Over the weekend I was lucky enough to be sent the finished The Mission Bell album. The pre-release promos only ever have very basic packaging and details, so it's always nice to see the final product with its completed artwork and full credits. In addition to 12 superb tracks, the album also contains a CD-rom video that you can watch on your computer. Inside The Studio is a collection of footage of Delirious? on tour in the USA and in the studio working on the new album. Its 12 minutes long (which uses up all the available space they had on the disc) and contains some fantastic comedy moments.

My particular favourite moments are StuG showing off his French language skills "Je suis un rock star", Jon and Sam Gibson (the producer) dancing in the background, and StuG saying that this song is "In the key of tea". The video includes short interviews in the studio with Martin, Stu and Stew. Martin explains that having played 'Now Is The Time' live over the summer, they got more passion out of the song than in the original recording, so they decided to 're-cut it'. The result is a much improved song, with some stunning guitar work. Stu explains how the band worked on the songs together, rather than just he and Martin demoing new songs. Stew talks about coming up with the phrase ring the mission bell while out jogging.

The album credits list a whole series of 'guest apperances' on The Mission Bell. Matt Redman is listed as the 'guest writer' on 'Now Is The Time'. Moya Brennan does 'guest vocals' on 'I'll See You' and TOBYMAC does 'guest vocals' on 'Solid Rock'. The 'guest DJ' on 'Love Is A Miracle' is A Skillz (who delivers a preacherman speech), and Jars Of Clay guitarist Steve Mason plays the Pedal Steel (a cross between a guitar and a keyboard) on 'I'll See You'. I worried a few people when I described TOBYMAC's contribution to 'Solid Rock' as a rap, well in the credits it is officially described as a 'Hymn Preach', so read into that what you will!

Another entertaining part of the credits is the 'thanks' section from Jon: To my little family, Kristen, Winona, Xanthia and Jackson. I love you but we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth!" Nice touch there.

Remember, it's only one week until the UK release of The Mission Bell.

I've just reviewed The Musicademy Intermediate Worship Guitar Course DVD. Anyone who is interested in learning to play the guitar should check out this DVD which provides some excellent tuition on everything from the very basics to the more complicated aspects of playing guitar. As a non-musician myself, the expert advice delivered by instructor Andy Chamberlain in the DVDs came across in a very easy to understand manner. Andy has a very relaxed style and the on-screen graphics help to illustrate the techniques he's teaching (see screenshots below).

I wouldn't normally be interested in reviewing a guitar tuition DVD for Delirious.org.uk, but the reason this one caught my eye is because as well as including interviews with worship leaders like Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin and Tim Hughes, it also has several extensive lessons with Delirious? guitarist Stu G. On Disc 1, Andy and Stu spend more than ten minutes taking the song 'Majesty' note-by-note. Stu explains how he plays the song and breaks everything down into simple steps. Even for someone like myself who has never played a guitar, it is a fascinating insight into how a Delirious? song is performed.

In the other DVDs in the box-set, Stu also explains how to play 'I've Found Jesus' and 'History Maker'. The footage of Stu and Andy is shot in the comfort of the conference room at Furious? Records and the interviews with some of the other worship leaders are shot backstage and at their homes. For instance, I found myself trying to work out which DVDs Matt Redman has on his rack during the interview with him - presumably shot in his front room at home. For more details about the 'Worship Guitar Course' DVDs, take a look at the Musicademy website.

The Mission Bell is the best Delirious? album yet.

I was going to leave it at just that, but I should probably explain a bit more! The fact is, The Mission Bell has now become my favourite Delirious? album and I honestly believe it is the best album the band have ever made. When I reviewed the album I rated each song based on my opinion after only a few listens of the songs. In the month that has passed since I wrote that, I have grown to love the songs even more.

Many fans will already have heard, and formed opinions of Stronger (which is on the Narnia compilation album), Now Is The Time (given away as a free CD) and Paint The Town Red (released as a single). I would rate these 3 tracks as being category-2 songs - they're superb, but not amongst the best the album has to offer.

My list of category-1 songs on the album consists of Sold Rock, All This Time, Miracle Maker and Here I Am Send Me. They are not only the best songs on The Mission Bell, they are probably 4 of the best songs the band have ever written. Miracle Maker is one of those songs that gets the hairs on the back of your neck tingling when you hear it - the sound is just absolutely incredible, utterly undescribable. Solid Rock is superbly funky, All This Time has a chorus that buzzes around your head all day long, but my current favourite has to be Here I Am Send Me. Stu sings the verses and Martin sings the chorus - much like Inside Outside. It's a fast moving song with brilliantly crafted lyrics and the most enormous guitar sound.

Another gem on the album is Take Off My Shoes which I stupidly gave just 3 out of 5 in my review. This song is at weep-factor 10. It's one of those songs bursting with so much emotion that you just feel the tears welling up in your eyes. Stunning. Fires Burn is a relatively simple song, but incredibly melodic and is yet another outstanding track.

