--quick update a la frameros--

howdy gang. hope this finds you all fine and dandy. thought id drop you a quick one to update the dates and generally fill you in on where we're up to in america... well... i guess where we're up to - in a word - is 'chicago'............ after a major flirting session with the east coast and other slightly more inlands parts we are definatly at the puckering up and kissing stage with america... its been an amazing tour thus far - some great, great shows with the new pornographers ('awesome' seems to be the word that sums them up - individually and as a group) - and some lovely headline moments in boston, nyc, asbury park and tomorrow night in chicago to look forward to. major hats off to everyone who has been involved in making it all go so smoothly from howard at overcoat to ali at billions agency to amy at call girl pr to big P and ed in new joirsy to michelle at BE to darius and sarah in boston to zoran in chicago to ivan in sf to trisch in chapel hill etc etc etc - the list is endless really - suffice to say hats off to you all and you know who you are. the warmth and friendship and general co-operation that the lads have met with in america really warms the cockles of our hearts.

special thanks to the doctors and nurses who sorted our colm out too... i arrived into maxwells to meet up with the lads for a few days in new york and colms lung had collapsed that day and he really wasnt a well bunny. he's all sorted now after a breif spell in a hospital where he was drained and reinflated and generally given an overhall and i know he is now firmly back in the saddle feeling like a different human being, thank god. big thanks to margaret from sparklehorse who stepped in to fill the breach for the 3 shows that he missed - a true godsend!

the last person i have to thank for playing such a blinding roll in making this all happen without any pain is rob bochnik who is playing guitar on this tour. rob for those that have been asking, is a man that we met whilst recording in chicago in electrical audio - he's an engineer there (and rather a splendid one at that) and he learnt all the songs real quick and said that he'd come out on this tour cause he knew we were down a guitarist right now and fancyed getting out from behind the mixing desk and seeing the sun for a few weeks... he has been amazing and i think he is enjoying himself on the road as much as we are enjoying having him on board. thanks rob - you are a true gent.

right then - without further ado - this is the list of gigs left to do still and other news various -

feb 28th shubas, chicago - headline show with dan sullivan supporting. if you havent got your tickets already i suggest you seriously get your finger out cause theyre pretty much all gone.
march
1 headliners club, louisville in kentucky.
Details: tickets: $8 advance (purchased at Headliners or Ground Zero) / 10 day of show
Headliners 1386 Lexington Rd. in the bend of the road on the left after Payne St., directions are on their website at
www.headlinersmusic.com
Driver Jim (solo guitar and drum machine) 10 p.m.
Seluah (4 piece trance-groove) 10:45
Frames 11:45

3,4,5,6 we will be going into electrical audio to record some new songs with rob (with both his engineer and guitarists head on!)
8 bottom of the hill, san francisco. we are playing support to dead low tide and pleasure forever. we should be on around the 10pm mark. tix available from b.o.t.h.'s website.
9 knitting factory, LA - The Frames 9pm -9:30, Penny Hewson 9:45pm - 10:15pm, Mini Bar 10:30pm, David Bridie 11;30pm
11 a show in tucson tbc
14 scottish rite theatre as part of the overcoat showcase for sxsw. we should be on around the 10pm mark.
15 2pm - 2.50pm tower records instore, austin texas
16/17 fly home and happy paddys day!

then the glen shows in ireland which will all be supported by singer/songwriter mark geary www.markgeary.com from new york (but he is irish....)

march
25 auntie annies, belfast
26 and 27 spirit store, dundalk
28 mcgarrigles, sligo
april
2 and 3 the lobby, cork
4 and 5 cleeres hotel, kilkenny
6 dolans warehouse, limerick
7 roisin dubhs, galway

tickets should be on sale for these ones from now onwards. you should phone the venues to check availabillity.

for those that are desperate in ireland for a frames fix (probably the only one this side of july due to lack of time in the homelands) keep bank holiday monday may 6th free....will announce stuff as soon as its sorted.

plans for oz are chugging along nicely too for the time between may 8th and june 10th... more as i work it out and put it to bed.

june 12th london the garage
june 14th - july 4th hungary/austria/czech/slovak - dates tba but real soon ill have that sorted so some of you can start booking your holidays......

couple of great reviews up on:
www.sxu.edu/xavierite
http://www.hotpress.com in their newsfeed section
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20386-2002Jan9.html
http://www.indystar.com/article.php?lindq13.html

things i have been asked to pass on and of worthy note:
mush's band wallmark are playing whelans on the 13th march - tix and more details via their site http://www.wallmark.moonfruit.com
and
Warchild Gig on behalf of the honourable Michael Christopher.
Monday 4th March
Bank of Ireland Theatre, NUI, Galway.
Doors 5:30pm (finishes by 8pm as certain people have another gig to play that night!)
Label, Colm Quearney, Martin Finke, Paul O Reilly, Elton Mullally, Ger Barry, Vincent Cross and perhaps anybody else that is playing in Galway that night... ;)
tickets are 10 Euro (£7.87) and go on sale from the students union from tomorrow Monday 25th February.
for more details contact, sean@independentsounds.net

right - back to me laundry... does it ever stop?! love to all. cx
and - oh honourable one - you are constantly in our thoughts... rest well