#We Don't Know What Tomorrow Brings

[thekingofgear]

Thom Yorke’s Gear for The Smile’s NPR Tiny Desk Show

Thom at the piano during Panavision.

For The Smile’s Tiny Desk performance, Thom played his Fender Mustang bass on The Smoke and his vintage Guild Starfire II bass on Skirting On The Surface. Although we don’t get to hear the song, we can see that Thom played his 1964 Fender Jazzmaster when they performed We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings. The upright piano on Panavision belongs to Tiny Desk, as do the amps and microphones (we also explained this our last post). In an Instagram post, Bob Boilen mentioned that the band rehearsed for more than an hour before deciding which songs to play. This explains the range of guitars and basses that Thom brought along, only three of which would appear in the final video. Thom also brought a small pedalboard with a selection of his pedals for the show, and some of them went unused too — notably the Death By Audio Echo Dream 2, which he uses on You Will Never Work In Television Again.

Thom’s Instruments

Upright Piano

Fender EOB Stratocaster guitar

Fender Jazzmaster guitar in Olympic White (1964)

Martin 00-18 acoustic guitar (with Fishman Rare Earth pickup)

Fender Mustang bass in Olympic White

Guild Starfire II hollowbody bass in Cherry-Red (late-60s)

Thom’s Amplifiers (shared with Jonny):

Tiny Desk’s Fender ’68 Custom Deluxe Reverb combo amplifier

Tiny Desk’s Ampeg RB-110 combo amplifier

Thom’s Effects Pedals:

Guitar/Bass->

Boss TU-2 tuner

Death By Audio Echo Dream 2

Death By Audio Interstellar Overdriver

Earthquaker Devices Plumes overdrive

Telenordia TK-23 Kompressor

-> Amplifier

GigRig Generator and Distributor power supply

A photo of Thom’s mini bass and guitar pedalboard for the Tiny Desk show (joshrogosin). Looks like it’s just a plank with some velcro, almost certainly put together just for Tiny Desk.

Thom’s array of guitars (joshrogosin).

We can see Thom’s EOB Stratocaster with black covers on the Fernandes pickups. This was probably one of Fender’s original prototypes for Ed, before they sourced white pickup covers for the final version.

The Martin acoustic the newer one which Thom acquired around 2015, likely to save his older Martin from touring wear. It’s easiest to identify by the wear in the finish near the soundhole. Thom used his older Martin acoustic to performance Free In The Knowledge at the Royal Albert Hall in 2021. But for The Smile shows this year, he played this newer Martin, as can be seen in video from the Montreux Jazz Festival.

The headstock of Thom’s vintage Guild Starfire II bass (joshrogosin).

[birdmenmanga]

A while ago I received a beautiful painting of Eishi in the mail from @kitsoa!! I've been meaning to post pictures of it but I so rarely have physical objects I wanted a proper photoshoot to do it justice <3

When I first saw this I was absolutely blown away by the colors. These magenta-maroon hues aren't ones I associate with urban cityscapes at all and yet it's beautiful and dreamlike. There are a lot of poignant moments of loneliness in this series and this piece really captures that feeling, in my opinion. I almost feel like crying when I look at it sometimes. Kitsoa just has a way with color I can never hope of coming close to; I often look at her artworks and think, "Ah, her brain's just wired in a fundamentally different way from mine." (NOT a lamentation btw-- I consider it a blessing that we are put on this earth to show each other pictures of that which the other could not conceive of)

I have it up on my wall with sticky tack (didn't want to put tape on the front in case it got damaged when I inevitably have to move away) and I look at it all the time. I love it so much!! Thank you!!

[b-blushes]

also i am going to the dr tomorrow so please can you send some spare good vibes my way if you have them thank you

[skrunksthatwunk]

BREAKING NEWS i said yeah on the phone and rascal meowed back at me from across the room hehe

[theradicalace]

i just think it's so funny that when *i* lash out and start bitching *about* management to my coworkers because of a stressful day at work, i get pulled into the office to discuss my attitude, but when a manager lashes out and bitches *at me* because of a stressful work day, i get a halfassed "oh sorry, but-" and i'm expected to roll over and take it.

[scentedinksandwhackedseals]

i'm making a presentation for a friend's birthday party and remembering how much i hate making presentations.

