News Archives 2009-2000
News Archives 2009
December.29.2009
20 Years Ago...
... EMF played their first show at the Upper Bilson Public House in Cinderford!
November.23.2009
Black Heart Dolls - Singer Revealed!
Mark & Tim from Black Heart Dolls are very pleased to announce that they have finally found a singer, his name is Connelly (more information below). We would also like to thank all of those wonderful singers that came forward and to wish them all the best for the future.
Connelly has already written vocals for two tracks, which are sounding amazing. As soon as time, money and the grace of God allow, we will all be heading for the studio to complete the assembly of the first Black Heart Dolls album. There will be more line up announcements coming shortly.
If you are interested in hearing Connelly's solo work please log onto www.myspace.com/connellymusicofficial
Thank you... Mark, Tim & Connelly of The Black Heart Dolls.
November.4.2009
Asbo Gig
October.19.2009
Bentley Rhythm Ace Reunion
Big beat pioneers Bentley Rhythm Ace will be playing a bunch of spring & summer festivals to celebrate their 10-year anniversary in 2010. Richard, Mike, Fuzz & James will be dusting off the old analogue synths for a string of bonkers live sets up & down the UK. Dates will be released soon, watch this space. J x
September.18.2009
Black Heart Dolls Taster Tracks
BHD have informed me that they now have taster tracks on their MySpace page. The tracks are from the Monnow Valley sessions and promise to be fab! Check them out and make sure to send the band your feedback.
September.9.2009
Black Heart Dolls - New Video!
The Black Heart Dolls have uploaded their first studio video on MySpace and their Facebook pages. Have a look and a laugh!
September.3.2009
Black Heart Dolls News
(For those still unaware, Black Heart Dolls is a new project featuring Mark and Tim.)
Mark and Tim are heading to Monovalley Studios in Monmouth (on Tuesday) to start a recording session with the legendary producer Bob Marlettes.
There should hopefully have 3 songs completely finished by September 15th.
Mark and Tim also plan to keep fans updated via video blogs and messages on their MySpace page.
August.19.2009
Asbo Gigs
July.26.2009
Whisky & Blood - Asbo Kid
||WHISKY & BLOOD||
!/Upstairs at The Garage!\
Saturday 15th August 2009
ELASTICA (DJ SET)
-Justin & Mew from Elastica join us for a very special DJ set at Whisky & Blood.
THE ASBO KID (LIVE)
-James from EMF & Justin from Elastica present to you all a LIVE rave, dub & old school chaotic experience!
RONNIE JOICE (DJ SET)
- Resident DJ and your host Ronnie Joice spins and takes the party into the witching hours.
OLLIE RUSSIAN (DJ SET)
- Atlantic Records man Ollie Russian will play his unique mix of camp party hits and contemporary classics (ie. Bonkers).
10pm til 4am.
£5 cheap guestlist, e-mail names to: whiskyandblood@gmail.com.
Otherwise it's £6 before midnight on the door or £7 after if you text 'hifi whisky' to 60300.
Last month's incredible launch night saw an impromptu DJ set from Carl Barat alongside his former Dirty Pretty Thing bandmate Didz Hammond, plus you all rubbed shoulders with the likes of Lee Mavers (The La's), Drew McConnell (Babyshambles) and some of London's finest indie heroes.
This month we bring to you a very special live act in the shape of THE ASBO KID, featuring James Atkin - responsible for one of the best known tracks of the 90s, Unbelievable with his band "EMF", he went on to have massive success clocking up a U.S no.1 single and a platinum selling album. Alongside him is Justin Welch, Elastica drummer - Britpop legends who in the 90s scored a string of Top 20 hits including the fantastic 'Connection' plus a number one album 'Elastica' and even played in an early incarnation of Suede!
We'll also see Justin jump on the decks alongside his wonderful wife, Mew Welch - former Elastica and Heave keyboardist plus sets from Ollie Russian and Ronnie Joice!
The night is part of INTERNATIONAL HI-FI who host the main room with "guitar-based radio-friendly unit-shifters" from Iain Baker (NME Radio) + John Downfall (Cheap$kates) where you'll certainly hear; Hot Chip, Kaiser Chiefs, Blur, MGMT, Strokes, Smiths, Bloc Party, Killers, AC/DC, Pixies and a whole lot more!
Oh, and if you're unsure where it's at..
THE GARAGE
20 Highbury Corner
Islington
N5 1RD
It's literally ONE SECOND away from HIGHBURY & ISLINGTON tube station.
Plenty of buses stop outside, many 24 hours.
More info on their Facebook page.
July.14.2009
Asbo Kid Update
James & Justin will be doing a live 'Asbo Kid' date at the Chez Tao Club in Corsica on the 31st July, if anyone's on the island please come down, it will be a top night!!! We are also doing our first London showcase at the newly re-opened very cool 'Punk' club at the garage in September, date to be confirmed.
June.26.2009
RIP MJ
Today marks the day of the tragic loss of the King of Pop...
His music touched hearts of everyone Worldwide and will be sadly missed...
Rest in peace MJ...love EMF x
May.6.2009
Statement from EMF
EMF the band regrets to announce that they will no longer be able to play any live shows for the foreseeable future. Band members work commitments outside EMF have made it impossible for them to find the time to commit to an adequate live schedule. This comes as a great disappointment to the band as there is nothing that the guys like better than playing live but it has proved impossible to find the time to give their live shows the care and attention that EMF have always prided themselves on.
EMF would like to apologise to any fans that were hoping to see them live during 2009.
Thank you for your support and love over the years.
EMF, May 2009
April.22.2009
Camden Rocks!
CAMDEN ROCKS 2009
1 day * 5 Venues * 35 Ground Breaking Artists * Bands & DJ's
On Saturday June 6th 2009 something new will start. A one day party/festival in Camden Town.
5 carefully handpicked venues will play host to amazing ground breaking artists. Over 35 bands and DJ's will perform a one day 'lets have it' party in support of "The Teenage Cancer Trust"
London's Hottest Club Nights "Smash and Grab" "Cherry Cola" and "Shit The Bed" are all on board too.
Ticket price for the event is 20pounds which gives everyone the opportunity to go see their favourite artists.
View the MySpace page for information.
April.3.2009
Video Collection!
So it's finally happened. The entire video collection is now on YouTube! Watch and enjoy: EMF on YouTube
The videos might all end up on YouTube one day, so subscribe to our page!
March.7.2009
Follow us on Twitter!
Still trying to figure it out, but now EMF has a Twitter page (page?). You can find the linkage here: EMF on Twitter
January.25.2009
James's birthday bash!
Come one! Come all! Bust out the glowsticks and help James celebrate his BIG birthday!
January.22.2009
Festival date!
Date: Sun 26 July 2009
Venue: Dance Rocks Stage (hosted by Eddy Temple-Morris - The Remix Xfm) Secret Garden Party, Huntingdon - headline slot
Tickets: secretgardenparty.com (please note, the official announcement on their site won't be until the 2nd week of Feb!)
January.13.2009
New Photos!
Brand new photos from the band's official photographer have been posted in the photo gallery. These are from the gigs the boys did supporting Carter USM in November.
January.9.2009
Award for Ian?
Ian has been nominated for a prestigious Golden Globe award for his songwriting work on Beyonce's song, "Once In A Lifetime" (Best Original Song - Motion Picture). The song was featured in the movie Cadillac Records. It was co-written by Amanda Ghost.
The awards ceremony will be broadcast live on Sunday, January 11, 2009 from 8-11 PM (EST) from The Beverly Hilton on NBC.
Good luck Ian!!
News Archives 2008
November.18.2008
Statement from the band pre-Carter
The addition of Tim to the line up has injected a serious amount of energy back into the band, god knows what state we'll all be in afterwards! We are all really looking forward to the shows even though it is just 45 minutes.....we'll make you sweat for sure!! All going well we will be showing off some proper nostalgia vibes on stage from the 90's rave days :)....glow sticks at the ready please
See you all soon....Love EMF
October.23.2008
Happy Birthday to us!
Today EMF-TheBand.com turns 12 years old!! Millions of thanks go out to all the fans who keep us going, and especially to the band... without them, none of this would be possible!
October.12.2008
Live Guitarist Replaced!
Do to working commitments Laurence Hughes the current dep guitarist for Ian will no longer be providing his services to the band.
Tim Stephens from Portsmouth will take over duties as of now. The band held auditions in Birmingham on Saturday 11th October and Tim was the man for the job.
Comment from the band...
Filling Ian's large boots hasn't been an easy task for us, Ian has a special kind of energy which comes from his punk roots coupled with his classical upbringing makes him even more special as a guitarist. This is the first time we have felt that energy again. Tim will definitely bring more than a little extra to the live show, you can count on that! As a fan of the band already the passion he showed us was obvious that getting this gig means a lot to him. The energy he has is second to none, Mark even broke a cymbal during the session so you have some indication of the power Tim influences on us playing live.... to add to this he's not bad looking either... the ladies will love him!!
September.16.2008
Festival Cancelled
The Portsmouth & Southsea Festival has been cancelled. Refunds are available at point of purchase.
September.3.2008
The Asbo Kid Update
"James Atkin, Rachael Atkin & Justin Walsh (Elestica) will be performing at this years 'White Noise Electronic Music Festival' in Newquay Cornwall. They will be playing on the friday night (November 7th) at 10.30pm. Please check out the flyer & please come down and give us some support, it's going to be a top night!!!!!!!!!!"
September.2.2008
New Photos!
Photos have been added to the gallery from the Kendal Calling Festival in August. All pics are the work of EMF's own photog Scott Jolly.
August.14.2008
New Gig - Supporting Spear Of Destiny!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Bristol Academy
bristol-academy.co.uk
The band will be putting on a 45 minute set!
August.4.2008
New Festival Date Announced!
The band will be playing at the Portsmouth & Southsea Festival on Thursday, October 9. Check out the festival website for more information.
July.31.2008
The Band Warming Up For Kendal
Check out some rehearsal footage the boys sent over. Enjoy!
June.18.2008
Article on James
James had a story in Traffic Magazine. Click on the image to read it!
June.11.2008
New Shirt in the EMF Shop
There is a new logo t-shirt in the EMF Shop. Also to be noted is the shop is hoping to offer next-day postage (stock permitting). Any questions or problems? Send an email to info@nhp-ltd.com.
June.8.2008
New remix album on iTunes
Happened to stumble across this on iTunes tonight. Check it out if you're missing any mixes.
May.5.2008
Scala photos
Finally, Scala photos for your viewing pleasure! Check out the brand new photo gallery for those and more.
May.1.2008
Facebook
There is now an EMF page on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/EMF/30216668528
It's still in primitive stages, so don't laugh. :)
If you're on Facebook, come on over and sign up!
April.14.2008
Another Festival date
Kendal Calling Festival - Sunday 3rd August 2008
Tickets are available through kendalcalling.co.uk
April.4.2008
MERCHANDISE!
Bust out the credit card and go crazy! The EMF Shop is now open for business!
April.2.2008
Check out some of James's new tunes
James has posted some gorgeous new songs on his MySpace page. Very downtempo and melodic - I think you'll enjoy them!
March.6.2008
NEW GIG DATES - SUPPORTING CARTER!
EMF will be supporting Carter USM in 2 upcoming gigs. Dates and ticket links are below.
21 Nov - Birmingham Academy
22 Nov - Brixton Academy
March.5.2008
Come out and see Mark
"I'm playing at a Music equipment Exhibition next week (Wednesday 12th) in Frankfurt, Germany.
Basically I will be working there at the Pearl Drums booth..this is what I do. We have what we call a sound cabin at the booth which is basically a large glass studio. Drummers and percussionists perform inside the cabin so that it keeps the noise down, people watching can hear everything perfectly but see the artist up close.
I'm performing from 10am, I'm doing three 20 minute sets. I will be playing along to specially mixed EMF which don't include the drums....I play them live over the backing tracks.
The tracks I'm doing are....They're here, Dog, Unbelievable, Search & Destroy and possibly Getting through.
The show is called The Frankfurt Messe it starts on Wednesday 12th and finishes on Saturday 15th. Pearl will be located in Hall 3.0 stand No. E61 and E59."
February.26.2008
NEW GIG ANNOUNCED IN SPAIN!
Date: Sat 14th June 2008
Venue: Razzmatazz, Barcelona
Tickets: www.ticktackticket.com
Venue website for info: www.salarazzmatazz.com
Keep checking back for the latest information!
February.9.2008
New songs!
Out of the archives comes a rare, newly discovered treat...
2 demos done at the end of 1993 - one is called "Junki Starr" and never appeared on any albums; the other is called "Open Eyes" and is a rough version of the song "Too Much."
Check out the MySpace page for the tracks!
Enjoy!
February.5.2008
YouTube
Okay, I've got the YouTube channel started and the videos are coming slowly... keep checking throughout the day/night for more videos. (I think you can also search for EMF and Astoria and you'll find them.) The quality is much worse than the originals, so I apologize... YouTube really shrinks the files down.
Videos down
Due to an overwhelming response to the Astoria videos, the server has been crashing all day. I'm taking them down and moving them to a personalized channel on YouTube. Sorry for the inconvenience... stay tuned...
February.4.2008
Astoria video - FINALLY!
I know it took a long time, but FINALLY, you can see video from the Astoria reunion gig from 2001! You can find it on the video page! Hope it was worth the wait (I think it is!)
News Archives 2007
December.20.2007
So how was it??
If you were lucky enough to attend the Scala gig, don't forget to let us know how it was! Head on over to the Forums and join in the discussion!
A review from The Forester has come out, and it's fantastic!
Official photos are going to be coming soon, so be patient!
December.18.2007
TONIGHT!
TONIGHT is the night you've all been waiting for!!
Don't forget (for those who have been living under a rock!)...
Tonight is EMF LIVE AT THE SCALA IN LONDON!
