500 Facebook Fans Can't Be Wrong

It's nearly Christmas, so we thought we'd celebrate that together with the milestone of Mags Bradley being our 500th Facebook liker  with an exclusive preview of one of the proposed designs for the Pete Fij / Terry Bickers forthcoming album.

Next year will be a busy time - early Spring will see the first buds of our labour appear through the earth with the release of the first official Bickers & Fij single, and the album and live dates are aslo due to blossom in 2013.

For those who can't wait to hear Pete's voice, you can hear a excerpt preview of his collaboration with Swedish artist Tiger Stripes here, which is due for release next week on the Canadian My Favorite Robot label (details will be updated in this story of how to obtain the single). It's obvioulsy a very different affair from the low-key Bickers & Fij album, though it still has an inherant melancholic Fij-ness, with a bit of Bryan Ferry thrown in for good measure. Download that and stick it under your Christmas tree!

In the meantime we wish you all a very festive time & all the very best for the New Year. May all your presents be good ones - for the record Terry wants a Akira Kurosawa - Samurai DVD Box Set, whilst Pete is keeping his fingers crossed for a hot water bottle.

Q&A With B&F

You've had the free download, you've joined the facebook page, and seen our two maudelin minstrels cross-examine each other as Fij asked Bickers, and Bickers asked Fij.  Now it was your turn to put the two under the spotlight, as we asked you to turn interrogator.

Find out who the pair have cast in the upcoming "Bickers & Fij" Hollywood biopic movie, who is in Terry's fantasy band, what animal Pete thinks Terry is, and what the pair's reaction to Simon Cowell was when he rang to ask about a "Pete Fij/Terry Bickers" X-Factor Special.

There will be a chance to repeat the experiment, but feel free to drop a line in the meantime - don't be a stranger





Terry you mention Magazine and the Banshees, and it's really interesting to read about these and other influences. I read somewhere that John McGeoch played on Need For Not - is that true, did you know him and was he involved with Levitation in any way? I also read somewhere that you have/had one of his guitars, a Yamaha SG 1000 i think (as seen in the Spellbound video for example). It's kind of fascinating to me if you are connected like that. Thanks!

Terry Bickers (TB) : Hi, it's not true that John McGeoch played on ' Need For Not' and I did not know him unfortunately. I did get to meet Howard Devoto a few times though through an aquaintance who worked on his 'Jerky Versions Of The Dream' solo album. I don't have any of John McGeoch's guitars, wish I did!




Ahoy Pete/Terry - It's Simon Cowell on the phone. He wants to do a Fij-Bickers themed X-Factor show this weekend. Are you up for it?

Pete Fij (PF) I have no problem though it promises to be a depressing night with song after song of maudelin tunes. Having said that, i think a lot of what we play are actually pop songs that are masked by a veil of sadness and melancholy. I have an obsession with the Eurovision Song Contest, and before I hang my song-writing hat up I'd love to write a song for the competition. I've already had a couple of stabs, but I'll just keep on till I get it right. 

(TB) I would be up for it as its always interesting to hear other peoples interpretations of your songs. There are a few interesting House Of Love covers on Youtube. 



Hi Terry and Pete. Have either or both of you got songs that you you've been working on / thinking about here and there for ages (months, even years) and you really like them but you can't finish writing them for some reason? If so do you a) leave them and wait even longer for the rest of the song to miraculously arrive? b) Set a bit of time aside (easier said than done) and force your self to finish at least one? c) try to make one OK song out of the best bits of other songs that you can't finish? d) none or all of the above. Also, what's the worst song you think you've ever written and why? 

(TB) Hi, I have various sections of songs and riff's which have accumulated over the years which I should really do something with. I did complete and record a demo of one of my own songs  back in 2003 with the help of the other members of The House Of Love. It seems unbelievable that I have not recorded any other of my own song ideas since then

(PF) I have a whole album in my brain that I haven't got round to recording, or even working out the chords to yet. Sounds great in my head though! Often there are little melodies or phrases that I mean to incorporate into other songs. The lyrics to 'Homeboy' by Adorable was made by cutting up lots of lines from discarded songs, which is why to this day I still don't really know what the song is about. One of the songs ('Gravity') that I've recorded with Terry comes from a melody and chord sequence that I've been trying to use for years and years, whilst part of one of our more uptempo numbers, 'Breaking Up' comes from a riff that Terry had knocking around that he had been meaning to use, that I then took away and added to an idea I had, so sometimes those kernels of an idea can take years to finally see fruit. Re. Bad songs - there's a whole score of bad songs - but usually they don't make it as far as the recording studio. Of the one's that have 'Cool Front 24-6' b-side by Adorable stands out as being pretty ho-hum. I really can think of little good to say about it - but someone has bothered to put it up on Youtube and it's one of their favourite Adorable tracks.