[damianosismyking]

no please dont close your account youre so sexy haha

woman i swear

[feestbeestjes]

I've had such a silly/stupid/weird/eye-opening day. Time to blog about it

Went to my derm for a check up completely miserable and fucked up my left bike brake on the way over. The derm says I'm fine and healing well, it's the derm with the good bedside manner and the sick blue metallic shoes, I believe her. I feel slightly relieved.

On my way back I sit by a lavender bush for a while and look at the bumblebees who are collecting nectar. I help one of the smaller ones back onto a flower, a guy comes by on a bike with his camera and takes pictures of them. My mood lifts.

I come back to my bike and find a way to hold my brake gear in place so I can bike to a shop to fix it. I call them in advance, they tell me they can fix it. I bike for three minutes and almost eat shit. My break line has now completely snapped. I can bike freely, it's not ideal but it works.

I get to the shop. The one of the employees takes a look at my bike and tells me he's gonna try and fix it.

I spend about two hours there.

We talk. The employee is the new owner, this shop is one of his three businesses. I tell him I animate for a living and the film I'm most proud of being able to work on was one surrounding themes of police brutality. He tells me his sister is also an animator (3D) and that he used to be a cop. He left because he doesn't believe the system will get any better. He admitted under staffing was part of the problem, but that the police are inherently a racist organization that doesn't intend on changing its ways. He told me he couldn't stand the amount of injustice he saw while he was working for the police and so he quit.

I ask him which of the businesses he currently owns is his favorite.

He tells me he owns a massage parlor and that helping people relax also makes him happy. The other two have nothing to do with each other but he also tells me he's either been an escort or that he has run an escort service (I forget), has worked in court and as a youth fire fighter, all until he got bored and decided to do something else.

He also tells me he's 23 years old.

I tell him I think it's pretty admirable how he can switch careers so quickly and that I wish I could do that.

He asks me what I would do if I could and I can't think of anything in the moment. I ask him what he wants to do next and he also doesn't know.

He can't fix my bike in the end. The whole brake needs to be replaced and he doesn't know how to do it. The person who usually repairs the bikes is at a different location. He calls the other store and they agree to take my bike. I'll have it back tomorrow.

He gives me a bike to loan and we fill in my contact info. He asks if my first name is with an "e" or an "a" but then spells my last name with two L's on accident. It's late in the afternoon so who cares really.

I ride my newly loaned bike out into the rain. It feels as if the chain is busted at first, after adjusting the gear handle from one to three it rides like a dream.

[girlscience]

the fact it's been five fucking years and i still sob like a baby any time some character comes out and their parents accept them fucking sucks

[omarfor-orchestra]

.

[thekingofgear]

The Smile’s Gear for The Smile’s NPR Tiny Desk Performance

Photo by joshrogosin.

NPR has finally released the Tiny Desk performance that The Smile recorded back in late-November 2022. The band usually performs at low volumes, and they tend to rely on venue ambience rather than adding their own reverb, so it’s no surprise that they fit right in at Tiny Desk. However, it’s still a surprise hearing the band totally dry, particularly without Thom’s various vocal delay pedals. In an Instagram post, Bob Boilen said the band spend "roughly 90 minutes" rehearsing to decide on the songs to play. The band also recorded We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings, but according to Boilen "they weren't happy with their performance", so the song isn't included. The band clearly rehearsed a bunch of things, as much of the gear they brought along wasn't used in the final video.

There was too much detail to include in one post, so we’ve split it into two more. But for now, here’s a brief overview with the key details:

Thom played his Fender Mustang bass on The Smoke, and his vintage Guild Starfire II bass on Skirting On The Surface. Both are short-scale basses, which Thom tends to favor. Although we don’t get to hear the song, we can see that Thom played his 1964 Fender Jazzmaster guitar on We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings. Although we don’t get to hear the song, we can see that Thom played his 1964 Fender Jazzmaster guitar on You Will Never Work In Television Again, rather than the vintage Epiphone Casino he played on the song at recent live shows (including on The Tonight Show).

As at live shows in 2022, Jonny played his early-70s Fender Precision Bass in natural finish on Panavision and You Will Never Work In Television Again. For The Smoke and Skirting On The Surface, he played his vintage Gibson Les Paul in natural finish. Jonny only used his Boss RE-202 Space Echo as a reverb on The Smoke. But on Skirting, he used his RE-202 as a delay, his Akai Headrush E2 as a looper, and his Electro-Harmonix Freeze during the solo. All of that closely mirrors how Jonny played the songs at live shows throughout 2022.

