The Black Serpent Choir

from a photo by Mei Lewis

I met Akira the Don in 1995 and ever since then we have talked about making a record together. Somewhere between writing and recording the 2005 Singles Club and making ‘Distractions’, I recorded these bits of music with this in mind. They’re not perfect and I would do much of it different now but I think it works as a collection and historical document. That’s right, I used the phrase ‘historical document’ within the context of my own self. I am a twat. Anyway, we still haven’t got around to making a record together and the songs here were filed in a dusty corner of my computer’s hard drive until the beginning of 1996.

One night in early 2006 Mary had gone off to work and I was wondering what to do with myself when I had the notion of inventing a band on myspace. I called myself The Black Serpent Choir, uploaded a few tracks and sent invites off to all my mates. About three people guessed it was me straight away buy I denied it of course. Adam Walton and Bethan Elfyn played the tracks on their respective radio shows and I think I even did a BSC Mix for Adam’s show? I was offered a gig at the Buffalo Bar in Cardiff which I accepted thinking it would be a good way to prolong my anonymity if I were to somehow persuade a couple of people to do the gig for me.

I asked two friends, John and Richard, If they fancied dressing up as monks and learning to play a laptop set. Being consummate artists (show offs) they of course agreed and we spent a week rehearsing. I bought a couple of ace latex old men masks and I really thought I was going to get away from it. The week before the gig they did a couple of interviews and had their photo taken, hilarious. I was more nervous during their soundcheck than I’ve ever been for one of mine (I wasn’t even there) and sure enough when we met back at the house we had a problem synching up the laptops. After a while I thought I had solved the problem and they left for the gig and I went to the pub. I intended to be late so that everyone could see me arrive. By this time most people were convinced that I was The Black Serpent Choir, that I was underneath one of the masks on stage and I thought it would be funny to show up while the band were on stage. But stage time came and went and I received a text whilst in the pub opposite from Richard telling me that the two laptops wouldn’t synch. Ah nuts.

So I had to go in and edge up to the stage (hidden away from the main seating area so not many people saw me up there) and try to sort it out. We decided just to wing it in the end, they would just have to keep time with one another. In the end I don’t think anybody cared that much although I thought the gig was brilliant and it was the nearest I’ll ever get to seeing myself live. After that I forgot about the Black Serpent Choir again until I decided to keep my electronic and my song shit separate, at least for the time being. The next Black Serpent Choir album will blow this one away but that’s for next year, until that glorious day there is this. Press Play.