my punk rock london life

Blank Generation: Punk Poster Exhibition - London Jan 26th

2012-01-22T06:59:00.000-08:00

As I type this, Gary Loveridge is on his way to 198 Railton Road to deliver and hang some of his Punk Rock Posters for a show opening THIS THURSDAY - Jan 26th at 6pm.
And YOU are invited.

You might already have indicated you are coming -- see list: http://www.facebook.com/events/293631670673821/. Mmmm. Some pretty interesting people going.

The gallery is inbetween Brixton tube station and Herne Hill overground station on Railton Road.
This gallery is a wonderful friendly place.

198 gallery director, Lucy Davies, along with her very capable staff, throw a wide net into the community and while they don't show off and brag about it enough if you ask me, they really have pulled in some fascinating shows over the years with the aim of being inclusive, culturally diverse and educational - hence their name 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning.

Some people know that 198 archives the neighbourhood, but not a lot of people know that on Wednesday afternoons, they have a drop-in for people who'd like to learn to sew over a cup of tea and a chat (also known as the Stitch and Bitch ha ha). There is also lot of youth involvement going on and the gallery has a second venue in Brixton Market where local kids are encouraged to make and manage merchandise.

So, kind of with the young people in mind, Lucy Davies (Director) and Barby Asante, thought it would be a great idea to show GARY LOVERIDGE's punk rock poster collection and have a real live punk come down and play.

There's going to be other events going on til March - a film, a book reading, a Q&A ---but definitely not to be missed at the opening will be the ever entertaining SPIZZ ENERGI. He'll sing a few numbers.

So we think it's definitely NOT just a show for the punters who were there Back in The Day Only.
It's definitely open for The Kids too.
So incase you're reading this and you're 17, or in a band and have questions - come on down!
Punk Rockers have always been great company if you ask me.
I'm sure some will be bringing their kids too.
Who might even bring their kids.
Yikes.
That's possible!

Don't let your fear of pins keep you away.

26 January to 3rd March.

STARTS AT 6PM.
198 Railton Road Brixton London SE24 oJT

Letter From London (4) to Stupefaction

2011-12-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

No trip to the UK is complete without a trip to the Seaside. Most people go in the summer of course, but with no sign of Winter, we went for a weekend to Weston Super Mare.

During the height of BritPop Oasis/Blur rivalry (a battle of the bands that had not been seen since The Beatles vs The Stones, so they say), and in order to see who could hit the number one spot first, O & B released singles on the same day. Our Damon (good Essex lad) put out Blur’s record “Country House” and our lads from Manchester, Oasis, released “Roll With It.” Oasis decided on their way to their headline slot at Glastonbury, that they would stop off in Weston Super Mare to shoot that cover and get a little beach time.

That’s the old pier.
Shortly afterwards, it burned down. The Gallagher brothers had fled the scene.

Here’s the new pier:

Amazingly, it was re-built and opened last year. Cost 30 million pounds. There’s a nice covered walk way along the middle so you can even come and stroll on a wet and windy day. We had no complaints with the weather. Bit confusing for the time of year, tho. So mild. Also confusing was reading the announcement that Guy Fawkes night was going to be celebrated AGAIN.

A little background: In the UK, every 5th November, there are many community firework festivals and back garden bonfire nights to celebrate Guy Fawkes’ attempt to burn down the Houses of Parliament. A good time is had by all. Except, apparently, this year in Weston Super Mare. Apparently the firework display was “so rubbish”. It didn’t go down very well with the townies at all, and they booed and went home complaining and disappointed. Seems we were in town the night the Man In Charge was doing a re-do.

There was applause.

We went to visit John and his family, who showed us his back garden Beehive. He has two hives his wife bought him for Christmas and we had some of the delicious honey. Bee keeping is becoming very popular in the UK since the worry about a strange virus that hit the bee community some time ago causing them to leave their hives and not come back. John’s swarm is very healthy and apparently will even survive the winter. He is a member of the local chapter of Bee Keepers and here he is showing his grand-children how it’s done:

Meanwhile...

(Photo by Steve Worrall)

I am probably not surprising you to tell you that some punk rockers from the class of 1976 and 1977 are still making art or have returned to making art, or in the case of Paul Simenon from The Clash have turned to art. The other night we went to Signal Gallery in Hoxton, Gaye Black had curated Punk and Beyond and included: Jamie Reid’s iconic graphic design, Paul Simenon (The Clash) paintings, Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) collage, Billy Childish amongst others. Here are better pictures than I could take and a nice review by our friend Steve Worrall

Now the nights have drawn in, it’s nice to have someone read you a book, don’t you think? We thought we’d go and see what the new Editor At Large from Faber and Faber’s new book was like. Faber and Faber are a rather respectable publishing company, established in 1929 by one Mr. Faber (who pretended there were two Mr. Fabers to sound posh). Faber is known for publishing the likes of W. H. Auden and T. S. Eliott as well as Ted Hughes,Vita Sackville West, P D James to name a few. Ted Hughes was commemorated just recently in Poet’s Corner, Westminster Abbey.

Jarvis Cocker, lead singer of Pulp, for it is he who is that new Editor at Large
http://www.faber.co.uk/article/2011/10/jarvis-cocker-announcement/|was reading.

250 wristbands were sold for entry to said event. W/band included a copy of Mother Brother Lover -his new book of lyrics, and himself signing your book.

In the queue outside we met the delightful Ms. Sinem Erkas
who studied at St. Martin’s College. She had designed some rather clever place mats.

You can see more of Sinem's work here:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/83886592/10-novelty-beer-mat-postcards-turn-me

Even tho Jarvis had a cold, and told us he’d never read like this before, he did a very good job. He was soulfully entertaining and was generous with his time at the signing.

And then it was time to get sorted for Heathrow Airport and back to NYC.

Letter from London (3) to Stupefaction

2011-11-16T02:38:00.001-08:00

Dear Mr. Boogaloo

As we look out of the window across the rooftops of London this morning we see – er – not very much.

It is, in fact, a very foggy day. Yesterday was so foggy the day didn’t even get light. It gave North London a lion witchy wardrobe air after such a run of beautiful colourful autumn days. Large leaves seem to have dropped all at once from the London plane trees to carpet the pavement. Mist in the lamplight. You hear your boots going up the hill and the overground train behind huffing off to Alexandra Palace. It's like I've got off the train in a different era and Stevie Smith or C. S. Lewis are in those low wattage sitting rooms I'm passing.

The Turkish man in the corner shop says, “the nights are drawing in now.”

“Ice cream, eggs, bread.”

Key in the lock.

I didn't tell you what we did at the weekend -

We got to see The Mekons on SUNDAY at NOON at Rough Trade East.

It was a beautiful autumn day.
Here's me with the wonderful Sally Timms (having some curry).

We used to live opposite each other in Williamsburg, Brooklyn before she left for Chicago. Sally was kind enough to contribute to the very first issue of my zine.

That was 1994. Just look at what The Mekons have all been doing since then.
Amazing really.
Susie Honeyman played with Rip Rig and Panic, Vivien Stanshall, as well as a lad down the hill from here called Alan Boyd who plays with Decline and Fall
Lu Edmonds played with PiL last year at that transcendant Terminal 5 gig I told you about.

The Mekons were finishing up a European tour.
We were lucky to have this last little round up for an early Christmas present.
They were wonderful.
There was this lovely after Church atmosphere.

They played all new songs from their new album ANCIENT AND MODERN 1911 - 2011.
They were soul lifting. The Mekons seem to have vacuumed experience from village pubs to speakeasys from Leeds to Prague. You have these very accomplished people up there. This is like there 30th album or so.

I love that the CD has the lyrics in otherwise I would have missed:
“I look out of my window across the rooftops of London... I remember the taste of salt water the thousand times I drowned before”. from I Fall Asleep.

"It is my intention to forget. While there's still time..Gonna drag my cart piled high while there's still time. Gonna build another bomb and hope the doctor comes while there's still time..." - from Geeshi

Sally Timms is ever soulful, witty. She said, "We should do more shows at noon. Then we can all be in bed by 3."

Tom, in his lovely red trousers, sang "I fall asleep" which has the chorus "I fall asleep when I should pray". He brought up some special guests.

Here's my wonky video:

I understand Noel Gallagher was at The Beacon in New York this week. Do you know anyone who went? I have trouble distinguishing between the brothers and was glad we popped in to a gallery to see photos by a photographer who has contributed many fine photos to the New Musical Express.

Lawrence Watson had exclusive access to join Gallagher Snr in Los Angeles where he was recording High Flying Birds, the first solo album with his new band. Mr. Watson has taken photos of loads of bands. Smiths. Run DMC. He left school at 16. Did the photographer’s assistant thing in Old Street (down the road from here) and worked in TV at some point before the NME.

Gary wore his rather good leather jacket. He told me, “I had to get up early to buy it.” Apparently, a charity shop he knows puts certain items in the window for a week but only sells them on Fridays. He had waited outside with a lady on her way to work who was going to get some Jimmy Choo shoes (or kill the person who beat her to them). Gary got lucky – the jacket was a good fit.

We walked into the Gallery. They were setting up for the private view later. Gary bought a signed poster before the rush:

but none of the young lads behind the counter had change.
Young lad: “I’ll just go and get some change from Lawrence. He’s just round the corner," (which we thought was funny because – well – getting change off the artist instead of the artist being starving – you know..). Anyway – round the corner comes this lovely hairy bloke wearing a jacket just like Gary's. Look!

Watson got his jacket in Venice Beach, California. Swapped on of his prints for it.
I think the print receiver got a deal there. I liked the photos. And Angelo had done a really great job of hanging them. Larger than album size in the front. Just bigger than CD covers in colourful groups around the main room. Moody black and whites with space around. Some manipulated b/w images from when you pull open a film test thing and there’s the negative on one side and the print on the other. There was Noel looking back at you brooding alone in a daytime diner; hanging out at the LA Amtrack railway station. And I particularly liked this one with the bloke in the Panama hat behind our Man Gallagher. Ola!

I remember being in that Amtrack station in LA. It's catty corner to Phillippe's Home of the French Dipped Sandwich where the waitresses wear uniforms. The floor is covered in sawdust. And there's a HUGE YANKEE SIGNED BASEBALL COLLECTION. And the coffee is still like, 50 cents.

Shoreditch High Street Overground station is like an airport station. The whole East London line feels so Euro. So aluminium. So easy to clean!

About that Manchester Poster Show.
I had to do some homework for college but our man went along and took a few photos for you. Apparently it's a Framing shop which the owners turn into a gallery from time to time. There were some interesting posters of bands from Manchester including this fine wall of Smiths posters:

this truly rare Stone Roses poster:

These bands you know -

and this poster that was rescued from the foyer at The Hacienda:

Gary chatted to some bloke who bought original Joy Division & Factory Posters telling Gary as he paid for them that he'd read somewhere that this was going to be a "good investment."

Alrighty then.