Thom and Jonny shared a pair of small combo amps, using a Fender ‘68 Custom Reissue Deluxe Reverb for guitars and an Ampeg RB-110 combo for bass. Both amps belong to Tiny Desk and can be seen in recent performances. This is the first time Thom or Jonny have been seen with either of those amps, and the Ampeg should not be confused with the Ampeg PF-50T combos that Jonny used for The Smile’s Magazine performances in January 2022.

The upright piano played by Thom, the drum kit and cymbals played by Tom, and the wide range of AEA ribbon microphones all similarly belong to Tiny Desk, and can be seen in other videos on the Tiny Desk channel.

Photo by joshrogosin.

[kittyhazelnut]

i am losing my fucking miiiiind

[inkskinned]

it is november, and yesterday it felt like it was supposed to be snowing. in boston, november used a winter month, not a fall month. it is supposed to be chilly; rarely capping over 45F. it is a sweater-and-jacket month. it is a "maybe a scarf too" month. in my childhood, november meant blizzards and sleet.

it did not snow. tomorrow the weather predicts a high of 76.

i have spent so many years of my life studying the longterm possibilities of climate change - the culmination of capitalism wreaking havoc on the bodies of people, animals, plants - but every so often i am still shocked by something small and personal.

in a hundred years, when someone goes outside in boston - will they know the feeling of "snow in the air"?

i know it's a learned feeling, a sensation that maybe only longterm experience can teach. a few years ago, i was walking with my friend who had just moved up from the south. i said it smells like snow and she gave me this look like - what the fuck. i said it feels like snow too, which didn't help. she looked up to the bright blue sky and then back at me and then back at the sky. 12 hours later, we had 3 inches. you can just tell if it's going to snow.

except i can't tell, anymore. i stand outside in a tee shirt and watch my dog dance around a lake. we're in a drought and the skin of the water has peeled back twenty meters. the lake is tamed, quiet, puddlelike and sour. my pokemon go app warns there's a weather condition in my area.

my dog gets too hot from running and sits in the water and i want to laugh about his long frame and how awkwardly he sits - and i can't. some simian part of my brain is scratching the walls. it was supposed to snow. it was supposed to snow, but now it's warm instead.

during the last full solar eclipse, the dogs and the birds and the crickets went crazy under utter darkness. we laughed at them then, promising it will all be okay in a moment. but some part of me is still locked in that long night: some animal sensation.

something is wrong, my body says. i can't afford eggs or rent. i go outside to watch a sunset and listen to birdsong. i don't bring a jacket. allergies are killing me this season, allergies i didn't have as a kid. everyone comments that halloween has started to feel strange, offkilter. that it's hard having "holiday cheer." my body thinks it's april, and then it thinks we're in september, and then june.

something is terribly wrong, she whispers. go outside. it is supposed to be snowing.

[estrangedandwayward]

Caved and started reading fire and blood and I'm so genuinely baffled that it doesn't have a map? What? Like it has a family tree which makes sense but there's no map. There's always maps in the main series books, most fantasy books in general, you'd think It'd be really useful in something like this

[bladeofthestars]

.

[a-b-riddle]

Part Five

Can't stop thinking about the attempt of reconciliation and reader ain't having it. Our girl is going to be wilddddd y'all. Also goodnight. See y'all tomorrow (maybe)

You call Meredith when you get home.

You. Are. Fuming. She's not sure she can ever remember a time you using so many swear words at one time.

How fucking dare them? Immature? You're the immature one? You were the one trying your best to salvage four failing relationship meanwhile none of those assholes could be bothered to try and keep one. They had one person to manage: you.

"I wanna go out this weekend." "Wear something tight and borderline risk indecent exposure."

"You know what I always say," Meredith begins. "The best way to get over someone-"

"is to get under someone else." You finish. You weren't exactly keen on the idea of bringing someone to your bed just yet, but a little attention would do you some good. "I don't want to fuck someone just yet." You admitted. "I'm more on the getting drunk and making out."

"I didn't know we resorted back secondary school heavy petting?" She teased.