 

Hey Pete any plans to come over to Germany or just have a show in Frankfurt or some more .. cheers,

(PF) We'd love to come and play some more dates, and we're hoping that when we release the album we can do a larger European tour and beyond. At the moment we're booking gigs ourselves, so if you have any connections in your town wherever you are & know someone who might be willing to put us on, please get them to contact us either via facebook, or email info(at)petefijterrybickers(dot)com



When Hollywood makes a movie about you guys in the not-too-distant future, which movie stars should be selected to portray each of you?

(PF) I sometimes wonder if we're not just reprising Dustin Hoffman & Jon Voight's roles in 'Midnight Cowboy'. In my dreams I'm not sure who would play us, but the film would be directed by Wim Wenders - it'd probably look great, but be a bit aimless. However after several re-writes I think the controversial version of "Bickers & Fij - the Movie" would see Will Smith taking on my role, and Morgan Freeman as Terry.  

(TB) I think it would be good to give up and coming actors a chance to play these challenging roles but if Hollywood A list actors were required then I think that Robert Downey Jnr would be well cast as Pete and Christian Bale to play me



How loveable / unloveable is Alan McGee? 

(PF) I haven't seen him since 1993, so I couldn't say what his loveability levels are like these days. He was undoubtedly very charismatic, and had a genuine love for music, but I felt I was on a different wavelength - he seemed to love music as much for the rock n roll aspects - the partying and the drugs - which wasn't what I was in a band for. I on the otherhand was annally analytical, in a slightly pretentious arts-student kind of way, which just wasn't really McGhee's bag either. I respected him, but we never really hit it off 

(TB) Alan was very positive and enthusiastic during the early Creation day's and came over as genuine person. In relation to The House Of Love I felt that for the most part he had our bands best interest's at heart.



Pete, you had a working title for the album a few years back which I found to be painfully brilliant and awe inspiring. It was tentatively titled "Broken Heart Surgery". Will you still be using this title and any news what the final release date would be? 

(PF) The album will be called 'Broken Heart Surgery' - we had a few other titles knocking around, but came full circle back to the original. There's no definitive release date as yet, but it has to be soon, otherwise I will go mad. By Summer of 2013 for the album at the latest, with a single before that. If it's not, I will buy you an ice cream. 



I'd like to turn some of the questions you asked eachother around -a/  Pete what animals do you think you & Terry are? 


(PF) I think Terry is an otter & I am a dog, possibly a Jack Russell.





b/ Terry -  who would be in your fantasy band?(for the sake of diplomacy lets say that both Guy & Pete are unavailable for vocal duties) 

(TB) Fantasy band #1: Budgie (Siouxsie & The Banshees/ The Creatures) on drums, Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) on guitar, Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads) on bass, Regina Spektor on piano and vocals & Brian Eno on synthesizer and samples. 

Fantasy band # 2  Steve Gadd on drums,  Dave Howard (The Dave Howard Singers) on keyboards & vocals and Barry Adamson (Magazine) on bass. 



Terry - what was your effects chain in the House of Love?

(TB) Hi, my effects set up in The House Of Love was:

MXR distortion +

MXR compressor

Boss CE-1 chorus ensemble

Ibanez DM2000 digital delay

Alesis MIdiverb 2 (a later addition)

Amp: Fender Dual showman amp in a Custom made cabinet with spring-reverb and tremolo effects built in.

Can you shoot a short video of you two creating a new song? No one ever gives-up how they come up with ideas, melodies and lyrics and how they piece them all together. 

