Tuesday 30 August 2011

SJI: Ashington Football Club. 12th November 2010.

g.w.lang's birthday party.

Setlist:

01 - Down At The Tube Station At Midnight
02 - Paranoid
03 - Stairway To Heaven
04 - Eight For A Fiver
05 - Matty Cabbage House
06 - They're Mental, Them
07 - Northumbrian Psycho
08 - In My Life / Balloons*

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Gtr).

*In My Life / Balloons released on Almanac 3.01.

SJI: Hepscott Park Pine Fest. 10th July 2010.


Setlist:
01 - Love Me Do
02 - Eight For A Fiver
03 - Let's Wallow In Despair
04 - Red Coo Coo
05 - American Sound
06 - Thin
07 - Matty Cabbage House
08 - What Use Is Love

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Simon Foster (Gtr), Andrea Woodyer (Sax), Dylan Thompson (Dr), Tony Eastlake (Tr), Will ? (Trombone).

SJI - PineFest - 05 - American Sounds by OfficerPupp

SJI - PineFest - 06 - Thin by OfficerPupp

SJI - PineFest - 07 - Matty Cabbage House by OfficerPupp

SJI - PineFest - 08 - What Use Is Love by OfficerPupp

The whole set is available here.

SJI: Shooters, Morpeth. 1st July 2010.


Setlist:
01 - I Love To Sing
02 - Eight For A Fiver
03 - Let's Wallow In Despair
04 - Red Coo Coo
05 - What Goes On
06 - Thin
07 - What Use Is Love
08 - Matty Cabbage House

g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox, Kb), Tony Bennett (Dr), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Simon Foster (Gtr), Andrea Woodyer (Sax), Tony Eastlake (Tr).

SJI: Three Horse Shoes, Cramlington. 5th June 2010.

Setlist:

01 - The Gregg's Sausage Roll (Is An Ashington Dummy)
02 - Eight For A Fiver
03 - Let's Wallow In Despair
04 - Red Coo Coo
05 - American Sound
06 - Thin
07 - What Use Is Love
08 - Matty Cabbage House

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox, Vuvuzela), Tony Bennett (Dr), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Simon Foster (Gtr), Andrea Woodyer (Sax), Tony Eastlake (Tr).


Thin:

Matty Cabbage House:


SJI: Bubbles, Ashington. 30th May 2010.

Setlist:

01 - Love Me Do
02 - Eight for A Fiver
03 - Let's Wallow In Despair
04 - Red Coo Coo
05 - Thin
06 - What Use Is Love
07 - Matty Cabbage House
08 - American Sound
09 - I Should Have Known Better

Personel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Simon Foster (Gtr).

SJI: Ashington Folk Club. 18th February 2010

Setlist:

Set 1:
01 - Young And Miserable
02 - I'm Funny That Way
03 - That Sick Rose
04 - The Volunteer Organist
05 - Toledo

Personnel:
g.w.lang

Set 2:
01 - The Gregg's Sausage Roll (Is An Ashington Dummy)
02 - Someone Took Bad
03 - Darkness Room
04 - The Needle Of Death
05 - Real Pure Wine

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Mark Oliver (Gtr, Vox)

SJI: Ashington Folk Club. 4th February 2010

Setlist:

01 - Young People, Fuck Off
02 - The Three Years I Was Gay

Personnel:
g.w.lang

SJ: Rugby Club, Ashington. 30th January 2010.



Setlist:
01 - Hoots Mon
02 - Eight For A Fiver
03 - Matty Cabbage House
04 - Let's Wallow In Despair
05 - Red coo Coo
06 - Thin
07 - American Sound
08 - Untitled Encore

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Simon Foster (Gtr), Andrea Woodyer (Sax).

SJI: Star and Shadow, Newcastle. 9th January 2010.

For this gig we braved three feet of snow to support Gary War at the Star and Shadow. This gig was notable for the never-performed-before-nor-since "Richard Carter Trilogy", and an extraordinary, extended freeform Matty Cabbage House.



