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Keshco History

They've been around. And about.

Andrew Brain and Robert Follen have been playing and writing together almost since they first met at school in 1994.  Luke Sample bided his time until 2001 before meeting Andrew and Robert in Leicester.  Today they run about on stage for your general amusement.  But what of the cost?  I mean, what of the history?

Old Keshcology 
90s Keshco, 2001 reunion
Given the scarcity of official live appearances, you might be forgiven for thinking that Keshco were a mere "here today, gone tomorrow" combo, akin to John Nott. In fact, their first known sighting was in late 1994. Through 1995-96 the band met regularly in a grey, smelly school music practice room with a detuned piano, and bashed out mostly freeform, experimental sounds on a variety of keyboards and whatever else was to hand.  Casiotone prog indeed.

Thatcher's Children... Major's Teenagers

From late '96 to '98 attempts were made to convert into a more structured and dare I say, "traditional" unit. No I don't. Never mind. This phase is dealt with in excruciating detail by renowned Keshco scholar, Adrian Darvell, in his encyclopaedic tome, "Welcome To Their Corner Stop". It is advisable that you retain your receipt in case of dissatisfaction. At this stage, recording was still limited to various stereo tape recorders and a Goodmans Boogie Box machine.  "Livsey Street" is the best example of this.


How Do You Manage To Be So Unloved By Everyone?

During a 1999 hiatus, Andrew sought fame as half of acoustic/ambient duo Katie + Andy, who made the Spring someone else's with folk clubs and busking. Some of K+A's best work is hidden on unmarked cassettes, waiting to be found and released into the community. During this phase, Robert and (then bandmate) Gareth were doing a lot of art.


Keshco in Leicester, 2000 Spring 2000 saw the release of "Earlobe Holistics (Part N)", a 60-minute cassette that made a virtue of its own messiness. The songs, chants and snippets within (some dating back to 1995) were spliced together to create a merciless disembowelling of the "stream-of-consciousness" technique. Simultaneously, a new four-piece Keshco unit were re-convening and a pair of gigs (and two dozen unreleased new tracks) followed. November 2000 brought the release of a CD, "The Seeds Of Wom", showcasing Andrew's acoustic songwriting, Robert Wyatt-style vocalisms, and general social concerns. It's still available, you know. Somewhere.


It's Still My Perfumed Garden

Through 2001 Andrew was recording songs and playing with Dom Fox, better known to the world as w/trem, with a brace of folk club gigs. Robert had also bought a 4-track and was busy filling tapes. At the end of the year Keshco mutated into the slightly more sensible Bleak House, including new man Luke Sample and his many instruments, for a run of Leicester-bound performances. In early 2002, the new Keshco album "Saplings Of Sop" was released in complete silence. It's still the fifth-best kept secret on the Web. Despite this, it features some cracking tracks from both the 4-track and the wondrous Buzz program, with lyrics again varying from social commentary to absurdist humour.


Doing the Climate Dance
Andy and Robert, 2004
By the start of 2005, Keshco had a new album, "Softened Fingers", a collection that veered between synthpop and folk. Hoping to make live performances a bit more fun, Robert and Andrew started to use electronic backing tracks to augment their sound on stage. This had the pleasant side-effect of freeing the boys up for visual humour and general farting around, while also giving a better account of their uptempo compositions.  Keshco had lightened up.  Audiences seemed to approve.  Luke joined in the fun and, in 2007, Keshco got up off their carpet and faced the public in a glut of gigs.  In the spirit of peace, love and rhubarb, a 22-minute EP, "Trolley Crash", was released via Dutch netlabel WM Recordings in 2008.  That November, Keshco recorded the first of several home concerts for Polish station Vombat Radio, featuring music and comedy interludes.


Farting about on stage, 2008Breaking the Tape
In 2009 Keshco finished off their "Deforestation of Dak" album, organised a couple of variety nights in London, and, at the end of the year, recorded another 22-minute EP, "The Power Of Hot Air" for Swedish netlabel 23 Seconds.  These last two projects featured a slightly more organic sound.

By mid-2010 more stylistic changes were afoot.  The newest Keshco songs were firmly acoustic-based with barely a sequenced part in sight.  Psychedelia, prog and even funk stylings were in.  Their EP "Accountants By Day" confirmed this shift.

In 2011, projects included a special single for Record Store Day, an album of library music for a Moldovan netlabel, and an hour-long psychedelic comedy film with accompanying far-out soundtrack.

With a huge bank of material at their disposal, latest Keshco projects include comedy films (Johnny Cocktail, Fwith, etc), and a glut of EPs, more EPs everywhere. Also they're chomping at the bit for gigs, more gigs, good gigs, and would like to meet all of you. Right now. I mean, what are we doing standing outside, the living room's lovely and warm you know. Anyone for doogies?


John Nott is unavailable for comment


Article last updated: 21 October 2011