latest news

12/11/04

cheers for everyone (and i mean everyone except that twat in the black) coming down to see us and our chums Ugly Duckling last week at the big house. i've never seen that place busier. we'll be getting pictures of the show up soon, so if you didn't manage to make it down (say, you're from Japan or something), you don't have to completely miss out. ***STOP PRESS*** Madonna is fucking back. so you'll see from the gigs page that we're playing tonite with self-confessed half-assed chancers Goldie Lookin Chain at the spring and airbrake - promises to be a good one, i reckon. no doubt we'll let you know what happened in the next couple of days. Also, a message to the student fraternity/sorority - you too can have a slice of the olympic pie, when we play at the mandela hall next week with london's latest indie darlings Bloc Party - check out the gigs page for proper listings, dude.

28/10/04

Quit yer moaning McKnight, We had a lot of things on. So the OL massive have been doing our heads in looking for new info on what we've been up to, and we aim to please. Well, we got a couple of party shows coming up in Belfast that if you can make it along to you should - check 'em out here. The first of these is a bit of a result, as it reunites us with our Long Beach chums Ugly Duckling. Our first album's up on the iTunes Music Store, where you can download it for a bargain too, so if you have an account, check it out, mofo. We also did a couple of remixes for our German proto-HousePop mates Pitchtuner, which you should be able to hear soon on their site. DJ Payback got a dog. He calls it 'Missy' (bender). Icerink got a new tattoo, featuring five stars on his arm (so now he advertises pizzas as well as well known beers). That's about it - Oh yes, Boma got TWO new hats.

1/10/04

Romania. Oh yes. Blood on the tracksuit. Drinks orders costing millions. Thousands of Euro-Neds getting down to the Olympic sound. check out the photos and bass player Icerink's my kind of town for the real deal from the sorts, Y'all.

18/8/04

so we back from the russia - and boy was it mental... you can read all about it from payback's travelog at my kind of town (even though it's a country.) there's new pictures up too, so check 'em out.

22/7/04

Holy shit - so it seems that the US isn't enough for the OL massive. oh no. WE GOING TO RUSSIA, BABY!!! Land of Vodka and dolls that fit inside other bigger dolls, land of infant capitalism, land of make believe, land of 850 PLUS BRIDES WAITING FOR WESTERN MEN. i've had to promise my girlfriend not to come back with a wife. check the gigs page for details.

14/7/04

hello peeps, hope you are all well - so we're back from berlin (the bigshow reckons he dropped a nut due to alcohol poisoning - is that possible?), and none of us wanted to come back to belfast. it was funny getting back in to our house and switching on the news to see what highjinks the spides had been getting up to whilst we were away. oh, how they love the twelfth... there's a couple of photos been put up of our trip, but no doubt there will be more once the pylon gets his disposable camera developed.

for those of you in berlin who want more, you only have to wait about a week and a half for 'olympics uber alles berlin style' for another lifts presence in the 'best city in the world™', where payback jets over for more audio stupidness. check out the gigs page for more info.

29/6/04

hahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahha! hahahahahah. so we're back from the US after KILLING it. a big thankyou to everyone that came to see us/helped us out along the way. we started off in Georgia (although it wasn't as easy as it sounds - we had to drive to dublin to get a plane to heathrow to get a taxi to gatwick to get a plane to atlanta to get a limo to athens. that's right, folks, a fucking LIMO! Ed the limo guy was just about the nicest guy we've met on our travels so far- he even stopped at the offy whenever we wanted... thankyou so much to troy (the organiser dude of athfest) for inviting us over - any time you want a party started, man. and a big up to Eric from athens, who kept us going with jaegerbombs way after our bedtime.

then it was on to new york - where we met so many brilliant people it's impossible to name them all. Erica is a diamond, Carter is a dude, Jamie from fearless music is fantastic, blah blah blah. suffice it to say everybody took very good care of us. no doubt there'll be a 'my kind of town' write-up giving y'all the lowdown, so look out for it in the coming days.

