Posted on June 28, 2010 - by Giles Bidder

Cynics Tour Diary June 2010

Giles Bidder

Giles Bidder aka “Cynics” recently released his first EP “Stones I’ve Thrown” through Happy Days Records and completed a mini tour with Laura Stevenson and ex-Lightyear singer Chas Palmer-Williams. Giles kindly kept a brief Tour diary exclusively for Distorted Magazine.

London – 16th June 2010

A typically rushed, last minute organising day. After running around what felt like the whole of London and taking what seemed like every bus and tube in London, I had an amp and had got to South of the Border in Old Street.

The show was £8 in so I knew it wouldn’t be rammed, but I played to a handful of people and made the most of it. Laura Stevenson was absolutely incredible. I can’t believe her voice actually exists; it’s like you’ve been punched in the throat by Thor wearing a cotton hand.

The only downer was that Laura didn’t get paid. When someone comes all the way from America to play in my town, risking their own personal finance and sanity, it sucks to see them be put an extra inch into the ground.

I tried using my beer token to get a double whiskey and coke in a pint glass at the bar. I figured that I might as well buy the most expensive drink I could; something I thought was a fair – if not genius – thing to do. Unfortunately it didn’t work and I ended up having to pay £7.30 for the one drink.

Derby – 17th June 2010

I like Derby. It’s a typically grey town, given some colour by Rob and Dean who bring awesome bands to their otherwise mundane home.

Joe (who was driving) and I arrived a few hours early so we explored around. We went to the shopping centre and discovered Derby is populated by some amazingly pretty girls (mostly around the H&M and New Look). I also found that Wetherspoons sell Root Beer! Who would have thought?!

The show was in a coffee shop that sold beer, all was good. I lived out a teenage dream by playing guitar for Chas on Lightyear’s song ‘Positive Outlook’ and a dude got fully naked showing off his dick-piercing.

Laura Stevenson played ‘The Landslide Song’ and her cover of Bomb The Music Industry’s ‘It Ceases To Be Whining…’ after I politely asked her to. I was stoked.

At some point in the early morning, some streaking with a green smoke grenade attached to the spine occured. Police became present, but Chas used his tour manager skills to woo them. Success.

Thanks Rob and Dean!

Exeter – 18th June 2010

A few days before the London show, Chas had hurt his leg skateboarding. It was doing okay until waking up in Derby, when it was so swelled it looked like a balloon full of purple goo. He went to the doctor’s who told him to stay at home, so he skipped on the Exeter date.

After the boring drive down and watching England (football world cup) not have the ability to keep the ball longer than 15 seconds on a TV at the pub, I opened the show. My mum lives in Devon so she came along and gave me the ‘two beers only’ rule. Cheers for looking out for me, ma!

Swansea – 19th June 2010

Joe and I met up with Chas again for the last show which was in Exist skate shop. I haven’t seen a skate film in years, so it was nice to hang out and watch a bunch in the store.

It was a BYOB deal which was cool and during a song, Chas went into a fitting room re-appearing nude. Classic.

We had to shoot off early and missed a boozy night, but cheers for Rhys for setting it up.

Big thanks to Chas, Bob and Joe.

Order “Stones I’ve Thrown” 7″ EP at happydaysrecords.bigcartel.com

Cynics will be performing an in store show at Banquet Records on the 29th June before a full show with Chas Palmer Williams from Lightyear (RIP) and Sean P. Rogan from Big D & The Kids at The Fighting Cocks in Kingston in the evening from 7pm.