More pictures here and here.

Just got the Wanda Jackson album "Heart Trouble" which includes Dave Alvin and also Lux and Ivy of The Cramps. Sympathy have a vinyl edition of it on the skelp also. You need it. Hearing Ivy's guitar on the version of "Funnel of Love" almost makes me forget that travesty known as "Fiends of Dope Island".

It's been a rough and tumble old week. The Spit and Polish Tour is underway and Amy's Allison and Rigby along with Neil Cleary and Mark Spencer have been bogged down with all kindsa crap. We've been trying to ease the pain but lessons have been learned folks. I'll expand on all that in due course after we get back from the London show tomorrow (Monday). Special agent David Scott is now accompanying the posse and Cap'n Jon Graboff of Special Forces have been drafted in. How do you educate people who will pay money to see shysters like Ryan Adams that they're just plain wrong? I'm not sure but I sure as hell ain't about to give up trying. Remember that old New Math chestnut "Die Trying"? Well if that's what it takes...

I generally hate and almost never open blanket e-mail but for some reason I opened this one and found it vaguely appropriate... it might make you smirk too, who the heck knows...
"It's the Spring of 1957 and Bobby goes to pick up his date. He's a pretty hip guy with his own car. When he goes to the front door, the
girl's father answers and invites him in."Carrie's not ready yet, so why don't you have a seat?", he says. Carries father asks Bobby what they're planning to do. Bobby replies politely that they will probably just go to the soda shop or a movie. Carries father responds, "Why don't you two go out and screw? I hear all the kids are doing it." Naturally this comes as quite a surprise to Bobby so he asks Carries dad
to repeat it. "Yeah" says Carrie's father, "Carrie really likes to screw; she'll screw all night if we let her!" Well, Bobby doesn't quite know what to think, but his plan for the evening is beginning to look pretty good. A few minutes later, Carrie comes downstairs in her little poodle skirt and announces that she is ready to go. Almost breathless with anticipation, Bobby escorts his date out the front door. About 20 minutes later, Carrie rushes back into the house, slams the door behind her, and screams: "Dammit Daddy! ITS CALLED THE TWIST!"

The I-94 Bar e-zine: Rock Action from Sydney, Australia, via The Bowery and the Motor City.

'In this issue of the I-94 Bar e-zine, we carry an interview with Mike Watt, formerly of the Minutemen and now of the Stooges. Mike opens up his tour scrapbook and shares what it's like to become a Stooge.

Deniz Tek of Radio Birdman previews his band's forthcoming two Australian shows and reveals a studio album and live DVD are not the only things in the pipeline. The band also has its sights firmly set on a U.S. tour.

Live, we run the rule over Killing Joke in Sydney, the Celibate Rifles, the Re-mains, the Volts, Penny Ikinger, Pubert Brown Fridge Occurrence and Ian Rilen.

On disc, we review discs by Iggy Pop, Pubert Brown Fridge Occurrence, Starky, Adam West, Cowboys from Outer Space, the Royal Dave Graney Show,
Bouchard, Dunway & Smith, Alice Cooper, Sunday Drunks, Michael Yonkers, Les Ecureils Qui Puent, Los Muertos Confederados and Rhino's box set "No Thanks - - the '70s Punk Rebellion".

We also have a giveaway - win a Pubert Brown Fridge Occurrence album".

http://www.i94bar.com.

This month's releases from Ace. GO!.

RIP: Claude Trenier. GO!.

Just reading Monte A Melnicks fine tome on The Ramones. A lotta warts there to be sure but let me tell you, without this guy there could have been no Ramones. As hideous a proposition as that might be - tis the fact of facts. Great "Please Kill Me" style format, even better cast. There are details back there on one of J's post with regard to how to get it. Typing of things Ramonic, I think I neglected to put the word out on Gary Pig's Baby Doll (not the Dee Dee song) 45 on Pop The Balloon records. It tweaks all the spots those Eastern Dark records did so whattayou waitin' for? E-mail: manuel campos@wanadoo.fr for availability details.