16/6/04

we're off to america in about 4 hours (i can't get to sleep and am sick of watching all the dirty videos on the U channel), so we're just about ready to buck an entire nation. look out, USA, don't say you weren't warned...

11/6/04

a big thankyou to everyone who came down and saw us at the peaches gig on monday - it was cock-on to see the lot of you really giving it. we plan on coming down to dublin again soon, so get yourself prepared and... TELL YOUR MATES!

8/6/04

sounds like quite a few of you saw us on Across The Line TV. nice one, eh? if you want to see the lot of the video, it's available on here in full.

1/6/04

well, it's been a couple of weeks since we updated the site - and here's why. we've been bursting out balls getting shit together because... WE'RE GOING TO AMERICA. it's confirmed, thanks to the lovely people at nimic. you just can't keep a good band down. we got some new music up on the site too - just click here to get to it (and now that i know how to put music up easily, we'll be putting some mixtapes up here soon for your aural pleasure).

oh, yeah. we made a couple of videos last week! what's that? you want to see them? no bother!

we found out today that we're doing our first show EVER in dublin on monday (yup, next monday) with euro-slut PEACHES. i reckon she just needs a good ride... so if you know anyone up to the task, i'm sure we'll be able to sort it out.

if you're some industry peron and you want a promo photo of us or dj payback (?) then you can get them here.

11/5/04

the bigshow's only gone and given himself a moustache that makes him look like the total choob that he regularly is. i can only hope it's off before he makes someone piss themselves laughing into an early grave...

9/5/04

a parcel of rogues in a nation - never a truer word said about fucking belfast man. we were robbed last night, after such a brillent night! some little shits knew we were all out of the house and turned us over, and if i ever catch them i'm gonna personally break their fucking SPINES (assuming they have one...).

good gig though, eh? thankyou SO MUCH to all of you who made it down - it was off the fucking hook (as our 'real' dj payback might say)! i reckon that was one of our best gigs yet in our hometown. any of you reading this from the south might want to check out the gigs page, for we're going to be playing down mexico way for the first time next month in cork (the people's republic of) with i am kloot. you'll also notice we're going to america again (yeeeha!) for a couple of gigs over there, and probly a lot of showing the yanks how to party PROPERLY.

6/5/04

ta to the folks who came down to the conor hall last night to see us at the cheap date thingy. well, it wasn't great (soundwise), but i hope you all enjoyed yourselves what with the cheap booze and that. i certainly did. i would recommend to all of you that saturday at the front page is going to be a lot better (i happen to know there's going to be quite a few people down).

27/4/04

you've probably spotted that the movies and music sections aren't working right now - that's because we are going to be updating the stuff on there, making it easier to download and stream, and also get newer versions of songs up there. give us a couple more days and we'll have it all up and running again.

By the way, we've updated the my kind of town section, with more stupidness for you to read about.

22/4/04

So we're back from the big smoke and our gig in the Dublin Castle - cheers to everybody who came down! It was a shame a few of you had to get on the last tube before we finished, cos you missed 'you save me', our latest in a line of killer last songs... Suffice it to say I started tearing my hair out to get out of London practically the fucking minute we arrived - I swear i don't know how people actually live there - I spent about three and a half hours looking for a present for my girlfriend and EVERY SINGLE SHOP IN CAMDEN SELLS THE SAME CRAPPY STUFF. If you're looking for gola trainers or t-shirts with jimi hendrix on them at massively inflated prices then it's definetly your kind of town. Thanks to Hot Chip for lending us their £12 amp (a good buy, lads).

17/4/04

A big thankyou to all who came to see us down at the big house last night... For those of you who haven't seen us for a while, our new bass player is Joe (icerink to his freinds and adversaries) and he FUCKING ROCKS! The Bigshow's outfit was provided by TV'S JOE LINDSAY, who somehow felt strong enough to carry on his existance without his 'jay and silent bob' t shirt. We hope you guys liked the new stuff - and a big shout out to Roisin for helping us out with the vocals for 'you save me'. Cheers in particular to Shaun from the Torgas Valley Reds for lending us his snare drum too. Death Before Disco indeed...

