L'Etranger - Radio in Brussels

Here's a fine radio show. Three D/S tracks played in one night. An interesting show, to be sure.

Graham Hocking:

Hi, I am contacting you to inform you of some very sad news.  Graham Hocking, the ex-drummer and one of the founding members of The Disco Students tragically died of Lung Cancer on 23/12/09 in Halifax in the arms of his wonderful wife Debbie (who he married just a few days before).  He faced, and dealt with the disease honourably; with humour and dignity.

Graham lived in Yorkshire and spent 18 years in the Meat trade.  He then lived in Barrow In Furness (Cumbria), where he worked with people with Learning Disabilities.  A job in which he excelled. He possessed endless patience, people skills and humour that this required.  It was during this time (about 10-11 years ago) that I worked with Graham, and found that we shared a mutual interest in drumming.  We spent a great portion of our shifts together laughing and joking, telling tales of when we were in bands and drumming on the table and annoying everyone!

The news of his illness devastated all who knew him, yet the last time I spoke to him he laughed and joked just like the Graham everyone had got to know and love.  Every time I picture Gra, he always has a big grin on his face!  That is the enduring image I will always have in my mind.  I can truly say that he touched many lives, and was adored by a great many people, and he will be very sadly missed.  I had the honour of attending his funeral in Halifax (where he later moved to), and the tributes read out by mourners ALL said the same things; that Graham had the qualities of sense of humour, of having endless patience, of making people feel special, of being intelligent, and that he was an all round great, nice bloke.

I, and all who had the honour of knowing Graham will miss his presence greatly, and can't believe he's left us before he was meant to.  To Debbie, and Gra's family, I extend my deepest sympathy at this sad time.

God Bless You Graham.  You're a pure Diamond,

Dave

Graham Hocking - R.I.P.

Here's a nice link.  My secret?  Consistency - note the same world weary scowl from 1978 still being used to great effect in 2009.
http://www.aylesburyfriars.co.uk/friarsheroesdiscostudents.html

Plans are in place for the DS to play some dates in Germany - February 2010. Siggi, a friend of the group from way back is on the case, and we are looking to play 2 nights in Berlin and the same in Hamburg with the possibility of 1 or 2 dates in Holland. More news as and when.

Onwards.......  the next project is a 12 track CD - provisionally titled "30 Years Singing In The Wrong Key".
This will contain the following: Rough Trade/ Platform Boots/RU Karl Burns/ Mitten on a Railing/ Stormy Sea/ When Girls Sleep/ My Girlfriend's Fiance/ Fire at Earth Records/ I Met My Girlfriend at a Friars Gig/ My Wasp Synthesiser/Daddy Don't Drink So Much/ I Never Noticed You Until You Wore That Fantastic Bra.
I'm working on it now - looking for an early 2010 release.

Lots of news , reviews and photos from the Friars gig on YouTube and the Friars site: www.aylesburyfriars.co.uk
I was pleased with the performance - we did what we were intending to. Mission completed.
Here's a photo of an over excited fellow receiving his 'Friars Hero Award'

The set for the recent gigs, and for Friars is :
1. Song For Mark E Smith/Mark E Smith's Dead
2. Kafkaesque
2. South Africa House
4. Mark E Smith Wannabe
5. The Most Handsome Man On TV
6.. I Ain't Been With No Prostitute
7.. Fire At Earth Records
8.. I Met My Girlfriend At A Friars Gig
9. We're All Gonna Die .

Two songs from 1979 - two from the last month - the others spanning the history of the DS.

We've played two warm up gigs - at the Bull & Gate, and Wendover Arms - and all's well. We've got the set right, and the group is working well.  The single will be ready in a couple of days - it's already available as a download. 

Here's the sleeve for the new single. Designed by Kris Needs.  It is a good thing. The single will be back from the pressing plant in around 10 days - I'm just sorting out the ITunes release.  We're off to the charts.

We've just recorded the two tracks for the single - 'I Met My Girlfriend At A Friars Gig'  and 'Fire At Earth Records'.  Kris Needs has been good enough to design the cover, David Stopps has recorded the intro - and I'm so pleased with the results.
We recorded the songs at Appletree studios in rural Ludgershall. Years ago, I wouldn't have entertained using a studio in a little Bucks village - I'd have insisted on being in London - you know, at the centre of everything. Isn't it interesting looking back at yourself? The record is now being pressed, and will be ready in around 10 days.

We are recording the single on the 24th September. There'll be two songs - "I met my girlfriend at a Friars gig"  and "There's a fire at Earth Records". There will be 500 copies presses on vinyl - then it will be available on ITunes. Kris Needs has agreed to design the sleeve.  The plan is to get the record into the charts. It can be done.

There'll be a D/S 'Lyric Archive' on the main website soon - http://www.discostudents.com/
I've had loads of notebooks and folders full of lyrics, ideas etc from 1977 to the present day, so I've been writing them up to put online.
We've just had a new date confirmed - Friday 16th October , The Wendover Arms in High Wycombe.

We are rehearsing for a flurry of live appearances during October - three in all. The Hope & Anchor, Islington on Thursday 8th, The Bull&Gate, Kentish Town on Sunday 11th then Friars, Aylesbury on Friday 23rd.

The new D/S line up is on the go. We have two London gigs in early October prior to the Friars appearance. There is a possibility of a 7" vinyl release to coincide with the Friars date. We'll have to see.

The Disco Students will play at Friars Club, Aylesbury on 23rd October 2009 - as part of the Friars' 40th Anniversary. The D/S will be sharing the stage with Penetration and Stiff Little Fingers. All the information is on the Friars site.

Here's something from a Blog relating to the DS.
http://lowdownkids.blogspot.com/2009/06/disco-students-spokesman-for-redhead.html

Not completely accurate - but interesting, none the less. SC no longer a 'professional redhead' by the way.

Two new songs are now on the MySpace site: www.myspace.com/2006discostudents
They are 'I Met My Girlfriend At A Friars Gig' and 'Platform Boots'.