When our Man came home we had some tomato soup and a ham sandwich and watched TV. We like Never Mind the Buzzcocks - a BBC TV game show with Noel Fielding from Mighty Boosh leading a panel. They have special guest hosts from time to time and this week was ALICE COOPER. He was great. Here he is talking about the day he gave Iggy Pop a switchblade:

And while we're on the subject of unusual TV sightings:
Look! Sex pistols on TV at Christies

Talking of Posters as Investments:

Yesterday we went to an Christies in South Kensington.
They were having an auction of Rock and Pop Memorabilia.
Few Bob Dylan posters. Jimi Hendrix' autograph (1500 pounds). Marc Bolan's tambourine (and authentication letter) as seen on Christies trolley (right) after sale.

Some people would think I'm kidding when I say there were Sex Pistols posters on the block (some genuine and some reproductions) as well as an unexpected (eerie) "costume".

On close inspection this was a Kammgamm Trevira suit - navy blue with lar-may thread - and shirt, that Sid Vicious wore to court (photographs included)in 1978.

Looks like it could fit Gary

Typical girl. I'm like "There's a button missing" (no explanation).

It belonged to his mother's (Anne Beverly) estate and there was a letter telling us she saw Sid in it, included in the lot. A telephone bidder took it home for eight thousand pounds. Bit sad.

Wandering around we saw letter in a glass cabinet, signed by Paul McCartney, requesting someone to come to an interview to be a drummer for their upcoming gig in Hamburg, offering a fee of eighteen pounds. (That would make a great Christmas present for any drummer I know and love).

Remember that poster we showed you last week? One of these Clash posters sold for 380 (didn't make estimate)

On the way out, I thought I saw Scarlet the Heavenly Healer who I used to see at the Roxy Club, back in the day, and said hello. It wasn't her but the daughter of a lady who dated a member of Zep. We had a mutual rue the day we cleaned up session in the lobby "oh why hadn't I kept those punk rock flyers" or, in her case, "those signed Beatles tickets by all four Beatles", and crossed the street to Cafe Nero for a free coffee (I have a loyalty card).

Why aren't I making more art these days, I wondered.

See that marvelous BED PEACE piece? Eighty Thousand Pounds.
That's sort of a sign of the times, isn't it.
Went to a phone bidder.

Bed Peace at Christies

And so to Bed.
Peace
xxxx daisy

May you keep as warm and cozy as a taxi:

Lou Reed - thought for the day

2011-11-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

Not sure if I am supposed to raise my fist in a bull's horn or just stand here with my mouth open.

Wow.

Y'know, a long time ago now, I went to see Lou Reed play in a small club in New York. It was a benefit for Victoria Williams (who I am happy to report is doing well. Living in Joshua Tree. Has a Facebook account. Sang in New York for the Radio Free Song Club recently. Breathtaking. I'll find it and post it for you.)

Anyway - Lou Reed came on stage - in the dark. I hadn't seen him for years. I didn't know he wore glasses at this point, and my first thought was, "guitar tech." HOWEVER. He plugged in his guitar and strummed.

From just that one strum - you just KNEW it was Lou Reed.

And I remember thinking, "if this guy wants too, he could play something like the opening chords of Smoke On The Water - and he would flatten us all against the back wall".

Instead, he strums and tells us a story.

This summer - we were at Hop Farm. The line up on ONE stage was Magazine. Patti Smith. Lou Reed. Iggy Popp. Morrissey.

We noticed that Gang Of Four were playing at the same time as Lou Reed and I was told that Gang of Four were fantastic. And believe me. I LOVE the Gang of Four.

But I do have a deep respect for Lou Reed. And I found myself rooted to the spot.

I was sad he was older.
was surprised I was outside in a field.
I was sort of surprised I was in England.
I was glad it wasn't raining.

I thought he was pretty good. I know he was reading the words from an autocue. I know. I've got a memory like swiss cheese myself as it is.

His set list went:
Who Loves The Sun
Senselessly Cruel
Temporary Thing
Exctasy
Smalltown
Mother
Sunday Morning
Femme Fatale
Waves of Fear
Sweet Jane

Yes. Noone was more surprised than everyone aged 20 after December 1980 that he sang Mother.

I think John Lennon would have LOVED it.

I love Temporary Thing. So Much.

Okay I probably need a nap. I've got a bit emotional.

Letter from London to Stupefaction (1)

2011-11-05T04:35:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr Boogaloo
Have you managed to get all your make up off from last week?
No. Me neither.

Here's the story from my pumpkin patch - wonders The Great Pumpkin delivered to us here in the UK.

And Hey! I mentioned Rough Trade in my last letter and guess what - last night we watched The Story Of Rough Trade - a documentary on the BBC.co.uk/programmes/b00j4dx5.
I love Geoff Travis. Hair and No Hair. He has had a bit of a scary time in the record business.

Did you know that the idea behind Halloween is that Departed Spirits come out of their tombs on the 31st October and walk around looking for people to take back to the Underworld with them. If you dress up and disguise yourself, they won't work out it's you and you will remain on earth. And they especially won't grab you if you look like you are a Departed Spirit yourself.

We went to Nambucca www.nambuccallondon.com on the Holloway Road.
They put on a show to celebrate our Dear Departed JOHN PEEL ( the 25th October was JOHN PEEL DAY).

The Line up:

14 ICED BEARS (etherial. very late night radio friendly)
TELEVISION PERSONALITIES
VIV ALBERTINE (The Slits)
VIC GODARD AND THE SUBWAY SECT
followed by Blindness.
Blindness is a local up and coming talented girl band who
But that's funny, right.

It was an exciting blood pumping night. I swear. I swear if I had turned round, I would have being saying hello to John Peel.
Wait! Look!

No.
No.
Not John Peel.
Is this Lee McFadden from Television Personalities? (had that single "Where's Bill Grundy Now"?) .
I understand Dan Treacy was off sick.
Please God let him get well. (Rumour has it he might have something to do with Arctic Monkeys - ?)
Enjoy a song from their set here: wwww.youtube.com/watch?v=e9T8wfHx4wc
(Lee played with my hero, Mark Perry in Alternative Television. I think he should visit the states and play with Tom Verlaine. I bet they would get a kick out of each other.)

So here's the poster:

JOHN PEEL DAY 7 years since his death. We loved him. We still love him.

This is Spizz who was signed to Rough Trade.
Tonight he was Our Hero in this fabulous homemade hero outfit.
Upload tiny video of spizz winking: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6MNbE9lBd0
Do not be confused. This is not a halloween outfit.
He wears this to all the gigs he goes too. It's very practical. He is a biker.
I saw him tie his bike up to a lamppost outside earlier. Nice bike. First damsel in distress was Viv Albertine.

Here is Viv Albertine on stage being assisted by Spizz as he (a) noticed she wasn't plugged in (b) and needed tuning up.

The clip that follows gives you an example of the shimmering Viv Albertine. The lads in front of me liked the way she looked but found her lyrics "difficult to listen too". I found it quite the opposite. Her anger was an energy. I told them if they want peace and joy, they're in the wrong club. "You are listening to Sassitude" She's singing about her Real Life. Chanelling pain. Being real. Expressing her inner life not putting on a mask and humming sweet fuck alls. From her "Home Sweet Home", "Needles" or the incredibly cleverly slam poetry of "I WANT MORE" - everything she sang had me grinning or grinding me teeth, clenching or wanting to pump my fists, shaking my head but wait - not in a hippy way. Viv is Grrrrreat.
4:32 of Viv. Not sure how to shorten this video Tim. The song is FairyTale but during the lead in she is talking about Keith Levine who gave her some guitar tips. She says "I don't mind my voice being out of tune but I do care about my guitar. Not punk I know..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxfHKRWzxAw Viv talking about tuning guitar and Keith Levine's "tips"

I staged dived for the guitarist's Mark Broby's set list (nobody got hurt and Gary confirmed nobody saw up my dress). Meanwhile, Gary's like, Oh there's the drum roadie. He says, are you going to throw away that set list with Paul Cook's name on it?
Drum tech: Do you wannit?
Gary: Cheers mate.
PHOTO OF SET LIST signed by Vic

Outside afterwards he gives mine to two lads who motored down from Leeds (Wayne looked a bit like a young Paul Cook) and gets his signed by Vic Godard who was wearing his Royal Mail work shirt.
upload photo
We grinned our faces off all night. I know. Not very punk.

Pop Group and Public Enemy at ATP October 1st/2nd 2011

2011-09-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

There are a few reasons to jump in the car and jet to the Jersey Shore next week:
number one is The Pop Group are going to play their first US gig this century.
I guarantee you will never see a band like them.
They were hot and funky in Punk Rock London last century and haven't lost any of their edge or groove.
I saw them this time last year at a tiny club called The Garage in Highbury Islington, London and don't regret the plane fare one bit. I went to both shows and both were magic.
I understand they have been in the studio together since 9/12/2010. My hope was for a Pop Group Christmas present but it hasn't happened - i believe that's a YET.

Mark Stewart has been working on a collaboration record and has some mind opening sounds in a recording facility near me. Hopefully that will be in the merch tent. Fingers crossed.

Their drummer is Bruce Smith fresh from Public Image Limited's recent outings to spots around the world including a recent visit to Japan. He'll give your skeleton a dance lesson.

The second reason to get a ticket for OCTOBER 2 is that PUBLIC ENEMY are going to play the whole of their BRILLIANT album Fear of A Black Planet.

There's a brilliant download available on this link - and it's also where you can get your All Tomorrows parties tickets

See you in the front row.
xxxdaisy

Tonight (& tomorrow) in Air Conditioned New York City

2011-06-08T08:35:00.000-07:00

Alessi is over from the London UK and playing at The Living Room on Ludlow Street
Tonight at 11pm
and
Tomorrow at 6pm
The joint has air conditioning, relaxed atmosphere and beverages.

Hear Alessi sing KITE FLYING here

Find out where Alessi is playing next and hear some of her other delightfilled songs here: Alessi's My Space page AND tour dates

Hop Farm - Iggy, Patti (acoustic), Lou and Morrissey 2 July

2011-05-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

2 JULY Line up at HOP FARM festival in the UK includes Lou Reed, Patti Smith (acoustic), Iggy and the Stooges, and Morrissey who will headline.

The day before you can catch The Eagles, and Bryan Ferry.

Hmmm. What to pack? I guess the flared trousers for friday and the black leather pants for Saturday. Oh, and the air mattress (for my old aching back) and the binoculars (for my old fading eye sight). Seeing how old all these bands are, do you suppose the lights in the farm field will go out round midnight and the trance dance disco tent might be a bit empty?

Probably not.

That's probably my imagination, running away with me.

I'll bet the yoof are going to want to see these Mega Stars before they burn out.

PIL are on the bus - you lucky people.

2011-05-26T08:30:00.000-07:00

If there is one drummer in the whole wide world you should hear in 3-D surround sound and one singer you should see and experience it's BRUCE SMITH backing Mr. JOHNNY LYDON on the PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED tour.

You won't get a boom boom tish, you'll get shaken, stirred, rattled and elevated.

You won't be disappointed.

And we'll have something to talk about in the Old Age Pensioner's lounge.

