Tuesday 15 May 2012

The Arteries - Beers



The final release show for Beers was a bitch to get to; a Sunday night, rail replacement buses, losing people on the way, rain, and not quite knowing where in Swansea Monkey bar was. Still we made it and had a great time again.

In my mind, this is the heaviest of the three. Somehow everything just seems turned up. The songs are still catchy as fuck, as all Arteries songs have been before and after this record. Three Cats is my favourite here. There was some sort of mess up with the order so they ended up with all the records the night before the show without any outer sleeves. A full night of folding brown paper results in the sleeve in the pictures. I like it personally. I can see its a shame they don't all match, but what's more DIY than sitting up all night folding sleeves? They went to town on the packages: Jamie's artwork, lyric sheets and coloured vinyl. The records were all coloured to match the titles, although I'm not sure I've ever seen beer this colour (but what do I know with my colour-blind eyes).

In the end, the three EPs were put together to make their debut album Blood, Sweat and Beers (minus one song from each, with a new one added in). It's a cracking album, but having seen the EPs come out it felt like we were more involved in the process somehow, seeing the album take shape. I like a good project and this one was a fantastic one. I'm excited to see them again tonight because I have such fond memories. But also because they're ace.


Format: 10", brown paper sleeve, insert, release show ticket, numbered
Tracks: 5
Cost: free (with the ticket), new
Bought: release show
When: 26/10/08
Colour: yellow?
Etching: none
mp3s: no