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Smoke or Fire borrow Avail bassist for upcoming tour

Posted by chris on Friday, February 1, 2008 at 12:00 PM (EST)

With the recent departure of their longtime bassist causing line-up problems until a proper replacement is found, Smoke or Fire have recruited their friend Gwomper from Avail to handle 4-string duties on their upcoming tour with Fake Problems. At the conclusion of the tour, Smoke or Fire will look for a permanent replacement, and Gwomper will return to Avail.

Smoke or Fire will tour in continued support of last year's This Sinking Ship; and Fake Problems will be touring in support of How Far Our Bodies Go, also released last year.

Fat Wreck Chords (33 comments)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way. Seriously.

kneel (February 1, 2008)

gwomper is an awesome dude.

however, bigger news here is... new avail record coming up? should be expected but i havent heard anything about it.

listofdemands (February 1, 2008)

i was listening to avail's old records the other day and remember how much fun they were. are they still good live?
-nic

2+ Replies

notfeelingcreative (February 1, 2008)

Having missed the Fest, I haven't seen them since July '06 when they opened for Rancid, but they were amazing as usual!

eran_zombis (February 1, 2008)

I saw them in Richmond, so there's crowd and band bias, but they were really energetic and they still played everything right. I'd say they even one-upped strike anywhere's live showing in the hometown.

baseball (February 1, 2008)

At the conclusion of the tour, Smoke or Fire will look for a permanent replacement, and Gwomper will return to Avail to work on the upcoming record.

Chris, you sly bastard! With your casual Avail updates! I'd like to hear a new Avail record.

Dante3000 (rich) (February 1, 2008)

Well, if you got to hire a replacement bassist I guess you could go with worse.
-Dante

Adrian (February 1, 2008)

Even more reason to be stoked for the date in Cincy! Sweet.

Ler (February 1, 2008)

I gotta be honest, I can't see a new Avail album coming out any time soon. First off Tim has been touring non stop, and he's pretty good about giving updates, and not 1 word about a new Avail album. Even when Avail toured the east coast in Nov, not 1 word about an avail album. And also, Tims good friend and avail roadie recently passed away, so Tim's hiding out in NC trying to clear his head, and working on a new solo album. So as much as I'd like to see a new avail album, I don't think it will happen anytime soon. I hope I'm wrong.

3+ Replies

skankbook (February 1, 2008)

Or he could pull a Joey Cape and use his buddy's death as inspiration for an incredible album. I don't mean that in a joking way, the loss of a close friend effects everyone differently, but "Resolve" was completely unexpected from us (it was written and recorded in just a few weeks after Derek's death and released within months), so maybe Avail IS working on a new album.

Ler (February 1, 2008)

I dunno, All of Tim's songs are based on real life, and things that have happened to him, and people that he knows. So he already has the inspiration. And he basically tells us what he's doing: www.timbarryrva.com

Dante3000 (rich) (February 1, 2008)

If I remember Tim said that they had basically done an entire new Avail album but they weren't happy with it so they scrapped it. Basically, Avail is really democratic and unless they're all happy with an album it doesn't get done. As they've got a lot more things going on (including Tim's solo stuff) that becomes harder and harder.
I'd love a new Avail record and don't doubt they're working on one. However, "working on a new Avail record" and "new Avail record on the way" are two different things.
-Dante

usversusthem (February 1, 2008)

Gwomper? Seriously? Shit, I know bassists are "supposed" to have retarded names but COME ON. That's ri-goddamn-diculous. No wonder I don't listen to Avail. Or Smoke or Fire, for that matter.

8+ Replies

Ler (February 1, 2008)

Your a canadian, you wouldn't understand Avail.

usversusthem (February 1, 2008)

Oh, God, how could I have forgotten? Well that explains everything. Thank you, kind sir.

ArtieFufkin (February 1, 2008)

I know - we have to put up with Geddy

Ler (February 1, 2008)

And Nardwuar, but I'm not gonna dis on him, he's very entertaining.

notfeelingcreative (February 1, 2008)

Do you not like Avail or just not listen to them? I can understand the latter, but the former is beyond my comprehension.

Dante3000 (rich) (February 1, 2008)

I know I won't like this book, just look at the cover!
-Dante

telegraphrocks (February 1, 2008)

That book totally looks like an asshole.

usversusthem (February 1, 2008)

In my defense, I did listen to SoF a little before deciding they weren't really my thing.

ps: Gwomper is more like, the cover of this book is made of feces. I think I will deny it the benefit of the doubt, for fear of getting my hands unnecessarily dirty.

Cox_Attack (February 1, 2008)

Avail rules. Just saying. A new album would be nice.

2+ Replies

notfeelingcreative (February 1, 2008)

It's way past 'nice' for me, its essential.

Cox_Attack (February 1, 2008)

Yeah especially because Front Porch Stories was their best since 4am Friday.

CogsInTheMachine (February 1, 2008)

"Fake Problems will be touring in support of Derek Perry's ego and Chris Farren's spiraling coke addiction."

ludwigg (February 1, 2008)

i'm not going to hold my breath for anything new happening with avail. i hope this "new record" isn't anything like one wrench or front porch stories. they were just disappointing.

seriously 4am Friday and Over the James...so so so effing awesome. Dixie is really good too. Satiate not too bad.

2+ Replies

telegraphrocks (February 1, 2008)

What!?!?!?! "Front Porch Stories" was incredible.

BREAKDOWN!
1) Over The James
2) Front Porch Stories
3) 4AM Friday
4) Satiate
5) Dixie
6) One Wrench

ludwigg (February 1, 2008)

Not incredible. Incredible is 4am Friday and Over the James. Front Porch Stories falls short of being on any level that those albums are on.

Breakdown:
4am Friday
Over the James
Dixie
Satiate
I don't bother with the other records...there's nothing special on them.

telegraphrocks (February 1, 2008)

Nothing special on Front Porch Stories?

Oh, come on! "Blue Times Two", "Gravel To Dirt", "West Wye", "You", "Versus"....

.. for shame, you person.

:(

ludwigg (February 1, 2008)

yeah, those songs don't do it for me. they don't have that THING that makes me love Avail. not that they are bad songs, i've just heard what avail is capable of, and these just fall short. if some other band were to have put this album out, i think it would have been decent, definitely not incredible though. as far as i am concerned, avail's catalog ends after Over the James....which means that i have been waiting since 1998 for a new Avail record.
i also don't like avail's "new" drummer. see, this is how backed up i am...the dude has been with the band for like the past 6 years? and he's still new to me. being a drummer, i am particular about these things.
i used to see avail live all the time. i haven't seen them in a few years, and missed the last show. so pissed. but the last time i saw them was in 2002 when they toured with propaghandi....that was s

show rest of comment

thomas7155 (February 1, 2008)

I like Avail's sound; but after reading that interview with Tim Barry on this website.......ugh.

xote (February 1, 2008)

My friends are playing in a band called Ambition Burning (www.myspace.com/ambitionburning) that features the original (demo era) singer from Avail. They are awesome.

valentine (February 2, 2008)

They should just suck up the loss and become a 3 piece.

1+ Reply

skasticks (February 2, 2008)

no way

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