FlyTV In The Courtyard Is 2!

We’ve been filming FlyTV In The Courtyard for 2 years to this very day.

That’s a lie; it was this month two years ago. Might have been last week, or yesterday. Not sure. It doesn’t really matter. Leave me alone!

Micachu And The Shapes popped our cinematic cherry back in 2008 and once their little argument about who would play the bin lid and cardboard box was over, the trio launched into a charmingly ramshackle version of ‘Golden Phone’.

Micachu & the Shapes – `Golden Phone` FlyTV In The Courtyard

Since then, we’ve gone on to film over 200 bands in our courtyard or basement, with the likes of Doves,  …Trail of Dead, Ellie Goulding, The Proclaimers, The Noisettes, We Are Scientists and many more playing their least glamorous gig to date in front of their smallest audience ever. Possibly.

I’m not going to stand here and say that here at The Fly we break careers, but here at The Fly we break careers (I’m sitting). Here’s a run-down of some of our courtyard dwellers who have gone on to dominate the charts or become critically acclaimed.

Bombay Bicycle Club! Who DOESN’T know this band? Even your mum loves them. One of our first courtyard guinea pigs, the band decided to scramble on top of their tour bus for this session. I pretended I was really cool with it and hoiked my body up there too, little did they know I was trembling with fear. They thought it was ecstasy at their gorgeous cover of Loudon Wainwright’s ‘Motel Blues’ and version of ‘Sixteen’ though.

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB – `Sixteen` FlyTV In The Courtyard

Prior to the release of the debut EP that launched them from New York pretty boys to 2010’s biggest breakthrough artists and Fly cover stars, The Drums popped in to perform two songs for us. I must admit, it was only until after this session I realised they were actually charismatic and clever, not just nostalgic fad pushers.

The Drums – The Drums ‘Make You Mine’ FlyTV In The Courtyard

I shant stand here and say that Eliza Doolittle is the best thing since Ryvita and peanut butter (I just made this for the first time today, surprisingly tasty, and healthy too), or whatever that phrase is, but she seems to be captivating many ears at the moment with her jubilant chirps (wrote chips then by accident). Anyway, before she became firmly lodged in the Top 10, she came in to perform this little ditty for us. Then we asked her to ‘pack up’ and go home. HAHAHA.

Eliza Doolittle – Eliza Doolittle ‘Pack Up’ FlyTV In The Courtyard

We’re all over this band like a really nice rash I know, but before we put Everything Everything on the cover and celebrated all of their wonderfully bizarre singles, we got them in to do this courtyard set for us in an icecream van. Taking place in the winter of 2008, the band had just released their first single. Here they played one of my favourite EE songs ‘Luddites And Lambs’, which sadly never made the album. Wave at old band member Alex too, hello Alex!

Everything Everything – `Luddites & Lambs` FlyTV In The Courtyard

Old Mazza And The Diamonds is up next. You wouldn’t get her lipstickless, wearing a simple pink t-shirt these days would you?

Now look at her!

Anyway, here she is singing a little song on her keyboard for us. No frills, no run of the mill(s) as they say!

Marina And The Diamonds – Marina And The Diamonds ‘I Am Not A Robot’ FlyTV In The Courtyard

On the other hand, this lil lady has always dressed like a lunatic. Before her debut album rocketed to success and her face became plastered over every TV channel, billboard and festival line-up, Paloma performed two songs for us sat on a really old smelly sofa:

Paloma Faith – `Stone Cold Sober` FlyTV In The Courtyard

Lastly, and I don’t want to toot our own trumpets too much, but these chaps came in a while ago. I think you’ll agree, since this performance, they’ve gone on to do fairly well for themselves.

The Proclaimers – `Letter From America` FlyTV In The Courtyard

No need to thank us bros.