Latest news
ALISTAIR HULETT R.I.P.
Robb's song "Patterns", for Alistair Hulett, is here; and he has written an appreciation of Alistair's life for R2 Magazine, which will come out soon.
(Added 8th February 2010)
NEW CD: "THE GHOST OF LOVE" released 30th November 2009
The Ghost of Love (Irregular Records IRR076) is released on 30th November, with distribution by Proper, and already Play.com are selling it for £7.99, and Amazon.co.uk
Robb and the Irregulars are all really excited & chuffed about this album. Robb says:
"Erm.. personally, um err, as a writer, err um, I think this is one of the best albums wot I writ. & the playing by the Irregulars is immaculate - awesome bass & drums courtesy of Messrs Forrester & Waygood, decorated by Mr Watson's magnificent melodeon, concertina & harmonica, Ms Browton's splendidly emotive cello, & the blood & fire & soul of Mr Walker's brass playing."
Why wait until the end of the month? Pre-order "The Ghost of Love" - and if you're stuck for an extra Xmas present or two - order more! - as the Xmould rush may well clog up the Proper system, and anyway the shops are bound to be submerged anyway in the usual Xmould slush.
(Added 16th November 2009)
MP3 ADDED FOR DOWNLOAD, 30th September 2009
"The North West Frontier" - see the MP3s page.
NEW CLIP ON YOUTUBE
Film-maker Martin Goodsmith is making a documentary on "folk soul", in the course of which he filmed Robb on Brighton Bandstand earlier this month (September 2009), singing "I Am Not at War". You can see the (very high-quality) clip here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HN7PJ3NEqGs.
(Added 11th September 2009)
ROBB'S SONG PUT ON A PEDESTAL!
As part of sculptor Antony Gormley's One & Other project, in which members of the public spend an hour on top of the empty fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, Mancunian Rebecca Brown sang Robb's song "London Eye" during her hour: from 8pm to 9pm on Saturday 26th September.
(Added 9th September 2009)
NEW PHOTOS
We have some new photos taken at Trowbridge on 25th July; you can see them at the foot of this page.
(Added 30th July 2009)
We have nearly finished assembling "Margaret Thatcher: My Part in her Downfall - Deluxe", a four-CD set of Thatch-bashing songs featuring Robb solo and Robb with various bands, including rare recordings by cult 1980s agit-prop trio The Ministry of Humour. The set includes:
- the first two vinyl albums ("Skewed, Slewed, Stewed & Awkward" and "Small Town World"), plus bonus tracks;
- a collection of band/group recordings;
- and a collection of solo recordings.
Some of the tracks on CDs 3 & 4 appeared on the deleted "This is the UK Talking" CD and the first "Margaret Thatcher - My Part in Her Downfall " CD; but there's also a lot of tracks previously unreleased, including some very rare Ministry of Humour stuff! You also get a 24 page booklet with pretty comprehensive notes, & some great photos too.
This 4-CD set will be released on 10th August.
(Added 6th July 2009, updated 4th August 2009)
NEW T-SHIRTS: Margaret Thatcher, my part in her downfall
Now available: striking new T-shirts. The design below is printed on white T-shirts, which are available in sizes XXL, XL, M and S, at a cost of £10 + £2 p&p. Order yours by e-mailing info@irregularrecords.co.uk, or save on the p&p by buying yours at one of Robb's gigs.
(Added 6th July 2009, updated 5th August 2009)
LIMITED EDITION IRREGULAR RECORDS SAMPLER: FOR GAZA
The state of Israel is land stolen from Palestinians. The state of Israel has tanks, artillery, attack helicopters, all manner of sophisticated and murderous military weaponry. The Palestinians don't. In January this year the Israelis used these weapons to invade a small piece of land that they had previously been blockading to kill lots of civilians there, men, women and children. What happened to Gaza is not something you can have a "balanced" debate about.
- Robb Johnson
This Irregular Records sampler CD is limited to 100 copies, which will be individually numbered. Robb will be selling them at most gigs anywhere, and you can also order them by e-mailing info@irregularrecords.co.uk. Money raised from the sampler CD will go to MAP - Medical Aid for Palestinians.