Here's everything you need to know

P J Harvey Terminal 5 New York April 19 April 20

2011-04-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

PJ Harvey came to stand left of center on stage spot on 8:45pm.
She wore a long, chalk-white dress.
Her auto harp cradled across her bosom.
Her oil-black hair was dressed up with two HUGE black feathers.
I thought it was a whole bird hat til she turned sideways and the feathers floated far back behind her - almost like a 3-cornered admiral nelson hat.
Against the black curtain she stood out as a wild icelandic creature.
She wore little make up, no signature blood red lips so her face seemed white and ghostly and throughout the show she kept her movements small (which could have disappointed those expecting the Polly Presley of "This is Love" videoness).
Some utterly beautiful photographs by Andrew St. Clair

Sometimes at the end of a song she would walk to the back of the stage that seemed miles and miles away and when she walked back to the mike for the next song, she appeared to float.
Sometimes the stillness of her body allowed the floaty quality to smoke up into the room but it also seemed the stillness grounded her voice so she accessed every vein and artery and breath to call the songs out to me standing in the middle of the melay. She - like an inspiring queen before a battle. Me, like a little shakespearean oik at the Globe Theatre.
I found myself ten feet further in by the middle of her set and I don't remember moving.

I think it was a considered choice not to have anything red on stage.
The men wore brown swede and brown cotton calling to mind blacksmiths and farmers. Maybe Dorset relatives.
Nick Harvey (no relation - although by the end how couldn't he be) on piano, sat centre.
The drum kit appeared way back on stage right and towards the front stage right was the bass player. John Parrish. I couldn't see but I expect they were wearing wellingtons or muddy boots.
The instruments were more like furniture to these acts that were each song.
The musicians thoughtfully moved to position to perform certain songs like [civil war drum song].

The two geezers that are Harvey and Parrish often seemed like minders than musicians. They had deep weathered emotional weight to their singing.
The younger [Jean french name Barum drum] drummer came forward at one point with his "civil war" drum to bang slowly through [song title].

At some point, I felt like each song was a moving painting. Or like I was turning the pages of a picture book.
One might be from a Regency era.
One from outside some Fraganard sitting room.
At some point, I expected someone to draw the curtains in back, to see Constable's hay wain lumbering left to right, and maybe Dorset farmers and maids a-milking in a shed somewhere.
Or a Turner battleship off a coastline.
An Edwardian sufferagette smoking outside St. Paul's cathedral.

The album "Let England Shake" isn't preachy. It's personal. It's war. It's why? It's please don't leave me for that. It's sad. It's beating the drum. It's grim older wiser voices behind simple high pitch calling from this angel harped, accomplished guitarist.

Even tho the lights came on at the end, the farewell music didn't play.
We clapped.
We chanted "Roadie", like youdo.
Someone called to the dressing room for RID OF ME in exchange for their first born. She sang about longing and triggered it in us.
I think she had a second encore in her but we'd seen Mr. Parrish put his raincoat over his arm and his evening chair and slippers beckoned him
I resigned myself to thinkin she was saving her vocals for tonight's demanded second addition show.

At the end of the show, we happened to be clapping behind Delphine Blue who invited us [in the London Fog outside] for a drink at the after party for Big Audio Dynamite at the nearby Hudson Hotel.
On the way, Gary told us, Mick Jones & Don Letts had presented Polly Harvey with the NME Outstanding Contribution To Music award in the UK recently and had obviously appeared to be a big fan. Me too. I was glad I had two more tickets for 20th April.

If you can get tickets for tonight (i see ebay has some available for reasonable), take tissues.

April 20
Thunder in the forecast...

SET LIST April 19

Let England Shake [From Let England Shake (LES)]
The Words That Maketh Murder [LES]
All And Everyone [LES]
The Big Guns Called Me Back Again
Written On The Forehead [LES]
In The Dark Places [LES]
The Devil [White Chalk]
The Sky Lit Up [This is Desire]
The Glorious Land [LES]
The Last Living Rose [LES]
England [LES]
Pocket Knife [Uh Huh Her]
Bitter Branches [LES]
Down By The Water
C'mon Billy [To Bring you my love]
Hanging In The Wire [LES]
On Battleship Hill [LES]
The Colour Of The Earth [LES]
--
Big Exit [Stories from the city and the sea]
Angelene [This is Desire]
Silence [White Chalk]

Patti Smith on New York Public Radio station

2011-03-06T12:19:00.000-08:00

So many of my friends have raved about Patti Smith's book "Just Kids" - about her early life in New Jersey and her move to New York City and life with her "boyfriend" Robert Mapplethorpe -- the book got a National Book Prize, for heaven's sake.

But it seems to me that most of the people that liked the book seem to be triggered by nostalgia for the times when downtown was downtown; you could get a cheap apartment; a job in a cool bookshop; hang out at Washington Sq Park; eat in one of a thousand diners for $1:50 all-you-can-eat-breakfasts with gum chewing waitresses and smoke in bars (don't get me started!) and of course, meet fabulous people - especially if you lived at the Chelsea Hotel.

I finished the book and felt like I'd been cheated. It seems to me that Smith has taken credit for some of the ideas that Mapplethorp had. Like, the idea to take photographs. Am I mean when I say, "really???" He's not around for her to say, "I thought of that myself, Patti." We can't turn to Mapplethorpe and say, "is that true?"

Patti Smith doesn't mention that they got married so his family would stop questioning his sexuality. I believe they didn't get a divorce and I believe that Patti Smith actually gets quite an income from the Mapplethorp will. Patti Smith seems to want me to think that Mapplethorp went gay AFTER he couldn't have a life with her through HER choice. And yet, the whole time she is "going out" with him, she is trying to look like an emaciated boy. Or, by her own admission, Keith Richards.

Which brings me to sex: How come Patti Smith can't write about their sexual relationship? After all - Mapplethorp didn't seem shy about sex where HIS work is anything to go by.

How come she didn't address why she chose a MAN'S influence to talk about coming out of her Art Egg?

I think I know what you are going to say - but it's EASY to say that "there werent that many female artists to look up too" - but in Patti Smith's case - I don't think that's entirely true.

Isn't sitting in the SAME HOTEL CHELSEA ROOM with Janis Joplin enough of a female freeking icon?

I got the sense that Patti Smith would have slept with Janis' boyfriend for validation. If Janis Joplin liked boys, which I'm not sure she totally did.

And another thing, Smith hung out with a lot of poets at the Chelsea Hotel who hung out at the POETRY PROJECT -- and I know for a FACT that when Patti Smith hung out at the Poetry Project there were MANY wild and crazy live wire female poets there. I witnessed two of her contemporaries myself only three months ago at the Annual New Years Day Poetry Project Marathon.

So ...

I was interested to hear Patti Smith opening up further about their relationship in this interview on New York NPR.

The interviewer gently coaxes Patti Smith to reveal and discuss more regarding the book as well as her artistic development at that time.

it's an interesting conversation.

Smith's whole story has yet to be told. Victor Bokris did a good unauthorised version and spilt the beans about the affair with that guy Alan Lanier from that band with long hair at the same time that she was seeing Tom Verlaine... and there is, of course, a complicated woman behind the long hair that is upon the head of my guru Patti Smith -- I'm a fan -

If you haven't heard RADIO ETHIOPIA or HORSES, you should.
What the fuck she's talking and singing about, I have no idea to this day, but if you can get to stand in a room with the Patti Smith band playing live, flipping your mindcells with a voice that becomes a remote control on your very heart and blood bits - yes, Patti's life force has urgency and power and rawness and spit and transcendance and magic that still causes friction for anyone's creativity to rub and spark against .. er, where was I? Oh yes.

I heard this radio show.

And I thought there's some interesting bits here.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122722618

Here's the book for $7 online http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&pq=just+kids&xhr=t&q=just+kids+patti+smith&cp=10&qe=SlVTVCBLSURTIA&qesig=HebLgsvbPw8znaUpUTyksg&pkc=AFgZ2tkyKpcoE5aVqhEAulX8MmWlrN6hLRXGGoKUt8qWhnst68Iz0YJuY16p_pG_2zd0d4LYrKtELFyb2gZc8JlEAz41ioR0Xw&client=safari&rls=en&bav=on.2,or.&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=3090994088412109167&sa=X&ei=Ghl0TcfSI4yugQe_j9U4&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQ8wIwAg#ps-sellers"

Pop Group are coming to the USA October 1st 2011

2011-02-22T18:58:00.001-08:00

ALL TOMORROW'S PARTIES is coming to USA.

Curated and headlined by PORTISHEAD I'm very excited to see they are going to be joined by THE POP GROUP.
When I saw The Pop Group last September in London, they were white hot and I met Mark Stewart. He told me The Pop Group were in the studio working on a new album. He also told me a few little bits about his solo album - and now that I've worked out how to work my tape recorder - I'll be posting our conversation sooOOOon.

Meanwhile...
more information here: http://www.atpfestival.com/newsview/1102171400.php>

tickets here: http://www.atpfestival.com/events/ibymasburypark/tickets.php>

Public Image play Dublin - June 10th

2011-01-24T03:29:00.000-08:00

PiL will play their FIRST EVER show in Dublin, Ireland on Friday, June 10th at the city's Tripod venue
Tickets go on general sale this Friday, January 28th.

See Tripod website for venue and ticket info. http://www.pod.ie/news_list.php?newsID=291&from_index=1

Ari Up memorial - Vivien Goldman and Friends Host Punky Reggae Party in Brooklyn, Jan 16

2011-01-07T19:48:00.000-08:00

To honor of the memory of the legendary ARI UP - lead singer of the pioneering girl punk band THE SLITS, True Warriors and more, Vivien Goldman, Dunia Best & Aram Sinnreich (Agent 99 / Brave New Girl) and friends are throwing a PUNKY REGGAE PARTY. Participating artists include original and current members of The Slits, including
Tessa Pollitt,
Hollie Cook -- daughter of Paul Cook - (drummer Sex Pistols)
Neneh Cherry
Felice Rosser (Faith),
Qmaxx (The Slackers / The Bandroidz),
Bruce Smith (Public Image Ltd).,
Tamar-Kali,
Honeychild Coleman (Badawi / Apollo Heights / The Slits / Pollen),
Judy Nylon (Snatch / Pal Judy)
and many luminaries from the punk and reggae worlds backed by The True Warriors performing classic Slits hits and dancehall originals by Ari Up and the True Warriors.

$15 advance / $20 day of show / 18 and Over

For more info:
Music Hall of Williamsburg

Get your ticket here

Marcia Resnick - Come see this Photo show NYC Jan 14th

2011-01-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

Marcia Resnick is having a photo show at Deborah Bell Photographs Gallery

OPENING Thursday, Jan.13, 6-8PM
511 W 25th Street,
Suite 703,
NYC.
The show will be on view Jan. 14- Feb 26, 2011.
The Gallery phone number is 1 212-691-3883.