Everywhere you look on this album there are quality songs with poetic lyrics and sensational music. I can't stop being excited about how amazing it is. If you haven't ordered it yet - pop over to the Fierce Shop now!

I thought I'd wait a week for the dust to settle before blogging about the recent Delirious? Single Paint The Town Red. As everyone now knows, it didn't turn out to be all that successful. In fact, in terms of its chart position it was the least successful of the nine singles Delirious? have released. Since See The Star was released in 1999, Delirious? singles have been on a steady decline in their chart placings:

See The Star #16 (1999)
It's OK #18 (2000)
Waiting For The Summer #26 (2001)
I Could Sing #40 (2001)
Paint The Town Red #56 (2005)

I've been criticised for some of my slightly heated 'rants' in the past couple of weeks about the latest single. But the truth is, I'm really disappointed that not enough fans went out and bought 'Paint The Town Red' to make it chart higher. It's not because I want to see d: on TV again, or see them get into the Top 10 for the glory of it. But getting the single high into the charts would have brought Delirious? to a whole new group of people who wouldn't have heard them, or their message before.

I think Delirious? have been quite badly let down by some of their fanbase. It's not often that fans can do something to really make a difference and help a band - but this single was one of those occasions. All it needed was for every UK fan to spend 79p on iTunes and Delirious? would have gone soaring into the charts. But not enough people bothered. We know that there are enough fans in the UK to achieve a huge chart success. I keep banging on about it - but in December about 13,000 fans will go to a Delirious? gig as part of the UK Tour. A band only needs to sell 10,000 copies of a single in a week to get in the Top 10 of the single chart. So if every person who goes to those concerts had bought the single, just imagine what could have happened. If even half of them bought the single it would have gone Top 20.

So why don't Delirious? fans buy singles anymore? Six years ago Delirious? could quite easily achieve a top 20 hit with each single they release. Since then, single sales as a whole have dropped, but with the increasing popularity of download services such as iTunes it is now easier and cheaper than ever to buy music. So we can rule out the arguments of (a) not enough fans, (b) fans can't afford it, (c) it's too hard to buy. As far as I can see, that just leaves attitude. Delirious? fans no longer have the desire or motivation to come together and have a big push at getting the band into the charts. A lot of people probably have the small-cog-in-a-big-machine mentality, "it won't make a difference if I buy it or not".

It's disappointing. But we shouldn't dwell on the negative for too long. The single actually did reasonably well on iTunes, and maybe even earned the band some new fans through that medium. The single didn't work out as planned, but it's time to move on. There's a new album to look forward to in two weeks time! The Mission Bell is coming.

On 17th February 1997 I walked into the HMV record store in Portsmouth, where I was a student at the time, and purchased a CD-single titled White Ribbon Day. The following Sunday I tuned my radio into Radio 1 and listened to the charts. The disappointment of the single missing out on a place in the all important top 40 by just one position was erased three months later when Deeper exploded into the charts at number 20, against all expectations. It was a euphoric moment for Delirious? fans. A new dream was born, to see Delirious? should to shoulder with all the other big-name mainstream bands and singers in the charts, on the radio and on the TV.

Since Deeper, Delirious? have entered the Top 40 of the UK singles charts on 6 further occasions, peaking at number 16 in March 1999 with See The Star. In December 2001, Delirious? surprised a lot of people when they announced the release of their eight single, I Could Sing Of Your Love Forever. The single scrapped into the charts at number 40, and in the four years that have passed since then it has never looked likely that they'd have another opportunity to get played on Radio 1.

That is until now. It's been a long wait, but finally Delirious? are back with a new single. Paint The Town Red was released on Monday. The memories came flooding back when I popped into my local Virgin Megastore on Monday and saw a Delirious? CD sharing a shelf with the likes of U2. But what makes this single even more intriguing than ever before is that for the first time, you can also download the single online, and it will count towards the chart position.

Some people might be wondering exactly WHY Delirious? are releasing a single at the moment. Is it for the money? Certainly not. Every time a single has been released in the past, Delirious? have lost substantial amounts of money because it costs more money to make, distribute and promote a single than it raises in revenue. Tim Jupp, the Delirious? keyboardist and caretaker manager had this to say on the subject:

"This is not a money making exercise for us but more a means of wanting to create opportunities where we can then talk about all that God is up to, whether this be to TV and press or just to people behind the scenes who are influencers to this generation." The point is, if Delirious? sell enough copies of Paint The Town Red, either through CD sales or iTunes downloads, to reach the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, it will guarantee that the song will be played on national, mainstream radio this Sunday. It might be just that once - but the significance is still huge. Getting into the charts gets you heard. It gets you noticed. And that is what Delirious? are trying to do - get their message heard by the masses.

Many fans like myself have had a long standing dream since that first single in 1997 of seeing Delirious? make progress in the mainstream. Well, this is the opportunity we've been waiting for. Delirious? have set the foundations, but now it's down to the fans to make it count. Don't leave it till next week - BUY IT NOW! The easiest way is to click over to iTunes and buy the single. You may never get another chance to see Delirious? in the charts - so don't waste the opportunity now.

