The Bats, Kaye Woodward, Malcolm Grant, Paul Kean and Robert (Bob) Scott at Oliver Scott's Toy Museum - Jan 2006 (423K)
Photo by John Chrisstoffels
March 2008 AUTUMN TOUR and Crimson Enemy digi single Media release (download 960kb)
MEDIA0308 for MINISNAP ALBUM RELEASE and GIGS (1.1MB)
March
8th 2008 Firescape review (link)
http://fireescapetalking.blogspot.com/2008/03/minisnap.htmllinks
this album review for Minisnap's Bounce Around is shining so brightly that
Kaye's had to put her sunglasses on to read it.
AND
"
... They're playing the Windmill in Brixton on 25 April. I can't find any information
about a tour, but you'd expect more dates in the UK at least…and if they
can persuade Robert Scott to come along, then The Bats could play. What a double
header that would be..
Sorry to say the London date is the only one for Minisnap this trip. We hope
to return with The Bats and Minisnap later in the year if funding allows.
If you're in New Zealand towards the end of March then you will be able to
see this "double header".
CONFIRMED GIGS
28th March Christchurch Media Club
29th Dunedin Bacckstage
4th April Auckland Whammy Bar
5th April Wellington San Fransisco Bathhouse
MEDIA - July /August 2006
Bats gigs
*27th July - Acoustic Biscuit at the Issac Theatre Royal, Christchurch. Unplugged videoing session with The Bats, Pine, Undercurrents and Atlas. Tickets $20 from Real Groovy.
*5th August - Upstairs in the Dux Lounge Bar along with Minisnap and Mad Scene featuring Hamish Kilgour (Clean) and Lisa Siegal who are visiting from New York .
*25th August - Backstage, Dunedin
*2nd September - Bodega in Wellington with Minisnap and special guests
* Auckland date TBC
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If you've checked out the COCA Gallery in Christchurch lately you may have noticed amongst the exhibition of CPIT design school tutors artwork, a piece by Christian Curruthers featuring The Bats in fine cartoon style. This is a preview of the video Christian is creating for the song "Flowers and Trees" from The Bats at the National Grid album. It's a work of love so we can't put a date on when it will be ready. We'll let you know.
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After returning from a very enjoyable and successful tour of USA in March, New Zealand Music month found "the Bats At The National Grid" on the top 5 CD releases as judged by NZMusic.com
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The Bats - let's recap - it's been well over 20 years so some might not know the background ....
Often loosely referred to as an indie pop band, they toured the states 4 times between 1986 and 1993 when they took to the road with Belly and Radiohead. They also scored very well with front cover of benchmark US industry mag Billboard featuring glowing reviews for their releases through Communion and Mammoth Records, Single of the Week in British mag NME, high placings on the CMJ charts and use of their songs in surf movies and on MTV. From 1994 they were busy in New Zealand working on raising families, side projects of Minisnap (Kaye Woodwards songs), The Clean and solo albums from Robert Scott. In 2000 they put together a Bats greatest almost hits CD "1000's of tiny Luminous Spheres" gathering the best from 5 of their albums that also included a couple of new tracks.
Late in 2005 they finished off their latest album, "The Bats At The National Grid" on their own label, Pocket Music. This has seen a global release including distribution through Magic Marker Records in the USA, Little Teddy in Europe, Egg Records in UK, Reverberation in Australia and Rhythmethod in New Zealand.
- This album has received excellent reviews from influencial media including Spin, Magnet Magazine, All Music Guide and College Music Journal.
- The Bats at the National Grid achieved places on playlists on close to 200 of the CMJ radio stations in the states with many of them charting the album and songs off it. It even got played and reviewed on Weekend America!
In March this year, due to these successes, The Bats were invited to USA for a brief tour taking in Austin's SxSW Festival along with performances at clubs, instores and live to airs in New York, New Jersey, Boston, Houston, San Fransisco and LA.
What others are saying about The Bats at the National Grid
Perhaps no other band conveys comfort and familiarity while simultaneously taking the listener to dark, unexplored areas as the shimmering, infectious melodies and brightly chiming guitar sound of The Bats.
