been an hour shorter. And it's getting rave reviews everywhere?! Go figure....BMX Bandits play the Big in Falkirk festival next Sunday. Should be fun. ...Teenage Fanclub hit the road next week. Yippee....I plan to see the great Major Matt Mason USA tomorrow night in Edinburgh - other tour dates (including forthcoming shows from Jason Ringenberg) on our live page....Did you watch that cartoon Quads? Late-night Channel 4 a week or two ago. Twisted and frequently hilarious - non?...I just got Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 3 so my phone will be off the hook for a while....I'm re-reading the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy in anticipation of the film. People seem to reckon the TV series wasn't all that great bit I remember it very fondly, as I do The Little World Of Don Camillo. When will the BBC release that little gem of a show?...New Go-Betweens album out. Golly!... Remember the Shoeshine Shop is always open and ready for business...

13th April

Hello. Yes, I'm alive - hope you don't feel too neglected. I seem to have been busy with I don't know what lately...My trip to Sweden was the grooviest. Nice wee gig in Gothenburg. Met Jens Lekman - a great talent....Lots of fun in Stockholm - DJing and what not. I have very good reason to be there (*engimatic piano chord*). I have discovered a genius band that you will know all about soon enough.....Teenage Fanclub's shows in London and Glasgow were fine and dandy. Fun to be back onstage with 'les gars'....On the subject of matters Franglais, we have a show in Paris on June 30th - more details to follow.. Oh, that reminds me: "Gerry & Francis from Teenage Fanclub are DJing at Born To Be Wide, downstairs at The Street bar at the top of Broughton St, Edinburgh on Thur 14th April. Other DJs include the staff of The Venue in Edinburgh. Doors = 9pm, Admission = free..."...I'm going to see the genius that is Billy Connolly this week. Yay!....Major Matt Mason USA has some UK dates coming up...so does Jason Ringenberg - check out the Shoeshine live page...I just read Driving Over Lemons. Great book. Makes me want to go and become a farmer in the Alpujarras. Or maybe not....Remember the safe and secure on-line Shoeshine Shop is open and ready for business...

22nd March 2005

Hey - check out the groovy Schwervon! videos for "Dinner" and "Swamp Thing" here...Hey (again) I'm coming to Sweden. I (Francis "Nice Man" Macdonald) will be doing a solo show and some DJing at Uppåt framåt (Gothenburg) on Wed 23rd March and DJing at Marie Levau (Stockholm) on Thur 24th and at Debaser (Stockholm) on Fri 25th March...You can buy CDs and digital downloads here and you can check out Shoeshine / Spit & Polish artists on tour - here

15th March 2005

So I'm playing a solo Nice Man gig in Gothenburg, Sweden on Wed 23rd March. I think I'm doing a bit of DJing too. The venue is - Uppåt framåt (it means upwards forwards). Tell your pals...

BMX Bandits "Best Of The Creation Years" is slated for a June release on Sanctuary...

And I guess everyone knows Teenage Fanclub's new album "Man-Made" is out on Pema Records on May 9th (Merge Records in the USA in June). We play The Scala, London on March 29th and Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow on 31st. There will be a UK tour in May and more festivals and trips overseas over the summer - all very exciting.

I've just started reading Driving Over Lemons by Chris Stewart. Aah - Espana por favor!

You can buy CDs and digital downloads here and you can check out Shoeshine / Spit & Polish artists on tour - here

Thur 10th March

Hi. Sorry it's been a while...Since we last met I played the Tsunami benefit at the SECC with Teenage Fanclub (the night went well; raised a lot of money for a good cause...) and the 1-in-4 Mental Health charity CD launch at Stereo in Glasgow (another good cause - I don't suppose anyone reading this was there and picked up a recorder-like whistle at the side of the stage and wants to return it to me? My buddy John McCusker would really appreciate it);I've recorded with BMX Bandits and Gene Wang - a Korean artist who is working on a new solo album here in Caledonia (I've done a little recording on that project too); worked up some songs and jingles for possible use in a hayfever medicine advert (I'm not proud - actually I am - I'm pretty chuffed with what I came up with...); worked a little more with TFC (photos, rehearsals, recording); picked up a groin strain while playing 5-a-sides; started a new book (Pulp by Charles Bukowski - it's fun); blah blah etc. blah blah.

