It’s a long way from sunny Irvine to Hollywood, but he made it.
I’m talking about Irvine in Scotland of course, as that’s where this little story started. Paul is slightly younger than me and was in the year below me at school (his older brother was in my class) and I got to know him through a couple of school mates when he became a member of a local band, The Shock Club (terrible name).
As with most bands in Irvine at the time, they would play as many gigs as pubs and community centres would allow them, throwing in a few cover versions to fill out their set – The Cult’s ‘Love Removal Machine’ was one if I remember correctly. The Shock Club didn’t play too many gigs. In fact before their final gig in Kilmarnock they had already changed their name to Hectic Circus (another terrible name). It wasn’t that they weren’t good enough, just that Paul had the chance to join another upcoming local band.
So a few others and I joined Paul one evening when he went along to Castlepark Community Centre to meet Messrs Reader and Douglas, who were playing that night. Forgive the cliché, but the rest, as they say, is history.
So when this sticker popped through my letterbox, I thought, “…he’s finally made it…” What could be better than your own wee sticker? Better than a No.1 single? Aye!
Inspired by drunken screams of “MORE PAUL!” at the 2010/11 Portland house parties, Shane Locke decided to design and produce this sticker – more as a joke – and apparently the band (and Paul) loved it.
The boy done good indeed 🙂
2010-2011
Here’s the promo poster – designed by Nick Durham – for the Trashcan’s performance at The Loft in Dallas, Texas, during the March 2011 Acoustic Tour.
Those Frank Sinatra afficionados among you will of course recognise that Nick has used an image from the Sinatra and Doris Day film, ‘Young At Heart’. Nick is a friend of Salim Nourallah, who supported TCS on the night. You can find out more about both Nick and Salim here and here respectively.
There wasn’t too many of these posters produced, so thanks to Carla Elliott and Shane Locke for sending one through.
Interesting side note: The band’s recent online ‘volunteers for brass duties’ campaign had its first success at this gig. They were joined onstage by Steve and Scott (sorry, don’t have their surnames) and those lucky enough to be in attendance got to hear the brass arrangement of 1993 song ‘I’ve Seen Everything’ live onstage.
Magic stuff!
Auld blue eyes…
4 March 2011 Acoustic Tour (US)
Have van, will travel.
Which is exactly what the Trashcan’s did for their month long acoustic tour in March 2011.
The October 2010 acoustic tour covered parts of the western/southwestern USA, so this recent tour covered much of the rest of the US, including a number of cities the band had never played and cities not played since the 2004/5 Weightlifting tours, including a long overdue return to Toronto, Canada. The full list of dates and setlists can be found here.
The official poster – only 100 hand-numbered prints were made – was designed by the mighty Shane Locke.
March 2011 Acoustic Tour (US)
Still the only known CD series to include its own coaster as part of every cover package, this Orange Iced Tea volume from 2002 includes a wide variety of musical styles.
More of a soundtrack for lounging about on a lazy Sunday, sipping a wee cup of tea, or something much stronger if you’re that way inclined, it includes from the ’60s (Jack Jones’ “Wives and Lovers”), the ’70s (Jimmie Rodgers’ “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”), the ’80s (the Style Council’s “Down in the Seine”), and the ’90s (the Trashcan Sinatras’ “How Can I Apply”).
What’s pretty cool about this compilation is there doesn’t appear to be a song out of place, it all just seems to hang together – stick it in the old CD player and before you know it your feet will be tapping away, all the way to the end – well, at least mine were.
Other highlights include Manfred Mann’s “Mighty Quinn,” and Chris Montez’s “Time After Time.”
More tea, vicar?
2002 Universal Music K.K. / Victor Entertainment POCE-3008 (Japan)
Filed under: Related | Tags: Hard-to-Find, Trashcan Sinatras, Video promo, Videos Lost & Found
…were a couple of video compilations released around 1997-98. ‘Official’ bootlegs, they included promo videos, TV appearances, band footage, etc.
Luckily my old VCR is in perfect working order, so it was good to take a wee stroll down memory lane to watch such delights as ‘Hayfever’ on the Beavis & Butthead show, ‘Looking Better Every Beer’ from the Arches in Glasgow, ‘Spooktime’ and who could forget their appearance on Square Meals – the Scottish TV programme which featured the Trashcans at their Shabby Road studios showing off their culinary skills. Magic!
Most, if not all, of these videos – and much, much more – are available on the wonderful YouTube. Click here or here.
Videos Lost…
Videos Found…
Another video compilation was available a year or so earlier. A single video, it included similar content which would eventually appear on the ‘Lost & Found’ set. Thanks to Sharon Linta for sending these over.
1996 – 1998 Videos Lost & Found
Five Hungry Joes - A pictorial archive of the Trashcan Sinatras. Legendary Scottish Band 