Bad Boys is a photographic collection of punks, poets and provocateurs by Marcia Resnick (American, b. 1950) that studies the various ways in which power and maleness manifested themselves in New York City in the 1970s and ‘80s. It explores aggression, fame, sexuality and the ironic gamut of interpretations for the word “bad,” from “evil” to “naughty” to “cool” to “good,” and extends the meaning of the word “boys” beyond that of male child. These visually evocative portraits of “enfant terribles” include Divine, Johnny Thunders, Jean-Michel Basquiat, John Belushi, Quentin Crisp and others whose clout add to the mythology of their “badness.” All photographs in Bad Boys are vintage silver gelatin prints and have never before been exhibited as a group.

Resnick’s photographs are in the collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; George Eastman House/International Museum of Photography and Film, Rochester, NY; The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; the Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, TX; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Santa Barbara Museum of Art; Tampa Museum of Art; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; the collection of Hallmark Cards, Kansas City; The Jewish Museum, New York; Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; and numerous private collections.

Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday from noon-6pm. An illustrated brochure is available.

PIL's plans for 2011

2010-12-20T09:14:00.000-08:00

PIL have added another date.
June 4th PIL will play here Then they will play the Isle Of Wight Festival June 12th.

Sunday, Nov 21 at The Scala, London, UK

2010-11-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

If you go to The Scala in London this Sunday, you will see the Chiefs of Relief with Paul Cook on drums.

Then you will see Bow Wow Wow.

And then, fingers crossed and bandaged, you will see Adam Ant and The Glitter Band.

Yes. THAT Glitter Band.

Here's Adam in fine form from last night:

And just in case Adam doesn't show up (although my money is that he will show) here is some information about the Ants and The Glitter from John Robb

Saturday - ATV play The Relentless Garage Highbury with Sham 69

2010-11-17T13:33:00.000-08:00

SATURDAY 20 November ATV
(opposite Highbury tube) MARK PERRY will be on stage with ALTERNATIVE TV supporting Sham 69 which is probably the right way round if you want to go before the crowd goes mental and Jimmy shows you his bum.

I understand Sham 69 have made a film. I will investigate.

link to the Relentless Garage for ticket information

Kevin Cummins and other goings on at the White Columns Gallery Nov 1st

2010-11-02T22:16:00.001-07:00

click here to hear Kevin Cummins on the radio.

A good time was had by all at the KEVIN CUMMINS book launch at the White Columns gallery on Horatio street in New York on Monday even tho I read the invitation incorrectly. I told you Bernard Sumner (guitarist from Joy Division and later New Order) was going to be there and have a conversation in the gallery.

Ooops.

The conversation is in the book.

Jay McInerney does the introduction in the book. He wasn't there either but we didn't mind that.

The book is published by Rizzoli and it's a very beautifully paced visual story of Ian Curtis (born Ian Kevin Curtis 15 July 1956). It includes some handwritten songs and set lists and postcards from tour and it knocked me for six to see his young beautiful face.

There was also a rather nice black box of postcards ($40).

Kevin Cummins, (born 14 July 1953) a fellow Brit, was there. He looked natty in his suit and fancy shoes. He signed "Manchester has a lot to answer for." I wanted to tell him that my name was Hulme and ask him to cross out Manchester and put "Hulme" as that is where some of the Curtis photos were taken - notably the ones in the snow (none of the lads wearing enough warm clothes) and on a flyover above a motorway... but it was noisy and I'm not sure that I do have a lot to answer for.

Not as much as Manchester, that's for sure.

Except to say, I did have a psychic flash. I happened to be close to the refreshment table and spied a rather interesting lad who I had a feeling that I knew. I said, "Is your name Stephen?" I was right.

I said, "are you an English printmaker?" and he said "yes".

I could have sworn I'd seen him on Facebook or somewhere. The lad had gone to Harrow for art school and I went to school not far away but he was 15 years younger than me and he doesn't have a facebook page. So it worked out that I had him completely mixed up with someone else but this was a rather fortunate mix up as he happened to be the lad who is
Stephen Fowler who has a few walls of the gallery for his art project which stays up til December 4. I really liked his work and bought his poster.

I also met screenwriter Nick who was escaping his characters for a few days and keeping his friend company on their first trip to New York. Or at least I think it was their first time in New York.

Matthew Higgs (also from Great Britain) pointed to a picture on the wall of Joy Division at band practice. There's a sofa in the background and there's our Matthew, sitting on the sofa. When I turned to look at him it was a bit of a Chim Chimeny moment. It was like he'd stepped out of the photograph and now he was walking around as Director of the space we were in.

Matthew had brought his milk crate of vinyl from Factory Records along. It was a joy (pun intended) to see the needle in the groves. I particularly liked XODUS - the only reggae record Factory put out by English Black Boys.

The soundtrack to the evening also included a dark and gravelly Grace Jones.

Our friends John and Sabine came along. The room was cozy and as we looked around, we all thought of back in the day when clubs were about this many people and how you would just talk to people and how you would say, "where are you going tomorrow?" and hear about another good band playing and probably see the same crowd there when you turned up the next day.

At the end of the night, Matthew played the vinyl Joy Division. I have to admit, it was a bit much. Now that we're so much older than the fresh faced photogenic Ian Curtis, who hanged himself 18 May 1980 at the age of 23, I had to reach for a tissue and leave for some cold autumn air. He would have been 53.

I would have talked to him.

Kevin's photos Joy Division playing

oh dear. Genesis has left the building.

2010-11-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

This just in...

In the evening 27th October TG members and their associated managements
received two emails from Genesis P-Orridge stating he was no longer
willing to perform in Throbbing Gristle and returned to his home in New York.

Cosey, Sleazy & Chris have concluded that once more, and for the time being,
Throbbing Gristle has Ceased to Exist, at least as a live entity.

Therefore, and with deepest apologies, TG must cancel their scheduled
performance at Archa Theatre, in Prague, Czech Republic on 30th October.
It being too short notice to offer an alternative set.

In order not to disappoint fans of the old quartet, Cosey, Peter & Chris
will perform live under the name X-TG at Arena Del Sole, Bologna, Italy
on 2nd November & at Casa Musica, Porto, Portugal on 5th November.

We hope fans will appreciate and enjoy this new project and the trio is looking
forward to performing exciting new and radical electronic musics together.

Full refunds are available at the point of purchase if required.

as said:
Industrial Records Ltd, London. 29th October 2010

One Night Only - Monday Nov 1st JOY DIVISION photographs by NME photographer KEVIN CUMMINS

2010-10-30T19:26:00.001-07:00

Kevin Cummins photo of Ian Curtis, Hulme, Manchester.

WHITE COLUMNS GALLERY will be open on MONDAY NOV 1st

for a One Night ONLY exhibition
of "JOY DIVISION" photographs by NME photographer KEVIN CUMMINS

AND there's a book which Mr Cummins will be available to sign.
It is a Rizzoli book and costs $45.00.

I gather there's an introduction by JAY MCINERNEY (wrote that book "Bright Lights, Big City") and LIVE IN THE GALLERY will be a conversation with BERNARD SUMNER (guitarist in Joy Division, and singer/guitarist in New Order).

FACTORY RECORDS SOUNDTRACK BY MATTHEW HIGGS

DRINKS AND REFRESHMENTS

WHITE COLUMNS Gallery is at 320 WEST 13TH STREET but the entrance is on HORATIO STREET BETWEEN 8TH AVENUE + HUDSON
NEW YORK 10014

what else is on at CBGB's gallery a.k.a. Morrison Hotel?

2010-10-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

this link will take you to the CBGB's gallery on the Bowery in New York

Mick Rock at CBGB's gallery a.k.a Morrison Hotel

2010-10-30T15:12:00.001-07:00

My friend Tim invited me to The Bowery last Tuesday.

That might not sound like the sort of place a gentleman like Tim should take a refined British woman like myself after dark but The Bowery is a little different these days. For one thing, it's got great tarmac if you are a limo driver. For another, there are luxury hotels and apartment buildings and here we were in October, and people were eating on the pavement. And I mean at tables. On chairs. With waiters bringing out their fabulous dinners from a restaurant.

That shock over. We arrive at CBGB's Gallery. (I'm going to call it that. Tim accidentally called it that. Everyone I know of a certain age is going to call it that) but the awning now reads "Morrison Hotel Gallery."

That shock over, I recognized a huge thunderbird type car parked outside as one that belongs to a man called Berndt. I remember his name because the car has no paint and looks like it's burned. The engine was warm.

There was a line outside.

Of people.

Huh?

We went to the door and noticed a HUGE crowd inside.

Man at door (with clipboard): "Would you like to be in the list?"

Tim: "How long is the wait?"

MaD: "about 5 minutes"...

Tim: "Okay."

We joined the queue. Tim called Godlis and reported the situation. Godlis was on his way. Talking of legends, I noticed that the gallery space was for rent and I know this because I looked up and saw a sign that read "LEGENDARY REAL ESTATE" with an arrow pointing to the awning below along with a number to call.

A few minutes later, the man with the clipboard at the door, came down the line and got us. As if we were special.
It was so peculiar.
This was for MICK ROCK's photo exhibit.
Maybe it was a fire hazard thing.
I was confused.
I was used to waiting for tables and to get into disco's but not to a photo show.
There's a first time for everything.

We joined the shoal of people who roamed into the space. Passed a sign that said "NO PHOTOGRAPHY". I beg to differ, sir.

I saw beeeeeeeautiful photographs of Bryan Ferry and Iggy Popp and Freddie Mercury behind some very interesting looking punters. I got a very pleasant smile and hello in passing from a particularly interesting man with grey ringlets. And talking of grey-haired chaps, not just one grey haired bloke had his photo taken in front of a photo of a man on the bonnet of a long car I couldn't see the label as standing in front of that was Mr. Rock himself.

Mr. Rock was being filmed. People were saying hello. I kept my distance and took this terrible picture of him. As you can see, he has his eyes shut. That's why he gets paid the big bucks. And pounds sterling.

Here is one of Mick Rock's classic photos that was in the window. Although, as Suzi remarked when she saw it, "David Bowie ATE FOOD back then????"

When we came out, across the street in his sideways striped t-shirt and black trainers with white sides, was Godlis.

What an honour to meet up with him. While Godlis was discussing his strategy for Going In to see the show, John Espinosa swung over and gushed "it's great to be here to see you in front of CBGB's where you took all those brilliant photos" and I felt exactly the same. Thank goodness there's another gushy fan out there who said all the gushy stuff before I did. Godlis was a gent and had his photo taken with each of us in turn. John Espinosa took this photo of me and Mr. Godlis.

Anyway - here is Godlis' pictures from back in the day so you can get a sense of what a great time warp moment it was (see photo of Patti Smith to the right). And here is my terrible photo of John Espinosa who was talking to a band called The Young Ones. The drummer is the one closest to me (nat). John is in the suit on the right.

Then we went on to wish Bob Gruen a happy birthday at his bash down the block.

Here's Tim's rather good diary entry.

a clip of Poppie Skold's film of Ari

2010-10-22T05:54:00.000-07:00

Poppie Skold on facebook

20 10 2010. Ari Up has died.

2010-10-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

i heard last night from my dear friend, Bryan who worked with Ari that Ari has passed through the velvet rope.
I understand Ari had cancer.

