Al Deloner's CD "Flora in the darkroom" was released 29.05.06. Al's solo release concert will be @ Mono (Oslo) Monday 12th June, and he will also perform at the Nikki Sudden tribute concert two days before @ Elm Street (also Oslo). Nikki Sudden is singing on Al's new album, but he passed away earlier this year. If you understand Norwegian you can read som reviews: VG, Aftenposten, Varden, Dagsavisen and Dagbladet. VG has a short interview with Al. The song "Frankie and Lou" cam be found at Al's myspace site, and click on the links to listen to full versions of Revenge and Rock'N'Roll Sucks. Al will return to Norway with his band 12th August to play @ Henrock (Skien). A German tour with band is planned in November. In further old news Al performed @ Crossroads, WDR Rockpalast at March 23. You can see pictures, watch a live performance in the shower and have a look at the setlist at this place. You can also keep an eye on the Playground Music site to see if anything happens there. And if you have some more news, please let me know (press button at the bottom of this page)...
A Midnight Choir DVD has been mentioned on this page for a couple of years. It has now got the titel "Perfect Sky" but it is still on the "to be released later" schedule @ Glitterhouse Records, but they say that "it is 99% certain that the DVD will finally see the light of day this summer" (2006). The main problem has been to get the sound mixes of the concert at a reasonable price from the TV station that broadcasted the event...
Paal Flaata will as normal play some gigs now and then this summer (in Norway). Places he will show up is @ Kartfestivalen (Gvarv) July 14/15 and @ Kafe K (Porsgrunn) July 29.
1. Love Trash
2. It Will All Come Down
3. Right Next To Nothing
4. Overflow
5. Don't You Walk Away
6. Life Down Here In Hell
7. All The While
8. Isabella
9. Wolf's Eyes
10. Alabaster Jar
11. Bless Us All (Mickey Newbury)
May 23 (or May 30?) a 2CD-set called "All Tomorrow's Tears: The best of Midnight Choir" will be released in Norway. It looks like the DVD I've mentioned on this site for almost a year maybe/finally will be released this summer. The DVD was filmed @ Rockefeller, Oslo March 2003. As a bonus on the DVD you can watch "an almost uncensored" version of the Sister of Mercy video. "All Tomorrow's Tears: The best of Midnight Choir" will be released June 20th in Europe thru Glitterhouse.
02.11.04 Aftenposten, VG, Varden, Drammens Tidende and Dagsavsien rolled a 5 (out of 6) on their dice when they reviewed Al DeLoner's new CD "The mess age is joy" (which was released 01.11 on Playground). Only Dagbladet got too depressed and gave it a 2. People outside Norway can order it @ CDON. Some interviews (in Norewgian): VG and Varden.
04.10.04:
Paal Flaata is still working on his solo album "Rain" to be released in February on (S2 Records / Playground Music). All songs are written by Ben Lorentzen and Christian Nystrøm, and the songs are said to fit his "melancholy voice". The rumours says that Al DeLoner has sold his new solo project to a label in Europe and that it will be released on Playground Music in Norway (anyone with more information on this - please fill me in). He has also recently been adding his musical knowledge to the recording session of the new Walkabouts album.
And then it is official. Midnight Choir is breaking up!
But stay tuned on this site. Both Al and Paal are planning to release solo albums. Paal is already working on a solo album with "no cover songs" (not recorded yet) and touring Norway, while Al is shopping a solo album to interested labels in Europe (none has bought it yet). S2 Records in Norway are planning to release a live DVD from Rockefeller, Oslo (March 2003 featuring Lee Harris and Chris Eckman).
WDR taped a Midnight Choir gig @ the Harmonie Club in Bonn September 11th, partly with Lee Harris. A 45 minutes long program (included interviews) will be broadcasted @ 3sat TVchannel on the 22.11.03: 13.15 to 14.00 pm (Saturday). Some short cuts will be broadcasted on the same TV channel on the 26. to 27.10.03 - 1.00 to 03.15 am (Sunday night). At www.rockpalast.de you can already find some photos, interview and sounds.
Al DeLoner supported three shows of the current The Walkabouts tour in Hamburg, Dresden and Berlin (14.-16.10, solo-accoustic). In other news it was planned to release a live album (with Chris Eckman and Lee Harris) in Norway this autumn, but I think it's delayed. One reason could be that Paal Flaata is working on a new album to be released next autumn.
It is confirmed that Midnight Choir will play 2 more gigs in Germany during this summer. Go to the live section for information. Midnight Choir is steadily building up an increasing loyal following in Germany (even though only 60 persons visited the Dortmund gig), and the OBS gig was a great one with Chris Eckman as guest on electric guitar. Some pictures from that gig can be found @ Cardinal Casey's site.
Midnight Choir will be playing @ Orange Blossom Special Festival 7 in Beverungen, Germany (6-8 June). The tickets were released for sale April 1st, and were gone later that day. If you want to catch them electric, you have to get a ticket to the Museuminsel-Festival in Berlin @ June 4 with Lee Harris on drums. The three other gigs on the tour will be acoustic. All concerts will be supported by Fredrik Mustad on Hammond organ. They also plan a November tour in Germany, but no more information about this at the moment.
"Waiting for the bricks to fall" was released February 10 in Norway, and 24 in the rest of Europe thru Glitterhouse (GRCD 573). The record was recorded in Prague (in May 2002) with further recordings in Ljubljana (July), and a final mix in London during the autumn. A digi-pack single of "Will you carry me across the water?" with two non album tracks, "Waiting for the bricks to fall" and "Perfect Sky", was also released as well as a 2 LP version of "Waiting for the bricks to fall" including a instrumental named "Before the sun".
The album got between 4 and 6 (out of 6) in Norway, and if you follow this link you can read two German reviews. The album was also reviewed as CD of the month in STEREO, a huge HI-FI german magazine. Lastly, but most important, they won the "Preis der Deutschen Schalplattenkritik" as best album of the quarter in the category rock/pop.
1. Love Trash
May 23 (or May 30?) a 2CD-set called "
a November tour in Germany, but no more information about this at the moment.