So, Simon & the three Sues - all down in Dorset - recording, writing - walking by the sea and getting it together.
"Shall we " - I ask , " Put a record out on 7" vinyl?" - " Does anyone have those record players these days ?" - Jesus, I don't know - we'd best find out.

Indeed, things have been quiet - but that does not neccessarily mean nothing has been happening. So, the new Disco Student sound is nearly ready for human consumption.
Simon, along with Sue Haphazard, Sue Murderforce and Sue Undeniable have been writing and recording.
The results are somewhat astonishing. Four songs : "My Secretary", "Black Girlfriend", " We are Disco Student" and " Taken As Read" are in the mixing stage. Release date : Autumn 2005.

Heard a mix of "The Most Handsome Man on TV" today. All together a newer, heavier sound. Not unlike Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols - sounds really good. Hope you like our new direction.....

We've just recorded a demo of "Mark E Smith's Dead" and "The Most Handsome Man on TV" - the songs are being mixed, we'll see what we think then go into the studio to record them for the next release.
On another note, a solo Disco Student project is ongoing. I take to the stage in May for a couple of performances at The Dublin Castle, Camden on 11th May and The Wasted Punk Festival in Morecambe on 19th. I've written and recorded some solo songs - "My Secretary", "Nice Little Bust" amongst them, and a batch of "Rock Poetry" - all available for viewing at : www.freewebs.com/rockpoet2005.
Somewhat inspired by Stanley Green, the Protein Man who tramped up and down Oxford Street in the 1970's warning all who'd listen of the perils of too much protein.
Hope you like my new direction......

The new website is now live - www.discostudents.com - it contains the history of the group, photos etc - lots more from the archives to come.
We are now complete again - Gary James has joined the DS - so we're now ready to record and play live again. Gary's style is bigger and stronger than we've had before - fits in well with the new material.

Feeling somewhat "loved up" tonight - not sure why. Suddenly feel my albatross of cynicism has been felled by lead shot - don't worry dear reader, this state of unmelancholy will not last.
New website ( marshalled by my goodself) will be on air soon - and it's going to be good.
I like the fact that the reviews section will contain ALL DS reviews - including the misguided fools who think the DS are bad. Must go.

First blog update of 2005. The Live in New York record is out and has received a few good reviews. Not being particularly au fait with the current music scene - we have been mentioned in the same breath as a number of groups I've never heard of. Oh yeah, a somewhat over enthusiastic reviewer reckons we are responsible for The Gang of Four. And Franz Ferdinand.
He was something to do with the Great War. The history O Level has come in useful.
I've just recorded 5 songs onto my digital recording set-up. "Kitchen Sink Disco", "North Is Bad", "My Secretary", "Nice Little Bust" and "Black Girlfriend" were all recorded during a couple of days in sunny Bridport, Dorset.

The Live CD is out - and has already received a couple of decent reviews. We've had a first workout with Jon G on guitar - sound ok, but more work to be done. Looking at recording "Mark E Smith's Dead" and "The Most Handsome Man on TV" for the next single. I think the decision has been made to only play live dates where there seems to be something to be gained.

The Live in New York CD has arrived . The fifth Disco Students release, it will "officially" be let loose into the community next month - it is labelled 2005.
We had our first rehearsal with Jon Greenough last week - more to come.
The early plans for 2005 is the recording of a new CD - and some live dates - probably at the end of February.
I've treated myself to a digital recording unit and a Korg MS000 - as used by The Fall, I'm informed - the idea being to create close to finished product from here, my very own room.

Jon Greenough is back. The Disco Students guitarist from 1980-82+ returns to the cause.
Our first rehearsal with the new line-up will be soon.

One thing that has crossed my mind as I write this blog is "Does anyone actually read this?"
Perhaps, as an experiment you'd email me at simonred@msn.com and just say, "Yeah- I do".
Well, I've got the test pressing from the CD company - and it sounds good. There's a few bits and pieces to finish on the cover, then "9-8/9/10/11" will be ready for release.

We're a man down. After the performance at POP on Tuesday night, Kevin our guitarist told me he was leaving the group.
You've picked a fine time to leave me Lucille.
We have the Live in New York CD ready for release next week, and plans are already being made for the recording of "Most Handsome Man On TV" and "Mark E Smith's Dead" as well as "The Homecoming" gig in Aylesbury on 7th January.
Initially, I was in two minds what to do - to pull the plug on The Disco Students and call it a day? Or say "Bollocks - let's get on with it".
I have chosen the latter.
We had always said if one of us felt they needed a break - that would be fine - we'd simply put the Disco Students on the back burner for a few weeks.
It is such a bloody waste - all the work, money and time we've all put in to write the new material and hone it into a tight, energetic set.
But there we are - The Disco Students will continue!!

