Cutting Crew News Archive
The archived news page: Sept. 2000 - present
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| Special Nick appearance on TV! |
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As has been rumoured, Nick Van Eede will be appearing on British TV on Saturday, May 7th on
ITV! The program is called "Hit Me Baby One More Time", which features artists from 70s & 80s doing their
classic hits in a competition against other artists! It has already featured the likes of Belinda Carlisle,
Howard Jones, and Carol Decker of T'Pau. No word yet on who Nick's competition will be but I can pretty
much guarantee you he will be singing a Cutting Crew song!
Check out the
Official site for more details as the date
gets closer, and if you live in the UK be sure to vote for Nick!! Look for a wrap-up here after the show.
Good luck Nick!!
| Grinning Souls' First Show! |
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Over 2000 lucky people recently witnessed Nick Van Eede's new band 'Grinning Souls' play their first full live gig
ever (!), in the tropical climes of Barbados on March 19th. Two nights before the band also held a special unplugged
set as an informal warmup to the big show. Among the songs played from the new album were the political rocker
"Shot of Democracy" and the gorgeous "No Problem Child". GrinningSouls.com has pics and comments from those
who were there!
Plans are now in the works for a Spring tour including stops in UK, Germany and Canada! Stay tuned for those tour dates
when they are announced.
Well deserved praise and good reviews continue to pour in for the new album "Capture" - now available
directly from the Grinning Souls website. Please enjoy my brand new
full review of the new CD!
The next update here will include a special behind-the-scenes look at how the new Grinning Souls CD was made AND the
inside scoop on my appearance on the CD! You won't want to miss this one! 
Please visit GrinningSouls.com for your copy of
the CD and the most recent news & talk about the band!
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Happy New Year everyone, there is great news to start the new year off on the right note: the Grinning Souls CD is out!!
Actually it's been released for over 2 weeks now and it sounds fantastic! With final mixes at the world famous Abbey Road
Studios, the songs will resonate deeply in your heart AND your stereo. It's very exciting to have brand NEW material from
Nick and the new Grinning Souls band - so what could possibly top it? How about a tour this year ?!! Indeed, plans are
underway to showcase the new material to a wide audience, including some of Nick's favorite places.
You can order your copy of the album directly from the
GrinningSouls.com website and as noted there the first
500 copies sold will be signed by Nick - cool! (Looks like it's time to update the discography too, ha ha!)
I know it's been awhile since this site has been updated but I plan to bring you more news and some "surprises" this year.
That will include a full review and some stories on the making of the album! For those of you who have the CD or have read
the liner notes, maybe you know what I referring to. ;)
Thanks as always for your interest in this site - I am wayyy behind in emails but will try to get caught up soon.
Quotes heard about the new album:
"A delicious mix of Talk Talk/The Who/Verve/U2/Zepp/Orbison/Lennon/Supergrass/Mellencamp"
Greetings all, it's been awhile since I've posted any news so it's time to bring you up to date!
The good news is that Nick's new band Grinning Souls is getting closer to releasing their new album. The band completed
three months of primary recording last fall in Halifax. After the holiday break, Nick went to Toronto in February and mixed
11 new tracks with long-time friend and producer Terry Brown. Nick is now completing some finishing touches to this work,
again in Halifax. It is a very exciting time to know we are so close to hearing the results of all this hard work!
As always, stay tuned for more news and in the meantime keep an eye on
GrinningSouls.com
To tide you over, I have updated the Photo Gallery with some new classic pictures of the
Cutting Crew as well as Nick himself - enjoy!
Just a note to anyone who has written me I am really behind in emails, so thanks for your patience as I try to catch up.
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| Are you ready for this?!! |
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At last, the truth can be told - Nick Van Eede is working on a NEW ALBUM!!
Even better the album has been recorded and is ready for mixing - with a release planned for 2004!
Even better than that (is that possible?) Nick himself has written me a great letter to tell you all about it!! Read as
Nick explains what he's been up to this past year, WHAT the name of the new band is, WHO is in the new band and see some FANTASTIC
pictures of the whole process!
I proudly present Nick's Christmas 2003 letter.
And just to keep your interest seriously peaked... I have been very lucky to hear five tracks from the new album, and they are
superb! Here are my impressions of these great songs - keep in mind that they may change a bit in the final mix.
