Look Up
A little spring thing for you. Written on Easter Sunday, recorded on Easter Monday. Featuring my brother, Oscar Armer on bass.
Levy Uke Up is a year old!
On March 25th, Levy Uke Up will be a year old. Yesterday was Part One of our birthday celebrations. We had a fantastic workshop with Phil Doleman, beautiful handmade ukes by Robert Collins and news of a Grand Northern Ukulele Festival from Mary Agnes Krell. Oh and this amazing birthday cake made by Jane! Thanks to everyone involved.
Part Two of our birthday celebrations will be our regular Uke Up this Sunday 24th March, 7pm at the Blue Bell Inn, Barlow Road (note the new venue). We’ve even compiled a songbook of our greatest hits from the past year. These are songs that always go down well at Uke Ups and they’re all fairly easy to play. I’ve updated some of the arrangements and amended the lyrics for Sister Kate.
New Demos
There’s a load of new (and not so new) demos up on my Soundcloud. They are all very rough. I’ve been privately putting up stuff for the band to learn over the last few months and decided to stop being so precious about them, so they are now public. They sound completely different with the band anyway. I’m also working on some less rough solo versions. No, really, I am!
Lou and the Llamas ~ Carrying A Bomb
We popped in to Wireless Manc’s Wednesday Drivetime show a few weeks ago. This is Carrying A Bomb, one of our newer songs. I wrote it a couple of years ago and then didn’t play it to a single soul. I need to stop doing that! Please forgive the frog in my throat…
We also did Messing With My Head:
Lou and the Llamas ~ Wonky Face/Spiderman
Recorded at Travelling Man, Manchester, Dec 2nd 2012, featuring live drawing by Laurie Pink.
Thanks to Wombat for filming it. He also namechecks us in his magnificent Ukulele Babes post.
Lou and the Llamas at The Young Pretender ~ Tonight!
I’m really looking forward to the Lou and the Llamas gig tonight at The Young Pretender in Congleton. We’ll be playing two sets and trying out another couple of new songs.
This will be our last gig for a little while as we’re going to concentrate on getting our debut EP recorded ready for summer. Oh and our lovely Kate is also getting married! Our next gig is Sat 13th April at the Black Lion in Salford and it’s a killer line up! We are also taking bookings from May onwards so get in touch if you’d like us to play for you.
In the meantime, you can follow our updates, including the Daily Llamagramâ„¢, on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Soundcloud. There might even be a website soon too.
Princess Poo-Poo-Ly
Look what I found on Youtube! Playing for The Mainstream live on ALL FM in April 2012, if memory serves.
Lou and the Llamas at Levy Jamboree #2
I’ve also added a few new pics to the Photos page.
Thanks again to ace photographer Ed Sprake.
This Saturday
Looking forward to our first gig of the year this Saturday at Fuel! Entry is free but we’ll be passing a hat round for donations.
The Llamas are getting quite busy now. Gig offers are coming thick and fast (check the live page which I do keep up to date, even when I’m being crap at blogging). Hit me up if you’d like us to play for you. More Llama news soon!
Levy Jamboree ~ The Second Coming
We had such a blast at the last Levy Jamboree that we’ve decided to do it all again on Friday 8th February at the Klondyke. If it goes anywhere near as well as the last one, we’re thinking about doing them every few months or so.
It’s a fresh new line-up, apart from t’ Llamas of course but we’ll be doing some brand new songs, and everyone on the bill is still from lovely Levenshulme.
Advance tickets are now on sale for £5 and are available to buy from Trove Foods, from Pod Deli or directly from me. Do buy them in advance if you can as it will be £6 on the door. All the money goes directly to the music makers and everyone who helps to put on the night.
Lou and the Llamas
The original Levenshulme supergroup, playing some brand new songs so don’t expect the same as last time. No, siree!
“Melodic folk/blues with a wry intelligence. Annoyingly catchy songs, too.“ -@essers
“Knee-trembling, witty, heart-warming songs.“ – @wombat37
Monkeys in Love
Original, best & only proponents of Yes Wave, Monkeys in Love could be described as a strange canned-cocktail of forgotten film soundtracks, junk shop glam, lead-footed library funk, early eighties British indie, sludge metal or maybe just a drunken, surly Stereolab.
Monkeys in Love will be filming their set for their forthcoming Owl With Hands video, ahead of their new album Will Pet & Cuddle You, out 28 Feb 2013.
Phil Davies and the ninjasmokebombs
Check out their Bandcamp page and you will find songs taking in cinematic space reggae, laidback funk, jangly guitars, melodic, rhythmic vocals and good old fashioned grooves with twenty-first century lyrics. This is a rare opportunity to experience them live – do not miss it!