Never mind the trossachs…It was an early start on Thursday and everything went according to the open-ended plan. Arriving at the Centralen just a smidge past 1pm, I had just texted
(people who know me will be sniggering now) Qina as she was walking toward me. This gal is so organised she’d even found the time to collect
Ollekarlsson earlier that morning.
So from there we headed for Björkhagen station and a spot of orienteering around the woods in that hood. Absolutely beautiful, like the Golden Gate park crossed with the Trossachs. Qina was looking after her brother’s dog, Nemi and a more ideal place to walk (er, maybe that should read run) an animal perhaps doesn’t exist. Oh yeah, and I was charged with the responsibility of taking Ollekarlsson to Nenne, which is something of an honour that doesn’t come along every day.
Due to a hectic schedule, this was the only time I got to see Qina this trip. She was headed for the tranquility of her summer house and I was generally headed for the opposite of that which translated into a very fine time. There was a vibe of utter symmetry to the whole entchilada, to the point to being able to meet Nick at the subway station on the way to Jocke and Hanna’s where I was staying.
From there, we headed for Solna for
The Nomads show in
the park where it all began, back to the source. The great Hans Ostlund still lives in that part of the city and tonight on their own turf, the band provides an abject lesson in rock’n’roll supremecy. As you know, I can bang on about how important this combo is for hours. I even talked to a guy at the airport yesterday that said he’d check them out in light of their being responsible for The Hellacopters. The campaign never ends and never shall. A lot of old faces and family was present and it was a privilege to be there.
Nenne had turned up too and I made the safe transfer of Ollekarllson, with this guy comes great responsibility. I think he was pleased to see her. I was too. Robert Johnson introduced me to
Playboy Marse, the man who has joined
Punchdrunks and the word on the pavie is that this is perhaps the
coolest incarnation yet. Always a blast to meet up with Jens
“Ubi” Lagergren and he told me they were just about to start mixing the new Hello Saferide record due in September.
Organised by
Black Sheep, this is an annual event that encourages music in the area. The show also provided a platform for the debut public performance of
I Are Droid.So do they deliver? Do they meet the mighty criteria that their album suggests?? Could they???
Well of course, I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen an outright first show by a band before. Probably not. The sound of the PA was unfeasibly good for outdoors as The Nomads had just proven. It was loud and very clear, something that isn’t always in evidence.
And well. In answer to that last slew of questions, yes they do. The guys have a gig on the Friday that may determine a stratospheric rise in their combined stock. The word
“agent” is involved and my opinion of that sub species is not altogether rosy. Essentially, if any prospective booker doesn’t grab the potential from the album then perhaps they require “retraining”. It’s n
ot your average rock bluster and the show underlined that, there’s some very specific sonic alchemy at play here. My suspicions that Konie is a genius are confirmed and Peder and Frederick complete the blueprint. They should have been introduced to the crowd at Where The Action Is. Next year they deserve to be shooting up the bill. My opinion?, the Dirty Pretty Things should have been bounced to make way for them. I’m a controversial old hector innit.
So from there, some good old fashioned imbibing of alcohol in the park. Reminded me of going to see Slade and the Sleaze band in the Cally park circa 1971. Good vibes, stellar company. Alright! Saw my old pal Bengtsson too and myspace bud Janne Punk who gave me a minature of Pors Brännvin.
Next thing I recall is looking at my watch and it’s nearly 10. Time to head for Debaser and the Sakert! warm-up for Hultsfred. I’d kind of given up on seeing this in a small venue but the gods
(Martina and Mr Ulf) smiled on me and gave me another chance. My excitement was palpable, even in the event of extreme tiredness. It was an utter trip meet the Razzia’s, Martina and Daniel Ledinsky run the enterprise that brought and continue to bring us the music of Annika Norlin. I’m not entirely sure we’re worthy.