"Essential Americana" will be released on Spit & Polish very soon - lots of great music from your favourite Spit & Polish artists...

Major Matt Mason USA returns to the UK in April...Schwervon! are currently touring Europe, of course...Steve Young has some Scotttish shows this month...Jason Ringenberg returns in May - visit the Shoeshine Live Page for more info

Anyway - the Shoeshine shop is open for mail order music and digital downloads...

Mon 14th Feb

Say, did you hear the one about the Teenage Fanclub drummer who went to Stockholm and played a solo gig (with a borrowed electric guitar cos his acoustic was in the lost property office of Ayr train station after he got off at Prestwick airport and left it on the train) at the opening of a cool bar/restaurant opposite an arts gallery with all the beautiful people there chattering to each other and ignoring our hapless hero (I mean really, the between-song applause was like that of a distracted smattering of onlookers at a Sunday afternoon village cricket match) on stage attemping to convey the story of a Glaswegian anti-hero called Nice Man (I know), the subject of a conceptual pop opera album which about 3 people bought when it was released in the first place to the point whereby said TFC drummer starts waving a vegetarian haggis in the air and offering it as free gift to the first person to buy a CD after he finished with this last song called What A Wonderful World, the irony of which was lost on his apathetic public cos nobody was bloody listening? Well I can tell you he left with the haggis. Hilarious, huh?

But all that aside - I do love Stockholm. Cool and clean and friendly and stylish. Looks like I may have a gig in Gothenburg next month too. Onwards and upwards.

Shoeshine Recording artsists Schwervon! play some UK/European dats very soon - including an amended London gig - to promote their splendid new album "Poseur"...Spit & Polish artists Steve Young and Jason Ringenberg (who also does a kid's show as Farmer Jason) hit the UK soon too. Dates below....Saw the new Woody Allen Melinda And Melinda. I liked the funny parts best. Will Ferrell does a better job of playing the character that Woody would have olayed a few years ago than Kenneth Brannagh in Celebrity, in my humble opinio.

Check out the dates below then go and buy a CD or some downloads from the Shoeshine on-line shop - here

Schwervon! on tour with Kimya Dawson (Moldy Peaches)
UK
Feb 18-Brighton-The Freebutt
Feb 19-Glasbury-Glasbury Village Hall
Feb 20-Bristol- Bristol Music Club -76 Paul's Road, Clifton www.bristol-music-club.co.uk
Feb 21-Liverpool-Zanzibar
Feb 22-Leeds-Brudenell Social Club
Feb 23-Leicester-The Pride of Leicester-19 Aylestone Road-Ticket line - 0116 255 4854
Feb 24-London The Marquee - 1 Leicester Square, Doors 7.30pm
France
Feb 25-Strasbourg -Le Zanzibar-1, place saint-etienne
Feb 26-Lyon-Ground Zero
Feb 27-Annecy-Le Comptoir de la folie extraordinaire
Feb 28-Toulouse-Citron Bleu (18 rue des Paradoux)
March 1-Bordeaux-Le Plug - Zoobizarre
March 2-Nantes -Live Bar
March 3-Paris- Point Ephemere
March 4-Evreux - L'abordage
March 5- Lille- La Malterie
Netherlands
March 6th-Utrecht-DB's: Cartesiusweg 90 A (31 30 293 82 09)
March 7-Amsterdam -Paradiso
Belgium
March 8- Brussel- Botanique
March 9-Gent-Video
Netherlands
March 10-Tilburg-Cul de sac
Germany
March 11-München - Atomic Café
March 12-Dresden - Schoene w/Vermont
March 13-Berlin - Mudd Club
March 14-Leipzig - naTo
March 15-Köln - Gebäude 9
March 16-Munster -Gleis 22
March 17-Darmstadt - 603qm
March 18 - Kassel - k19
March 19 - Hamburg - MOLOTOW  (http://www.molotowclub.com )
Sweden
March 21- Gotenberg -Pustervik
March 22-Stokholm-Debaser
Norway
March 23-Oslo-Cafe Mono
March 24-Egersund -Kaffekoppen
March 25-Kristiansand-Charlies Bar

