Latest Updates

Check our MySpace for updates & gigs

February 2008 - Announcment!
Belated (very!) Happy New Year to you all.

As many of you will know, there are one or two changes afoot in The Carbs' world but, rest assured, nothing too drastic. We still move onwards and upwards but with a few slight differences.

The main change is that I (Chris) will be more of a guest performer from now on. This is because, much as I have enjoyed the heavy gigging schedule, I am unable to commit as much time to the band as in previous years. However, I will still be doing a few gigs with The Carbs here and there (e.g. 5 next month) but there will be an excellent new line up operating in the main. See Jon's MySpace blog for details.

So, Jon will be handling bookings and generally running things and you can get all the latest updates and schedules from checking out our MySpace link above. We'll still put bits and bobs on here of course and feel free to e-mail us with any enquiries.

10th December 2007
We are back in action after our recent diversion of holidays, functions and Status Quo concerts.

Our first gig at The Old General in Dukinfield this Saturday. It's a real rock 'n' roll venue with a lifesized Elvis model on the stage (or at least there used to be). Hopefully, we'll be their cup of tea.

The following week sees us back at the Bull's Head in Hayfield on Friday aka Mad Friday - the last one before Christmas. Saturday at the New Bay in Radcliffe for what should be a raucous night with our loyal followers.

Talking of Mad Friday, we played a lovely office party on Friday night which ended with around 20 colleagues and invited guests (male and female) rolling around on the pavement punching each other. Lovely festive atmosphere which was only spoiled whent the police arrived and carted them off for the night. I wonder what the atmosphere is like this morning?!

21st November 2007
Added gig listings for December. We have got the week off next week but back in action from the 6th December for a busy run in to Christmas.

Meanwhile, we revisit two old favourites this weekend in The Little Mill and The Old White Horse. See you there.

12th November 2007
Busy couple of weeks for us. Three gigs last week and the same again this week. Catch us at the Two Tubs in Bury on Thursday, Hare & Hounds in New Mills on Friday and The Albion, Bolton on Saturday.

Been a while since any of us visted the Albion (opposite Moor Lane bus station in the town centre - very handy!) but they have had a recent refurb and things are apparently looking good on the live music front. Get down and support it if you can.

1st November 2007
Don't bother with a bonfire this weekend, we're making our debut at The White Hart in Whaley Bridge on Saturday night.

You can also catch us at that stalwart, The Queen's Arms in New Mills tomorrow - great night down there a couple of weeks ago.

23rd October 2007
Don't think we've ever been as quiet as we were in the Milan Bar on Sunday - reminiscent of the Grand Ole Opry in the 50s when drums were banned because they were the devil's instrument!

That followed a full on blow out at The Queen's Arms on Saturday - I think we all agreed it was just about the best of the many we've played there. Let's hope for more of the same when we return next Friday (2nd Nov).

Meanwhile, two good ones this weekend. The Bull's Head in Hayfield was a great success when we played there earlier in the year. That was the first of their new band nights so it will interesting to see what its like after a couple of months in development. Saturday at The Old White Horse is more of a known quantity and is almost guaranteed to be a good one!

Finally, the November listings now up on gigs page.

17th October 2007
Further to the gigs mentioned below, we've just taken a short notice one at The Milan Bar in Lees (Oldham) this Sunday 21st. We kick off slightly earlier than normal so probably best to get there for 9pm if you're coming.

15th October 2007
Well, we are well and truly back in the swing of things following our two week break. We eased ourselves back in with a low key affair at The Little Mill on Friday and a private party on Saturday.

This week sees us a bit more full on with one our old favourites, The Bell & Barrel, on Friday which is preceded on Thursday by our debut at Moses Gate in Farnworth on Thursday. Saturday sees us at The Queen's Arms in New Mills, a regular watering hole for us.

Good spread for you to go at there eh? You should be able to make at least one of these - you know it makes sense!

24th September 2007
Thanks to all who came to the New Bay on Saturday and made it a good debut for us. Good to see all the Swan crew again, albeit not in The Swan!

Anyway, we are re-booked for Sat 22nd Dec which, would you believe, was our last available Saturday this year. It's a busy run in for us from here.

No updates, gigs etc for a couple of weeks now due to holidays. We are back in action at The Little Mill on Fri 12th Oct.

By the way, if you want to see where we're playing months in advance, check out our MySpace page which has listings to the end of the year.

See you in a couple of weeks.

18th September 2007
Added October listings to the Gigs page.

You'll note we are out of action for a couple of weeks after this weekend. This is because the band is unavailable due to holidays so get down and watch us this weekend as we won't be back out 'til 12th October.

17th September 2007
Thanks to everyone who came out to see us this weekend - bit of a weird finish with a mad panic to get in from the rain at The Peaks on Sunday but we got there in the end - a nice low key set by Half The Carbs indoors helped to ease the pain, as did the Becks.

Two more gigs this weekend see us hitting Radcliffe and Bury (see listings).

Also, if you were wondering who this Julian character on recent updates, photos etc was all has hopefully become clear via the front and profile pages. He is our new regular bass player - he's done quite a few with us already but has fitted in so well you might not even have noticed a change. Anyway, now you know, you can scrutinise him this weekend - he is Bury based so will be on his own midden!

14th September 2007
Just a quick reminder we are New Mills bound this weekend. The Hare & Hounds on Low Leighton Road tonight and Pride of the Peaks in the town centre for an afternoon session on Sunday (session being the operative word for much of our audience!).

In between those, we hit the Moon & Sixpence in Glossop on Saturday.

Plenty to go at there if you live around that part of the world. We return to Lancashire next weekend - see gig listing.

11th September 2007
Sad news about the death of Joe Zawinul, one of the funkiest of all keyboard players, today. He was 75.

Check out this clip of what many think was Weather Report's best line-up from 1978 with Jaco Pastorius on bass. Note Joe's "back to front" keyboard (the middle one) i.e. high notes on the left and low on the right!

10th September 2007
Just had a call from High Peak Radio to say our recently recorded slot promoting this weekend's Peak extravaganza will be broadcast today at 11.30am and again at 7.30pm. Should only be about 5 minutes - 106.4 fm and 103.3 fm. Don't actually think any of the band can receive it so you'll have to tell us what it was like!!

Also confirmed a gig at The Moses Gate in Bolton. More details to follow but it will take place on Thurs 18th October.

7th September 2007
Confirmed a gig at The New Bay (formerly The Bay Horse) on Stand Lane in Radcliffe - Sat 22nd Sept.

We played here once before on a sort of jam night for Dave Hooper's birthday. Apparently, they have now done up the back room with a bit of a stage and it is looking good - could it be the new Swan?! Fingers crossed. Try and get down if you can - let's make it a good night and then, hopefully, we can turn it into a regular one.

5th September 2007
Just a quick note regarding our availbility for anyone who might be thinking of booking us or knows someone who is.

We only have a few spotted dates left for this year now so get in touch asap.

However, due to the cancellation mentioned below, we are oddly availble on both 21st and 22nd Sept. We'll hopefully conjur something up but bear it in mind it you've been thinking of having us on. Might be an ideal time to try us out if you've not seen us before.

Also, we are now available on New Year's Eve - the band is perfect for bringing in the New Year and we've had some cracking nights. Give us a call or drop us an e-mail if you want more info about booking us.

