We finally made our live debut last night (12 May) at The Corporation, Sheffield. It's been a long time in the making, and it was an incredible feeling to finally play Scissorgames to a crowd - faces both familiar and new. For any band, there's nothing quite like the first show; a unique combination of excitement and nerves, heightened by a sense of unfamiliarity and uncertainty - we've never played these songs to an audience before! We're very proud of them, but what will others think?
But as soon as the show began and we launched into the 17 plus minutes of Scissors, the nerves evaporated. Ghost Of The Machine had arrived! The reception from the room was all we could have hoped for and more, and this absolutely energised us. We had a generous slot of 70 minutes in which we played most of the songs from Scissorgames, and an old favourite from This Winter Machine's A Tower Of Clocks in the shape of Delta. As far as first shows go, we have to chalk this one up as a great and memorable night.
Our set was followed by a sublime performance from IT - anyone familiar with these London-based prog rockers will know they're an outstanding band, blending visual elements and projections with their music to maximum effect. We certainly hope we get to team up with these guys again - they were awesome to watch, and an absolute pleasure to work with. Check them out at https://itband.tv/
So what's next for us? Well, lots! Our next show is at O'Rileys in Hull on 12 June 2022, less than a month away, but there's lots in the pipeline before then. Preview copies of Scissorgames have arrived in the inboxes of progressive rock review websites and publications, and we're looking forward to the reviews dropping. We'll also be releasing a single NEXT WEEK! So keep your eyes and ears open. You'll be hearing it first on our website!
And then it's onto the album launch itself. The early response to the previews and the website launch has exceeded our expectations. We've had to secure a larger shipment of CDs to fulfil demand! But they're on their way and we can't wait to get them out to you! Don't forget, all pre-orders made before 3 June will be signed (while stocks last) - it looks like we're going to be busy scribbling in the CD booklets, but luckily Scott's bringing the shiny pens.
We'll sign off by saying a HUGE thank you to all our supporters for getting behind us and the new album. We couldn't do this without you.
Till next time
Charlie, Graham, Mark, Stuart, Andy and Scott