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as heard on BBC Radio Cornwall
 
 

2011 GIGS - LIVE MUSIC IN CORNWALL & DEVON
Thursday 26th May 2011 - Barley Sheaf, Liskeard, PL14 3AQ (9pm)
Sunday 4th September 2011 - Liskeard School All Dayer (12-7pm)

News! 2011-02-19 TVA MERCHANDISE
Hoodies, zoodies, sweatshirts and T shirts now available from Taurus Books, Fore Street, Liskeard, or order online from the merchandise page. Available in an assortment of 16 different colours and 5 different sizes.

News! 2011-02-04 AIRPLAY
Going To The Shops played on David White's Music Extra show, on Radio Cornwall, part of BBC Introducing. Officer Dibble played 2011-01-14


News! NEW LIVE VIDEOS ONLINE
New Years Eve gig 31st December 2010 at the Barley Sheaf  with John Eschbaecher on drums. Footage here

News! 2010-03-24 CHESTER
The Assortment known simply as Chester has had quite a spurt on recently, playing gigs in his own right in venues as diverse as Cornwall, the Midlands, the North and Scotland. Best known for his portrayal of Tiza G in the Assortments video of the same name, Chester has just completed filming on location at Grays Beach in Essex for Kunt & The Gang's latest promo video Shaven Haven, with James Buckley (Jay from C4's The Inbetweeners).

News! 2009-06-08
Need a rehearsal room? With drums, PA and backline? Check out the new studio: www.liskeardmusic.co.uk

News! 2009-05-01
Join The Assortments now on Facebook

News! 2009-03
10 months after making TVA his Artist of the Week, BBC Radio Cornwall's David White is still playing Tiza G and Cher Practised Coldplay.

News! 2008-08-27
Tiza G is featured video on ITV Local website...

News! 2008-07-21
New Stevo Bliss mix of All We Had awarded Track Of The Day amidst glowing reviews from the US & Scandinavia on GarageBand... 

News! 2008-04-24
The Various Assortments are Featured Artist of The Week on the David White Show, BBC Radio Cornwall...

 


The Various Assortments are a pop group based in Liskeard, Cornwall and play original material in a quirky quintessentially English vein. With a dash of New York. Live psychedelic post punk funk pop rock 'n' roll, new wave and pop art indie Britpop music. The surviving Assortments are Paul Program (vocals/guitar/programming), Stephen Ayres (trumpet/trombone), Martin Baxter (tenor sax/harp), Tim Young (drums) and Keiron Standfield (bass/keyboards/synthesizer).

Other Assortments past present and future include John Eschbaecher (drums), Stevo Bliss (co-writing, remixing, guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals & treatments), Michael Oliver (bass), Chester (guitar/vocals/remix), Samantha Ritchie (alto sax), Richard Wills (drums/vocals), Daniel Morgan (cornet), Keith Burford (soprano, alto, tenor & baritone saxophones), Dorian (trumpet), Steven Havenhand (bass), Steve McArthur (drums), James Kingham (guitar/vocals), Ian Wright (bass), Dolores Haze (keyboards/vocals), Fletcher Munson (bass), Steve Skews (piano), Emmalodica (drums, melodica & percussion), Ben Galatia (djembe), Jo Bowis (vocals & tambourine), Daniel Onions (vocals), Ben Garnett (guitar & bass), Martin White (guitar), Chris White (drums), Pete Lawrie (5 string bass), Swifty (drums & vocals), Warren G (guitar), Fred Prendergast (guitar), Carlton (alto & tenor saxophones), Chris & Fiona (guitar & vocals), Paul Patch (drums & vocals), Lorna Patch (vocals), Lucy Ingham (vocals), Andy Wright (vocals), Jude Caton (vocals), Sarah Booth (voice), Lauren Evans and Joanna Booth (vocals), Martin Turner (remix), Collin Rosenheck (remix) and Andy Barrett (remix). Photographs by Kirsty Gash
 

 
Tiza G promo directed by Jon Prinn, edited by Jon Prinn and Fletcher Munson starring Chester as Tiza G

Wake Up promo directed by Mikey Parkinson starring The Various Assortments as themselves
No Pun Intended live filmed by Tina Adair
Stalactite live filmed by Tina Adair
 

"That's great... a bit of madness"
Richard & Judy Show, Channel 4, April 2004

"Your songs remind me of a child's drawing. I'm really surprised at how good Cher Practised Coldplay is. I've heard it 3 times now and I always get loads of ideas listening to it. Well done"
Keith Levene, Public Image Ltd, via text, Aug 2005

"like John Shuttleworth on acid... I, for one, are sold on their cutesy, knowing mannerisms"
Backbone, 24/7 Magazine, Feb 2006

"Paul Program is the jingle writer of a generation"
Ryan Hooper, Cornish Times, 2007

"Obvious reference points, The Fall, Half Man Half Biscuit, Captain Sensible, Kevin Ayers... I've seen a lot of bands and your songs are really good"
Attila The Stockbroker, April 2008

"I've had that fucking Wake Up song going round in my head all day"
Kunt & The Gang, May 2008

"The Various Assortments are like a supermodel, you can drape any old rags over a supermodel and they will still look good"
Rick, Southampton, June 2008

"Some people will be instantly charmed by the knowing symmetry and others will simply go on thinking that Blur, The Kinks and Jilted John should never be allowed to share a bedroom"
Rattlesnake, Bedford, October 2009

"It reminds me of Scott Walker if he were more influenced by bands like Wire"
westing, Condon, Montana, Feb 2010

 

 
 

So far The Various Assortments have been compared to the likes of The Beatles, The Rutles, The Beach Boys, The Kinks, The Small Faces, doo wop, Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground, Roxy Music, David Bowie, Brian Eno, Frank Zappa, Kevin Ayers, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, Wings, Frank Spencer, The War Of The Worlds, Billy Liar, Grease, Tom Petty, Jilted John, John Shuttleworth on acid, Frank Sidebottom, Teenage Jesus & The Jerks, The Ramones, The Queers, The Buzzcocks, Buddy Holly, Pere Ubu, XTC, The Fall, Squeeze, Blancmange, Depeche Mode, OMD, Gary Numan, Madness, Captain Sensible, Howard Jones (!), Adam Ant solo (!!), The Buggles, Kate Bush, Madness, Julian Cope & The Teardrop Explodes, Half Man Half Biscuit, the 60s, the early 80s, the late 80s, plink plonk music, The Dukes Of Stratosphere, Mr Bungle, They Might Be Giants, The Lightning Seeds, Blur, Pulp, Super Furry Animals, The Frogs, The Weakerthans, The Streets, Gorillaz, a cockney Bob Dylan, and a bedroom Kaiser Chiefs. Conversely, Laura by The Scissors Sisters has been compared to The Various Assortments, as has Creeping Up The Backstairs by The Fratellis,

 

(c) 2011 The Various Assortments