Filed under: Internet, Musical | Tags: Ally Craig, BBC Oxford, Dave Gilyeat, Fresh on the Net, Oxford, Oxford music
My new solo EP ‘Digitally’ has received some lovely support in recent weeks. Firstly, I appeared on this week’s edition of the ever-supportive BBC Introducing in Oxfordshire, where I chatted with Dave Gilyeat about the EP and some of the classic actors who have inspired my songs. If you missed the broadcast, the episode is available as a podcast on the BBC Sounds app: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p09vqyyk
I also submitted a track to Fresh on the Net, where it was chosen by readers as a Fresh Fave. Louise Toal from the FotN team gave ‘Carole Lombard’ a lovely review on the blog. I highly recommend checking out all the Fresh Faves here: https://freshonthenet.co.uk/2021/09/faves416/
The EP also got a lovely review in the September issue of Nightshift: http://nightshiftmag.co.uk/2021/sep.pdf
Thanks to everyone who has spread the word and/or bought the EP so far. It’s performing well by my humble standards, but every recommendation makes a difference, so if you’ve enjoyed the music, please do consider sharing it with friends – or if you didn’t like it, consider sharing it with enemies! Either way, the Bandcamp link is here: https://bugprentice.bandcamp.com/album/digitally
~ Ally
Filed under: Downloads, Internet, Musical | Tags: Ally Craig, Bug Prentice, EP, Jonathan Clayton, Lee Miller, Mark Cawthra, Oxford, Ruth Goller, Stanislaw Lem, Stephen Gilchrist
Our new EP is out now. You can listen for free on bandcamp, or pay for a download if you’re feeling fancy. All money goes towards future Bug Prentice / Ally Craig recordings.
The songs are as follows:
- Couldn’t Tell You
Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. - Lee Miller
Inspired by model-turned-artist Lee Miller*, her turbulent relationship with Man Ray, her traumatic career as a war photographer, and her subsequent retirement in the English countryside.
(*not to be confused with Trainspotter-turned-Sherlock, Jonny Lee Miller.)
- Naamloos
Instrumental. Naamloos is Dutch for “nameless”, i.e. untitled. I know this despite not speaking Dutch.
- Don’t Be That Dude
A message to dudes everywhere: If you are a dude, please don’t be THAT dude.
- Sally Six
Instrumental. A tribute to “The Sixth Sally, or How Trurl and Klapaucius Created a Demon of the Second Kind to Defeat the Pirate Pugg” – a short story from The Cyberiad, by the Polish science fiction author Stanislaw Lem.
The EP features the usual Bug Prentice suspects (Ally Craig, Ruth Goller, Stephen Gilchrist), plus guest cello from Jon Clayton on Naamloos. It was recorded by the aforementioned Jon Clayton at One Cat Studio in Brixton, and was mastered by Mark Cawthra. All songs written by Ally Craig.
Filed under: Musical | Tags: album, Ally Craig, Bug Prentice, debut album, james maddren, Jon Clayton, Mark Cawthra, Oxford, Oxford music, Ruth Goller, Stephen Gilchrist, The Way It Crumbles
Our debut album, The Way It Crumbles, is out now! Stream and download on bandcamp. If you like it, tell your friends. If you hate it, tell your enemies. If you’re indifferent about it, tell the nearest inanimate object.
And if that’s not enough Bug Prentice for you, you can also listen to Ally’s appearance on Oxide Radio’s Beautiful Freaks show, where he shared some of his favourite music and played a song live in the studio.
Filed under: Musical | Tags: Ally Craig, Bug Prentice, David Tudor, gig, gigs, james maddren, live music, Oxford, Ruth Goller, single launch, The Bullingdon
We are celebrating the release of Nicholas Ray / Spoons with a headlining spot at the Bullingdon in Oxford. Unfortunately Stephen is unavailable for this gig, so Ally and Ruth will be joined on drums by James Maddren. Support acts include David Tudor, with more to be announced. Further info on facebook.