(PF) One of my ongoing projects involves a bit of de-mystifying about the song-writing process. In the coming year I hope to expand expand on the project and write a whole series of songs about people I don't know - maybe you - and I will explain as I go along the thinking behind it. I aim to do a series of events online & in person, and will try to make sure some of it gets filmed.

That concludes the Q&A - but feel free to ask more questions, and we'll add them to the pile for next time. You can also keep in contact via facebook, and follow Pete on twitter, and also check out Pete's website for further insight into what he's about.

Photo Tiya Ivy.

 

Bickers Asks Fij

Following on from the release of the first Pete Fij / Terry Bickers free download last month, the duo have agreed to be interviewed by you, and they await your questions. In the meantime, to get the party started, they have interviewed each other.

Last week it was Pete asking Terry the questions, in which Mr Bickers revealed which era of history he would most like to time travel to, and what animals he thinks the duo are most akin to. This week the tables are turned, and it's time for Terry to play Bob Woodward to Pete's Carl Bernstein.




(Terry Bickers) Can you remember the first single or album you ever bought?

(Pete Fij) I really wish it was something hip, but it was a 7" of  'Bright Eyes ' by Art Garfunkel. The first ever album was a K-Tel compilation 'Out Of This World - The Best of The Moody Blues. I had been given a £5 record token for my birthday & didn't know what to spend it on. I  saw the album advertised on TV  & liked the flute part on 'Nights in White Satin'.


As with the radio program 'Desert Island Discs' if you could pick only one album to take to a desert island what would it be and what would your luxury be?

'Ocean Rain' by Echo & The Bunnymen. Luxury would be a recording studio (plus a solar generator to make all the electrics work).


Other than the guitar do you or have you ever played any other musical instruments?

I played the flute when I was about 11 for a couple of years. When I was 19 I wanted to join a band, and thought the bass would be the easiest instrument to play, so was an appalling bassist in my first ramshackle band called Bubblegum Flesh. Apart from that I play two finger piano/keyboards in the studio, and have also appeared on record playing the kazoo on 'Impossible' by Polak. I don't think I'll ever be described as a 'multi-instrumentalist'.


When writing songs do you usually begin by writing the music or lyrics or does it vary?

I hear almost all my songs that I write these days in my head first, and often they are pretty much formulated and arranged before I pick up a guitar. Usually the music comes before the lyric - but sometimes they come almost at the same time - though never more than a couple of lines. Once I understand what the central conceit of the song is I go away and work on the lyrics.


Do you have a favourite author?

Richard Brautigan, Paul Auster or Haruki Murikami


You used to run a regular pop quiz night, how did you get into this & do you intend to host any more in the future?

I was asked by a landlord of a pub if I'd be interested in running a quiz. I started 'I Predict A Pop Quiz', as a 'Vic n Bob' style off-the-wall quiz where I would wear pop stars perfume that the contestants would have to guess in 'Smell My Elbow round', or they would have to guess which pop star I was thinking of and transmitting to them in the 'ESP round'. I used to sing songs to introduce the various rounds sometimes with a dance routine thrown in. I would get guest musicians to play pop songs on increasingly bizarre instruments - my favourite was a bagpipe player doing Beck & Kraftwerk. I gave up after I reached 100 quizzes as it was doing my head in, and I found myself waking up in the night thinking of obscure pop trivia rounds involving cheese puns & I wanted to create some space in my head for something more creative - such as the Pete Fij / Terry Bickers album. I occasionally do one-offs, and might go back one day to hosting quizzes when I have a bit more space in my head.


What members would you have in your ‘fantasy’ backing band?

Kim Deal (Pixies/Breeders) on Bass, re-incarnation of Pete De Freitas (Bunnymen) on drums. If I can't bring back the dead, then I'd get Christoph Brandner from Lali Puna. I reckon I'll stick with my current guitarist. However, the proviso for all these being in the band is that they would have to get on. However great the musicians I couldn't hack being in a band with people who didn't get on.


Are you more of a night or a morning person?

Night 


What bands/artists from the last few years have caught your eye (or ear)?

The Kills, The Raveonettes, Fujiya & Miyagi, Trost. Mexican Elvis are really important to me, not just for their music but also because of their friendship and inspiration. I'm with you on Cashier No 9. In the pop world Rizzle Kicks get my vote. I've got more flighty as I have got older, and reverted back to my teenage self of really liking bands for their singles rather than albums per se - I really like the singles by Jagwa Ma 'Come Save Me', The Cheek 'Hung Up', White Rabbits 'Temporary', Gemma Ray 'Rescue Me'  without really knowing that much about the artists.


