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OK!!! It has been a few days since that mini North American tour concluded. I am fully chilled out, sitting in Toronto. Good stuff. My positivity has worked wonders lately, as has my self-confidence. I know I am good at what I do and think my music is actually decent. The shows went well and a lot of folks enjoyed them, including myself. For those who did not, no problem. There are plenty of other bands to see in this world. Anyway, I just wanted to thank all of the promoters and fans who booked these things and came out, etc… I am currently booking a bigger tour for the fall to support two new albums on In The Red (i know, i keep talking about it…), so if you have ideas or are a promoter, email me. I am totally psyched and ready to do this shit!!!
In the next two weeks, expect a few new songs up here, as well as the two albums’ artwork, track listings, news on my split with Black Lips, etc…
Thanks to all,
MARK

I am back in Canada. Did so much shit in Europe. Me and Khan recorded a new single, too:

“We Are The Ocean” b/w “Terrapin”

PAZOW!

Well, well, well…
It’s been a while! Last some of you may have heard from me was a seemingly defeated few lines on Facebook – and i WAS defeated. Just a terrible tour. It was the worst I had been on for a looong time, booked as though by someone who had never done this before as though he was booking a band of kids armed with a cdr, touring europe for their first time. It was mostly a humbling, horrid situation. It seriously made me want to stop making music. But I am a fucking rock’n'roll cockroach. I know, no matter what people think of me, how they treat me or what kind of misguided fashion-over-music fantasy world people live in, that I am proud of what i do. Of my songs. Of my music. Of my show, etc… This isn’t a case of delusion. I just see what some people like and really don’t think I am doing something that much worse. I can see that my wearing the same utilitarian clothing every day, for example, confuses some casual ‘music fans’, as I am not wearing the costume of trend A or lifestyle B. I can see how an older guy who really doesn’t pander or give a fuck being kind of a piss-off. I can see how a one-man band set-up can leave a bad taste in someone’s mouth. This I can really see. I hate one-man bands. Seriously. There are only a couple I like, and those few I do like I like because I don’t consider them one-man bands, but rather musicians who manipulate minimal gear and sounds and transform it and themselves into something special and transcend what they present. And make the music that only makes sense in such a format. I don’t like the one-man band as gimmick. Or this fucking community of one-man band team thought. I hate teams. I hate competition. This is all sports mentality. I hate sports, too. Ya, I realized a few things about myself on the tour: that I have soul, that I refuse to take shit (sometimes at my own detriment), that I am neither a monkey nor a whore (but also that i can take this axiom to paranoid new levels), and most importantly, that I love music. A few people tried to take that feeling away from me, and it really did affect me, but I have taken it back. And my love for it is stronger than ever. I really do think people will get it all in the future, even if it is just 10 folks listening to my records around the battered and bloodied globe in 2036. I am not worried or concerned. That all being said, I can freely acknowledge that some of my behavior towards people can be unacceptable and ridiculous. So to any friends, enemies, promoters, fans, booking agents, McDonalds employees, fishmongers, etc… I may have fucked with, hurt, offended or shat upon, I really am sorry. I am trying to make myself into a better person. I just have to get rid of a few vices and curb my temper and insanity. Conversely, I must thank everyone who made the good parts of the tour (and I should be clear that there were definitely a few) THE BEST. You know who you are and I am very much appreciative. Love.
So much shit is coming up for me this year. I am pretty excited. Let’s see… By the time anyone reads this, you may know that The King Khan & BBQ Show played a secret (albeit chaotic and disasterous, but FUN) reunion show in Venice, Italy. We are both back to ‘normal’ and are brothers once more. Expect a new single this fall, I think. We discussed it. Even some Almighty Defenders talk…. Who knows about that one, though. So, ya, I will be playing a few random shows in June in a few US cities and also a couple in Mexico. Two new albums are coming out for me this year on In The Red. The first, ‘Whatever I Want’, will have 14 songs and come with free download code to side A of my album ‘$’ from last year, which was handled horribly and which I now have back as my own. Maybe people will actually find it when In The Red rereleases the vinyl next year. The second album, ‘Whenever I Want’, will come out at the end of 2011. It contains 12 songs and has free download codes to side B of ‘$’. The CD version of it is 14 songs long and will be a mix of stuff from both albums. Guests include: Jared and Cole from Black Lips, Choyce, Erin from The Spits, Danny from The Gories and more! Covers of Ultravox, Four Lords, The Stains, etc..! I’ll also be putting songs up online incrementally in the future on my website. Dunno if I’ll bother announcing them.
Somewhere in the midst of all of that will be a split 7″ on Hozac with Black Lips, as well as a 7″ EP on my label! Yes, I have revamped the damn thing – Sultan Records – and will start releasing stuff SOON. First few things: my 7″ EP, a Black Lips/ King Khan & The Shrines 7″, and hopefully something by Red Mass. Nice! Also this summer, recording a new Ding-Dongs album with Bloodshot Bill, I think. In September, shows in Brazil, Chile and Peru. And then in the Fall, a fullscale US tour, including Alaska and Puerto Rico (hopefully). Lastly, don’t forget to check out my ‘Calloused Hands/Git It’ limited, hand screened, coloured vinyl etc 7″ OUT NOW here http://everynightisasaturdaynight.com/