Setlist:

01 - I Hate Richard Carter
02 - Richard Carter's Exploding Head
03 - Did I Mention That I Hate Richard Carter?
04 - Eight For A Fiver
05 - Old Fashioned Arms
06 - Matty Cabbage House

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox, Various), Tony Bennett (Dr), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Gtr, Vox, Stylophone), Simon Foster (Gtr, Stylophone), Andrea Woodyer (Sax, Vox).

SJI - Star and Shadow - 08 - Matty Cabbage House



Review:
http://thenorthernline.com/2010/01/15/st-james-infirmary-at-the-star-and-shadow-jan-2010/

St. James Infirmary at the Star and Shadow jan 2010 by Tony
Heres a band that have the mark of years of effort and toil at the coal face of the business we call ‘show’, the stress and strain showing on creased brow and angst ridden faces, studied fashionistas, they look like they have walked off the set of ‘this years model‘ as they pose and sneer at the crowd.………….NOT!
Despite having gigged for the best part of 35yrs, Gary and the rest of the band act as if this is the first gig they ever did with a load of mates watching in the youth club, this is obviously still a fun thing for them to do! Starting the night with a walk around the (packed) venue handing out party poppers and whistles to complete strangers, its then not that clear whether the band have started or it’s a sound check/tune up…but then they riff gradually into a rant song about some poor fellow called Richard Carter, and with consecutive and increasingly insulting and aggressive (but very funny) songs they tear this poor bloke up. Who is he?? I don’t know but he had better stay away from SJI .It’s a so so refreshing change to see a band who genuinely get up to play with experimentation and abandon, pulling the audience into a spirit of fun and punk ethos, no worry whether the underpants are the right make and showing the correct amount of arse crack here, fashion doesn’t count for SJI now, and I suspect it never has.
‘Eight for a Fiver’ is a more northern (and punk) version of John Shuttleworth, a diatribe against the peasant culture of north east towns, or is a celebration? The band then show a bit more of their depth with a folkie blues song ’old fashioned arms’, maybe a bit slacker than it could have been, (they had put a poster up apologising for lack of practice!) but sung with real meaning and a nice change of pace.
Then its all over, a broken amp finishing proceedings, but no one leaves the stage and banter all round precedes Mr Lang wandering off, and then returning, like a lost care home resident, slowly starting at a ramshackle version of ‘Matty Cabbage House‘, various instruments gathering the pace and with a ‘road runner’ type feel the song rolls along picking up the crowd with it. 10 or is it 20 minutes later, its all over…..and I feel like I was part of it.

SJI: Almanac Review

Forgive them the Viz like title for their Christmas ditty and celebrate a whole year of free CDs that they have been sending out to their fans. I include myself in that. ST JAMES INFIRMARY are from that small northumbrian mining village called Ashington. And they have been going a long, long, time. I first came across them in about 1986/87 back in the Wansbeck Music Collective. They were led then, as they are now, by the irrespressible G W Lang (Gary to his friends). I actually got to see them a few times back then and still have some of the cassettes that they used to give away at gigs. Fast forward to 2009 and they have come back onto my radar. They have been giving away a CD each month for a year. Their ALMANAC began back in January and has just been completed with a special Christmas package. Almanac 2.10 and 2.11 popped through my letterbox with a special Christmas CD  entitled; Almanac 2.12 (Christmas) smells like fanny juice.


Almanac 2.10 contains their last set of new tunes for the year. All Dead Rock Stars is a superb opener but my favourite is the Byrds like Death Cars of the Rich and Famous. 2.11 is a DVD of their recent gig at the Cumberland Arms in Newcastle. If you can get passed Garys swearing, he puts rude kid to shame!!! He really should know better at his age!!! You will get a feel for their live experience. The best track, in my opinion, is the superb Matty Cabbage House which mixes the C86 shambling sound of the Pastels with the lyrics of  Half Man, Half Biscuit. Eight for a Fiver is a song in love with cheap carry-outs and the Fall. It can be found in studio version on Almanac 2.05. Red Coo Coo is also an old favourite from Almanac 2.01. The lyrics are superb and full of northern wit. Young People: F*** Off with its tales of invalid cars and home helps will have you in stitches. As well as the gig there is film of the soundcheck including a great version of Back to the Bar Stool. Finally their Christmas number. Not my cup of tea, but hey it all adds to the legend that is St James Infirmary. Check them out at www.myspace.com/thestjamesinfirmary. Get in touch and I am sure they will send you some stuff. Go see them live and don’t be offended by Garys swearing. As one of their many fans commented “Better than the new Flaming Lips LP”. Praise indeed.
By peter on January 4, 2010

