Superman Revenge Squad

I was interviewed after I played in Luton the other week, and it's turned up on the Bedfordshire on Sunday website - paints quite a bleak picture of me though! -

"THE BIG INTERVIEW: SUPERMAN REVENGE SQUAD

BY HAYLEY O'KEEFFE

The Superman Revenge Squad is a funny one, a self confessed 'Squad of One' Ben Parker's lack of friends only serve to add to the melancholic air of his live shows and self effacing quality of his lyrics.Sometimes it is alright for people to 'go it alone,' sometimes it does them good, but when Ben sits on that stage, with his battered guitar you can't help but feel that it's not doing him any favours at all.

Far from musically however, the Superman Revenge Squad is pure anti-folk genius and sometimes in a mean way I find myself relieved that he is sad - sometimes because that's what makes his music so brilliant.

Ben said: "I don't try and sound like an anti-folk act although I do like that type of music.

"I have played in London with other anti-folk artists and I like it alot, I think that anti-folk isn't so much a scene sound, I think that it's more a movement of people."

Interviewing Ben Parker on his first trip to Luton, he told me: "I like it very much, I think I might move here, it's so convenient for the trains.

"I'm envious, seriously."

Indeed his songs speak of his distaste for homestead Croydon in a heart wrenching way, especially 'Kate Moss and tramps.' I suppose Ben views Croydon in the way that most people hate their home town and he strangely, depressingly gravitates back there".

Read it all here: http://www.mk-news.co.uk/bedsonsunday-leisure-thescene/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=332443

There was also a review of the gig, that turned up last week:

"Exciting bands and well-priced drinks

LIVE REVIEW: SUPERMAN REVENGE SQUAD, HM RATCATCHERS

BY HAYLEY O'KEEFFE

@ George II Pub, Luton
July 2008

Once again the George II pub presents two exciting bands all for however much you want to spend on beer... and the beer is actually quite cheap.

First up is Superman Revenge Squad who from their name sound like they are going to be a they. They are actually not a they at all.

One man with a guitar sidles up to the stage and the pub echoes with resounding indifference, that is until he starts playing the most beautiful lyrics music outside New York.

Anyone who is familiar with Antifolk hero Jeff Lightning Lewis will know that no one does a catchy lyrics based song quite like he. Superman Revenge Squad takes these sensibilities and makes them typically British, coating them with cobbled streets and reservoirs.

The songs are as scathing as they are fabulous and you find yourself transfixed by the stories and feelings created by his spectacular plinky acoustic guitar and his bang-on-themoney lo-fi vocals.

Superman Revenge Squad is never going to be a superstar, but this does nothing to quell his attempt at pure genius.

HM Ratcatchers have a decidedly hard act to follow as they set up.

Luton's very own anti-White Stripes, the two-piece seem to want to fit as many instruments (including one of those keyboards with a mouthpiece that children have) into their set as possible with tantalising results.

Despite their meagre number the band fill the room like one twice their size.

Tales of the sea ensue with some new material to boot proving that the Ratcatchers have perfected their own unique sound.

Gone are the days of indie pop and for an hour or so in the George II we can all pretend it never even existed".

Read it all here: http://www.mk-news.co.uk/bedsonsunday-leisure-thescene/displayarticle.asp?id=330479

- Actually, the most fascinating thing about my trip to Luton was a man sitting opposite me on the train going home, that was reading a car magazine whilst wearing surgical gloves. It was quite unsettling.

Yeah - this week I've played three quite different gigs:

1. A set at the Croydon festival last Saturday, where I failed to finish the third part of the Croydon trilogy in time, but people seemed happy with parts 1 and 2, and I'm not sure part 3 would have been suitable for the children watching anyway (I was already warned that "When Everyone's Dead" might not have been ideal as it features the word "twat", but I don't think the kids were paying that much attention really so it was okay).