4th September 2007
All manner of comings and goings on the gig front at the moment.

Pride of the Peaks (see below) in New Mills is now rearranged for next Sunday 16th at 3pm, which is good news.

The bad news is that The Pack Horse in Hayfield on 21st Sept is off - once again, not our fault. The venue had double booked and we were last in the book. Hayfielders can see us on 26th October at The Bulls Head or make the short trawl to New Mills or Glossop next week.

So, it looks like a big High Peak extravaganza next weekend.

Chris will actually be giving an interview to High Peak Radio tomorrow to promote these gigs and chat about The Carbs generally. It will be broadcast sometime next week but we'll let you know exactly when once we do.

1st September 2007
The Pride of the Peaks gig was cancelled by the venue this morning. It's terrible weather today anyway but I think they have double booked with another event. The gig is to be rearranged,

Apologies to all those who were planning to go, this was beyond our control. It's obviously very short notice for a cancellation but hopefully no-one will actually turn up expecting us to be on.

Only one public gig this week as we are doing a function on Saturday. We are at the Duke of Cambridge on Thursday.

29th August 2007
Another enjoyable gig at the Beau Geste in Ashton on Monday. We will hopefully be returning for an evening spot at some point in the future.

We are, of course, expecting the usual turn out at The Old White Horse on Saturday so grab a table as soon as you get there. Should be a good night.

Our debut at Pride of the Peaks in New Mills on Sunday afternoon - we'll be outside in the garden. Not sure what they do if it rains but it will involve heavy drinking, which is the main thing.

Added a new track to the Listen To Us page as a bit of a novelty. It's us with our good friend and sometime vocal collaborator, Jill Schoonjans, on a cracking good version of Randy Newman's "Mama Told Me Not To Come", though this is more like the Three Dog Night version. We recorded it a few years ago now but don't think we've ever aired it on here before. We'll just leave it up for a few days.

By the way, don't forget to check us out on MySpace and, if you like pinacoladas and taking walks in the rain, maybe we can be friends!!

23rd August 2007
As promised, some photos from the Burnley Balloon Festival on July 29th now up on photos page - nothing too exciting in terms of what we were doing (i.e. we were playing instruments as usual!) but a good record nonetheless.

Thanks to Caroline and also Jason Erskine of Ease Leisure Webmaster fame for the photos. Still can't believe we had a camera stolen whilst it still contained photos of us with a Del Boy Impersonator, us pulling a car out of the mud with a tug-o-war rope and us in a naked game of Band Twister (ok, not the last one but you get the idea - we'll try to broaden out the photos in future!)

Re Bull's Head gig mentioned below, it has now been rearranged for 26th October.

In addition, we are now playing at The Moon & Sixpence in Glossop on September 15th.

22nd August 2007
Added September gig listings to the Gigs page. We are hoping to rearrange the Bull's Head date on the 28th August so watch this space for updates.

The Swan on Friday - what the hell will happen, no-one knows. Should be good fun though!

The Pack Horse in Hayfield proved to be a good night, we are rebooked for Fri 21st Sept.

16th August 2007
Tomorrow sees our debut at The Pack Horse in Hayfield which is fast becoming a veritable hotbed of rock 'n' roll!! Get down there - it should be a top night.

The wedding of the year on Saturday - Gareth & Rachel. We are expecting meltdown at some point, let's hope it's later rather than sooner. Mind you, at least they'll already be married by then. Congratulations in advance.

Our Burnley Festival photos have arrived and will be up on the photos page in the next few days.

Finally, just a quick word to say what a great night we had down at The Moon & 6d in Glossop last weekend. We were very well looked after by Paul & Jools and are looking forward to our return already. Thanks to Rae Leeson for arranging everything too.

10th August 2007
Just confirmed a gig at The Swan, Radcliffe for Fri 24th August. It's just a one off - will almost be like a reunion. If you were ever part of the regular nights down there over the past couple of years, you'll know it will be a good one. Don't miss it.

Meanwhile, if you're from the Bury side of the tracks, there's no excuse for not getting down to the Two Tubs this weekend. What else would you be doing at 5.30 on a Sunday afternoon?!

7th August 2007
Looking forward a good weekend at the Moon & 6d and Two Tubs. We've also confirmed more gigs at both these venues starting with another at the Two Tubs on Sun 23rd Sept. Two Tubs gigs will probably start at 5pm but we will confirm in the next day or so.

Another Sunday afternoon gig came in today - Pride Of The Peaks in New Mills town centre will feature us outdoors on Sun 2nd Sept at 3pm.

You can check out our full gig list on our recently established Myspace site - here - though the definitive up to date gig/timings information for each month always be on this site .

Meanwhile, why not log on and become one of our illustrious band of friends!

2nd August 2007
When is an update not an update? When there's nothing to update you on! As you know, we're off this week (see update below) so have got a bit of time on our hands.

Some new photos and maybe, just maybe, a little piece of video footage are coming our way - all from the Burnley Festival on Sunday. Watch this space.

Meanwhile, happy 70th birthday to Garth Hudson, legendary keyboard/accordion/saxophone/everything else player with The Band.
Have a look at this clip of him coming to the end of his "Genetic Method" performance in Martin Scorsese's "The Last Waltz". It's followed by brief interviews with Garth and Robbie Robertson, then the definitive performance of The Band's "Ophelia" resplendent with the horn arrangements of Allen Toussaint.

"There is a view that jazz is evil...."

30th July 2007
We are almost back to normal after our round of recent functions but not quite. Jon is away on holiday this weekend and off again at the end of the month but, thanks to the bank holiday, we've managed to squeeze 4 public gigs and a function into the second half of August and are back at it from next Saturday, kicking off with two new venues for us (with this band, anyway) - The Moon & Sixpence in Glossop, followed by The Two Tubs in Bury on Sunday.

The Burnley Festival proved to be a bit of a wash out as far as some of the planned events went but the beer/music tent managed to stay open. We had an enjoyable set yesterday marred only by the fact that our digital camera went missing. Let us know if you get offered one containing photos of us with a Del Boy impersonator and also pulling a car out of the mud tug-o-war style at a marquee function on Saturday - our gigs are never dull....or normal!

As a result, no more photos from us until a replacement arrives or the lost one is returned. So, if you've got any pictures you've taken of us yourselves, please e-mail them and we'll get a few up. The address is pics@thecarbs.co.uk

See you next week.


23rd July 2007
Added August listings to the Gigs page.

Also, we have received confirmation that we will be closing the show at the Burnley Balloon Festival this Sunday! This means we'll take to the stage at c6pm and probably play for about an hour or so. Check the link in the gig listings for details of the other bands appearing and the event itself.

18th July 2007
We were out of action this week as far as public gigs go with two functions on Friday and Saturday.

However, we have just taken a last minute booking for tomorrow night from The Grapes on St John Street in Lees (nr Oldham). It's a duo gig i.e. Half The Carbs featuring Jon and Chris. Something we do every now and then but haven't done for a while and never in that neck of the woods from memory so should be a bit of a novelty. It will be more low key than usual but there'll still be plenty of old favourties coming out.

14th July 2007
Just a quick update to let you know we have taken a last minute booking at The Flagship on Volunteer Street ins St Helens for tomorrow. It's an earlier start than usual - we kick off at 7pm.

