Over the last month and a half The Havelocks have been busy breaking new ground. With their usual flare and laid-back style the band has been exposing themselves in ways they have never done before, appearing on a podcast, playing gigs and recording new material.
 The boys were featured on the Loft's podcast "Ninja Radio" on 16th September to do an interview and play an exclusive set for the exciting youth show. The band expounded their views on many subjects including the pros and cons of certain venues, sound engineers and what turns them on (with drummer Luke Tweedie declaring his weakness for Justin Timberlake, vocalist Jay Piper's apparent disdain for lazy soundmen, and songwriter Lennie Tranter's love of parliamentary question time). The boys then followed up with a short set of fan favourites including "Words" which can be seen by clicking on the following link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70ZIp4Y1aRw
 On 19th September as part of Jay Piper's buck show celebrations The Havelocks headlined a great night of music at the View Factory. With Piper in full "dress" the boys played to a raucus crowd of enthusiastic fans who proceeded to sing along and dance the night away in typical fevered style.
 In the first half of October The Havelocks headlined gigs at the Lass O'Gowrie (a great night) and Newcastle's Brackets and Jam, which also featured local songstress Amy Vee.
 The band has also been busy with the ongoing recording process of a new body of work. Some of the initial rough mixes of the songs are now featured on the band's myspace, with final mastered tracks still in the process of being produced. The band is currently seeking a few different producers to work on the tracks and will decide upon the best mixes in the coming months.
 In other news, Lennie, Jay and Craig will be heading outback to perform on the Blackboard Acoustic Stage (ran by longtime friends BSRD) at the Nymagee Outback Festival this weekend. The boys will play a warm up gig for the festival on Friday 30th October, and will also perform on Saturday 31st when the festival proper begins.
 As usual, keep your eyes on the band's myspace and facebook sites for more news and upcoming gig dates.
 
Photos by Estelle Macrow