1) Shot Of Democracy -
Some biting lyrics on politics and religion with a driving beat, that I found myself hammering on the air drums along with.
I particularly love the bridge in the middle with the lines "time to come home"... brilliant!
2) Hard On You -
Great opening sound for a song that hardly sounds like Nick at first. The reverberating chords match the chorus so well,
it's a shame it's only a little over 3 minutes long.
3) Boomerang -
The 'poppiest sounding' song on the disc, this fast-paced song is clearly a nod to the Drivers' days all the way. You
cannot sit still listening to this!
4) Silhouette -
A seriously impressive tribute to Kevin, in my mind. I found myself hanging on every word, wondering what Nick would say next.
The haunting guitar that accents the verses is so good, and when it switches to acoustic it works so well. I could also hear
some viola in there to richen the mix.
This could easily be the showcase song for the album, and as hinted, a nice choice for the name of the record.
5) Grinning Souls -
The beauty of Barbados inspires this song about getting back to yourself and enjoying the trip along the way. Besides the
peaceful tempo, the hidden bits in here will keep a listener coming back for more. I could see this track closing the album,
and leaving the listener feeling satisfied.
Stay tuned for more exciting information about the new album, Grinning Souls, and the plans for 2004!!
Happy Holidays everyone!
| Nick interviewed & songs from Kevin |
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Nick Van Eede was recently interviewed on MIX FM.96 in Barbados, and here is a small quote from him:
"The strange thing about being a songwriter as a day to day job is you can have a really desperate day and write a whole
bunch of crap......... BUT you don't get threatened to be fired.... then next day you can write some
cool, fresh, quality stuff and nobody will probably ever hear it unless you're really lucky or resourceful... so no immediate
accolades & yet no life-storming hauling across the carpet.... I'm still not sure if this is a good trade off."
I recently received the lyrics to two unpublished songs that Kevin Macmichael wrote in the 90's, and they are very indicative of
his life then. It is an honor to be able to present these to you. To view the words to "Blind Man's Shave" and "N.D.E.",
please click here.
As you may have noticed, the website is undergoing a slight refresh. The last major update was in 2000, so it's time. It may take
a little while to update everything. Please let me know if you find any broken links or problems along the way - thanks!
| Nick live photos & remembering Kevin |
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A great new set of photos from Nick Van Eede's tour with the "Night of The Proms" series in
Germany last December are now available in the Photos section. Thanks to our photo contributors!
A jam session has been organized by Kevin Macmichael's friends in his old neighbourhood of South Norwood, London, where he lived from
1985 to 1992. The show will be held on Saturday, March 15th from 8pm, at the The Cherry Trees, Norwood Junction, SE25.
Click on the poster shown here for a larger version. Although not a cover set of his music, the show will feature local live bands
and musicians who wish to remember him. There will be free live music and buffet, but donations will be requested for a memorial fund
to be sent to Kevin's children. (Thanks to Alan Higgins and Millie Williams for letting me know).
As promised, a new picture gallery featuring Kevin Macmichael is now online.
Most of these photos are previously unseen snaps of Kevin throughout his career - I hope you enjoy them.
Coming up soon will be some photos from Nick's recent "Night of the Proms" tour in Germany - stay tuned!
| Live Chat with Colin Farley |
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UPDATE - Feb. 8:
The online chat with Colin Farley has been rescheduled due to some minor technical difficulties encountered last week.
Please check the Cyber3d link below for the new date and time - thanks!
A unique online chat will be held with the Cutting Crew's bass player Colin Farley on February 2nd (now rescheduled).
All the details are available here at Cyber3D - click on
the Events icon. To participate, you must download a small 3D "Atmosphere" plugin from Adobe - just click on a
picture on the page and a little 7Kb plugin will be installed. Then you will be teleported into a club warehouse that
is the placeholder for the actual Colin World which will be linked on the day of the event. The chat session will be
posted later if you miss the event.
Friends, it deeply saddens me to pass along the news that Kevin Macmichael has died. He passed away peacefully last night.
My thoughts are with Kevin's family at this time - he was a great man.
A memorial service was held for Kevin in Halifax on Saturday, Jan. 4th at St. Matthew's United Church.