27/3/04 .......... AND BELFAST TOO!

We got a warmup gig for London organised in Belfast! OL bring the message home at the Pavilion bar on Friday 16th April with Jupiter Ace (he's the guy we worked with on the album). Come on down and check it out - New Songs, New Outfits, New Danger!

OL fans down London way, WE ARE COMING!!!!! On Tuesday 20th April we are heading down to the big smoke for a party - AND YOU'RE ALL INVITED! We play at Camden's Dublin Castle and we'll be onstage around 10.15pm (plenty of time to see Chelsea getting stuffed beforehand) with support from Hot Chip. If you live in London, you'd better have a good excuse for not being there...

Our new album is FINISHED!!!!!!!! We wrapped it up in Jupiter Ace's studio in Belfast, and it sounds about 1 MILLION times better than 'Do One' (and we liked the way that sounded, too!). We don't know when it's going to be coming out, but we will definitely keep you posted whenever we know ourselves. I'll be sure to put a couple of samples up on the site soon, so you can get a taste of what to expect when we come to a town near you in the next couple of months.

Since Payback's away on his honeymoon, the rest of Olympic Lifts decided they could finish the mixing of the new album (working title 'Know The Way Of The Lord Or Learn The Way Of The Sword') the way it should be. So that's what we're doing.

Je-to-the-fucking-sus. Payback is a married man. It was a bit of a million-dollar bash, and if you know us as you probly do, you'll know not one of us is afraid of asking for seconds at a free bar. The next morning Payback's dad found a wheelbarrow of wine at the top of the field - looks like someone tried to chore it but couldn't be fucked getting it all into the taxi. Boma lost his shoes (again - it's becoming a bit of a habit), there was a bit of a scrap involving at least two of your OL posse, our good friend Shaun and his new good friend Andy out of the Lo-Fidelity Allstars sang Leeds United songs ALL NIGHT LONG, The Bigshow's speech went down a storm (no, truly, it was one of the highlights of a particularly good evening).

Trivia fans, the first dance was 'Fade Into You' by Mazzy Star (v. romantic), and the second was 'Sweet Child o' Mine' as performed by Luna.

So it was Payback's stag party over the weekend and we went to Edinburgh for Saturday night. All in all a cock-on piss up. The Bigshow is best man and there was an element of him fucking up the organisational aspect of it, but i guess it went well all things considered. Bigshow's coupon came up, too. 240 nicker - Wahey!

Happy New Year to all youse. Well, how was yours? Boy, we were wasted. Don't ask. Feel free to email us and let us know what you got up to. We might publish the best ones.

We're off back down to the studio, hopefully for the last time to finish the recording and get this album bucked once and for all. Speak to you soon.

Cheers to everyone who made it down to AA's last night - I reckon that was one of our best shows in Belfast, and what about the new stuff, eh? Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

For all of you living in Ireland, you'll be glad to hear we're going to be poking our heads out of the studio to do our traditional Christmas show - it's on the 22nd of this month at Auntie Annie's in Belfast (as per usual) and we expect y'all down.

Going back down to the studio. We'll probably not surface again till Crimbo. See the work we do for you people? It'll be worth it though. The new stuff sounds amazing already.

Thanks a lot to the Part Chimp boys stinking out our front room after they stayed with us last night. No. Really, thanks.

We're back from the studio for a couple of days - the Bigshow's had to go over to scotland for a few days (somthing about building a house with his dad) and anyway, it was our mates Trevor and Annette's wedding last night in Dublin (remember we spent the day in Poland with them -story here) - We hired a fucking LIMOUSINE to take us down! suits and ties all round for the gents, sexy little numbers for the girls. suffice it to say everybody there got massively shitfaced and will be hung over for about a year.