STEVE YOUNG + JUBAL LEE YOUNG
SUNDAY 27TH MARCH - MAPLE COURT, INVERNESS
TUESDAY 29TH MARCH - WOODWICK HOUSE, ORKNEY
THURSDAY 31ST MARCH - THE PLEASANCE CABARET BAR, EDNBURGH
SATURDAY 2ND APRIL - BEIN INN, GLENFARG, NR. PERTH
SUNDAY 3RDAPRIL - STATE BAR, GLASGOW.
TUESDAY 5TH APRIL - ABERDEEN THE LEMON TREE.
More details from
GOLDRUSH RECORDS, 9 KINNOULL STREET
PERTH, TEL - 01738 629730., E-MAIL - john@goldrushrecords.co.uk

JASON RINGENBERG
Bank Holiday Monday 2nd May 2005: SOUTHSEA - South Parade Pier (023 92 863911)
Tuesday 3rd May 2005: SOUTHSEA - RMA Tavern (023 92 863911)
Wednesday 4th May 2005: BELFAST - Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival (028 9023 2403)
Thursday 5th May 2005: ORKNEY ISLANDS
Friday 6th May 2005: SHETLAND ISLANDS
Saturday 7th May 2005: SHETLAND ISLANDS
Monday 9th May 2005: ABERDEEN - The Tunnels (01224 211121)
Tuesday 10th May 2005: GLENFARG nr PERTH - The Bein Inn (01577 830216)
Wednesday 11th May 2005: NOTTINGHAM - The Maze @ The Cabaret (0115 952 0880)
Thursday 12th May 2005: CAERNARFON (North Wales) - Y Galeri (01248 353020)
Friday 13th May 2005: HULL - The Adelphi (01482 348216)
Saturday 14th May 2005: LIVERPOOL - house concert
Sunday 15th May 2005: WORCESTER - The Marrs Bar (01905 613336/www.marrsbar.co.uk)
Monday 16th May 2005: travel/rest day...
Tuesday 17th May 2005: BRIGHTON - Hanbury Ballroom (01273 325440) (as part of Brighton Fringe)
Wednesday 18th May 2005: LONDON - What's Cookin' @ Upstairs at The Sheep Walk (020 8556 1131/www.whatscookin.co.uk)
Thursday 19th May 2005: PUTNEY - Half Moon (020 8780 9383/www.halfmoon.co.uk)

FARMER JASON (Jason Ringenberg kid's show)
Bank Holiday Monday 2nd May 2005: SOUTHSEA - South Parade Pier (afternoon) (023 92 863911)
Wednesday 4th May 2005: BELFAST - Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival (4pm) (028 9023 2403)
Saturday 7th May 2005: SHETLAND ISLANDS - (matinee show)
Tuesday 10th May 2005: ABERDEEN - Central Library-Children's department (10.am)
Sunday 15th May 2005: WORCESTER - Ombersely Memorial Hall - afternoon show (3pm)
Friday 20th May 2005: LEYTONSTONE - venue??? (afternoon show) (TBC)

Wed 2nd Feb

Hi. So I have this solo Nice Man gig in Stockholm (beautiful city) on Friday. Wish me luck....Check the Shoeshine live page for upcoming dates from Schwervon! (UK/European tour) and UK dates from both Steve Young and Jason Ringenberg....

