Pete Simonelli - Nov 21

Goddamn it! We said NO MORE GIGS.
We said it loads. We basked in the glorious glow of just turning up to other people's shows, paying the money to get in, drinking 3 or 4 continental lagers and then just going home again feeling good.
But sometime earlier this year, the-former-team-Damn-You had the immense good fortune to witness San Francisco (via Brooklyn) band ENABLERS absolutely amaze a crowd of people at the Pavement ATP like few bands we've ever seen before. Seriously, it was almost religious.
We felt re-energised. Afterwards, bonds were forged over continental lagers and we decided that we would always put a show on for any of these men should they ever pass through our fair town.
It was like the Goonies but everyone was way, way older.

When vocalist Pete Simonelli said he was planning a spoken-word tour we couldn't resist. Pete's unique vocal delivery (part spoken, part shouted, always utterly compelling) and winding tales of the noir-ish underbelly of the city and it's characters make Enablers so special and we're as intrigued and excited as you should be that he's doing this short spoken word tour and that it's coming to everyone's favourite tea shop. Here's the blurb for you:

"In addition to being the vocalist and co-founder of the San Francisco-based band, Enablers, Simonelli is a published poet, writer, and playwright. A native Californian, Simonelli spent eighteen formative years in San Francisco, documenting, observing, drinking, reading, loving, betraying, working, and writing--- attributes and setbacks that, over the years, have led to many a Second Chance, for which he is very grateful. And call it birthright, boon, or bane, but as one who too often veered in westerly directions (much to the amusement of his friends and bandmates), Simonelli moved east in 2008 and now makes his home in Brooklyn, New York. These shows will see Pete reading from his new book 'One Brittle Nerve' and he will also have a new record that will be a 3 way split between pete / McWatt and Black Octagon."

www.myspace.com/enablers
http://www.myspace.com/petesimonelli
www.lancashireandsomerset.co.uk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHBG0IrcDZY

In addition to Pete (and continuing our totally-acoustic-with-no-PA evening) we have one of our favourite bands: MCWATT.
You may have seen them at Lee Rosys before or witnessed their beautiful set supporting A Hawk & A Hacksaw at the Malt Cross a few years back.
We once saw the playing in a crypt a few feet from an entombed corpse. That was a fun night.
Here's what they say about themselves:

"We are a duo. We play double bass, flute and several accordions. We are D.I.Y., and we love playing gigs. We smell good and are polite, even when drunk. Whenever the size of the room and the raucousness of the audience allows, we prefer to play completely acoustically, i.e. not even through the p.a. We like Debussy, Satie, Sea Shanties, British folk music, Charlie Haden, Arvo Part, things of that ilk. People say our songs are really sad, but we do not think so. Maybe we are really depressed"

http://www.myspace.com/mcwattband

In addition we have Nottingham's own NICK JONAH DAVIS playing solo guitar. Nick's guitar skills are incredible but unlike some of his peers he never lets them get in the way of the music he writes and performs. While the rest of the fingerpicking brigade disappear into a folk vortex parallel to the speed competitions of 1980s post-Eddie Van Halen excess, Nick just gets on with it. We dig that. You will too.

http://www.myspace.com/nickdavisguitar
http://www.tompkinssquare.com/

This is happening on SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21 and we're opening the doors to Lee Rosys at the thoroughly sensible 7.30pm, giving you 30 mins to buy cake before the entertainment starts and it's all done with at a last-bus friendly 10.30
All this for £4 too.