Cheers to everyone who came to see us at the show in Lisbon - it turned out to be a total cracker... despite all of us having around no hours sleep for two days before. Super Bock is now our official beer of choice (except for the pylon, who, of course will drink anything, but likes stella). Barcelona was incredible - payback and the bigshow headlined the saturday night with Mr. Freeze and Preed from Kitty-Yo (Mr. Freeze and his missus are brillent btw.) to about 15,000 people! Get this btw - Payback's only gone and proposed to his lady! And she said yes!!!!!!! Dumb fuck!

So we're off down to Killinchy in Northern Ireland to our studio to start working on the next album today. It's in perhaps the coolest house in the world - on top of a hill in the middle of the country by the seaside and opposite a tiny island that's got a pub on it. I expect some time may be spent in there. We're gonna be down working for quite a while, so I reckon this my be the last news update for a while.

20/8/03 ...............NEW DATE FOR YOUR DIARY (IF YOU LIVE IN LISBON OR BARCELONA!)

It looks like we're going to Spain and Portugal in september! Yee ha mofo. We play at some arts festival thing in Lisbon and payback and the bigshow are DJing at the BAM festival in Barcelona the next night - jetsetters or what? Check out the gigs section for more exact dates.

Our mate Joanne had her birthday party tonight. Bigshow's tolerance for jazz cigarettes was stretched to the limit this evening. He's been talking for about 2 hours so far without an end of a sentence. People, if you ever meet him, don't fucking tempt him.

What about that then? big thankyous to everyone who came down to the menagerie last night, and thankyou for the brillent support you showed for our good friends Pitchtuner.

We just got back from Berlin Love Parade. Holy fuck. Say what you like about them, but they know how to drink.

Good news, folks. True to our word, Dresden's finest super housepop outfit Pitchtuner are coming to Belfast! here's the date for your diary - 24th July at the Menagerie - that's a Thursday btw. Don't miss it, cos we are going to be playing a COMPLETELY NEW SET and Pitchtuner are awesome.

aye aye folks, so we're back from our fairly extensive tour 'round germany, austria, switzerland, denmark and france, and boy is it good to be back. there's no doubt we had a blast in most of the places we visited (respect to all that came along to the shows, particularly the ones that put their name on the mailing list!), and we can't wait to meet you all again.

no doubt there will be a rundown on what happened where (mostly drinking and pouring stuff over our heads) in greater detail soon, but i gotta high-tail it down to the studio in the country right now, coz there's an album to be recorded and not much time to do it in...

Big up to our new best friends Pitchtuner from Dresden who were a fantastic band to tour with. Hopefully we'll get them over to show them off to the people of Ireland soon.

The first taster from the second album is released on Monday 7th April with, conveniently, a London show on the exact same date to celebrate and party.
The single, Madeline's Lies, is a limited 7" affair . It features guest vocals by our pal Roisin Stewart from fellow Belfast band Desert Hearts. It's one of our darker moments with cinematic feel and theme. We're not just a party band you know.

Though we have plenty of those on the way. Speaking of which...
Side B, There Goes my Baby (Tied to the mast) is another flavour of treat altogether. It's Olympic Lifts versus Lo-Fidelity Allstars and is a serious party dance tune. It stemmed from the tour we did with them last year. Hopefully you will be able to listen to it and picture in your mind just what a party an OL/LoFi tour would be. Alternatively if you were at one of the shows, just listen and remember.

If America is good enough for the KLF then its good enough for OL
This is the story of our trip stateside.

Thursday am. Starts fairly normal- flight is long, Bigshow is freaking out slightly , but soon becomes aware that nervous flyers qualify for intravenous Jack and coke drip.Suitably nullified we touch down in Dallas, and the first good thing happens. The hire company have fucked up- they have no people carriers left so they give us free upgrades to the biggest monster truck ever, seriously this could crush small houses- its sick- I sign over the deeds to my house by way of insurance, and we’re off towards Austin.