Ari Up was the lead singer of The Slits. If you want to hear what girls sound like inside themselves, you can play songs from their album "CUT" (and you can thank Dennis Bovell for the production) -- I am immediately back in London, looking at copies of Spare Rib (a feminist newspaper at the time) on the newstand, just growing into myself and Ari - years younger than me - saying things out loud that told me she was in this with me. In our doctor marten shoes instead of high heels. Taking our ties off as soon as we could after school. Home to records and out to parties and clubs and punk rockers.

At the end of the seventies, at the end of Portobello Road, under the concrete of the Westway - there was a street market - boxes of records. Where I got a copy of Dr Alimantado's album - where I passed Vivien Goldman in the street who raised a peace sign and said, "Jah Works" - with the backdrop of loud loud reggae and dub playing loudly and echoing. Where you could talk to the Jamaicans from the carribean who were claiming their turf there and then. The brackish black and white coming together. Exciting. In my memory the dub and the rumbling trains hum round me and tingled my feet in my boots scuffing on the pavement. Your punk rock badges on your school blazer. Hand made things. Jossticks. Indian scarves. The feeling that Ari Up was round here somewhere in this crowd of Rastas and smoke.

I knew she lived in Notting Hill back then.

The Slits were a delight to watch.
A shock and a delight.
A tingle and a terror.
A surprise and a thrill.
GIRLS PLAYING
ENGLISH GIRLS PLAYING
ENGLISH GIRLS TALKING ABOUT BEING GIRLS

Ari will always wear a smile and be a scamp in my memory.

I think of her when I don't wash my hair and it goes really messy.
Which I love. And then I think of that song typical girls.

And then I brush my hair.

Well.

If I have too.

Eventually.

Big Sexy Noise

2010-10-13T19:46:00.001-07:00

should you want to know what a big sexy noise is click here

Lydia Lunch is stuck in NYC. Lydia was supposed to go and play with The Only Ones in Brest.

The French General Strike has delayed her Air France flight. That must be annoying.

If I was on strike, I'd want to hear Lydia Lunch and The Only Ones. I heard Lydia Lunch play the night elvis presley died* (yes, I'm that old. She on the other hand is younger than me.)
The Only Ones are the BEST BAND EVER.

*you can read this story under "keith moon's birthday below.

Loud Flash

2010-10-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

I was included in a black cab jaunt from Clapham Common to the building that used to be the Museum of Mankind, next to the BURLINGTON ARCADE - if you can believe this - to see an exhibition of punk rock posters and leaflets. Organized by a rather posh bloke called Toby Mott.

In the cab was Mark Stewart from the Pop Group and the lovely Shirin, who works for Future Noise Music.

Shirin stopped the cab so we could ron-day-voo with Poly Styrene who told me she had just been on the train with Billy Bragg who she hadn't seen in ages.

If I remember correctly, Poly said she is making a record with Big Youth and working with Future Noise.

Poly told me that she never stopped making music. For a few years she rested up with the Krishnas, who had a recording studio, and she was able to record some music there which, from the sounds of it, healed a lot of the turbulence that hit her after her success with X Ray Spex.

Poly still frequents the temples for some solice and meditation. It seems to be doing her the world of good. Poly looked fantastic. Radiant. It was GREAT to see her looking well (sans braces or, in American, without her retainer).

There were lots of flyers with X Ray Spex on:

We also spotted a very fit Adam Ant (nice hat)

as well as Spizz from SpizzOil.

It was lovely to be in a room with some old punks from back in the day.

The show had a bit of a wonky edge to it. It said in the liner notes on the wall that the National Front posters and Bulldog magazines (the "zine" of the national front) were there to "contextualise" the show.

That got a big "huh" from most of the punks.

I wasn't the only one who got the impression that Young Mott was implying that he'd been to all the gigs on the wall and collected the flyers himself.

When I mentioned what a big collection this was, a number of Ebay sellers in the room pointed out that certain posters had been bought on Ebay quite recently.

I don't know if you were one of the 40 people invited to the round table discussion regarding the show, were you? I hear the panel included the chappie who wrote The Sloane Ranger Handbook. Jolly Good, I suppose. [picture of girl splaying hands].

I said cheerio to Mark and Poly, and had the very good fortune to bump into handsome Gary Loveridge - a man with a very large poster collection of his own, by all accounts. More investigation to be done on that front.

On the way to the train, I had to admire again the Ostriches not being Ostriches in the Louis Vuitton windows in New Bond Street:

OOooH! Got a brand new bag!

John Rotten has a book out with pictures in it.

2010-10-13T17:27:00.001-07:00

to have a look at Johnnie Rotten's book click HERE

Ring in the new year with THE POP GROUP and SONIC YOUTH

2010-10-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Pop Group are in the studio and have announced two new datesS

30th December - Manchester Apollo and a London New Years Eve - 31st December 2010

ATV - Mark Perry to play Relentless Garage Nov 20

2010-09-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

ALTERNATIVE TV have announced TWO DATES

November 20th - LONDON's Relentless Garage.

December 11th - BRIGHTON - The Lecturn.

Pop Group at the Garage, Sept 11 & 12th 2010

2010-09-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Pop Group had two London dates to play the ATP at the Garage in Highbury. Their website posted Paris first on 6th September, and then Bologna and Turin. I posted a note to Mark Stewart on Facebook offering to start the dancing in Turin, serve drinks on the bus, hold the lyrics up backstage... but with no reply and no dates scheduled for New York, where I live these days, I headed to JFK.

I got tickets for both London shows and booked a B&B in Kings X close to the Cathedral that is St Pancreas station, now home to Eurostar and Marks & Spencers. Back in the day that place was a spooky, Goth hall video-makers got for a discount. I was to pass by the Costa coffee and swanky upscale restaurant for the tube, like a magic carpet ride, one stop to Highbury.

Strangely, on board my American Airlines flight to Heathrow was none other than Bruce Martin - drummer for the Tom Tom Club. He was sitting with accordian player traveling to Cork to play a wedding. (Long may they love) He told me he'd recently played a 40th anniversary date with the Tom Tom Club. That made The Pop Group's first gig after 30 years seem a little pre-mature.

I have to admit that I did see Bruce Smith drumming for PIL in New York's Terminal 5 in May, this year. When Johnny Rotten asked us to "clap along becaues I need help keeping time" it was as if a dart flew out of my head and pointing at Smith said THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE BRUCE SMITH who, that night, was riding 3 horses at once and I left that gig so super happy....
When Johnny was singing "Anger is an energy" I was swaing in the crowd full of love. Yes. I hate to say it. Love. Like a hippy. Love. I LOVED HIM. I loved him. I loved Bruce. I loved the guitarist with the pointy nose. I loved the bass player wearing a kilt and a PIL t-shirt.

My friend Kath, a Bristol gal with good recall, came with me to the 9/11 show. Her Bristol of the late 1970's was going out as often as she could to any pub or club she could get in to - when every night was band night. And going to parties when Gareth Sager and Mark Stewart would turn up wearing paper bags on their heads with faces drawn on them a la Saul Steinberg. And it was, you know, "Oh - thre's Gareht. He's in a band. He's being arty." Maximum Joy.

She went to school with Bruce Smith's sister and told me his was a wild and beatiful Bristol home with a room of African masks. His dad was an American painter. And ARTIST painter, not a house painter. His mother offered you cigarettes and COFFEE.

And Mark Stewart's bedroom floor back then, when you stepped in, was covered in photographs he'd ripped from books - photos of Artaud? A Coun. Evil men and poets. You had to watch how you crossed the room that you didn't slip on the glossy pages in your socks.

And lots of singles and a portable record player. And American singles with no centers to them. IMPORTS. THere was always a thirst with this band. An interest in the word. In the world. In that noise. That slap. That bang. That tap. An intereste in things scritti and political. Mixing it all up. You didn't walk down the street listening to your mix on your iPod blocking out the world. You blended with it. And Bristol bands were doing that. There was funk. There were white boys playing it. There was Rock against Racism. There was black and white together. And we opened the door from the mini bar into the main room at The Garage - there it was - that old familiar reggae. I almost turned round to ask Vivien Goldman what it was.

The venue holds 600 people and I believe it was sold out on Saturday. With no starter band we were going to get a pure experience.

Crowd:
Beardy blokes. Some grey hair. Some young boys with young girlfriends hanging on their arms checking their msgs and Apps.
A young lad in a suit who I asked "What brings you here?" and he told me he'd got a naughty download but he'd also paid money for a Pop Group record and he liked it. It was intelligent and he liked political things.

I saw Viv and Tessa from The Slits but not for long as Viv headed straight to the front to start the dancing.

There were some lazer looks of love as I scanned the room. I recognized a glint in the ye here and there, if not the face...

9:15pm. The violin strings of "Somewhere my love" - i think might be the theme to Dr Zhivago...

BRUCE SMITH was first on the stage in his white jacket. My hero, as you've gathered. There was a third young lad on guitar I didn't recognize. No Underwood. No Waddington. [Is it true Simon Underwood is playing with Lily Allen these days?]

Dan Castis followed Bruce on - now tough and muscly in his red Warhol t-shirt.

There was a guitar tech with blonde dreads agains the wall on the far side. He tuned and paused with a guitar for Gareth Sager who headed straight to an electric piano and started playing it like a man brushing dust off it left from last century.

Then Sager took his guitar.

And then the needle hit the groove and there was light.

Out flashed the beginning riff to WE ARE ALL PROSTITUTES and MARK STEWART flew into the mike with the lyric. They were here with that familiar haunted house yell and roller coaster clatter.

The set went from LOUD to LOUDER - I dont' know if there are even knobs o nthe baord these days but whateaver he was doing, Charlie The Soundman got it spot on.

It might hurt but their sound was tunneling through rubble from the past 30 years and brought them to the surface FAST maaaaaaan. Fiercesome. Exciting. Measured. After a while you're not sure if the music is inside or outside your head. You have to let go. The Pop Group is a band that rattles you. You feel in danger. You tense up. That won't help you. You can't be afraid.

In the powerful version of Saturdays THIEF OF FIRE, Mr. Stewart took the mike away from his mouth and stood with his mouth open allowing the dub vocal to make it appear that his words were still rolling out. Kath saw an angry landlord barking for his money. I had a flashback to a painting by Francis Bacon of a Pope having a tantrum.

FORCES OF OPPRESSION Gareth stole Pere Ubu's clarinet and strangled til it squealed to be let go and back to his guitar.

Sager often played like his strings were too hot and/or like he was trying to set them on fire by rubbing his strings and his plectrum together. Yeah - he looked older but as we all said in the dust after the show OLD is the NEW Alive, isn't it. There's premium gallons of rythym and action in the man. He often appeared to FLY to the front of the stage in the manner of a caged bird, and he'd be pulling his strings at us rather than pull his hair out.

Sometimes Sager turned his back while Mark was pacing or bouncing or boxing or bending double, screaming or (Sunday) singing straight into the audeince CCTV cameras.

