handbags at dawn

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09 APRIL 2006 - FRIDAY 21ST APRIL - GIG UPSTAIRS AT THE GARAGE
Headline slot at top North London venue; support from Cardboard Radio and The Marshall Plan.

Hey guys - busy busy busy here in Camp Handbags (and when we say 'Camp'...). First of all, Tim's back from Japan, and we're back in the studio with our good friend and producer, Mark, taking our first steps in the recording of the first Handbags at Dawn LP! That's right, at long last we're doing an album. We've started by putting down some brand new songs, and re-recording an old one, and so far the results are weird and wonderful in equal measure.

Secondly, we're playing a headlining gig Upstairs at the Garage, on Friday the 21st of April. Which is all rather exciting. With support from Cardboard Radio and The Marshall Plan, we're going to pull out all the stops and make this a very special night. We've got some new songs to play you, some old classics to revive, and a lot of that sticky Handbags love to impart (optional). All this for the very reasonable price of £3.50 with this flyer!

WHAT ARE THE HAPS?

The Date: Friday the 21st of April, 2006
The Time: Handbags at Dawn are on around 10pm
The Location: Upstairs at The Garage, 20-22 Highbury Corner, London N5 1RD (nearest tube: Highbury & Islington).
The Cost: £5/£3.50 with a flyer [ Get flyer here ]

Following a lazy bank holiday weekend, you're going to need something to kick you back on your feet for the next one, so come along and party with us!


13 MARCH 2006 - WEDNESDAY 22ND MARCH - HANDBAGS PLAY BULL & GATE
For the first time, Handbags play the legendary Kentish Town venue.

There are some gig venues that need no introduction, and Kentish Town's Bull & Gate is one of them. Deeply etched into London gig lore, the list of successful bands that cut their teeth in this intimate little backroom is arguably more impressive than any other venue in the UK. It's also a great venue - spacious enough to accommodate a spirited turn-out, but also providing just the right amount of intimacy for band and audience alike.

And, on Wednesday the 22nd of March, Handbags will taming the wild Bull and opening the Gate of rock, as they step up to plate for their debut performance at this legendary venue. We're sitting comfortably in the middle of a three-band bill, headlined by LIQUID SUNSHINE, with support from THE DEAD ROADS.

Okay, here are the deets:

The Date: Wednesday the 22nd of March, 2006
The Time: Handbags at Dawn are on around 9-9:30pm
The Location: The Bull & Gate, 389 Kentish Town Rd, Kentish Town, NW5 (nearest tube: Kentish Town).
The Cost: £5/£4 with a flyer [ Get flyer here ]

This is a really special, important gig for us, and we'd really love to enjoy it with you guys, so please do come down. As anyone who made the RCA show will know, we've got a couple of new bits and bobs up our sleeves, so don't miss out!


22 February 2006 - FRIDAY 24TH FEB - SPECIAL GIG AT RCA CAFE
Send us your name to get on the list (only £2 entry)

This announcement would have gone up hella sooner, but I've been fighting a particularly nasty fever for the last week or so, and staring at a computer screen for anything longer than five minutes has resulted in a watery eyes and a splitting headache...

But enough about my ailments! Handbags are back in action, selling their souls for a private gig, like the corporate whores they are. Fear not though loyal Handbaggers, for although this gig is chiefly only open to students at the RCA, we are able to put any of you who are interested in coming along on a special £2 list. Here's what you gotta do:

Send your whole name (that's first name and surname) to info@handbagsatdawn.info by the afternoon of the 23rd. You'll get a mail back to confirm that you've been added to the list, and the entry charge will be £2.

The location is The RCA Cafe (or RCAfe, as it's also apparently known), Kensington Gore, London SW7 (nearest tubes: South Kensington & Gloucester Road) - Map.

Handbags will be on around 9pm. Once again, we're supporting our good friends National Snack.

Hopefully see some of you there!


08 January 2006 - FIRST GIG OF THE NEW YEAR, ON FRIDAY 20TH JAN
Venue: The Dublin Castle, Camden Town, London, UK

A big Happy New Year to y'all, from Handbags at Dawn - we hope you've all had a great fun and fat festive season, and suitably debauched new year's celebrations!