Which TV cop show duo do you think best represents our partnership?

I think it would probably be have to be Starsky & Hutch. I'm the brash mouthy Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky) character who does most of the driving, whilst you're David Soul (Hutch) - more contemplative, soulful and quite a bit taller. Cagney & Lacey probably runs a close second. 













You can probe further into Pete's nervous system via his new wesbite, or follow him on Twitter if that's your thing (he doesn't really get it, but bless him - he's trying) & you can also follow all of Pete & Terry's news via their facebook page to keep up to date with what they're up to.

Now it's time for you to put the questions to messers Bickers & Fij -  get asking, but you only have about a week or so to get them in, so don't dally.




 

Fij Asks Bickers

To celebrate the first release of the Pete Fij / Terry Bickers free download track, Pete and Terry will be doing a Q&A answering your questions about their collaboration, their past endeavours, future plans and anything else you might want to ask.Click here for details of how to ask Pete & Terry - but don't dally too long - you have until Friday 26th October to get your questions in.



In the meantime, to get the ball rolling, the two have agreed to interview each other, and this week it's Pete Fij -  our very own intrepid Carl Bernstein , who sat down and put some questions to Terry Bickers.

Pete Fij :Who were your musical heores when you were young?

 
Terry Bickers : The Police, U2, Siousxie & The Banshees, Magazine, Echo & The Bunnymen, Gary Numan (Tubeway Army).

Although we have a shared sensibilities about a lot of things, I think in other ways we are very different people - Which animals would you describe yourself and me as?

I like the symbolism of the spider in Shamanism. In it they represent us being weavers of our own reality reminding us of the creative power we have in shaping our own lives, spinning our web so to speak.

We first got together some time ago - I think we first played back in 2009 - how has the project/collaboration been in comparison to what you expected?

 
I expected/ hoped that our project would evolve into a group but I am happy with us being a duo now. I am thinking of using technology to add more layers to the sound (loops etc).

Our paths never crossed back in the Creation days (and judging by tales of both of our pasts maybe that's just as well, as I'm not 100% sure the twenty-something Pete & Terry would have got on), but I sense you were a very different person back then to the Terry I know now. What do you think the old Terry would have made of these songs - and would he have approached this project differently? 

I would have approached it in the same way I always have done when working in collaboration. When doing this I try to compliment each song in an appropriate way. Back then the ideas would probably have been less developed, more off the cuff.

What bands/artists from the last few  years have caught your eye (or ear)?

The Dears, Arcade Fire. Papa M, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Marina & The Diamonds, MGMT, Cashier no 9, Great Lake Swimmers, Eliza Jaye and the Tarts (Brighton band), Hollow Moon (Brighton band), Das Fenster (Brighton based band something akin to Kate Bush meets Radiohead)

If you had the option to travel back in time and revisit your earlier life would you go back and change anything - and if so what?

 

I would probably have to make quite a few trips to go back and stop sabotaging various opportunities that came my way in life.

And if you could speed on back past your birth - what era would you most like to visit?*

 *NOTE: Time travel option can currently only go back in time, not into future

Maybe pre- agricultural/ industrial revolution to see some of the wilder parts of the UK?

When you are an old, old man and come to write the story of your life - what will it be called?

'Sideman'

What one thing that you haven't yet done in life would you most like to do?

Make an album of my own songs.

Tune in next week for the second part of the process - 'Bickers Asks Fij', and don't forget to drop us line with any questions you might have for our songsmiths.

You can also keep up to date with all things Bickers & Fij-shaped to via the Facebook Page

Ask Bickers & Fij

Following the release of their free download, Pete & Terry will be opening the lines of communication and will be doing a Q&A session, so if you have any questions for our two downbeat troubadours then drop us a line.

One question might be: "why is Pete holding an umbrella in the photo to this story when he is quite clearly in the underground away from the rain?", but we will leave it to your imagination.