Bruce's coat came off soon in to the set.
He looked like he was enjoying himself so much.
I can't tell you what a joy it is to watch him.
It's a joyful catch-you-out, pay-attention drumming style. It's well rehearsed. It's easy but then an odd parra diddle smack won't throw you off exactly, it'll just wiggle you sideways. The last song I was dancing from the inside out. He makes it look like he's going to play til he can't do it any more. And he sings too.

Halfway through the show, the lad in the suit got me and shook my by my shoulders "YOU ASKED ME WHY I'M HERE! IT'S THIS! YOU JUST DON'T HEAR MUSIC LIKES THIS ANY WHERE EVER!!!" He was very excited. Or maybe we were dancing. Kiss The Book.

My photos are mostly from after the show on Sunday night. A beaming Dennis Bovell (recorder of The Slits) - looking healthy and happy and GOURGEUS in his green track suit top. Me with band members. But I just don't recognize myself. It's like the pictures are from some time machine. Tardis Ride. Future... OH. No. It's me. Now.

The finish line was clocked as 10:30pm GMT.

On Saturday I managed to grab the young guitarist who was first onto the dance floor from the dressing room at the end of the show. I asked him his name. He said, Alexi. I asked him how he was feeling. He was in a sort of excstacy. He said, "I'm playing with legends. They are legends in their own time!" and that made me smile. He was playing along side them. His Fender and Gareth's Fender Jazzmaster...

So the set list:
We are All Prostitutes
Words Disobey Me
Colour Blind (correct spelling there, thank you)
Thief of Fire
Trap
She's Beyond Good and Evil
Snese
KISS THE BOOK (my personal favourite on Sunday)
Forces of Opposition
and of course WE ARE TIME

What else can I tell you?
The difference between the shows?

Saturday the room was packed. Expectant. The band totally present. The encore transcendant.
Bruce and Dan came back together on drum and bass - and then Jason, adding Gareth, crowned by Stewart. Giddy making. Sunday. I would say the crowd on sunday was boozier. Mark cajoled them along. There were more CCTV camera-kids. Every time they were held aloft, Stewart would sing RIGHT INTO THEM.

Sunday my highlight was KISS THE BOOK when Stewart became full of visuals for me again. I don't know how that happens. Suddenly he was a ferocious Angry Catholic Dad or an evil maniac scientist. I can't help mentioning here that the Pope is supposed to visit London this upcoming weekend. KISS THE BOOK.

Yes - I bought the t-shirt. I bought two.

Oh! and did I mention that i was guested in on Sunday by Dick O'Dell, their first manager. He and I had dinner beforehand where he told me Bat For Lashes are back in the studio for their third album

He also told me a good story about managing The Slits when The Slits played BONDS NYC in the 80's with The Clash. I believe they played 5 in a row. I was at one of those shows. I can't remember which one. Dick couldn't remember if it was 5 or not either. What he did remember was staying at the Iriquois Hotel and stomping on the cockroaches. He also remembered he went back to the hotel with Bernie Rhodes to wait for the men with the money. Two men came to the room with carrier bags of cash. Apparently it came up short and after counting it, Dick said so. The Men In Black flashed their belts and said, @no it isn't@ and thankfully, our hero Mr. O'Dell saw the guns and manated to refrain Bernie from requesting a recount. And went back to stomping on the cockroaches.

Dick was the first person to take me to an art gallery. I even went to art school after his opening of that door to me. And on a number of occasions, he was kind enough to drop a sock out of his London flat with his keys in so I didn't have to walk home in London in the middle of the night after a gig in my mohair sweater and my PVC trousers.

What else can I tell you?

There was a heckler. "Why aren't you playing Bristol?"

Mark Stewart didn't answer.

Has Bristol got an airport yet?

August 26 - Happy 72nd birthday to Jet Black

2010-08-31T04:11:00.001-07:00

Jet Black played drums with The Stranglers.
His first name is Brian Duffy.
The Stranglers were a little older than most bands I saw. The bass player had that scary stratt noise that felt like someone was twanging your rib cage. And I don't mean tickling. I think I remember hearing that the singer had been to prison. It took me a few pass bys to actually stop in and see them close up. I don't know what I was thinking. It wasn't like they were the only criminals we knew. And after all, it was well known that the Sex Pistols had nicked David Bowie's gear... Maybe I heard something of a childcatcher in Cornwalls' growly voice.
Had I known the drummer owned 4 ice cream vans and an off-licence in Guildford, called 'The Jackpot' and also owned one of the earliest home brewing equipment companies, at the time of a vogue in home brewing (thank you wikipedia), I would have said, "oh well then..." and strolled right on in.

Mr. Black met Hugh Cornwell after reading an advertisement in the Melody Maker and joined The Stranglers in 1974.

Mr. Black was 72 last week. Happy returns of the day to him.

Here's some good footage of a bright sunny day out in Battersea Park in 1978. I can't say I was there either. Anyway, there's a bit of everything. A zoom in on our birthday boy at the drum kit; Mr Cornwall's guitar solo (pardon, Yes, a guitar solo. The seventies weren't over yet); some pogo-ing in the audience, Mr Brunel takes his bass for a walk and there's a good leap; and a bit of a pre-Glastonbury sing a long.

If you wondered what happened to them - well, they managed to stay out of jail and appear on The Other Stage at Glastonbury this year. (see below the Battersea clip)

NOTE: the crowd arrives in silence in the Battersea youtube clip ... hang in there... it's worth it to see Jean Jacques Brunel's trousers and how many people in the crowd hadn't got their punk hair cut.

Note: The Glastonbury Stranglers are NOT the original Stranglers. Hugh Cornwall has hair.

anthrax - gang of four

2010-08-30T22:13:00.001-07:00

John Peel Session - ATV second session 1978

2010-08-30T21:49:00.000-07:00

Before ATV evolved into another band of interesting characters called The Good Missionaries, Mark had written this song. This is from the second John Peel session, some time in 1978. The Good Missionary. I can't listen to this lying flat on my back with my eyes closed. Not all the way through. Maybe you can.

John Peel Sessions

2010-08-30T21:06:00.000-07:00

John Peel was a late night DJ on radio 1 when BBC radio only went up to 4. If you weren't on a night bus coming back from a gig, you'd be listening to this friendly funny Liverpool Lad. He was like the one who was allowed the airspace because the men with their suits and their day jobs had gone home. He even allowed bands into the BBC to play live. And he had bands play who weren't even on records yet.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/johnpeel/sessions

Sniffin Glue and The floppy disc

2010-08-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

oooOOOOOooooh, the tongue in the cheek of it.
This song was released as a floppy disc of vinyl that revolved at 45rpm on your turntable. It was given away with the last issue of Sniffin' Glue. I remember I was at Mark Perry's Headquarters the day Janet Street-Porter came striding in all furry pink coat and bright hair and large teeth and glasses raving about this song. JSP had a show on television for the "Yoof". I like a bit of reggae myself. How about you?

Mark Perry

2010-08-30T20:33:00.001-07:00

Mark P started writing a zine called Sniffin' Glue in 1976. One issue had a hand drawing in it of the fingering for three different chords on a guitar. And it said something like - "look. here are 3 chords, why don't you get a guitar and learn these chords and when you do you can start a band". And after 12 issues of the Glue, Mark Perry started his own band called ATV. (Alternative Television). Amongst some of his greatest hits on my turntable are "How Much Longer" and I liked what "electric warrior" has done with his visuals.

You can get all of the Sniffin Glue magazines in one handy coffeetable book. a ref: http://www.amazon.com/Sniffin-Glue-Rocknroll-Essential-Accessory/dp/1847729738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283230631&sr=8-1]

throbbing gristle

2010-08-24T04:32:00.000-07:00

TG WILL HEADLINE ONE NIGHT IN DECEMBER AT ALL TOMORROWS PARTIES, MINEHEAD, UK
- NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS CURATED BY GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR -

ATP TICKET & INFO LINK:
http://www.atpfestival.com/events/godspeednightmare/tickets.php

NEXT WEEK WE WILL CONFIRM AND LIST DETAILS AND TICKET CONTACTS
FOR THE FOLLOWING 2010 THROBBING GRISTLE PERFORMANCES

23rd OCTOBER LONDON VILLAGE UNDERGROUND, UK

30th OCTOBER PRAGUE ARCHA THEATRE, Czech Republic

2nd NOVEMBER BOLOGNA THEATRE ARENA DEL SOLE, ITALY

6th NOVEMBER PORTO CASA MUSICA, ITALY

TG WILL PERFORM AN ALL NEW SET USING NEW EXPERIMENTAL ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT,
SPICED WITH A COUPLE OF OLD FAVOURITE TRACKS.

* THESE SHOWS ARE THE ONLY LIVE PERFORMANCES TG ANTICIPATE PLAYING THIS YEAR.

23 August - Keith Moon's birthday

2010-08-24T04:08:00.000-07:00

Meanwhile in the Vortex in Wardour Street, London 1977...

[wavy lines and wobbly music]

It was a warm August night, 1977.
Mark Perry said he'd meet me at the Vortex on Wardour Street, London W1.

The Vortex Club was like a secret. You went through the pub, past the pool tables and down the stairs at the back. At the bottom of the stairs there was another bar and a stage and a backroom where you could sit and talk (and probably do drugs - but I only heard that later).

The night I'm talking about I remember it was very dark and I got there before Mark. The first band came on - Teenage Jesus and the Jerks.
From America.
The drummer had one drum, one cymbal and played standing up.
He was great.
There were 3 in the band in silhouette in this white light shoebox of a stage. The girl in the middle on guitar was as high as her guitar was wide in her hands.They were mezmerizing.

After they played, I still didn't see Mark so I went back to the stairs to see if the man with the guest list was there. He wasn't there but reclining on the stairs - pretty much glowing because he was all in white, white t-shirt, white jeans, white blond hair - was Billy Idol.
I asked him, "Billy, have you seen Mark?"
He said, "No. I haven't."
The bloke with the guest list came over, checked the list and saw Mark wasn't there yet.

Billy pointed to a person standing right next to me in the dark corner. I hadn't noticed him. He was ever so sweet. Only as tall as me (5'4) wearing black jeans, black t-shirt but this terrible (I thought) black pudding bowl haircut. He looked so nervous, bless him. He couldn't stand still like he was on a stationary treadmill. I immediately assumed that with that hair, this had to be his first time at a punk club and Billy was trying to make him feel at home so I joined in. I liked being a punk. I thought everyone should come and see all these bands and dress up etc. It was fun. Some people think punks were angry and rude, but we weren't. We were all very in this together. The more the merrier.