Here are June 2011 minitour dates:

June 14th: Vancouver, BC – The Astoria
June 16th: Portland, OR – East End
June 17th: Los Angeles, CA – Blue Star
June 18th: Mexicali, Mexico – Bambino’s Bar
June 19th: Tijuana, Mexico – Bar La Jiribilla
June 20th: Calexico, CA – Rock The Border’s Tiki Pool Party @ Scorpion Bar – Quality Inn
June 22nd: Atlanta, GA – The Earl
June 24th: Brooklyn, NY – The Knitting Factory
June 25th: Toronto, ON – The Garrison

is still on. but my eyes are open. long gripey blog to come

“Mark is headed to Europe for some shows (including a few with Dan Sartain, Ty Segall, as well as Dum Dum Girls). It will be his first time in Europe on tour as the one-man band ‘BBQ’ since maybe 2006 (?), and certainly his first tour there since the release of the now-out-of-print ‘$’ album.

By the end of 2011, expect to hear roughly 30 new songs. They will be released on two staggered albums by In The Red Records (Los Angeles), as well as on a few 7” records.

Among the many, many new hit originals are cover versions of songs by Ultravox, Lee Maye, Gene Vincent, The Stains and some others.

Special guest musicians include Jared Swilley and Cole Alexander of The Black Lips, King Khan, Erin from The Spits, Danny from the Gories, and some other folks.

Western Canadian and US tour dates for June to come soon.”

Well, well, well… It has been quite a while since I started writing anything in a blog format, but I will do it more now, I guess. Welcome to my new website. Easier to navigate, and hopefully where you can find tour dates and listen to songs etc a bit easier. You should be able to find all that stuff. Let’s see… What has been going on… Well, I never wrote about the last US tour I did late last year. That was a lot of fun. Plated some shows with Deer Tick. Good dudes. I recently went to Australia and had a great time. I even did a spot for the good folks at Undercover Videos, check it out here. The shows were a lot of fun, except for one show, which isn’t worth talking about, hahaha.

Speaking of that tour, I’ll put up a link soon from where you can get my last single. Ultra-limited, hand-printed and on coloured vinyl. The a-side, ‘Calloused Hands’, is in the player. The b-side a cover of Gene n Eddie’s ‘Git It’. SO GIT IT!!! Those are 2 of 30+ I have recorded. I’ll put songs up now and again. I will be putting out 2 new albums by the end of the year (could it be In The Red??), as well as an EP. If you haven’t heard my last album (as many people haven’t), ‘$’, it will see a reissue next year with some sweet bonuses… If you wanna know how to get a copy now, just write. My European tour dates are up. Check em out and SHARE THEM with your buddies so I can have FUN in your town!!! Wherever you see a BLANK, let me know if there is somewhere I can play. Write me. And the info is fairly incomplete for the moment for each show (these shows are probably NOT all ages or starting at 8pm), but I will fix it soon.

Videos ALL OVER THE PLACE here, too. The page is fairly sparse right now, but over the next week or two, I’ll add a million other things, including photos, posters, MERCH, old show dates, A PODCAST, links to itunes, my soul in a blender, farts and other things. If you want me to add stuff, write me. Anyway, a big thanks to Jimmy Lee Wirt for refurbishing this thing. His link is on the bottom of the page. Spread the music, the dates and everything else. If you want updates, click the shit below, cuz there will be a bunch. Shirts, for example, will be available soon. US tour dates, more songs, etc…

Be Well,

MARK