A local report
on the moving ceremony can be found
here.
Rather than flowers, friends are encouraged to make a donation to the Kevin Macmichael Memorial Fund (more details to follow).
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I have updated Kevin's biography with new information (some from Kevin himself) and I
know you will enjoy reading about his great life. I am also working on a new photo gallery of Kevin's life so look for that soon.
Media Coverage -
* CTV News has posted a story on Kevin's passing along with an excellent video clip
here.
* The Halifax Herald has posted a good article on remembering Kevin and some photos
here.
* The Halifax Daily News also has a good local perspective on Kevin's life
here.
* The Canadian Press association has written a story on Kevin's passing which is now being picked up by news outlets around the
world. You can view that article on Canoe here.
* Billboard Magazine has posted a small report about Kevin
here.
* ChartAttack has written an excellent article entitled
10 Reasons Why Kevin Macmichael Was Cool
(I couldn't agree more!!)
The local classic rock station in Halifax, Q104 will be broadcasting a
special tribute to Kevin on Sunday, January 5th. I believe this is a re-broadcast of their special on Kevin earlier this
year. Here is the description of the show:
"This afternoon (Sunday, January 5th), immediately following the Sunday Flashbacks, Q104 presents a very special program, in
memory of KEVIN MACMICHAEL.
Q104 joins you in grieving the loss of Kevin Scott Macmichael, one of Nova Scotia's true musical
treasures, who passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer, early in the morning of December 31.
Join us this afternoon
for a two hour tribute to Kevin's life and music, with your host Tom Bedell, and guests including Nick Van Eede of the Cutting
Crew, and Paul Eisan of Spice.
When you've been Robert Plant's guitar player, you know you're in good company. Q104
remembers the magic of Kevin Macmichael, Sunday for two hours, beginning at 3pm."
| Greetings from Nick Van Eede ! |
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I have received a special update from Nick Van Eede himself, that I would very much like you to read. It outlines
his current tour and his thoughts on 2002 as being quite a memorable year.
Please click here to read the letter!
You can look forward to more 'Notes from Nick' in the future, and I'd personally like to take this opportunity to say thanks
for all the kind words Nick. I'd also like to wish all of our friends a Happy Holidays and best wishes to Kevin Macmichael!
| Nick Van Eede goes on tour! |
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Cutting Crew fans rejoice as Nick Van Eede is on tour this December!! Nick is performing in the Night of the Proms
tour on the German leg of the tour, which is headlined by Simple Minds, Foreigner, The Pointer Sisters and John Miles.
Nick will be appearing on the following dates:
Tour dates in Germany:
Dec. 4, 2002 - Frankfurt – Festhalle
Dec. 5 - Stuttgart – Schleyerhalle
Dec. 6 - Munich – Olympiahalle
Dec. 7 - Munich – Olympiahalle
Dec. 8 - Munich – Olympiahalle (2 shows)
Dec. 10 - Bremen – Stadthalle
Dec. 11 - Bremen (to be confirmed)
Dec. 15 - Oberhausen – Arena
Dec. 16 - Hannover – Preussagarena
Dec. 17 - Erfurt – Messehalle
Dec. 18 - Dortmund- Westfalenhalle
Dec. 19 - Dortmund- Westfalenhalle
Dec. 20 - Cologne – Kölnarena
Dec. 21 - Cologne – Kölnarena
Dec. 22 - Hamburg – Color Line Arena
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Night of the Proms is a unique event where the artists perform their greatest hits along with a symphony orchestra. For
more information and details on how to order tickets, be sure to visit the
Official Website.
I hope to hear some concert reports from those of you who are lucky enough to see Nick live in Germany!
Meantime, I'm a bit behind in posting those photos I mentioned last time, but here's a
preview! (Photo of Nick & Kevin by Taffy Rosen)
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This week, a new edition in the popular "Grand Theft Auto" (GTA) series of videogames for the Playstation2 will be released.
"GTA: Vice City" features a vintage 80s look and even better, 80s music! The game includes the Cutting Crew's classic song
"I Just Died in Your Arms", and will also be found on the soundtrack called "Grand Theft Auto Vice City Volume 3:
Emotion 98.3", one of seven soundtracks (!) on CD to be put out for this game. According to the game's maker Rockstar Games,
"Each album will replicate a station from the in-game 1980's radio FM dial, ranging from Heavy Metal and Soul to Hip-Hop and
Pop Ballads. Players will once again have the ability to tune the radio station in every car that they carjack to one of many
stations of their choice."