From here:
http://thenorthernline.com/2010/01/04/st-james-infirmary-almanac-2009-christmas-smells-like-juice/

SJI: Almanac 2.10 - 2.12 (2009)

Last batch:
Almanac 2.10
Tracklist:
01 - All Dead Rock Stars
02 - Poor Fat Aaron James
03 - Running In The Corridors
04 - Death Cars Of The Rich And Famous

Personnel:
g.w.lang


Almanac 2.11
DVD of soundcheck and set - Cumberland Arms, 14.11.09




Almanac 2.12
Tracklist:
01 - (Christmas) Smells Like Fanny Juice

Personnel:
g.w.lang, Mark Oliver

SJI: Fell 'Em Doon, Ashington. 12th December 2009

Setlist:

01 - Merry Christmas One And All
02 - Young People, Get Stuffed
03 - Eight For A Fiver
04 - Let's Wallow In Despair
05 - Red Coo Coo
06 - Old Fashioned Arms
07 - Velvet Matty

g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Gtr, Vox), Simon Foster (Gtr), Andrea Woodyer (Sax, Vox), Keith Thompson (Dr).

SJI: Cumberland Arms, Newcastle. 14th November 2009.

Setlist:

01 - Young People, Fuck Off
02 - Matty Cabbage House (Teaser #1)
03 - Eight For A Fiver
04 - Let's Wallow In Despair
05 - Matty Cabbage House (Teaser #2)
06 - Red Coo Coo
07 - Back to The Barstool
08 - Matty Cabbage House
09 - Thin
10 - American Sound

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Kb, Vox) , Tony Bennett (Dr), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Simon Foster (Gtr).

SJI: Almanac 2.07 - 2.09 (2009)

Third batch:

Almanac 2.07

Tracklist:
01 - ASBO
02 - Permission To Go
03 - If She Did It To Him
04 - Lumps
05 - Feel Alive
06 - Proper Clown Ginger
07 - An Extraordinary Rendition
08 - Like A Sunrise
09 - A Short Walk

Personnel:
g.w.lang, Mark Oliver, Tony Bennett, Emma SkinnyDipper



Almanac 2.08

Tracklist:
01 - Professor To Pet
02 - The Flirting Kind
03 - The Joy Of Sex


Almanac 2.09

Tracklist:
01 - AmericanSound
02 - Knife
03 - IndianSound


Personnel:
g.w.lang, Mark Oliver, Tony Bennett, Simon Foster and Bing Bongo.

SJI: Firebug, Leicester. 25th July 2009.




Tracklist:
Unknown (Probably much the  same as Potland Farm).

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Bing Bongo (B).

Monday 29 August 2011

SJI: Almanac 2.04 - 2.06 (2009)

Second batch:

Almanac 2.04

Tracklist:
01 - Bears (For Richey)
02 - Dwarf Builder
03 - Thin (Live at Potland Farm)
04 - See That My Cree Is Kept Clean
05 - Raga Metaphysique

Personnel:
g.w.lang, Mark Oliver, Tony Bennett, and Simon Foster with Bing Bongo




Almanac 2.05

Tracklist:
01 - Eight For A Fiver
02 - Post Al
03 - It's Up To You
04 - Subterranean Twilite
05 - Acht Fur Fumf Pfund

Personnel:
g.w.lang, Mark Oliver, Tony Bennett, Simon Foster and Bing Bongo.





Almanac 2.06

Tracklist:
01 -
02 - Single Sisters, Single Brothers
03 - Double Hyphened Divorcee
04 -
05 -
06 -
07 - Single Sisters, Single Brothers

(I've misplaced my cover of this, so details to follow).

SJI: Potland Farm Equestrian Centre, Longhirst. 11th April 2009.