12th July 2007
Added a few photos of us at The Hare & Hounds in New Mills a couple of weeks ago. Some of them are a bit dodgy quality wise but passable. We are back there on September 14th - get it in your diaries. It will definitely be rammed.

Also, we now have a listing on a very good website some of you may know - North West Bands which has all sorts of useful info on venues, gigs, bands etc and is well worth checking out. We registered a MySpace site a few weeks ago so will let you know once that is live. Meanwhile, log on to the site above and you can leave comments and even become one of our "fans" - exciting eh?!

See you tomorrow at The Bull's Head.

10th July 2007
No updates for a while due to an IT crisis which is (hopefully) rectified. There has not been a huge amount happening over the last week or so due to holidays etc so you haven't missed much.

We are back in action at the Bull's Head in Hayfield this Friday. Our first time there so we're looking forward to checking it out.

We also have another, slightly unusual gig to announce. We will be playing at the Burnley Balloon Festival in a couple of weeks time!! Details of the even itself can be found here. We don't have specific timings for our appearance yet but it will be on Sunday 29th July at some point.

You can't beat a great title for an event and the Burnley Balloon Festival has to be up there. It reminds me of the time we went down to Bognor Regis to play at a Butlins weekend featuring Dina Carroll and a couple of other US singers - it was honestly billed as "Divas at Bognor".

28th June 2007
Good sized and appreciative crowd in at The Welcome last night.

Slight break for us now with a couple of people away on holidays etc. Our next open gig is at The Bull's Head in Hayfield on Friday 13th July. However, as noted below, it's always worth checking the site as we might do the odd thing at short notice if we can get a full band together.

25th June 2007
Added some photos of us at the One World Festival on Saturday to the Gallery section. The event seemed to be a success and our set was very well received - which was nice!

It was followed by a very enjoyable evening up at The Hare & Hounds in New Mills. It was the first time we'd played there but it definitely won't be the last - we are in the process of arranging some more dates.

It was a good set up for a band like ours with nice sound and stage facilities, not to mention the audience, many of whom were disciples of rock 'n' roll and Memphis music. The manager, James, has even done a bit as an Elvis tribute and joined us for an excellent version of "All Shook Up".

We shall return - watch this space. Also, possibly one or two photos to come from this gig but we'll mention it in this section if there are any we are putting up.

Next up is The Welcome in Whitefield, this Wednesday 27th. This will actually be our last public gig for a couple of weeks and we only have two in July as we enter the busy wedding and party season. However, we'll try and squeeze the odd one in at short notice where we can so keep checking.

18th June 2007
Added July's listings to the "Gigs" page. Mostly private functions unfortunately but we will be at the perennial Duke of Cambridge towards the end of the month and also make our debut on Fri 13th at The Bulls Head in Hayfield which, for those that don't know, is a picturesque little village a couple of miles up the road from the big city of New Mills!

Speaking of New Mills, if you haven't checked the site for a few days, have a look down at the update for 15th July which gives all the info for this weekend.

If you can't make that, you can catch us at The Welcome in Whitefield next Wednesday 27th June.

Finally, if you're thinking of booking us, we now have a free date on Sat July 7th following a cancellation so give us a ring or drop us an e-mail.

18th June 2007
Bad news over the weekend with the reporting of the death of Richard Bell, a classic "musician's musician" and a great pianist.

Whilst you might not of heard of him, you're sure to have heard him play as he was a full-time member of both the latter day incarnation of The Band, The Hawks and, most famously, with Janis Joplin in her final line up, The Full Tilt Boogie Band and on her posthumous album, Pearl.

Richard also played on sessions and tours with dozens of well-known acts, including Bob Dylan. See him here playing some nice stuff behind Judy Collins on a great version of Bird On A Wire

Check him out on the dvds of Festival Express (with Janis and interviewed) and Live At Loreley (with The Band in1996).

He died of cancer on Friday.

15th June 2007
As promised, more info on The One World Festival - follow this link to find out more about this year's event.

If you're thinking of coming along, it couldn't be easier. There is a direct train between Manchester and New Mills which takes about twenty minutes and High Lea Park , where the event takes place, is only a 5 minute walk up St Marys Road from New Mills Central Station. Map here. Things kick off at 12pm and finish around 6pm - The Carbs will be on stage from around 5pm to close the show with a one hour set.

Why not join us for a drink just a mile up the road at the Hare & Hounds later the same evening where we'll be making our debut. Directions from the park to the pub here.

The last train back to Manchester Piccadilly leaves at 23:23.

A boozy do in the Peak District - what more could you want?! Should be a great day if the weather plays ball.

11th June 2007
Hectic weekend of gigging over with. Things aren't too frantic for the next couple of weeks, one or two leisurely private functions to keep us occupied.

Our next public appearances are on 23rd June in New Mills. Firstly, we are playing a 45 minute spot at The One World Festival in High Lea Park. See the link for pictures of last year's festival .

We'll post a few more details in the coming days for those who fancy a day out in the Peaks.

30th May 2007
Added another track to the Listen To Us page - one of our live favourites. We'll just have it on for a week or so. It's actually been up there before but not very often so have a listen if you've never heard the recorded version - if you've got a hi fi phono, you can let it blast!

29th May 2007
Rollicking good Bank Holiday's gigging. Our rearranged gig at The White Horse on Sunday proved to be better than ever with only 2 teeth smashed out by people dancing around the microphone - there isn't much room in there!

Sunday's gig was equalled, if not bettered, by our debut at The Beau Geste in Ashton Under Lyne on Monday. An afternoon gig, it was pretty much packed out with an enthusiastic audience. We are re-booked for August Bank Holiday so put it in your diary if you're that way inclined.

Quick mention for Julian Latimer sitting in on the bass in Ashton - a seamless and sterling job.

As mentioned below (probably - I haven't scrolled down to check), June to August are often quite "function heavy" for us with fewer public weekend gigs than at any other time of the year. However, you can still catch us this Friday 1st June at The Queen's Arms in New Mills and, at their request(!), the same place next Friday 8th - two bites at the cherry, then. The Thursday in between (7th) sees us at The Duke of Cambridge.

23rd May 2007
The gig at The Old White Horse in Ainsworth this Saturday 26th has now been rearranged for the following day, Sunday 27th.

Start time will remain the same i.e. c9.30pm but, if you've seen us there before, you'll know you need to be there a lot earlier if you want a seat - at least on a Saturday anyway. We've never played there on a Sunday before but, as it's a Bank Holiday, we are expecting the usual turn out.

If you're from the other side of Manchester, come and join us at the Beau Geste in Asthon Under Lyne on Monday afternoon where we'll attempt to squeeze the remaining enjoyment out of the holiday! We're booked to start at around 3pm but we suggest calling the pub on the day to make sure - 0161 343 6102.

19th May 2007
Our first gig at The Royal Oak in Ramsbottom was a roaring success. Plenty of people packed in at the end made for a good atmosphere. We hope to be back there again so watch this space.

Meanwhile, if you're up around that part of the world you can catch us at The Old White Horse in Ainsworth Village this Saturday 26th May.

Finally, added June dates to the Gigs page (or, if you prefer - finally added June dates to the Gigs page!).