Tues 25th Jan

Michel Thomas RIP...

I will have a solo Nice Man gig at a new bar/restaurant called LANDET on the south of the south side of Stockholm on Friday 4th Feb 2005

Buy some Shoeshine music here

Mon 24th Jan

Hello - I'm alive, etc. I know you must have been worried...Well, where to begin...Teenage Fanclub play a big benefit show for the Tsunami Disaster at the SECC on Sat Feb 19th with lots of other Scottish acts (Belle & Seb, Franz Ferdinand, Idlewild, Travis, Eddie Reader, etc, etc, etc). Should be a great night in aid of a very worthy cause....I went along to the List Best 50 Scottish bands party t'other night. The end of the proceedings is a bit vague - I had to drown my sorrows when Nice Man & The Bad Boys never got a showing...Oh that reminds me - looks like the new Nice Man album (download it here) will be getting a release in Germany later this year and I might have a couple of solo shows over there to celebrate. Watch this space......Schwervon! tour next month (check out the live dates here) and their new album "Poseur" is released Feb 21st to coincide. Hooray (!!!)...It looks like BMX Bandits will have a Best Of The Creation Years album released on Sanctuary later this year. Duglas and I have been compiling - I think we've come up with a pretty groovy selection of tunes. Maybe there will be one or two gigs to celebrate. And we have been writing some new ditties together so hopefully they will see the light of day later in '05...Ex-Bandit Eugene Kelly had a 40th birthday party (in fact Eugene sang Right Across The Street from the first BMX album at that List party. Aww) Who'd a thunk it?? He accused me of looking like the new Doctor Who whenI turned up in my Christmas scarf. Well, Mr. K, at least I didn't look like Austin Powers on his way to an audition for the remake of What's New Pussycat, you big nitwit. Funny how you always think of the things you should have said days after the event...Saw my buddy John McCusker at The Arches as part of Glasgow's Celtic Connections Festival recently but I can't go praising him or the wee bampot will get a big head...I watched Kika by Pedro Almodovar the other night. T'was great in a lurid, cartoonish, outrageous kind of way...I'm reading Francis Wheen's How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered The World on Norman Blake's recommendation and very good it is too. Don't get me started on those post-structuralists...There will be a quality Spit & Polish compilation hitting the stroes in March. More on that soon... Jason Ringenberg will be touring later in the year...I've been writing songs with and for all kinds of interesting people lately. If anyone wants to write with me, send me an email with a five pound note attached. What price dignity?...Bez won Big Brother - yay. The only interesting thing to happen there since John McCrirrick (sp?) left...Curb Your Enthusaism rules the world. So does Jorge Ben...OK, that's it - I'm boring myself now. Keep in touch - especially if you want to know when the new Teenage Fanclub album will be released....And remember - the Shoeshine on-line shop is always open for business...

Wed 5th Jan 2005

Happy New Year. Who'd've (sp?) guessed I would see out 2004 drumming for Ian McCulloch (he of Echo And The Bunnymen fame) at a hastily arranged gig at a bar in Glasgow. We finished with Killing Moon and as he walked offstage I thought he was going to say to me "well done" or "thanks" or whatever but instead remarked "worra fookin song thar is" (he's from Liverpool). Nothing like a bit of self-confidence to keep you on top of your game.

The Shoeshine shop rmains open - click here for downloads and mail order.

Thur 23rd Dec

Well, there have been some good experiences in 2004 - some good books (erm, David Nobb's autobiography, Clive James Unreliable Memoirs - well it was new to me this year. Oh! And Please Kill Me was probably my favourite read of the year - thank you for the recommendation Brian McEwan), films (Eternal Sunshine, Lost In Translation, Look At Me, etc.) gigs (BMX Bandits in Korea, Nice Man in Korea, Nice Man & The Bad Boys Spanish tour, TFC in Benecassim, Laura Cantrell UK shows, The Beauty Shop tour, MMMUSA - gee I shouldn't have started this, I'm just going to offend people I left out so I will stop now). The chance to revisit Brazil was a great privilege (bless you, Eduardo). I cooked my first Spanish omelette, etc., etc....But overall I'm looking forward to putting 2004 behind me. So I'm going to wish myself and everyone else a happy 2005. And a happy Christmas. And say that Curb Your Enthusiasm is one of the best comedies ever. And if you can't be good be careful. And if you want to buy some great music click here...And, oh that's enough......mwah!

