HMHB News Archive
July - December 1999
C4 Top Ten no-show (28/12/99)
Andy Martin, the purveyor of all knowledge:
"Those of you who watched the Channel 4 "Top Ten Christmas" show will know that no mention of All I Want For Christmas... was made. I can't tell you why this
wasn't the case, other than it's believed that Chrysalis TV, the shows producers, cut bits of the show out."
"What I can tell you is that I sent two faxes to Chrysalis (at their request), both of which gave permission for the song to be used. I may post them onto my website in the future. The original request from Chrysalis also involved the band being mentioned in a "one hit wonders" or
"where are they now?" show which, obviously, wouldn't have been given any blessing by Probe Plus."
The show was a right load of old rubbish anyway so it's not all bad.
THAT Xmas 'single'... (26/12/99)
You may have heard a new HMHB track, It's Cliched To Be
Cynical At Christmas, being played by Peel and Lamacq on Radio 1 in the last week or so. Here's the 'official' version of what's going on, from Andy Martin (of course):
"Before you start asking for release dates, it's a track off the new album, of which ten copies were made and sent to Peel/Lamacq/Radcliffe etc. It's not a Christmas single and it's not being released. The inclusion of violins/bells/choir is a skit at the content of many (if not all) bad Christmas singles of years gone by. "Do They Know It's Christmas" being a good example (feel those bells, man). The title is, in my opinion, a reference to the fact that it seems the norm for everyone to say "ooh I hate Christmas me, it should be cancelled" at any available opportunity. Ask a taxi driver about Christmas and
see what reply you get."
"There was one violinist (she's in Adorno, support band at the Mean Fiddler) and the 'choir' consisted of 4 or 5 kids aged between 9 and 11 years from a local school."
"And Ken dressed up as Father Christmas when he played the bells."
Ta Andy.
On Tour With HMHB (15/12/99)
A second part to HMHB's chief lugger Andy Martin's "On Tour With HMHB" diary (documenting the last two years on the road with the band) is now on his website. Thrill to the sight of Geoff Davies at work and play... The website is here.
Gigs 2000 (13/12/99)
There's a few gigs lined up for February 2000:
- The Witchwood, Ashton-Under-Lyne (17th)
- The Boardwalk, Sheffield
- The Studio, Hartlepool
More details in the new year.
New LP (13/12/99)
Recording has now finished; release in Feb 2000 now looks likely.
All I Want For Xmas...(13/12/99)
Watch out for HMHB on a Channel 4 Top Ten this Xmas...
Big Issue (13/12/99)
There's an interview with Nigel in the Big Issue (North) in
January/February. Eyes peeled...
Festive Fifties pt 2 (13/12/99)
Voting has now closed for John Peel's Festive 50's. The 1999 Festive 50 will be broadcast on December 23rd, 28th and 29th; the Festive Fifty Of All Time will be aired on January 4th, 5th and 6th.
Festive Fifties (18/11/99)
There will be two John Peel Festive 50 Charts this year:
- The Best Of 1999
- All Time Festive 50
To vote, send your top three in either/both categories to john.peel@bbc.co.uk, or post your entry to: John Peel Show, BBC Radio 1, London W1N 4DJ.
Get your votes in now, closing date is 13th December 1999.
New Merchandise Poll - Result (18/11/99)
Looks like the baseball caps are the winners in time for tomorrow's Star & Garter gig...
New Merchandise Poll (16/11/99)
Right, HMHB central have asked for a poll on what type(s) of HMHB merchandise the gig-goer would be interested in purchasing at upcoming gigs. The choices:
- Baseball Caps
- Beanie Hats (Alan from Barnsley style),
- Record Bags
- Mouse Mats
- Coasters
- Key Rings
Mail Andy with your favourites - the most popular will be on sale THIS FRIDAY at the Manchester gig (hopefully).
Reviews Of Old (27/10/99)
A couple of ancient reviews from Smash Hits (really!) have been excavated (thanks to Cris Holmes for the scans) - Trumpton Riots (5K), and Back Again In The DHSS (18K) (penned by one N.F.Tennant). And I've made sure the images don't take forever to download this time...
New LP in January (8/10/99)
The new LP won't now be released until January - the powers that be don't favour putting it out at Christmas time, when it will be in competition with all those wonderful yuletide stocking-fillers from Cliff and co.
HMHB Teletextual feast (6/10/99)
A few of you may have noticed HMHB cropping up on C4 Teletext recently...if not, click here (image is now 16K instead of 280K!). It's from
Digitiser, Channel 4 Teletext Page 670 upwards. By far the greatest most honest and brutal Computer Games magazine available. Which is why the software industry doesn't like it.
The website address is www.teletext.co.uk/digitiser/ and
www.bubblegun.com is the site of Digitiser's writer Mr Paul Rose. It's also the only place Look Dad No Tunes got mentioned funnily enough (I wonder why...).
Cheap Dickies + More!(2/9/99)
As I mentioned, Probe Plus has officially moved, discounting the mammoth task that is the "Dickie Davies Eyes" Room upstairs in Geoff's house. This means that there's cheap vinyl for sale:
- Dickie Davies Eyes - 7" £1.25
- Dickie Davies Eyes - 12" £1.50
- Let's Not - 12" (inc. Ordinary To Enschede - unavailable elsewhere) £1.50
- No Regrets - 12" £1.50
Prices include postage and packing. Phone Probe Plus on 0171 733 1810 if you're interested.
HMHB on Peel TV (1/9/99)
A bit late in the day, but HMHB appeared on "Peel's Sounds of the 80's and 90's" last Sunday night, as part of Peel's 60th birthday celebrations. The infamous Whistle Test performance of Trumpton Riots was shown, complete with cartoon cut-outs and Nigel's hair.
No airplay on the Radio 1 Peel night, though.
HMHB in Peel Previews (28/8/99)
HMHB have been getting a bit of press in the build-up to John Peel's 60th birthday celebrations. The Times gave them a mention in the opening paragraph on Peel in Wed 18 Aug's Opinion, and a dodgy poem to Peel in yesterday's Independent, again giving the boys a mention.
Gig info (20/8/99)
Apparently the Mean Fiddler has stopped putting on gigs, so the postponed gig from last week is now cancelled. Bugger.
(As of October, this policy has been reversed!)
Next gig in the southern regions will probably be in High Wycombe. More details as they emerge. The Biscuits aren't planning too many gigs in the near future - there'll be more action when the LP arrives.
Peel gives new single first airing (12/8/99)
The new single, "Look Dad, No Tunes", was given it's first airing on John Peel's show tonight. It's a renamed "Feedback", in case you hadn't heard. Peel says he'll be playing the other tracks from the single in his shows next week.
New Single, LP, Peel Session (5/8/99)
The new single is due for release on Probe Plus on Monday 6 September. The tracklisting is:
- Look Dad, No Tunes
- Eclesiastical Perks
- Lock Up Your Mountain Bikes
The title track is a renamed Feedback.
LP out before the end of the year, I should think.
A new Peel session is being recorded on Wed 25 August, so expect broadcast towards the end of September.
No new gigs. Hopefuls for the future include St Albans revisited and Reading. Mean Fiddler gig may now coincide with LP release.
Website Moved (1/7/99)
Note that the URL of this website is now http://surf.to/hmhb.
If you want to contact me, my mail address is gez@oxphoto.co.uk.
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