I arrived at the Royal Albert Hall in London shortly after 4pm on Sunday and met up with Delirious? in time for their sound check. From the outside it's a hugely impressive building with stunning architecture (see below) and despite having seen the inside on TV countless times it still took my breath away when I entered the arena. Standing on stage, the venue empty apart from the crew and band, in front of me was a sea of empty seats, each one in a plush red fabric. The seating rises around the edges and then seemingly balanced on top are several layers of balconies, each ornately decorated with gold trim and red drapes. This truly is a 'Royal' looking venue.

The band did their usual run through to check everything was sounding right, then did a few verses of Now Is The Time. While this was going on I walked around, taking in the incredible venue and taking a few photos (which I've used in this entry). Paul Smith, the band's merchandise man wondered over to see me and we chatted for a while. Paul informed me, with a twinkle in his eye, that at the concert in Belfast the previous night Delirious? had out-sold Michael W Smith at the merchandising stall. Not bad for a support band! After half an hour or so the sound check was finished and it was then that a baseball capped figure sauntered onto stage. Paul pointed him out to me as being the man himself, Mr 'dubya' Smith (or WHSmith as I like to call him - although not to his face, because that would just be rude, right?). There were hugs all round as Delirious? and Michael chatted for a few minutes. Song writing legend Graham Kendrick turned up shortly after, and further hugs were exchanged.

With some time to kill before the 7:30 show time for Delirious?, we wondered along the backstage corridors to the dressing rooms. Immediately behind the stage a sign on the door marked the room as being Michael's personal dressing room (no golden star on the door though - just a piece of paper with his name!). Even his band members had their own individual dressing rooms. Room number 6 was labelled "Delirious dressing room". It was a fairly large room, with a sportshall changing room feel to it - benches, hooks, sinks, mirrors. In one corner a TV was showing "Some Mothers Do 'ave 'Em", which kept sound man Paul Burton entertained. Martin asked me what I thought of the new version of 'Now Is The Time', which they re-recorded in the studio a couple of weeks ago. I told him it was a vast improvement, but I was then rather taken aback when he responded with "So are you going to give it more than 3 out of 5 now?" It turns out he'd read the review I'd written and obviously noted the score I'd given the original version of the song. Feeling somewhat embarrassed I promised him that the song is definitely worth a 4 now - so I must remember to update that review! Tim overheard the tail end of the conversation but mistakenly thought that I'd given the whole album 3 out of 5. He pointed out that even Cross Rhythms gave them 10/10 for the album, so I hurridly corrected him that it was just my rating for that song!

I also chatted to Tim about the new single, but carefully avoided his question about where I thought it might enter the charts for fear of accidentally saying the wrong thing yet again! Stew said he was particularly pleased with some of the comments he read on the forum about the album cover. He's really happy with how the artwork has turned out and I agreed that it's one of the best covers they've had. Stew also gave me a little insider-exclusive tidbit, apparently The Mission Bell will have a 12minute CD-Rom video on it, partly recorded in the studio last week. Anyway, a visit to the cateering room was next up. Martin and Stew shared a table with their opposite numbers - Michael and his drummer. I sat with Jon and lighting man Neil and before I knew it we were back in the dressing room and tour manager Ian was saying "10 minutes to show time". A quick change of clothes into the now familiar d: suits and the band were ready for their pre-gig prayer huddle. Then Ian led us out along the corridors and through a door at the side of stage. We waited while he contacted the crew to get the house lights brought down and then an incredible roar went up from every corner of the arena (well, I say 'corner', but since it's a circular building there aren't really any corners).

I stood next to Trevour the monitors engineer at the side of the stage while Delirious? took up their positions on stage and launched into Rain Down. Knowing it was only going to be a 40 minute set, I hurried to various different locations around the venue to take photos - down in front of the stage, high up in the stalls, and getting my backside burnt by the rather large (and, as happens, rather hot) spotlight next to Stu's amp. I've already described the concert itself in my review, but suffice to say, the show was out of this world and the crowd were one of the most responsive I've ever seen. As the band left the stage, I followed them back to the dressing room. Having been blessed with the oppportunity to spend time with them before and after a gig on quite a few occasions now, I have to say that I have never - and I mean never, seen them so excited and happy after a gig! They were positively beaming, every one of them, and kept saying "wow, what a place". Tim even jokingly suggested they book the Albert Hall for the annual Christmas show. A quick change of clothes and most of the band were ready for a swift exit to their van for the drive back home to Littlehampton. Martin was staying behind to make a guest appearance on stage with Michael later on for a duet of 'Healing Rain'. It was quite a night to remember.

Just a quick update as I travel home on the train after the Delirious? concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. Wow! What a venue and what a gig. The band put on an incredible show, new songs Now Is The Time and Paint The Town Red sounded out of this world in such a stunning and historic arena. There were pleanty of d: fans amongst the MWS supporters and the crowd absolutely loved Delirious? The band were on fire tonight. Full
write up and photos will follow later.