Taxman promotions are proud to present! GRAVEYARD IN THE LAMP. With live music, live acts , and prizes for best dressed, graveyard at the Lamp… Because anything else is just trick or treating…

We’re playing a gig for Dan’s birthday at Grand Central in Livingston, on 1st July 2010.

Further details to be confirmed, including entry price and other acts, but pencil the date in now!

Copies of the self-titled EP will be available for sale on the night.

VOTBK - Self-titled EP

VOTBK are to launch the long-awaited self-titled 5-track EP on June 24th, 2010.

The original launch had been delayed, as the duplication suppliers had gone out of business (thanks again, greedy banking sector!).

Tracks will be available on CD (£5), and from various downloads stores, including iTunes, Amazon and others.

The track listing is:

1. Tom’s Last Hand
2. Billy Bones
3. The Wake
4. Closed Eyes
5. Chasing Fireworks

Of these tracks, 2 have had rough demo version feature in the top 10 UK unsigned bands chart (www.tourdates.co.uk).

Congratulations to Graeme Hardie, who was the winner of the free draw for a signed copy of the EP, which will be winging its way to him around the launch date of June 24th.

Graeme’s name was pulled out of the hat (well, actually his alloted number was) by random.org, from the list of the first 50 Facebook fans of VOTBK.

There is now a free draw incentive to win a limited edition VOTBK T-shirt.  The free draw will be made from the Facebook fans of VOTBK once we hitt 100 fans! If you’re not a Facebook VOTBK fan yet – check out our Facebook fanbox in the right hand side column of this page.

More fan videos and comments from the Paraffin Lamp gig last Saturday.

With the clear collaboration of both vocal talent, and outstanding instrumentals, V.O.T.B.K, appear not only to have the ability, but the flare (sic) to take the industry by storm! Gods my rule the heavens, but some day soon, the voice shall rule the Earth… talent knows no bound. – Ewan Mair

I think he means ‘flair’, but we might have a song about fireworks…

And here’s one captioned “We all make mistakes…” that shows what happens when Iain is too busy thinking of spandex…

We’re running an incentive scheme at our Facebook page just now – become a fan of our Facebook page, and when we hit 50 fans (excluding the band members themselves) we’ll enter all those fans into a free draw for a signed copy of the EP!

Become a fan now at Facebook VOTBK

We’ll be running a similar incentive to reach 100 fans, so don’t despair just now if you don’t win this one.

Andy here. Not long back from the most amazing adventure in the USA. I went over on an invite from a friend in Seattle to see the most incredible line up.

Hank Khoir (Stone from Pearl Jam’s project doing Hank Williams songs, featuring the amazingly gorgeous Barbara Ireland), Satchel, Pigeonhed, Brad, Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone.

Those of you that know the story of the Seattle scene will know that Mother Love Bone were nothing like the Grunge movement that followed. They were more like Guns n’ Roses or Dogs D’Amour – funky Led Zep riffing mixed with glam, and 70s rock.

They were a band destined to great things when sadly the lead singer, Andy Wood, died of a drugs overdose. The band split. Bruce went on to Love Battery, Greg went on to Ten Minute Warning with Duff McKagan, Jack Endino’s Earthworm and more recently Asva, Jeff and Stone formed Pearl Jam.

So this visit to Seattle was something special. The first performance of Mother Love Bone in 20 years, plus the opportunity to meet and hang out with some incredible people.

MLB didn’t disappoint. After nearly 5 hours of music they hit the stage and performed Holy Roller, Stardog Champion and Bone China from their only album. They also played a cover of Hold yo’ Head Up by Argent.

Feet from the stage, I can tell you that this was the most intense concert experience I’ve ever had. MLB were tight and played as if there hadn’t been a 20 year gap. Shawn Smith (of Brad and Satchel and Pigeonhed) took Andy Wood’s place and nailed the sound and feel of the songs. Close your eyes and it was 1989 all over again.

Later in the week I was lucky enough to land a guest pass to the Soundgarden “secret” show at the Showbox. Billled as Nudedragons, they played a great set made up mostly of songs before Black Hole Sun era. Most of the songs were from BadMotorFinger, UltramegaOK and the Flower EP.

The crowd was like a who’s who from the Seattle music scene. Greg, Jeff, Matt and Bruce from MLB, Jonathan Poneman from Sub Pop, Mark Arm from Mudhoney, Hiro Yamamoto (Soundgarden’s first bass player, who actually mistook me for Bruce Pavitt!), Rock DJ Pierre Robert from Phili Rock Radio station WMMR… the list could go on!

Check out the updated band member biographies – click on ‘Biographies’ above and select a band member to read more about them!

Crowd at the Paraffin Lamp

Another successful gig, and another set of new VOTBK fans join the ranks of the voxphiles.  Here is some of the feedback we had after the Paraffin Lamp (Livingston)  gig, 29th May 2010.

Excellent, guys! – Diane

Brilliant! Waiting for the album! – Michelle

– Laura

– Emma

Excellent (whilst I was here) - Chris (who turned up almost at the end!)

F***king outstanding!!!! – Fraser

Top class! – Jimmy H

Love you xxxxxx – Ewan

Call me!!!  (Dan, bass man!) - Hayley

– Jill

No bad… – Stuart

5* – John

Shit hot! – Ian

Loving it – Tracy Ann

Sooooooberb – Dave

Folky as f**k! – Kev

Dadadadah Dadadadah! – Baz

Amazing – Coco

Brilliant – Wullie

Great – Shug

F**king “A” man!!! – Stephanie

Simply the best! – Dave