(Specific information is available by clicking this link)
Hope to see all of you there. After the gig, head on over to the Official EMF Forums and post about your experience!
LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH!
December.10.2007
New opening act
The opening act for the Scala gig on 18 December is now The Dallas Guild. Be sure to check out some of their stuff.
The countdown is on... just a little over ONE WEEK until the big gig! Hope to see you there!
December.1.2007
More News Stories
There is a major buzz starting about the EMF reunion gig on 18 December! In keeping with the Forester's almost daily updates, here are 2 new stories for your reading /viewing pleasure.
EPSOM MAD FUNKERS AND THE 125CC RHYTHM
Remember, tickets are still available!
November.30.2007
New Promo photo!
There is a gorgeous new press pic of the boys (including Rich) that is being used in interviews and such. Find it on the MySpace page as the header, or you can click on the thumbnail below to see it here!
November.29.2007
The Forester story
There is a great story about the band's reunion in their local paper. You can find the link by clicking here.
November.26.2007
Interview with Derry
From The Forester:
November.1.2007
Reunion Update & Facebook
The band had their first rehearsal and everything was great as they ran through their entire set. Richard is doing really great on the bass! If you're lucky enough to be attending the reunion show, be prepared for a "big production"! It's definitely going to be something worth remembering!
Here is an exclusive first photo of the band practicing.
If you're on Facebook, head on over to the EMF Appreciation Group and talk about the band!
October.18.2007
Win an ASBO KID T-shirt
Head on over to the Competition page to try and win an ASBO KID t-shirt!
Support band
The support act for the Scala gig on 18 December has been announced. They are called LARGE NUMBER.
October.13.2007
ASBO Madness
Don't forget to purchase your new ASBO KID album!
New Asbo Kid album - 'The Asbo Death Cult sessions' out now on cd in the White Label Music shop. It's also available for purchase via iTunes.
Also available - Asbo Kid T-shirts: "WEAR IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT"
And, ASBO is doing a gig at BOXJAM 07 Electronic Music Festival on October 28 in Leeds - check the flyer for more details!
September.29.2007
WANTED
Ever wanted to donate to a good cause? James is on the lookout for an original pair of ANARCHIC orange shorts to wear on stage at the Scala gig. If anyone has a pair and would not mind giving them up to the coolest rock star on the planet, please email me and let me know. I'm not sure if you'd get them back, but you never know!
September.27.2007
EMF to play The Scala in London on 18 December 2007
EMF fans, this is what you have been waiting for!
James, Ian, Mark, Derry, and with special guest Richard from PWEI on bass, will be reuniting to play The Scala in London on the 18th of December, 2007. This is a special engagement so be sure to get your tickets early.
Tickets are on sale tomorrow, Friday, 28 September. You can buy them from the Stargreen box office. Cost is £14 and the doors are 7:30.
For any other tour news and dates keep checking this site.
September.21.2007
New ASBO KID album on iTunes!
The Asbo Kid's first full length album, released thru White Label Music, available to download NOW from iTunes.
Click to download the record!
September.19.2007
One of those "Did I see what I think I just saw?" moments!
If anyone is a fan of the amazing TV show "24", here's something you can look out for. In the season premiere of Day 2, there is a little girl that Kim Bauer is looking after. What is that poster on her wall? Click on the image below to see.
Thanks to 24 Online for the photo!
August.11.2007
Musical Greeting Card?
Hallmark will be introducing 16 new Cards with Sound to their already existing line. The new cards will feature original music by EMF and other contemporary artists. The EMF card features the hit song, "Unbelievable." The Cards with Sound are one of Hallmarks many innovative ways to help people connect. Show someone you care by giving him or her the gift of music.
Thanks to Garner Bass for the information
June.3.2007
Live Tracks on the Radio
I work on the George Lamb show on BBC 6music and I wanted to let you know that we are playing out some LIVE tracks from EMF on Monday June 4th. We were very much hoping you could mention it in the news section of the website? They will be taken from a concert recorded at Reading Festival in 1992. The live tracks will go out between 0020 and 0050 on Mon night/Tues Morning. If possible could you also link to our shows page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/georgelamb/index.shtml
April.28.2007
#1 Hit!
Congrats to Ian on his first #1 hit on the charts in a loooong time! Ian and Amanda Ghost are co-writers on the Beyonce/Shakira song "Beautiful Liar" on her Beyonce's B-Day album. Way to go!!
February.9.2007
James on XFM Scotland
just to let you know that James Atkin has done an exclusive mix (called a Crush mix) for my show on XFM Scotland this Saturday. the show specialises in remixes, mash-ups and playing tunes that you know in a way you haven't heard the before. the show is Saturday night / sun morning from 1am - 3am across central scotland, although you can get it online at xfmscotland.co.uk.
Thanks to Grant (McSleazy) for the info!
News Archives 2006
December.5.2006
New music from Asbo Kid
the asbo kid has a new EP release on Plastique Base Records called 'Trouble on the waltzers'. The EP contains 4 new trax written recorded and produced by the asbo kid -
1.FUA
2.No Point
3.Started It
4.Turn It Up
If u would like to purchase vinyl or download please go to (or click on the link to the right-->)
http://www.plastique-base-records.com/
Thanks for everyones support!!
December.2.2006
Request a song on MySpace
So I opened it up again... go over to the EMF MySpace page and request what MP3 you want to hear. Please do it as a reply to the blog and NOT as a email message! Happy voting!
November.10.2006
Derry's Site UPDATED!
I received a note from Derry tonight, his website has been completely redone and he has downloadable samples!
Head on over there now and check it out: www.dgbrownson.co.uk
And also a big Happy Birthday to the latter!
[ Post your thoughts about this in the forums ]
October.23.2006
EMF-TheBand.com - October 23, 1996 - October 23, 2006
What started out as a small college hobby for me has become bigger and better than I ever could have expected.
As EMF-TheBand.com turns 10 years old, I have reflected on its past and wondered where I'd be without it. From the people I have met, to the times I have had, to the things I have learned, it really has shaped me in many ways.
10 years… that is 1/3 of my life!
I remember starting the site on my roommate's computer. He had a program called HomeSite (which I still use today), and it had all sorts of buttons and tools for learning HTML. I was tired of the fact that there wasn't a decent EMF site on the web. There was an "official" site but it fell off the face of the earth not too long after I put mine up. I thought it might be fun to do… I had no idea what I was getting myself into!
I remember a guy named Ian S. who was/is friends with the boys. He was my first real contact, and he passed along messages to James and Derry for me. Hell, he even got Derry to CALL me in Christmas of 1995. (Thanks Ian!)
It started with a few soundbytes, facts and poorly scanned photos. I laugh when I see how primitive it was compared to now. But I kept plugging away, thinking, "When I go to a website, what do I want to see?" and that is how I keep ideas interesting and fresh.
As the site grew, I got more contact from fans ("I thought I was the only EMF fan left!"), and eventually, I got an email from Derry in August of 1997. Ever since then, it's been like a dream. I got to go "official" sometime in 1999, thanks to permission from James.
Of course we all know the history of the band since 1999… the extremely good, and the extremely tragic.
For me personally, the highlight was the reunion gigs in 2001, and meeting the boys for the first time on June 3, 2001. I got to talk to James on the phone about 3 months prior (which was surreal… thanks Ol) and it prepped me for the big summer ahead. It was a whirlwind of fun for me and all EMF fans. I got to see them live for the first time in my life, and it was more than worth waiting for. Hanging out and partying rock-star style was something that still makes some of my friends jealous!
I have been with a few of the boys since 2001 on various trips across the pond, and no longer do they seem like "stars" to me, but like they really are my friends. (Okay, who am I kidding? I still get goosebumps!) If someone would have told me all those years ago that someday I could just talk to the boys and shoot BS with them, I would have said they were crazy. It goes to show that if you want something bad enough, and work hard enough, you can achieve anything.
I guess I also got lucky in that I chose a fabulous group of guys to fall in love with. They have never looked down on me for being nothing more than a "fan" and for that I am truly grateful.
I have said it a thousand times before, (and I know the boys get sick of my mushy sentiments), but I love those boys more than they know, and I am forever thankful to them for what they have meant to me in my lifetime. My continuing dedication to this website is a testament to that (and to them).
Thank you with all my heart, James, Ian, Mark, Derry and Zac (R.I.P.)
August.25.2006
Updates to videos
I updated the video page with videos that I had sent out via the email newsletter, but never managed to post links to elsewhere (whoops!) So now you'll find links to Bleeding You Dry along with 2 of the MTV New Years Eve 1992 performances.
July.27.2006
Milf on Property Ladder
DJ Milf has been spotted on a show called Property Ladder. I don't have any idea what the show is about, but maybe the website does.
Here is a snippet of what Milf's segment was:
Cottage in Ross-on-Wye
Record producer Gareth Milford is hoping that his hundred year old two bedroom hillside cottage near Ross-on-Wye in the Welsh Borders will be a big draw to people looking for a little peace and quiet.
July.15.2006
2004 News Archives Complete
Thanks to the magic of the Way Back Machine, I have found my lost news from 2004.
In the mood for a laugh? I have found (also via WBM) my news from the OLD site! This is all 99 and older news (I can see some of it goes to 97). Have fun with that!
And thanks to my backup discs, I found the Reunion Reviews that people sent in during 2001. Find it under Fan Central.
July.11.2006
News Archives and Picture Donations
I have restyled and updated the news archives... almost all of them are there, except for some reason I cannot find 2004! I suppose I'll find it somewhere. =) I know there is some really, really old news I am debating putting up as well (99 and before). I found the picture donations too, and while the page has no style yet, it's there for your viewing pleasure.
This site has waaaay too many sections =)
July.10.2006
Watch The Asbo Kid Kicking It Live And Direct!
Don't forget to buy Asbo's album on ITUNES!
Post your thoughts in the forum
June.30.2006
"The Quiet One" Speaks!
Anyone who has followed EMF from the beginning knows that James was famous (or infamous?) for not giving interviews and speaking to the press. Well he has opened up in his old age, and yesterday did an interview on the BBC's Steve Lamacq show. He talks about memories of EMF, what he did in the in-between years and finally, talks about his newest project, The Asbo Kid. I have encoded the interview for your listening pleasure. Thanks to James for the link!
Listen to the interview
Updates
I added the Reunion section back, my "Wild EMF Adventure" story, archived the news from 2005 (other years coming soon) and also updated Ian's profile with some new info and pics.
June.18.2006
Updated bio and pics for Mark
I added 5 new pics of Mark on his page, along with an updated biography. (If his son Jaydn is not the cutest thing...)
June.13.2006
Welcome to the new site!
So it's finally up and running!
You'll notice some stuff missing. It was stuff that I had been meaning to update for some time, but just decided until I do, I'm going to take it off the site. Time is not what it used to be... I hope you all enjoy the new site. Post your comments and suggestions on the message board!
May.25.2006
Press Release info for The Asbo Kid
THE ASBO* KID.
ASBO definition; Anti Social Behaviour Order.
P.M. Tony Blair thought that serving the criminally active youths with an ASBO would deter their criminal activities, however, it has subsequently become a 'badge of honour' throughout the country's housing estates and inner cities.
I talked to James Atkin, one half of the ASBO KID, about their strangely named music project, to try to learn more about it.
The ASBO KID began life at the end of 2005 & was formed through the merging of two existing, experienced talents, James Atkin & Pilly Bob. Both were hanging around on street corners, nicking car stereos and partaking in all round trouble making, until they decided to cut their teeth via the darker side of electronic music & started to make their own unique style of Car Alarm Techno.
With influences going as far back as Old School Rave & touching on the Minimal Electro scene, James & Pilly have managed to keep themselves out of trouble enough to create some classic tracks that demand attention.
Pilly Bob hales from a small village in the Yorkshire Dales, not one for leaving his village very often, the parties seemed to come to him. He was very popular with the locals for some reason. At one such party Pilly met James who had recently moved to the countryside. James had left London with a string of eviction orders & environmental health court cases against him. Looking for a new start, with his beloved sound system in hand, he moved to the country, hoping not to upset any more people or get into any more trouble with the police.
James was responsible for singing one of the best known tracks of the 90's "Unbelievable" with his band EMF, he then went off to have massive success clocking up a U.S. number 1 single and a platinum selling album.
Time at the top was short lived though, and it wasn't long before James was back to the glue & crime.
With the ASBO KID , James & Pilly are trying to better themselves a people and are trying to fit back into society.
They have immersed themselves in their music, recording an impressive collection of new material at their make shift studio; Ivy Barn in Yorkshire
However, even with his reputation as a hit songwriter with EMF, record companies will not touch them. His past has made people very wary of him, it's as if the Sex Pistols never existed. Instead of record companies taking a chance with this talented duo who have both had successful musical careers in the past, they are petrified of the repercussions caused by rock stars behaving badly. Not every musician wants to feature in a Mac Donald's advert, like Destiny's Child, and not all musicians have an untarnished past, I once believed that was part of the rules within music, that there were no rules. However, attitudes seem to have changed. The majority of record labels just want another fast, safe consumable, no different to a 'healthy choice' chicken salad from the afore mentioned 'restaurant'. People are becoming more obedient; yet seem to be getting less as a reward.
As a consequence of the ASBO KID being denied a recording contract, James & Pilly have decided to go ahead with an i tunes exclusive release, so you can still get to hear their music even though 'they', the controllers would rather you didn't. It is not the music of Satan and it's not breaking any laws, its just two guys with colourful pasts trying to make good.
Tracks available for download by The ASBO KID (from June 2006) are;
1) Planet'Asbo 2) Pump'T 3) MusiX (feat- The AsboKidsMrs) 4) NameD&ShameD 5) MoveYaBody 6) SuicidE(feat-TheAsboKidMrs) 7) KillOrBeKilled
www.myspace.com/theasbokid
Named & Shamed comes out June 5th!