8 inch lathe cut records anyone? Snazzy lookin' things which sound different everytime you play them. Manufactured in New Zealand for a UK label, Heliotone. Investigate.

"Ronnie Dawson Tribute/Benefit Weekend Scheduled for November 21, 22 and 24

Get Ready to Support a Good Cause! The weekend of November 21 - 24 will see a trio of Ronnie Dawson Tribute / Benefits in the New York area. These events will honor the late great rockabilly singer and Wonderful Human Being ... RONNIE DAWSON, who passed away last month of cancer. (All proceeds will be donated to Ronnie's Family)

Friday Nov. 21st - Ronnie Dawson Tribute/Benefit Record Hop @ Motor City Bar located at 127 Ludlow Street (off Houston Street) in New York City. Tel: (212) 358-1595. From 10 pm - 4 am. Six sensational DJ's playing sets of rockin'¹ music until the wee hours. No cover! -- Special Guest DJ Rob "Chop Shop" (Dallas, TX), Rex (WFMU), Rockin Daddy O (WFHU) Jumpin' Joe Doto, Nick at Night, and Wolfman Josh. Raffles and Cool Prizes! Come on down and "Buy Ronnie a Drink!"

Sat. Nov. 22nd - Ronnie Dawson Tribute/Benefit Show @ Union Pool located at 484 Union Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. Phone: (71 609-0484. From 5pm til 12 am. Admission is $10. Eight bands including several who played with Ronnie, BBQ, Raffles with Cool Prizes! Featuring: The A-Bones, The Frantic Flattops, King Memphis, The Painkillers (w/Mike Hendrix/Belmont Playboys) Rhythm Bound - The Memphis Morticians - The Wanda Jackson 5 - Turbo AC's Plus a Record Hop with DJs Rob "Chop Shop", Jumpin Joe Doto, Rex (WFMU), Rockin Daddy O (WFHU), Jukebox Jodi, and Dirty Dan.

Monday Nov. 24th - Special Ronnie Dawson Themed "MAD DADDY MONDAY" @ Motor City Bar located at 127 Ludlow Street (off Houston Street) in New York City. Tel: (212) 358-1595. From 10 pm to 4 am. No cover! Benefit raffle and prizes! Record Hop with DJ's Rob "Chop Shop", Matt Fiveash, Wolfman Josh, and Nick at Night

At all three nights raffles will be held to raise additional funds. Donations have been received to date from Hepcat Records, Rockabilly Barbers and Wowsville with more to be announced. Members of the Press, for additional information, contact: Larry Shell @ 973-374-8495 or lawrenceshell@comcast.net".

"Can you possibly mention that the latest Illegal Movers shite is out 'n' about (a split w/ los Coyotemen ) so the kids will see our tour dates 'n' come along to heckle us then be swept away by some real rock action. Shave off their beards and all will be well with the world........" Certainly if it benefits world peace. Go!

The Barracudas – The Troubadour, London, 19 November

True to form for the ‘Cudas, the PA broke down during the sound check and a replacement one was urgently needed a mere hour before show time. As if that was not enough, once underway the quick-fix PA began to throw out ear-splitting vocals from Mr Gluck (sans guitar, bass and drums) and which added a rather bizarre element to the evening. “Hey, it's just like the 'Cudas at the Hope 'n' Anchor all over again,” one wit was heard to say. What the hell, Robin Wills and Jeremy Gluck were in a buoyant mood and nothing was gonna stop their train, not even a dodgy sound system. Such exuberance was contagious and made for one of the most enjoyable 'Cudas gigs I have ever seen. Add to the mix a young rhythm section that had a natural flair for the 'Cudas songbook and who offered a solid platform for Robin and Jeremy to deliver their unique brand of trash. As per usual the band opened with "Grammar of Misery" but then performed an about turn and concentrated on tracks from their formative years. A state of affairs that was fine with everyone present. In other words, lots of surf and garage tunes with hardly hint of the Chris Wilson era songbook. It must be well over twenty years since “Summer Fun” and “Rendez-Vous” were last played! Heck, at the end of the set they even threw in a manic "Surfer Joe" and which Jeremy introduced as the greatest song of all time. Possibly true. With the crowd demanding more, the boys encored with "Slow Death" and then disappeared into the West London night and onto Spain for their long awaited tag-team showdown the Dictators. This was a terrific gig and one that reminded this particular punter that songs such as "Violent Times," "Somebody," and "I Can't Pretend" are musical diamonds that invite the listener to discover some damn memorable hooks even if they are hidden beneath the grime of a shagged out PA. One suspect’s that Handsome Dick Manitoba may not be the only man “with the power of the hour”.

