Calling friends of Shayne from FKON

I don't know what cancer has against the North Carolina music scene, but this is really starting to get ridiculous. I recently found out  that Shayne (O'Neill) Miel, the frontman for Future Kings of Nowhere, has been fighting lung cancer for a few months, and just got word that it has spread to his brain. His doctors at UNC are moving forward with an aggressive treatment that will take most of the year. He and his wife, Rebekah are updating this blog about his fight. 


Fiona Barrett, a friend of Shayne and Rebekah, is putting together a photo album to help keep Shayne's spirits up. Here's where the friends part comes in:


I'm going to make a book of photos for Rebekah and Shayne - can you take a photo of yourself holding up a sign for Shayne? Good luck, or we love you, or cancer sucks but you rule, or whatever! Any kind of loving or friendly sign.

You can even just print out a computer sign - or go a bit wilder with glitter, or do something in the sand, or a chalkboard, or anything!

Send the jpg to fiona.barnett@gmail.com -- hopefully in the next few days. I'll put them in a book all together. It might be something to brighten a few minutes or make him laugh.

Also -- can you please pass this to any of his friends? I only know a few of their friends and am going through as many avenues as possible. We'd love the book to have a whole slew of people wishing them well from everywhere.

Thanks so much!
-- fiona




She also wrote the following when asked if I could put this on my blog:


- the more the merrier
- getting one done is more important than making it perfect!
- send a decent resolution pic to fiona.barnett@gmail.com




As someone who has had to deal with cancer in my immediate family, and among good friends like Snuzz, I can say that it absolutely sucks for everybody - the loved ones, the caretakers, and most especially the person who has to deal with it. If you can do something to show Shayne you support him, please do so. The photo above is by Matt. 

FKON protesting Prop 8

Durham's Future Kings of Nowhere has found a unique way to protest California's Proposition 8, and are hoping other folks join them in the national protest:


***If you're getting this it's because you are in a band or know someone who is. Please pass it along to anyone else you know who fits this description.***

Hey folks!

I'm not sure if you know this already, but on Dec. 10th, there is going to be a national strike/boycott/volunteer movement to protest the incredible injustice of Prop 8 and similar rulings that ban same-sex marriage across the country. As a musician, what I have decided to do (in addition to skipping out on my job for the day), is to record a short blurb that says something like this:

"Hi, this is Shayne from The Future Kings of Nowhere. You WOULD be hearing one of our songs right now, but we are joining with our brothers and sisters across the country in a nationwide strike to protest the injustice of Proposition 8 and similar rulings across the country that ban same-sex marriage....etc, etc." (for the full text of what I plan to say, see the bottom of this email)

My intent is to deliver this recording to the local radio stations and have them play it in lieu of any Future Kings songs they might otherwise have played on Dec. 10th. DJ Stevo has already agreed to help out with this at WKNC and I'm talking to folks at WXDU and WXYC about it now. I'm telling you all of this because I would really like for this to be more than one band going on strike for the day, and you are either in a band or know someone who is (or both!). Would your band be willing to go on strike for the day with us? I'll collect these blurbs (in mp3 format) from as many bands as I can and bring them to the radio stations to help spread the message about what is happening in the name of equal rights.

You can send the mp3s to me at futurekingsofnowhere@gmail.com. Or, if it makes it easier for you, I'll come to where you are and record you directly onto my laptop. It would only take a few minutes, and I don't mind traveling around to collect them. To set this up, either drop me an email at futurekingsofnowhere@gmail.com or call me at (919) 923-6230.

If you could, please please please forward this email to everyone you know who is involved in the music industry. Imagine what a powerful statement we could make if all of the local bands in the Triangle went on strike together for a day!

Thank you!

Shayne O'Neill
The Future Kings of Nowhere
futurekingsofnowhere@gmail.com


If you want some ideas for your blurb, the full text of what we plan to say will be something like this (I may edit it a bit from here, but this is the general idea):

"Hi, this is Shayne from The Future Kings of Nowhere. You WOULD be hearing one of our songs right now, but we are joining with our brothers and sisters across the country in a nationwide strike to protest the injustice of Proposition 8 and similar rulings across the country that ban same-sex marriage. Our country was founded on the idea of equal rights for all of its citizens, but it has not always lived up to that ideal. Only 40 years ago, it was illegal for black people and white people to marry one another. Fortunately, good people came together on both sides of the color line and fought for equal rights. Today a similar fight is going on over same-sex marriage. Our society holds marriage up as the end goal for relationships, as the ultimate expression of love between two individuals, which makes it horrible that we then refuse to allow certain people to participate in that expression, simply because of their gender. It's hard enough to find love in this world, and even harder to make it last. Why then, would we deny anyone the chance to try? For more information on what you can do to ensure that everyone in this country is provided the same legal rights, please go to www.hrc.org or call your local representative to let them know that you support same-sex marriage in North Carolina and the United States. Thank you."

FKON rock Tir na Nog

Durham's Future Kings of Nowhere certainly made a big impression Thursday at Tir na Nog, which was awesome to see. I'm certainly guilty of being Raleigh-centric, and I know some of my friends are too. Anyway, my friend Angela strongly compared them to Red House Painters -- to the point where she was almost convinced that FKON's singer/guitarist had been in RHP. Having never really listened to them, I can't say if I agree, but I generally trust her judgment on musical issues. Here's some strange-sounding video from the show. Evidently I was right in the loudest spot for the drums.

Future Kings of Nowhere CD review

Thanks to Kim from 307 Knox Records for passing along this CD by Durham's Future Kings of Nowhere. Thanks also to Kim for putting the bug in my ear that they remind her of Billy Bragg. Musically, I didn't hear it at first, though listening to Billy in comparison gave me an "a ha" moment. More than anyone, though, FKON reminds me of The Jam, with "I Want You" reminding me subtly of "Town Called Malice."

Lyrically, Shayne O'Neill's clever way of dissecting relationships is up there with such Bragg classics as "Must I Paint You a Picture" and "The Marriage."

Sometimes, though, O'Neill can get a little carried away, such as on "10 Simple Murders," a cow-punk western so gory that I just can't listen to it. The song does, however, feature some nice saw playing by Catherine Edgerton, who, along with Kym Register, is also in Midtown Dickens. Any song with a saw is at least half OK.