April.13.2006
Introducing...
He's been undercover for quite some time now and so I am proud to introduce everyone to... THE ASBO KID! If you have been around the EMF (or my personal) MySpace, you have seen his link, but you might have asked, "Who is that?" Here is a hint... he has an impressive post-EMF list of techno projects. Check out his fantastic tunes on MySpace: www.myspace.com/theasbokid
February.27.2006
A little late on the updates...
... but for those of you who are signed up for BLUE HIGHS, you have already received these updates. First off, is the new Beauty School tracks. Their website has 10 new tracks that I received from James a few weeks ago. Make sure you head on over there and download them!
Next, I guess I can share these with the rest of the world now...
3 exclusive video downloads I sent out around New Years Eve... they are of the boys' MTV NYE 1992 performance.
Lies
Children
Unbelievable
(each one is about 50mb)
Enjoy the videos and MP3!
February.2.2006
New links
I added 3 links on the right side of this page... MySpace links for both EMF and Beauty School (and a single one for James!). I just put some MP3 on the EMF one (they should be processed by tomorrow or the next day) and James put up the BS one with the new bio. I plan to update their website with this info, AND some new MP3 very soon!
January.8.2006
Crumbelievable??
UPDATE: Watch the ad here... (thanks Math)
I have heard rumors about this but have yet to actually SEE it on TV for myself.
Kraft Cheese has a new product called Cheese Crumbles, and apparently, they have bastardized Unbelievable into "Crumbelievable"!!!
Like I said, I have not actually seen it for myself, so if anyone has a clip or something, please send it to me so I can post it (for a laugh!)
I found lyrics...
You burden me with your groceries, you'd have me buy no eggs
You're always asking what it's all about, now listen at the dinner table
You say to me I don't eat enough, but when I do, I'm a fool
These times I've spent with the crumblings, I'm going to crumble through and eat the cheese
The things you crave, that big cheese taste that blows you away
The things you say, they're crumbelievable (oh)
(New KRAFT Crumbles.)
(Intense nuggets of Real KRAFT cheese crumbled right off the block)
(To give your favorite foods the big cheese taste you'll love)
You're feeding me with our dinner by telling me more that's mine
I'm always so impressed with the cheese you crave you always have to eat
To think of us being one is more than I'll ever know
But this time, I realize I crumble the sharp cheddar
The things you crave, that big cheese taste that blows you away
The things you say, they're crumbelievable (oh)
Seemingly lastless don't mean you can ask us
Craving down the cheese thing, bringing out your Crumbles
Think of the cravings pushing down the better few
Instead of bringing out the salads
To what the world and everything you're used to
Crave yourself with the taste of cheese
I know this world ain't what it seems...It's crumbelievable
You burden me with your groceries, you'd have me buy no eggs
You're always asking what it's all about, now listen at the dinner table
You say to me I only eat enough, but when I do, I'm a fool
These times I've spent with the crumblings,
I'm going to crumble through and eat the cheese
The things you crave, that big cheese taste that blows you away
The things you crave, that's what I eat them more
The things you crave, that big cheese taste that blows you away
The things you crave, they're crumbelievable (oh)
They're so crumbelievable...They're crumbelievable...
That's it for now...
[ Post your thoughts about this in the forums ]
News Archives 2005
October.23.2005
Happy birthday to us!
Today is our birthday... we turn 9 years old!! Next year is going to be the big 1-0... hard to believe... maybe we'll do something special for it. =)
August.21.2005
Ad for BT
My friend Elaine sent me this ad from BT that features our boys.
July.20.2005
Amanda Ghost - "Girls Like You"
So how many of you saw Ian's band Amanda Ghost on TV last night? Just in case you didn't, I have made a video clip of their performance! They did a song called "Girls Like You" and I dig their sound. You can find the clip by clicking on this link (right click and save-as, please!). Let the world know what you think by posting in the forums too!
July.16.2005
Amanda Ghost on TV!! And Gigs!!
This comes from a press release on Amanda Ghost's website:
In March 2005 Amanda Ghost performed at SXSW, Los Angeles and NYC to showcase their new songs to fans and media. On the back of the SXSW performance AMANDA GHOST has been invited to perform live on ABC'S JIMMY KIMMEL on July 19th 2005. This is the first time in the history of Jimmy Kimmel that an unsigned UK act is booked!
While over in the States for the TV performance the band will also play 2 live shows -
the scheduled shows are:
July 20th - LOS ANGELES @ KNITTING FACTORY - ON STAGE: 07:00PM (7021 Hollywood Blvd.)
July 21st - NYC @ SCENIC - ON STAGE: 08:00pm (25 Avenue B)
The Armenian director Johnny Shahnazarian toured with the band back in March and filmed a 45 min. documentary and promo for MONSTER. The promo and an 8 min. teaser are available now.
On returning to the UK the band went back to the studio to finish the new album and also played a series of London shows. Aside from the band, Amanda has co-written songs on James Blunt's UK 'top 3' album including the current single "You're Beautiful" (no 2 in the single charts). In Europe the album is ear marked to be one of the biggest sellers in 2005 and will receive a major push from Atlantic in the States.
This month AMANDA GHOST will release their first single for over 4 years. The track 'MONSTER' will be made available by Universal Digital in digital format only from July 18th onwards. Download details to follow.
July.14.2005
Beauty School Update: Gig
James's dance project Beauty School is playing a gig in London on Thursday, July 28 at Madame Jo Jo's.
The address is 8-10 Brewer Street, W1.
Time is 9pm - 2am and the admission is £6.
The 4 closest Tubes are Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus.
If you go, be sure to take pictures!
July.11.2005
News on Jesus Jones: UK Tour Dates
This is an update for the Jesus Jones fans who frequent the EMF site... JJ is doing some dates around the UK in August. They are also doing a festival in Portugal at the end of July.
(This information is courtesy of JesusJones.com)
2ND AUGUST - MANCHESTER ACADEMY - MANCHESTER (0161 832 1111 )
3RD AUGUST - CARLING ACADEMY 2 - BIRMINGHAM (0870 771 2000 )
4TH AUGUST - GARAGE - LONDON (0870 060 3777), (020 7403 3331 )
Also - Friday 29th July at the Vilar de Mouros Festival, Portugal – main stage.
The bill is currently:
• Peter Murphy
• The Charlatans (tbc)
• Jesus Jones
• Cage Baby
June.13.2005
Derry's website!
Derry's new website is up and running.
You can find it at dgbrownson.com.
After you take a look, post your comments on the message board!
May.30.2005
New Photo Gallery
I added a new photo gallery to the site. This one is from Coppermine and it's great. It's going to make my life easier. =) Not all the photos are up, but I will be gradually adding them over the coming weeks (I promise!)
May.5.2005
Beauty School - new MP3 and news!
The BS site was updated with 3 new MP3 that I really think you need to check out. They have a punk rawk edge to them that I think is awesome!!! Here is the news I posted, courtesy of James:
We have just had a remix of our classic 'Disco Sux' done by 'Ruff & Jam'. This should be out towards the end of the year.
Beauty School play at 'Madam Jo Jo's' in Soho London on the 28th July!!
March.4.2005
After EMF Update
I updated the "After EMF" section by creating a new website with info on all the bands (since we have 2 new ones now!)
Ghost gig dates
Ian's band GHOST are playing 4 gigs in the US in March.
March 18 - SXSW, Austin TX (Momos)
March 22 - NYC (Sin-E)
March 23 - NYC (Pianos)
March 24 - LA (King King)
Hope some of you can make it and take pics!
Here is the flyer
March.1.2005
Beauty School first single release!
BEATBOX BABY HAS BEEN RELEASED!!
GO OUT AND BUY A COPY FROM THE FOLLOWING VENDORS:
Thursday Club Recordings
Vinyl Addiction
"Massive electro-funk anthem with vocals from ex Fluke warbler Rachel Stewart with guitar from ex EMF man James Atkin. Julian Napolitano (50% of JDS) provides the action for the breaks floors"
February.25.2005
Ian's new (old) band
Ian is back working with Amanda Ghost again. You can find their website at: http://www.ghostonline.co.uk. Looks like they're going to be playing some gigs in the US sometime as well.
Thanks to Christian for the info!
February.19.2005
Derry's solo material!
Hi everyone!
I received info from Derry regarding his long lost solo material!! Looks like it's going to be available SOON and he wants to make sure you all get to hear it!
Here are the specifics:
* Website will be ready in 2 to 3 weeks.
* Site will have a compilation album with 20 songs on it: (demos, live stuff, stuff i did with James etc). It will be a white label of 1000 copies and will cost £9.99 plus postage. There will be ltd edition stuff included in the package, and im also going to have a remix file sent out so people can do their own remixes.
* I'm very excited and have over 30 new songs to record. There will be lots of albums and soundtrack stuff on the way.
* Downloads will be available soon on my site,and all live recordings will be made available as soon as recorded (i.e the next day hopefully).
* the Kid Blak music are laid back sad songs, while DG Brownson is mostly programed, New Order-ish (most of it though is done live in one take, then built up).
* The 20 odd song compilation called "Shores" can be ordered now via this email: derrysmusic@emf-theband.com
More info as it becomes available!
January.2.2005
A special treat...
Happy New Year to all EMF fans!
I have a very, VERY special treat for all of you (good things come to those who wait eh?)
I have got for you the rare, never before seen music video for Bleeding You Dry. Those of you who read the message board (and if you're not, what are you doing??) know that this came up in conversation with Mark a little while back. Well I promised that if I got a new video card, I'd post it. So, I'm keeping my promise. :)
I hope you enjoy it. When you're done watching it, post on the board about it!! Mark really wants to know your opinions, and you wouldn't want to disappoint him now would you?? ;)
Link: Bleeding You Dry
News Archives 2004
October.3.2004
Come see 2/5 of EMF play live!
Got this from James:
Me & Ian are doing two charity gigs:
* 10th Oct at Blacks Club, Dean St., London
(The gig is for the opening of our friend 'Biba's' play called 'Attempts on Her Life')
* 23rd Oct at The Groucho
(The Gang Show charity night)
Go out and see the boys! Have a good time and take pictures!
October.2.2004
Derry to open a studio
Finally some news on Derry. He is opening a recording studio for college students in the Forest. You can find a link to The Citizen by clicking here. Thanks to Math for the heads up on the MB!
September.29.2004
Official Beauty School site up and running!
I have completed the website for James' new band, Beauty School. New MP3 are up, as well as photos and a bio. You can find it on their domain: http://www.beautyschool.org.uk/. I'm looking forward to comments!
September.24.2004
Beauty School coming to New York
Beauty School are going to be playing in NYC in January. When I get more specific details I will post them. I'll be there so I hope to see some of you there as well!
September.15.2004
Beauty School, light on the Dropouts
So I got an email from James with 2 key points. One, his band is now only called Beauty School, and two, he wants me to do their website! They have a single coming out at the end of the year, and it looks like things are picking up! Keep watching this space for more Beauty School stuff.
August.31.2004
For your listening pleasure...
WOW.
I got an EP by Beauty School Dropouts today.
WOW.
I'm uploading a few songs for you all to check out.
Disco Sucks and Suicide
I got these from James and he already knows how much I appreciate him, but, THANKS to James once again.
August.3.2004
Rumors, rumors
I was trying to wait on this one, but since it's popping up all over Jesus Jones camp, I figured I'd post it. Rumors are swirling that EMF and Jesus Jones might be pairing up for a tour. I don't have more details, I don't even know if it'll happen. However, it gives us some hope that maybe we'll have something to look forward to. If I hear anything else, I'll let you know!
July.21.2004
Upgrading the video
I converted the Video Collection and also the Live Video Collection from RM format to MPEG format. This means you can play it in Windows Media player which comes standard with any system. I promise someday to make them better quality when I can get a new video capture card.
July.20.2004
Please help
I have put a DONATE button on the bottom of the news. Click on the link to find out what you can do to help keep this site at the top of its game.
July.1.2004
VH1 - I Love The 90's
Coming to VH1, finally a series called "I Love The 90's". Their 1991 show will air Monday, July 12 at 10pm EST. As if I already didn't know who was going to be on this show, I heard a bit of "Unbelievable" in the preview (and they showed a half second clip of Derry from the video). I'm really looking forward to this one, IF they do it right... Their "I Love The 80s" series was absolutely brilliant.
April.11.2004
Back with a new host!
Sorry for the lack of updates. I switched web hosts for the site, which means a hell of a lot more room... BUT, the bugs will need to be worked out over time (if you find anything broken, report it to me please). All the demos for Schubert Dip are back up and running now! Yay! I also have to get the message board functioning again... sorry about that. I'm gonna try and get the guestbook up again too. Lots of changes, but as you know, we're always gonna be here. =)
News Archives 2003
December.9.2003
Happy Birthday Zac
Today Zac would have been 33. Still missing you!
November.28.2003
Update on Derry
I had a lengthy conversation with Derry on Wednesday evening, and he's updated me on what he's been up to. I might get to do his website for his solo stuff under D.G. Brownson, he's going to be sending me CDs and photos... Be checking this space for more info. Also, he's going to be selling a lot of his personal EMF collection... so when I get more info, I'll post it here. Thanks Der!
November.10.2003
Happy Birthday Derry!
Happy 33 to Derry B!!
October.23.2003
September.18.2003
More BSD
I received some photos from Rachael from BSD... also some gig dates! Be sure to go and support James!
Friday 19th September
The Monarch (Headlining)
Chalk Farm Road
On Stage 9pm
Saturday 20th September
Egg (Plus DJ Set)
York Way
On Stage (Late)
September.14.2003
Beauty School Dropouts
I have created a section now under After-EMF for James' new project.
I'm hoping to secure the website too. :)
Anyway, for now, you can find info on here!
August.24.2003
Check this out...