You can either e-mail your questions to info(AT)petefijterrybickers(DOT)com , you can message the duo at their facebook site, or you can post a message below this entry. All questions considered - from the profound to the bizarre, so get messaging.

In the meantime you can see the cross-examination here as Fij asks Bickers  and Bickers asks Fij

Pete & Terry Give A Sh*t

After years of waiting, Pete Fij & Terry Bickers have finally broken cover and have released the first fruits of their labours in the studio, in the shape of a free download of the radio un-friendly track "I Don't Give A Shit About You".

"Once you look beyond the cussing, it's a tender lost-love song" says Pete "I used to always steer away from swearing in songs in my younger days, but in this song it feels justified and essential. There's a tension I like with the actual words & Terry's lovely harmonies - we're like a foul-mouthed Simon & Garfunkel".

" It was my least favorite song out of all the candidates for our album in rehearsals" confesses Mr Bickers "but during the recording process it evolved way beyond my expectations. After the initial backing was recorded a lot of extra ideas came along and it was a really enjoyable process adding these and developing the song into what it is now. This experience reminded me that if we keep open to things, give them our best what we encounter may surprise us! The song is in part a homage to the Velvet Underground with a bit of Dr John's 'Gris Gris' thrown in and for me that's part of it's appeal."

The track is the first official release from the duos forthcoming album, which is slated for a release in Spring 2013. It can be downloaded here at Pete & Terry's Soundcloud page, although those who are swear-averse might want to give this one a miss due to the explicit nature of the lyrics as suggested by the title - but as you're already reading this, we've probably already offended you - sorry.

Don't forget you can keep abreast of all of Pete & Terry's activities by liking their facebook page.

Photography by Tiya Ivy.

Pete finds himself at Latitude

Pete will be appearing at this year's Latitude Festival (Thursday 12th - Sunday 15th July) giving a talk called 'Things I Have Found In Books' as part of the Lavish programme on the 'In The Woods' stage during the festival weekend. Here is the official spiel:

By night Pete Fij(alkowski) is a singer-songwriter formerly with Adorable (Creation Records) & Polak (One Little Indian) who is  currently working with House of Love / Levitation guitarist Terry Bickers  on an album set for release in Spring 2013. By day he sells second-hand books . In 'Things I Have Found In Books' he talks about some of the forgotten objects that he has discovered amongst the pages of the paperbacks that he sells on Brighton beach - lost photos, shopping lists and letters. Using slides he guides us through the sometimes funny, and sometimes poignant flotsam & jetsam of these forgotten atrtifacts.


Pete will be onstage as part of the Speaky Spokey programme at 6.30-8.30pm on Friday 13th July, and at  2-4pm on Saturday 14th July. Sadly Mr Bickers will be on another continent, but Pete will be with his trusty sidekick Electricty Board, the teddy bear he found in the street when he was 6, and will be performing his song 'Lost & Found' inspired by all these misplaced objects.


You can visit the Pete Fij / Terry Bickers Facebook page, where Pete will be taking advice of what else he should go and see whilst he's at Latitude..

Lost & Found

On Wednesday 16th May, Pete will be appearing at the Speaky Spokey literary cabaret night at the Latest Music Bar, Manchester St, Brighton, where he will be doing a show & tell about some of the items he has found left behind within the pages of the second-hand books he sells when he is not out making music with Mr Bickers.                                                                               

He will also be playing a song inspired by these forgotten objects, aided onstage by his teddy bear that he found in the street when he was 6 (photo by Michael Ocker) . Full details of the night & full line-up can be found here.

Don't forget to keep up-to-date on future events by liking the Pete Fij / Terry Bickers Facebook page

Would you let this man write a song about you?

Pete Fij will be playing a special one-off event on Thursday 26th April at Coast Cafe on Worthing seafront as part of the Special Treat night (tickets £3 on the door), where he will be playing a selection of his songs and discussing the song-writing process & the stories behind them. He will be asking members of the audience to chat to him about stories and incidents in their life, and he plans to pick on one of those tales and turn it into a song which he will reveal at the end of the night.