We've been away for a couple of months, largely due to Tim taking a six-week sabbatical to romp around the dusty plains of South Africa in the blazing sun, while the rest of us endured one of the coldest winters in living memory back here in England.

But lo! Handbags at Dawn are now open for business once again, and we're kicking off the new year with a gig at a favourite venue of ours, the Dublin Castle.

The Hixville Six are headlining the night, with support from One Finger Zen, Frankie Eisenhower, and, yours truly - Handbags At Dawn kicking things off. We'll be on around 8, and then we can all party on late into the night, right up until till 1am. The price is £6/£4.50 concs.

Here's the info stats one more time:

The Date: Friday the 20th of January, 2006
The Time: Handbags at Dawn are on around 8-8:30pm
The Location: The Dublin Castle, Parkway, Camden (nearest tube: Camden Town).
The Cost: £6/£4.50 concs! [ Get flyer here ]

It's been too long since we've seen your pretty faces, so please do come on down and help us kick off the year in style!


06 November 2005 - FREE GIG ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 11TH
Venue: O'Neills, King's Cross, London

Just getting by in London-town can be expensive, so we've taken steps to alleviate the financial burden of your Handbags fandom by playing a totally free, no-cost, gratis show in Kings Cross. We're opening a bill of four bands and are on-stage around 8pm. Then we can spend the rest of the evening getting pissed. Dang, I can hardly wait.

That's Friday the 11th of November, O'Neills, Euston Road, Kings Cross. What better way to spend a Friday night than in the company of your favourite band, at no cost at all?! We don't want your money honey, we want your lurve!


27 October 2005 - SPECIAL ACOUSTIC GIG PLANNED FOR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 3RD
SUCK! at the Spread Eagle in Shoreditch is the place to be!

Short notice this, but Handbags are headlining a very special acoustic with friends National Snack. Entrance is a mere £2, and there will be fun, frolics, dancing, and prizes. This gig will be a very special acoustic performance from Shane and Matt. This will NOT be a full Handbags band gig.

The Date: Thursday the 3rd of November, 2005
The Time: Handbags at Dawn are on at 10:15pm, but make sure you're there for at least 9 so as not to miss out on all the other fun stuff!
The Location: The Spread Eagle pub in Shoreditch, E2 8DA (nearest tubes: Shoreditch, Old Street). Click here to see a map.
The Damage: £2 only, for everyone!


03 September 2005 - SCHADENFREUDE EP RELEASED FOR DOWNLOAD
Handbags 2nd three-track EP now online for download in it's entirety - free!

Well, it's finished - our second foray into the studio has given birth to what we have dubbed SCHADENFREUDE, an all-new three-track EP, which features a stylistly diverse selection of new Handbags material.

Those of you who've caught us live over the past year will probably recognise a couple of live favourites at long-last put to tape - the camp gear-shifting love-lost-lament Gonzo being a staple of our sets throughout the past year. Lead track Are You Lookin' At My Missus is Shane at his most viciously sarcastic (or most sarcastically vicious), while Playing the Gay Guitar is a gentler, more melodic affair. It's a triple-pronged onslaught of Handbags goodness, and we'd really like you to hear it ... so of course we've got it all up here for download - free!

Enough talk - let's get to the music: Download SCHADENFREUDE from the music page. While you're there, check out the nifty "making of" studio video, and some sexy photos!



03 September 2005 - HANDBAGS BACK IN THE STUDIO
New EP in the works.

The Handbags are back in the studio today for the first day of recording a brand new EP, the follow-up to March 2004's "Guantanamo Babes EP".

The as yet untitled EP will feature the following tracks:

Are You Lookin' At My Missus - The lead track for the EP is a stomping crazy rock beast. You'll know it as the opening song from recent gigs, which sees Tim and Matt swapping places - Tim scratching out a psychedelic screeching guitar line, while Matt keeps things funky with an infectiously bouncy bassline.
Sample lyric: "Fuck off and die, that's what this is - are you lookin' at my missus?"

