Let's Wrestle explains it all

Friday 25 March 2011

New Blog, New download and 2 Mixtapes

hey we made a new blog here:
letswrestleblog.tumblr.com
its got 2 mixtapes done by Wes and Sam aswell as that you can hear the first output from Nursing Home called 'Dear John'

Wednesday 19 January 2011

Let's News

Hey folks,

Happy new year and all that, sorry for being so very quiet.
Anyway, we have some news, our bassist Mike Lightning has left the band to go to university, there are no hard feelings between us and we wish him well.
We have a new bassist in our friend Sam Pillay and we will be playing some shows in the next few weeks so keep your eyes peeled.
They'll be more news about future releases as well as tour dates soon.

rock on

-Let's Wrestle

Thursday 4 November 2010

ahoy




we played our album reissue launch yesterday at The Lexington it was great fun felt good playing in London again, thanks to all who came down.

The Reissue of In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's is out now on Full Time Hobby so go get it.

we are doing a couple more dates before the end of the year:
UK
November 17th - The Albert, Brighton With Titus Andronicus
November 18th - Haymakers, Cambridge with Titus Andronicus
November 19th - The Cooler, Bristol with Titus Andronicus
November 20th - Bodega, Nottingham with Titus Andronicus
November 25th - The Scala, London with Titus Andronicus

Germany and Switzerland
December 6th - Subway, Cologne, Germany
December 7th - Bassy, Berlin, Germany
December 8th - Ostpol, Dresden, Germany
December 9th - Brotfabrik, Frankfurt, Germany
December 10th - Coq D'or, Olten, Switzerland
December 11th - Swamp, Freiberg, Germany

hope you can make it down to one.

There is also this I wrote for a couple of websites its a guide to every track on the new Full Time Hobby Reissue:

1.My Arms Don't Bend That Way.
This song was written about Amy Winehouse. I read on a forum that people were predicting when she would die. I felt bad so wrote this. The title came from a Japanese film me and my buddy Koichi watched. These were the subtitles when we paused it.

2. I'm In Love With Destruction
This song is probably about a girl. I don't know which girl. I've got an idea it sounds like I wrote in a dreaded "relationship". I've not had many of these, from the lyrics it doesn't sound like fun.

3. Tanks
This too was about a relationship. It was a lame one I can tell you but I am really proud of this song so I suppose some good can come from kissing and holding hands.

4. My Eyes Are Bledding (interlude)
This the first of 3 interludes I wanted the record to be like Sparklehorse's "Vivadixiesubmarineplot" LP but the interludes were as close as we got. Mikes the American, I'm the one with the smokers cough.

5. My Schedule
This is my favourite song on the record. We worked it out the day before we went into the studio. I wrote it after we came back from a tour and I had a letter from the library about some overdue items. I was pretty cut up about it.

6. We Are The Men You'll Grow To Love Soon
This was written in the morning before I phoned the job centre to sign on. I really thought signing on would be fun and that I would be able to take girls out on dates. Oh sweet naivety!

7. In Dreams
I was listening to a lot of Roy Orbison at time and I thought a homage was necessary. I was having a re-occuring dream about a girl with no face. So this came out.

8. Atlantis (interlude)
Another interlude this was just me and Mike mucking about.

9. Song For Old People.
My mum said once that you have to be a really talented songwriter to write a song about old people. So I thought I would give it a go. When my mother heard it she thought it was harsh on O.A.P.s

10. I Won't Lie To You
The hit. I remember feeling like I really achieved something after writing this but its no fun after hearing it played at indie discos.

11. Diana's Hair
I really like this one the drums remind of "Instant Karma". It's about Mike's hair, his bassline on this is fantastic.

12. I'm In A Fighting Mode
I was embarrassed about this song for a while. I thought is was too ballady but it grew on me. I think the guitar solo sounds like Slash, of course I am deluded but it's quite good. I can't disclose what this songs about until I quit the music business. I'll put it on my suicide note, I promise.

13 Insects
This is about night terrors I had as a kid coupled with I had an infestation of ladybirds in my room when I wrote it.

14. It's Not Going To Happen
I remember coming up with the title as I was listening to a lot of stuff on Flying Nun Records and both Tall Dwarfs and the Clean had songs with similar titles. That is all I remember about this one.