And now, why not read Robin's comments on the show?

Got a bit sidetracked recently with one thing and another. Mostly day to day bollocks, same as everybody else but I’ve a wrong to right here. Got a package from Ms Palmyra Delran of NYC consisting of The Friggs and Booty Olympics albums and her latest six song demo. Long time NBTsters will be familiar with her work in Pink Slip Daddy alongside Ben Vaughn and some may even be hep to this stuff but just incase… All of it is top notch snotty girls in the garage rock with plenty of pure pop thrills. It doesn’t sound all “authentic” in that no-fi fashion that’s become popular. This stuff breathes real fire and recalls faves like The Fastbacks and how bad a thing can that be. The Friggs Rock Candy alb on E-vil records says it came out in 1997 anf this is the first I’ve seen it. I oughtta get a good hard kick up the arse. The Booty Olympics are of more recent vintage, "Everybody loves a sad song. Everybody's felt disappointment, heartbreak, and unrequited love. Everybody holds secret and irrational grudges, and we all need a soundtrack that's just right". Boystyle is that s/t and it came out in 2002, a little edgier than The Friggs but possessed of that similar poptastic bloodline. PD’s demo boasts 6 contagious sides and if I had a label still I’d bite her bloody hand off. Wall to wall, classic timeless gal-rock. Love Has Gone Away and Baby Should Have Known Better in particular belong on rock’n’roll radio the planet o’er. Chase this gear via Go!

More exotic Dutch "art"; Claudia Hek paints on toilet seats, record players, lamps, toasters, t-shirts and more. GO!. (Link c/o of Alexander Polaroid)

Jeez, now Don "Sea of Heartbreak" Gibson is gone.Go!

Local video artiste 'n all round nice gal Janneke Kupfer has launched a site where you can watch a bunch of her stuff includin' videos for Dutch garage bands The D-Rangers and Los Looches. GO!.

RIP: Arthur Conley.