The debut EP is out from Sum Demeana, another band I do a website and design/promotion/etc for. My friend Tony is the drummer for the band, and I am sure EMF fans will enjoy their music (think the darkness of Stigma with a little more goth flavour). All I ask is you go to their website and check out the samples of the songs, and if you like what you hear, pick up a copy! We all thank you in advance for your support :)
August.7.2003
Happy Birthday Ian!!
Birthday wishes to the Live ID on his special day!! Hope it's a great one!
July.13.2003
Johnny English
America is finally getting the release of the movie "Johnny English" staring Rowan Atkinson this weekend. If you catch the TV trailer, you'll hear about half of the commercial uses "Unbelievable" in the background.
June.26.2003
Happy Birthday Mark!
Wonderful birthday wishes today to the best drummer in the world!!
May.20.2003
Beauty School Dropouts!
This is a call out from James to everyone to come out and see his new band! He wants to see loads of people at these gigs, so don't disappoint him and tell him I told ya to go!
'BEAUTY SCHOOL DROPOUTS'
'3 piece ferral feline fronted dark electrodisco ball rattling sub bass minimal subversive bliss'
29th May, Bull & Gate, Kentish Town
7th June, The Verge, Kentish Town
13th June, The Monarch, Camden Town
11th July, The Egge, Kings Cross
I'm thinking if you can go, you better!! ;)
Stateside Hombres
This comes in from Lydia:
"just a quickie to let you know that Milf's stateside hombres are down to play at the Levellers Festival "Beautifuldays" in Devon this August more details on their site www.levellers.co.uk or at www.beautifuldays.org"
May.15.2003
FPunk
"Every Tuesday and Thursday during the lunch hour, we're now playing A-Z titles of a different artist every week. This means a huge 2 hour program of your favorite retro artists at lunch!
Week of May 19th: EMF! EMF from A-Z at lunch 5/20 and 5/22!"
Too bad EMF is not an 80s band. Oh well, it's the thought that counts right??
You can find their site here: fpunk
May.6.2003
Message board back up
The message board is back up now. Unfortunately, we have to start over with no posts. But I'm sure we can fill it up. Anyway, the guestbook and trading board are still down, as are the SD demos. I hope to have it all back by the weekend.
May.3.2003
Going down...
The message boards, SD demo mp3 and maybe some other things are going to be down temporarily. I am selling the domain supersod.com, (which also means I need to find a new home for the Cooler site) so it involves reconfiguring some stuff and the usual hassles. It shouldn't be too long before it's all back, and I'm sorry for any inconvenience.
April.22.2003
Back from London
I am home now from across the pond. I saw James and Ian twice during the trip (together on my birthday and then again separately). No new news except James has a new project called Beauty School Dropouts.
So, for your viewing pleasure, here are some photos from the day (also in some of the pics are Tony (Jesus Jones/Sum Demeana) and Alec (Sum Demeana).
We partied until 5am... and yes, I was seriously hurting! But it was the best birthday ever! In case you want more, I have more pics on my personal website.
April.4.2003
Off to London!
Well, I am taking off for London for 2 weeks, and I leave Monday. As I am seeing some of the boys on Thursday (my birthday, yay!), if I have anything new or important to report, I will post it here. But as email and internet are not really my priority while on vacation, don't get mad if you don't get a quick reply. ;)
Have fun everyone!
March.28.2003
March.19.2003
Gig on the BBC
"On March 24th 2003 between 22:00 and 23:00 and March 29th between 6.00 and 7.00, 6music will be playing an archive concert from EMF from their gig at the Kentish Town and Country from 1991."
The show is on BBC radio, and it's called The Dream Ticket, hosted by Janice Long.
Find a link to more info by clicking here.
February.26.2003
Rereleases
I was alerted to this by Marcus.
The Best Of CD is being rereleased without the bonus remix CD.
You can find it at Esprit for £8.99 by clicking here.
January.30.2003
Shameless promotion!
I am back to promote a fantastic band (I am head of their promotion!)... you see the logo on the lower right of the screen. They're called Sum Demeana, and my good friend Tony is their drummer. They got their first feature on an American music website, so please go and take a look! www.phreshwater.com. They're in the Gene Pool.
Watch out for this band... seriously...
January.22.2003
Darkness Falls on EMF
This report comes in from my old pal Jason:
I just saw Darkness Falls, that new horror flick about that witch-ghost lady that kills kids. A little ways into it, there's a street scene and a car pulls into the road and holds in the shot for a good couple seconds. Right there in the center of the screen is a blue plate with white letters that read: EMF 013.
For those of you unaware of this significance, EMF 013 is the alternate title of the Japanese CD "Remixes & Collaborations."
January.2.2003
One year anniversary
Today marks one year since Zac's death.
Please take a moment today to remember our bass player and his life, which was cut tragically short.
Still missing and loving you, Zac!
News Archives 2002
December.31.2002
Happy New Year!
As we finally close out the tragic 2002, I want to wish all of you a healthy and happy 2003! Thank you for your continued love and support.
Long live the new flesh!
December.23.2002
Gig pics!
The first batch of pics are in!! The boys look absolutely BEAUTIFUL and seeing them together again (only 4 of them I mean) brings tears to my eyes. Go to the Donations section to see the newest batch of pics.
A million thanks to Sarah!
I have also created a new section under Pictures, it's the Post-Zac era pics...
December.11.2002
Updated venue information
Please note the change of venue name information in Cinderford. The owner of the pub contacted me to get me the correct name.
December.9.2002
Happy Birthday Zac
Well, today our bass player would have been 32 years old. Hard to believe he's gone, even after almost a year... but he'll always be a part of EMF.
December.1.2002
Info on the Cinderford gig
Details on the Cinderford gig at the end of the month.
The Woodlands, St Whites Rd, Cinderford.
Strictly no advanced tickets available doors open at 7pm.
If anyone needs a B&B apparently The White horse pub is pretty basic but good and only 50 yards down the road.
And this gig info was posted at Mark's request... so, thanks MD!
November.25.2002
Ever wanted to ask EMF a question??
Now you can! Ian and Mark have agreed to answer questions that YOU, the fans, want to know! So put on those thinking caps and then send me your questions.
* I'll be taking them until Friday, December 6, 2002.
Click here to go to the ASK EMF page!
November.10.2002
Happy Birthday Derry!
Happy 3-2 to DB. Glad he's back with the band and playing bass.
November.5.2002
More from Mark!
"We're doing a charity gig at a club in London in the next two weeks, unfortunately it sold out months ago. We're only performing 2 tracks, it's a kind of get up and jam thing with loads of other celeb type people."
No more details, as it's sold out anyway... sorry folks. :(
And then they're going to be in Cinderford next month!
"We will be playing a very small pub style gig in the Forest of Dean on the 21st December....the other clue is that it's in Cinderford. We're putting this on for abit of fun and to air some of the new material..."
It's a bit of a game as to where it is... but he says:
"Well it's on Saturday night, doors open a 7pm and it's a first come first serve basis, there's only about 5 pubs in the area so it shouldn't take people long to find out which one it is........"
Update on the band
Courtesy of Mark via the message board:
"James, Derry, Ian and I have recently finished 5 new tracks in the studio and it's sounding excellent :) It's taken a while because we've had quite a few things going in our lives, most of which not the easiest to deal with.....the time hasn't been right! Losing someone so close is never easy but time is taken care of this, so now now we feel we have something worth singing about.
Hopefully you guys will enjoy it has much as we do."
October.23.2002
September.11.2002
August.22.2002
100 greatest albums
Rolling Stone magazine is having a poll as to the 100 greatest albums ever as voted by the fans. Why not go over there and vote for EMF? Find the link here.
August.9.2002
An actual single by a cover band...
A band called scycs have covered "Unbelievable" and it's an actual single with a video and everything! Mario has been kind enough to send me a copy and it's not a bad rendition... sort of metally like most of the others. I will get a stream up of it soon.
Take a look at the cover...
August.7.2002
Happy Birthday ID!
Wishing a wonderful day to our awesome guitarist, The Live ID!!
Happy birthday Ian!!
If you like EMF...
And I know you do. ;) Here is a band I'd like for you to check out. They're called Sum Demeana, and my friend Tony is the drummer. They have a dark 'Meffy sound and I'm sure you'll like them. I'm almost done with their website, but for now, check them out here.
mp3.com/sumdemeana
August.1.2002
Sweet Baby J
Here he is! This is little Jaydn (at approx. 8 hours old)!
A million thanks to MD for sending this to me today!
Isn't he adorable??
July.31.2002
More info on Mark's baby!
MD posted this on the message board today:
"Yep! He's here weighing in at 7lb 10oz's. Born 2.30am in just under an hour!!! even more gorgous than his mother....what a mental two weeks it's been :))))
Raise a class for Jaydn Rhyse De Cloedt when you get chance...
Love to all.."
Congrats again Mark! And he wouldn't be so bad if he looked a little like his dad too! ;)
July.20.2002
The first EMF baby has arrived!
Ian reported in this morning:
"Mark and Michelle had Jayden 2.30am Wed 17th July, everyone is doing well!"
CONGRATS to Mark and Michelle!!!
June.26.2002
Happy birthday Mark!
Today the best drummer in the world celebrates his birthday... 33 wonderful years old.
Can't wait for his new arrival...
June.21.2002
Update on the Derry situation
It appears nothing is for sure right now. This comes from Ian this morning: "it's still all up in the air as far as I can tell..."
Looks like we will just have to wait and see.
The boys are continuing to work on new material as well.
June.13.2002
Derry left?
With the rumors swirling that Derry has left EMF and the accusations of me not reporting it, let me say something. I was indeed hinted to by the boys a few months back that Der was not going to be a part of the band anymore. However, I assumed that one of them would actually ask me to say something if it was definite. And Derry himself has not contacted me since right after Zac died. The boys have been VERY busy and so emails have been sparse. I will do my best to clarify this matter asap.
June.6.2002
The Forest Ball
Got this from the message board, but still trying to confirm it:
The Forest Ball is confirmed and will take place on Saturday July 25th, 8pm-4am, at Speech House in the Forest of Dean.
Main stage acts: James Atkin (EMF), D.G.Brownson (Formerly EMF),Flipside(hip hop = funk),Stateside Hombres(Skatty productions),Second to none(UK breakdance champions), Judy Speedway(punk rock from the Forest),Badly.D(bunky country funk) and Fudge Republic.
The Big top acts: The Ratpack, The Angry Mexican Dj's live PA amnd a host of other Dj's.
Tickets are limited(3-4000) and cost £27.50 plus booking fee.
Dress code smart dress or fancy dress.
Information line 01989 763201
June.5.2002
Back...
Back from roadtripping 1000 miles with Jesus Jones and had a fantastic time. Had a weekend very similar to that of the EMF reunion week exactly one year ago. If you want to read about my JJ journies, click here. I have added some of my pics from the gigs to the Tribute to JJ section as well.
June.1.2002
Road trip
Any 'Meffers who live in the Buffalo and/or Baltimore area who are coming out to see Jesus Jones this weekend, come over and say hi cuz I'll be there too!
May.30.2002
NO gig in the Forest
Got an email from James tonight confirming there will be NO gig in the Forest for the boys. Why? Cuz it's right around the time when Mark's baby is due. At least it's for happy reasons...
May.27.2002
Gig in the Forest?
Still trying to confirm this, but according to the BBC, the boys will play a gig that pays tribute to Zac in the Forest on July 27.
Read the story here.
May.20.2002
Tox screen results
NME has reported the results of Zac's toxicology report.
"EMF star ZAC FOLEY died from a cocktail of drink and drugs while celebrating New Year, an inquest heard today (May 20).
Pathologist Dr Diana Cox found high traces of heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, barbituates and alcohol in the tragic musician's blood."
Find out the whole story here.
May.13.2002
Unbelievable hoax?
Not quite sure what to make of this but I thought I'd post it anyway. This is supposedly a hoax of a Prodigy song... but the samples at the beginning were worth noting.
Click here to take a listen.
May.9.2002
Review of One Hit Wonders on VH1
Well, apparently it was on an hour later, but I got it on tape regardless. It was about 2 minutes long, and they mentioned the controversy over the name back in 1991, and actually mentioned both the reunion and Zac's death. I will get a video clip up of it if possible, as my video card is a bit shot right now... I'm sure they will be reshowing it all weekend for those who missed it.
May.8.2002
One Hit Wonders on VH1
TV alert.... Thursday at 9pm on VH1 in the States, is a show about the top 100 One Hit Wonders... our boys come in at #31 (go to vh1.com to see all the list) and I figure it should be on about 9:25 or around there. It seems they spend about 2.5 minutes on each song/artist, so it should be interesting to see what do or don't mention...
April.25.2002
Cooler is back!
At least for one night. That's right, Cooler, James' super techno trio is doing a one-off gig in London on May 24, 2002. Find them at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. Click the flyer for more info.
April.4.2002
EMF sampled in song
A band called Soulwax has sampled the Boot Lane Mix of Unbelievable on their remix of the Beastie Boys track "Body Movin." It's really cool and if you get to about 1:50 in the song you'll hear the sample, and it lasts until the end of the song pretty much...
Thanks to Matthew for sharing it with me.
April.3.2002
Jesus Jones Rarities CD
I am posting this here because it is something my friend Elaine and I collaborated on. It's a rarities CD for "Perverse", and what I did was design and build the flash menu and the artwork/sleeve. It's really awesome and if you like Jesus Jones, you should have it. The price is £8/$12 regardless of where you live... and it's called "Bandware" meaning 50% of the price goes into promoting the band. The main feature on the CD is a gig from London, 1993, but it is enhanced with photos, video and other goodies. Click here to buy it and see. =)
March.28.2002
To our wonderful vocalist...
March.27.2002
Lyrics at last!
It's been a long time coming, but I finally have the OFFICIAL lyrics to Stigma and Unexplained in my hands. Now I have to get them typed and I will post them. I am also getting the lyrics to the 2 new songs, "Incredible" and "Let's Go".