The set started way later than anticipated, part of a club night called
“Falling And Laughing”. The irony of this isn’t completely lost on me as I’ve never seen the fascination of the Postcard records phenomenon. Anyway, I digress, time lost all consequence when the curtain opened. The audience was 110% in from the start and sang every song like this was their last night on the planet. It was fairly overwhelming to be among it and there was more than a handful of times when I found that I had something in one or both of my eyes. By
“Alt Somm Är Ditt”, I was completely overcome with emulsion. Of course you know that Annika is incapable of putting a foot wrong but the band is just so damned together. No ordinary combo in any way shape or form. Their interpretations of these fine, fine songs, sung in a language I have very little command of suggest that I’m only getting a fraction of the overall effect. I’m in trouble if Nenne gets those translations together. My plan to get Sakert! To Glasgow for Celtic Connections starts here and now. World music fused with traditional folk and pop values doesn’t come any more potent than this.
I guess I was grinning like a fool when I went back to the bar. Don’t think I’ve been in greater need of a drink in living memory. It was a perfect end to as fun a day as it’s legal to have. I felt like I’d had as good a time as Kim (of M&K) has when she plays. Off the flippin’ richter scale.
Up bright and early to start again, kicking off with a groovy walk up to Bonnier Amigo to put Ulf off his work for a bit. I really began to get a hang of where I was going without having to consult a map too much. Thought about going to sound pollution but didn’t have time.
We walked to
Pet Sounds where I got the new Billie’s album and The Solution cd that came out last year. There’s a print/dvd store called
Paper Cut that’s well worth a visit if you find yourself there. Managed to look some stuff that I’ve only ever seen pictures of. Nicely curated place.
Dropped the gear at Mr U’s and headed for
Razzia for our historic lunch pow-wow. It was like one of those things that world leaders get involved in. The restaurant also served the finest Swedish meatballs I have ever had or are likely to. And I’ve had my share of those. Martina and Daniel have a very cool thing going on there and deserve to rule the world in terms of popular music and on several other fronts. It was an honour to visit the nerve centre and a pure pleasure to spend time with them over the course of the whistle stop.
Schlepped around a little more and got back to the most exclusive music listening zone in Stockholm. Nick and Eva dropped in during the evening and we were treated to a selection of the finest tuneage that has been created over the years. It wasn’t long until it was time to head for Debaser Medis, the site of the
“I Are Debut” release party. Part of the where The Action Is “weekend”. Nice joint, pretty swanky and the room was great.
Their set was delivered in no uncertain terms. Bristling with an intensity that was like Aha if they’d been imagined by Trent Reznor. I’m convinced that their racket will be reverberating through enormodomes before too long. Small venues with little in the way of blast zones need not apply. The viceral nature of what they do came across more directly than it had in the park the previous day. Playing at night with some strategic lighting suits the heights that the material scales. IAD is a full-on rock monolith in waiting.
La Puma kind of drove us out of the building and on to Broderna Olsson and Nenne left us before we rounded the night off at Pet Sounds bar. The good times were persisting and I left Nick and Eva in the little square in front of their place and trundled off toward Jocke and Hanna’s place. They were out of town but heading back on Saturday.
My tour manager called when I was on my way to Konsum. Word was that
Pascal might be playing. Turned out to be false but the prospect presented a frisson. Hooked up with Nick and Eva and went with them to pick up their son Vincent at Eva’s mums. She and Vincent had been baking
Bullar and I managed to score a bag to bring home. I should have got
Pölsa too but wasn’t sure how it would travel. And, just across the road from my friends parking garage, on a quiet street. It's possible to enter a 50's style Narnia called
Sivletto. An entire parallel universe. They do mail order too so check out their site. Nice bijou spiral staircase entry opens out into a wonderland of everything you'd need to further the lifestyle. Even a pickup truck!?
Lot of fine food on this trip and the bolgnese pizza at Elies was no exception. I’m always bemoaning the lack of decent pizza and the quality of this went some way to shut my cakehole good and prop. A huge downpour ensued and our thoughts were with those at WTAI. Cats, dogs and plenty other animals would best describe the tenor of the rain.
Having been trounced at Wii bowling by a 6 year old, Nick and I headed for
Landet to catch
The Dee Rangers at
99th Floor. They should require no introduction to regulars but I’m hoping that folks around these parts might get to see them in Edinburgh. I have to contact Mr Helsing with regard to that. Anyway, it’s a fantastic room in a place that has a kind of Maxwells (Hoboken) vibe. The band hit the stage at 10pm and proceeded to instill their distinctive beat frenzy. Jocke joined Nick and I at the bar where I noticed that you could by a cocktail called a Laura Palmer. I like the sound of that.
