I'll second that emotion. Saw 8 Ball for the first time at the WOnderstuff aftershow gig in the Hub (which was a right good knees up). 8 Ball supported, they just blew me away. Particularly enjoyed the constant swapping of instruments. Do they have a website/anywhere you can get some toons? I googled "8 Ball" and got a couple of millions hits.

THey don't seem to have a website going at the moment which is a shame they need one. They are in negotiations with Lakota records and should be releasing an album very soon, having heard their recent demo i'm dyin to hear what they've done with some good studio time and equipment - the demo is savage, you get to hear all the intricacies in the different sounds they use that you miss sometimes at a live gig, and they've some really lovely vocal harmonies and stuff goin on the demo that they don't do as much of live, or at least you don't hear as clearly as you can on a recording. Hey Vent what did you think of the Wonder Stuff???? I was a bit bemused when they started slaggin off bands like Radiohead and Coldplay for being middleclass sellouts....afterall what they are doin is'nt too far off that very thing. And besides Miles Hunt did come out wearing a white vest..hah hah ha wow daddy cool!!!! They were slaggin off 8ball too, made some comment about them being a bit Kareoke (sp?)which was a bit rich considering the band had let them use their back line. Size of a cow indeed!

What did I think of the Wonderstuff? Tough one this 'cos I both love them and thoroughly loathe them at the same time. It goes something like this.. The "Eight Legged Groove Machine" - one of the finest throw away rock/pop albums ever. Descent from there into sub Waterboys mandolin and fiddle-ology - very dodgy(although still some great tunes) Dizzy - should have come with an apology. Miles Hunt at any time when he is not singing - total arse. Yet, for all that, they were/are a great live act. Coldplay & Radiohead? Really going for the jugular eh? Such hard targets. As for the Karaoke thing, to be fair, I think he was referring to the fact that about 5 different members sang lead vocals. He always has something *stoopid* to say, you should try one of his solo gigs for the real deal. I think he might have been their ultimate downfall, tough to be a happy clappy upbeat band with idiotic lyrics and have a front man who only ever shuts the f*ck up long enough to switch whichever foot he had in his mouth. Still, he was on pretty good behaviour over both the Hub and Ambassador gigs(i.e. struck to the singing) and I thought they sounded great. As for the vest, I'll take the fifth.. Ambassador setlist Fatman Can't Shape Up Mission Drive Caught in my Shadow The size of a Cow Golden Green Ruby Horse Here comes Everyone Donation Room 512 Maybe It's yer money... The animals and me Don't let me down.. On the ropes A wish away Unbearable Ten trenches deep --------------------- Pece of Sky Cartoon Boyfriend Circle Square Give, Give, Give ---------------------- Red Berry Joy Town Poison Good Night Though

Hey Dromed, When you say 8 Ball's demo was "savage", is this good or bad? I'm not very "street", you understand.....

Heehee! Savage is one of my pet words...for shockingly good I suppose!

A perfectly cromulent explanation!

Thanks to Dara for putting Neosupervital on the bill that night. Had fun. Pity I had to rush off. The Neosupervital gig in the Focus Theatre is this Sunday if you're about. Here's where: http://www.neosupervital.com/inform/Find%20the%20Focus.htm Cheers, Neosupervital. www.neosupervital.com "packed full of synth pop gems"

Question for neosuper...What kind of gear where you using/do you use?

Just my synthitar and Dr. Groove drumbox. Oh, and a little Yamaha keyboard. Oh, if you're listening to 98fm at about 12.15 tonight, you might catch a live tune or two... www.neosupervital.com "packed full of synthpop gems"

s**t...sorry to have missed that - what show were you playin' on? Hope it went well anyway. Your a brave mo fo gettin up on yer todd I've a lot of respect for people that just get up and do their thing like that. Did you happen to catch the bizarre Har Mar Superstar in Whelans recently? He got up with a mini disc and an array of underwear and not much else...now that's brave!

Hah, no I didn't see him - I was playing a gig myself that night. Haven't heard much of his stuff, either - Princey-type electro I believe. Must invest in some new underwear and some dancing ladies...

He didn't bring the ladies this time - much to the disappointment of most of the men in the audience that I dare say turned up for that very reason! They are dancers from his stint in Manumission where he has a residency but they don't usually tour with him. Saw him at Witnness and laughed my ass off for most of it and then realised that the songs aren't too bad at all - very Prince (or is it still 'The Symbol' these days??!!)and Stevie Wonder influenced but also quite electro in parts, he has a really good voice and a few nasty break dance moves up his sleeve, ne'er a bad thing - but he's still a tubby rico suave with a mullet dancing to his own mini disc - wearing lots of glittery thongs and cycling shorts, rubbing his crotch and generally sexualising everything he can - At first I had the fear that it was all abit too showy, and no substance, but I've heard some of the album and it's quite good - the bird from 'The Gossip' sings backin vocals on 'Power Lunch' - crackin tune and a good voice she has, quite Rowetta-like! He should beware the persona doesn't become bigger then the music - or he may as well just become an MTV presenter and be done with it.

you should check out his indie band Sean Na Na,it was his main band untill he found out it was a lot easier to do it all alone!!. The album is called my majesty, its on kill rock stars label. i got it from the net. i havent stopped listening to it.its brilliant. i think the actual har mar album is pretty bad though, all the versions of the songs on the album are different to the live versions. The guy is cool though

Think he's a bit of a diva too - he was in the Village after his Whelans gig and tried to persuade myself and a friend to indulge in a little girl on girl action for his benefit...it was hard to say no (ahem!) but we politely declined - he pratically spat at us and marched off in a king size sulk....I believe he was entertained by someone in the end though.

8 Ball do have an official site, just been launched recently actually. www.8ballmusic.com and they are supporting Simple Kid pretty soon in the TBMC, anybody know what he's like? worth going to?

Haven't heard many tunes,but he's supposed to be like a kind of quirky singer/songwriter in the Beckish mould.I've heard nothin' but good stuff about him anyway....worth a look methinks...