15.Waltz (interlude)
Another interlude, not much to say about it.

16. In The Court Of The Wrestling Let's
I didn't realise until after the original release that this is very similar to a Sebadoh song called "Crystal Gypsy". On our travels we managed to meet both Lou and Jason from Sebadoh. When I met Jason who wrote it after I made a gushing speech about how "III" changed my life I apologised about ripping this off his response was "don't fuckin' worry about it, I stole that off a MTV commercial, wanna toke?"

DISC 2
1. Song For Abba Tribute Record
Sounds quite different to how we sound now. This was recorded when we were 15, or just 16. It was before I knew how to use a distortion pedal. I think I was either listening to a lot of Fall records or hadn't worked out how to sing it yet. It ends in an odd way because we hadn't worked out an ending.

2. Quazar Blues
This was about all the people I knew at school and unfortunately kind of about me. I have sadly sniffed glue and pissed on cars. Youth is a very dangerous thing if you live in the suburbs and don't fit in.

3. I Wish I Was In Husker Du.
This was the first Let's Wrestle song. I wrote it when me and Darkus used to go watch Trencher and Part Chimp and smoke weed in club toilets. It was my real introduction to the London toilet circuit. It's not changed much.

4. I Won't Lie To You (ep version)
This is my favourite version of the two. It's so out of tune. Its the first song from our ep "In Loving Memory Of...." and this song gained some fans who were interested in more than just our song "Let's Wrestle".

5. I'm OK You're OK
This song was a good prediction of how I'd feel in a few years time and at that moment I was OK, not that I'm not now but things can be tough being in a pop combo.

6. Song For A Man With Pica Syndrome
This is about Pica Syndrome which consists of the sufferer eating things that they shouldn't i.e. crayons, wood and bedsheets. There was a fantastic article on it in the paper which I cut out and still have.

7. Insects (ep version)
I like the album version more, there is a great organ ending Mike did, which I like.

8. Music Is My Girlfriend
I don't like this song much nowadays. Its a pretty basic song I find the lyrics a cringeworthy. We enjoyed playing around with a wasp synthesizer on this but its pretty low in the mix.

9. Joe Reddington, You'll Be The Death Of Me
Joe Reddington was a friend from school. He was really into reggae and dressed like a skinhead. We used to take him around the country as a "roadie" but that consisted of him drinking our beers mainly. He wasn't a big lifter, he didn't want to break a sweat in his Ben Sherman shirt. He is training to be a fireman now.

10 I'm In Fighting Mode (single version)
As I've already talked about the song I'll talk about the video which is my favourite video. I have two young siblings and me and MIke thought of this idea with ghost children. We bought loads of sheets and got my brother and sister to ask their friends at school. When we got there we realised we had loads of kids wearing sheets and Mike's brother dressed as a clown. We thought it seemed quite John Wayne Gacy but nobody noticed. It was a fun day on Hampstead Heath.

11. Let's wrestle
I fucking hated this song when this single was recorded. We seemed to gain a lot of jocky beefcake fans because of it and it was just a joke that got out of hand. We did the single so the asbo fans could buy it and leave us alone.

12. Getting Rest.
Was written after the album came out. It's about our first US tour and seeing some real poverty in Baltimore and New Orleans. It was really tragic and sometimes scary. I love America but it can be incredibly overwhelming at times. This song is gonna be on the 2nd record. It's one of my favourite things I've done.

13. When I was In Hospital
Another post "In The Court..." song. It's about terminal illness or just thinking about it or whatever. It's got a good guitar.

Lots of love
-Let's Wrestle
P.S here is one of the best songs ever Dr John + The Band from the film "The Last Waltz"

Tuesday 21 September 2010

Pre Order our new split 7 inch




PRE ORDER HERE
http://www.toughloverecords.bigcartel.com/product/tlv040-lets-wrestle-young-governor-split-7-pre-order

LET’S WRESTLE // YOUNG GOVERNOR
“CRUSHING NERVES” // “OLD HAT” 7”


RELEASE DATE: 18TH OCTOBER 2010
LABEL: TOUGH LOVE RECORDS
FORMAT: AA SPLIT 7” SINGLE / DOWNLOAD


London three-piece Let’s Wrestle and Young Governor, the solo project of Fucked Up guitarist Ben Cook, first met while touring the US together in 2009. Since Ben hates touring, he barely spoke to Let’s Wrestle, and he assumed they thought he was a huge dick. But Ben soon realised they shared common ground when he saw Let’s Wrestle leave a show drunk with the drummer on the roof of their car. 15 minutes later they were in jail. Since then they’ve bonded over nothing but shared roll ups, something less common in Toronto, where Ben is from.