Good to see the
Vola girls (La Novocia and Doña Tella) there too, hopefully that particular phenomenon will be happening again soon. And not just in Sweden neither
(right Patrick?). Spent sometime gabbing outside to some very nice folks. Most of them seemed to be surprised by the fact that I’d come to see
Sakert! Mr Ericsson hailed a cab and we were soon speeding toward our final destination. The WTAI after party shindig. I met so many people there at it’s actually a blur. Mona (of
The Nagz) was there and I’d completely forgotten that she had been in Glasgow with Voladoras once. I never put two and two together even via myspace and I felt like a prize putz when the penny dropped. She’ll forgive me maybe?, my being a card-carrying member of CRS (Can’t remember shit) these days. It’s an age thing.
So I remember a few beers, lots of cool people – including Nicke and Robert Hellacopter. Always a solid gas to see those guys. When I do though, it makes me think that it should be them that enjoys the stature of something like the Foo Fighters or QotSA. The rest of the world missed the real boat again, settling for burger instead of steak that kind of thing. I’m too tired to think of a veggie equivalent. The other new Punchdrunk was in attendance and PM did me the honour of an introduction to
Maria (of
Revl9n). I also remember dancing to Sweet Jane with a very nice young lady who wouldn’t take granpaw’s puzzled looks of
“me?” for an answer. As we left, the Droid minus Konie had arrived. From there it was off into the Stockholm night in search of a cab. Soon as we got in, the cab light flashed
“game over” because that it was.
And that’s just about us. I made it to the airport in half-shut knife mode and home buzzing with the excitement of it all. As total blasts go, this was the proverbial neutron bomb.
My thanks to everyone who made it such a memorable trip, they know who they are. I hope that I can reciprocate the deluge and kindness that was bestowed down the road apiece.
July 1 - Liquid Room - Edinburgh
So let’s rewind to Thursday. My friends Valerie and Greg run Music4Games which is involved with pretty much what it sez on the packaging. They’re great kids and 150% immersed in the medium. They fixed it for me to go see the Video Games Live extravaganza in Glasgow. I’d never played a video game in my life until two weeks ago. If you read my Stockholm report then you perhaps remember that I was trounced by a 6 year old Vincent Vahlberg at Wiii (how many i’s?) Bowling. Anyway, getting the chance to hear the RSNO and choir perform the soundtrack to these alien forms (to me) seemed like a good idea.
So, Friday (the day that felt like Saturday)… back into film festival mode and an early start. How do you feel about the smell of Truffaut in the early afternoon? Well the practically full house for “The Bride Wore Black” at 2.30pm were certainly eager. It’s a pretty good period piece and said to be the kernel of the idea seed that was "Kill Bill". Tarantino apparently claims to have never seen it but what the hey. It’s these stories that give it all a little mystery. Closing the Jeanne Moreau season, it hit the spot, great Bernard Herrmann score too. Thinks were looking up as Artistic Director Hannah McGill introduced it, finally it seemed like an effort was being made.
Couple hours to kill before Werner Herzog’s “Encounters At The End Of The World” in a very wet Auld Reekie trying to keep out of the rain. So, back into the red with regard to effort, no intro, no nothing lights down and away. I like Herzog but this is too long and his dry, piss-taking style sort of started to grate. Some of the underwater photography is mind-blowing and turns out that this footage was shot by Henry Kaiser. I think it’ll look pretty good on your flat screen TV. The soundtrack is by Kaiser and David Lindley who also did “Grizzly Man”.
It's PRIMITIVE weekend in Rotterdam and I don't know if J is headed that way or not? Maybe there'll be a report if he is. But I DO know that Lenny Helsing will be performing with The Outsiders so you'll be hearing about all this one way or another. Don't let Graham Day and the Gaolers put you off, get along there if you can.
Caught a whiff of ganja on my way into Filmhouse last night... a couple obviously limbering up for the movie.
