Happy birthday Kevin Rowland

Edna O'Brien - gone beyond the velvet rope

When I worked freelance post-production, I was asked to help on Alan Yentob's IMAGINE Edna O'Brien. Everyone who was interviewed to talk about her had something to say about her wit and her courage and her passion for living, and her parties.

 I just loved her books. They fit in my pocket and went with me everywhere as a young woman leaving  home on my own, and living away from home for the first time.  

I have her books on my shelf and Country Girls, especially, brings back memories of rain on the windows of London busses. They made me feel so much braver.

Thank you, Edna O'Brien. 

RIP

I DIG -- Brian Jonestown Massacre

He was so much older then, he's younger than that now. I remember being at the CMJ show in New York. I was working at SPIN at the time and this was the first year the CMJ thing was going on. Hard to believe but New York had been empty of new music since the West Coast Seattle thing had taken over. I remember at the office we got a huge  pamphlet that opened out with all the venues and gigs. LOADS. And some bands were giving the journalists business cards! Strange times. 

BJM played the Mercury Lounge. One of those small bars that you could call a sweet shop from the front. You walked along wooden floorboards, thin bar area, towards these tall red velvet curtains that opened to this little square room with a low stage. The sound was always pin-drop clear. 

Brian Jonestown came on to a packed room and they kept stop/starting. Lighting cigarettes. A guy at the back of the stage getting cross from time to time. This was Anton. But they didnt stop the show. 

Maybe at the end of the second hour someone was drunk-sick near the stage and we moved back a bit and I noticed there could only have been ten people behind us, 19 max.  

I felt like I was witnessing their rehearsal and it was brilliant. Anton was shouty. They just were NOT running out of material. 

Someone told me James Brown was particular like this. You just knew he was, well off his head but lemme tell you he shared the other planet he was on. That's where I went. Never forgot it.

This is from DIG, the documentary. This is when they got to Cleveland, Ohio. 

1981 - flyer - Birmingham Odeon Gang of Four played with Pere Ubu and Delta 5 / Bow Wow Wow also played. Lovely photo of Annabella

 

Phoebe New York - street art - found in Brick Lane London

 First saw Phoebe's work in New York along Bleeker Street, and one wet and rainy day I found that they slid off the lamppost quite easily and came home with me.  I went to an exhibition of her work on the Lower East Side to learn that the artist's name is Libby Schoettle.  You can see more of her work on Libby's website

This one was found during Lockdown -- i would go to Brick Lane to get a bagel since it was open 24 hours - and I missed New York. I wandered around and there was Phoebe! 

Wayne Kramer with Pere Ubu. RIP Wayne Kramer

Wayne Kramer has passed peacefully. 

How amazing that he got sober, married his beloved Margaret, started a family and did so much for the American wing of Jail Giutar Doors (Billy Bragg does similar in the UK). 

He played with my beloved Pere Ubu, and it was recorded. 

https://pereubu.bandcamp.com/album/mubuc5-pere-ubu-featuring-wayne-kramer?fbclid=IwAR2ccgfqJejIlZ8mwH_CDFm-gNWY5C4ugYs6f_Ezbe2ZRxT3qiSPOZncBGc 

 

Recorded at the Knitting Factory September 13 1998

Richard Lloyd from Television -- talking about his rock and roll life

 

It's 5am. i am warm in bed on this February Monday. I'm listening to him and suddenly remembered going to see Television and being in the bar upstairs afterwards and he was there. I asked him to sign my ticket and he did. So long ago ... he has a great book and a lot of this interview is in the book. 

 At around 7mins he hears The Voice that tells him "you need to play a melody instrument." He puts the drumsticks down.  But i wont spoil it. Here's the book -