Ad Astral Podcast, Episode 35:

Keeping Score - Shownotes

Submitted by DJ Burnham on 23rd December 2020

(Keeping Score was written in 2008 on the Greek island of Astypalia. It first appeared on Silverthought.com in 2008. Ad Astral first started broadcasting the following year.)

At the time of recording this broadcast the world is still in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, but various vaccines are starting to be administered.

I originally called the band First Aid Kit, but changed it to First Among Equals (a name that would disquieten and a society based on numerical hierarchy and suggest subversion from the outset). In 2009 – the year after I wrote the story – Sue and I saw First Aid Kit for the first time in the Tipi tent at End of The Road Festival. It was a spellbinding set and they have gone on to produce some fabulous albums and play some pretty big gigs, so I thought I should change the band name in the story. The central character is called Bri Allen; Briallen is an old welsh word for primrose, (Bri for short) the first flower of spring.

I liked the idea of playing with the injustices of privilege and having travelled in India just before I wrote it the caste system motivated me to explore the concepts. It seemed amusing to think that a future society could find the use of sub-primary references, such as second, third and even the unspeakable forth as being their equivalent of swearing.

The artwork shows the First Among Equals band logo, album cover detail, Otto’s skull tattoo and primroses in the background.

I’ve also included the original artwork in these shownotes with the First Aid Kit badge/band logo. Both were conceived as the artwork for the band’s “Go Fourth” four track EP download.

Our Guest Voice Actors:

All of the actors in this episode were able to record their parts at home and send them over to me as we were in Lockdown or Tier 2 Covid restrictions at the time of recording.

I am really grateful to them for their kind contributions and involvement...lovely people.

Nick Pynn: An electro-acoustic stringed multi-instrumentalist songwriter, composer and performer, Nick performs on a variety of instruments including 5 string violin, guitars, mountain dulcimer, mandocello and banjo. He plays these live whilst his feet live-loop and play bass pedals. Nick Pynn has also performed as a sideman with many musicians and comedians over the years, including Stewart Lee, Arthur Brown, Boothby Graffoe, B*Witched, Steve Harley, Mike Heron (Incredible String Band), Beverley Martyn, Otis Lee Crenshaw (Rich Hall) and Omid Djalili. Nick also plays with Stomp’s ‘Lost and Found Orchestra’. Having won Edinburgh’s Spirit of the Fringe and Brighton’s Star of the Festival awards and co-winning the Three Weeks Editor’s Award with Jane Bom-Bane, Nick co-won the ‘Best Music Event’ category Brighton Latest award last year with Kate Daisy Grant for their show in the Brighton Fringe. Nick performs regularly with Kate Daisy Grant.

Check out NICK PYNN's Website HERE.

Kate Daisy Grant is an established singer-songwriter. Signed as a songwriter to Sony/ATV in 2005, she produced her first album 'Kate Daisy Grant', with producer Ken Rose. Kate was asked to contribute new songs and additional score for feature film 'Mr Right' in 2009 and had several songs used in the 'Voices in the Head' episode of Jon Ronson's BBC Radio 4 show. She continues to have music featured in TV and film internationally.
Kate performed in award-winning runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and Brighton Fringewith her partner Nick Pynn - since 2011, they have developed a twin live-looped show: a two-person orchestra combining their folk, toy, found item and invented instruments: piano, 5 string violin, toy instruments, theremin, singing saw, wine glasses, glockenspiel, kazoo, banjo and antique floor cymbal.

Check out KATE DAISY GRANT's Website HERE.

A player of assorted saxes, flute & harmonica, he is also one of the very few people who's ever bothered to work out how to get a tune out of a musical saw (jews harps, repurposed spring reverbs & a multitude of other stuff too).

As a member of country blues outfit, The Swamp Things, he shared stages with Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, Paul Jones' Blues Band, RL Burnside and Alabama 3 as well as touring Europe on several occasions. As a member of The Dime Store Jive Revue, he spent time playing in New Orleans as part of a Burlesque festival.

He has also worked on producing live soundtracks for silent movies, performance art pieces & was a member of Mudlow, and Simonne And The Dark Stars. Numerous collaborations with author Mike Russell, as well as a variety of other works, can be found HERE: https://soundcloud.com/jules-alex-l/

Jules can currently be found as quarter of experimental rock band Caaw as well as in the horn section of Fat45 and (occasionally) in The Urban Voodoo Machine.

Jon Wood plays acoustic and electric guitar with folk rock band The Fold, as well as releasing his own solo project album One to Five.

He can also be heard in bluesy, psychedelic, jazzy, progressive rock band The Unquiet Things and new project These Tall Trees.

As mentioned in the podcast, Jon Wood's new album "These Tall Trees" is now available on iTunes: Here