Loading cart contents...
-
![]()
A letter from Si Goff
To the big wide family of H&S, I’m sure many of you have heard already and caught on to Rich’s hint in the last blog but I am writing to you all to say farewell. It is with a heavy heart that I have decided that my time as a member of Hope and Social…
-
![]()
Feel…
Well, it’s June, and that means we’re starting a new album. It’s been a long time coming this one. What with so many and varied Hope and Social projects this past year, Si and his many theatre things, and Goff being totally immersed in art in Berlin, we just haven’t been able to get a…
-
![]()
Blunder Bust!
Wow, that was tiring! Who’d have thunk that teaching 50 people a bunch of H&S songs in 4 hours across two buses, a stately home and a church then doing a gig at the finish line of the Tour de Yorkshire would prove so tiring? [grins] Well, it was. But it was sooooo worth it.…
-
![]()
Hope and Social’s Blunder Bus!
Part of the Tour de Yorkshire Festival blunderbuss noun 1. a short large-bored gun, flared at the muzzle so as to scatter shot widely. Literally ‘thunder gun’. 2. an action or way of doing something regarded as lacking in subtlety and precision. Rain coat? Check. Stamina? Check. Vocal Cords? Check. Massive bag of fun-nuts? Check.…
-
![]()
“Connect: Resound” – A Live Lesson on Sound
… from inside your computer!!! This coming Thursday (26th March 2015) from 1:15pm to 2:15pm, schools across the county are tuning in to join Hope and Social (the musical equivalent to the interior designers’ “shabby-chic”) deliver a live lesson in sound and recording via the wondrous interwebz. This is the third event in NYMAZ’s Connect:Resound…
-
![]()
The 12 Gigs of Christmas – The Lowdown
We can’t afford big tele advertising campaign, but if we could it would go like this. [overly dramatic X-Factor voiceover, massive silver words rush towards screen] “12 GIGS” [big drum] “1 DAY” [cannon fires] “6 IDIOTS!” [fireworks] etc. It’s safe to say we’ve had some stupid ideas as a band. We just get over excited,…
-
![]()
The 12 Gigs Of Christmas (Hux’s Birthday)
I’ve no time for dilly dallying these days so first up, here’s the cold hard facts. For those of you with an attention span marginally longer than a springer spaniel puppy, scroll down for some poetic scene setting. What is this nonsense? 12 gigs Where you doing it then? Leeds City Centre When is it? 19th…
-
![]()
Just Another Normal Tour!
Well…. as normal as anything gets around here! We can’t do anything without something “weird” happening… Sometimes we replace the word “weird” with “magic” but it all comes out the same in the wash. Well, we bet you were thinking…. “I wonder when Hope and Social are going to do some more of their what…
-
![]()
People Say The Nicest Things
The dust has settled on The Tour Of Infinite Possibility: Weekend #1. As Simon so rightly puts it, it’s been an “incredible, exhilarating and rewarding” project. So much happened over those two days, we played six shows, with hundreds of new band members joining us on stage. All in just under 36 hours. It’s difficult…
-
![]()
The Tour of Infinite Possibility: Weekend 1
Well it’s taken some serious coffee and a lot of moaning but I think we’re just about human again after the mammoth first weekend of The Tour of Infinite Possibility! And what an incredible, exhilarating and rewarding two days it was. How do we quantify its ephemeral magic? Through some hard stats, that’s how: 470…
-
![]()
Le Tour. Le Launch.
We are overjoyed to be able to confirm that Hope and Social are set to appear at the Grand Depart Opening Ceremony. We’ll be showcasing some of the very best of our brand new band members who’ve joined us for the Yorkshire Festival project The Tour Of Infinite Possibility, and performing The Big Wide, the…
-
![Tour of Infinite Possibility]()
Is the Tour of Infinite Possibility possible?