Check out the official Vice City website for more on
the game including the amazing trailers they have under the "Movies" section, and the official
Vice Radio website for details about the soundtracks. The game
will be released in North America on Oct. 29, 2002.
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In other news, the previously mentioned DVD music series called
"The Greatest DVD Music Collection", which features two Cutting Crew music videos (see below), is now available in Canada.
Besides the music videos, there are no extra features to be found on the discs, however each video has been remixed in Dolby 5.1
digital which is great!
Colin Farley will be the special guest next month at an online chat in the Afterlife Club, a 3D environment created for use with
Adobe's Atmosphere product. Stay tuned for details on when, where and how you can participate!
Lastly, I have received some new and amazing classic Cutting Crew photos - look for a big update in the
Photo Gallery soon. More news to come next month, stay tuned!
| More DVD and a CC club track |
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This week a classic 80's movie "Can't Buy Me Love" will be released in North America for Region 1 DVD owners. It should be
of interest to Cutting Crew fans as it is one of the few movies with a CC song in it - in this case "One For The Mockingbird".
I haven't seen this movie since it came out in 1987 (!) so I can't remember where the song is used during the movie. I should
also point out that a soundtrack was never released for this movie. The film is pretty funny, and you'll see a young Seth
Green (who is Dr. Evil's son in the Austin Powers movies). There is an excellent website called
The 80's Movie Gateway that details the movie and
plenty of other 80's classics if you'd like more information about it.
Update: Thanks to everyone who wrote in to let me know that "Mockingbird" is heard during the party scene where Cindi
gets a drink spilled on her.
BTW, I went to purchase this disc and was quite disappointed to find out it is pan-and-scan (not widescreen) in 4:3 aspect.
There are no additional features on the disc either - not even the trailer. Yes, the price is low but any time a movie could
be released the way it was seen on the big screen but isn't, I think it's a shame. As a DVD enthusiast, I'd much rather pay a few
dollars more to have widescreen OR better yet put both versions on the disc for those who want full screen. Unfortunately,
Disney/Buena Vista is once again taking the easy way out, and get a big thumbs down from me on this one. Let me know what
you think though, or talk about it on the Messageboard.
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A new club mix of the classic "I Just Died In Your Arms" was recently released in Europe and is apparently a big club hit! The
song was produced by the Bass Bumpers team (part of the Ministry of Sound) for Resource. I don't have a whole lot more information
about the track BUT I'm pleased to tell you it's the new
Track of the Month!
Last but not least, a lot of you have written asking for an update on Kevin Macmichael. I understand that he is doing "ok" and I
have asked Kevin himself for an update to share with you. I will post it up here as soon as I find out, and thanks for asking!
| Cutting Crew videos on DVD |
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As several readers have pointed out, there is a new collection of music videos out on DVD called "The Greatest DVD Music Collection"
and two Cutting Crew videos are featured! One DVD is called "Rock Heroes" and contains "(Between A)Rock & A Hard Place", while
the other DVD is called "Love Songs" and contains the U.S. version of "(I Just)Died In Your Arms"!
You can find this DVD online at Tower Records USA (Region 1 NTSC),
Tower Records UK (Region 2 PAL) or at
World of Music a German DVD site. Just hit the Video/DVD button and do a search.
Be sure to get the right version depending on which region you live in, so that it will work with your DVD player.
(I haven't seen these locally so if you find another convenient place to order these DVDs let me know.) |
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In other website news, I have added a rare and exciting Track of the Month from The Drivers to the
Sounds page. This one features Nick Van Eede's band before the
Cutting Crew was formed. I think you will find it quite interesting, as it has a punk-rock style to it... The lyrics are
now being posted as requested... enjoy!
As promised, a full review of the concert for Kevin held last month is now online!
To say that the show was a success is an understatement as I heard so many positive things from everyone who was there. The
photos I have seen are amazing too - be sure to stop by the
Tribute to Kevin Macmichael website to see more pictures!