Sunday evening, and finally some time for a short update from this end. The reshaping of HQ is (so far) a surprisingly smooth affair, so much so, that over the past couple o' weeks I've frequently wondered "hey, where's the catch?". Still far from finished, but we're gettin' there. While typin' this I'm enjoyin' the luxury of central heating for the third night in a row !. Downside has been the movin' about of my records 'n books, you hardly ever consider the sheer weight of the stuff until you have to carry it around !. I almost considered dumpin' it all and gettin' one of those handy dandy modern iPod thingies for a while!, heck, it would've saved us the trouble of gettin' an extra floor in the first place... Oh well, truth is I'm too old to ever consider down sizing the collection and walk around with all my records stuffed in a matchbox, it just wouldn't be the same.
OK, on to more important things; more new records 'n books !.
First off: Ramones' tourmanager Monte Melnick's new book on his time with the band is a must read, no two ways about it. 'On The Road With The Ramones' is a bizarre rollercoasterride thru' what must be one of the most twisted stories in r'n'r. Even for know-it-alls like myself, this throws up plenty o' new details to keep you glued to its pages from the git-go. Couple that with a plethora of previously unseen pics 'n memorabilia and you've got the ultimate Ramones bible in your hands.
It almost feels like it was a previous lifetime when I first picked up those French 70's re-prints of the original Gene Vincent footlongs in a local supermarket and got my first taste of Gene's "sweet Virginia whisper". Not sure if Norton's issues of these discs will reach your local 7-11, but by all means try to nail these platters ASAP if you're still un-acquainted to 'em, 'cause they contain information you desperately need !. 50's rockabilly hardly comes better than this.
Gearhead has a solid collection of loose ends 'n stray tunes by the New Bomb Turks available. 'Switchblade Tongues, Butterknife Brains' offers truckloads of unreleased goodies includin' no less then two Devil Dogs' covers. A DVD is in the works.
Rhino's No Thanks! 70's punk rock box-set is easily the equal of their Nuggets and/or the Loud, Fast and Out Of Control sets. A solid collection put together w/ the original focus in mind. Meanin' that you also get to hear tunes by the likes of Mink DeVille and Eddie & The Hot Rods, stuff that'll have your average Good Charlotte fan screamin' in dismay.
As for me, I could happily spend the rest of my life without ever wantin' to hear stuff like the Stranglers again, and even with some of my all-time favorite bands I'm often too familiar w/ the tunes included to still really enjoy 'em. But as a launchin pad for those lookin' for a guide into this stuff, this is really hard to fault on any level. Tho' the purist in me is somewhat infuriated 'bout the inclusion of several laterday "remixes"....
OK, there you have it. I'd better go catch some sleep before those construction workers start knockin' on our door again at 6:30 in the morning...

