Reviews

March 2008
"Everybody Pays Cash"

Album Cover
Well, the third album ‘Everybody Pays Cash’ was released late last year and is already garnering rave reviews:

“Rhythm Thieves are the genuine article [and] prove that you can still create meaningful music and have loads of fun doing it... Everybody Pays Cash by The Rhythm Thieves is a great little album firmly in the folk/rock stylee; there's some excellent songs and they're performed extremely well... It’s bright, entertaining and a very pleasant change from the more usual kinda stuff I tend to hear.”
(Toxic Pete, Independent Reviewer) Read Full Review

“lively folk-rock with touches of 1970s funk soul, progressive rock, great songs and a sense of fun...a highly entertaining album with a varied sound and some interesting styles...definitely well worth your time”
(Woven Wheat Whispers, Online Folk Community) Read Full Review

It has also been heavily featured on Genevieve Tudor’s BBC Radio Midlands Sunday Folk show and on Johnny Coppin’s BBC Radio Gloucestershire Folk Roots show. So what are you waiting for? BUY IT NOW, either by mail order or by download.

March 2007
Disco-Folk(TM), nuns and submarine noises

Hello RT peeps – it’s good to be back.

As you may have noticed, the RT has been a strictly ‘off-line’ enterprise this previous 12 months while the website was re-jigged. However, we are now up and running, bigger and brighter than ever before. Big thanks to John Hartley for a job well done.

So what’s been happening? You may have heard of drummer Rob’s close shave with a defibrillator last August.

Well, every cloud having a silver lining and all that, Rob took his near-death experience as an excuse to ditch the heavy, cumbersome old acoustic drum kit in favour of an easy-to-carry-bells-and-whistles new electronic drum kit (a Roland TD6KW V-Drum kit for those of you into such things). It gave its inaugural performance on Genevieve Tudor's BBC Radio Midlands Folk Show Xmas Special in December (see photo), while the general public were given the chance to marvel at the submarine noises and cymbals that go “Oh Yeah” at our early March gigs - the Maverick on the 9th and the Malthouse on the 10th.

Rob's New Drums!

Also unveiled at the March gigs was an entirely new genre in the musical canon, Disco-Folk(TM) (copyright RT 2007), aided in no small part by Rob’s cymbals that go “Oh Yeah”. Think Gloria Gaynor with Morris bells. Impossible to resist, the audience just couldn’t help but get low down and dirty to the folkadelic grooves. A whole new concept in adult entertainment! Talking of which...

Those in attendance at the gigs could not have failed to notice demure, mild-mannered flautist Ms Jill Ireland in nun’s outfit and fishnets. It seems as though brother Phil “mad preacher” Fermor was in need of some sisterly assistance for the spreading of his peace, love and Disco-Folk(TM) message. Many thanks to Bilston Foxy Lady for providing said nun’s outfit.

Nun

Not to be outdone, guitarist John has been busy these last few months assembling a motley collection of adult-themed pedals with rib-ticklingly witty names such as “Big Muff” and noises as weirdly unpredictable as anything that Rob can muster on his electronic drums. And we haven’t even heard the banjo through them yet!

In the words of Elvis Presley’s first manager Sam Moore, “if only I could find a white man who sounded like a nun making submarine noises with her big muff – I could make a million!”

So what’s on the horizon? Well, the 3rd album for one thing. Rest assured, eager RT peeps, that, in an effort to chivvy him along, Mark has now been chained to the mixing desk in the control room of Willow Bank studios, only being allowed to come out between the hours of sunset and sunrise for feeding and watering. We can promise you that it will be worth the wait...

As far as gigs go, you can catch us peddling our demonic Disco-Folk(TM) wares at the Hop Pole in Bromsgrove on 5th April, the Chindit in Wolverhampton on 20th April, and the Floor in Tenbury Wells on 11th May. We also have the Leintwardine 'Save The Children' Festival in South Shropshire on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th July, which promises to be a grand day out for all of the family.

February 2006
End of one year, start of another...

Well, wasn't 2005 a great year for the 'Thieves, playing alongside performers as diverse as the Oysterband, television gardener Monty Don, John Challis (a.k.a. Boycie from Only Fools and Horses), Nizlopi, Benji Kirkpatrick and (perhaps most bizarrely of all)with Mark E. Smith's The Fall at a wedding in Yorkshire!

