15/09/07
Just to whet your appetite for tonight's gig (see below), here's a preview from Birmingham101.com -
"It can only be a matter of time before Simon Bristoll finally gets the awareness that is his due. He certainly warranted it after the release of Mindfilming, a stunningly accomplished collection of classic pop steeped in Beatles and Brian Wilson influences, Vaselined Eyes a meeting between XTC, Crowded House, Squeeze and John Lennon, the sunny lost love pop of Teaching You To Swim recalling the days when Paul McCartney wrote great songs and The Incredible Commuting Mole (Must Die) brimful of California sunshine while Singer Wanted, Preferably Dead marries ELO and Big Star. He’s currently busy recording the much anticipated follow up, so expect a healthy clutch of tasters in the set tonight. 8pm. £4. Jug of Ale, Moseley".
See you down the front...

26/08/07
We didn't win - Shame! Still it was a good bit of local publicity and we'd like to thank everyone who voted for us (in the hundreds, I was reliably informed!)
Come and see us in Birmingham at the Jug of Ale on Sept 15th and again in Leeds at Tea Time Shuffle on October 5th. Other bands tbc. More news as I get it!!

21/08/07
Newsflash! There's a chance we might be playing Leeds Festival this weekend as Radio Aire in Leeds have picked us out from a bunch of other hopefuls to compete for a slot on the Nokia Stage. So if you get a chance tomorrow - that's Wednesday 22nd August, visit the Radio Aire website and vote for Captain Wilberforce! Thanks!

04/08/07
More hold ups. I've had to re-record chunks of the album (don't ask!) which has put the mixing way back. Still, I'm hoping for some kind of progress by the end of the month. The likelihood is that this'll mean the album won't be in the shops til the new year, but there should be a single out before then (everything crossed) - I may be able to send out copies of the album before the official release date if you, like me, have been waiting on this for a looooong time.
The better news is that we're doing another gig, this time in Birmigham at the Jug of Ale, Moseley on Saturday 15th September. The last time I played (solo) was one of my favourite gigs, not least cos lots of people came and cheered me on, so a full band show should rock. Tickets will be about £4/£5 from the venue.
Also on the good news front: I found out a few days ago that 'No Guarantees' from Mindfilming was used in Kay Mellor's ITV drama "Strictly Confidential" last November. What with this and the Fashion TV episodes I'm feeling like a proper musician and everything...

03/06/07
Well, once again the Cavern proved a great gig. Thanks should go to David Bash for organising another great festival, I can only imagine the amount of work he has to put into it. We saw a few bands on the day and by far the best was Swedish indie pop combo Caitlyn - What is it with Scandinavia and great pop tunes - maybe something to do with the fresh air? Other bands we enjoyed were Blake Jones & The Trike Shop (amazing theramin playing!) and Spencer McGarry Season (good choons!).
Our set was 'Confetti, Champagne and Roses', 'Everybody Loves a Villain', 'A Very British Earthquake', 'Singer Wanted, Preferably Dead', 'Dark Clouds', 'Teaching You To Swim', 'No Strings or Ties': It was ace playing the songs from the new album and getting such a good response. Oh, yeah, the new album. I'm finding it difficult to concentrate on everyday life with the final album mixes being so close but yet so far! Patience, it's an overrated virtue.

26/05/07
We've now got the two warm up gigs at the Cardigan Arms and the Primrose under our belts and are really looking forward to Monday's gigs at the Cavern (The details are below).
We were a bit concerned about being under rehearsed, but we shouldn't have been - both gigs were ace. Thanks to those of you who came along (even though we'd tried to keep them under wraps!) There are some pics of the Primrose gig here and I'll hopefully have a few more up on this site soon - Cheers to Sam for taking them.
Having now heard more mixes of tracks for the new album I'm getting pretty excited at hearing the end result - I'm going to be posting four of them on MySpace in a few weeks, so keep em peeled!

29/04/07
The new album "Everyone Loves A Villain" is finally being mixed. It took months longer than expected as I wanted to get the best result possible, which meant waiting for my first choice producer to have a gap in his hectic diary. I've got fingers and toes crossed that it'll be in the shops and online in the first week of July. 2007 that is! The finished mix of "The Girl Who Broke Her Own Heart" is sounding amazing, even if I say so myself, so I'm confident that it's all been worth the wait.
I've not been resting on laurels either. In scenes reminiscent of The Magnificent Seven, The Dirty Dozen or perhaps the A-Team, I've hand picked a team of gifted misfits and moulded them into a highly efficient gigging machine. Or something.
David Bash, Head Honcho of the International Pop Overthrow Festivals has once again asked me to play this year's event in Liverpool and I wanted to go back with a band this time round. So, you'll be able to experience songs from Mindfilming and E.L.A.V. on May 28th at the Cavern Pub at 3pm and the Cavern Club at 7pm (Front Stage).
Both gigs are FREE entry!
The festival was excellent last year, with around 50 powerpop bands from all over the world over 6 days (Starting on the 22nd May) with no door charge.
The album lauch will take place in Leeds in July at a venue to be announced in the next couple of weeks. It'll be a chance to see us play live in our home town and get your hands on a copy of the new album for a bargain price!
Don't know about you, but I can't wait...