Filed under: Internet, Musical | Tags: Ally Craig, Awkward Actors, Bug Prentice, Liam Martin, music video, Nicholas Ray, Ruth Goller, Stephen Gilchrist
Ahead of next month’s download single release, here’s the new music video for Nicholas Ray. It was directed in suitably noir-ish fashion by Liam Martin, starring Shan Sriharan and a cast of Awkward Actors.
We are also reviewed and ‘introduced’ in the March 2015 edition of Oxford’s music paper, Nightshift.
Filed under: Musical | Tags: Ally Craig, Bug Prentice, double A-side, Nicholas Ray, Ruth Goller, Spoons, Stephen Gilchrist
Nicholas Ray / Spoons is our new double A-side single. It will be available to download via Bandcamp in March, and is taken from our forthcoming debut album, The Way It Crumbles.
Filed under: Downloads, Musical | Tags: BBC Introducing, BBC Introducing in Oxford, BBC Oxford, Beatles, Bug Prentice, Children in Need, fixers, george harrison, Greg Stuart, The Beatles, the dreaming spires, To Liesel
We appeared on BBC Oxford in October 2012 to perform our version of “Only a Northern Song” for Beatles Day, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Beatles single. Now our song is available on iTunes as part of Cover Me Do, an EP featuring five Oxfordshire artists’ interpretations of Beatles songs. The full track list is:
- Bug Prentice – “Only a Northern Song” (Harrison)
- To Liesel – “Dear Prudence” (Lennon, McCartney)
- The Dreaming Spires – “It’s All Too Much” (Harrison)
- Greg Stuart – “Across the Universe” (Lennon, McCartney)
- Fixers – “Free as a Bird” (Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Starkey)
Money can’t buy you love, but it can buy you some fine music. All proceeds go to Children In Need, so please please us and buy it.
Cover Me Do EP on iTunes: UK (£3.95) / US ($4.95)
Filed under: Internet, Musical | Tags: Childish Things, Helen & Douglas House, Oxford
Did you miss the Childish Things concerts in Oxford this Tuesday and Wednesday? Do you want to contribute to Helen & Douglas House? Watch the video below to find out about the great work done by H&DH, then you can make a donation via text message.
Text message donations only work for phones on UK networks, but there are other ways to donate.
Filed under: Musical | Tags: Al Murray, Ally Craig, Bug Prentice, Charlie Baker, Charlotte Myerson, Childish Things, David Armand, Hal Cruttenden, Helen & Douglas House, Holly Walsh, Josh Widdicombe, KT Tunstall, Marcus Brigstocke, New Theatre, Newton Faulkner, Out of the Blue, Oxford, Paul Foot, Rob Brydon, Sara Pascoe, Steve Shanyaski, Stornoway, Tom Bell, Tony Law
Childish Things 9 will be held at the Oxford New Theatre on Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th February. These annual variety concerts raise money for Helen & Douglas House:
You can buy tickets directly from the New Theatre, or from Helen & Douglas House shops in Abingdon, Chipping Norton,Thame, Wallingford, and Witney. Click here to find out where our shops are.
Last year’s event saw Michael McIntyre, Jimmy Carr, Jamie Cullum, KT Tunstall, and many others, help to raise over £100,000 for the hospice.
We will be playing on Tuesday, and Ally will play solo on Wednesday. The full line-up for both evenings is below. Follow the Childish Things facebook page to keep up to date with further additions – and bear in mind that there may be last-minute, secret guest appearances.
Tuesday 5th:
Rob Brydon
Newton Faulker
Hal Cruttenden
Stornoway (acoustic)
Out of the Blue
Holly Walsh
Bug Prentice
Charlotte Myerson
Josh Widdicombe
Tony Law
Tom Bell
Wednesday 6th:
KT Tunstall
Al Murray
Marcus Brigstocke
Out of the Blue
Hal Cruttenden
David Armand
Paul Foot
Sara Pascoe
Charlie Baker
Ally Craig (solo)
Steve Shanyaski
Bug Prentice 