Chuck Berry goes beyond the velvet rope ... RIP

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/chuck_berry_reviews_sex_pistols_talking_heads_clash_and_many_more_1980

memories are made of this ...

THIS IS NOT THIS HEAT Barbican 3.4.2017

Left stunningly euphoric after the rock and roll at the Barbican last night [cough] ... in three parts. Charles Hayward's solo performance piece wholly present and moving... A film from 1987 by John Smith called The Black Tower (could have been made yesterday) ... An interval ... during which the young lady next to me told me she'd been given this random ticket by her dad - a psychiatric nurse - sitting down below us ... he'd been on a road trip during the day with friends (also here) to Canterbury and Dungeness and she mentioned Derek Jarman's garden.
And I mention our conversation because the landscape of Dungeness and the water rolling the flint and the strange sea cabbages and the nuclear power station that throbs like a fridge making ice isn't far off the landscape that invaded the sound energy from the stage when This is Not This Heat got going...
Especially "Not Waving"... the bell... the swimmer out at sea... was the lifeboat out looking? ... sounded like our swimmer wasn't hoping so... Drummer beyond compare, really, Charles Hayward and magician drummer Chris Butler along with a third percussionist, many guitars, three backing singers, a female singer who also played an instrument [i'm not sure, a synthesiser?], clarinets and i don't know what pedals and electronic bits... [I didn't catch everyone's name...] ... I couldn't stop myself being led out there beyond the mud and crocuses, cathedrals, coastline... maybe that acid I had 40 years ago is partly to blame i don't know...
Towards the end of the set, amongst the warriors on the stage... Thurston Moore...
The last song, "Go to sleep," was a beauty but it didn't come to a stop as the other pieces did ... this one kept its eyes open ... green searchlights pendulummed round and out amongst us with this crescendo that brought pilgrims to it's feet.
Afterwards somewhere in the carpeted complex that is the Barbican, walking through such a mixture of ages, and countries, and shoes, and such there was a DJ but we drifted out around the offices and lights on in London, a few sirens here and there ... saturday night... the car underground silent and lined up next to three silver Aston Martins ... drove over the black water of the Thames and looking up not stars but a hell of a lot of blues belting off towards the Kuiper belt... "Don't you love it when things come together?" We do. Thank you.

Video :  Not Waving by Nervous Ice In Cheap Cola  and SPQR by sonofanastronaut

"Danny Says" Documentary ... Now on Netflix

Iggy Pop and manager Danny Fields

photo by Danny Fields

Dee Dee Ramone photo by Danny Fields

Danny Fields

The Feelies ... new Album "In Between"

If you click here you will be transported to a page where you can read a brief interview  along with a chance to hear the new album "In Between"

Chris Spedding ...

Chris Spedding (72 years old. I can't believe it!) joined Tom Robinson on Radio 6 over the weekend. Totally recommend the show.
For the whole show click here   or for The Chris Spedding Segment click here

Chris Spedding was SUCH a generous interviewee, just as he is a generous guitar player on stage and in the recording studios. He got on great with Tom Robinson who was, of course, around punk back in the day.

You may know of Chris Spedding because he produced the Sex Pistols demo (15 May 1976).

You may also know that Chris Spedding played guitar on "Nilsson Schmilsson" with Harry Nilsson ... as well as two albums with Roxy Music, as well as touring with Roxy Music ... and John Cale ... yes!

He's also not without a sense of humour. He also recorded with The Wombles (but not in a Wombles outfit and nor did he go on Top of The Pops or any other away-day as a Womble) ...

But the reason he was involved with the Sex Pistols is that apparently Chrissy Hynde had taken him to see The Sex Pistols and he loved them.  He would hang out at The Speakeasy in London and other places and Journalists, when he said he liked the Sex Pistols told him, "Nah, they're no good" and were advising him to "Stay away from The Sex Pistols. They can't play."

But since Chris Spedding thought they were wrong, to PROOVE them wrong, Chris Spedding took our Pistols to a recording studio and made three very clear recordings of "Problems," "No Feelings" and "Pretty Vacant" - which they played on the show - making it very obvious that there was a drummer - Paul Cook - who could play ... the guitarists Matlock and Jones could play, and outside anyone who doesn't think Johnny Rotten was a perfect front man.

Then there was a rumour. That it wasn't Jonesy playing guitar and people and journalists thought the guitarist was Chris Spedding. On the show he said, "I told Malcolm to put out a press release to tell people that it was really Steve Jones." But Malcolm said, "Nah."

Just recently I had the good fortune to see Chris Spedding live, twice, with The Sharks.
ON DRUMS WAS PAUL COOK ...

Here's a little bit of video:

set list

Our Hero (photo by daisy0

Letts have a Soul 45 party .... 25 February Southampton

Get your tickets here