Setlist:
01 - Eight For A Fiver
02 - Matty Cabbage House
03 - American Sound
04 - Red Coo Coo
05 - Let's Wallow In Despair
06 - Thin*
07 - What Use Is Love

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Simon Foster (Gtr).

*Thin appears on Almanac 2.04.






SJI: Almanac 2.01 - 2.03 (2009)


In 2009, g.w.lang produced the second Almanac series - a CDR a month (more or less) for the whole year.

I'll present them in batches for ease of viewing.



Almanac 2.01:

Tracklist:
01 - The Things You Did Wrong (Will Haunt You In The End)
02 - The Red Coo Coo
03 - Monsoon Time Again
04 - Sebastiane's Interrogation

Personnel:
g.w.lang, Mark Oliver & Tony Bennett with Simon Foster.




Almanac 2.02:

Tracklist:
01 - Redhouse Extension
02 - (Just Like) Dick Turpin
03 - It's A Blast
04 - Sister
05 - We Who Turn Our Backs On Sorrow

Personnel:
g.w.lang, Mark Oliver & Tony Bennett with Simon Foster & Bing Bongo





Almanac 2.03:

Tracklist:
01 - Adjunct
02 - Squirrels
03 - Dead Skin
04 - The Islets of Longerhan
05 - Little Spoon
06 - Real Pure Wine

Personnel:
g.w.lang, Mark Oliver & Tony Bennett.

All Almanacs recorded by Jimmy Buxton at Mario's Recording Services, Ashington.

SJI: Alzheimer - CDR (2008)




One track EP

Tracklist:
01 - Alzheimer: Symphony No.5 (38:00)

Personnel:
The Ensemble Of Saint James Infirmary. Conducted by J.T.Buxton.

SJI: Attrition - CDR (2008)




One track EP.

Tracklist:
01 - Attrition (39:15)

Personnel:
g.w.lang

SJI: The Loon Ascending (The Loon Descending) - CDR (2008).


One track EP.


Tracklist:
01 - The Loon Ascending (The Loon Descending) (14:15)

SJI; Star and Shadow, Newcastle. 27th September 2008.

SJI were asked to play as part of  the Slampt night - an evening celebrating the legendary Newcastle-based DIY label.



Setlist:
01 - The Three Years I Was Gay
02 - What Use Is Love?
03 - Adjunct
04 - Single Sisters Single Brothers

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Ac Gtr), Simon Foster (Gtr).

SJI: A Sound Is A Sound (LP, 2008)




The Homemade LoFi Psych blog posted an SJI album for free download back in 2008. This album consists of improvised Psychedelic/Krautrock pieces that we conjured up during rehersals for the Distraction Weekender Cluny gig.

Considering these are live-to-minidisc (with only one or two overdubs here and there) the sound quality is really good. I also think that the quality of the actual music is pretty good, considering it was all made up on the spot. So yes, there are bum notes and wayward ideas, but if you can see past them, there's a good deal to enjoy here.
Tracklist:
01 - A Sound Is A Sound
02 - Sun Sun Sun
03 - Three Cheers For Principal G.
04 - Benefit Bash For The Big Sur Fire Brigade
05 - It's A Blast
06 - The Tensing Curve
07 - Watch Out, You're Slipping Away
08 - Radical Adults Like Ice Cream Too
09 - Sumerdusk and Fallen
10 - Shankered

Get it for free from here:
St. James Infirmary - A Sound Is A Sound
The guy who runs the blog compiles Best-ofs, and he was kind enough to include one of our tracks (A Sound Is A Sound) on one of them:
V/A - New Kids On The Blog
Personnel:
g.w.lang (B, Vox, Loops, Misc), Tony Bennett (Dr), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Simon Foster (Gtr).



2019 EDIT:

This album was reissued as a limited edition CDR and digital download by Wormhole World.

https://wormholeworld.bandcamp.com/album/a-sound-is-a-sound



SJI: Cluny, Newcastle. 8th August 2008 (Distraction Weekender)




Setlist:
01 - The Gregg's Sausage Roll (Is An Ashington Dummy)
02 - Eight For A Fiver
03 - Mrs Gosforth Washing Machine
04 - As If We Give A Fuck
05 - Let's Wallow In Despair
06 - What Use Is Love
07 - Shankered

g.w.lang (B, Vox, Organ), Tony Bennett (Dr), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Simon Foster (Gtr).