Big thanks to ID for getting these to me.
March.9.2002
NME report
"EMF'S LIGHT BURNS AGAIN"... Read it here.
Report from Ananova
Apparently someone over there got James' statement and posted it. Check it out here.
March.6.2002
Statement and thanks from James
"Not a great start to the year, life without Zak is hard to get used to.
Thanx for all tributes, I know his family and the rest of the band were very moved by the effect it had on everyone. The funeral was a very quiet affair at the wish of the family. The memorial was a nice celebration of Zak's life with Nick Mander and Derry both saying some words and me & Ian playing a guitar piece, everyone ended up in the pub afterwards having a drink for him!
We've decided to carry on although it will be quite a different band without Zak. This week we started demoing some new tunes with the guy who programmed the Gorillaz album (sounds Ace). Got some interesting news about some cool managers, I can't say yet but it would be the best (fingers crossed). Still planning to tour the U.S in the late summer if everything goes to plan.
Thanx again for everyone's support over the years.
Speak soon
James Atkin."
February.14.2002
More on Jesus Jones
Good news for Jesus Jones fans... the band is currently #40 (overall) and #2 (pop) on the MP3.com charts with their awesome single, "Nowhere Slow." Head on over to MP3.com's JJ site and download the single and push them to #1. Also that band's website has a new look and loads of new fun things, so check it out.
(Don't ask me how I got sucked into being a crusader for JJ ;)
February.12.2002
Birthday wishes...
Just want to give a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my pal and fellow EMF fan, Tony, drummer for Jesus Jones. =)
Anarchic Adjustment for sale!
ZedZed emailed me this morning offering some Anarchic Adjustment shirts kind of like the ones the boys used to wear. If you're interested in them, click here to email him.
------
2 x anarchic shirts, one xl in very good condition, the other, 'interdimensional' size l in good nick, althoughit has been washed a few times, but no holes and print is in top condition. both have the cirle A logo on the back of the neck area.
February.7.2002
Ash pay tribute to Zac
Rock band Ash paid tribute to Zac 2 nights ago in their gig at the London Astoria. Find out more by clicking here.
Thanks to all those who alerted me.
January.30.2002
Ask Jesus Jones
Slightly off the EMF topic... ever wanted to ask the boys in Jesus Jones a question? Now is your chance. Put on your thinking cap and then click here to go to Elaine's site and fill out the questionaire.
What a month...
Tomorrow is the last day of what has been the most tragic month in EMF history. Things appear to be winding down now and getting back to "normal" again. Thanks to all the fans from EMF-TheBand.com for your love and support during this tough time.
January.28.2002
Zac's memorial
A memorial service was held on Friday for Zac's close friends. Reports have come in that it was very touching, with tributes by Nick Mander, Derry and Iain Baker, and also an acoustic set featuring James and Ian.
January.22.2002
Gloucester Citizen
Got alerted to a story from Friday in this paper. Find it here.
Thanks to Wolves Jo for sending it.
January.21.2002
Thank you from Derry
"DEAR ALL,,I HAVE READ ALL OF YOUR BEAUTIFUL MESSAGES AND IT HAS HELPED ME A GREAT DEAL AT THIS HARD TIME,BE FILLED WITH LOVE IN YOUR HEARTS,KEEP WELL,SAFE,AND REMEMBER THE GREAT TIMES IN YOUR LIFES,ZAC WAS INTO LIVING AND LOVING,HE WAS MY BROTHER FOR 25 YEARS,A LOYAL TRUE FRIEND,AND I WILL MISS HIM EVERY DAY,NEVER EVER TO BE FORGOTTEN,I READ YOUR MESSAGES ONLY TODAY AND WAS FILLED WITH HAPPINESS FOR MY BEAUTIFUL BOY,I AM PROUD OF ALL OF YOU,MAY YOUR LIVES BE FULL,WITH LAUGHTER AND LOVE AS ZACS WAS,THANKYOU AGAIN,
ALL MY LOVE,
DERRY BROWNSON,EMF,JAN 21,2002
XXXXXXX"
January.18.2002
The healing begins...
Zac was laid to rest today, so now we begin the healing process. Again, all our love and sympathy goes out to the Foley family and of course James, Mark, Ian and Derry.
January.17.2002
News roundup
Found some more stories. News Interactive, In The Mix, Ham & High and The Sunday Times.
Email issues
Been having some problems with email as of late... messages being delivered hours late and sometimes not at all. Hopefully getting it resolved soon.
January.16.2002
Another story on NME
The NME has published another story on their website, this one mostly about the Foley family message posted here earlier in the week. Find it by clicking here.
Thanks to Rob for alerting me to it.
100,000!
WOW... the counter now says over 100,000, which is amazing... We hit 50,000 last January 30, so that is twice the amount of hits as the previous 4 years in less than a year. Make sense? Course we have had 20,000 hits in the past 2 weeks alone. But at any rate... thanks for your support!
January.15.2002
For The Record
To lighten the mood a little... while playing a music trivia game over the weekend with a friend called "For The Record," we ran across this question. And just in case you didn't know the answer, it's posted underneath.
Charitable donations?
I have had some requests of people wanting to send donations in the form of a charity rather than flowers. No specific charities have been decided on yet, so if you'd like to send money to the address below, it will be sorted out after the funeral. I was told animal charities are good since Zac had a fondness for animals.
Current tribute count
For those counting (I have lost count)... All I know is printed out it prints at 25 pages. Thank you to all fans around the world who have contributed.
January.14.2002
Message from the Foley family
Zachary Sebastion Rex James Foley died 02/01/02
Rex, Anne, Annemarie and Jerome Foley Would like to say thank you to everyone for there love, kindness and many hugs sent through tributes from different parts of the world.
We take comfort in knowing Zachary was special to many people and left his mark in many different ways.
Zac is a spiritual soul. It is good to know that his light shines so bright, touching and reaching out to so many.
We are honoured that Zac chose us for parents and brother, giving thanks to the love and joy he brought to us.
We know his love and spirit is with us always. We shall meet him again in the rainbow kingdom.
LOVE AND PEACE BE WITH YOU ALWAYS.
Rex, Anne, Annemarie, Jerome (Muffin, Willow and Lucy) Family pets Zac adored.
Flowers for the funeral
Please make sure if you want to send flowers for Zac's funeral, send them in time to be received by Friday, January 18.
Remember this is a PRIVATE funeral. Do not ask me for details as I will not give them out.
Sorry, but it is at the request of the family and the band.
send flowers to:
Collier & Brain LTD
Funeral Directors
The Cross
Drybrook
Gloucestershire
GL17 9ED
January.12.2002
EW... This is it?
I'm a bit disappointed. Entertainment Weekly called me and hassled me for almost 10 minutes... for this??
January.11.2002
The Daily Telegraph
Obituary here.
January.10.2002
Message from AnneMarie
"I just want to thank everyone for sending in tribute`s for my brother Zak. It`s been a week since I heard of his death, I still can`t believe he`s gone. I last saw him on 31st Dec 2001. I didn`t expect that to be the last time.
I loved him dearly and I`m really going to miss him.
Thanks to everyone, and to you also Cara. I think you have done a wonderful job on this site and it is very tastefully done,,My blessing to you,
love from AnneMarie x"
Current tribute count
They now clock in at over 200. Keep them coming!
January.9.2002
Too... many... hits...
The site has gotten SO many hits over the past week (almost 12,000 to be exact...) that it has already used up all the bandwidth alloted for the month. Luckily I have spoken to my hosting service and they have agreed to let it go... for now.
(Tech speak: in a normal month the site receives 35,000 page views. This month already we have received 90,000.)
The Independent
Find the obituary here.
January.8.2002
As the story gets around...
What a day. I have been contacted by The Independent, Ham & High and now Entertainment Weekly, all who wish to write a story about Zac.
Send flowers
Fans wishing to send flowers for Zac, please send them to:
Collier & Brain LTD
Funeral Directors
The Cross
Drybrook
Gloucestershire
GL17 9ED
Arrangements have not yet been made, so stay tuned for dates as to when to start sending your flowers.
Statement coming
Expect an official statement from the band coming soon. In the meantime, ALL PRESS AND FANS PLEASE RESPECT THE PRIVACY OF ZAC'S FAMILY AND EMF.
Details will be made available ON THIS SITE as soon as possible.
January.7.2002
MTV
This morning I was contacted by MTV America. They are going to run a news story on their channel as soon as they get some more info.
Statement from Mark
"To everyone who sent in tributes......all I can say is I am numb with the loss of such a dear friend. I would like to personally thank everyone for their kind words it has helped a great deal..thank you...and remember he's at peace now."
January.6.2002
Tribute overload!
We now have over 100 tributes. Please keep them coming!
BBC
Here is the story for the BBC that I contributed to. Very nicely written. Read it here.
MuchMusic
Story here.
Excite
Story here.
Celeb condolences
Some of the band's old celeb friends are grieving with us.
Jesus Jones and Carter USM have posted tributes to Zac.
A little comic relief...
My best attempt anyway. The site has gotten 5,000 hits since Thursday night. I fear for a complete website meltdown! =)
In retrospect, the site used to get the same amount of hits in about a month and a half (in a normal time of course).
Billboard
Story here.
Undercover
Story here.
Jam! Canada
Story here.
Virgin Mega
Story here.
January.5.2002
The Sun
Story here.
Gloucester Citizen
Story here.
Drowned in Sound
Story here.
Coming along slowly...
If you send something in and it doesn't get posted right away, don't panic. I am working as fast as I can... too many people loved Zac it seems. It's been very difficult for me to throw all this together, and I can't do much without breaking down and sobbing when I look at pictures.
Your patience is appreciated as I try to make this something Zac would have been proud of...
January.4.2002
Dotmusic
Story here.
More from Jesus Jones
Tony from Jesus Jones (drums) sends out his condolences to EMF fans.
Music Goes On
Story here.
Ananova
Story here.
Radio 1
Find the story from Radio 1 here.
XFM and Iain tribute
Today on Iain Baker's (Jesus Jones keyboards) radio show on XFM, he dedicated the whole show to Zac. He tells me: "it's a small gesture, but one that I felt I had to do."
THANK YOU IAIN!
BBC info
I have been contacted by the BBC in regards to a piece they are writing. Look for it soon.
Story on NME
Surprised it took this long... click here to read it.
TRIBUTE TO ZAC
The tributes are already rolling in. If you'd like to contribute one to be posted on the site and passed on to Zac's family, email me
To see what fans are saying, click here...
January.3.2002
Tragic confimation
Unfortunately, I have to confirm rumors that Zac passed away this morning. They are not rumors, they are in fact true.
Zac was 31 years old.
More as it becomes available.
He will always be in our hearts.
WE LOVE YOU ZAC!
Fans wishing to contribute tribute messages to the site and to Zac's family, please send them to me here.
News Archives 2001
December.25.2001
Merry Christmas!
Hope it's great for you and your friends and family.
December.10.2001
A new addition...
We will soon be welcoming a new member to the EMF family. Mark is going to be a dad. Congrats to him and wife Michelle!
December.9.2001
Jesus Jones
Last night I FINALLY got to see Jesus Jones live. Absolutely amazing show... got to meet Mike and Jerry also, and a few EMF fans. =) Here is the moment I was waiting for second most in my life... after meeting EMF, of course! Click to see.
Happy birthday Zac
Happy 31st birthday today to our awesome bassist Zac, and we all wish him well...
November.22.2001
Happy Thanksgiving
To all our fellow Americans, Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you have some turkey to eat today. =)
November.10.2001
Happy Birthday Derry B!
A big happy birthday to Derry! Today he turns 31. We wish you the best!
November.8.2001
Update on Zac
What happened to Zac? He is in the hospital, but doing fine. That is all the info I have right now.
November.5.2001
Gloucester reviews
Apparently the gigs went over well, but the band played as a 4 piece in Zac's absence. As soon as I find out what is wrong, I'll post it.
November.1.2001
DON'T FORGET!
As if you could... tomorrow and Saturday are the band's 2 gigs in Gloucester. If possible, if anyone could tape the Saturday show for me, I would be really greatful. It means a lot to me... so... dust off your tape recorders if you have them! And also take lots of pictures!!
This is a gig you DO NOT WANT TO MISS!
Here are the details again...
EMF
Plus special guest bands and DJs
Friday 2nd & Saturday 3rd November at 9pm
Bar ‘til 12.30am, DJs ‘til 1am
£10
Over 18s only
Box office: 01452 505089
I'll have the winner of the contest posted soon too. I am running a bit behind!
September.21.2001
American tour cancelled!
The American dates scheduled for California in December have been cancelled. I am still trying to sort out the details.
The new CD is still set to be released here, and, from Mark, "according to Capital they want to release the album early next year so it doesn't get lost in all the christmas releases."
Looks like the boys won't be on American soil again until 2002, at which point they will also be promoting the Best Of CD.
Tickets on sale now!
Tickets are on sale now for the 2 shows at the Gloucester Guildhall, November 2 and 3, even if they have not been advertised. Call the box office to get them today.
tel: 01452 505089
Thanks to Jamie for the info!
More info on Gloucester...
This is from a website describing the events at the venue:
EMF
Plus special guest bands and DJs
Friday 2nd & Saturday 3rd November at 9pm
Bar ‘til 12.30am, DJs ‘til 1am
£10
Over 18s only
It’s all gone a bit 1991! In the absence of much remotely interesting in the Top 40, it seems it’s up to the turbo-charged pop party people of 10 years ago to come back and give us an almighty kick up the charts.
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and the Wonder Stuff are back, so why not the Forest’s own EMF, by far the wildest and most incendiary of all the bands of that time.
We all know about the early stuff; Unbelievable, Children, Lies, I Believe, the number one album Schubert Dip, the subsequent successful assault on the USA (a feat which few bands have managed since), but, lest we forget, there were darker, harder, stronger releases too.