Fri 17th Dec

Laura Cantrell has signed with Matador Records. Shoeshine has been very proud to have worked with Laura - from hearing that 4-song 'demo' way back when I always knew she was something very special. Onwards and upwards, Laura!

Francis x.

Thur 16 Dec

Great review (and rightly so) of Jason Ringenberg "Empire Builders" in the new Mojo:

"Ringenberg blows the top off his leopard-skin stetson in songs angrily registering his disgust at his government's foreign policy...The spirit of Woody Guthrie rocks on..."

Jason will revisit our shores for more gigs in 2005. Yikes!

Wanna read John Hoeffleur's account of The Beauty Shop's UK tour? Sure you do! Click *here*

Hmm. What else? I saw Spider Man 2 on the plane on the way to Korea. Thumbs down. There was something there to be teased out but it was badly handled 'IMHO' (to use the 'with it' parlance of the young folks). I read Clive James' "Unreliable Memoirs." Thumbs up. And I've just got hold of Season One of Curb Your Enthusaism on dvd. Two thumbs and a Yippee!!!

Get Christmas shopping (CDs and downloads) - here...

Wed 15 Dec

Hello. I'm back from a swingin' time in South Korea with Nice Man & the (Korean) Bad Boys. Thanks to all at Beatball Records who brought me over and to everyone who played with me / came to the gigs / joined in the fun. What a swell bunch of people. Gotta take the plaudits with a pinch of salt or I'll be getting a head to match my nose but it was humbling to be received so warmly. Ah, bless.. I never really got a taste for the chilled buckwheat noodle soup (it's a wee bit cold on the old stomach) but Prime lager sure lives up to its name. Let's hope Teenage Fanclub make it out to Seoul sometime....John Miller & His Country Casuals will be ringing in the New Year in Dublin on 31st Dec and Schwervon! are putting together a pretty extensive UK/European tour for Feb/March next year - go check out the Shoeshine live page...Can't believe it's nearly Christmas time...If you need to do any shopping I know the perfect place - click here.

Fri 3rd Dec

Well, well - so much to tell (I'm a poet and I didnae know it)...The Beauty Shop just played 11 gigs in 11 nights and boy did they rock the house. Their tour highlight seemed to be a visit to Glasgow's Grand Ol' Opry last Saturday - a gun-totin', line-dancin', beer-swillin', flag-foldin' night of fun was had by all (no - they didn't play the Opry - we just headed out there after our Glasgow gig finished early)...I think my personal highlight was Aberdeen where John let the one-liners flow but the other shows I caught (Gloucester, Manchester, London, London and Glasgow) were all rocktastic too.Great songs, great band, great voice. Here's an extract from a live review from The Guardian - "In the crowded alt-rock scene, John Hoeffleur - lead singer and songwriter of The Beauty Shop - stands out like a dirty thumb with a desperately bitten nail...Crisis Helpline is a country album tailor-made for the punk and emo kids...The beautifully observed The Love I Could Not Save smacks of slacker apathy, but Hoeffleur twists a fairytale into a comment on the Columbine shootings in Rumplestiltskin Lives... exhilarating". Golly. Say, wanna read John Hoeflleur's arguments on why he is pro human cloning? Cick here...Well who'd a thunk it - Nice Man & The Bad Boys played their first (and last?) ever gig in Glasgow, opening for The Beauty Shop and The Hazey Janes (whom I managed to refer to as Sons & Daughters ?!?! - sorry, folks, I was a little tired). I guess it was fun. I don't even know. It's definitely easier to sing "She's A Monkey" several thousand miles way to a room full of strangers but then again, who gives a f**k?...If that weren't enough, Radio Sweethearts got together (with guest guitarist Martin Barret in tow) for a few songs at The Fallen Angels club in Glasgow last night. We rolled back the years and the ol' magic was still there. Gee, did I just type that?...So I'm off to South Korea for a solo gig and to DJ at a party. Crazy. Wanna hear all about it? Watch this space...You can order CDs and buy downloads at the Shoeshine / Spit & Polish on-line shop here - www.simbiotic.info/shoeshine