2. Played in marylebone on Friday with the great MJ Hibbett, who I've wanted to see for ages - mainly because I sometimes get compared to him; he's much funnier than me though.

3. I played in the N1 shopping centre in Islington at 12.30 this morning, which was interesting - people seemed to enjoy it and I gave away the CDs I had and had to write down the website address for this website for one bloke - if you're reading this now, em, hello. The sun stayed out for it too, which was nice as it would have been a much less enjoyable experience in the rain.

Extra gigs coming up: looks like I'm playing a church in Gypsy Hill on 31st July - I'll add the details when it's confirmed. Oh, and another gig to add is 8th September, where I should be playing with Jack Mountain (who is great, his last album is fantastic; google him now and have a listen) at the Windmill in Brixton. Again I'll add the details when all is sorted.

Second practice with the band on Tuesday this week - last week went pretty well; Angriest Dog with piano and no guitar is sounding different but in a good way I think.

Recently I've become addicted to an Iron & Wine album I brought in the zavvi sale - Our Endless numbered days - anyone suggest another album by them/him that is worth getting? Anyone?

Ben

Well, it's not been the best gigging week for SRS to be honest - I had two gigs cancelled one day after another! And I travelled all the way to Birmingham and back for one of them, which was a little bit annoying. Still, I got to catch up with an old friend in Moseley, so that lessened the annoyance a little.

But it looks like I might actually have a band to play with for my birthday gig, which is quite exciting. Hopefully we'll start practicing, and working out what we're actually going to do to my songs, next week. My brother's playing drums, so we might SRS up a Nosferatu D2 song maybe; we'll see. I'll keep you updated on the progress of the band on this site.

Croydon Festival in two days - just trying to decide witch songs to fill my 12 minutes with at the moment. Wondering if I can fit four songs in... hmmm. I'm on at 5.45, if you're about in Croydon. It's free to get in. And if it's raining, I think the stage I'm on is the only one with a roof.

I brought "On Leaving" by Nina Nastasia for two pounds in the Zavvi sale the other day. It's great. If anyone can suggest another album by her to get, please let me know...

Ben

Hey, some people in California have recorded a version of one of my songs - hear The Angriest Dog in the World with a different accent here:

http://www.myspace.com/ragamuffinisill

Played upstairs at the Betsy Trotwood on Friday which was really nice. Special thanks go to the guy that came up to me afterwords to say that he really like it, but that when he saw me before he thought I was rubbish. And thanks to Stagecoach for asking me to play.

Loads of gigs added. Including the Croydon Summer Festival, where I'm playing the Community stage at 5.45 for 12 minutes. I'm gonna try to complete 'the Croydon Trilogy' for it I think - part 3 is a tale of someone travelling back to Croydon from london drunk and depressed and was inspired by a man in a suit that sat opposite me on a trip from New Cross to Croydon years ago and continually vomited down his nice white shirt. The songs called "The Access Self Storage Means We're Nearly Home" and it's been a work in progress for ages now - maybe me mentioning it on here might make me finish the thing...

Currently I'm trying to find a cello player to play with on my birthday - my brother's gonna drum on a few songs, maybe some other people will play as well if I think of them and ask them.. it should be good! Please let me know if you know anyone that would be interested in playing!!

Am addicted to the new Bonnie Prince Billy record at the moment - get Lie Down in the Light, it's a right winner.

Hello,

If you've got a spare moment, please could you go to this site and vote for me to play the Green Man Festival (if you're extra keen you can actually vote everyday for some reason):

http://www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk/greenpoll/artist/superman-revenge-squad

It would be grand to be able to play the festival!

Thanks to people that came to the gig last night in Marylebone - it was good - for those that didn't come, you can actually watch the whole thing on the internet here:

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/467824

I played a brand new song, called "I'm Gonna Go to bed and when I wake up I'm gonna be someone else" that I wrote most of the lyrics for the night before - listening back to it now I like it. Have a watch.

Ben