How about the thrilling cover of Iggy Pop’s Search and Destroy? The industrial guitar-dance Stigma album? The funky Cha, Cha, Cha long player?
The utterly euphoric knees-up cover version of I’m A Believer with Reeves and Mortimer?
So now EMF are back, with a Greatest Hits album, new songs and the same gleeful lust-for-life and eye for pop carnage. Join the band for a two night run (oh, to be popular) featuring full live sets of those big chart-toppers and new material, plus guest DJs.
September.11.2001
Jesus Jones news
Mark your calendars. On October 9, the first new Jesus Jones album in 4 years, called London, will be released in the US. For more info (including tracklisting), head on over to JesusJones.com.
September.7.2001
James supplies vocals...
James has done some vocal work for a band called The Boilerhouse Crew. The song is an 80's cover (I am not sure which it is however), and is set for release soon. Keep an eye out for it.
September.6.2001
US Dates
Well, we finally have some US dates! These dates are scheduled for December.
DEC-WED-5 SAN FRANCISCO, CA
DEC-THURS-6 SAN DIEGO, CA
DEC-FRI-7 VENTURA, CA
DEC-SAT-8 LOS ANGELES, CA TROUBADOUR
DEC-SUN-9 ANAHEIM, CA HOUSE OF BLUES
I'll have more venues as they become available.
The band is scheduled to do a FULL US TOUR in April, hitting about 40 markets!
August.31.2001
Back online!
Well, I am back online and getting settled in. By the way, if anyone else lives in Cleveland, let me know.
August.28.2001
Moving day...
Tomorrow I am packing up and moving back to my hometown (after 7 long years away), so there will not be updates or emails probably until the weekend. It's not like anything has been happening lately anyway...
August.15.2001
More UK gigs!
The boys will be performing 2 nights in a row, in Gloucester, at the Guildhall.
Dates: November 2 and 3
Thanks to MD for confirming it!
DJ night a success
Last night's DJ set with James was apparently a big success. Be looking for more dates with him in the future.
August.9.2001
James the DJ
Back again! If you'd like to come out and see James doing his DJ best (and who doesn't?)...
Where: 93 Feet East, Brick Lane, E1
Date / Time: August 14, 7-11pm.
It seems he might be starting to do regular DJ sets, so be looking for more in the not-too-distant future.
August.8.2001
Annual site awards
It's time again for Dotmusic's website awards, so why not go and help us out and vote for us? We'd like to make it into at least the top 50 this year. Click on the icon to vote as many times as possible, and thanks!
August.7.2001
Big news US fans...
Good news for all us Americans. A US tour is in the works for sometime in the late fall/early winter. The word from the band's US booking agent is, they are possibly coming to the States in November.
Please keep in mind nothing is finalized yet! There are still lots of things to work out, however, it does seem like a GO that we Americans will have the boys on our soil before the year is out.
Happy Birthday Ian!
Today is the birthday of our super fab guitarist, the Live ID!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY IAN!
August.6.2001
Another successful gig
From what I understand, the Cardiff gig went very well. I hope to get a review up soon. If you went and would like to submit one, send it here.
With nothing planned for the immediate future, it might get a bit quiet around here. Don't forget to keep the buzz going by posting on the message board.
July.31.2001
Cardiff specifics
For anyone going this weekend, here are the details direct from Ian: "I believe it's free. We're playing in a square in the center of Cardiff at about 9.00pm." Hope this helps anyone who is going... Don't forget to take pictures!!
July.23.2001
The boys on TV
Did anyone see it? The boys were on Channel 5 at about 3:30pm on Saturday. According to Mark, it was about a 10 minute clip of the Cornwall gig, and it had James introducing it. If anyone happened to be at the right place at the right time and snagged a video of it, let me know, cuz I'd really like a copy!
News a bit slow...
Like you couldn't tell! Still waiting for some major news to break in 'Mef camp, but until then, nothing exciting to report lately.
July.17.2001
Changing servers
I am in the process of switching webhosts, so in the next week or so, I will need to reupload everything to the site. It's going to take a lot longer than I'd like since I have a very slow connection, so if you find a file missing... don't panic... it will be back eventually!
Vote for EMF
Something a little different to do... Q magazine is having a contest to pick the 50 greatest CD's of the last 15 years. You know what that means? Go and vote for your favorite EMF album (or all of them for that matter!), and get it on their list. Click here to be taken to the voting instructions.
July.13.2001
Looking for Reunion shirts?
A great link was passed my way this morning. Saz over at Blue Grape Merchandising is selling Reunion t-shirts, so if you want one, click here! (I have the "charcoal" one, and it's very cool!)
July.10.2001
Message from Ian
Ian would like to pass along his apologies to "the guy at the Mardi Gras who asked for the details of the Cornwall gig." I guess he didn't have the info handy, so we're going to try and make sure we always have correct info on the site before a gig.
Ian also said that the Cornwall gig rocked, being "this tiny room in the back of a pub bursting with mad skater types. Very EMF experience..."
Croatia gig NOT happening...
I finally got the scoop on the Croatian gig from Mark, who says "the gig is not happening at all as far as we know, the next one is Cardiff on the 4th August."
Sorry to all who got their hopes up! If anything changes, I will let you know....
July.9.2001
James in FHM
James and his robots are featured in this month's FHM. It is the August issue with Sarah Michelle Gellar on the cover.
Click on the image to see the bigger one! And don't forget to go out and get the magazine to read the hilarious interview.
Another successful gig!
From reports I have been getting, the Cornwall gig was very small but really great. Would we expect anything less? I hope to get some proper reviews soon, so so check back.
If you have a review, send it in!
July.5.2001
Report from MD
Mark writes in this week to let me know how it went at Mardi Gras. He says, "we had a wonderful time" and also "they sold 82,000.00 tickets upfront so it was so busy!" He also reports, "We played for an Hour and then the plug was pulled on the show which didn't make neither us or the crowd very happy as you can imagine." He seems to be looking forward to Cornwall this weekend, as I'm sure all of you are too!
I'm back!
I am back home now after a few days on vacation. I even got a cool new tattoo! So now I will resume updating the site with some new stuff.
July.1.2001
Mardi Gras success!
As if we'd have any doubt, our boys wowwed the crowd at Mardi Gras yesterday. Reports coming in are very positive indeed, and it seems that everyone is happy EMF is back. I will have them posted later in the week, as I am out of town from tomorrow until Thursday for the 4th of July holiday.
June.29.2001
Mardi Gras tomorrow
If you live in the area, don't forget to support our boys tomorrow at Finsbury Park! They're headlining the indie stage, so get there early to get close, and be sure to scream your head off! Don't forget to send in a review when you get back!
June.28.2001
XFM might redeem themselves...
So I emailed XFM to yell at them, and they told me there might be plans to re-air the EMF Hi-Jack in the future. If anyone listens to the station, please keep an open ear to hear if they say they will, and let me know!
June.26.2001
XFM screwed up again!
Well, I hope we are done with XFM for a little while. The date they gave me of the EMF Hi-Jack was so wrong, it happened last Saturday, the 23rd! Looks like we all missed it, but hopefully I will get a playlist (all they do is play their favorite songs) and maybe somebody out there happened to tape it?
Info on the Cardiff gig
Date: August 4
City: Cardiff, Wales
Event: The Big Weekend
Price: FREE
Specifics: Open-air gig, on the Civic Centre lawn close to Cardiff Castle. EMF is headlining on the second day!
Thanks to Andy for the info!!
Happy Birthday MD!
Today is the birthday of the greatest drummer who ever lived, our very own Mark DeCloedt! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!
June.25.2001
Info on the Cornwall gig
Date: July 7
City: Widemouth Bay
Event: UK Downhill Classic
Stage: Arena 1
Price: £8
Phone: 07973 347821
For more info, visit the official site here.
Info on the party (where EMF is playing) can be found here.
Thanks to Jo for this great info!
June.22.2001
New mag!
The new issue of Q came out today, and according to Andy, "It's mainly an article on 1991 revival bands, involving EMF, Neds Atomic Dustbin and the Wonderstuff , with snippets from all three bands." He says there are some great old and new pictures as well. Go out and get your copy today!
June.21.2001
Q tomorrow!
Don't forget to pick up the new issue of Q that comes out tomorrow. It's the one with the first new interview with our boys! If anyone can get me a high-quality scan until I can get my own copy, I would much appreciate it!
June.18.2001
Mardi Gras
Find out about the other acts sharing the stage on June 30 with EMF at Mardi Gras.
Click here for the official site.
On the road again...
Yes, it's true! Confirmed by Ian, MORE 'Mef tour dates in the coming months! Go and see our boys in a town near you!
July 7, Cornwall: Extreme Sports Festival
July 21, Croatia
August 4, Cardiff
More specifics as I get them.
Thanks to the Live ID for the info!
June.15.2001
More James!
James speaks! Check out a great video interview at Inside Story Music.
Support James!
Don't forget to head on down to the Charterhouse Bar this Sunday to see James in his second "I Love London" DJ set. If you see him, remember to tell him what a fab job you think the 'Mef did last week!
June.13.2001
A lot of people have been asking...
For those who are wondering exactly who it was that opened for EMF at the Astoria, it was DJ Milf's new band, Stateside Hombres. You may have noticed him hopping around his turntable (and setting records on fire!) minus the big red hair he used to have. His head was shaved bald!
June.12.2001
Did you remember....?
... to get your copy of the Greatest Hits CD if you live in the UK? It came out yesterday, so go out and support our boys! Here is a special treat... some small snippets of the 2 FANTASTIC new songs included on the compilation. Pick your song:
Incredible (I'll Tell Ya) | Let's Go
June.11.2001
Back from London!
Hello everyone!! I am back from London after the BEST week of my life. I have SO many stories and pictures to share... A quick overview... those who were there will remember, but at the Astoria gig, James dedicated Unbelievable to ME in front of the big crowd! ;) That would be the highlight of it all, but rehearsal was fab on Sunday, finally meeting the boys after 10 years, and of course the Cambridge gig! I'd have to say I liked that better than the Astoria simpley because it was my first EMF show, and the crowd was so small (only about 150 people). Stuff will be coming throughout the day and week, as I get it all together, and scanned, etc etc.
I visited EMI on Friday and got a copy of the new CD, and (more bragging) the boys thanked me in their "Thank You's" with a "very special thanks to". Plus, the site address is on the CD and all the posters and promo items. I also have some stuff to give away, so be checking for contests soon.
The Astoria gig was videotaped (The cameraman was right in front of me!!) and will be produced into a DVD in the future.
To all the people I met at the gigs, I LOVED meeting you all, and please keep in touch.
Okay, that's it for now. If you emailed me, please be patient as I have about 300 emails to sort through. But do feel free to send me any reviews, stories, pics, that you have from the gigs.
It was GREAT!!
June.2.2001
That's all folks!
I am off to get ready to go to LONDON, so that means no more updates until June 11th. Anyone going to the shows, can't wait to meet you! Don't forget to come over and introduce yourself! The boys are back! IT'S FINALLY HERE!!
Cheers everyone!
Thank you, goodnight, best of luck,
I'm gone!
Another DJ set with James
James is doing another DJ set at I Love London at the Charterhouse Bar, Smithfield Market on June 17th.
June.1.2001
Pre-Astoria Meet-up / Final details
Whoever is interested, there is going to be a meet-up before the Astoria gig, beginning around 5 pm. I have 3 different pubs named now, The Tottenham (which seems to me the most popular choice), The 101 Bar, and The George. Maybe we'll just bar-hop! So anyway, be looking for us around 5, we'll be hitting all the pubs!
If you'd like, send me an email with your cell phone number so I can get in touch!
For anyone going to both gigs and would like to come by and say hello, I will be wearing a blue shirt and khaki cargo pants in Cambridge, and a gray sleeveless shirt and baggy camo pants in London. I just dyed my hair red (more like an auburn) and I will probably be the only American around! Please do come by and say hi! I want to meet everyone!
As for the gigs, whoever gets inside before me, I beg you to save me a spot in the front, right in the middle (by where James will be standing).
It doesn't appear that there is going to be a live webcast of the show anymore either, but I will hopefully have a video to put clips on the site when I get back.
The site will be dormant from late Saturday the 2nd until Monday, June 11th.
May.31.2001
Here they are!
A preview of the photos of James being sent to FHM for his article. You'll get to see the whole picture when the magazine comes out...
XFM Hijack
According to an email I got from the station, the band's Hijack session will not be aired until Saturday, June 30th. Now, my advice would be to listen this coming Sunday anyway, just in case!
James' FHM photos
They are GREAT! There are a lot of them, so I am sorting through to pick some good ones for the site (and for the magazine itself!)
May.30.2001
James in FHM
James and his enormous collection of robots are going to be featured in an upcoming issue of FHM. The photos were done tonight, so maybe we'll have some to post soon!
In personal news, I have been invited to the band's rehearsal on Sunday, so be expecting tons of pictures... and maybe MP3's... when I get back home.
May.29.2001
XFM SUCCESS!
Just got done listening to the boys on the radio, and I have to say they were AMAZING. It was James, Derry and Ian in the studio, with Derry and Ian doing most of the talking. Then they performed "Let's Go" and "Unbelievable" acoustically, and didn't miss a beat! I'll have audio of the whole session up ASAP for everyone to hear! (My computer didn't cooperate, so I had 2 people tape it for me. =)
XFM correction!
Sorry this is so late, but I have just found out that EMF is not on the HiJack show, but instead on Studio 68, which airs at 6:00 pm London time. Hope everyone can get to a radio or computer in time....
They are set to go live at 7:15 pm. Their setlist is: Let's Go, Incredible (I'll Tell Ya) and Unbelievable.
