Trish Keenan 1968 – 2011

Since it’s exactly a year to the day that Trish Keenan tragically passed on, I thought it would be nice to roll out a few Broadcast videos to listen to, watch and enjoy.

I have to admit to still not really having come to terms with Trish’s untimely death, on perhaps a purely selfish basis, as Broadcast were at that time my single favourite contemporary band and positively the only one I actively looked forward to releasing albums and touring. They rank very highly among my favourite bands of all time (Top 5, defo) and The Noise Made By People, Haha Sound and Tender Buttons are three of my favourite albums of all-time. Without doubt their summer 2006 performance at Bush Hall in West London is the single greatest gig experience of my life… After it was over, I wasn’t quite sure where I was anymore – that’s how mesmerising they were that night.

By all accounts, Trish Keenan was a quite wonderful person, and Days Are Numbers is heartened to hear that her partner (both in life and music) James Cargill is planning to release a new Broadcast album consisting of material recorded before she passed away.

The first Broadcast song I ever heard (courtesy of the Austin Powers soundtrack!), this is early single ’The Book Lovers’ from an MTV session in 1997.

‘Message From Home’ recorded at the same session. Like ‘The Book Lovers’, this single was released as part of the compilation Work and Non Work.

One of the few official videos Broadcast ever made, ‘Papercuts’ was just one of many outstanding tracks from their fully-fledged debut The Noise Made by People.

From the same album came the single ’Come On Let’s Go’, one of the group’s more poppy and life-affirming moments.

Second album Haha Sound is perhaps Broadcast’s masterpiece. A heady brew of intoxicating, hypnotic music, both tender and hard-edged, lyrically it drew inspiration from films such as the 60s Czech folk-horror cult classic Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, prompting the quite brilliant fan video below.

Haha Sound also boasted one of Broadcast’s most moving ballads ‘Winter Now’. The below performance is from Canadian television.

Simply astounding is this homemade video for ‘Black Cat’. One of the best cuts from the dark, electro-tinged third album Tender Buttons, Trish directed this perfect visual accompaniment herself.

From the same album, a personal favourite of mine, ‘Corporeal’ performed in session.

A similar release to Work and Non Work, 2006′s The Future Crayon rounded up various non-album singles, b-sides and oddities. A mesmerising extended take on ‘Unchanging Window’ – performed below on Jools Holland – is a real highlight.

Also featured on that compilation was ‘Where Youth and Laughter Go’ – recorded here for France’s legendary Black Sessions.

Broadcast’s final release during Trish’s lifetime was the stunning Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age, a collaboration with The Focus Group. You can check out a couple of incredible video clips below.

Tags black cat broadcast come on let's go corporeal haha sound investigate witch cults of the radio age james cargill message from home papercuts tender buttons the book lovers the focus group the future crayon the noise made by people trish keenan unchanging window valerie where youth and laughter go winter now work and non work