So after a period of absence, the nearly band have a couple of gigs – and they’re all in the next 5 days. Blink and you’ll miss us – we’re off to tour Asia for four years after these dates. Our fanbase out there is *huge*.

SUNDAY 23rd August – Green Note Open Mic (Featured Act) – one of our favourite open mics, and they’ve sorted us out with a place to try new songs and be amongst great folk musicians many a time. Free entry, good food, freedom lager, and us. It’s on Parkway, between Camden tube and Regents Park (game of frisbee after the show?)

TUESDAY 25th August – TABARANK @ Below Zero – The Absolute Ice Bar – We’ve not played here before, but we love the TABARNAK ladies. We’re a last minute addition to an already brimming bill. We’re especially big fans of HERE TO BAGHDAD, who are playing. Music starts at 7.30pm, so arrive early, and message me for cheaplist (£3) – it’s £5 on the door. There’s a facebook event here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=119836398865

AND! We’re planning on popping along to Kal Lavelle’s excellent night at the World’s End in Finsbury Park on the Sunday evening after the Green Note show, but we don’t know if there’s space for us yet. It’s only down the road, and the music will be good, so we were going to go either way!

I suppose we shouldn’t sign off without some news and hellos. There are four or five new songs, all in that stage between thinking ‘this is awesome’ and thinking ‘we should really write some words before we play this’. We’ll try to write the words before the shows.

We’ll also be doing a ‘secret’ (hah!) appearance at the IKTOMS WIRED FESTIVAL on Sunday 27th September. Keep the date in your diaries – it’s a free entry celebration of amazing music – it’s going to be massive sized! Check www.myspace.com/iktoms for details.

And between now and then we’re going to get all of our new songs in order, and become the best band in the world. Exciting times.

Hope you’re all well, and see you soon!

Doug McNaught & The Nearly Band xxx

These words are a curious case of some that I’m really proud of, and some that make me squirm a little. It’s the classic scenario of a song written before you knew what you were talking about… but I kind of dig my naïveté.

Well on the radio the adverts in between the shows,
Are asking if I’m having fun? And if not would I like to have some?
The number ends in triple 8, they charge it at galactic rate,
But baby, they can hook you up with a blonde in a G size cup.

And my friends keep asking if there’s something wrong?
Why d’you act so happy with your face so long?
Use a credit card to get a G size blonde,
Then move on. But I won’t.

Cos it’s like I told you, I want to hold you love,
There ain’t nothing wrong with loving you like I do.
Like Julius Caesar, or the tower of Pisa I’m crazy,
And I get things wrong. Loving you like a fool.

Well on the TV set they’te telling me what I can get,
Oh baby, if I only tried the world’s legs might open wide.
The book is called ‘The Devil’s Tricks’, the number ends in treble 6,
So call now – it’s only £12.99, but get permission from who owns the line.

And I ask myself if there’s something up?
If I have these feelings can I be in love?
One thing I know is I don’t want that book,
I’m going to write ‘Fuckups in Love’.

Cos it’s like I told you, I want to hold you love,
There ain’t nothing wrong with loving you like I do.
Like Julius Caesar, or the tower of Pisa I’m crazy,
And I get things wrong. Loving you like a fool.

And in this advertising nation we’re consumers of temptation:
You and I.
And in the tree of God’s creation every branch of information’s got an apple:
Take a bite.
They’ll take your heart as a deposit, or your soul if you’ve still got it:
They don’t expect a fight.

But like all the great Italians,
These things I build are going to stand,
And love has got the upper hand tonight.

Cos it’s like I told you, I want to hold you love,
There ain’t nothing wrong with loving you like I do.
Like Julius Caesar, or the tower of Pisa I’m crazy,
And I get things wrong. Loving you like a fool.
Loving you like I do.