Billy said, "have you met Keith Moon?"
"No," I said. "what a nice name. Moon. Is that your real name?"
He looked a bit surprised and said, "It's my real name, why would I have made it up?"
I thought he should be in the know so I told him, "noone uses their real name these days. We all make them up. You know, Johnny Rotten, Rat Scabies, Captain Sensible. Billy here. Billy's not really Billy Idol are you Billy? Tell him your real name."
Billy says, "it's William Broad."
The new boy joked, "ha ha ha if you were called Arthur you would be A Broad." I thought that was funny.
He asked me my name. It was noisy now and he heard me say my name was Daisy Human which it isn't but I thought was funny too, I liked this lad. He was trying. And I couldn't get over what a lovely name Moon was. "My mum's favourite song is Blue Moon, do you know that song? Have you ever heard it by Elvis Presley?" and just as I said that, Danny Baker announced over the microphone, "Ladies and Gentlemen, Elvis Presley has left the planet."
I gasped.
"Elvis Presley died?"
I didn't know what to feel.
I may have gone into shock.
Maybe I was ashamed of myself.
Here I was trying to show off and give the impression that I was such a good punk (or whatever I was trying to prove) -- I couldn't believe I'd just been talking about my mother AND Elvis Presley in the VORTEX... Elvis Presley wasn't a punk... He was fat and old and wore FLARES. His wore a white suit with fringes on it. If you wanted to wear white and be cool you should look like, well, like, Billy. Surely.
I even started to cry.
Mr. Moon was very nice.
He put his arm round me and said, "don't worry, rock and roll will never die" and then he said, you might want to go to the ladies and (he pointed to my face). Let me get you a drink."

In the ladies I saw my mascara had streaked all over the place. Phew. Saved. I went back. He'd got me a vodka/orange. Then maybe Mark showed up. We watched I think the Jam might have played later on. I think I saw Paul Weller or Bruce Foxton in the back room. Maybe there was another stage back there and the Jam played in there. I don't remember. Anyway …. The next day….

The rest of the night Elvis Died story...

So the next morning, I get on the bus, upstairs, and there's a lot of traffic.
The bus gets to the top of the hill and it can't go any further.
The two old ladies in the seat in front of me are like Monty Python characters.
One says to the other, "oooer, the golf course [at the bottom of the hill] is flooded, we'll not get through to the shops, look at all the rain" and the other lady says, "it's the angels crying for Elvis, innit."
We all have to get off the bus.
Go home.

NEXT NIGHT, I'm on my way to some gig or other and there's this Big brick wall somewhere along the route and there's these HUGE letters - someone must have needed a ladder - it says ELVIS LIVES ON IN OUR HEARTS. Amazing to see.
Especially with all that rain. Must have been oil paint.
BIG WHITE LETTERS as high as your garage door.
A couple of weeks later, a giraffe at London Zoo gives birth.
Ah look at the little Giraffe.
They call him Victor.
Next night on the news, uh oh, victor is a bit stumbly.
A couple of days, is it a few weeks maybe,(?) I forget but anyway, (children look away) Victor dies.
And the next time I bus by the wall Elvis is crossed out with one great big diagonal white line and someone has painted VICTOR so it now reads: VICTOR LIVES ON IN OUR HEARTS.
A few weeks go by. Groucho Marx died and Victor is crossed out and above Victor, was painted GROUCHO, so it now read GROUCHO LIVES ON IN OUR HEARTS.

It was December when I went up the bus stairs on the way to see somebody good. By this time I'd been going out with Mark Perry and he was saying, bloody hell everyone looks the same, everyone's wearing the same stuff, people aren't looking different anymore, and as I came up the stairs I remember thinking, yeah - look at this lot. All the seats were taken, everyone was reading the NME (music paper) and they were all wearing black blazers, skinny ties and as we came round the corner, I looked at the wall and there was a new name. KEEF.
I gasped.
“Keith Richards died?”
"naaah" says some lad, looking up from his paper.
“KEITH MOON.”
I'm like, - where have I heard that name before?
I ask “Who's Keith Moon?”
His friend said, "Only the greatest rock and roll drummer in the whole world, that's who"
I'm like, “what band is he in?”
(I swear to God, I didn't know.)
Someone said, “The Who”
I immediately heard his voice: "Don't worry - Rock and roll will never die"
And I sat down.

The Pop Group 2010 - tour dates announced

2010-08-23T20:06:00.001-07:00

How tres fantastique for Paris, molto bene for Turin and Jolly Lucky for Londoners that The Pop Group will be playing a few shows in September.

Patti Smith 1976 live

2010-08-23T15:40:00.001-07:00

did you know Redondo Beach was a beach where women love other women? News to me. Love this song:

Peter Laughner: August 22, 1952 – June 22, 1977

2010-08-22T20:28:00.000-07:00

Peter Laughner was a founding member of Pere Ubu. One of my favourite bands of all time.
I never met Peter Laughner. He died of acute pancreatitis brought on by drinking and drugging. I understand that this song may have been recorded a few nights before he died.

You can get more guitar tuning assistance from myspace.com/peterlaughner.

Sylvia Plath was never too good at math

A A A E
But they tell me that she finished at the head of her class

C#m C#m
And if she lost any virginity

B B
She didn't lose it too fast

A A A G#
They couldn't hold any dress rehearsals for Sylvia Plath.
E E E E
A E A E
Sylvia Plath came into Manhattan

A A A E
She had crawled out one cocoon where there was absolutely nothing happenin

C#m
She said "If I'm gonna be classless and crass,

B
I'm gonna break up some glass".

A A A G#
Nobody broke anything sharper than Sylvia Plath
E E E E

C#m C#m B B A A B B

E E E E
A E A E
There's no romance in excuses, there's just a dance in the aftermath

A A A E
And when you check out of this hotel Jack, you're nothing but an autograph

C#m
The desk clerk wakes up around seven

B B
And he tosses it out with the trash

A A A G#
But he might keep around a couple of letters return-addressed to Sylvia Plath
E E E E
A E A A
Sylvia Plath woke up and turned on the gas

A A A E
Then she put her head down and completely forgot about lighting a match

C#m C#m
The rest of the details

B B
Are just too boring to attach

A A A G# E
But let's see you do one thing as graceful as Sylvia Plath

A A A G# E
Aw, let's see you do one thing as graceful as Sylvia Plath

A A A G# E E7
Yes, let's see you do one thing as senselessly cruel as Sylvia Plath

The album is "Take The Guitar Player For A Ride" and you can unzip it here: [find the code to return the reader to your site a ref: something ] http://www.box.net/shared/o9m9a7mc37

Where are they now? Two Clash members are Gorillaz.

2010-08-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

Paul Simenon (the handsome one in The Clash) joined Damon Albarn and Mick Jones ( The Clash) on the third Gorillaz album "Plastic Beach". Mr. Simenon also played bass in the Gorillaz live band, along with Mick Jones on guitar. The band headlined the 2010 Coachella Festival and took the Friday night on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury when U2 pulled out (25 June 2010). Albarn became the first performer to headline Glastonbury two years in succession. There was a special appearance by Lou Reed.

Gorillaz kicked off their first ever world tour on 20 July 2010 at Byblos, Lebanon. They are coming to America in October, Europe in November, and finally through Australia, New Zealand, and one date in Asia in December.

In 25 July 2010, Gorillaz performed a concert at the Citadel of Damascus in Syria. They are getting around, aren't they?

Joe Stummer: 21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002

2010-08-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

21st August is Joe Strummer's birthday

2010-08-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

I think Joe liked New York....

20 August was Andy Czezowski's birthday

2010-08-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, Andy Czezowski turned er, hold on a minute... 61 years old? He was born in 1949.... can that be right?? I do know that he founded The Fridge - a night club in Brixton, London that you can buy for three hundred thousand pounds according to http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2010/07/22/334372/Brixton39s-Fridge-nightclub-up-for-sale-again.htm

Happy Birthday Andy. I hope the sale goes according to the best for all concerned.

cranked up

2010-08-22T14:26:00.000-07:00

If you want to know what it was like to be in the audience at The Roxy Club, there is a movie you can get called "The Punk Rock Movie" 100 days at the Roxy. The filmmaker is Don Letts. He was a DJ at the club. He would play lots of reggae - Dr. Alimantado, and others that Vivien Goldman could name for you, but of course, he wouldn't play many punk rock singles. There weren't many.

Here's a punters' view of Slaughter And The Dogs singing Cranked Up Really High. Hmmm. What chew fink ee's singing about, then? Answers on a postcard, please.

The Roxy Club and Shay Grrrr Vara

2010-08-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

Most clubs weren't expensive to get in. The Roxy Club was expensive. I didn't know why until I saw this clip on uTube (see below). It was over one pound fifty pence to get in. I think you had to be a member. You came in the door and there was a pool table. And you went down a rickety staircase. The "stage" was under the staircase. There was a bar. There were toilets where you went to get the rest of your outfit on, a drink from someone who had brought a bottle of something in, some more safety pins pinned in your outfit, more eyeliner, a haircut like one of the punters if you didn't like yours, and later on in the evening a dunking in a sink for a coating of sugar water on your mohican to stop it falling over. You might even spend a penny. Apparently the "tired" people sleeping on the floor had bought heroin in there. I had no idea. I heard a welsh accent once and assumed they were tired from their train trip to London. You might be able to use to the loo but you might not because people might be shagging in there. I always thought the worst bit was when Don Letts got this really bright spotlight and shined it into the crowd. He was the DJ. I found out later, of course, that he was filming. But it was a bit bright for me. History buffs might like to know that The Roxy was in the same space as an underground (literally) gay (remember when being gay was something secret?) disco with a name that sounded like Shag A Rama's that was a play on the name Che Gerr Vara who was that handsome Cuban bloke on a t-shirt that you could buy in the hippie market bit of High Street Kensington. I didn't know who he was. But I knew he was a revolutionary. Punks liked revolutionaries. Revolutions. Not wearing flares was being revolutionary. Patti Smith sang about revolutions. Revolooooootions. oops. I digress. Here is Andy, the owner of The Roxy:

The Cramps play on The Tube in London

2009-02-04T19:48:00.000-08:00

What's Inside A Girl

The Cramps playing on The Tube in London

2009-02-04T19:47:00.000-08:00

Long Live Lux Interior's memory.

2009-02-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

Lux Interior was the lead singer of The Cramps.
He was allowed past the velvet rope to Heaven today.

see: www.worldsasmess.blogspot.com

more Pop Group - October 1978 Melody Maker

2009-02-04T19:22:00.001-08:00

Ubu - October 1978

2009-02-04T19:17:00.001-08:00

Pop Group Article from Sounds 1978

2009-02-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

for part two - see below:

pop group - sounds

2009-02-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

Pop Group - Sounds Article

2009-02-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

today is John Lydon's birthday

2009-01-31T20:46:00.000-08:00

Mr. Lydon is 53 years old today.
Long may he live and love.

No spitting, please.

July 1978 - Neil Young news

2009-01-31T20:22:00.000-08:00

Not sure what to tell you here.

Could I live on a desert island without Neil Young.
Probably not.

July 1978 - Clash Aylesbury

2009-01-31T20:04:00.000-08:00

It's July 1978.
And the Damned have split up already and I'm just leaving school for crying out loud.
Gary Bushnell from Sounds went to Aylesbury to see The Clash play on the same bill as The Specials.