My buddy in SF, Brother Don Ciccone's gig reports are a wonderful thing (babies!) and I'd like to share his Simon & Garfunkel number with y'all right here...
"just got back from san jose for simon and garfunkel. sold out arena. show was ruined by idiots behind us who talked from beginning to end despite our asking them repeatedly to shut up. even when they weren't talking i couldn't get into it because i kept waiting for them to start up again. i wanted to beat their heads in. anyways...the show started with a video collage...shots of young paul & artie and all kinds of americana (including reagan!) with an instrumental version of "america" (from bookends) playing. this ended with a map showing san jose. then they came on - at about 8:30PM. simon in red long sleeve t-shirt, baggy cords and brown suede shoes and no hat. art wore jeans and t-shirt under an open shirt. and his big hair. he looked the same as ever. right off the bat they scored points for dressing as simon and garfunkel. they opened with "old friends". acoustic. beautiful.
at least what i could hear of it over the chatter going on all around. at the mcartney shows nobody - i mean nobody - said a word the whole night. this crowd was stupid from the get go. okay, then they continued on with the bookends theme ("time it was...") and then the band was there -- 7 piece, including jim keltner on drums! they had 2 guitarists - one had a white falcon and the other had a new fender electric 12 going into a blackface fender amp -- a super reverb i think. there was also a guy on fender bass, sitting on his amp. and a percussionist and a keyboard guy. they kicked ass on "hazy shade of winter". then came "i am a rock". then simon took off his acoustic 12 string (i think he played mostly maritns all night but i'm not sure). and next came "america" which was really great. garfunkel was incredible. simon seemed to enjoy himself on "at the zoo" next. then "baby driver". then garfunkel talked about their busking days in london and their friend kathy and so they did "kathy's song" which art says is simon's "most beautiful love song ever". and it really is. i forgot to mention they stopped the show for a minute to say happy birthday to garfunkel (62 i think). okay, then garf talked about how they've been friends since they were 11 yrs old. "and we started arguing when we turned 12", said simon. and they did "hey schoolgirl", their tom and jerry song from the '50's. i'd never heard it before. very everly bros. and... then..... who comes out????? THE EVERLY BROTHERS!! S & G introduce them and then clear off. they were kinda unrecognizable. don looked different and phil's gotten rather portly. but there they were -- all in black - with their black j-200's. and from the second the strummed those things -- WOW!! i mean - unmistakable!! they did "wake up little suzie". and the guitarist now had a dano baritone!! it sounded sooo great. it's obviously the sound you hear on so many country records. next they did "all i have to do is dream" and "let it be me". it was just so stunning and exciting -- i couldn't really take it in. you just wanted to hit pause and get your bearings! then simon and garfunkel came back-- (oh yeah, that's right, it's a simon and garfunkel show) and they ALL sang "bye bye love" which was phenomenal because it really sounded like doubled tracked everlys. that was something. then phil and don were off. people went nuts.
now it quieted down nicely with "scarborough fair". then "homeward bound" - a jazzy version of it, with a vince guaraldi kind of piano solo. a half-acoustic version of "sound of silence" was next (starting out acoustic and then the band kicked in). after that the lights went down and they showed clips from the graduate on the video screens and you knew what was coming, they all stood for "mrs. robinson". simon really got into playing the main riff and also that little bend he does in the middle. this one was the show stopper.
simon introduced the next one by saying that some of his '70's stuff would've made great simon and garfunkel songs. and they did "slip sliding away". nice swingin' version of it. much better than simon's. just shows you how much better those songs would've been with garfunkel.
"el condor pasa" followed and the rhythm guitarist looked like he had a tiny little 12 string on this. i thought it was a mandolin but it looked like a 12 string ukelele! sounded great. also i think this is they one they had theremin on. wow. that was a blast. i don't think i've ever actually heard a theremin on stage before. "keep the customer satisfied" was next. i hadn't heard that one since i bought the album (on 8-track!). simon then told how he wrote "only living boy in new york" when art had left for mexico to act in "catch 22". and he did a nice version of that. then garfunkel was back and he said he wished he stayed with paul long enough to be on the next one "american tune" (?) -- that stupid song from rhymin' simon that sounds like a hymn. i used to call it the benediction song. i never liked that one - altho garfunkel's choir boy voice did match it perfectly.. then they did a sprited version of "in my little town" - another one that's never been one of my favorites. but people loved it. as of course they did the next one... they traded verses on "bridge over troubled water", joining up on the "sail on silvergirl" verse. garfunkel was not as awesome on this as he's been in the past. i think maybe they lost a little tonight because they added another show the night before. i hate when they do that. you know your show is going to suffer when that happens. but it was alright. then they went off. and for the encore: "cecilia" and "the boxer". they smiled as they backed off the microphones in the "lie la lie" parts as the crowd was singing it. they went off again. came back and did a superb rendition of one of my all time faves: "the leaves that are green" at the end of which simon sang, "that's all there is". but it wasn't...there was one more: "the 59th street bridge song". and that got everyone up and... well... feeling groovy! nice show. -- dc

"Beatsville" visits the way-out world of the beatnik, circa 1959. It's a world of coffeehouses and bohemian pads, alive with poetry and jazz, populated with goatee sporting daddy-os and raven haired leotard wearing beatnik chicks, and all backed with a bongo beat guaranteed to send you into orbit. Beatsville is the first pop culture history of the beatnik. You'll be hipped to it all with an extensive visual tour of the era with record covers, books, comics, ceramics and more. Skirting around the more serious and philosophical tenants of the Beat Generation. Beatsville explores the above-ground pop culture manifestations of the beatnik... Maynard G. Krebs and Sheldon Epps, A Bucket of Blood and The Rebel Set, Like Crazy, Man and My Life and Loves in Greenwich Village, The Cool Scene and Grimm's Hip Fairy Tales. The visual tour continues with abstract splashes of paint and surreal cra-zee perspectives as we delve into the kooky and far-out world of vintage beatnik art... and then coming out in contemporary times with beatnik inspired art by today's coolest artists including JD King, Shag, Coop, Mark Ryden, The Pizz, Jeff Raglus, Sunny Buick, Tim Biskup, Charles Schneider, Bosko, Lynne Naylor, Munktiki, Dave Burke, Frank Kozik, Bob Moss, Alan Forbes, Miles Thompson, Larry Wessel, Anthony Macknay, Gemma Jones, Mitch O'Connell, Cass Carnaby, Seonna Hong, Todd Schorr, XnO and Van. Beatsville is your ticket from squaresville to the world of the cool, the way-out and the offbeat. Click here GO! to view the works. Bookstore distribution is by Last Gasp, crash their website here GO Like again! Available in stores late December, this is "The first pop culture history of the beatnik". Edited by Martin McIntosh, essay by Domenic Priore. ISBN 0-9751078-0-1 Outré Gallery Press. 144 pages, full color US $26.95.