Gonzo - A firm live favourite for as long as Handbags have been playing live, Gonzo is a deranged multi-part opus. Drummer Matty's opening lament on the pressures of not being famous enough collides with Shane's vitriolic stream-of-consciousness screed on... well, mint shampoo, Miss Monaghan 1969, and meeting the man of your dreams in heaven. Or something.
Sample lyric: "And yes I'm hung like an anaconda, so by me God is great - but I bet he don't know the first goddam thing about how to rollerskate"

Playing the Gay Guitar - The first (and only) time we played this prompted a mass stage invasion, with everyone joining in a mass singalong of Gay Guitar's huge anthemic chorus. This is already set to be a lighter-waving Handbags' classic, and we're going to make it sound every bit as huge as it should.
Sample lyric: "I'd like to strangle the Pope with his own tongue - it's fair to say I'm a Jedi Knight"

Says bassist Tim Steele: "It's been almost a year and a half since we made 'The Guantanamo Babes', and we've developed an awful lot in many many ways. When we did the first record, we hadn't even played live, but now with all the experiences of the last year under our belts, we're all set to make a rocktastic new EP.

"We're proud of our first effort, but anyone who's seen us live will know that it doesn't really represent the band we've gone on to become. This EP is going to be a lot more raw and dirty - it's going to need to be played back loud."

If all goes well, the EP is set to be put out mid-to-late September.


22 July 2005 - HANDBAGS TO PLAY GUIDED MISSILE @ BUFFALO BAR IN AUGUST
Saturday August 13th is the date to diarise - and it will also be our bassist's birthday! (well, near enough)

Wow, this has been a bit of a crazy summer, hasn't it? Are we all present and accounted for? I'm relieved to report that all four Handbags are alive and well, despite Tim claiming he narrowly missed being blown up twice (due to staying in bed both days). And in the spirit of defiance and going about our normal business, we have another gig lined up for your pleasure.

The excellent monthly GUIDED MISSILE night at Islington's Buffalo Bar has assembled a scorcher of a line-up for their August night:

HANDBAGS AT DAWN get to kick off the proceedings, probably around 9ish, followed by rising stars CASH MACHINE. LANGHORNE SLIM takes over from there, all the way from Pennsylvania, USA, and finally, headlining are THE PRISCILLAS, taking us to past bedtime, where the Guided Missile DJs - Alcopop Idols, Val / 3 Bad Sisters and Gemma Kaito will play indie classics and drunken rock well into the night.

The Date: Saturday the 13th of August 2005
The Time: 8.30pm til 2am
The Place: The Buffalo Bar, 259 Upper St, N1
The Damage: £5 / £3 after the bands finish (but you wouldn't want to miss the bands, obv!)
The Website: www.guidedmissile.co.uk

So, come along - If you don't, the terrorists have already won!


25 May 2005 - HANDBAGS SUMMER EXTRAVAGANZA
A very special Handbags performance, a DJ set from Tim, all at 'Lucid Dreams', in Archway, North London on Friday 10th June

Note: Handbags stage time changed to 10:30pm.

At long last we can announce the details of this very special event we have been working on for some time now. Put together by our very own Tim Steele alongside GazCloud from Marinetti, this one-off club night shall feature a very special headline performance from Handbags at Dawn, as well as a DJ set from Tim, and a whole host of other hand-picked bands and superstar DJs!

It's been almost exactly one year since Handbags at Dawn took its first steps onto a live stage, and in a very special celebration of everything that's happened thus far, we will be co-headlining this evening along with our friends Marinetti. To kick off the live proceedings we have the excellent Villette.

Throughout the night, we have a truly kick-ass line-up of DJs holding the whole thing together:

We have none other than the man himself Simon Price of legendary monthly London hot-spot Stay Beautiful taking the helm for the prime-time slot. GazCloud and Roxy T - both of Marinetti (and also the excellent Felt club night) - will be keeping things moving throughout the night. And finally our very own Tim Steele will be inflicting a very self-indulgent selection of his favourite tunes on all those hapless enough to arrive in the earlier part of the evening.


Simon Price

The date to diarise for this not-be-missed event is Friday the 10th of June 2005, and the place you'll be wanting to go is The Archway Tavern in Archway, North London.

The Tavern is dead easy to find, as it's directly across the road from Archway tube station. Archway can be found on the Northern line, a mere three stops North of Camden Town on the High Barnet branch, and still within the borders of zone 2. Buses are plentiful to this location, and include the 4, 17, 41, 43, 134, 143, 210, 263, 271, 390, C11, and W5. You'll just be wanting the Archway station stop of course.

