Single assessment, video premiere and interview

Andy Blade + Buddies 

You’re Unusual

Holy Dotage Information

out 17 November 2023

Eater frontman, creator and all-round punk legend resumes his solo profession following the ‘Ant’ Eater album & gigs with the primary taster of the forthcoming ‘Being Alive Is Enjoyable’ album, which incorporates one other ’77 (guitar) hero Derwood from Era X amongst a bunch of different youthful collaborator buddies.

I’ve met Blade fairly a couple of occasions over time. Again in 2017 he known as me ‘the Katie Hopkins of Punk’ when he hoped I used to be the Lester Bangs to his Lou Reed.

His 2005 biography was good, the ‘prolonged remix’ in 2019 was even higher. His trilogy of home-recorded solo albums; Life-Affirming Songs For These with a Unhealthy Angle (2008)  Lets Burn the Web Down (2010) and Plastic Penny and the Unusual Picket Horse, (2016) contained some provocative and fantastic songs and amongst his followers are Lawrence of Belgravia (from Denim, Go-Kart Mozart and so forth), J Mascis and and Bobby Gillespie..

Andy is all the time upbeat about his solo albums when they’re due for launch, however this time he’s actually buzzing and as-billed, it’s Andy Blade+Buddies. It’s them he’s eager to speak about, the buddies (What a horrible Americanism Blade – what’s unsuitable with ‘pals’? ).(Alliteration pricey boy)

On the primary single it’s co-creating singing conspirator Katerina Sharkova (from the band The Others Are Lifeless, Steve) with guitarist Derwood Andrews (Era X) and drummer Rat Scabies (The Damned).

You’re Unusual is a slow-burn, needs-a-few-listens, traditional from the mad-genius thoughts of the Peter Pan of Punk… and the 25 second Derwood guitar solo is a factor of magnificence….

A tune about an obsessive love affair? A love tune on the sting of a nervous breakdown? It’s all the time arduous to inform with Andy Blade however there are some nice traces and a touch of paranoia and/or narcotics. ‘Somebody’s taken all of our stuff”

There are the standard darkish glam influences, a contact of Luke Haines model aloofness and in some way the air of an English Serge Gainsbourg about You’re Unusual – and a few of the different songs on the forthcoming album.

Blade needs to speak concerning the collaborators although.

“Derwood’s guitar solo on the tune is a particular contender for solo of the yr” 

It’s. Pisses throughout Slash in the event you pardon the expression.

Katerina has a terrific voice too.

“As quickly as we’d completed recording the primary observe, it grew to become very obvious that Kat’s voice is my voice’s soul mate.  It made sense that we must always work collectively on an ongoing foundation, which is what we’re doing. She is so inspiring to work with as a result of she’s such a pure singer and he or she stridently defies conference – and with such model. She’s everlasting now, we’re already engaged on the observe up. We’re on a mission now””

It’s a pleasant mixture, having contemporaries from 1977 and these actually younger proficient folks as your ‘buddies’.

“The older I get the extra I discover out I’m unplugged from the mainframe. As of late I really feel like I’m alone, so it’s all the way down to me to create a scene of like minded musicians & bands. That has all the time been my intention, to create my very own ‘household’ the place everybody feels at residence, with no strain to evolve to the diktats of mainstream thought, and that is what Andy Blade+Buddies is all about – getting cerebral, in an more and more uniform and uninteresting world.”

What concerning the album title – the place did that come from?

“It’s a quote from Jeffrey Epstein to his lawyer the day earlier than he was discovered lifeless in his cell.  His lawyer had requested him why he was so involved for his security in a high safety jail and Epstein sarcastically replied, ‘As a result of being alive is enjoyable!’

It’s not out till January 2024, however, as he joked on social media not too long ago, posting an outdated image of him assembly Lou Reed,  there may be an out of doors likelihood that Being Alive Is Enjoyable simply is likely to be Andy Blades equal to ‘Transformer’….

Stranger issues have occurred, and as I all the time say to Andy, You’re unusual, and you already know it…

Andy will likely be becoming a member of Dinosaur Jr. for his or her sold-out 5 night time residency at London’s The Storage from 11 -15 November, the place Mascis and co. will likely be backing him on a few J’s favorite Eater songs.

The present Eater line-up will likely be touring Europe all through December, taking part in dates in Italy, Spain and France.

Andy Blade+Buddies will likely be taking part in some pop up reveals adopted by a tour in assist of the album launch within the Spring.

The one You’re Unusual’ pre-save hyperlink
The album -out in Jan 2024 ‘Being Alive Is Enjoyable’ pre-save hyperlink

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All phrases Ged Babey