Track list:
01: Inexcusable / Robb Johnson (unreleased)
02: Snow is Freedom / Tracey Curtis (Picture Postcards, IRR065)
03: Chasing Hope / Eirlys Rhiannon (Sleep UNLaBEL011, forthcoming
release)
04: Alibi of Innocence / Jon Harvison (Alibi of Innocence, UNLaBEL009)
05: Boulevard des Hommes / Monique (Boulevard des Hommes IRR053)
06: Miss Appleton's Bell / Mike Scott (Shedsongs UNLaBEL008)
07: Love in Another Language / Maggie Holland (Getting There IRR035 - deleted)
08: Elvis Lives Here / Swill & the Swagger Band (EP alternative
version: Elvis Lives Here IRR062)
09: Anytown / George Papavgeris (For My Next Trick IRR061)
10: We Can Make the World Stop / Alun Parry (We Can Make the World
Stop, IRR070 - forthcoming release)
11: Devil on the Wind / The Men They Couldn't Hang (EP alternative
version: Devil on the Wind IRR069)
12: Jenin / David Rovics (The Commons, IRR067)
13: Everybody Goes Home / Robb Johnson, Pip Collings, Jamil & Nadeem
Surraj (Margaret Thatcher: My Part in her Downfall - Deluxe IRR075)
More information about individual artists may be found on this website or on their own sites.
(Updated 29th July 2009)
GET THAT CHRISTMAS LIST STARTED...
We are also starting work on The Official Christmas Album "The Ghost of Love", which tells the story of Mary, a young woman who falls pregnant out of wedlock in Feltham. That CD should be out towards the end of November 2009, and we already have "Ghost" gigs pencilled in at The Komedia, Orange Street and The Drill Hall - watch the Gigs page for details.
If you are interested in booking "The Ghost of Love Christmas Show" for your venue, or if you are inclined to urge a local venue to book it, see details on the Home Page.
"Inexcusable" (mp3)
I'm watching my TV
The least that I can do
Paying my respects
To a girl who lived in Poland
All she left behind
All her hopes and dreams
Is the diary of a girl
killed in Auschwitz.
And I'm trying to find that word
That word that might describe
What happened to this girl...
When she died...
I'm following this link
The least that I can do
Paying my respects
To a girl who lived in Palestine
All she left behind
All her hopes and dreams
Is the photo of a girl
killed in Gaza.
And I'm trying to find that word
That word that might describe
What happened to this girl...
When she died...
The world is full of words
Like holocaust and slaughter
And all their mathematics mean is
Mothers lose their daughters
The least that I can do
Is add another song
To that little pile of shoes
For Auschwitz and for Gaza
And I'm trying to find that word
That word that might describe
What happened to these sisters…
When they died
It's inexcusable
It's
inexcusable
Inexcusable.
LOVE & DEATH & POLITICS (IRR068) released 27th October 2008
Tracks
Spirit of 45- Saturday Night in Albion
- Little Angels
- The Bigger the Car
- Hard Money
- Soweto
- The Great West Road
- The Prince and Pt Gentle
- Postcard from Blackpool
- Even Steve McQueen
- I am not at War
- The Tail End of the Miracle
- Two Left Feet
- Cheers
"Love & Death & Politics" is the latest studio CD from Robb Johnson and the Irregulars. Read the backstories to the songs here.
"Robb Johnson and The Irregulars albums are always something pretty special, but with Love & Death & Politics the UK’s most consistently strong songwriter has excelled with a collection that offers a fascinating, absorbing and essential insight into the Britain of today."
- Sean McGhee, Rock'n'Reel
Buy "Love & Death & Politics" from Amazon.co.uk for £9.99 with free postage!
recording by The Irregulars on benefit album
As well as recording songs for their latest album, Robb and the Irregulars also recorded a song in France for a benefit album organised by Geoff Parry. Performance poet and lyricist Geoff has put together the 8th CD album of his songs and poems, called "That Eastern Wind".
Artists on the album include Bernard Wrigley and well-known actor, Marlene Sidaway, both of whom recite poems about the Spanish Civil War, Robb & the Irregulars are present with the rousing second track, called "When the People Rise Again".
The CD is raising funds for QUEENSCOURT HOSPICE in Southport, and costs a minimum of £5. To order a CD, contact geoff_parry@msn.com.
RECENT PHOTOS
Click on any of these new photos (for which many thanks to photographer Claire Pullinger) to see a much larger version. There are more of Claire's photos of the occasion at http://gallery.me.com/cpullinger#100401.
Also, follow this link for some band photos taken in May 2008.
The current membership of The Irregulars is (in addition to Robb himself, of course):
Naomy Browton, cello
John Forrester, bass and b/vox
Roger Watson, melodeon and harmonica (though missing in Germany when these photos were taken)
Charlie Waygood, drums
Publicity photographs:
Robb
Johnson & The Irregulars
Most of The Irregulars
Saskia & Roger
Robb & Paul
Robb & John
These publicity shots are large images which open in a new window. Photo credits: Guy Smallman.