Some of you have asked and YES, this show was recorded for a souvenir CD that will hopefully be released sometime soon!
Stay tuned to this website for additional information about that and more photos as they come in from this show.
There is EVEN MORE VERY EXCITING NEWS coming about the Cutting Crew so stay tuned!!
PS. I hope you like the new website logo too!
| Concert for Kevin Macmichael |
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Dear Friends,
I have recently received news that is difficult to pass along but I must. Kevin Macmichael, the Cutting Crew's
fantastic guitarist has cancer and perhaps only months to live. I know you will be as shocked and saddened as I
was when I heard this news. Kevin is currently at his home in Halifax, Nova Scotia and doing fairly well at the moment.
Nick Van Eede is also there to lend support, as are many of Kevin's close friends and relatives.
Two of Kevin's close friends, Rick Edgett and Bob Atkinson, have put together an excellent
Tribute to Kevin Macmichael website that I very much hope
you will visit. A benefit concert for Kevin has been organized for March 28 in Halifax, and features an amazing array
of talent including appearances by Kevin, Nick, and many well-known local artists. Details on how you can get tickets to the
show and help out are found on the Tribute site.
Kevin would like to hear from you, both friends and fans alike, and to share your memories and send your best wishes!
Details on how you can reach him are also found on the Tribute page. If you call, please remember that the Halifax timezone
is -4 GMT, or 4 hours behind the current time in London, UK.
While the news is tough to take, I am posting it at Kevin's request. I sincerely hope that you will take the time to let
Kevin know how much his music and his work has meant to you (as it has to me). In this time, it is both heartwarming and
encouraging to know that so many people care. Our thoughts and our prayers are with you Kevin - all the way!!
| Website report, new sounds |
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Just a brief update to say "thank you" to all the new & returning visitors to this website! On average, we receive over
1000 visitors every month, and have seen over 20,000 visitors since the redesign in Sept. 2000 - great stuff!!
It's a little overdue, but I have now added new pages for the following Albums:
The Scattering, Compus Mentus and Greatest Hits - so check them out. Also, the new and very popular MP3 of the month has been
updated with a fresh track on the Sounds page so enjoy! Since it wasn't
quite a full month, I've left January's track online for now. Going forward I expect that a new track will always be posted around
the middle of the month.
Finally, an early happy birthday to Colin Farley (currently with the Tornados) who will turn 43 on Feb. 25th.
| Nick Van Eede live report & fantastic photos! |
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As reported earlier, at the end of last year Nick Van Eede performed at the Kashmir Klub's 4th anniversary show in London.
The show was carried live on the Net and now my long overdue review is finally online! You can read about
Nick's live Kashmir performance now, and as a special treat
I've included two sound clips from the show too! Check it out and talk about it on the Messageboard.
I also received a special series of photographs this week, that are now proudly hosted on the
Photos page. This incredible series of live photos were taken in
south UK in the late '80s by John Worthington and VERY much worth checking out! I don't have any photos from Nick's appearance
at the Kashmir, however I feel these pics will more than make up for it!
In website news, I have updated the Links page with "Friends Of The
Band". These are artists or groups who have close ties to the members of Cutting Crew - check them out if you have time.
Also, starting this month I will have a regular Special MP3 Track of the month. This will usually be a rare or
rarely-heard song from the band. If you'll kindly check out the Sounds
page, you'll find this month's feature!!
That's all for now - Happy New Year and stay tuned for more exciting stuff !!
Due to changes with the @Home network in the U.S. (it's basically going out of business) I am switching to a new email
address for this website: cutting-crew @ shaw.ca. Please use this new address to contact me from now on, thanks!
My apologies for the slow updates lately, I am switching to a new setup that will see much more exciting content
on here! Thanks to some new tools I will be revamping the entire site with a slightly fresher look...in fact that's
already underway. AND I'm currently working on an update from the Kashmir Klub show where Nick played
2 NEW SONGS !! Stay tuned for a soundclip and a full review of the show shortly!
| Happy Birthday Kevin Macmichael ! |
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A hearty "Happy Birthday" to Kevin Macmichael who turns the BIG 5-0 today !! In recognition of Kevin's outstanding
work and talent over the years, I have finally written a (long overdue) NEW biography about Kevin and his career. Please
check out the eye-opening look at this fantastic guitarist and popular producer, on
Kevin's BIO page.