Sunday they will air the EMF Hi-Jack, which was recorded today! I will be in London for that!! =)
May.28.2001
XFM tomorrow!
Just to remind anyone who listens to XFM London, tomorrow (Tuesday), the boys will be on! Apparently they are on the XFM Hijack, which is where artists take over the studio and play their favorite records. The show is on from 10-11pm (GMT).
XFM is on the web at xfm.co.uk, and you can listen live from anywhere in the world! They also have a studiocam, so hopefully we'll be able to look in on our boys!
Look for an update later on in the week about a meeting place at the gigs next week. Yes, it is NEXT week. Can you stand it? I am finalizing details for everything possible, so everything should be in order by the time I leave on Saturday!!
May.24.2001
Official Fan Club?
Please vote in this poll by clicking here. Would you be willing to join an EMF fan club? If you check YES, please be sure to also check what the MAXIMUM amount you'd be willing to pay is. Let's assume the fan club includes goodies such as t-shirt, newsletter, contests, etc. (This poll allows for checking of more than one choice).
May.22.2001
Exclusive Derry interview!
Alex from Designer Magazine has emailed me with an exclusive interview conducted with Derry. Click here to read it.
Robot review
Last night's Save The Robots gig was a big success! They even covered a classic Cooler song called "rocknroll."
May.21.2001
Attention DJ Milf fans!
New release out next week!
Stateside Hombres: 'Mary Mary'
(White Label)
Out 28th May on Concept music records
Thanks to my old pal Math for the info!
More info on Q
Thanks to EMI, we now have details on the Q shoot:
Just to let you know, Q should be doing their interview on Wednesday (May 23) with the guys, and photos will be done on Sat 26th in London. It is to run in the issue out around the 22nd June and will be about 2 pages.
May.20.2001
Magazine photoshoot
Yup, the boys are headed back to the magazines. On Saturday, May 26th, they will be doing a photoshoot for British music mag Q. I am trying to find out of they will be cover boys or just an interview, so expect to hear more on this soon.
May.19.2001
'Mef Radio!
EMF will be performing an acoustic show on XFM in London on Tuesday, May 29th!
Label hopping
The Greatest Hits CD is now coming out via EMI's Liberty label.
May.17.2001
Preview of the setlist!
Mark has given me a taste of what the boys will be playing at the Reunion gig. Here is what he said:
"yeh we've got the setlist and you will not be disapointed there's something for everyone in it, one clue for you is there isn't a great deal of Cha Cha Cha in it at the moment! but the new ones will be for sure. I would love to play everything but it might be abit much if you know what I mean."
So they will be doing the new songs, and it appears lots of other stuff too! What do you think?
May.16.2001
The MD Report....
Well, thanks to the truly wonderful MD, I now have full reviews of the latest performances from our boys! I can't be any more excited, and he sounds like he is truly enjoying himself! Here is the report:
The MEF are well and truly back in the area!! both shows were amazing even though we didn't go on until 3.30am!
The first show in Faro we had been on our feet 25 hours once we got back to hotel and I had to sleep with Ian!! well share a room amyway. The audience we're ok I think, to be honest I was so focused on my job and staying awake and alert I hardly noticed anyone else.
The second show was a belter, we played our asses off, mind you we played more control nowadays so you can actually hear the songs better in my opinion, I suppose that's one benefit of getting older! we were really tired the first half then unbeliveable kicked in big time and we were all charged up by the audience and then it was full steam ahead. We had some break dancers on stage for one of the encores which was wicked, we spent the whole of that track laughing our asses off. Derry also fell into the pit and had a Bono moment!!
Anyway that's all for now as I'm off home to start mixing our new intro music...
Sounds great doesn't it?? Thanks Mark!!
May.15.2001
Devon gig cancelled!
According to James, the gig scheduled to be played in Devon has been cancelled. Amazingly enough... it's cancelled due to Foot And Mouth disease (as a safety precaution).
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Robot alert!
James' band Save The Robots are playing Monday (May 21) in Shoreditch, at a place called Cargo.
May.14.2001
An amazing feat....
Maybe not for other sites, but definitely for this one! Over the weekend we topped 60,000 hits (even if the counter doesn't quite say it). So what, you say? Well, we hit 50,000 not even 4 months ago (January 31), which means you gave us 10,000 hits in 3 and a half months! Consider that it took 3 years and 9 months to reach 50K... average of 1111 hits per month... we now average between 2500-3000 hits per month. Looks like 'Mef madness is coming back in full force! And I am even more amazed that I managed to actually sit here and figure out all the numbers! =)
May.11.2001
The cover of the album!
Here it is, fresh off the presses from EMI! They tell me that what appears gray will actually be silver. Cool!
May.10.2001
Festival info!
I got the specifics on this weekend's events. The boys are playing at 2 different festivals, each in Portugal.
Algarve Academic Festival: May 11
Aporto Festival: May 12
Good luck to them! We know they'll kick ass!
May.8.2001
Even more May shows!
Yep, the news keeps rolling in! The boys have another show scheduled for the second May bank holiday weekend in England. This one is in Devon. More specifics as I get them.
Thanks to James via Ollie for this news!
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The boys play Portugal again this weekend!
I can't believe it... reported by Flip in Portugal, the boys are playing there again this weekend! The details:
City: Porto
Gig: Queima das Fitas do PORTO
This is happening on Saturday night!
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Portugal report!
The first report is in, thanks to the wonderful MD. He writes in:
"just thought I better let you know that our first gig in six years went very well. The gig took place in Portugal on Friday night (more like Saturday morning actually!!) we played for an hour and fifteen minutes plus the oncores in front off approximately 25,000, talk about in at the deep end!!"
Sounds GREAT!! Thanks Mark!!
May.7.2001
The boys are back in town!
The boys are back in England after their weekend festival in Portugal. I am waiting to hear about how it went, but I am led to believe it was great! The next show is Cambridge on June 4, and it's only 4 weeks away now! Can you believe it?
May.5.2001
Right Here, Right Now...
For the Jesus Jones fans living in NYC, the band is playing a live gig TODAY at Arlene's Grocery. From what I understand, this is a very small venue and tickets are only available at the door. The show starts at 8:30 pm. In honor of this great band's reunion, I have spruced up the Tribute to JJ section.
Welcome back to the Jones boys!
May.2.2001
Off to Portugal!
Derry has emailed me and let me know that the band is off to Portugal in the morning. We wish them all the best on ther first show all together in almost 6 years!!
May.1.2001
We need your help again!
We are looking for ANYONE who saw the boys on their US Schubert Dip and Stigma tours. If you did and you'd like to help out with the upcoming band bio book, please click here to send an email to the author!
April.27.2001
Ticket!
I thought this would be cool for those who wanna see it. Here is a scan of the ticket for the Astoria show!
Thanks to my old pal Graham for the scan!
April.25.2001
More BRA details
Okay, I have learned that the BRA set after the Reunion show will only be a DJ set, and not a live show! Sorry if I got anyone too excited!
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April.24.2001
Reunion Show After-Party
Bentley Rhythm Ace is going to be playing at the Astoria after the 'Mef concludes their show. Now, you know that James has done many live shows with them, so he may turn up on stage even after EMF are done! What a night that would be!
Thanks again to Luigi for the info.
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April.23.2001
NEW GIG DATES!
The fun continues! New EMF gigs have been set for the following dates:
May Bank Holiday (5-7): A festival in Portugal (I am still trying to find out the name)
June 30: Headlining the Gay Pride Festival at Finsbury Park
More info as I get it! Thanks to Luigi for this news.
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Review of James' DJ set
James' first DJ set went really well last night in London. He played a really exciting and energetic hour and 20 minute set. One reviewer said "It was quite beaty and electro with a few big anthems in there." Sounds great! Let's hope he does it again soon!
April.19.2001
Final Tracklisting!
I have heard from EMI this morning and I now have the FINAL tracklisting for the Greatest Hits DOUBLE CD!
Lots of good stuff and some new mixes!!
Remember the CD comes out on June 11!
Unbelievable
I Believe
Children
Lies (Jim's Mix)
Girl Of An Age
Getting Through
They're Here
It's You
Perfect Day (Perfect Mix)
Glass Smash Jack
Shining
I'm A Believer (EMF & Reeves & Mortimer )
Incredible [ brand new track ]
Let's Go [ brand new track ]
Search And Destroy
EMF (Live at The Bilson)
[ Extra Disc ]
Unbelievable (Bambaattaa House Mix)
I Believe (Colt 45 Mix)
Children (Battle For The Minds Of North Amerikka Mix)
Head The Ball (Put Away In The Back Of The Net By Appollo 440)
Lies (Dust Bros 12" Club Mix)
It's You (1/2 % Extra Mix)
They're Here (D:Ream Mix)
Perfect Day (Chris And James' Epic Adventure)
The Light That Burns Twice As Bright (Mystic Mix)
It's You (Rad Rice Mix)
Unbelievable (Ralph Jezzard Remix)
April.18.2001
Singles CD?
Thanks to my dear Ollie (once again!) I now have the tracklisting for a rough demo of the Greatest Hits CD (the one he has is called the Singles CD, and it belongs to James).
Unbelievable
I Believe
Children
Lies (Jim's Mix)
Getting Through
They're Here
It's You
Perfect Day (Perfect Mix)
Bleeding You Dry
Afro King
I'm A Believer (with Reeves and Mortimer)
Search & Destroy
EMF (live at the Bilson)
I know we are still expecting a double CD, so we'll see what happens!
April.16.2001
Info from Derry!
I got an email from Derry today, and he's going to be helping get me some really cool, rare stuff for me to give away when I see him in London. Also he said they should be posting some setlists soon!
Rumors, rumors....
Rumors are running rampant that the boys will be playing some festival gigs BEFORE the gigs in the UK (possibly in Spain). I am hoping to get it confirmed soon!
April.13.2001
Happy Easter!
For those who celebrate, have a great Easter! Hope you get lots of chocolate bunnies! =)
April.10.2001
James the DJ
On April 22, at the Charterhouse Bar in London, James will be doing his first DJ set! If anyone can go, don't forget to bring along a camera!
Happy Birthday to me...
Yes, I had to throw it in. Today is my 25th birthday! So happy birthday to me. =)
April.9.2001
The return of Mark!
Mark has returned to post on the message board in the Band Members section. Why not head on over there and send him your well wishes?
New track!
Finally! I have added a streaming Real Audio demo of "Let's Go", one of the 2 new tracks on the upcoming Greatest Hits CD. (Keep in mind this is the unfinished version of the song, but it's fabulous anyway!)
Thanks and so much love to James for sending me the track!
After listening, vote in the poll and tell us what you think.
April.6.2001
Gig ad in the NME
In the new NME there is an ad for the Astoria gig. Check it out! And um, I guess I am flattered... they "borrowed" the image from the top of the site (which I spent a long time manipulating)! Thanks to Matt for the scan.
[ click for bigger image ]
April.5.2001
Thanks everyone!
The poll helped me out. I went to the BMV today and ordered my plates which say EMF 4EVR. The girl who took my order said, "Okay, it's bothering me. What is EMF?" So I told her they were a band who were around in the early 90's. She said, "Didn't they sing 'You're Unbelievable'?" So I laughed and said that was them.
April.4.2001
I figured I'd give this a try...
You can now browse the auctions on eBay from this site. See the brower at the bottom of the page? Take a look and happy shopping!
I have also archived all of the March news.
April.2.2001
Happy April everyone! I am back from a refreshing weekend in Boston.
Just a quick update to say that the song "Incredible" has reverted back to its original name, which is "I'll Tell Ya".
March.29.2001
FYI: I am off to Boston for the weekend starting tomorrow morning, so no email or updates over the weekend.
March.28.2001
March.27.2001
MTV... Bulgaria?
Asen from Bulgaria has written me to let me know that MTV there is talking about the Reunion show! Also reports that Bulgarian radio are talking about it... Who knew Bulgaria had so many EMF fans?
I archived a lot of the March news since the front page was getting too long! Who would have thought we'd ever have too much news?
Don't forget to vote in the new poll! ---->
March.25.2001
Band biography
Someone has approached me from the UK who is writing a band bio book, assisted by Derry and Mark. Sounds as if it could be really cool, and I will be helping out on the project! More details as I get them.
March.23.2001
News story hits the airwaves!
Check it out.... our story has made news on:
NME | VH1 | SonicNet | Dotmusic
It appears to all be the same story as the one on MTV.com, but at least it's making the rounds of the major news sites!
If you find the story other places, please let me know and I'll add a link!
March.22.2001
Our story makes MTV!
EMF To Reunite, Release Greatest-Hits Collection
03.22.2001
It's unbelievable! British electro-rockers EMF are reuniting to promote their new greatest-hits collection.
The group behind the perennial 1991 #1 hit "Unbelievable" will play its first shows in five years June 4 at the Junction in Cambridge, England, and June 5 at the Astoria in London.
A week later, on June 11, EMF will release in the U.K. Epsom Mad Funkers — The Best of EMF, setting straight the debate over the origins of their moniker, which many believed stood for "Ecstasy Motherf---ers." (They added fuel to the fire when they worked that phrase into a cheer on a B-side, called, appropriately, "EMF.")
The greatest-hits collection also will include two new tracks, "Incredible" and "Let's Go," which the group recorded recently, according to an EMI Records spokesperson in the UK. The album will be released internationally, including in the United States, but details are still being worked out.
A bonus disc of remixes, including one by Beastie Boys producers the Dust Brothers, will be included with Epsom Mad Funkers — The Best of EMF, the spokesperson said. EMF are still finalizing the track listings of both albums and taking input from fans on their official Web site (www.emf-theband.com).
EMF — vocalist James Atkin, guitarist Ian Dench, bassist Zachary "Zac" Foley, drummer Mark Decloedt and keyboardist Derry Brownson — formed out of the music scene in Forest of Dean, England, in 1989.