Four tracks from this set were released on the EP "A Band Needs A Tuna Like A Fish Needs A Finger" (2008):




SJI: The Elephant, Ashington. 18th April 2008.

Setlist:
01 - Toledo
02 - Matty Cabbage House
03 - Between The Rows
04 - American Sound
05 - The Pigeonmen
06 - Ashington
07 - What Use Is Love?
08 - Goodnight and God Bless

g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Tony Davison (B), Simon Foster (Gtr).

Matty Cabbage House:



Sunday 28 August 2011

SJI: Head of Steam, Newcastle. 21st November 2007

Setlist (Links to YouTube footage where available):
01 - Toledo
02 - Matty Cabbage House
03 - I Have The Proof
04 - Pigeonmen
05 - Old Fashioned Arms
06 - What Use Is Love
07 - Goodnight and God Bless


Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Mark Oliver (Gtr, Vox), Bing Bongo (B), Simon Foster (Gtr), Andrea Woodyer (Vox)


Photo Credit: James Grey on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/stetsonography/)

What Use Is Love?:



SJI: Ashington Football Club, 10th March 2007

Setlist:

01 - I Hate Richard Carter
02 - Young People, Fuck Off
03 - Matty Cabbage House
04 - Exploding Head
05 - Thin
06 - Peace Of Mind
07 - Don't Touch My Lemonade Mind
08 - Let's Wallow In Despair
09 - You Can't Make Somebody Love You
10 - Take Me Home Station Road

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Mark Oliver (Gtr, KB), Bob Wire (B) 

SJI: Head Of Steam, Newcastle, 8th January 2007



Setlist:
01 - She's Off Her Head
02 - Young People, Fuck Off
03 - Matty Cabage House
04 - Thin
05 - Piece Of Mind
06 - Northumbria Dreaming
07 - Let's Wallow In Despair
08 - You Can't Make Somebody Love You
09 - A Short Walk

Personnel:
g.w.lang (Gtr, Vox), Tony Bennett (Dr), Bing Bongo (B), Mark Oliver (Gtr), Andrea Woodyer (Vox)

Review:
http://woodside-design.blogspot.com/2007/01/tell-my-girl-that-i-miss-her.html

Later released on the DVD-R "File Under Engaging Misanthropy" (2007).




SJI: The Cluny, Newcastle September 2004

Setlist:

01 - Now I Make A Fist
02 -


Personnel:
g.w.lang (gtr, vox), Tony Bennett (dr), Bing Bongo (B), with Mark Oliver (disembodied narration on cdr)






Almanac 1.0 (2004)

Almanac 1.0 was a project that saw SJI release a CDR of material every month throughout the year 2005. It was sent free to interested parties.

In time I will revisit this post and edit to include all of the track names from Almanacs 1.01 - 1.12.

Introduction, Mission Statement

"Sometimes whimsical, sometimes melancholic, sometimes abrasive, but always following their own star; SJI are the baby, pet, and brainchild of g.w.lang, and he is the one consistent element of everything they produce."


St. James Infirmary, of Ashington, Northumberland was formed in the mid-1980s by songwriter and multi-instrumenatlist g.w.lang and has been active ever since. Over the last 25 years SJI have released untold numbers of cassettes, CDRs, and 7" and 12 vinyl records; a legacy of DIY music production that has few equals anywhere in the world.




SJI performances can consist of g.w.lang on his own, or with a floating roster of collaborators (the number of present and former members of SJI stretches well into the thirties). Being in SJI is a bit like being in the Hotel California: you can check out but you can never leave.

The purpose of this blog is to document SJI's live and recorded exploits as they happen, to pull together links from around the internet and generally just to provide a resource on a genuine underground phenomenon. The first step is to backtrack a few years in order to detail some of what has happened recently. In places details are sketchy, and there will be omissions - hopefully with this blog in place there will be fewer going forward.