In other exciting news, it has now been officially confirmed that Nick Van Eede will be appearing at the Kashmir Klub for
their 4th anniversary special show on November 24th!! As mentioned, the
Kashmir Klub is a fantastic, mostly acoustic venue in
London that promotes local talent through the very hard work of Mr. Tony Moore. I will post more details as the date
approaches but you do NOT want to miss this appearance if you live there, or can tune in via Real Video!
Nick was also mentioned during Cathy Burton's excellent live performance at the Kashmir last week. Although I did have
a bit of trouble with Internet "reception", I did see Cathy's appearance and it was really very good. I hope she returns
to play with Nick on the 24th!
Nick Van Eede was spotted recently at a Marillion gig in Hamburg, Germany on Oct. 17th. As you know, Nick co-wrote a song
on Marillion's latest album Anoraknophobia called Map Of the World ! No word on whether he joined the band
onstage, but I'll bet he was singing along with them either way. I have also received a new photo of Nick from
when he was hanging out with the Canadian band MIR this year - check it out on the Photos
page !!! There are a bunch of new pictures on there (including one of Kevin Macmichael!) for your enjoyment as well!
I have also received an update from an insider who was at the Espoir Festival this spring! Here is the full set list
that Nick played with Cathy Burton:
1. I've Been In Love Before (duet with Cathy on guitar, Nick on piano)
2. Love So Blind (NEW song written by Nick with an 8 piece band including brass. Has an R&B groove w/ a great hook!)
3. To Say You Love (Song by Cathy sung as a duet with Nick and the band)
4. Died In Your Arms (Need I say more !)
5. Why Does It Always Rain On Me? (Travis anthem done a bit different with full band)
To the right is a new picture of Cathy from that same gig!
If you would like more information about Cathy, please check out her website.
She gives the story behind To Say You Love which was interesting. Cathy is also scheduled to play at the now famous
Kashmir Klub in London on Oct. 30th! The Kashmir as you may know, is a
fantastic venue run by Tony Moore, who played keyboards for the Cutting Crew's Broadcast tour in '87,
and also co-wrote on the Scattering. Given all the connections, who knows if a certain Mr. Van Eede might consider
turning up that night? You can watch the Kashmir's concerts LIVE on their website so tune in on the 30th just in case!
On a personal note, considering what happened in the United States on Sept. 11th and the impact that had on ALL of us, it
was easy to forget a few milestones. First off, HAPPY 40th birthday to Martin Frosty Beedle !! And second, it has
now been over one year since this site's redesign and almost SIX years since it went online around November of 1995!
WOW, and you can see how many changes the Web and the guys have been through since then. Trust me when I say that things
are only going to get better as you'll see more exclusive news, photos and special items. Thank YOU for sticking
around and as always, feel free to drop me a line or say hi on the message board !
| Report from the Espoir Festival ! |
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When Nick Van Eede played the Festival of Hope (Fęte de L'Espoir) concert in Switzerland in May this year, a loyal
Cutting Crew fan was there to see him. Now, thanks to Ina Knochel we have the details for you! Ina reports:
"By the way the festival is for free, everybody could go there. The fęte started by 5 o'clock and ended by 3 in the
morning. We were there at 7 o'clock. Most of the artists, altogether 24, I didn't know, but Fish, The Silencers,
Joshua Kadision and Yannick. Actually Nick should be on stage by 22.30 but it was a quarter to midnight as he
started playing.
He played 5 songs -
1. Duet with Cathy "I've Been In Love Before"
2. a new song sung by Nick (Sorry I have forgotten the title, was busy with taking pictures)
3. a song by Cathy Burton + Mr. Eede at guitar (don't know the title either but she has an excellent voice)
4. Died In Your Arms
5. cover version "Why Does It Always Rain On Me" by Nick and Cathy (song by the band Travis).
To be honest it wasn't one of his best appearance on stage. He was very excited before and you could also recognize it on
stage. After he explained why. He couldn't hear himself or even his keyboard and was a bit insecure. But nevetheless it
was good to see him. "
Great report ! And also THANKS to Ina we have these exclusive photos from the concert !!
