We've split up!
The reasons are varied I guess but whatever, yeah?
We've been in this band, in it's many forms, since June 2000 and it's had it's ups and downs to say the least but I wouldn't have changed anything about it apart from, no that'd take too long.
Until last year, Written From Negative was the only band I'd personally ever been in so it's been almost my life for 6 years - even before I met White and Hess I was telling people I was already in a band so thank god they came along otherwise I'd have just looked a bit, special, more so.
We've gone from being three lads in college playing really, really badly to doing tours, releasing a record on a pretty damn niffty German label, being plugged by John Peel (RIP you lovely man!)! and above anything else meeting loads of different people that we'd otherwise have never have had the privilege of meeting. We thank the lot of you.
I'm not one for talking all that much so I'll shut up now with all that stuff.
I'm now going to attempt to write a thank you list - I'll try not to miss you off I promise. This is in no order, but if you're on the top line, you probably meant more (awwwwwww, only kidding :) )
The Double Down Collective: Graham Wales, Martin Cleeve and not so much Colin Quine (waa - waaa), Mark Anderson and Andrew White (Whitey), Cries and Wild Eyes (we love you), Ingo at Company With The Golden Arm (THE hardest working man in showbiz!), Sasha, James Jam, The Rest (yep, technically two thank yous), This Aint Vegas, Mansions of Glory, Ang, Mercury League, James (Jimbo), little Dave, Steve, Arron, Kirsty, Amy, Doom, Ally, Drawn By Lines, Paul Marshall, 3rd Planetarium Fiya, Tubers, From My Cold Dead Hands, Steve Jackson and Bombed Out Records, Big Scary Monsters records, Adam Gilhespy and Paper Cut Out, Jan, Eniac, Concentration Champ, Turtle Tim, Dawn and Lauren, Henry Carden, Dartz!, New Lev Yashin, Open Season, Pete Dale, Congo Freestate, First Flight Home, Vandalism (for THAT night, I have the tape, it's crackers), Field Music, Futureheads, Owian, Jarv and Dugong, Joe 90, CJ and Rock Royalty, Andreas in Copenhagen, Behind The Station in Arnsberg Germany, Monika and her little gang in Hamburg who looked after us on our last tour (we thank you a lot, that night out to the Puddle was incredible!!).
If I've missed anyone off, very sorry.
Thanks to everyone that's ever said nice things about us, played gigs with us, loaned us gear, put us on gigs, put up with us, feed us, guided us, advised us that it was never a good idea. yadda yadda, you know, etc etc.
We'll be playing our last Sunderland gig hopefully in April so we'd very much appreciate you turning up to see us off.
Thank you very much
Anthony, Hess, Kevin, White and Quine
X
We Will Leave This City Better, Greater and More Beautiful Than It Was Left To Us
WE KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE IN A BLUEPRINT
NOTHING WAS BUILT FOR THE TOURIST
COMPOSITIONS AN ARCHITECT COULDN'T FACE
NOTHING LASTS WHEN IT'S ALL THE SAME
I NEED A PLACE WHERE I CAN REALISE THAT
A PLACE WHERE I CAN IMAGINE THAT
A PLACE WHERE I CAN SAY I'M SOMEONE
SOMEWHERE THAT'S ALWAYS BETTER THAN THE LAST ONE
WE WILL LEAVE THIS CITY BETTER, THAN IT WAS LEFT TO US
GO ON DANCE AROUND YOUR CHALK LINES
RUB THEM OUT AS I DON'T TAKE SIDES
LIKE BLIND DOGS IN QUEUES WE STAY!
GROW UP TRYING TO AVOID WORKING CLASS CLICHES
Hidden Thirteens
I'VE STARTED TO BALANCE OUT MEANING
MY PAPER-WEIGHT LEGS ARE TOO LIGHT FOR FOOTPRINTS
I'M TOO EAGER TO SIT STRIAGHT BACK DOWN
I'M NOT ABLE TO MAKE SUCH A DIFFERENCE
I TRIED TO SWEETEN MY WATER
TO TRY AND COAX OUT DIABETES
IT LEFT NOTHING BUT A DRY SPOT
SOMETIMES MOVEMENT IS NEVER APPEALING
I WANTED TO TEACH, BUT I CAN'T BE TAUGHT
I WANTED TO LEAD, BUT THESE FEET WON'T WALK
I WANTED TO MOVE WITH NO MEANS TO A FAULT
JUST TRYING IT IS HARD, IM PART-TIME IN HIDDEN THIRTEENS
BREATH STUCK IN A REVOLVING DOOR
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN SHORT ON MY TIMING
IT SOMETIMES GETS HOT BEHIND THIS MUZZLE
THIS HURDLE'S TOO HIGH TO JUMP
I WANTED TO TEACH, BUT I CAN'T BE TAUGHT
I WANTED TO LEAD, BUT THESE FEET WON'T WALK
I WANTED TO MOVE WITH NO MEANS TO A FAULT
JUST TRYING IT IS HARD, IM PART-TIME IN HIDDEN THIRTEENS
YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO SEE PROGRESSION
I LOOKED UP AND SAID ''IN WHAT DIRECTION?''
HIDDEN THIRTEENS