So here we are, 10 days to go before the first weekend of TIP shows and we’re just about as busy as a band could be. It’s been weeks in development, months in expectation and years in bell playing but we’re nearly ready to take to the Yorkshire roads with our traveling circus of noise.…
-
![]()
Bringing the Happy again
Very quick post…I’m sitting in a pub by the train station in Brighton, enjoying a pint while I wait for the Flockers. We’re down in Brighton this week taking a wee break from The Tour of Infinite Possibility to do Bring the Happy again as part of Brighton Festival. Having just wandered through the concourse…
-
![]()
Crypt Covers: Vol. 1
2 years on from our first ever Crypt Covers session, we’re releasing the first album’s worth of Crypt Covers. For the uninitiated, Crypt Covers is our one day challenge to record and video a fan-chosen cover version, with another artist, in one day. It’s been a challenging, interesting and worthwhile experience throughout. We wanted to…
-
![]()
TIP is green for go! I repeat…
…TIP is green for GO! Oh my word… the Tour of Infinite Possibility is actually real! We’re starting our journey through a maze of shark infested spreadsheets and perilously dangerous calendars. It’s been a little scary, a little daunting and quite marvellous. A little bit like planning to ride a wild horse. When you’ve never…
-
![]()
Crypt Covers 10: Dancing Years – Saturday 4th January
UPDATE 7-1-14 Video below! Crypt covers 10 was the beautiful “I’ll Do It All Again” by Leeds own Corrine Bailey Rae suggested by @manwakesup on twitter. It’s SUCH a good song. Quite heartbreaking… The recording was one live take of the whole band and then we just overdubbed all the vocals and a teeny bit…
-
![]()
We Are “The Band Anyone Can Join”
(Short attention span? Like pictures but not words? Skip straight to the video) There’s nothing more exciting than trying to do the impossible; or at least the seemingly impossible. The stuff that feels like magic is happening, the stuff that feels that, in some small and positive way, it’s had an impact on someone’s life.…
-
![]()
Crypt Covers 9: Merz – Wed 23rd October
UPDATE 25-10-13 We had an absolutely lovely day in the Crypt on the 23rd October with the rather fantastic Merz. The song we covered was “Old Town” – an obscure track from a Phil Lynott solo album. It was a real pleasure working with Conrad. A real inspiration for us and just a joy to…
-
![Dancing Day]()
Our Dancing Day
I bloody love dancing, it’s brilliant, but before I get to that I need to give you some history. Let me set the scene….. The year is 2002. I’m in 6th form. The most important event of the academic calendar is upon us. The school talent show. Me and two of my lesser talented chums…
-
![]()
All Your Dancing Days
Hello, Howdy, Willkommen! —— The rumours are true, have no doubt. The Hope & Social ‘Show of un-rehearsed Shonk’ is making it’s way to a town near you next month. Why? Why the hell not???! We don’t need no new album to tour crazy fool!! We are hitting the road once again, beginning on the…
-
![]()
Crypt Covers 8: The Travelling Band
On October 8th we were joined by the Manchester-based five-piece Folk-Rock-Juggernaut that is The Travelling Band. I (Gary) first saw the Travelling Band a few years back at Kendal Calling and was blown away by their songs, charisma and musicianship. Earlier this year I had the pleasure of being out with the lads when Ellen…
-
![]()
Letter to The Mailing List – June ’13
Good morning campers! Gosh hasn’t nature done itself proud this week? Last week the birds had all but given up on our climate and headed south for warmer days and carefree nights, but come Monday they turned tail at Dover and pushed their way back up the M1 to sing their hearts out and dance…
-
![]()
A Band Anyone Can Join – Grassington Festival 2013
One of the things many people say about Hope and Social is that we’re “good at that fan-engagement stuff”. For example, on Public Transport Day last year, Hope and Social did The Grassington Run, a travelling event with 50 revellers joining H&S for their journey from Leeds (by train, bus, steam-train, walk and open-topped bus)…
-
![]()
What the f*ck is Bring the Happy?
Bring the Happy is at the Arc in Stockon on the 1st and 2nd of November 2013, Barnsley Civic Theatre on the 6th and 7th of December and then at Leeds Town Hall on the 16th and 17th of December. Bring the Happy by Hope and Social and Invisible Flock >> “Bring the Happy is…
-
![]()
It’s Tour time again!!
Hello good people. Yes, it’s that time again, we are mounting our trusty red steed and coming to a town near you (hopefully), and yes….it starts on MONDAY! Amongst everything happening at the moment…a baby coming….me living out of suitcase for 8 months now…..James’ letter to Bruce….we have been a bit preoccupied so forgot to…
-
![]()
If Hope and Social Had An Office Party…
If Hope and Social had an office Christmas party, what would it look like? Help us decorate the office for our Christmas party and be in with a chance of winning a lifetime supply of Hope and Social paper clips! What makes ’em Hope and Social paper clips you ask? Well, they are blue, and…
Loading posts...
