break from what, I'm not sure, coz we didn't do much over the summer!

Anyways, I'm off travelling til the end of the year so Stilletoes will be nicely rusting away. I really do hate bands that drag on too long, and I really hate bands that make huge announcments of them finishing as if anybody actually cares that much. Good bands don't last.

However I'm taking a guitar, so I'll be coming back with new stuff, different to this. Three fast chords is enough for a while but it's time to experiement a bit and get different stuff recorded. I'm looking forward to it. Hope you'll keep interested, those of you who read these blogs!

We've got 3 (and one acoustic) gigs before I'm off...
19th September 4.10pm @ Southwest Youthfest, Haverford West County Showground [Garageland Stage]
19th September 8pm-late @ TJ's, Newport
25th September9pm-3am  @ Union, Bangor [Efa Acoustic]
26th September 8.30pm-late @ Rafa Club, Aberystwyth

Hope to see you there! This will be the last time most of these songs will be played for sure, if not all of them! :) Come have some puNk RoCK fuN witH tHE sTILLEtOES!

Efa xxxxxxxx

PS. Buy the album off iTunes or www.ankst.net
wahOoooooooooo, still really proud of it and we shoulda done more to promote it over the summer grrrrrrrr....... but wait for it! wait for it!

interview - http://www.theabsurd.co.uk/interviews/efa/int_efa.html

review - http://www.theabsurd.co.uk/columns/mrp_jul09.html

We've had a fucking brilliant weekend : )

Friday night we were flown up to Inverness to play a celtic/scots languages youth gig called 'Nos Og', it went brilliantly, there were people of all ages from all different minority languages there and we had a load of fun playing to them in welsh, and got a great reaction, sold loads of albums and got loads of good feedback and made some new contacts. Everyone was so enthusiatic we were buzzing for ages! Two other bands played 'Fionar' were scots Gaelic, they were five girls in an accapela choir, The Temporary were Irish Gaelic rock band. We did an interview for a gaelic music TV programme called 'Rapal'; it was the most confusing intevriew ever done in the history of mankind! ;) They asked the question in English, then Gaelic, then we had to answer in Welsh and then English. BRAINFUCK! Haha... We'll let you know when it's on or there's a link on the internet!

We had to wake up 5.30 on Saturday morning, to catch our plane back to Manchester, we drove home, then drove down to Newport where we played a gig at Le Pub with Ready Or Not, Martinez The Pig [COOL AS FUCK], Drunk Granny [MENTALL AZZ!] and 13 year old Olivia Newton, who is well talented! We had another great gig, the place filled up just before we played which was great, Bandit came to film us at this gig, they're doing a bit on our album. We played a long set for us (10 songs..) and gave it so much energy! Had so much fun! After the gig we drove down to Stone Hendge for the summer solstice, there was 38,000 people there! It was mental! People singing and stuff all over the place. We didn't get to see the sun come up because it was cloudy, but no worries, we left at 6 after it was light and slept in the van in an entrance to a dumping ground. Classy ;)

Very tierdly we drove to Bristol a few hours later, where we played a 'secret location' gig, we weren't too sure what this meant when we booked the gig. We saw posters around the city which asked anyone who was interested to email for the gig location. It was in an awesome warehouse space, the FAG club guys cooked us Vegan Chili for tea which was amazing, and showed us around the corner to a vegan shop where I had some amazing cake! The warehouse had a pool table, couches all round the place, and was decoarted with L7 posters and old shop dolls! It was great! The gig was fun and bandit filmed again, promising to blur out the punters faces and not showing the outside of the venue! The show will be on at the end of July, we'll let you know more specifically when we do! :] There was a great atmosphere in Bristol, in the gig and outside in the colourful, well graphitied city (We also went to the Banksy exhibition this morninG!) Looking forward to go back!