When Tough Love asked Young Governor to feature on a split 7”, Ben stated that the only band he’d like to share a record with is Let’s Wrestle, claiming that “they’re one of the only bands I think are quality out of the millions I have played with over the last 3 years.” A few anticipatory emails and several months later, “Crushing Nerves” and “Old Hat” are the result of that wish.

Let’s Wrestle’s contribution, “Crushing Nerves”, is an exclusive track recorded especially for the release. Featuring frontman Wes’ trademark tongue-in-cheek misgivings, it’s pop punk charged on social faux pas and bad romance. Young Governor play true to form also, with “Old Hat” displaying their distinctively melodic mod pop, one part Mersey beat, one part first wave punk.

Tough Love Records issue the 7” as the fourth release in their series of double A side split singles. The record is limited to just 500 copies, with artwork designed by Let’s Wrestle’s Wesley Patrick Gonzalez.


SOUNDCLOUD LINKS
Let’s Wrestle – “Crushing Nerves”
http://soundcloud.com/tough-love/lets-wrestle-crushing-nerves

Young Governor – “Old Hat”
http://soundcloud.com/tough-love/young-governor-old-hat

BAND LINKS
Let’s Wrestle – www.myspace.com/letsfuckingwrestle
Young Governor – /www.myspace.com/younggovernor

Sunday 12 September 2010

Seattle, WA, Vancouver, BC and Portland OR

when we woke up at the motel I went to check my e-mails whilst Mike and Hoppie started up a conversation with a fella named Gary, when i returned we asked what he was doing up in small town Oregan, it turned out he and his wife went on a road trip and left their pistols at the motel. We asked if we could see his guns so he took us over to his car and showed us a gun wrapped very poorly in celephane and then we asked to take a picture with it (by the way the gun was loaded) when the cameras came out the guy grabbed my hand and put the gun to his head for the photo and then did the same with Mike. After that odd experiance from Coos Bay we drove up to Seattle it was another long drive but we got there in the end once we got in we checked some e-mails and had a listen to one of the demo songs proposed for the 2nd album and figured out what to do with it we then went our seperate ways Mike and Darkus went to get some clothes Mike got a flashy shirt with golden buttons and a tweed jacket and Darkus got some salmon coloured slacks whilst I went to the Record store up the road to try and get some North West indie rock LP's which i failed at I couldnt find any Bratmobile or Halo Benders but did find a cool Elliott Smith 7-inch and considered buying the Nirvana/Jesus Lizard split single which I thought would be too cliche in Seattle and it was also $30. By the time I got back everyone was watching Seinfeld in the car so I joined in, Seinfeld is the best programme ever! we went inside and saw a bit of the first band Steel Tigers Of Death who were a bunch of middle aged naked guys who sounded a bit like Green Day pretty fun. we played and it was good though mikes bass fucked up on the first song but it was no biggy we are professionals. we stayed with some university students Xavier and Amanda and watched the early 90's film Hocus Pocus which was awesome, and then crashed out.

Off we popped over the border to Vancouver, BC and talked to a man at the currency exchange shop and he told us about how Iron Maiden came through and how nice they were. we drove on through beautiful Canada to Vancouver which was very different than what I imagined, I thought it was going to have loads of waterfalls and kind of look like a little swiss town from the 20s, This was completely incorrect we were playing in Chinatown and the water falls were replaced by guys shooting up on the streets and the whole swiss feel was replaced by some very unconvincing transvestites. we hung out and went to a bar in Gastown and watched a busker play Neil Young covers which was nice, then went back to the venue. we soundchecked and tried a new song For My Mother out. then sat around and waited to play the show went pretty badly in our eyes but people fucking loved it we always like playing in Canada. after the show Me, Mike and Merch Man Ben sat and played Junkie Watch in the car which was good fun and gave the security guard, who had to look out for the cars getting robbed, some cookies we ended up deciding to get a motel that night back in the states vancouver diddnt seem to safe. but when we packed up it seemed Hoppie had lost his Passport we looked for ages but still couldnt find it, and decided to go for the border anyway. Once we got there hoppie was fine to go through but Merch Man Ben had trouble as he diddnt have the right Visa to be selling merch, but we got him through anyway. we got to the motel in washington and slept like we had never slept before.