8th May 2007
Excellent night at The Swan on Sunday - Paula and Carl's leaving do meant an even more packed house than usual. We hope to continue our regular visits under the new management but we haven't heard what the entertainment plans are yet.

Next gig at Duke of Cambridge, St Helens this Thursday (10th), followed by our return to The King's on Chorley Old Road, Bolton.

30th April 2007
Confirmed next Sunday May 13th at The Flagship on Volunteer Street in St Helens. Early evening kick off, probably no later than 7pm and possibly a little earlier. Best advice is to be there by 6.30pm as start times tend to fluctuate!

26th April 2007
Many apologies to anyone who turned up at the Duke tonight. It was a cock up and, for once, it was our fault. The venue had called to change the date towards the end of last year and we hadn't changed our diaries.

The rearranged gig is on Thurs 10th May.

Also added 2 more new gigs to the May listings - our debut at The Beau Geste in Ashton Under Lyne on 28th May. This is an afternoon gig and we kick of at c3pm - it's the Bank Holiday so could be a good day.

The second new show is our return to the King's Arms on Chorley Old Road in Bolton. That will happen in a couple of weeks on Friday 11th May.

Bit more to go at now for everyone - see you soon!

24th April 2007
Functions are coming in thick and fast at the moment which means we're not out and about in our regular haunts as often as we'd like.

However, you can catch us at the Duke of Cambridge in St Helens this Thursday (26th).

Also added May's gig listing - only three of the gigs are open to the public at the moment. Check back in case we add any short notice affairs.

16th April 2007
Tremendous weekend's gigging had by all. The Bell & Barrel was excellent on Friday. Large, appreciative audience and a top performance by the band.

Saturday saw us at The Queen's in New Mills on a short notice affair. Slightly more low key but still enjoyable and a good sized audience in by the second set. Kev Whitehead sitting on drums.

10th April 2007
Not much to report this week apart from a new gig added at fairly short notice. We'll be at The Queen's Arms in New Mills this Saturday 14th.

The night before we're down at The Bell & Barrel in St Helens. Week off for us next week due to holidays so catch us while you can!

2nd April 2007
Forgot to do an update about yesterday about doing away with goalkeepers in football or spaghetti growing on trees in Italy etc etc. Never mind.

Anyway, a good night had by all at The Globe on Saturday - they have done a good job building up live music in there so let's hope it continues. We'ill let you know when we're on again but, meanwhile, our next St Helens gig is Friday 13th (woo hah hah hah) at the Bell & Barrel in the town centre.

Before that we hit the King's Arms on Chorley Old Road, Bolton, this Saturday.

26th March 2007
April sees various members of the band on trips etc so not that much going on. However, the gig listing is now up on the site and there are likely to be one or two more added to the list - the best laid plans etc etc.

We played at a new venue for us on Saturday, The King's Arms on Chorley Old Road in Bolton. It was a private function but the pub has asked us to come back and play for their normal punters. First gig there is a week on Saturday - 7th April. Don't know what time we'll be starting so best to check with the venue on the day - 01204 843 581.

Finally, added some pictures from the Night of Rock & Blues in Radcliffe to the Photo Gallery.

12th March 2007
Thanks to everyone who came to Radcliffe on Saturday night - I think a good night was had by all. We didn't get to watch all the bands but it seemed like everyone went down well.

We were on a bit of a wing and a prayer for our spot - we couldn't hear anything at all up there so no idea what it sounded like down at the front. Quite a few dancing though so I suspect it was ok. There may be a recording of the show - if we get a copy (and it's passable!) we'll put a couple of clips up on the site.

There'll also be photographs to come so watch this space.

Meanwhile, we're just up the road at The Old White Horse this Saturday - perennial advice when we play this venue but get there early, it gets very full. It's also St Patricks night so the Guinness should be flowing. See you there.

PS - just a note to whoever was taking photographs at The Flagship last night. If there are any decent ones of us or the audience etc, e-mail them to us at pics@thecarbs.co.uk and we'll get them up on here - thanks.

7th March 2007
Loads to fill you in on today.

Firstly, we've just confirmed a short notice gig at The Flagship on Volunteer Street in St Helens this Sunday 11th March. Early kick off at c6.30pm so don't be late!

Next, we are told by the organisers of Saturday's Night of Rock & Blues extravaganza at Radcliffe Civic Hall that ticket sales have been extremely healthy. Still a few left but supplies are dwindling following recent spots on BBC Radio Lancashire. Don't delay if you're planning on being there.

We are now on the case with photos and there are going to be a lot more in the coming weeks and months. We are changing the format of the Photo Gallery page and this is ongoing but the page won't be down so you'll be able to see the pictures at all times.

The first set of new pics up there are from a gig we played on Saturday at the Imperial War Museum in Manchester - very strange place for a party but a great novelty venue. We were plucking along in the midst of tanks and tunics.

Also added to the bottom of the page is the new "Miscellaneous" section, into which we will chuck everything that doesn't fit anywhere else - old holiday snaps, baby pictures etc.

Any new additions to the Photo Gallery will be mentioned in these updates and if you've taken any pictures at Carbs gigs, feel free to e-mail them - pics@thecarbs.co.uk - and we'll try and get as many on the site as possible -

Happy Browsing!

PS - don't forget The Duke of Cambridge tomorrow (Thurs 8th).



26th February 2007
Update on the "Night Of Rock & Blues" gig at Radcliffe Civic Hall on Sat 10th March. There are still tickets available at £10 each (see update below for ways to purchase).

Should there be any remaining tickets on the night, people will be able to pay on the night. However, the promoters have been informed by the venue that the capacity of 400 will be strictly enforced and no extra numbers will be able to gain entry.

We thought it best to let you know in case you were planning to leave it 'til the last minute!

19th February
Hope you managed to make it to The Swan on Saturday - if not, you missed a good gig. Probably the busiest it's ever been since we started playing there. Thanks to everyone who came to see us, it was a great night.

Don't forget The Welcome on Wednesday and, remember, we are not at The Queen's Arms in New Mills this Saturday as originally planned as we are playing at a function in Manchester. In fact, the Welcome gig will be our last public show until March 8th at Duke of Cambridge in St Helens.

Meanwhile, as promised, more info on the Night of Rock & Blues at Radcliffe Civic Hall on March 10th:

We are actually one of 6 bands on this bill. Here are some links so you can check out a few of the others:

The Smokehouse Blues Band

Green Mac

Backwater Blues Band

All 3 Cylinders

darkhorse (not sure if there's a site - let us know and we'll link to it)

Each band will play for around 45-60 minutes and doors open at 6pm. The Carbs will be the last band to play and will go on at c11pm but make sure you get there in plenty of time. There's also a late bar as well as an after show party up at The Swan on Stand Lane.

Tickets are £10 and available from:

Radcliffe Civic Hall on 0161 253 7812

Bury Tourist Information Centre on 0161 253 5111

You can also buy tickets directly from the promoters. Contact Martin on 07986 570 044 or Mike on 07906 286 672.

A portion of the profits will be going to Bury Hospice.

if you're from the area, listen out for adverts on local radio and, if you're thinking of coming, don't delay in booking - there are only 400 tickets available and, as of this weekend, well over half had been sold with only word of mouth marketing!

Finally (if you're still reading this!) March listings to date are now up on the gigs page.