Had an awesome weekend, 3 great gigs, in 3 different countries, 3 night in a row, to a huge variety of people! It was so much fun, I want to stay out on the road and do it night after night after night to all different people in all different places! I have no idea how people can be satisifed playing to the same local audiences week after week. Music and travel is about connecting with different subcultures - minority languages in Inverness, punks in Newport and the queers of all sexualities in Bristol! Music is about connection between different cultures and different communities, and it was such a great feeling playing to people of different cultures and communities this weekend! I fucking loved it! I'm glad we were asked to play up in Inverness because there is so much boring welsh music around at the moment, I think, actually I KNOW we showed them all welsh music isn't boring! This weekend made me realise how much travelling to gigs in different places is worth to me, all that shit that was in Golwg about me lashing out at the audience in Morgan Lloyd shows how fucking boring the welsh music and welsh culture has got. They have nothing better to write about than some fucking angry teenage grrl kicking a guy? I got on the front of a fucking welsh 'culture' magazine because of that! What the fuck does that tell you? That's not news! That was the norm 30 years ago in punk gigs, have we fucking travelled back in time? I'm not trying to be awkward and opinianated about shit for the sake of it, I'm worried about how boring my country and my language has become, yoghurt has more fucking live culture than the Cymry do, don't agree? PROVE ME WRONG. Show me where it's at. Show me anything and everything that will inspire me. Go on, I dare ya.....

BIG HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who came last night, and to all the other bands that played! We had a great night celebrating our album release and it was ace seeing so many people there!

Anyone who wasnt there the album will be available at all our gigs from now on, as well as on www.ankst.net, www.play.com, www.amazon.com, iTunes... etc etc... most websites like that... Theres a bonus acoustic track on the download version of the album too. But I did all the art work and you can read all the lyrics on the cd... so um yeahh... aha...

Hope ya all enjoy the album anyway!
The reaction's been great from everyone so far, except golwg, don't patronise me! Don't suggest kids shouldnt be in bands coz they're not part of the adult world! I got the soul, I got the heart and so im guna fucking sing mothefuckkkerrrS!

This Friday night we’ll be launching our album 'ADHDreams' in Rascals in Bangor!
We recorded the album in three sessions, August 08, December 08 and March 09, so it’s been a long time coming [in Stilletoes times] but we’re really fucking excited!
If you can’t make it to the gig this Friday and you like what we do, please show your support not only to us but to Ankstmusik who have given us the amazing opportunity of recording this!
It looks great, I did all the artwork, and it’s presented in a digi pack [cardboard cover]
There’s hours of enteratiment in the booklet – collages of photos and lyrics! :]

Anyways this Friday, starting the night off, filling the gaps in between and finishing it off will be our good friend DJ Fuzzy Felt, he’ll be putting on a punky ankstyyy disco.
We’ve got a load of our favourite local bands to play, I Am Austin from Connahs Quay, who should be way above us on a bill have kindly agreed to come and play and party for us! They were crowned ‘Kings Of The Mountain’ in the Snowboming competition in Austria this year and have amazing funky rocking tunes, they are well worth checking out!
Son Capson from Aberystwyth are going to bring the weirdness to the party, imagine Gogol Bordello if Tom Waits sang for them and they had a goblin playing drums and your getting a bit close to how weird they are! They’re going to be great!
Klaus Kinski’s drummer Edwin, who comes under the name Irma Vep on Friday will be playing some weird weird blues, and Endaf Presley from our favourite welsh band Kentucky AFC will be playing some beautiful acoutic punky jems.

Entry is only Three Little Pounds
Or if you buy an album on the door the entry is free [Albums are a tenner]

These are approx playing times….
Doors 8pm
Endaf Presley 8.30 – 9.00pm
Irma Vep 9.00-9.30pm
Son Capson 9.45 – 10.15pm
I Am Austin 10.30 – 11.00pm
The Stilletoes 11.15 – 11.45pm

Here's a review by the photographer Michael Roberts from our recent gig at Cob Records in support of independent record stores! We had fun playing, and it was great playing to an audience who wanted to listen to what we were saying, although a small audience, I much prefered it to the shit gig at Morgan Lloyd in Caernarfon to a room full of people the night before. It's always more fun playing to those who want to listen. Michael states that I am blonder and skinnier, this could be seen as either good or bad, I hope no one thinks I've turn into some dieting tart, I haven't, although my hair colour has changed, if I am any skinnier, it's only because I became vegan a year ago, and it's something I really believe in, animal right. I ain't no vanity vegan, I still eat as much as I want just no meat or dairy! Just wanted to point out that worrying about your weight is stupid really, worry about your health not weight! :) Anyways here it is......



Before the tsunami tidal wave of soulless CD,MP3,Minidisk media engulfed the once stalwart shoreline empire of vinyl, terms like stylus, double A side and gatefold album were a major part of the music lovers repertoire. Said music lovers were to be found trawling record shops shelves on the word of John Peel, and the lure of decadent album cover art work. As music science advances, the presence of the record shop on the high street is being exposed to increasing levels of pressure. World Record Shop Day (wrsd) was created to highlight the issue of independent retailers becoming marginalised, and driven to extinction.