"University, Dear." You corrected. "I didn't peak until after I graduated."

"No." She argued. "You didn't put your books down long enough to realize that boys actually wanted to fuck you." You were glad she couldn't see you roll your eyes. "Saturday work for you? I have a late night Friday and won't be up for it."

"That works."

"Sorry." She apologized. "I plan on getting you absolutely smashed so I need to be ready to play the nanny. I know how you love to get drunk and run off."

It was true. You had always found it hilarious when you were drunk to just run. Quite literally run away. It got to a point during university where Meredith would handcuff you to her so you didn't stray.

"I won't run." Your sober mind promised.

"Uh huh." Meredith's tone told you that she knew that was a load of shit. "I'll text Tabs. Let her know the plan."

The next day at the shop was pretty uneventful. No more unexpected visitors. You still had them all blocked. Not caring if now they decided to offer up some bullshit apology.

Months. This had been a steady decline for six months. A text or a simply sorry won't fix this. You weren't sure anything could.

But it didn't matter. You were done and they obviously were too.

You had picked up enough take out to feed a family, but you didn't plan on making your lunch before work or cooking when you got home. The rest of the week you planned on just going through the motions until you could go out Saturday and hopefully get everything out.

You weren't paying attention as you walked down the hallway to your flat. Fishing in your purse for keys. You were at almost at your door when you saw him.

Sitting next to your door was a familiar face. A face you felt you haven't seen in forever.

“What are you doing here, Kyle?" Your voice was flat as you continued to blindly try and find your keys with one hand. Fuck. You really need to clean out your purse...

“My key wouldn’t work.” He explained. "So I’m out here.”

"I'm aware why you're not in my apartment since I changed the locks," you said, trying to keep your irritation at bay. "What I am asking is why did you come here?"

"You won't return any of our messages."

"You're all blocked, so technically I didn't really get any messages." "Besides, you don't get to complain to me about not responding to texts, Kyle Garrick." Your fingers finally wraps around them. God bless. "If you're here for your things, it'll have to wait. I have to sort through everyone's shit and I don't know whose is whose."

"We need to talk." He explains as you put the key into the lock, opening the door.

"Nah," you say scrunching your nose in that way he used to adore. "I'm good. But you can swing by tomorrow and pick up your things if you'd like." You say before trying to shut the door on him. You were stupid in thinking you could be faster than him.

Dammit.

"I know things haven't been good and I've definitely could have been better,'' he admits. "But can you at least try and let us apologize? Let us try and work it out."

"No." You answered, trying to close the door. Not caring if you had to resort to kicking his shins to get him out.

"Why not?" He countered.

“Maybe because I've already tried, Kyle?” You gave up on trying to shut him out. You were strong, but he didn't have any issues in besting you. “Because I actually tried with you. With all of you. You didn’t need to come here giving me excuses about your life being hectic because I’ve made the excuses for you.” You didn't miss how he practically flinched. He had always blamed his busy life. Family. Work. You stopped caring about whatever excuse he gave you and realized it was just that. An excuse. “I’ve been telling myself for months that everything you guys didn’t do for me wasn’t because you didn’t care about me. It was because of the stress of your deployments is the reason none of you tell me when you get back from until it’s time to fuck. I tell myself it’s because of the fucked up situation of me being with all of you that makes it awkward to meet your families. Families you all have that I now know I’m not worthy of meeting.” He wanted to correct you. You were. You were worthy. He was an idiot. “It’s not that I need your excuses to make me feel like what you did was justified. No matter what it was, it was apparently to you because you did it.”

He took a step back, processing everything you had said. He had been selfish. You were the reliable constant in his life. Someone he believed he never disappointed. Someone he couldn't disappoint no matter how many times he fucked up.

You took the opportunity to slam the door. Quickly turning the lock before he had a chance to open it back up.

God...

That felt good.

You had spent that evening collecting their thing in case Kyle did show back up tomorrow. You wouldn't make their lives easier by sorting all their shit and organizing it. Everything. One box. Let them figure it out. You almost had a mind to add a shirt that you knew didn't belong to any of them just to have them argue over it. Or least make them think there was someone else...

You were almost tempted if not for the premise that you wanted them to realize this was their fault. Their fuck up. But now that you were officially all broken up, you were free game.