"The roadside is littered with thousands of rock and roll bands that nobody's heard, and for most of us, that's probably a good thing. The fact is a lot of bands don't deserve to be heard in the first place. But every once in a while you find in the assorted debris a special band that works so tirelessly, creates works of such enormous and lasting value, and yet is so routinely ignored that you can only shake your head at the fickle vagaries of the music world..." - David Fisher, on the Verlaines, Filler magazine 1999




2008, Mar 1

Sorry I'm a little tardy. The aforementioned auction is now under way and you can check it out here via the message board (along with the press release, courtesy Samantha) or go directly to the auction site. Just a few days left to get your bids in for Dippy. Good luck and thanks to all who support this very worthy cause.

2008, Feb 5

I know I'm a bit tardy but happy new year to all. Potboiler has been out now for nearly two months and we're all pleased with the positive reviews. Personally I think it's one of the band's best works to date, and the artwork and layout in the booklet are definitely worth the effort. Hail hail the Verlaines revival!

Graeme's Guitar Auction
As mentioned in the previous update and on the message board, Graeme will be donating his Diplomat guitar "Dippy" to the SPCA celebrity auction in Dunedin later this month, so this is your chance to own a piece of Verlaines history. Thanks to Samantha (SPCA) for sending in the pics below.

Graeme and Dippy:



Pete, Graeme and Dippy:



More news as it comes to hand. Cheers.

2007, Nov 8

It's been a year of ups and downs but finally that elusive light at the end of a tunnel has made itself visible. To quote Graeme, "Verlaines give birth December 10 local time." Yep, Potboiler will be released on the 10th of December. You can most likely order it directly from the Flying Nun site when it goes on sale. Details about other sources will be posted as they come in.

On a completely different note, Graeme was approached to supply something for a celebrity auction "to help build a more humane dog compound at the Dunedin SPCA (animal shelter), as the one they have provides no shelter at all such that on rainy, windy days the puppies huddle on top of the wooden kennel to avoid freezing to death on the concrete floor). I thought I might sell Dippy (the diplomat guitar that inspired song of same name and that I used to record the Dunedin double and more significantly Death and the Maiden (tis the very same featured in the video)..." As some of you may already know, Graeme's beloved dog Pete passed away recently after a brief illness, and we believe that such a cause would be worthy, given the many instances of animal neglect and abuse rampant throughout the world. A link will be posted when the details are fully sorted out on both sides.


The full news page will be updated when time allows. For now, all incoming news will be posted here on the front page.
Cheers

bg (webmistress)


2007, Nov 7

Apologies for the lack of updates. The release date for the album, Potboiler, is fixed, and there's some other stuff I'm eager to share. Watch this space for a full report in the next few days.


2007, May 20

Check the message board for info regarding the new album. I've been posting updates as they come in. Graeme sent me a copy of the the album cover about a month ago. Mindblowing. Can hardly wait for the release date.


2007, Feb 11

It gives me great pleasure to announce that a new Verlaines album is on the horizon. The album was started in January, the tracking is complete, and mixing is currently in progress. Graeme has been keeping me up to date and I'll let you know more as news comes in.


A special thanks to all the fans for keeping the Verlaines' music alive. Just a little patience, and we'll have one more gem to add to our collection. :)


2006, Aug 19

The image gallery is up but the rest of the site, including the final color, is still under construction.


2006, Jan 16

"In Their Own Words" section updated with the long-promised THR interview with Mike Stoodley, and info on his reasons for leaving the Verlaines.


Simon Comber, a former student of Graeme Downes', is set to release his debut album, Pre-Pill Love, next month. Graeme co-produced part of the album and also played on a couple of tracks. Check out SimonComber.com for album details and downloadable tracks. You can also preview additional songs from his MySpace page.