And we still found the time to release a RT-featuring Tsunami Benefit Concert CD on our own record label, to headline at several festivals (including Much Wenlock's 'Festival at the Edge') and to perform twice on Genevieve Tudor's BBC Radio Midlands Folk Show (premiering the exclusively composed 'Merry Xmas Radio Midlands' on the Xmas Special show). Phew!

So what does 2006 hold?

Hay-on-Wye castle Well, as we speak we are busy recording the 3rd studio album on our new digital 24-track recording studio. It should be available for public consumption sometime this summer and will be the best one yet! Those of a romantic disposition might be curious to hear that we will be headlining at the One Stop Music Festival within the grounds of Hay-on-Wye castle on July 15th 2006. Also look out for a major web-site revamp sometime soon. Watch this space...

December 2005
Rhythm Thieves play with The Fall at top-secret wedding gig!!!

John Peel's favourite band, Mark E. Smith's 'The Fall', did the unthinkable by playing at a wedding at Scarborough Spa Complex on Sat 17th September. The event was a closely guarded secret, the secret being shared only by best man and organiser Harmesh, wedding band The Rhythm Thieves (whose gear The Fall borrowed) and Radio One producer Louise Kattenhorn, who also attended. And the Fall proved themselves to be all 'round good guys by doing the gig for no fee.

Check out the photos and read the press release below.

Press Release - Rhythm Thieves gig stolen by The Fall!

“As your best man, I’ve been devious and lied to you, but it means that you are the only couple on the planet who can say we had The Fall as our wedding band.”

These words started one of the more bizarre gigs for The Rhythm Thieves who were booked to play at a wedding in Scarborough recently.

This secret gig for The Fall was to kick start their European tour and gave the Rhythm Thieves the chance to support one of Britain’s greatest rock bands. When old friends Paul and Vicky rung up the Rhythm Thieves and asked them if they would play at their wedding, they were more than happy to be part of the day’s celebrations. Little did anybody know what an event it would turn out to be.

The ‘Thieves were contacted by the best man who asked whether it would be OK if the Fall played as well? “Yes”, said the band, believing that this would never happen. A series of following e-mails suddenly made the unthinkable a possible reality and one of the most closely guarded secrets in the history of wedding arrangements.

The big day arrived and the Rhythm Thieves played their usual blistering show of their own special brand of folk / rock. This was then followed by a furtive and subtle re-arranging of their equipment to allow the Fall to walk straight on and play using the Rhythm Thieves’ instruments (except the flute!!).

The bride and groom were blindfolded and stood in front of the stage where they heard the best man introduce the band with the lines above. The Fall launched into a short, but fantastic set finishing with “Mr. Pharmacist”. Judging from the look on both their faces, it was possibly the best wedding present they could have asked for!

September 2005
Post-Titley

Well the Oysterband's “Under The Green Hill” event in Titley has come and gone now, and didn't we all have a fantastic time.

Apart from a spot of rain mid-afternoon the weather was fine, the crowd (all 1500 of 'em) were mad for it, the fireworks were spectacular and Sally's homemade lemonade kept us all going long into the night. The RT made lots of new friends!

Big thanks to Pam, Martin, Tim the very sound 'sound man', the W.I. ladies for top nosh, the incredibly helpful stewards, John Jones and the band for inviting us to play, and all of the other bands and participants for making it such a special occasion.

Photos courtesy of Katy.

May 2005
Tsunami Benefit Concert CD Now Available

Tsunami Benefit Concert album cover The CD of the Tsunami Benefit Concert (recorded live at St James’s Church, Wigmore, on 30th January) is now available.

The CD features music, readings and recitations from all who performed at the concert including John Challis (‘Boycie’ from Only Fools and Horses), Monty Don, Bandamania, Whitton Voices, Igor Kennaway and, you’ve guessed it, The Rhythm Thieves.

It retails at a mere £5, with all profits from its sale going to charity. Contact Rev Sylvia Turner on (01547) 540235 or Contact Us to purchase your copy.