15th February
Not many updates to give at the moment (see below - our functions are dominating). However, we will be at The Swan this Saturday 17th and are expecting a full house again which means an excellent atmosphere (very cosy in there when it's full!).

Also, keep your diaries free on March 10th. More info to follow on this but we are on a bill of (I think) 10 bands at Radcliffe Civic Hall on that night - tickets currently available at £10 so contact us for details but we will have more info in the early part of next week, including the names of some of the other bands involved.

6th February
February lisings are now on the Gigs page - apologies for the delay but we've been confirming a few things and have been busy with functions etc.

Interesting night at the Charlestown in Blackley on Saturday - possibility of a return to be discussed. I think we all agreed it was better (and a lot bigger) than we thought it would be, none of us having played there before.

We are planning to try out a lot more new venues this year - some will be good and some, obviously, rubbish - the idea is to come up with a regular circuit of good quality venues that will be our bread and butter and then intersperse one off events and functions. Nothing is set in stone but we are looking for suitable new places - if you have any suggestions or know the manager/landlord of a venue you think would fit a Carbs gig, please get in touch or ask them to.

29th January
Weird weekend with our debut gig at Joseph O'Neills in St Helens. The place was packed with weekend punters and, although we went down extremely well, it is an unlikely live music venue to say the least!

Another first for us this Saturday at The Charlestown in Blackley. If you haven't been before (like us), you might want to check out the location and start times etc. The pub can be reached on 0161 740 7966.

The Charlestown is actually our only schedule public show in February as we are booked to play at functions on the other weekends. However, we do still have one or two free nights available so watch this space as bookings tend to come at short notice during Jan and Feb.

22nd January
Apologies to anyone who turned up at the Old White Horse on Saturday (as we did!) to find they had double booked. The other outfit were already set up so we did the honourable thing. Not sure if there was a choice actually.

Anyway, we have three more gigs schedule there which we will now need to reconfirm. Just goes to show the old adage of "check with venue before travelling" still applies. We should obviously do the same.

Should be no such problems with the Duke and O'Neills this week. St Helens here we come!

15th January
End of another weekend - where do they go?!

A touch of the "Slaughtered Lamb" at The Little Mill on Friday - if you've been there you'll know it's not the most accessible place. Well worth the trip on a stormy night though - real fire, nice atmosphere, good beer. The duo gig was a low key affair but very enjoyable nonetheless. We are booked there three more times this year (full band), starting in July.

Enjoyable night on Saturday - we played at a wedding near the airport and were all home and in our slippers for midnight. Very civilised.

Will be posting February's gigs sometime this week (just waiting to confirm one) but, at the moment, it is looking like there will be only one "public" gig with the rest private functions. It can be a bit odd at the start of the year with a lot of places booking at short notice so watch this space but, as things stand, you might want to catch us at one of the three remaining gigs this month if you're starved of Carbs!

9th January
It's been a bad couple of weeks or so for the departing of musical giants. Waking up on Christmas Day to find The Godfather had taken it to the great bridge in the sky was a real downer. Now it's the final curtain for the King of the psychedelic pedal steel , Sneaky Pete .

With the death of JB and the impending retirement of BB King, it looks like we are now pushing for the title of Hardest Working Band in Showbusiness (espcecially when we play at The Swan!)

Forgot to mention yesterday - Elvis would have been 72 if he'd lived. Better to remember him as he was in the beginning. If you've got a few minutes, take the free tour and get an idea of the sort of thing that inspires The Carbs to do what we do.

8th January
STOP PRESS.....Just confirmed a duo gig for Half The Carbs (Jon & Chris on piano and guitar for those that don't know) at The Little Mill in Rowarth this Friday 12th Jan.

Same rock 'n' roll and R&B but with a few surprises thrown in as we pick them off the top of our heads - easier to do with 2 than it is with 4!

2nd January
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hope everyone is well and has come through the festivities unscathed. We experienced the usual insanity, culminating in New Year's Eve accommodation arrangements that can only be described as Lancashire's equivalent to the Wicker Man. Our gig at the Prince William was, however, an enjoyable affair with Rick Lacey doing an admirable job on drums.

A New Year's resolution will have to be to get to bed before 5am and, as we haven't got anything on at The Swan for a few weeks, it might just be a possibility.

We are fairly quiet this month with only 5 gigs to ease us back into action. A couple of these are private functions - ie Christmas parties for the sort of companies that have to work over Christmas serving people like us 'til 5am - but there are three gigs you can get involved with. January's list is now up on the "gigs" page.

20th December
That's our lot before Christmas! We can go and watch a few bands ourselves over the next few days. Won't be long before we're back in action though, starting with our old favourites (see below), The Swan in Radcliffe and The Queen's in New Mills.

Until then, Merry Christmas and see you next week.

2nd December
Good old fashioned all-nighter at The Swan on Saturday but at least we were home in time for tea in the second test (c5.30am).

We're back there on the Thursday between Christmas and New Year (28th Dec) so join in the festive version of whatever you call a night at The Swan!

22nd November
Bad news - Stars In Their Eyes (see below) has been postponed and will now not take place before Christmas. Nothing to do with us, just a logistics problem with the organisers - these things happen.

Anyway, if you're in St Helens and reading this, all the more reason to get on down to The Globe on Saturday night or, failing that, The Flagship on Sunday at 6pm.

16th November
Details from Tom Jackson for those considering attending the insanity that will be the Stars In Their Eyes Christmas Spectacular on 9th December. Alternatively, contact us as we'll monitor the ticket situation over the next couple of weeks or so.

As he points out, best to book asap as they get absolutely rammed on these nights.

14th November
Gig listings for December now uploaded.

If you fancy seeing us sooner, you may still be able to catch us at Prestwich Cricket Club this Saturday the 18th. They are having their annual cheese, wine and pate bash, which might sound a little genteel for an event featuring The Carbs, but having played there last year, we can assure you it isn't!! There will be goose liver everywhere. You will have to buy a ticket though, something we aren't involved with. Contact the club for details.

Thanks to everyone who came down to the OWF Fundraiser on Friday, it was an enjoyable night and all for a good cause. The Carbs may be playing at the 2007 Festival in June, though details are yet to be finalised. Watch this space.

9th November
Will be posting December's gigs on the site in the next few days so get your diaries ready.

If you haven't managed to get hold of a ticket yet, you can still pay on the door at Hayfield Conservative Club tomorrow night (£4) but they advise you call and check before travelling in case they get a late rush. Their number is 01663 742 457.

6th November
Odd Saturday night in Cumbria at The Fletcher Christian in Cockermouth. Excellent gig but we were staying in Fawlty Towers - "the landlord won't get up just to make breakfast" - this was in a bed and breakfast. We got the B but not the B and the B we did get was not the best.

Very pleasant evening on Friday at The Little Mill in Rowarth. We played after their bonfire and fireworks - very good atmoshpere in there and a big roaring fire to keep us warm as we played!! We probably lost 10 pounds each.

For anyone who was there on Friday, don't forget the big night this Friday over in Hayfield (see homepage for details). The One World Festival is a great cause and they need all the support they can get.


29th October
Top notch weekend so far - both the Duke and Bakers Vaults were, for want of a less cliched word, "rocking". Bakers in particular was packed to the rafters and was a really excellent gig. It's always easy to tell when it's been a good busy night - you wake up the next morning with teeth missing as a result of over exuberant dancers crashing into the microphone stand! All part of the fun.