Within a year, they were on the top of the chart in the U.K. with "Unbelievable," which later hit the States. It's remained a compilation standard, appearing as recently as on last year's "Coyote Ugly" soundtrack.
Along with "Unbelievable," 1991's Schubert Dip, EMF's debut album, also included the moderate single "Lies." That year the band also released a video compilation, "Smoke the Banger." Stigma and the EP Unexplained followed in 1992. 1995's Cha Cha Cha was never released in the States.
But EMF have kept a steadfast fanbase over the years, according to 25-year-old Ohio native Cara DeCarlo, who has maintained their official Web site since 1996.
"After the official demise of EMF in 1996, the bandmembers went off to pursue other things," DeCarlo said. "They all had bands that had moderate success in the U.K. but never stayed together very long. Through all this, the fans kept saying they should just get EMF back together, even for a one-off reunion show. But nobody ever thought it would happen."
DeCarlo, who is flying to England for the shows, said determined EMF fans definitely played a role in prompting the reunion.
"EMF proved that it was OK to mix rock, pop and dance all together in one nice little package," DeCarlo said of EMF's mark on the music world. "EMF helped bring to the front a genre that was very innovative in the early '90s but was unfortunately quickly washed away by grunge."
[ To see the story on MTV's website, click here ]
A little birdy told me....
I have heard from various people, that the setlist for the Reunion show will open with Children and close with the duo of Unbelievable/EMF. What comes in between is yet to be determined!
March.21.2001
Astoria tickets on sale NOW!
Order from Tickets Online!
Tue 5-Jun-2001
London Astoria
19:30
Doors open 19:00
£12.00
Info on purchasing tickets
Info from Sarah: The Astoria is not selling tickets over the phone. Looks like you'll have to go to the box office or buy them online!
MTV taking notice of the story!
I have been contacted by MTV, who wants to run a story on the Reunion show! I have sent them tons of information, so I will be anxious to see how the story turns out.
March.18.2001
My dream comes true...
Okay, not really EMF news... but certainly news for me. I had my first phone conversation with James this evening! Actually first conversation period! Yes, he called me from London! We had a very nice chat, and he is a truly classy guy and it was a 10-year dream come true for me!
THANKS JAMES! Can't wait to meet you in person! :)
Tickets on sale for Cambridge!
I got this info in the mail today...
Tickets are on sale now!!
tickets-online.co.uk
Mon 4-Jun-2001
Cambridge
The Junction
19:00
£11.00
Keep in mind this is the warm-up gig. They are still playing at the Astoria the next day!
Happy buying!
[ To sign up to get Reunion news first, click here ]
March.13.2001
ACK! ANOTHER DATE CHANGE!
Apparently another band was booked for June 7 at the Astoria, so now the Reunion show has been booked for June 5 at the Astoria, with a warm-up gig the day before in Cambridge. Let's hope this is the final date change!
Reunion show to be videotaped!
EMI's partner, Virtue TV, will be videotaping the Reunion show, either to be broadcast live or to be a streaming archive on this site. Either way, you will be able to watch the boys show from June.
News about the Greatest Hits CD
From EMI: The first CD will be all the hits plus 2 brand new tracks; the second CD, a bonus disc on intials only, will be all the great remixes, some well known and some not so familiar.
We got a double CD! Thank you, everyone!
[ To sign up to get Reunion news first, click here ]
March.12.2001
More from the weekend!
When asked if it was spooky being back together with his former bandmates, Ian replied: "It was spooky just how un-spooky it was after all this time."
Update on the weekend recording sessions
From an insider: Two new songs have been recorded so far, "Let's Go" and another that has a working title of "I'll Tell Ya". The session is being produced by Clive Martin. Rehearsals for the reunion show will commence on June 1, 2001.
March.9.2001
COMING NEXT WEEK!
Great news from the EMI camp. Next week they are going to be sending me 2 30 second clips from NEW EMF songs, to be recorded THIS WEEKEND. Also the boys want me to put up some photos they will be taking from their weekend studio trip!
And yet even MORE goodies will be coming after that! Stay tuned!
The response to what you want to see on the Greatest Hits CD has been overwhelming! Keep the ideas coming!
March.8.2001
EMI IS LISTENING!
Send me what you'd like to see on the new EMF Greatest Hits CD and I will forward it to EMI and they will get it to the band! This is your chance to speak out and make your suggestion heard!
I have already had tons of great ideas... would you like to see a double CD with 1 whole disc of rare stuff? Some new songs? Would you like some live stuff? Let me know ASAP!
[ To sign up for the Reunion mailing list, click here ]
Be looking for more BIG things to be coming in the coming weeks!
March.5.2001
Fantasy Setlist
If you had your way and could set the playlist for the Reunion gig, what would you like to have them play? Send me your ideas and I will post them. Who knows, maybe the band will take some suggestions!
To see current submissions, click here.
Videos!
Now there is an extra special treat for everyone. I have added ALL of the behind the scenes clips from the Smoke The Banger home video (only released in the United States in 1991) and also added 6 live video clips!! The live stuff is in the Video section and the STB clips are in the STB section (obviously!) ENJOY!
DATE CHANGE!!
Very important! EMI has emailed me with the date of June 7. The show is still planned for the London Astoria.
June 7 is a Thursday.
Coming from the record company, I am assuming this will be the final time I will need to wonder if the date is correct! Hope this doesn't interfere with anyone's plans that may have already been made.
Also, some good news... EMI wants to work with EMF-TheBand.com in the online promotion of the Greatest Hits CD. They are also planning a possible WEBCAST of the show, for those who will not be able to make it to London.
More news as it becomes available!
[ To sign up for the mailing list, click here ]
March.1.2001
WE HAVE A DATE!
Derry has confirmed that the reunion show will be June 11 at the London Astoria.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS, AND SEE YOU THERE!
[ To sign up for the mailing list, click here ]
February.28.2001
Pictures!
Wow, I know it's been a really long time, but I got some GREAT pictures that I added to the Donations page. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! You will get to see James with blonde dreads. WOW!
I also added the vinyl to the Discography. It is a lot more complete now, but still not close to being finished!
February.27.2001
New Discography
The new discography is finally up and running! It is not close to being complete, but it should give those looking to jumpstart their collection some idea of what to get. I still need to gather all my vinyl up and record those, as well as get some more scans. If you have anything to contribute, please send it to me.
February.26.2001
Reunion news:
According to James, the band will be playing 2 gigs. Rumored venues include the London Astoria and the Colford open air gig in Gloucester. Please keep in mind nothing is confirmed at this time!
[ To sign up for the mailing list, click here ]
Ian news:
After blanket press coverage and her appearance on Eminem's ubiquitous Stan, Islington singer-songwriter Dido Armstrong finally releases her debut UK single. This was the track that first launched her in the US as the theme tune to sci-fi teen drama Roswell High, and it's a lush, swooning love song, like Beth Orton singing with Massive Attack. There are three additonal remixes. Lukas Burton doesn't change much but adds a smart guitar part from ex-EMF man Ian Dench, Dido's brother Rollo produces the lavish, orchestral Chillin' With The Family Mix, and Parks & Wilson turn in an atmospheric deep trance version.
February.19.2001
A news story from the Gloucester Online website...
Unbelievable! - council pooh pooh EMF reunion
Plans for EMF – the band who stormed out of the Forest of Dean to conquer the pop charts worldwide – to play an open air gig in the Forest to celebrate their reunion have been dashed by the district council.
The band are reforming for a one-off gig to mark the release of their greatest hits and keyboard player Derry Brownson suggested the group team up with the council for an outdoor event.
But cash-strapped Forest of Dean District Council has poured cold water on the idea. A council spokesman said: "I should think it is very unlikely considering our financial restraints," he said. "But we are open to ideas as it's our priority to regenerate the district."
The five-piece, who played their first ever concert at the Bilston pub in Cinderford, shot to the top of the charts with their debut single Unbelievable in 1990.
It was a number one in the United States and also hit the top five in the UK.
The song is still regularly played on radio stations around the world and, although the band had other hits with I Believe and I'm a Believer (with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer), Unbelievable remains their finest hour. Nevertheless, debut album Schubert Dip sold over a million copies in total.
It is thought the original line-up of singer James Atkin, guitarist Ian Dench, drummer Mark De Cloedt, keyboard player Derry Brownson, and bass player Zak Foley will play the reunion concert.
All of them except Mark De Cloedt – who still lives in the Forest – now reside in London and are involved in other musical projects.
James Atkin runs his own recording studio and is in a new band called Save the Robots, who are currently negotiating a recording contract.
Other news...
I guess the mailing list was having some problems, but it's fixed now, so everybody should be able to sign up!
[ To sign up for the mailing list, click here ]
February.12.2001
CONFIRMED!!
Confirmed by James: There WILL BE an EMF reunion show THIS FALL in London. Dates and venue have yet to be determined, but you know you will hear it here first when it happens!
[ To receive emails when information is received, sign up here ]
January.24.2001
Some really good news on the rumor front...
EMI is looking to put out an EMF Greatest Hits CD this fall, and along with that, trying to get together a reunion show or more!! Keep checking the site for developments as they happen.
Jesus Jones news:
The band have been signed to Mi5 Recordings (a new record company distributed through Universal) and will have a new CD out in the spring! US tour will start in the spring also.
Thanks to Elaine's mailing list for that tidbit!
January.16.2001
Happy New Year everybody! Sorry for the lack of updates.
I am in the process of writing a comprehensive discography, so if you have anything rare that is not listed in the My Stuff section, please be sure to email me all of the necessary info.
What I will need is:
Track listing
Catalog number
Format (ie CD, 7", etc)
Any other special details (ie promo, poster sleeve, gatefold, etc.)
News Archives 2000
December.18.2000
IMPORTANT:
I am going out of town on the 26th and coming back on the 31st, so there will obviously not be any site updates or emails during this time.
December.18.2000
Exciting news for Jesus Jones fans:
from JesusJones.com:
THERE'S A NEW JESUS JONES ALBUM ON THE WAY ! The original, Liquidiser era, line up have decided the time and circumstances are right, in principal at least, to use the songs Mike's been working on for a solo record as the basis of a new Jesus Jones album.
Mike's going to give the rest of the band some demos before Christmas and if they go down well recording will start ASAP. The aim is to release solely over the internet in both MP3 and CD format for several reasons ; to speed up the time between recording and releasing, to avoid the usual promotional avenues that all but killed "Already" off and to make it as fun as possible by keeping as much control as possible.
December.15.2000
We're all settled in now with our new server. Everything should be up and working again. If you find anything wrong/missing, please email me!
December.14.2000
Special holiday present to the EMF fans of the world... the ENTIRE video collection is now online! It's in the videos section. Enjoy!
December.13.2000
I am in the process of changing hosting services, so the site may experience some down time in the next week or so. Please be patient! We're not going anywhere, I promise!
December.2.2000
Well, I got the soundtrack for Jimmy Grimble for a very decent price, and it arrived today. The new remix of Unbelievable that is on there is really good, but not as good as some of the older mixes. I have posted a 35 second soundclip.
Click here: Unbelievable (awayTEAM Remix) from Jimmy Grimble.
November.29.2000
** NEWS FLASH **
James has a new band called Save The Robots. They sound a bit like Cooler did... and they are playing a show tomorrow night! It's a 3 song showcase from what I understand... 15 minutes only.
Venue info: The 333 - 333 Old Street, Hoxton, London.
November.26.2000
The version of "I'm A Believer" featuring EMF and Reeves & Mortimer is featured in the trailer for the new Dreamworks movie Shrek. You can view the trailer before the movie The Grinch or you can download it from Shrek.com.
November.22.2000
Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends out there!
November.10.2000
Happy Birthday Derry! Today he turns 30!!
November.9.2000
Welcome! I hope you enjoy the new look of the site!!
October 13, 2000
Official Superrace site up and running! To check it out, and to see a band picture, go to the Superrace section.
September 13, 2000
New Unbelievable remix!
The UK soundtrack for the new movie "Jimmy Grimble" has a remix of Unbelievable on it called the "Away Team Remix." If anyone can snag me a copy, it would be much appreciated!
August 1, 2000
Superrace / JAB update courtesy of Derry:
JAMES IS DOING A RE-MIX. JAB ARE ON HOLD WHILE JUSTIN IS ON TOUR WITH ELASTICA, MORE GIGS TO COME SOON. SUPERRACE GO IN THE STUDIO ON THE 3-4TH AUGUST FOR DEMO'S. JAMES LOVES SUPERRACE !!!
Thanks Der!
July 21, 2000
JAMES SPOTTING THIS WEEKEND!
James is playing at The Forest of Dean Festival this weekend. If anyone can go, please be sure to take pictures!
Video or audio would be grand too.
Derry is playing bass and Justin from Elastica is on drums.
July 11, 2000
Added the lineup for Superrace... according to Crystal, they are rumored to be playing Reading next month. Keep checking back for all the info!
June 29, 2000
Rotated the MP3's!
Info on Derry's new band! They are called Superrace, and I have added a section for them.
Rumors have it that James and Derry are working together on a project....
Saturday, July 1, Derry and James are gonna play Bude in Devon and Zac will be there as well.
May 13, 2000
Tonight on MTV's "Ultrasound" they did a show about one-hit wonders, and our boys were (sadly) featured. It was a small clip. I may be able to get a video clip up someday.
May 12, 2000
Rotated the MP3's!
I also have a new ICQ number, for those who wish to reach me. It's located in the contact section of the menu bar.
May 5, 2000
I added a section for Flash movies. I created one a while back and was going to use it in the redesign of the site, but I certainly don't have anywhere to put it. So *here* is where it will rest, for now. Also look for the link in the menu bar to the left.
April 26, 2000
Welcome to the new look site! I hope you will find it easier to navigate around, more pleasant to look at, and faster to load! Please let me know if you encounter any broken links or stuff that just generally looks funny... Enjoy!