Tues 23rd Nov

The Beauty Shop shook off the jetlag (and left-hand side of the road driving) to deliver a genius performance in Gloucester on Saturday to kick off their UK tour. What a band! Catch them if you can...

Nice Man The Bad Boys will be onstage at 6.40pm (no later) on Sat 27th at Stereo, Glasgow on Sat. Hazey Janes will follow then The Beauty Shop play at 8.15pm Curfew is 9pm Ridiculous but there you go.

Go shop...here...

Wed 17th Nov

And they said it could never happen. Radio Sweethearts are getting together for a rare show in Glasgow on Dec 2. More info here - www.fallenangelsclub.com ... Remember Nice Man & The Bad Boys (Francis from BMX Bandits / Teenage Fanclub - golly) open for the brilliant Beauty Shop at Stereo in Glasgow on Sat 27th. All those Beauty Shop tour dates for your diary:

The Beauty Shop - November 04
Sat 20th Guildhall Gloucester (0145 250 3050)
Sun 21st Cavern Club Exeter (0139 242 5309)
Mon 22nd Underground Stoke
Tue 23rd Joseph’s Wall Leeds (0113 245 5570)
Wed 24th Star and Garter Manchester (0161 832 1111)
Thu 25th Borderline London (0207 534 6970)
Fri 26th Barfly London (0870 907 0999)
Sat 27th Stereo Glasgow (0870 220 1116)
Sun 28th Dr Drakes Aberdeen (0122 459 6999)
Mon 29th Boardwalk Sheffield (0870 145 1207)
Tue 30th TJ’s Newport (0163 321 6688)

If you want to see a good film go and see Look At Me...If you want to see a great tv comedy, check out Peepshow on Channel 4 Fri nights...if you want to buy Shoeshine CDS or downloads, click here...

Sat 13th Nov

Please take a moment to vote and help get The Beauty Shop on the BBC 6Music playlist - click the link and check it out over on the right hand side of the page:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/presenters/steve_lamacq/

Mon 8th Nov

I think Duglas (BMX Bandits) and John Miller (Radio Sweethearts) appear on a repeat of John Peel's "Sound Of the Suburbs" tomorrow night 11.40 pm, Channel 4...

Sat 6th

Jason Ringenberg was amazing in Glasgow last night - the perfect tonic. If you have the chance to see him - go. If you don't have a great night I'll eat my stetson.

Fri 5th Nov

Jason Ringenberg plays Glasgow tonight - yay! Have you checked out "Empire Builders" yet? Great album.. If you want Jason Ringenberg and Beauty Shop November tour dates, click here....Remember there are groovy Beauty Shop videos up on the Shoeshine site now - here...Looks like I am heading to South Korea for a solo Nice Man gig in December. Crazy. Remember the brand new Nice Man & The Bad Boys album is available to purchase digitally here...Laura Cantrell spoke thoughtfully and movingly about the greatly missed John Peel and played some interesting music dedicated to his memory on her Saturday afternoon Radio Thrift Shop show on WFMU. Check it out here...Teenage Fanclub news? I don't have any...Watched Touching The Void again. Amazing film. And I saw a preview screening of Garden State which gets the thumbs up from me...And I cooked a nice chicken casserole last night. Right. Time to get out of here...Come on kids, Let's go shopping...!