Portland was the last show of this tour leg. We got down to Music Fest North West to pick up some free Nike shit they wanted us to have to be honest it was shit but we got to see our friends Male Bonding and the good guys of Trash Talk said hello too. the good part of the clothes stuff was that you could get things embroided on the jackets i wanted J. Stalin but diddnt have the balls. We had to get back to the venue to meet some Canadian guys for like a video session and i readid the merch sign and stuff and restring my guitar pretty boring stuff really. then we went to meet Hoppies mother and old flatmate for pizza and beer and hung out for a while until we had to get back for the show. The show was pretty busy and i was looking forward to playing aparently our friend Joanna from Quasi and the Jicks was there unfortunatly I diddn't get to see her but Mike and Darkus said hi we went on and it started from the word go pretty badly the micraphone wwas electrcuting me we couldnt hear anything right Mike's vocals were louder than mine it just went on and on and we got pretty darn angry, which actually seemed to make people really enjoy the show i dunno how that happened but I'm cool with it. me and Mike still all pissed off decided to go watch Seinfeld and calm down and we talked to some LW fans round the back who were very nice. we were shattered so after everything was packed and done we decided to just go to sleep as we had an early flight in the morning.

We are playing Chapel Hill tonight with Elf Power at the Nightlight a venue that kicked me out last time i was there so it should be good fun come down they are showing a film about the awesome Elephant 6 Collective before we go on.

see you
-LW

Thursday 9 September 2010

september the 15th and 19th

We need a floor to sleep on on The 19th of September as we are traveling to record our 2nd album (more info soon)

also i forgot to put on the dates for this tour we are doing a show with Elf Power in Chapel Hill, North Carolina at the Nightlight where they are also showing a film about the fantastic Elephant 6 collective (Neutral Milk Hotel, Apples In Stereo, Olivia Tremor Control) which is on the 15th of September come down it'll be fucking awesome.
cheers
-LW

San Francisco and our travel day

Howdy We played in San Francisco and Seattle here's how it went:
we left Santa Barbara in the morning only to drive up to wine country for breakfast. Breakfast was good but we had one hell of an arse hole for a waitress I got very angry she did not get a tip!!! We carried on driving and picked up some strings (I cant remember anything else I may have been asleep) until we got to San Francisco. We arrived at the American Music Hall, which was a really beautiful venue, I had some tofu and noodles and changed my strings. We drank some Coca Cola and talked about fighting and other things, then Kablamy we were on we rocked the house it ACTUALLY shook people cried and developed blister on their ears. after the show we tried to get a couple who had been kicked out back in, which diddnt work, and talked to the doorman because he was english. a charity worker asking for money did not understand that we had no money and talked to us for about 30 minutes, after we went to the hotel and slept it up.

the next day we had a travel day and were on our way to Coos Bay, Oregon where Hoppie grew up, to stay with his parents. we drove for a while and stopped off in Hopland, CA for some breakfast in the bluebird cafe we ate under a Mooses head and had some jolly japes. off we trotted we drove for hours until we came to one of our favourite american tourist atractions the Drive Thru Tree I even have a t-shirt from our last visit that hoppie bought me. the tree was great, as usual, we stayed in the gift shop for a while and talked about the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. We drove for another 5 minutes until we saw Confusion Hill so we went in there and checked out the 'Gravity House' which was just a house on a hill but you stand on a slant. we drove for hours and hours more until we got to Hoppie's parents house who had cooked us a nice meal and his dad showed his awesome old typewriters from the 1900's. After dinner we went to the Motel Hoppies parents had generously got for us, we decided to make a video for our latest US digital single 'Getting Rest' but then diddnt bother and just drank gin and watched 'Roseanne' and 'Fraiser' on TV and went to beddy byes.

Ill let you know about Seattle and Vancouver tomorrow

cheers
-LW

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