The Bats was formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1982 by Robert Scott, former bassist for the massively influencial The Clean, as an outlet for his own songs. He became guitarist and prime vocalist, while ex-Toy Love member Paul Kean took on bass. Malcolm Grant became drummer and guitarist Kaye Woodward’s gleaming harmony vocals would come to be a defining presence in the band. Signing to New Zealand's hottest indie label, Flying Nun, The Bats went on to release 3 eps, 6 albums and 2 compilations as well as numerous singles and videos. The Bats music ranges from light diaphanous, guitar based psychedelia to rousing bittersweet hymns, from melancholy chorales for the disenfranchised to electric sea shanties full of forboding. Sporting the same lineup as the day it was born, this is a band continually breathing new life into its repertoire, most recently with the first album in 10 years, The Bats at the National Grid, released in October 2005. (Magic Marker, Little Teddy, Egg)
from www.allmusic.com review by Tim Sendra
The songs are perhaps the most diverse-sounding batch they have released yet, ranging from the slow-burning "Pre War Blues" and the noisy instrumental "Hubert" to the sweet-as-pie "Bells," the clattering indie rocker "Things," and the bouncy "Flowers & Trees." Of course, they all sound like the Bats, with Scott's fragile but forceful vocals, the jangling, intertwining guitars from Scott and Woodward, Paul Kean's melodic and up-front bass, Malcolm Grant's simple but rock-solid drumming, and -- above all -- poignant and lively songwriting. In fact, Robert Scott is at the top of his considerable talents here, crafting tunes that linger long after the record is over.
from www.magnetmagazine review by Brian Raftery
....it sounds oddly contemporary—the kind of docile rock that would make Sub Pop’s post-Shins A&R team slobber. On tranquil acoustic numbers “Bells” and “Western Isles,” Robert Scott and Kaye Woodward’s voices fasten together beautifully, practically strumming the guitars for them; but when At The National Grid turns frantic (as on “Horizon,” the record’s best track), those same vocals turn defiant, backed by increasingly ramshackle fuzz-guitar asides. That the Bats can churn out such an alternately haunting and heartfelt collection in their 23rd year is a testament to their indefatigable skills. It’s also a good reason to harass them into getting together again before another decade passes.
The Bats live show is described below by a random pre Big Day Out Festival blogger:
“you are in for a treat. they are like the bestest live dance boogie Git-Down! live act in the history of kiwi music. they have one of the finest rhythm sections ever. i'm lucky enough to have seen them around half a dozen times in the last decade - they really kick out the jams more than 90% of the bands half their age.”
albums
Daddy's Highway (1987)
Compiletely Bats (1988 collection of By Night, ‘ ... “Music for the Fireside” and Made up in Blue EP’s)
The Law of Things (1990)
Fear of God (1991)
Silverbeet (1992)
Couchmaster (1995)
1000’s of Tiny Luminous Spheres (2002 - “greatest almost hits”)
The Bats at the National Grid (2005)
The band - Robert Scott (vocals, lead guitars); Kaye Woodward (guitars, vocals); Paul Kean (bass guitar, backing vocals); Malcom Grant (drums)
Guest musician on the album - Alistair Galbraith on violin.
Home base - South Island of New Zealand
website - http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/thebats
email - thebats@paradise.net.nz
PHOTOS for 2006 media use - please email us if you'd like these sent to you in a different format. (for a larger 1MB version click HERE)
FOR INTERVIEWS
Phone 027.2261336
or email thebats@paradise.net.nz
The band - Robert Scott (vocals, lead guitars); Kaye Woodward (guitars, vocals); Paul Kean (bass guitar, backing vocals); Malcom Grant (drums)
Guest musician on the album - Alistair Galbraith on violin.
Home base - South Island of New Zealand
website - http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/thebats
PHOTOS for 2006 media use - please email us if you'd like these sent to you in a different format.
The
Bats, Kaye Woodward, Malcolm Grant, Paul Kean and Robert (Bob) Scott at Oliver Scott's Toy Museum - Jan 2006 (423K)
Photo by John Chrisstoffels
The Bats, Robert (Bob) Scott, Malcolm Grant, Paul Kean and Kaye Woodward. Photo by Chris Self - 2005 (450K)