Doors open at 8pm, with Roxy T on the decks to kick things off. First band up will be Villette, who will take the stage at 9pm. Handbags at Dawn will let loose with our extra special 1-year-anniversary set at 10:30pm. Simon Price will keep the dancefloor sizzling through to well past bedtime, Tim's DJ set (at around 12:30pm). Finally, GazCloud will see us through to the end of the night with a final onslaught of tunes, and then it will be time to stagger home.

Price is £4 on the door with a flyer (or £5 without).

This is not your average indie band/club night - it's going to be something very special. Hope to see you there.

"[This is to be] a once-off, one-time glorious celebration and unification of Things We Like. In the spirit of sheer hedonsitic self-indulgence, we will play whatever music we want, we will have our own bands playing without all the faffing about with other promoters, and we will ultimately assemble an event so awe-inspiring, so perfectly pitched to the innermost clubbing desires of every attendee, that a sea of ecstatic cheering faces will join their voices together in a chorus chant of our names, while their lithe young bodies spasm with joy and ecstacy of such unimaginable intensity that they would know - resonating throughout every fibre of their being - that this will be, by miles, the greatest night of their lives. Their nail-varnished fingers will thrust towards us, in the hope of making contact with these Club Lords for even just one fleeting second in order that they too might channel a piece of our celestial inspiration and effortless brilliance into their young blossoming thoughts and ideas. We will be hailed as gods of celebration, awarded the key to the city, and watch as all other clubs in North London - nay, in the entire city of London - will shut down that same night in the realisation that The Night Out As We Know It would never be the same again."

-- Tim Steele, 24 May 05


19 Apr 2005 - HANDBAGS ACTUALLY VENTURE OUTSIDE LONDON TO PLAY A GIG
All the way to Bodmin, Cornwall we go, on Friday 13th May...

Yes, it's finally happening - Handbags at Dawn are actually venturing further afield than, er, Zone 2. We've been invited to play a show down in Bodmin, Cornwall, alongside 2 SICK MONKEYS and KELLY DON'T DRIVE.

The date is Friday the 13th (eek!) of May 2005. The venue is Nicals, Honey Street, Bodmin, Cornwall. The price is £4 on the door. Doors open at 7pm, and bands start at 7:30pm. Handbags have the middle slot. I'm not sure what time we're on, but I'll post more info up here as soon as I hear.

Flyer can be gotten here.


24 Mar 2005 - STOP PRESS: HANDBAGS BOOKED AT ELEVENTH HOUR FOR GOOD FRIDAY GIG!
It's back to the Brixton Windmill, on Friday 26th March...

In a bizarre turn of events, Handbags at Dawn have been booked as a last minute addition to the bill for the Drowned in Sound BAD FRIDAY all-dayer, replacing The Souls, who have cancelled due to splitting up - which is fair enough really.

When? 4pm - til late, on 25th March, aka Good Friday. Handbags are on around 9:30pm
How much? £5. This includeth a free BBQ (with veg).
Who? THE PIPETTES + HANDBAGS AT DAWN (us!) + CICCONE + TERMITES + THE CUSTOMERS + ACTION PLAN + THE PLAYWRIGHTS

Where THE BRIXTON WINDMILL - 22 Blenheim Gardens, which is off Brixton Hill, about 10 mins walk from Brixton tube, but far more pleasant if you get one of the many buses which go up the 'hill', most of which can be found outside the KFC. Map and stuff at www.windmillbrixton.co.uk.

Drowned in Sound info page here.

We played a great gig at the Windmill at Christmas, and we're looking forward to returning to celebrate another Jesus-related holiday. We've also gone from being first on the bill last time, to second from the top! Which is nice. It's short notice but we hope you can make it.


22 Feb 2005 - FRIDAY'S PURPLE TURTLE GIG IN REMEMBERANCE OF THE DOC
RIP Dr. Hunter S. Thompson : 1937 - 2005

Handbags at Dawn have never made any secret of our love for the genius of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. Two early suggestions for our band name were "Gonzo Music" (after HST's own moniker for his writing style: "Gonzo Journalism"), and "Raoul Duke" (Thompson's alter-ego, and main character in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas). Even though neither were adopted, the references to the Doctor's work remain - we have a song called "Gonzo", and in the past we have quoted passages of his writing on-stage.