Despite the no sleep, it’s the constant Americana that is so good. We stop in a dry county and make the mistake of asking if they have booze for sale. whoops. after about 24 hours of no sleep we pull up at our motel- yes you can drive to the door of your room , and yes it is about 2 meters from a 10 lane interstate, but that matters not. Time to see music. Its 9pm on the Thursday evening, we have wristbands, so we can go where the fuck we like , and thus disperse. 3 are at junior senior (holy god, Americans have some dancing issus) one is at the dirtbombs, and we meet later for US jagermeister with friendly irish people bankrolled by lovely American labels. My kind of town. Bigshow takes a wrong turn and ends up in a swingers bar(“you’re a looonnng way from home sonny”) and finally it is sleep.

Friday , and after a truly stupendous breakfast at Dennys (“top up, hon?”) it is time to work. Myself and Example head off for a BBC interview with Vic Galloway (truly a god amongst men) who slips us passes for the free SPIN magazine party that day- free ribs, booze, D4, and others). We end up at 6pm being served free drinks in a bar by Mr lifto ( yes him of Jim Rose fame) who it turns out is a friend of a friend of Vics. Time for burritos (Pylon is being very unlucky with food in America and seems destined to receive his order at the time when we are all ready to leave…..) and then some serious art terrorism on the streets of Austin. Armed with the legendary Rock Suitcase (our ghetto blaster that, frankly would have blown the competition away in that music fight in Do The Right Thing) Boma and Pylon launch themselves on the main strip. There is singing, dancing, crowds, videos, photos and mayhem 2003 is the year of hiphop busking. End up being refused entry into the EL-P gig (damm!) and finish up drinking VERY strong tequila on a rooftop bar at 3 am.

Saturday- we have a show……..?okay…..up and at them pretty late, but on the streets again. Payback picks up some bling, Example finds the charity shop selling the white blouson (look there is no other word for what he bought) with TEXAS written across the back. John Power from cast has been seen every day (he had a strange smile when he watched the OL shows on the streets on Friday night………)
7.50pm. 3 people in the room and we havnt finished soundchecking. FUCK
8pm its all good! Lots of good folk in, and we are off.
Afterwards we jabber at new bessy mates, inc Sean Hughes who looks confused but happy enough to corner each member of the band for in-depth post-gig analysis, NERO, old Dublin boys now living in San Fransisco, and Payback's friend Eric from New York, just done driving Simian around, and about to head out with The Delgados, tour managing them. Busy boy that he is, he dispels the rumours that Spinal Tap are to play a secret show at 1am, and we thus leave for Chinese food and babycham. Bigshow ends the night 8 miles out of town in a redneck country and western bar (as the only person not wearing a Stetson, he is asked for fights 4 times) and all too soon, its Sunday morning and the long trip home.

Things Bigshow lost in America-
His Phone
His Guitar leads
His Rucksac
His HatPayback

Since New Year we've been hiding away in a house in the country recording the second album. We are working about 10 hours every day on about 40 songs. We love doing it of course, but don't think we don't work hard. 10 songs are nearly done. The only time we left was to do our UK tour at the start of February. If you live there (UK) you may have got to hear some of the new songs. We had an excellent time and would like to thank all the audiences for making it so much of a party.
We have two main priorities right now.
Firstly we have to mix our next single which looks likely to be a song called Madeline's Lies. It's one of the new songs we performed on tour. It's a cinematic story of dark and mysterious underground something or other. You can work it out yourselves. It should be out in time for the next tour (more about that later)

Secondly we are preparing for our first US adventure. We leave in a couple of days and if we had time to think about it we would be very excited. We're playing at South by Southwest, the music conference, in Austin, Texas and hope to make a load of new friends.
When we get back we have a couple more weeks recording before we head off on tour again. This time its mainland Europe. We're going to Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Spain and Switzerland. Check the gigs page for the nearest show to where you live.
We'll let you know how our trip to America went once we get back.
Boma