When you look at a map of the UK, you will notice that Aylesbury is not that far from London but when you come from a tiny country - you drive 300 miles across it you are in the sea - Aylesbury seems miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiles away.
So I didn't go.
I didnt know anyone going, either.
But by this point I didn't want to stand in a gob rainstorm.
You might have liked it.

july 1978 - Petty info

2009-01-31T19:42:00.000-08:00

Punk wasn't neatly filling the charts each week.
It wasn't punk all day on the radio because that was all there was.
There was still disco and a bit of left over glitter and tartan from the six formers who went before.
When we went to the gigs, we went for the punk band and heaven forbid if there was a band on the same bill who wore flares and played guitar solos.
You would see the punks down the front walking back and forth with their fingers on their ears saying, "you're shit".
I didn't listen to anyone who wore flares. In fact, it wasn't til 1988 when I was in a car on my way to Cleveland Ohio (don't ask) and some catchy little tune comes on the radio and I'm like, "oh, this sounds pretty good. Don't you think this is interesting?" Driver tuts: "this is Kashmir". And because he could see I thought that was the name of the band -- he said, "Led Zeppelin."
It was an old instinct that made me put my fingers up to my ears but I listened.
It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.
Went on a bit long.
So look. I can't tell you anything about Tom Petty.
He wore flares. He went on tour with Bob Dylan at some point. You might like him.

Summer 1978 - Bowie at Earl's Court (Jon Savage review)

2009-01-31T18:57:00.001-08:00

*see below

It was a warm night. I remember the second the lights went out, John went hurdling over the chairs and magically Chris and I did the same and in some amazing way, we came to land in the front row. The adrenelin made me feel I was in the Olympics or something. It felt effortless.
It was strange that the previous Bowie concert we'd been too was rows and rows of people imitating Bowie wearing glittery stuff. We were there in our punk kit. I remember I was in my favourite pink mohair. The opening was a rush. I still love that song Heroes. I had a funny friend who must have taken three buses to post the vinyl single through my letter box when i was at work one day. I could do without the Brecht tho. And I wouldn't dare tell you that at the time.

* last line reads: Nothing changes. Or does it? "Got to keep searching and searching and what will I believe in?" Whatever that will be, there's a feeling that it won't include many more live performances, though certain hints of limits reached and masks exhausted. Quo vadis, David Jones?

Jon Savage went on to write a "punk" book called "England's Dreaming." Not my favourite book, but you might like it.

July 1978 - WIRE

2009-01-31T18:42:00.001-08:00

You had to see Wire. They were the intelligent, art band. When I saw them first, they stood in a line and played one song after the next with few introductions in between each song. You paid attention. The band members hardly moved about at all. No pogo-ing. Which was unusual then. And because they stood still, so did the audience. We listened carefully. Their lyrics were heady and had clever subtle political overtones "I am the fly in the ointment" or maybe they were uncomfortable with love. Their songs squiggled all over your mind. It was said that the lead singer studied insects, or collected insects, I forget which but after I heard that rumour, their music would buzz inside me. Buzz around me.
The second time I saw Wire I was able to watch the crowd. The lights were low. The most handsome boys came to watch Wire.

Ron Ashton RIP

2009-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

I got this information via Stupefaction

STEVE BYRNE AND BRIAN McCOLLUM wrote this article • January 6, 2009

"Ron Asheton, the influential guitarist for legendary punk band the Stooges, was found dead early this morning at his home in Ann Arbor, police said."

Ron Asheton is quoted in the article as saying:

“When I was a young guy coming up, going to the Grande Ballroom every weekend, I got to see my heroes play. Jeff Beck, the Who, everyone. I didn't want to be a fanboy, but I'd stand there and wait — 'I just want to say hi, this was great.' I saw them walk by me with blank stares like they were zombies. I said to myself, you know, if I ever make it, I've got at least one minute for everybody who wants to say something. So I talk to people, and that's what's exciting now."

That was so true of the spirt of punk rock. The bands all talked to you.

Here's the rest of the article:

Ann Arbor Police Sgt. Brad Hill said the department received a call around midnight with a request to check on Asheton, 60, because the unidentified caller said he had not heard from the guitarist in a few days. Police went to his home and found him deceased.

The death is still under investigation, but foul play is not suspected, Hill said.

The Stooges was founded in 1967 in Ann Arbor by Iggy Pop, Asheton and Ron Asheton’s brother, Scott. It is among the most important rock groups to have emerged from the Detroit area, a place that’s seen more than its share. The band was never a commercial success in its late 1960s and early ‘70s heyday, but the Stooges’ raw guttural sound helped create the template for punk rock, and later became hugely influential in the alternative-rock revolution of the late 1980s and early ‘90s.

Asheton was not an incredibly gifted player technically, but the dirgy, guttural sounds he created on early Stooges classics like “I Wanna Be Your Dog” were cited by guitarists as varied as Kurt Cobain, Thurston Moore and Jack White — who once called the Stooges’ 1969 effort “Fun House” the greatest rock album of all time. In a 2003 list by Rolling Stone magazine, the publication named Asheton the 29th-greatest rock guitarist of all time.

He made the “Stooges' music reek like a puddle of week-old biker sweat. He favored black leather and German iron crosses onstage, and he never let not really knowing how to play get in the way of a big, ugly feedback solo,” the magazine said.

Though the band broke up in the 1970s among a swirl of infighting and drugs, its influence among later generations of rockers helped spurn a series of reunion shows in 2003 — including a legendary August gig at DTE Energy Music Theatre. A near fanatical reception to the reformation spawned a new album, “The Weirdness,” and a second tour in 2007.

The Stooges were among the nominees for this year’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony, with the inductees expected to be announced this month.

In a 2003 interview with the Free Press, Asheton said the Stooges’ reunion was very important to him, and that he got great satisfaction from the recognition the band received — even if it was a long time coming.

Von Bondies guitarist Jason Stollsteimer, 30, is among a younger generation of rock musicians who soaked up Asheton's influence. Asheton's playing was the embodiment of the Michigan rock sound, he said.

"To me, he was the epitome of raw punk," said Stollsteimer. "He wasn't flashy or over the top. It was raw. The riffs he wrote stood the test of time."
Stollsteimer's band opened for the Stooges at their 2003 reunion show at DTE Energy Music Theatre. It was a triumphant comeback that saw the Stooges treated with a level of attention and respect they'd never previously enjoyed.

"He was like a kid ina candy store, just so excited," Stollsteimer recalled of that night. "He wasn't afraid to show it. Some people are too cool, but he was obviously very happy and proud."
http://www.freep.com/article/20090106/ENT04/90106024

steve jones and paul cook used to live at 6 Denmark Street

2009-01-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

july 1977

2009-01-04T20:26:00.000-08:00

Here's some early footage of The Sex Pistols in Sweden found on you tube. There's some better ones, but i like this one because Johnny dances and Sid snears and smiles. And Steve Jones looks great in a raincoat.

Talent Search December 1977

2009-01-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

Well look at that - if you were in Liverpool in January and you were "new talent" Stiff Records was looking for you. There was always that possibility. Your friends would be in a band and you knew that record companies were coming to see them. The A&R geezers were pretty obvious, too. They would have long hair and look nervous.
One night an A&R guy said to me, "if you dance, I'll sign them," and he wasn't kidding.
I was told that A&R people had a quota to fill.
But you could have done that job. It was easy to see who was popular and who wasn't.
There was a very strong reaction to bands back then. If you didn't like the band, you sat down. If, heaven forbid, they wore flared trousers, we would go down the front and stand there with our fingers in our ears mouthing, "you're shit" and "get off" and stuff like that. If we liked the band we were all over the floor like bargain hunters in a sale.

The films mentioned at Covent Garden's film club are probably on you tube. i'll go and have a scout around.

I can't imagine any of my friends back then being interested in the fact that George Harrison played at his local pub...

The Clash at the Rainbow Dec 1977

2009-01-02T20:32:00.000-08:00

test: CLASH reviews.

december 1977

2009-01-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

The week before Christmas, 1977:

I had a friend at Brunel University and he tipped me off the The Sex Pistols were going to play so I got the 207 bus to Uxbridge and met him in the bar. This article tells of the mayhem outside when the University organizers stupidly kept the doors to the Students Union hall shut - put up a sign SOLD OUT and had everyone wait. And wait. .
It was only when I left that I saw all the shattered glass and this article explains that the crowd got fed up waiting and someone broke into the college by breaking a window and climbing in. They found themselves in the toilets.
The students Union person also did a stupid thing by asking everyone outside with a ticket to hold them up in the air so they could see who to let in when the doors opened. That was stupid because people who didn't have tickets grabbed them off the others.
BOooooo!
The gig was great. Johnny Rotten kept telling the crowd they were too laid back. Some kids built a human pyramid in the middle of the crowd. That was funny. And they played all our favourites.

On the Tuesday before Christmas, the Clash played at the Rainbow.
This was a seated gig which was better than the stand anywhere gigs and I'll tell you why. I didn't have, nor would I have worn a leather jacket.
I wore a pink mohair sweater and I liked to stand at the front.
At the Roundhouse (a stand anywhere gig) when The Clash came on, you heard a lot of fans clearing their throats and then it just rained gob.
It was DISGUSTING. I went to the bathrooms to try and get it out but from then on I had to stand at the back or along the wall. The floor got really gunky. I won't go on about it. Needless to say, that sweater had to dry out on a radiator and go to the cleaners.

The Melody Maker has two reviews here. One tells of the security holding a fan back and The Clash saying, "no let him go" and then the fan sang "White Riot". The other review tells of the wait. It's true. They didn't go on til after 10 o'clock which is a bit annoying if you were getting a train home. The underground (subway) trains stopped before midnight and then you would have to get a bus. And Finsbury Park (where The Rainbow was) was miles from everyone. I lived in Ealing then and it took forever to get home.

Then we went Christmas shopping.
If you wanted to buy your boyfriend a record, this was your choice.

You could buy records in Woolworths, or you could go to OUR PRICE records.

saturday

2009-01-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

You could get the music papers ALL OVER THE UK. So everyone knew where everyone was playing just by looking at a few pages in the press each week.
See towards the bottom left - Dr Feelgood was playing in Southend with Mink DeVille.
I was at that gig. I'm trying to remember who drove me there. We even went in to see the first band which wasn't really what you were supposed to do. You were supposed to stay in the bar till the main band came on. I remember Willie De Ville wore purple satin. We stood at the back.
But for Dr Feelgood we went straight to the front.
WILKO was so exciting I could hardly stand it.
He would walk forwards and backwards playing his guitar and every now and then JUMP in the air - really high. It was really exciting. I couldn't take my eyes off him.

the charts - oct 22 1977

2009-01-01T12:26:00.000-08:00

in those days we waited for the charts. They would be announced on the radio at lunchtime on tuesdays and the DJ would play the top twenty in order. We would listen at school. If you wanted them in print you had to get the NME or the Melody Maker.
Here are the top selling singles in the week of October 22, 1977.
As you can see HOLIDAY IN THE SUN by THE SEX PISTOLS is a new entry at number 24, just below NAME OF THE GAME by Abba.
The number in brackets is where the record was last week in the charts so if there is a dash in the brackets, it's a new entry.
As you can see you could be dancing to Donna Summer one minute and pogo-ing up and down the next.
Kept you fit.

pop group

2009-01-01T08:16:00.000-08:00