One example of the traditionally friendly local store, free of corporate coldness is Cob Records. First beginning trading in 1967 with their store in Porthmadog, the team of music enthusiasts nurtured a product that has become known by music collectors across the world. Providing their contribution to WRSD, Cob Records hosted live sets by Pwlhelli band The Stilletoes, and Celtic Cajun trio by Steve Eaves. Appropriately crammed amongst the historic, memorable stacks of carefully labelled vinyl, an alternative to the sweat soaked festival stages, the neo punk trio delivered a set toned down from the customary anarchic wall of sound that characterises many Stilletoes gigs.

There has been a lot of talk that front woman Efa has failed to progress from the bands origins in 2007. Two years on, with their single on pink vinyl gracing the Cob Records shelves, and the eve of a new album ADHDreams, a thinner, blonder, empowered Efa launched the electro acoustic set.

The confined space made little impact on the pyrotechnic stage act, measurable on a seismic scale. Channelling attitude direct from the Sex Pistols, visceral lyrics like “ Don’t be a knob” were spat giving no quarter to modesty. Efa did not disappoint in her signature tirade of socio-political comment. Venting her hostility towards the corporate domination of the high street, and the topical issue of racism and right wing prejudice in modern Wales. Solidly backed up by younger brother Yago on drums and bassist james, Efa dispelled the critics, and at her young age staked her place as a future first lady of Welsh rock.

The attendance was quieter than would be prefered, though the undercurrent of feeling and nostaligia grows and continues to be championed by shops like Cob Records. With the work of World Record Shop Day, unique and atmospheric places will thrive on the high street, and be a place where music fan, musician and collector can step into a different world and find something inspirational.

SO HERE IT IS! OUR DEBUT ALBUM! OUT ON THE 25th OF MAY!
THE OPENING TRACK 'SMOKE'N'SNORT' IS UP ON OUR PAGE NOW AND WE WILL BE UPLOADING A NEW TRACK EVERY ONE OF THE 4 WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE RELEASE DATE!

IT WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM WWW.ANKST.NET AND  YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT MUSIC SHOP AND AT ALL OUR GIGS FROM THE LOVE MUSIC HATE RACISM GIG AT TJ'S IN NEWPORT ON MAY 16th. PLEASE SHOW YOUR SUPPORT AND PAY FOR THIS MUSIC, WE'VE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO IT, I EVEN DID ALL THE ARTWORK MYSELF, IT'S A NICE LITTLE READ!!
ADAM WALTON PLAYED 'RECESSION THIS' ON HIS BBC WALES SHOW LAST WEEKEND AND BETHAN ELFYN IS PLAYING 'THREE WAY' TONIGHT ON HER RADIO ONE SHOW SO WATCH OUT FOR NEW TRACKS POPPING UP ON RADIO WALES, RADIO CYMRU & RADIO ONE OVER THE NEXT |FEW WEEKS AND TEXT IN AND ASK FOR THEM AGAIN IF YOU ENJOY THEM!! I'M A GUEST ON GERAINT JARMAN'S SHOW ON RADIO CYMRU NEXT WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH NEW TRACKS & MOIDERINGS!

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO'S GIVEN US SUPPORT IN THE MAKING OF THIS! HUGE THANKS TO EMYR FOR LETTIING US RECORDS THIS AND RELEASING IT FOR US! AND TO JOHN LAWRENCE FOR HIS PATIENCE AND LAUGHS WHILE RECORDING!
PROMOTERS - WE'RE LOOKING FOR GIGS TO PROMOTE THIS!
RADIO PRESENTERS - IF YOU WANT A COPY SO YOU CAN PLAY US, GIVE US A SHOUT!


 

THE STILLETOES

A.D.H.DREAMS

MAY  25^TH 2009    ANKST 125 CD Digipac / Download

 

ANKST MUSIK are proud to announce the imminent release of A.D.H.DREAMS the debut album from teenage signings THE STILLETOES. The album recorded live at Bryn Derwen Studios, Bethesda, North Wales by ex-Gorky’s guitarist John Lawrence features fourteen super sharp pop-punk tunes which amply display why this band are recognised as THE best new band to come out of the Welsh scene in recent years.