And so, yesterday morning, we were deeply deeply shocked and upset to learn the news of the Doctor's suicide, in his home in Woody Creek, Colorado, on Sunday night.

The Doc was something else. He was a bona-fide genius wordsmith, so rare and utterly undefinable. His seminal work "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", his vivid journey through the great neon exoskeleton of America, is truly a masterwork in a class of its own. The surreal ugly caricatures he painted with his words were all too uncomfortably real. These images were not creations of his imagination, rather this was how Hunter saw the world, through his own intense deep-piercing lens. The sharpest edges of reality rendered into brutally vivid imagery. Hunter found the most jarring truths and brutish realities in the most warped and twisted contexts.


Right. Challenge the bastards on their own turf. Come screeching up to the crosswalk, bucking and skidding with a bottle of rum in one hand and jamming the horn to drown out the music ... glazed eyes insanely dilated behind tiny black gold-rimmed greaser shades, screaming gibberish ... a genuinely dangerous drunk, reeking of ether and terminal psychosis. Revving the engine up to a terrible high-pitched chattering whine, waiting for the light to change ...

How often does a chance like that come around? To jangle the bastards right down to the core of their spleens. Old elephants limp off to the hills to die; old Amercans go out to the highway and drive themselves to death with huge cars.

But our trip was different. It was to be a classic affirmation of everything right and true in the national character. It was a gross physical salute to the fantastic
possibilities of life in this country - but only for those with true grit. And we were chock full of that.

-- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 1972


Sixty-seven years. Through the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the peace/love movements of the sixties, a nation mired in a futile war in Vietnam, Nixon, Watergate, the thuggery of Reagan, Bush Mk.I, Clinton's victory, Bush Mk.II, September 11th, and most recently the defeat of John F. Kerry - we have been priviledged to have had the Doctor chronicling our times - the final savage decades of the American century.

So here is a salute to a man who gave us a voice, who kept the outlaw spirit alive and beautiful in his actions and his words. Where power-crazed cops, gangs of Hell's Angels, chicano gangsters, greedy agents, gutless editors and all other manner of fools and swine all tried, and failed, to break his stride - the only person who could finally stop him was himself.

Good night Doc - somewhere inside all of us, you live on forever, riding the proud highway at full throttle. All we can hope to do is follow in your tracks.



Rest in Peace, Doc

Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
1937 - 2005


Handbags at Dawn will be playing our Friday gig in rememberance of the Doctor.

See this flyer for details.


09 Jan 2005 - FEBRUARY GIG AT CAMDEN'S PURPLE TURTLE
Handbags play 'Come Out 2Nite' evening on 25 Feb.

Handbags at Dawn have been confirmed to play as part of the line-up for this month's Come Out 2Nite at The Purple Turtle in Camden Town, London, UK. Handbags will be opening the bill, which also features THE FADES, and will be headlined by WE START FIRES.

Come Out 2Nite is already a favourite haunt of Tim's, with it's eclectic and funky blend of modern dancefloor tunes and classic indie disco faves. The night runs from 8pm - 2am, and will also feature disc-spinning from resident DJs Andy Quirk, and Meli.

The Purple Turtle is at 61-65 Crowndale Road, Camden Town. It's opposite Koko (formerly Camden Palace), and a brief stroll away from Mornington Crescent tube.

Entry is £3 with flyer, and more without. Handbags are on first, at 8:30pm - so get in early, enjoy the show, then get pissed with us and dance the night away!


24 Jan 2005 - CAERNARVON CASTLE GIG THIS WEDNESDAY
Another live date in North London.

Farewell Meat Hello Flash at the Buffalo Bar on Saturday night was a roaring good time for all involved, so a big THANK YOU for everyone who came along and made it rock. Also, another big THANK YOU to THE ARTICLES who invited us and ran the night, and were generally ace.

Short-notice is this, but Wednesday the 26th of January (this Wednesday) sees us play a gig at the CAERNARVON CASTLE in Camden, with THE STREAKERS (other acts TBC). We're second from the top, onstage at 10pm.