Pete says "I've never done this before, so it's a bit of a leap into the unknown - it all depends on 2 crucial things; firstly if people are prepared to open up to me and tell me about personal stories from their life, and secondly if I am able to then sit down and turn those experiences into a song within a strict 2 hour time limit" 

 If you would like to have a song written about you by Pete, then get close to opening time, as the night starts at 7.30pm and Pete will be first on at around 8pm, before returning to the stage towards the end of the night to hopefully reveal the new song (or alternatively explain where it all went wrong).

Full details of the night can be found here. You can also keep up to date with all things Bickers & Fij-shaped on the dedicated Pete Fij / Terry Bickers  Facebook site.

UK & German Live Reviews

After Pete & Terry's recent gigs in the UK & Germany, here are a couple of bits and pieces that have appeared on the net.

First up is Pennyblack's review of Bickers & Fij's recent London gig which can be read here.

Next, is an in depth report of our Europe-trotting duo's debut in the beautiful town of Regensburg (review in German only, but with some nice photos to look at if your foreign language skills aren't up to scratch).

Finally is a lovely  poster designed by our new friend Jochen, posted on the Sublime facebook page, featuring Pete's teddy bear Electricity Board. For those who have yet to meet him at our gigs, there's a longer story  about him, and even a song,  that we will tell you about at a later date.

German Sublime Interview

Our friends at Sublime have posted an interview with Pete, in the run up to the forthcoming gig in Regensburg in Germany on April 7th ,  where he reveals some of the influences on the forthcoming Bickers & Fij album, as well as his tips from the underworld of the Brighton music scene, as well as memories of Creation, Adorable, Polak, and what he gets up to in his spare time when he isn't playing melancholic music with Mr Bickers.

The interview is in both English & German and can be seen here

Click here for full details of Pete & Terry's German dates in April.

Short notice Brighton show

The special Pete Fij / Terry Bickers hotline has rung and our two intrepid downbeat superheroes have been invited at short notice to appear as support for The Sleep Room this Wednesday 14th March at the Albert, Trafalgar St, Brighton.

Tickets are £5, and messers Bickers & Fij will be onstage at 8.15pm.

For those of a Facebook persuasion, you can visit  the event page here.

Interview / Rozhover

Pete & Terry's first interview as alt-country's latest odd couple is published here in an interview with Pennyblackmusic.com .

Here the duo exclusively reveal that they first met in a bakers shop, and already the first signs of tension between the two are evident with the revelation that Pete is vexed by Terry's choice of socks. Remember where you read it first.

There is also an interview with Pete in this month's Fullmoon magazine (left), though if you are not fluent in Czech, you might struggle.

Pete & Terry's Brighton date with a telephone box

Pete Fij / Terry Bickers will be the main support at the album launch of 'The Raven's Empire' by Oddfellows Casino this Thursday 23rd Feb at the Brighton Ballroom (formerly the Hanury Ballroom) in Kemptown, Brighton.

Another fine friend Ampersand will also be playing and Oddfellow David Bramwell will be screening the rarely seen and truely macabre Spanish horror short 'The Telephone Box' (1972).

Tickets are £5 advance  / £6 on the door from Melting Vinyl

German dates announced

Pete & Terry will be in Germany this Easter for 2 shows in Munich & Regensburg, with support from Come Back Harriet.

FRIDAY 6th APRIL Munich at the Atomic Cafe
SATURDAY 7th APRIL Regensburg  at W1

Click on links for further details & ticket ordering information.

Messers Bickers & Fij will be returning to Europe in the Autumn for more dates in support of their album.

London Date

Pete & Terry will be headlining  Pennyblack's music night alongside Last Harbour, The Owl Service and Roshi Pars Radio at The Half Moon in Herne Hill on Saturday 24th March.

Tickets are £6 in advance from WeGotTickets or £7 on the door.

Let's get literary

Pete & Terry will be playing a special performance at the book launch for Martine McDonagh's novel  'I Have Waited You Have Come' (Myraid Editions RRP £7.99) on Tuesday 7th Feb at The Green Door Store, Brighton. 6-8pm.

Pete said "We don't normally get asked to play parties, as our music is a bit too melancholy for such events, but luckily 'I Have Waited & You Have Come' is a post-apocalyptic stalker tale, so it's right up our downbeat street."

The book is available from Amazon , though Pete reckons you should check out your local independent bookseller or even better see if the nice guy who has the second hand bookststall down on Brighton beach at the weekends has a copy.