We played a wedding at Crewe Hall last night - quite a pleasant, reserved English affair that descended into some wild Animal House style frat party 10 bars into Shake, Rattle & Roll, our opener. They were dancing all over the place, hanging out of the windows and off the doors.

As we got to the finale - Jon, in true Jerry Lee style, kicked over his piano stool to play the last couple of choruses standing up. One nice old lady obviously thought he'd fallen off his chair and made her way through the cheering mayhem on the dancefloor to pick it up for him!

Zoo Bar tomorrow - the fatter of the Carbs will be spilling the usual ale all over the floor and Jon could well fall off his stool for real on the 2 foot square stage. You've got to ask yourself - can you afford to miss it?!?

27th October
Confirmed a gig at The Globe in St Helens on 25th November and a lot of stuff for next year at O'Neill's on Duke Street - check the gigs page from January.

Baker's Vaults in Stockport tonight. If you can't get to that one we'll see you at The Zoo Bar on Monday. Check out their new website - looking good, Paul!

23rd October
An excellent weekend's gigging came to an end last night with our debut at The Flagship - a roaring success, we'll be back. It was also a great night at The Bell & Barrel on Friday and we are now booked in for two more gigs, the first in April.

St Helens seems to be a popular stomping ground for The Carbs at the moment - we're back there this Thursday at The Duke and next monday at The Zoo Bar. However, those wil actually be our last "public" appearances in St Helens until 9th December when we return to Stars in Their Mince Pies at Liverpool St Helens RUFC, Moss Lane.

We'll try and make them, as Otish Rush would say, "good 'uns".

20th October
Short notice but we've just confirmed a gig at The Bell & Barrel in St Helens tonight - was a good one last time we played there so get down if you can. Small place - nice and hot and full.

If you can't make it, see the entry below for the rest of the weekend's merriment.

18th October
Added November listings to the Gigs page. If you fancy seeing us live, there's plenty to go at betwen now and Christmas. Get them in your diaries!

Meanwhile, we're at the Welcome in Whitefield tonight, followed by the Old White Horse in Ainsworth on Saturday and our debut at The Flagship in St Helens at 6pm on Sunday.

12th October
Tickets prices for the fundraiser now confirmed (see update below) - they are £4 advance or £5 on the door (subject to capacity at the venue).

Contact us if you want any or speak to us at a gig, we should have some with us from next week.

Meanwhile, get down and see the duo at The Swan tonight or The Queens Arms tomorrow.

8th October
The Carbs will be playing a fundraiser for the New Mills One World Festival 2007 at Hayfield Conservative Club on Friday 10th November. Tickets will be available shortly - contact us for further information on prices etc or keep an eye on this page for further updates.

The festival promotes fair trade and environmental issues and is a great day out with live music from all over the world, craft stands, food and drink stalls etc etc. It does, however, cost a lot to run and the Festival Committee does a great job running fundraising events throughout the year.

So, come on down and lend your support on the 10th. It promises to be a great night.

For those of you who aren't local but feel like a change of scenery, you couldn't get a much better change than Hayfield. If you fancy a weekend in the Peak District (with a great night of rock 'n' roll and a 2am bar!) there are several guesthouses etc within walking distance of the venue.


4th October
Good news and bad news for our St Helens supporters. First the bad - the Duke of Cambridge is no longer having live bands on Sundays (in spite of it being full every time we're on - obviously we can't do every week!). However, we'll still be down there on Thursday nights, starting with the 26th of this month.

The really good news is that we'll be making our debut at another Sunday night gig around the corner at The Flag Ship on Volunteer Street. First gig is this month on Sun 22nd. Slightly different in that we'll be kicking off early doors - 6pm start. See you there. If it goes well we might adopt it regularly.

3rd October
Confirmed a gig for Half The Carbs (guitar and piano duo for any newcomers) at The Queen's Arms in New Mills, next Saturday 14th October. Beer will flow that weekend as the duo also performs the night before at The Swan in Radcliffe.

1st October
White Rabbit!

Couple of brief, yet important (!), announcements.

Firstly, we've confirmed a duo gig - Jon & Chris as "Half the Carbs" at The Swan in Radcliffe on Friday Ocotber 13th - unlucky for some ie those that don't come to the show!

Secondly, three "taster" pictures from our recent photo session are now on the Photo Gallery page. We're expecting the remainder very shortly.

Our next full band gig is at The Welcome, Whitefield on Weds 18th.

25th September
The postponed gig at The Old White Horse in Ainsworth has now been rearranged for Sat 21st October. Arrive early - will be standing room only and should be another great night.

24th September
As you've been somewhat deprived of our company in recent weeks, we've added a little something to keep you going on the "Listen To Us" page.

It should hopefully tide you over until October 18th when we return to action at The Welcome in Whitefield.

Also now listed October's dates on the "Gigs" page.

19th September
Bit of a hibernation period for us over the next 2 or 3 weeks as various things on with various members of the band as individuals. We are actually looking forward to recharging our batteries after a manic first half to this year. Don't worry, though, we're picking things back up after a short break of 2 or 3 weeks.

Sunday night at The Duke was excellent -packed full of people - St Helens is now a real hotspot for us and we're talking to a promoter about spreading out into the rest of Merseyside.

Meanwhile, The Old White Horse gig this Saturday is to be rearranged and will hopefully take place in early October. Just a clash of diaries. The new date will go on this page and the Gigs page as soon as we know it.

5th September
Great weekend at Moss Lane - packed house, very warm indeed. Some tremendous acts (!) on the bill. We went down a treat, in spite of the fact that we were in The Swan until 5.30am the previous night singing an eclectic mix of delta blues and Pat Boone - very classy!

Duo at Queen's Arms this Friday as Floody is off on holiday somewhere. We'll probably do the odd rarity so well worth coming down, if only to buy us a drink.

You can see the full band down at The Duke in St Helens next Sunday.

31st August
Confirmed a gig at The Fletcher Christian in Cockermouth - our debut there I believe. Looking forward to it already - we seem to fit into Cumbria quite well, especially when we are being put up for the night!

Plenty of action before then, though, starting with The Swan tomorrow night - we're informed there's a bit of a birthday bash so it should be a good atmosphere. It will also be very full (if you've been there you'll understand!) so get in early, especially if you plan on sitting down any time between the hours of 8.30pm and 1.30am!

St Helenites - see you on Saturday for Stars In Their Mince Pies at Moss Lane. Could be a rare example of The Carbs being blown off stage by people dressed up as Lulu, Madonna, Elvis etc.

27th August
Just finished something of a gruelling couple of weeks with 6 one off gigs in 9 days but we've enjoyed them all. The band is sounding tighter than ever and has been busier than ever.

Our first show at The Bell & Barrel in St Helens on Friday night was a stormer - plaudits left, right and centre - we were almost embarrassed (but not quite - keep them coming!). We'll hopefully be back there in the not too distant so watch this space.

Added some new photos taken at the Duke of Cambridge on Thursday - nice one of Jon at the end looking like a man with a week of one nighters under his belt (and two more to go). Many thanks to Anne for taking these shots - she's put more effort into photographing the band in one night than we have in 2 years!