News on the next batch of Norton releases:

5.6.7.8'S - ROCK & ROLL SANTA/HARLEM SHUFFLE
Fresh from their exciting onscreen appearance in Quentin Tarantino's 'Kill Bill', Japan's garage geisha serve up a roaring holiday platter. B-side is a over of the Bob & Earl R&B dance classic. Spiffy picture sleeve!
LYRES/NEW CONOLLY FIVE - SPLIT 7"
8th Of 15 split Rolling Stones cover singles recorded by today's coolest hit makers and packaged in their own company sleeve. LYRES play 'Now I've Got A Witness' and Monoman's alter-ego, NEW CONOLLY FIVE, play 'Stoned'.
SWINGIN' NECKBREAKERS/SHANKS - SPLIT 7"
7th Of 15 split Rolling Stones cover singles recorded by today's coolest hit makers and packaged in their own company sleeve. SN play 'It's Not Easy'. SHANKS play 'Doncha Bother Me'.
ROKY ERICKSON & THE ALIENS - DON'T KNOCK THE ROK! (2LP)
2LP. 23 Previously UNISSUED 1978 studio performances showcase ROKY & THE ALIENS romping through late fifties, early sixties teen chartbusters and
some cool originals! Tracks include 'You Drive Me Crazy', 'What To Do', 'Things That Go Bump In The Night', 'Love Is Strange', 'Bumble Bee Zombie',
'You're The One', 'etc.
SKY SAXON - PRESENTS A STARLIGHT DATE WITH...
....Richard Marsh'. A must-have for SEEDS fans. First time collection of SKY SAXON recordings from 1959-64, from his rare debut 'What Chance Have
I?' as DICK MARSH to 'Do The Swim' with the ELECTRA-FIRES plus the HOODWINKS and the SOUL ROCKERS. Includes newly discovered 1959 debut 45! Excellent sleeve notes and great full-colour jacket.
VARIOUS - BIG ITCH, VOL. 7
Celebrated all-vinyl series returns with yet another astonishing collection of rockin' wildass bizarros with a heavy concentration of unknown dance themes and nods to food, cycles and disfiguring complexion eruptions! Featuring ARGONS (Do The Dog), TOM BROWN (Bird Dance Beat), TITO MAMBO & THE MEN OF CHANTZ (Jungle Farm), CENTURY FIVE (La Moomba Kasa Boo Boo Cha Cha Cha), etc.

Sanctuary have issued The Cramps Flamejob album with the inclusion of Confessions of a PsychoCat and No Club Lone Wolf plus both versions of the UltraTwist video. I'm not sure why this couldn't have come out as part of the Vengeance Reissues series but, y'ken... This is easily their most consistent record (to my mind) since Psychedelic Jungle. It's important to remember that it came out in the UK on Creation when McGee lumbered the world with O*sis. But anyway, that's water way below the bridge or rather a crime against music for anarra time. Not sure about that re-do of the Flamejob logo, the original font was understated and I think that cover photo speaks for itself. Somebody should have proof-read those sleeve notes Mike, Miriam is not spelled with a "u" fer chrissakes and maybe it would have been an idea to limit the scrapbook images to the period in question? Cramped ones are picky critters. Anyway, the music is what matters when all is said and done and there's a real spikeheeled crunch to Flamejob that, to this day, they haven't recaptured. UltraTwist should have been the international breakout hit it deserved to be and the world would be a better place for the sickness it could have spawned. So let's do it kids, re-write the wrongs of history and Let's Get FUUUUU-Cked Up!

