In Episode 23 of First Impressions I resume my conversation with musician/songwriter, adventurer, woodworker, sustainable architect and organic farmer Mike Teague. In this, the second of two episodes to feature him, Mike reflects on being part of the Liverpool music scene in the early 2000s where he played with Guy and Karim as Pig’s Breakfast (rehearsing below a chippy), lent his guitar to The Coral when they set off on tour and played 5-a-side with The Zutons before wanderlust came calling again and he moved first to the ‘Dickensian’ Isle of Sark (being welcomed into the fold by folk band Big Sheep), then later New Zealand (twice) and London (first squatting near Canary Wharf, later living in digs beside Brixton prison) before applying the brakes on the Hungarian riviera where he and Aniko began the Acorn Village Project a few years ago.
As the 2000s sped by, Mike also found time for a road trip through Southern Africa, recording sessions in Ireland with great friends Ro Tierney and Robbie Mulvany, and an epic journey to Guy’s wedding in Alberta, Canada, with James, where high jinks awaited us before the happy day. Wherever he’s gone, Mike has made enduring friendships through music and this episode is jam-packed with excellent tunes (listed below). While discussing life’s twists and turns, we talk about the bonds that form through jamming, writing and performing with others before signing off with a Decaying Leather update and (possibly) the origins of the Humph family band’s name. A quick reminder to listen to First Impressions through headphones to fully enjoy the mix of music and chat guaranteed in every episode.
Track listing:
(00:00) ‘Paradise Shiddy: Live at Brixton Prison’ by the Maybenots
(06:21) ‘Science of the Air’ by Pig’s Breakfast*
(10:15) ‘Oyez Piglets!’ by Pig’s Breakfast
(19:28) ‘The Boatman’ performed by Big Sheep
(23:13) ‘Nelson Flipflop’ performed by Tinkletrio
(29:02) ‘A Case of You’ performed by Big Sheep
(32:48) ‘The Voice’ performed by Ro Tierney (with Robbie, Mike & band)
(39:01) ‘I’ve Just Seen a Face’ performed by the Carrick Trio
(40:41) ‘Improv 1 (While it’s Over)’ performed by the Maybenots
(44:04) ‘Surf Rock’ performed by Mike’s Supergroup in Hungary
(45:00) ‘Raglin Demo’ performed by the Pilis Projekt
(46:08) ‘Ukrainian Waltz’ performed by the Strathcarnage Folk Trio**
(50:18) ‘Darker Tomato’ performed by Decaying Leather
(56:35) ‘You are my Sunshine’ performed by the Carrick Trio
(*source of band name linked to Viz’s lampooning of Victoria Beckham
**source of band name linked to The Day Today football results)
A few links to content connected to our conversation:
Mike on SoundCloud = https://soundcloud.com/mikeymandolin
Guy on SoundCloud = https://soundcloud.com/guyzeek
Ro Tierney and Robbie Mulvany perform ‘The Voice’ = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25fnNP-nIbU
Jude Edwin-Scott = https://judeedwinscott.com
The Coral = https://thecoral.co.uk
The Zutons = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Zutons