The 'Castle is a top place for an evening out, with a very economically priced bar, I've been told, so there are plenty of good reasons get awn down. Price is £5 on the door with this flyer.


That's this Wednesday, the 26th of January, for the perfect mid-week night out in Camden Town. Come and join us!


05 Jan 2005 - HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM HANDBAGS AT DAWN!
Handbags kick into 2005 with some more live dates.

Wow, what happened there? A decidedly boozy Christmas turned rapidly into the closing of another year, and suddenly it's time to put up a brand new (Avril Lavigne) calendar, and look ahead to another intense twelve months in the company of the Handbags!

Having narrowly survived Christmas-light electrocution (Tim), nearly setting the stage on fire (Tim), and strangulation by tinsel (Tim again) at December's TERRIFIC gig at the Brixton Windmill, Handbags at Dawn are back, bad, and hungry to rip this new year up.

First up, the Handbags commence their gigging year with a rather strange return to the venue of our second ever gig. Yes, it's back to THE BUFFALO BAR on Saturday the 22nd of January, playing a double-bill with THE ARTICLES at their night called FAREWELL MEAT, HELLO FLESH.

With guest DJs TOMPAULIN, and THE ARTICLES live, this night promises to be a lot of fun - and will cost you a mere £3.50 on the door. There a fancy dress theme for the night - rock stars, living or dead - which you can choose to take part in if you like. The best part is, if you do make the effort (and presumably if you're convincing enough) you'll be granted free entry! We're coming as world famous London anti-folk stars Handbags at Dawn.

Here's where you need to be:

THE BUFFALO BAR - which is right next to the exit to Highbury and Islington tube station (on the Victoria line), and also on plenty of bus routes (4, 19, 30, 43, 271, 277, 393).

The doors open at 7:30pm, and the club runs till 2am, with Handbags at Dawn are expected on-stage around 9pm.

That's 9pm on Saturday the 22nd of January in this, the year of the goat, 2005.

[ Flyer ]

As an aside, while it's true we did have a few problems with some greedy suckfish promoters at our previous appearance at the Buffalo Bar a while back, we'd like to emphasise that our gripe was not with the venue, and we are happy to be invited to play alongside another excellent London band, at what promises to be a wicked night out.

•  •  •

In other news, check out the current (January) issue of Rock Sound (the one with The Rasmus on the cover) in which the Handbags' very own Guantanamo Babes EP has been crowned demo of the month!


04 Dec 2004 - HANDBAGS TO PLAY DiS WINTER WARMER BBQ
drownedinsound.com host Xmas BBQ - Dec 12 in Brixton, London, UK. Handbags are on the bill.

Ah, what better way to warm your cockles on an icy Sunday afternoon in December, than to head down to the Brixton Windmill for some fine bands and good food. It's a relatively early start, this one, with Handbags at Dawn kicking off proceedings at 5pm.

When? 5pm on Sunday the 12th of December.
How much? Flat fee of £4. This includes a free BBQ (veggie stuff toooooo) from approx 5-8pm.
Who? MISTY'S BIG ADVENTURE, KILLING MOON, THE V.Cs, PROZAK, HICKS MILLIGAN-PROPHECY, HANDBAGS AT DAWN (yay!)

Where THE BRIXTON WINDMILL - 22 Blenheim Gardens, which is off Brixton Hill, about 10 mins walk from Brixton tube, but far more pleasant if you get one of the many buses which go up the 'hill', most of which can be found outside the KFC. Map and stuff at www.windmillbrixton.co.uk.

Drowned in Sound info page here.

It is looking very likely that this will be our last gig of 2004, so we urge everyone who needs a Handbags fix before the end of the year to come along!

And finally, thanks to all who came to see us at the Dublin Castle on Tuesday. We had a lot of fun, and it was great to see so many familiar (as well as new) faces out there. Also, big shout out to PIRANHA DEATHRAY and KILLERS ON CAMERA, who were a priviledge to play alongside. Both are excellent bands and top people to boot.


04 Nov 2004 - CAMDEN DUBLIN CASTLE GIG CONFIRMED
Gig confirmed for Club Fandango @ Dublin Castle, Camden Town, London, U.K., on 30 Nov.