Actually while we're at it, go to The Honeymooners site and lollygad awhile in Norton's memory...

RIP Art Carney without whom there could have been no Norton Records. He's back alongside "The Great One" now. Go!.

From theNomads' site: "On monday november 3rd the Nomads tribute album 'Twenty Years Too Soon' finally was released on Big Bongo/Wild Kingdom Records (distribution by Sound Pollution). See full track listing here: A 7' single coupling the Hellacopters' version and the Nomads' version of 'Pack of Lies' was also released in a limited ediotion of 1000 copies. To celebrate all this a release party was held at the Debaser club in Stockholm with an all-star band consisting of Robert Hellacopter as drummer and band leader, Chips K on guitar/vocals, Heikki Kiviaho on bass and Markus Turpentine on guitar/vocals performing Nomads songs with amazing guest artists like Nick Royale, Odd from the Robots, Staffan Hellstrand, Mats from Maryslim and our old buddy and long time Nomads roadie Thomas 'Osten' Johansson. A fantastic time was of course had by everybody in the sold out house. Many thanks to all involved, the Nomads will cherish the memory of this evening!"

"SLUGROCK TIME is a rocknroll music site dealing with the (ahem) achievements of Tony Slug. Yes his whole pathetic musical career laid out from 1978 until now : The Nitwitz, B.G.K. (Balthasar Gerards Kommando), Loveslug, the Spades, Hydromatics, and more ! The only thing these bands have in common is that Tony Slug plays in them and that they all kick ass".

Just to add to Steve's Barracudas post there, The new single arrived here yesterday and it's a glam-mungously sharp return to the fray. Recorded the self-same day that Radio Birdman went on way too early at The Mean Fiddler, "Don't Ever Say..." feels like a familiar old friend delivering a good hard kick up the arse viz a viz (sounded like David Brent there) "We're back, wanna make something of it?" What a bloody glorious racket they've kicked up. Makes you feel, just for a second, that all might not be lost after all. No self respecting NBT-watcher should go without one of these so follow Steve's links and nail a copy. If you have difficulty then let we know and we'll do what we can to help you get one. Can't say nae fairer than that.

The Barracudas are to play a one-off show at The Troubadour in London on Wednesday 19th November. Tickets are now on sale but hurry as the venue is "intimate" and space limited. Hey, it sounds like the Hope 'n' Anchor! The London show coincides with a festival appearance in Spain alongside The Dictators and the simulataneous release of a new 45rpm (Don't Ever Say It Can't Be b/w Not That Kind) as well as the re-release of their first 45rpm (I Want My Woody Back b/w Subway Surfin') by Munster Records. More information about the recent recording session and the forthcoming shows can be found on The Barracudas Yahoo! Group.

Was sad to hear that the Au-GoGo store in Melbourne has closed but the good news is that they're still in business. Read all about it!.

Art Fein's November slice of wisdom is at the end of this link. He da man! Go!

The Skeletons on the November 1st edition of Whad'ya Know? Go Listen!

My old mucker, Brother Randall sent me this info which I know all you cultured vultures will dig... over to you sir, "First off is this cool book on Carnival Strippers, which I first saw at Mike Buck's house back in the 80s and have searched for a copy ever since, now it's been reprinted (got mine for a measly $30 from Amazon). Check out the slide show thingy here! (tho' you need to register). Also, for the benefit of Art Lovers everywhere, I put up a web page of Donna's and my 1960s adult movie poster collection here!.

"The Scythian: An excerpt from 'Vinyl Junkies: Adventures in Record Collecting' by Brett Milano". (hilarious story involving Jeff 'Monoman' Connelly).