We'll see you all down at The Swan this Friday (must be over a month since we played there - a new record?) Failing that, get down to Liverpool St Helens RUFC at Moss Lane on Saturday for Stars In Their Mince Pies. They do charge to get in but you'll get pie and peas and, besides The Carbs (aren't we enough on our own though?!?) there'll be a whole raft of weird and wonderful turns strutting their stuff.

NB Although you can pay at the door on Saturday (think it's £10) we've been informed that ticket sales have gone particularly well and there is limited room in the club - if you're thinking of coming down, drop us an e-mail and we'll find out the latest ticket news.

23rd August
Quick note to let you know about a last minute gig - it's at the Bell & Barrel in St Helens this Friday. It's just behind Westfield Street on North John Street in the town centre. Our debut there so get down if you can - apparently it's a good night (or it will we this Friday, especially as we are going on from 10pm!)

14th August
Told you we were busy - just about finished a round of functions that would bring tears to your eyes. You get to see some weird and wonderful places on these private gigs (not that you'd necessarily want to).

Anyway, we are back in the land of the living with a great weekend ahead - Friday night at The Queen's in New Mills where I believe we are being watched by a festival scout! Saturday we are playing at a friend's wedding in the Lakes (they're putting us up in a hotel and giving us a free bar - recipe for disaster), then we're straight back to the North West on Sunday for our second afternoon show at The Guzzling Goose in Ashton.

As they say in Bolton - it should be a good do!

Photos? Still in post production - I think they could be exhibiltion standard!

September's gig listings now up on gigs page.

20th July
I know you're all biting your nails, desperate to see the photos from our recent shoot. Well, Nicky the photographer, perfectionist that she is, is still working on them and will only let us have the finished product.

However, don't despair, there's a sneak preview..... our good friend and American car owning legend, Gareth Newton, took a few shots with his digital camera for his own website. You'll get an idea of our Taxi/Rockford Files theme and an eyeful of those quality motors.

NB We're the ones with the instruments not Spiderman, Wolfman and Zorro (though it's not a bad look).

19th July 2006
Looks like The Carbs are becoming "Big in St Helens". Might be a good catchphrase for us, it could go under our logo!!

Anyway, Merseysiders pay attention - we've just been given a batch of dates for The Duke of Cambridge. They'll appear on the gigs page as and when but, if you've got your diary handy, here they are - August 24th, Sept 17th, Oct 26th, Nov 26th, Dec 14th.

17th July 2006
Lot of planning ahead involved when it comes to bands - we've just confirmd a booking for New Year's Eve! It's actually a re-booking i.e. we're back at The Prince William, Beaon Hill. Last year was a sell out and they're expecting the same again. Bit early for tickets yet but we'll keep you posted.

New photos should be with us shortly - keep checking back.

Barnstorming nightt down at Lymm Tennis Club the other night. Grass must be a very agreeable surface for dancing on - it looked like some sort of Pagan festival with all the candles and flaming sticks (is that the technical term?). Excellent atmosphere!

To anyone on the Greater Manchester side of our fan base - don't forget that Saturday night at the Swan is the last chance you'll have to see us for a month. It's party and wedding season and our August diary looks like a socialite's calendar - functions in castles and manors etc etc.

12th July 2006
Change to our gig schedule. The Jolly Butcher on 29th July is now cancelled. Not our fault, they've cancelled all their gigs for the next couple of months. Our agent tells us they'll be rescheduling once they've ironed out whatver the problem is.

Very enjoyable photo shoot the other day. We won't spoil it by giving away the circumstances but check back over the next few days for, what we hope, will be some excellent shots.

25th June 2006
Apologies for the lack of updates - we've been fairly busy in recent weeks -ordering new equipment, function bookings etc. In fact, we're taking a well earned break this weekend but are back next week, starting with a midweek gig at The Duke in St Helens on Thursday 6th July.

This will be your last chance to see us until mid July (22nd at The Swan) as we're playing at some weird and wonderful private functions (including one on a multi-storey car park in Leeds).

The gigs page has now been updated with July's dates.

Finally, we had a tremendous night down at The Little Mill on Friday - Thanks to everyone who came down and all those who bought us beer!. We're back on there at the beginning of November so keep an eye on the gigs page.

12th June 2006
Excellent weekend of rock 'n' roll over South Manchester way. Our return to Baker's Vaults was a roaring success with Mark Fitton drumming up a storm in the raging heat. We thought it was hot in there 'til we got to the Guzzling Goose yesterday - we ended up looking like (very poor) contestants in a wet t-shirt competition. Still, the gig was fantastic as was the reaction from the locals who made us very welcome. We're already looking forward to the next one.

More of the same down at The Zoo Bar in St Helens tonight.

8th June 2006
Finally got some photos up in the Photo Gallery section. We're in the process of getting some more sorted out (i.e. actually taken) but if anyone has any of us we'd love to have a look at them. You can e-mail them to pics@thecarbs.co.uk

PS Don't forget The Duke tonight - just a reminder as it's a last minute booking.

6th June 2006
Last minute gig arranged at The Duke of Cambridge, St Helens, this Thursday (8th) completes a frantic end to the week for us. We start at The Welcome tomorrow, Duke on Thursday, Bakers Vaults on Saturday, afternoon gig at The Guzzling Goose on Sunday and The Zoo Bar on Monday. And on the 7th day The Carbs rested! (but not for long - new gig at The Swan in for next Friday 16th).

22nd May 2006
Another ludicrous weekend of all night drinking by The Carbs - yes we are grown men but we can't seem to exercise alcohol control! The rearranged Woolpack was slightly quieter than usual but still a good night. Three new numbers blagged into the set and four or five more coming over the next couple of gigs - so don't miss us at The Welcome on June 7th.

Jon and Chris will be performing as a duo, "Half The Carbs", at The Swan this Friday - c9.00pm start, c5.00am finish.

14th May 2006
You might have noticed a new gig advertised on the home page. That's because we've rearranged our Woolpack gig which was scheduled for the 27th of May. We'll now be there this Saturday, the 20th, instead. I know we always say it, but get there early if you plan on getting a seat. Should be a cracker!

Also, no sooner arranged than rearranged - Dave's 50th birthday bash tonight will now take place at the Bay Horse (still on Stand Lane) as opposed to The Swan.

13th May 2006
Only just recovering from a rollicking night down at The Duke in St Helens where the beer flowed a little too freely! The band is sounding excellent at the moment and (as we're always promising) we'll be out and about farther afield over the next few months so stick with us if you don't live close to our regular haunts.

Speaking of regular haunts we've just confirmed a last minute gig down at The Swan on Stand Lane, Radcliffe. This is in honour of our good friend, Dave Hooper's 50th birthday. I had thought it was his 60th but apparently not! Anyway, Dave will be sitting in on guitar with us - should be a top night even though it is a school one.

11th May 2006
Added a bonus track to the "Listen To Us" page for a limited time - just a little something to give you that Summer feeling. Crack open a beer and crank it up!

10th May 2006
Big thanks to Kev Whitehead for filling the drum stool on the last few gigs - excellent work! As detailed on the "meet the band page", Drumbags is back in action for a lot of upcoming shows but Kev will be joining us here and there, as will Phil Considine and we also have a real blast from the past on 10th June in Stockport - Ashton drumming legend Mark Fitton will be rolling back the years with us.