(Click on any image for a larger picture)
Ina, Nick and Maren |
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Cathy Burton and Nick |
Sorry it took awhile to get this online everyone, I think you'll agree it was worth the wait!
| Happy 43rd Birthday to NICK VAN EEDE |
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A short but sincere Happy Birthday message to Nick on his 43rd year! Look for a report about Nick's performance from the
recent Festival of Hope soon. Meantime, keep on rocking Nick !!
| NICK VAN EEDE Plays the Espoir Festival - Sat., May 26, 2001 ! |
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Cutting Crew fans if you are ANYWHERE near Geneva, Switzerland this weekend NOW is your chance to see Mr. Nick Eede
live in concert at this year's Festival of Hope!! Like last year, Nick will be playing a set that is sure to be excellent
and of course, include at least one classic Crew song! He is playing with Cathy Burton and is scheduled for about a 25
minute set starting at 22:35 Geneva time on Saturday night. I know that at least part of this show is televised and
carried on radio on these 'Radio Lac' stations:
* Geneva FM 91.8
* Nyon FM 93.3
* Lausanne FM 95.6
Being in Canada my chances are slim of hearing it, so PLEASE let me know if you are lucky enough to catch any of
Nick's performance (or say, record it) !! You can check out the
Festival Of Hope website for more information (it's in French...)
[BTW, I'm honored to say that they chose this site as Nick's Homepage ]
Nick has been busy recently working on two exciting projects! The first is with Desire, a band from Barbados who
have been gaining a steady fanbase. Nick produced the vocal arrangements for two songs on their EP "Shine", and they also
worked with Colin Farley on this CD. You can check out Desire's website
for some excellent sound samples of these songs and order the CD from there! (Thanks for the link to this site guys!)
Nick's other recent contribution was to the new album from Marillion, "Anoraknophobia" just released this month. Nick's
friend Steve Hogarth (Marillion's lead singer) tells a great little story about Nick's contribution saying that "On one of
his many sheets of paper he'd written the words "Map of the World" and I suggested we try this somehow as a chorus. On
the fly he came up with the melody, and I moved it to coincide with a different part of the musical idea. This was the
key that, at last, unlocked the song for me...". You can hear a
Real Audio sample of the song here and read
the lyrics at Marillion.com.
Cutting Crew received a very humorous mention in the May 2001 issue of "Q" magazine, a British music magazine. In an
article entitled "Lost in Music" found on page 29, Neil Finn, the lead singer of Crowded House (now solo) describes a
number of songs by other bands and what they remind him of. Unfortunately for Neil, he apparently has nothing but BAD
memories about "I Just Died In Your Arms", the Crew's big hit. Neil sounds kinda bitter when he says (and I quote):
"I have a really bad association with that song, (I Just) Died In Your Arms, because it kept Crowded House off Number 1
in America in '87. I wouldn't have minded so much if it was a decent song. We used to call it I Just Died In The Arse
Tonight. Where are they now though, eh? Then again, I watched the MTV Awards in America a while ago and they had a Where
Are They Now? section and Crowded House were in it. Did we ever meet Cutting Crew? No. We would have had to punch them.
[Laughs] Just as a matter of honour.[Laughs] But Number 2 is alright. And when I hear that song now? Well, I
don't hear it."
OUCH! I guess Neil is still stinging from being 'second best'... too bad. On a personal
note, I bought both the Cutting Crew & Crowded House tapes (yes, this was 1987) back then and am still a big fan of both
bands. I spoke to Neil once and even saw their final Canadian performance in Toronto in 1996 so trust me when I say I
LIKE them but this comment seems a little cheap, especially 14 years later! Get over it Neil! (At least we now know that
the two bands have never met either...)
| Happy 42nd Birthday to COLIN FARLEY |
|
The Crew's excellent bass player celebrates his 42nd this year! And to
coincide with this, I've posted a new brief biography page for Colin so check it out. Have you
been wondering what Colin is up to these days? He's now playing with a band called Clem Cattini & The Tornados,
and they are an active band with their most recent gig being Feb. 9, 2001 at the Pavillion in Waymouth, Dorset (UK).
For more information, check out the
Tornados Now website.
BTW, much belated Birthday greetings also go out to Kevin MacMichael who turned 49 in November!!
