Chris T-T live at the Lexington Sunday 19 January

Chris T-T is playing an evening gig at the Lexington this Sunday after the acoustic shenanigans of our Lost Weekend. Chris has helped us out with the timings, affording us the chance to present you 3 fine acts. We think he's a gentleman and a scholar.

So does previous Lounge guest, MJ Hibbett, who offered this vignette of touring life to demonstrate Chris's humility and nobility:

In 2011 Chris did his show "Disobedience" at the Edinburgh Fringe. As he is such a delightful chap we spent a lot of time hanging around with him, so one day we were all sat having a natter in the Pleasance Dome cafe, when he spotted a journalist he admired, sitting a few tables away. "I'd love to go and talk to him and tell him how great he is," said Chris, "but he probably just wants to be left alone".

We had a lengthy discussion about it, with me (and Steve) pointing out that being told you're great is a Nice Thing, and that he'd be pleased if someone came and said it to him. This is typical of Chris - he's fearless in
his willingness to speak truth to people who deserve it, but ever wary of upsetting anybody who doesn't - but after some determined badgering he went over to say hello.

A few minutes later he came back, happy and relieved. They'd had a lovely chat, the journalist had indeed been pleased to be told he was great, and the entire experience had been a delight for all concerned.

We toasted our success and returned to our general chat, until another few minutes later when a nervous young man approached our table and said "Excuse me, are you Chris T-T? Sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to say I think you're great."

That's great, Mark, but what's the best Chris T-T song for anyone still dithering about whether to go to the gig?

Favourite songs is a bit difficult - in my house it's a FITE between "Giraffes #1" and "Seven Hearts", so rather than cause VILENCE I'll give you links to both, THUS:

And what are you up to, MJ?

We're releasing a podcast version of "Total Hero Team" at the end of the month with live dates in London, Sheffield, Glasgow and Leicester.

The Lost Weekend 2014

The Lost Weekend - 2 days of free gigs and relaxation, interspersed with a few drinks - is back on Saturday 18 January and Sunday 19 January.

Starting at 12pm in the Union Chapel on the Saturday, we've got The Pictish Trail (he likes "drum machines, old 8-track recorders, lo-fi fuzz boxes, squelchy synthesizers" - all we know is that he'll come with an acoustic guitar and everything will be very special).


Freschard specialises in Francoise Hardy vocals, Jonathan Richman gusto, Lieber & Stoller songwriting, played with a relaxed Lou Reed guitar, a gentle Parisian swing, a nod to calypso, a country twang and some yé-yé innocence. Her latest album Boom Biddy Boom goes a little bit like this:


The Middle Ones are Grace and Anna. They play acoustic guitars, sing different vocal lines simultaneously in different keys to each other while both quite possibly out of tune, decorate their bedsit pop with toy instruments and giggle at the silliness of it all. Pop music doesn’t get more charming than this.



The Union Chapel gig finishes by 2.30pm, at which time we'll be going to the pub. See off your hangover in style the following day, Sunday 19 January, at the Lexington, where the Hangover Lounge starts at 2pm.

The live music starts upstairs at 3pm sharp, featuring:

Stanley Brinks: the umlaut in Herman Dune, collaborator with the Wave Pictures and Freschard, and ace troubadour in his own right.

Steven James Adams, once of the Broken Family Band (whose critical acclaim cruelly never quite translated into platinum sales) now of the Singing Adams (same story; it's a great one so worth hearing again). Steven's playing solo for us and it, too, will be great and worth hearing:


Michaelmas, aka Michael Wood, aka Singing Adams bassist, is playing a rare solo gig. You might remember Michaelmas. You would if you saw them.