9th May 2006
Must apologise for the lack of updates - the gremlins hit us hard and the site has been down at this end for nearly 2 weeks. Hopefully all rectified now and thanks to Geseth for bailing us out again! Anyway, new updates and gigs on the respective pages. Don't miss the Duke of Cambridge this Sunday and stand by for more info on upcoming events.

By the way, our Anfield gig was a triumph! Hope to have some grainy mobile photos of us next to the European Cup up on the photos page soon. We also had a great time at Christine & Derek's wedding at the Pines in Chorley a couple of weeks back - congratulations to them again. Again, photos to follow. We're back at The Pines in August.

18th April 2006
As suspected - the Easter gigs were all nighters. Anyone who was there will know what we mean. Just recovering now. The duo set at was a stormer that was only surpassed by the band giving what is, probably, our finest performance to date the following night at the Woolpack. As mentioned below, we are functioned up for a couple of weeks now but will be hitting the Swan on the 29th in between two private gigs. We aren't joking when we say get there early - it's not the biggest and it will be rammed!

13th April 2006
We cordially invite all you Greater Manchester folk to spend Easter with The Carbs. Two Radcliffe shows this weekend - the first, on Friday at The Swan on Stand Lane, will be a rare piano and guitar duo set with Chris and Jon slipping in a few surprises - all very relaxed and informal. Should go on all night! Saturday night sees the full band on familiar stomping ground at The Woolpack in the centre. Dancing on tables not only permitted but positively encouraged!

We're out of action playing at functions for the next couple of weeks after Easter so this is your last chance to see us for a while (though we'll be getting in another quick one at The Swan on the 29th).

12th April 2006
Confirmed a function gig at Anfield on 28th April. It's a fundraiser so tickets may be available to the public. We'll be joined on vocals by our good friend and "soul diva" Emma Dawson. Info on tickets will be posted here asap.

10th April 2006
Apologies again to anyone who made the trip to The Bowling Green on Saturday - the cancellation was beyond our control and just very weird. Anyway, we did have a good time at our hastily arranged gig at The Glassblowers. All very bizarre but The Carbs came out on top once again! Roll on Radcliffe.

5th April 2006
As promised below -the Old White Horse gig in Ainsworth is rearranged for Saturday May 6th. That wasn't too bad, now was it? May's dates will be up on the Gigs page soon. Bad news about Gene Pitney today - we normally throw in a bit of a tribute at the gig following the death of a legend but his big hits don't really fit with our set and I'm not sure "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart" would go down too well at The Bowling Green anyway.

3rd April 2006
What a top evening down at The Duke of Cambridge last night - Sundays will never be the same again. Talk about dancing in the aisles - people were hanging from the rafters at one point. One more update today - the gig at The Old White Horse in Ainsworth on April 22nd is to be rearranged as we're now playing at a wedding - check back here and on the Gigs page for the new date TBC soon.

29th March 2006
We enjoyed it down at The Zoo Bar this week - we sounded tremendous if we do say so ourselves! If you're over that way, you'll have the pleasure of our company twice more in the next two weeks as we'll be at the Duke of Cambridge this Sunday (2nd) and The Bowling Green the following Saturday (8th).

22nd March 2006
A quiet couple of weeks by our standards with people off on holiday, birthdays etc - we're back at it hard from Monday, kicking off at The Zoo Bar in St Helens. For you Manchester based folk, keep an eye on the gigs page - we're set to announce a couple of afternoon shows at The Guzzling Goose in Ashton.

13th March 2006
Quite a relaxing weekend really! Good gig at The Swan on Friday night, nice smooth sounding set. We've been re-booked for April 29th (Bank Holiday weekend) which Carl the landlord expects to be very busy so get there early if you want a seat - there aren't that many. It's a fantastic little place to play at when it's full.

9th March 2006
Possibility we'll have some t-shirts up and running soon - we're keen to know if anyone gives a monkey's because we've got to know how many to order. Don't know whether 4 is worth their while!

7th March 2006
Confirmed an interesting booking for all you St Helen's based folk - we'll be performing at Stars In Their Eyes on 2nd Sept at Moss Lane RUFC. (ticket prices to be confirmed - check back nearer the time).

5th March 2006
Function gig in Preston last night went well. Chris Halkyard has done the last 6 gigs with us since the departure of Drumbags and last night was probably his best yet. Thursday night in Bakers Vaults was a non-starter but we are back there on a Saturday in June (see gig listings). Thanks to Jon's mates for coming down anyway. Odd night on Friday - we were off but got a call to fill in at The Queen's Arms in New Mills - ended up with me and Jon doing it as a duo - "Half The Carbs". Went down very well as it happens.

4th March 2006
S lightly subdued affair to begin with last night in The Queens Arms, New Mills, Derbyshire. Soon warmed up though and plenty people dancing at the death. It's a drinking do for us this gig so don't remember too many specifics - think we ha d a decent sound though.

18th Feb 2006
Debut at The Duke of Cambridge in St Helens. Bizarre stage set up - all four of us in a row. Went down a storm with those in there and re-booked for 3 more gigs - check Gig listings for details. This could be a good venue if we manage to spread the word. Late bar too which is always a plus. Night after - Glassblowers in St Helens. Home for 5am both nights.

13th Feb 2006
We don't normally put details of private functions on here but we were at The Longfield Suite in Prestwich supporting "The American Four Tops" - great bunch of lads. We shared a dressing room with them and they were kind enough to give us rave feedback after our opening spot. Looks like we'll be doing a few more of these and, as tickets are available to the general public, we'll keep you posted on the Gigs page.

9th Feb 2006
Good night at The Welcome in Whitefield last night. Thanks to everyone who came down. Shame we had to finish at 11pm but we managed to sneak in a twisted late version of Johnny B. Goode - Dave Hooper joining us on geeeetar.

5th Feb 2006
Iain's wedding at Ruthin Castle - great night had by all. Eventually crashed out in the hotel room at 5am. Jon managed to blag his way in with a duvet stuffed in his organ case. Obviously the case burst open in front of the Duty Manager and we have now been commissioned to record a series of 1920's slapstick sketches for tv.

22nd Jan 2006
Really enjoyed ourselves down at TheOld White Horse in Ainsworth last night and were made very welcome. Very strange room to paly in and was our first time but the atmosphere was absolutely electric - very long set and plenty of beer flowing. We're re-booked for April 22nd. Quote from a regular - "you are the best band I've ever seen in Ainsworth and I've lived here all my life". I think we'll take that as official and crown ourselves "Kings of Ainsworth". Seriously, though, if you fancy going to the next one, I'd ge there early - we expect it to be rammed. Not a seat in the house by the end of this one.

15th Jan 2006
HAPPY NEW YEAR.Apologies for the delay on updates but January isn't the busiest. We all had a good Christmas and an even more enjoyable New Year - we played at The Prince William in Beacon Hill. Great night - they put us up and gave us a free bar so you can imagine the level of performance come our umpteenth set at 1.30am. Two days later we hit The Zoo Bar in St Helens for the annual musicians party. Quite an honour to be the "band of bands" so to speak. It can be difficult playing in front of your peers but we went down a storm. Back there March 27th. One other gig to report - The Fleece in Mossley last night. We had to stop half way through because of a fight (chicken wire?!).