Ornette - Made In America was the first of the Shirley Clarke retrospective screenings. I’d love to see all of those but scheduling doesn’t permit it. As documents go, this is primo stuff. The free jazz aspect is one thing but there’s way more to it. Ornette Coleman is one of the few still living legends, now in his late 70’s I guess. During the film he tells us that Buckminster Fuller was his big hero. His “There is no up and down – only out!” is a credo his art has pushed the boundaries of at all times. Charles Williams of the Smithsonian talks about his “attack on the reed”. I’ve no idea who Chutney Dugan is, the name comes up in the credits, but it’s one cool moniker alright.
Next up was the international premiere of Strange Girls. I’d love to be able to tell you that I discovered some great new thing to recommend but in all honesty can’t. It’s not bad. There are echoes of Lynch and Waters but mainly it just made me want to see Eating Raoul because it’s more Bartel than anything else. The strangeness is pretty contrived but not without a certain charm in places. The security guard part (Max) would have been a great Dick Miller role. The guy who introduced the film reckoned that they’d coined the new “Under The Radar” strand to show films like this. I think this might be hovering there for a wee while yet and it registered a “meh” from where I was sitting. Would have liked to have hung around for the Q&A but it was a school night.
Remember those days of very cool label compilations? Like The Age Of Atlantic, or The Rock Machine (Turns You On) or even You Can All Join In? Well here's the 21st Century equivalent. Weighing in as a sampler and also a damn fine selection of now music (as opposed to junk like That's what I Call Cannon Fodder Vol whatever). There's A Razzia Going On Vol 1 (with Wee Vega on the front there) collects the label assets and presents their store front as it means to go on. HS needs no introduction but Adiam Dymott's "Memory Loss" is very Sparks-like and just an utterly amazing cut. I'm not sure where they find them. Tripoli's "Walk On" was another new one on me. Like Sharleen Spiteri taking some time out in the black lodge. Other faves like Firefox AK, Konie and the Droid fellas are here too. You might have missed Svenska Kürkan's "Besatt" with it's Westworld meets The Stooges skiffletronica. Well here's another crack at scoring it. Their garnering quite a stable here. All pure thoroughbred pop for every occasion.
So to the first EIFF to take place out of the context of Festival City in August. There are several opinions and counter rumours as to why this actually happened. None of which I feel like dragging through the neighborhood right now. I approached the programme this year with the outline that I wouldn't go to anything at Cineworld. First up was Louis Malle's Viva Maria. You can't go far wrong with some very safe burlesque positioned within an extended episode of "The High Chapparal" with "Wild Wild West" tendancies. The fact that Jeanne Moreau and Brigit Bardot are involved don't hurt none either. Of course, it's utter tosh but pretty good fun with the girls coming on like the Morecombe and Wise film, "The Magnificent Two" which came out around the same time as this did originally.
I hope Amy doesn't mind me swiping this picture off her site to convey that the word is out. The Wreckless (Eric)/(Amy) Rigby album will be coming your way on Stiff Records. Yes, you read that right. Back where it all began where it was semaphore signals we used, not the internut. Anyway - the full bhoona on that in due course. It's also the Grangemooth Gala Day (which means the rain won't be far away) and my mother called me last night to tell me about this. Who could have thunk it'd make the news today.
The Jadewalkers welcome Charly on keyboards....new rad addition celebrated with two free shows this weekend!
THIS SATURDAY,
Never mind the trossachs…
ot your average rock bluster and the show underlined that, there’s some very specific sonic alchemy at play here. My suspicions that Konie is a genius are confirmed and Peder and Frederick complete the blueprint. They should have been introduced to the crowd at Where The Action Is. Next year they deserve to be shooting up the bill. My opinion?, the Dirty Pretty Things should have been bounced to make way for them. I’m a controversial old hector innit.
The set started way later than anticipated, part of a club night called “Falling And Laughing”. The irony of this isn’t completely lost on me as I’ve never seen the fascination of the Postcard records phenomenon. Anyway, I digress, time lost all consequence when the curtain opened. The audience was 110% in from the start and sang every song like this was their last night on the planet. It was fairly overwhelming to be among it and there was more than a handful of times when I found that I had something in one or both of my eyes. By “Alt Somm Är Ditt”, I was completely overcome with emulsion. Of course you know that Annika is incapable of putting a foot wrong but the band is just so damned together. No ordinary combo in any way shape or form. Their interpretations of these fine, fine songs, sung in a language I have very little command of suggest that I’m only getting a fraction of the overall effect. I’m in trouble if Nenne gets those translations together. My plan to get Sakert! To Glasgow for Celtic Connections starts here and now. World music fused with traditional folk and pop values doesn’t come any more potent than this.