There's a bit of a hold up regarding the pressing of the new CD. The people in Scotland who are working on it are all down with flu and lost voices. Oh well, I'm sure they'll soon be cured and things will be working normally again. We play at POP in Soho Street tomorrow night - Tuesday 2nd November. We return a month after a 3 man DS had to make excuses and leave.

9-8/9/10/11 - The Disco Students Live in New York 2004 - uhhuh5, will be released in just over a week. The sleeve looks great - done in the style of a New York subway sign. I went down to Sudbury last week, to the House of Sound - a small studio run by New Zealander Campbell Downie. We spent a few hours tidying the recording up - and it sounds good to me.
My friend John Catlett has done the cover - all very nice.
So, we await the results - the master and the artwork have been sent up to Muirhead in Scotland for pressing. More news soon!

Been bit of a strange time at Lake Disco Student. A spot of the old internals - but now all is ok.
We had to cancel the gig at Eyelash @ POP - at the very last moment. The live CD from New York is in the process of being released - should be out in a couple of weeks. I'm really pleased with it , it's a tad rough and ready, but I think it is far more representative of The Disco Students than the GLD EP was.
We're now looking at recording our next studio record - "The Most Handsome Man On TV" and "Mark E. Smith's Dead" look like being two of the tracks with one other.

It's going to be a busy Autumn for The Disco Students. The live New York CD - "9/8.9.10.11" is going to contain eight songs - from our performance at Pianos on 9th September. Hopefully,it'll be out in a month or so. We've lined up four more dates for October and November and we're planning to go into a studio to record a new three track CD. Looks like "Most Handsome Man on TV" and "Mark E. Smith's Dead" will definitely be included, with one extra song to be decided upon. We had to pull out of our gig at Eyelash at POP last week - the first time The Disco Students have ever had to cancel. We're also looking at playing at The Limelight Theatre in Aylesbury on 7th January - "The Homecoming".

Back from New York - a really good trip. CBGB's is really unique - although the place was far from full, the atmosphere are feel of the place is amazing. The ghosts of Johnny Thunders and the spirit of Patti Smith looked over us. The other three dates, Piano's, Siberia and The Continental were great as well. We recorded a couple of the performances abd now we're planning a three track live EP to commemorate the visit. The other bands and indeed the people at the venues all made us very welcome - making it a successful visit. Away from the clubs we used the days to do all the usual NYC tourist stuff. Who knows, we may well return one day.

We're getting it together. Three really good performances in a row - Salisbury, Marquee Hertford and yesterday at The Rock Garden. We've trimmed the deadwood from the songs - introduced a band new song "Mark E Smith's Dead" and brought back "Lake Superior " - from 1982.
The sampler is working well as is the megaphone .
Off to New York tomorrow for four nights - just read a preview in The Village Voice - we're old, smug and full of Brit-Wit , they're spot on.

A good performance at The Old Ale House, Salisbury . So good ,
the local newspaper The Salisbury Echo thought we were "not bad" - hey, hey !
The gig saw the debut of the sampler , which worked well.
We've taken the editing scissors to the set, cutting off the fleshy bits - we're now left with a tight, no-nonsense collection of songs - and we're about to add a couple of new compositions.
"Mark E. Smith's Dead" and "My Favourite Slit" could well make into the set for our next run of dates.
Another thing we're looking at is arranging a performance in Aylesbury - I'm visiting a couple of venues this week to see if it's feasible.
This coming Thursday we're at The Marquee in Hertford .

It's not only the football season that begins this week - The Disco Students commence a new season, having rested for a couple of months. We play tomorrow night at The Old Ale House in Salisbury - and the performance sees the debut of the sampler - just a couple of decades behind everyone else, we tip our toes into the technological waters.
Morale is high in the DS camp, we have three dates confirmed before our trip to New York, and there's talk of some kind of link up with Lauren Harries. For those who are unaware, Lauren was once James, the precocious antiques "expert" who , briefly in the late 80's and early 90's amazed TV viewers ( me included) with his , well, I don't know quite what.
Predictably, he had a sex-change operation and is now Lauren. The Disco Students have taken the liberty of using her image on our new posters - and we have contacted her to see if she'd be up for a touch of multi-media cross pollenation - you know the kind of thing. We'll see.