My word, where does the time go? Three months on from the 'emotional' Buffalo Bar show - a damp squib of a summer, and a harrowing presidental election later - we find ourselves rounding the final bend and making a slow burn into the closing stretch of this foul year of our Lord - two-thousand and four.

But don't think for a moment that we've spent all these weeks lazing around, resting on our laurels, eating grapes from the navels of slaveboys, and playing Burnout 3 on Matt's X-box - why, far from it! We've been hunkered down in a new rehearsal space, working on new songs, rehearsing an all-new improved set, arguing incessantly about trivial matters, and, now, at long last, sorting out some new live dates for the rest of the year...

...the first of which will take place at the Dublin Castle in Camden Town, London, UK, on Tuesday the 30th of November.

As part of the terrific Club Fandango night (every Tuesday at the Dublin Castle), Handbags at Dawn will be playing the middle slot on a 3-band bill headlined by Killers on Camera, and also featuring Piranha Deathray.

We're on around 9:30pm, and entrance is £6, or £5 with a flyer.

We're meaner, leaner, hotter, and hornier - and our pants are tighter than an Ohio ballot count. Come and see us!

Shane Tim
Matt Matty



05 Aug 2004 - TWISTED GIG: THE FULL STORY
Tim records the events, the tribulations, and the emotions that coloured the week leading up and to, and the night of, Friday 30th July.

What follows is a completely unadulterated and exhaustively comprehensive account of everything that happened in the 5 days period leading up to and including the gig. No names have been changed, the innocent have not been protected, and nothing has been glossed over or sweetened up for publication. This is the real story.

Click here to continue



01 Aug 2004 - REFUNDS FOR FRIDAY NIGHT
If you came to see us on Friday, and had to leave before or during our hideously delayed set, please e-mail us and we'll send your money back.

To all of you who came out to The Buffalo Bar on Friday night and paid good money expecting to see Handbags At Dawn onstage at around 10pm, as we advertised (because that's what we were told), and then had to leave before/during our set which eventually - due to problems beyond our control - kicked off at about 11:10pm - please send your address to info@handbagsatdawn.info, also citing how much you paid to travel there, so we can send you your money back. This also applies to anyone who did manage to stay and watch the whole thing, and felt the performance (hampered by the bass channel cutting out whenever it felt like it, and a seemingly deaf soundman) was sub-standard.

We are utterly distraught and upset about how the events of last night unfolded, causing a lot of our good friends to have to leave to get trains home before our hideously delayed performance.

We are very VERY appreciative of everyone who turned up, giving up their time and paying money to see us, and we are incensed at the concessions we were forced to make in order to get a performance at all.

We are quite serious about refunding the money of anyone whose enjoyment of the evening suffered as a result of these circumstances.

Needless to say, we will not be dealing with those promoters, or playing at The Buffalo Bar again after this.

And lastly, a huge THANK YOU, to all of you who did come. We feel really terrible that an event we looked forward to descended into a nightmarish farce.

A full no-holds-barred report will follow shortly.

Photos from the gig have been added to the Photos section.



30 Jul 2004 - THE HANDBAGS RIDE AGAIN
Gig confirmed for Twisted nightclub @ The Buffalo Bar, Highbury, London, U.K.

Hot on the heels of Handbags at Dawn's debut gig at The Verge last month, we have been invited to play with TWISTED CHARM at the excellent Twisted nightclub, held once-every-so-often at The Buffalo Bar in Highbury.

The Buffalo Bar is dead easy to find, as it's directly next to the exit to Highbury and Islington tube station (on the Victoria line), and also on plenty of bus routes (4, 19, 30, 43, 271, 277, 393).

The bill, in descending order from headliners, is as follows:

Twisted Charm
Handbags at Dawn
X-Ray Sun
Sylvette

As of writing, we know we'll be on sometime after 10pm. Exact details to follow shortly.

Entry is £5 if you arrive before 10pm, or with a flyer, and £6 otherwise. Get ye a flyer here. As well as the bands, you'll also be able to enjoy the Twisted club night, with DJs Luke Livid WANKER, Claire Caress, and Nathan Doom. Twisted were the first club to ever DJ a Handbags at Dawn record ("I'm the Fuckin' Geezer" got aired a couple of months back), which is as good an indication of excellent taste as anything, we feel!

This promises to be an excellent gig - PLEASE COME ALONG!

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