Punk Rock Advent Calendar ... follow this link...

CLICK ON THIS LINK
http://www.punk-christmas.com/ 
and then click on the date for your free punk rock tune for the day!

22 December ... Joe Strummer "Greed, it ain't going nowhere."

“And so now I'd like to say - people can change anything they want to. And that means everything in the world. People are running about following their little tracks - I am one of them. But we've all got to stop just following our own little mouse trail. People can do anything - this is something that I'm beginning to learn. People are out there doing bad things to each other. That's because they've been dehumanised. It's time to take the humanity back into the center of the ring and follow that for a time. Greed, it ain't going anywhere. They should have that in a big billboard across Times Square. Without people you're nothing. That's my spiel.” ― Joe Strummer

Paul Simenon

Book Launch "The Punk of Dyslexia" By Steve Mick at Rough Trade West

Steve Micalef read from his book of poems at Rough Trade West record shop. 

The book was written this year about the ten months that he spent writing with Mark P for Sniffin' Glue Fanzine (August 76 to May 77) under the name Steve Mick. 

The poems are reproduced in Steve's handwriting which will be familiar (a transcript is provided opposite in case you can't decipher it). 

The book is a LIMITED EDITION of 500 and each copy is hand-numbered. 
We saw

John Tiberi (photographer) left: Manny (right) 

Richard Cabot (right)

Jane Palm-Gold

better shot of her fabulous outfit

More information in case you are out of town and want to order the book here: 

https://www.roughtrade.com/events/steve-micalef-aka-steve-mick-poetry-reading-signing

Amy Rigby (Assisted by Wreckless Eric) at the Apple Tree

What a brilliant early Christmas present... Amy Rigby on tour in the UK.
Wreckless Eric (her husband) played bass and what I liked about that was he didn't play in the background in any tip-toe kind of gentle way. He came up front and gave the songs warmth and power.

It was a cosy little room near Exmouth Market in London. The crowd gave the two a very warm reception and we were given such a lovely set... Funny, heartfelt, real-life songs...  John Perry from The Only Ones happened to be standing near me at the bar and said afterwards he found himself laughing and then being taken to the brink of tears which you have to admit tells you the high quality of her talent.  Some of the songs played that night were...

Eric is surprised to meet John Perry (Only Ones)

photo Nick West

We spotted Nick Tesco from The Members in the audience with his lovely partner Francesca (who can knock out a characture in minutes) and when Wreckless Eric stood in for the photo here a few people thought, hmm... that would be an interesting band for Amy... after all those guys know three chords (at LEAST!)

Francesca's drawing

Best dressed punters... Lloyd and Ali Rawlings

The Unreliable Witnesses and Vic Godard and the Subway Sect play The Water Rats 9 Dec

 The Unreliable Witness
photo Tonje Cecilie Tainsh

Water Rats
Kings Cross London.
Friday 9 December

It wasn't cold out. Took the 17 bus down to King's Cross. DJ Sue welcomed everyone in to the room with every song she played. The sound was perfect. The lights were groovy.  The merch was groovy.

Sheila took this photo

There were three bands. The first band was The Unreliable Witnesses. They were very interesting, upbeat ... a three-piece cover band with a difference. They had Cos Chapman on guitar - but he didn't just strum, he scraped and tapped with a drumstick... and Miss Demeanour played bass, but not a walking beat and humming, steam-heat radiator, heartbeat throbbing bass and the front man ____ [name check] read out songs:

They never "sing" the same song twice so each set is unique.

They had a special guest for one number who looked the spitting image of Vic Godard but he was called to the stage by the name Kew-C.

And they did a Christmas song.


The third band up was indeed Vic Godard, with Dave Morgan on drums and Mark Brady on guitar. The keyboard/guitarist was ____ [name].

It wasn't a typical Vic Godard and the Subway Sect set. It was a bit of poetry here, a bit of jamming behind Vic as he sorted papers and picked a poem or a song at random. There were some covers and no set list to pinch at the end.

A fabulous version of Waiting For My Man was pretty masterful...

DJ Sue 
17 December - Dragon Bar, Hastings, 8.30-11.30pm, FREE 
18 December - The Enterprise, Camden, 7.00pm-midnight, FREE
19 December - Shoreditch Radio Show, 6-8pm
20 December - Joe's, 10pm-3am, FREE before 11pm then £3
22 December - The Strongroom, Shoreditch, 7pm-1am
27 December - Joe's, 10pm-3am, FREE before 11pm then £3
29 December - Camden Head, 10pm-2am, FREE 
31 December - Howling Hops, 9pm-2am, FREE: New Year's Eve Party

Chalkie Davies has beautiful prints for sale - and not expensive

Chalkie Davies was a staff photographer at the NME from 1975-1979. In 1980 he helped launch THE FACE magazine. His photos are the ones you like on record covers by David Bowie, Elvis Costello, The Specials, The Pretenders and Thin Lizzy. And these beautiful shots are available for not too expensive. I won't put the price here incase you want to buy them for a present. 

http://enormousart.com/product-category/artists-a-z/d-artists-a-z/davies-chalkie/

16 December Rough Trade WEST Book Launch for The Punk Kings of Dyslexia by Steve Micalef

6pm Start (sharp)  6:30pm Finish.  Free Entry. 
Rough Trade WEST is at:
130 Talbot Road, London W11 1JA 

The book is a book of poems written this year about the 10 months that Steve Mick (real name Micalef) spent writing with Mark P for Sniffin' Glue Fanzine (August 76 to May 77). The poems are reproduced in Steve's handwriting which will be familiar (a transcript is provided opposite in case you can't decipher it). 

LIMITED EDITION of 500 and each copy is hand-numbered. 

(This event is recommended by Mark P who is unable to be at the event)

More information in case you are out of town and want to order the book here: 
https://www.roughtrade.com/events/steve-micalef-aka-steve-mick-poetry-reading-signing

Lydia Lunch UK tour RETROVIRUS

Lydia Lunch is in the UK. Her tour is called RETROVIRUS and she's on fire. She's got Bob Bert from Sonic Youth on drums. Tim Dahl on bass and Weasel Walter on guitar.

A young Lydia Lunch came to UK with her band Teenage Jesus and the Jerks in 1977. I swear she played the Vortex the night Elvis Presley died. I remember her in the shoebox of white light that was the stage there, in silouhette, with Bradley Fields on one drum and one cymbal to her right, playing standing up, and the guitarist to her left. Unforgettable.

One of my favourite songs of all time is Final Solution by Pere Ubu. Here's her cover of it:

For more songs and info - this is the link for Lydia Lunch's Official site

For tickets and ... if you see me on the road trip, say hello
http://www.songkick.com/artists/23742-lydia-lunch

Joe Strummer Blue Plaque unveiling 1.01pm - 7 December 2016

Seymour Housing Co-Op is unveiling a blue plaque at the former squat location where Clash singer Joe Stummer lived from 1978 to 1979 The Unveiling will take place at 1.01 on Wednesday December 7, 2016 which will mark the anniversary of the release of The Clash single "LONDON CALLING" a week ahead of the actual release date which was in fact December 14th, 1979.