Dropped the gear at Mr U’s and headed for Razzia for our historic lunch pow-wow. It was like one of those things that world leaders get involved in. The restaurant also served the finest Swedish meatballs I have ever had or are likely to. And I’ve had my share of those. Martina and Daniel have a very cool thing going on there and deserve to rule the world in terms of popular music and on several other fronts. It was an honour to visit the nerve centre and a pure pleasure to spend time with them over the course of the whistle stop.
ACC: Well, for years I’ve been thinking about recording a collection of metal ballads. “Nobody’s Fool” by Cinderella is a great song. “Love Song” by Tesla is a great song. And of course, G ‘n R’s “Sweet Child Of Mine” is a terrific song; the lyrics are beautiful and I like playing the guitar solo on the accordion. And the project wouldn’t be complete without “Eat The Rich” by Motörhead, because I like swearing and cussing in songs. “Bite down on the son-of-a-bitch” !!! Yeah! I’m aware that might scare some people, an accordion-playing female singing a Lemmy song. There’s a Youtube comment about my cover of “Jet Boy Jet Girl”: “Welcome to Hell, here’s your accordion”. Ha ha!!
ACC: Have u ever had the experience of feeling like u were hallucinating while watching Alan onstage? During one of his performances I saw him transform into a kind of giant beetle creature that was encrusted with jewels. I felt like I was seeing the “real” him, that he was only masquerading as a man. That’s my word on Alan Vega! He’s a bug! 
Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. returns to the rootin' tootin' Rodeo Bar this week for more rootin' *and* more tootin'!
Spike Priggen is a guy that I’ve been meaning to hep you folks to for many weeks now. Ever since Innes Reekie sent me “There’s No Sound In Flutes" actually. With it’s Peter Bagge cover you just know that it’s gonna hit the spot. So since then I find out that Spike stayed in Edinburgh for a while in, I guess, the mid-90’s? Anyway, this fact never cut across my radar at all which is a damn shame because I feel like I really missed something.
“Stars” is comprised of cover versions and I’ve no idea what some of the originals sound like. I can’t conceive that they’re anything like this but anyway. Those that are familiar – Ward Dotson’s “Be Married Song”, Chilton’s “Nightime” and Alice’s “I’m Eighteen” aren’t just a casual run through ala tribute band. The Ramones “Questioningly” is reborn as a country standard once again underlining just how great the songs were. “Big Store” is credited to Stephen Duffy. Is that Tin Tin? I don’t recall his output sounding like this but I’ve been known to wear blinkers at inopertune times. Green Gartside’s “A Slow Soul” too… who’da thunk it?
“Flutes” is the latest release and takes its name from the infamous Buddy Rich incident. It continues the succession of sublime timeless pop that will never go out of fashion. It may not garner acres of press but when you hear something this accomplished then it makes a difference. The strings on “Hideaway” swathe Spencer’s guitar solo in a setting that just elevates the whole production, like Burt Bacharach conducting Uncle Tupelo. Elements of this remind me of the great David Scott Esq. “Everyone Loves Me But You” should be a 7” single – no question. The Skeletons do The Archies style of “Something” is another surefire hit in an alternative universe where manufactured music is outlawed. A place we’d all rather be where all the bars are like the Lakeside Lounge.
It's Friday evening and time is of the essence. Another week of graft closer to oblivion and there are several hurdles to leap en route to next week's scheduled lollygadding. It's good to glimpse a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Blimey, I nearly used a word that could have been misconstrued as a racist slur there, must be way more alert than I feel.
The most ubiquitous men in Scandanavian music make up half of I Are Droid. A bionic fusion of pre, post and prog fragments brewed cask strength.
And coming later this months, cool UK stamps for a change...
The recent posting of the Jonny Dongel video of “Sorry Simon” precipitated a goodly amount of e-mail thumbs up. Since then, Martin at Gravelsauce has sent me a copy of the album and I’m pleased to report that it’s certain to be right up the alley of NBT regulars who have been seeking solace with the recent Mats Olsson comp and beyond.