28th Oct

There are two Beauty Shop videos here...Tour dates for The Beauty Shop, Jason Ringenberg and John Miller are all here.

The Shoeshine Shop is open where you can download both the new Beauty Shop album "Crisis Helpline" and the otherwise unreleased Nice Man & The Bad Boys album "The Art Of Hanging Out"...Adios.

26th October

John Peel, RIP.

25th October 2004

Here is what The Sunday Herald said about The Beauty Shop "Crisis Helpline" at the weekend:

THE BEAUTY SHOP - CRISIS HELPLINE (SHOESHINE) - 4 STARS

Glasgow's Shoeshine Records has been operating for almost a decade now under the ownership of former BMX Bandit Francis Macdonald.

A home to sweet and weird musicians operating on the margins, its charms are many, and The Beauty Shop's second album is only the latest in a long line of fine releases that includes everyone from legendary producer Kim Fowley to country singer Laura Cantrell.

Crisis Helpline is an album with a half-empty bottle of whisky in one hand and a battered guitar in the other; guitarist and vocalist John Hoeffleur has the kind of voice meant for late night singalongs about women who done you wrong, and on songs like Nightcrawlers he sounds like Beck after a decade of trudging round hick bars.
The melodies here are deft, light things; acoustic and electric guitars intertwine like tipsy, dancing couples, all limbs and reckless lunges about the dance flloor.

Rumplestiltskin Lives has nods to early, scrathy REM, and though the 10 tracks here are all gems, the highlight is the sweeping, violin-led The Love I Could Not Save, which in its four minutes contains more naked emotion than most bands manage in a career.

(Leon McDermott)

Don't forget the UK tour - check out the live dates...and the Shoeshine Shop is always open for business...

18th October 2004

Just played a fun solo Nice Man show in Cologne, Germany at the F***king Indpedendent Festival. Nice beer / schnitzels / people. Thanks for a great night, folks....I finished Dylan's autobiography on the way home. Quite wonderful...

Click here for the Shoeshine Shop...

15th Oct 2004

Nice Man & The Bad Boys will make their live Glasgow debut at Stereo, Kelvinhaugh St on Sat 27th Nov, opening for the brilliant Beauty Shop on their forthcoming Nov tour - full tour dates are here...Wanna know what Mojo magazine says about The Beauty Shop "Crisis Helpline"?:

“Sharp-tongued second album...there's something about an opening line like "Passed out underneath the disco ball that you got from Spencer's in the shopping mall" which inexplicably arouses your interest...John Hoefleur's deep Southern drawl and wry, trivial-poignant lyrics invite comparisons with the Handsome Family, but there's also a lo-fi punk aesthetic at work - as much J Mascis as Johnny Cash” (Johnny Sharp, Mojo)

There is a rare Bob Dylan radio interview here...

And the Shoeshine Shop is open. As always.

12th October

I would recommend Dylan's "Chronicles" to any Dylan fan. Brilliant, original book - insightful and poetic and lucid and un-put-downable. I don't want to finish it. I love the non-linear narrative. The unlikely focuses of "New Morning" and "Oh Mercy". The little insights, anecdotes and experiences that give you glimpes into Bob's way of thinking. Just to comprehend that this is His first person narration is kind of mindblowing. Like the most electrifying part of his shows in recent years isn't anything to do with the music but the moment at the end where he and the band stand stock still in formation and he looks out at the crowd and we look into his eyes. That moment of direct communication and acknowledgement from a solid gold enigma and legendary, creative genius - from Song To Woody to Highlands, Chronicles and beyond. Gosh. I don't want to throw 2 or 3 quotes out there, doing a disservice to the other wealth of material. But if you are a Dylan fan I can't understand you not being excited by this book. If you aren't a fan you may well consisder it unengaging, abstract twaddle...I saw Ae Fond Kiss a wee while ago and I have to say I don't recommend it. Ken Loach is a great, great talent but I thought this film - despite worthy intentions - dripped with unconvincing dialogue, script and performances. Glasgow looked pretty nice but maybe Ken has done the Paul Laverty/Glasgow thing - maybe Laverty and Loach need a break from each other if they can't top the sublime My Name Is Joe?...The Sopranos was brilliant last night. So dense. So much said with so little - great script / direction / performances. Maybe the production team should try a film about contemporary love across cultural divides set in Glasgow. Only kidding.