 

Ridiculously young, talented and outspoken the band led by charismatic motor mouth Efa, with her fourteen year old brother Iago on drums and friend James on bass more than deliver on the promise shown by their Welsh language debut 7’’ Sownd/Y Gwir ( on pink vinyl!)  and their contribution to the compilation album RADIO CRYMI PLAYLIST  ( The anthemic ‘One Last Dream’ – You and me got nothing to lose, we’re last in line no matter what they do’ ), both released in 2008.

 

Over the past year the band have played super exciting gigs in every shit hole in Wales happy slapping audiences numbed by the usual lifeless commercial indie music on offer with an unique onslaught of tunes, attitude and sheer ‘balls out’ punk rock energy.

 

This band mean it maaan!  A.D.H.DREAMS  gives us songs welcoming the recession

(Recession This); pin sharp exposes of over the hill indie types ( Smoke’n’Snort); personal manifestos ( I Need To Roam ) ; tales of alarming personal behaviour (Cuntrol); all out assaults on the racist nature of Welsh language culture ( Nazis Cymraeg ); directionless modern youth (Teimla Y Cyffro ) drug apathy ( Methadone Church) and chemically neutered teenage rebellion (Diagnonsense) -  This is music that demands that the ‘seen it all’ modern rock audience once again focuses and pays attention to what a few chords and tons of attitude and talent can actually achieve. There’s no pussyfooting around - this album snarls out of the gate at full speed and doesn’t let up for it’s 40 minute length.

 

It reminds us what young and angry is supposed to sound like. It might be too late for rocknroll to resuscitate itself and become a vital force again but as long as bands like THE STILLETOES are out there sticking out faces in it we can keep believing, along with the band, in rock’s one last dream……

 

The itunes version includes bonus track ‘Isolate Figure’.

Stole this off here http://altbrit.proboards92.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=reviews&thread=1806&page=1
Review from our gig on Friday. We had a good laugh!! As the review said there was no proper mike to use! I had to use a pop star head set type thing! Hahaha! I love when things go wrong (like at Devils Bridge Festival when the power all stopped working and we had to play acoustically by candle light....) It makes it all a lot more fun! I'm actually considering buying a head set ;) heres the review anyway.......
STILLETOES

The Skerries, Bangor 06.03.09


(review by neil crud, pix by ste sync)
Captivating was our conclusion as me and Sync wearily weaved our way through the A55 traffic back home this morning. For that is what Efa does to her audience, captivates you, demanding your attention and you simply can't turn away.
Lack of a workable microphone meant a delayed kick off, and when someone turned up with Madonna S-Club 7 type head microphone it was like a red rag to a bull. From what I've read, Stilleto performances are a sight to behold, but being bereft of a microphone stand allowed front girl Efa to thrash around the stage with the possessed demons on full show.
It was loud, it was fast, it was uncompromising, it was trashy, it was punk rock and most of all it was highly enter fucking taining!
The Stilletoes made one hell of an entrance onto the scene, such a short time ago, full of punk rock youthfulness and barely out of school, and yet they are more than capable of holding their own, if not surpassing many a band on the scene, and it's safe to say it's only a matter of time before they do.



 

HeyHeyHey!
We've finished all the recording for our album now!
It's full of pop punk grunge for your nice little ears!
Filled with shit to say about life, love, drugs, racism, doctors, education, the recession, violence and much much more.
'Jesus' (John Lawrence) will be mixing the album in the next few weeks, before we all return to Bryn Derwen studio in  Bethesda for the very final mixing and I'm in the middle of doing the art work.
A big huge thanks to John for all his help and patience over the 3 sessions - 3 Days at the end of July/start of August, 2 days in December and 2 days in March! Although it's only been 7 days of recording this album feels like it's been a long time coming and we can't wait to get this shit ouuuut !!!!!!
Thanks to Emyr from AnkstMusik as well, for giving us the chance to make an album! It's been ace! We're well exited about all of it!
If you've been to watch us live since May last year you'll have heard some of these songs already, but there are none from the single or the ankst complilation we did!
The tracks that are going to be on the album are....
Smoke'n'Snort
Three Way
Diagnonsense
Caeth I Gymru
Cuntrol
Methadone Church
Teimla Y Cyffro
I Need To Roam
Llinell
Nazis Cymraeg
Recession This!
Hypocrite Hyper Shit
Dewis Y Daith
Stop Breaking My Heart

Some pics from the final session :-)

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