Sorry that we missed you Kevin - all the best in 2001!
In other news, this website continues to receive a steady stream of visitors (almost 7000 since September!) and it's GREAT
to hear from you, both via email and the Message Board!
There have been some interesting discussions on there, so if you want to chat with fellow fans be sure to stop by and say
hello.
I found the video for IJDIYA is available for free viewing on Launch! It's the second (or U.S.) version of the video
and can be a little blury but if you've never seen it now's your chance. The easiest way to get there is to start at
this page on Yahoo and follow
the links to either Real or Windows Media versions.
You may not have noticed, but I've posted some more rare MP3's in the Sounds section for your
enjoyment. The tracks include the unreleased b-side to IJDIYA called For The Longest Time, as well as some remixes.
As always, read the What's New page to catch all the changes.
Welcome to 2001 - it's only going to get better!!
| NICK VAN EEDE Reappears ! |
|
As an early Christmas present to Cutting Crew fans, this
website is pleased to announce that Nick made (at least) two appearances this past year,
although his return has gone mostly unnoticed, until now !!
His first notable appearance was at the annual Feast of Hope (Fete de l'Espoir) in Geneva,
Switzerland on May 27, 2000. Nick played at this festival with other acts such as Fish and
Rodger Hodson of Supertramp also on the bill. For many people (including myself) this was the
first sighting of Nick since the early nineties, and although he looks older (he turned 42
this year) he still has the voice and puts on a great performance!
Nick's second appearance this year was on September 7, 2000 at the
Kashmir Klub in London, a fantastic club which is
hosted by Tony Moore who was the keyboard player in the Cutting Crew. Again, Nick wowed the
intimate venue with a set that included an acoustic version of I Just Died In Your Arms! Now
I wish I could've heard that show!
In the future I hope to be able to inform you of Nick's appearances BEFORE they happen...
There is no word of any future projects that Nick may be working on, but it is good to know that
he still enjoys performing and playing music live!
Talk about Nick's return on the Message Board!
In other Nick-related news, his hometown of East Grinstead, England has placed him in their "Hall of Fame",
which you can check out here.
| KEVIN MACMICHAEL on Tour ? |
|
Yes, it could be true! I came across a recent
article (just a bit late - sorry) that states
Kevin was and may still be touring with Pete Best, the "5th Beatle". I have contacted the
management firm here
for tour information but so far they haven't replied. If you know anything more please send me
an email - thanks!
Are you still looking for a copy of Compus Mentus ?! Then you should join the
Message Board! Three copies
of this CD have sold on eBay lately and the Board has been keeping up on this kind of stuff -
not to mention it's a great place to chat with fellow fans! Try it today, I think you'll like it.
I have added more details & pics to the Videos page, so have a look, and
help me update it if you can. More multimedia and surprises to come !! Thanks to YOU this site
has hit over 1700 visitors since the re-design, averaging 40-50 a day! I may have to choose a
new counter as FXWeb can't keep up these days...
| Happy 39th Birthday to MARTIN BEEDLE |
|
That's right, Mr. Frosty Beedle turned 39 this year! And to celebrate, I've posted a new page
on him under the biography section - so check it out. It's all the more
relevant as Martin played the drums on Sarah Brightman's NEW CD "La Luna" which was just
released (and currently ranks as the #1 best Internet seller according to Billboard) ! Sarah is
currently touring Canada and the U.S. - does anyone know if Martin is in the touring band ??
THANKS for visiting the new Cutting Crew page, we're rapidly closing in on 1000 hits this month!
Please visit the Message Board
and say hello to your fellow fans or drop me an email to say hi! There are also some updates
that you'll find on the What's New? page.
| The new website is launched |
|
Welcome to the newly re-designed Cutting Crew homepage! This is the first major redesign
that has been done since the site went online in the fall of 1995 and I think it's about
time! All the pages have been redone and I have added new information to many of them
in addition to these NEW sections:
Please take the time to look around and let me know what you think via email or the
messageboard. If you've written me in the past and never heard anything I may have been
too busy so drop me another note.
Thanks for your continuing support of the band and this website!
Tom, Sept. 2000
|
All content, layout and images are (C) Tom Gilmore unless noted,
and may not be reproduced without express permission.
|