What's that? You wanted Shoeshine news? Check out our Live Page for upcoming shows from theThe Beauty Shop and Jason Ringenberg - geniuses all....Or click here to buy some top quality music........

8th October

I caught a set by the wonderful Karine Polwort at the Fallen Angels Club last night. Great artist. Jason Ringenberg plays next month (among various other places in UK/Ireland). Yay!...I'm going to read Dylan's "Chronicles Vol1" - I'll get back to you on this... When Nice Man & The Bad Boys were touring Spain recently I read "Please Kill Me" - a history of NY punk, told in first person quotes by all the main protagonists. One of the best books I've ever read....Remember to check out out Live Page for tour dates from Jason RIngenberg and The Beauty Shop...and the Shoeshine Shop is always open for your musical shopping needs....

7th Oct

Say, The Beauty Shop tour the UK in November - check out our live page....

Have you checked out "Crisis Helpline" yet?:

NME (8/10) “John Hoeffleur is a songwriter with a Midas-like touch in articulating the pious nature of love and heartbreak”
Rock Sound (7/10) “Bluesy, punky acoustica – pure and viceseral”
Record Of The Day “A unique and very appealing sound”
The Independent (4 STARS) “Moody, wistful and melodic”
Record Collector “Making the acoustic guitar punk again”

4th Oct

Well Spain might just be the best country in the world - vino, paella & sol. And nice audiences. Gracias, mes amigos, Nice Man & the Bad Boys shall return. Saw Picasso's Guernica in Madrid, had a dip in the sea at Gandia beach, DJ'ed in Cartagena and Valencia (where we got to visit our friends at Tabalet studios, our old stomping ground where the second Nice Man album was recorded - coming soon on Shoeshine), hooked up with Gerry & Norman (TFC) and Chris & Richard (Belle & Sebastian) for a splendid meal on the last night in Mallorca, arriving home to the post tour blues last night. Ah well....The Beauty Shop and Jason Ringenberg are both touring in November - keep your eyes peeled (lovely expression). In fact go to the Shoeshine Live Page now and you will see Mr. Ringenberg's dates....

21st Sept

Thank you, Oslo - small but perfectly formed. Great show to play. And your twisty Paprika crisps (ok, potato chips) are the best in the world. Hope to get back some day with the Bad Boys - maybe if we get a Scandinavian tour going....

Rock Sound said this about The Beauty Shop: “Bluesy, punky acoustica – pure and viceseral - a lulling aural pleasure" (7/10)

Golly, huh?

16th Sept.

Where does the time go. Anyone know? Anyone? O well....Hey! check this out re. The Beauty Shop "Crisis Helpline":

“John Hoeffleur is a songwriter with a Midas-like touch in articulating the pious nature of love and heartbreak - 8/10" (NME)

And this is what some early birds are saying about the forthcoming Schwervon! opus "Poseur":

"It'd be nice if you just went out and bought three copies (minimum) before we come round and f**king KILL YOU." (Unpeeled)

"An endearing lo-fi number, all wonky guitars and wonkier lyrics ('you flash me your hotpants and I'm sold' being my personal favorite)...There's a brief stop off in B52's, Pavement and Sonic Youth territory, but the final destination seems to be the Pixies with the rougher edges sanded off." (The List)

You can now order Jason Ringenberg "Empire Builders" from the Shoeshine Shop. Great gosh a'mighty. What an album..