Pure teenpunkpop thunder vs. lumpy angular "fusion" (Impure Plop). Discuss...
Last night (no wednesday) I saw The Star Spangles open for Jane's Addiction to little more than a ripple of indifferent applause. Indifference was never a trait associated with Glasgow but that's how lame "rawk" audiences have gotten. People go to gigs now to have conversations but that's a bugbear for another time. The show, at the city's prestigious new Carling Academy should have blown minds but the flotsam that makes up the JA demographic couldn't care less. As a venue it's looking good but functionally there isn't a whiff of atmos. The restoration of original features and the sightlines are good so why doesn't this augment the experience?
The Spangles came out and charged into their set with a gusto that you seldom see in this day and age. They played songs from Bazooka! and another four new ones that are just fuggin' top notch. One of these, Gangland, is beyond anthemdom and the others don't slouch either. There's a great harmonic breadth to the guitar sound on all Spangle tuneage. I'm sure I heard a little Jingle Bells frisson during Tell Lies and Tear it To Pieces Girl shreds. I am vexed that "the kids" don't recognise these pop gold in these here thrills. They need a campaign that'll introduce them to a younger, untarnished crowd. Does such a circuit exist? Answers on a postcard or whatever.
Actually we're having problems changing the contact info on the ol' blog here. Hopefully that'll all be worked out soon but let's not stray from the original subject. The Star Spangles are on a mission and their detractors only make them stronger. Like I said, they're not your average crew despite what lazy, ill infomed sections of the press might whine. Sign up now!

The Worst Album Covers Ever.

Still haven't got a ticket for the MTV awards. That'll teach me... but tonight - in Glasgow, for just the one night y'unnerstaun'... The Star Spangles open for Perry Farrell's way overrated Janes Addiction, then we scoot from there (hopefully not missing Paul Burch's set altogether) to see Laura Cantrell open for bluegrass legend, Dr Ralph Stanley. Let's hear it for Blu(egrass) Cantrell...

Just wanted to let you know that the Master Plan's 'Colossus Of Destiny' is due for vinyl release on November 10th on the Demolition Derby label. The Master Plan are: Andy Shernoff (Dictators), Keith Streng & Bill Milhizer (Fleshtones) and Paul Johnson (Waxing Poetics). If you would like to order a copy, you should be able to find the details at: www.demderby.com

Johnny Barker leaves the Buff Medways...
"Not to worry though, the show goes on with Graham Day, formerly of The Prisoners, Thee Mighty Caesars and currently the singer/guitartist of The Solar Flares temporarily joining the band! The Buff Medways first gig with the new look line up will be on November 14th at the Dirty water Club. Also playing that night are the legendary Armitage Shanks, who are back and better than ever with a new album "Urinal Heap" on Damaged Goods". For more info: Thee Billy Childish.com

(from joeyramone.com) "It is now finally official!
The City Of New York is dedicating the corner of Bowery and Second Street as Joey Ramone Place on November 30th, 2003 at 1:00pm. Contrary to other reports elsewhere that this was a done deal long ago, New York is finally giving it up for Joey Ramone! Come out and witness this historic event if you can!"

While typin' this I'm surround by what could be best described as a Christo-type work of art, everything around me is covered in plastic. As of tomorrow we will, albeit temporarily, no longer have a roof over our heads, not to mention the fact that it looks like I won't be able to take a shower here for at least three weeks !. Yep the re/de-construction of HQ is in full effect.
But as promised I'll still try to give you some updates on what I'm diggin' culture wise.
So here goes; Bacchus Archives have just reissued the stellar first 45 by LA powerpop legends The Quick. Main tune on this 45 is 'Pretty Please', a song most of you will know as by either the Dickies or Redd Kross, but to quote Dobie Gray; "the original is still the greatest". The latest batch from Ace Records includes a solid soul comp with all tunes related to the war in Vietnam. ''A Soldier's Sad Story' is easily one of the best soul comps since those Dave Godin compiled 'Deep Soul Treasures' series. From Soul Jazz comes 600 % Dynamite, a real "grower" featuring a bunch of fantastic (and even to me) obscuro Jamaican hits, that are sure to highlight your next shindig. Hey, I gotta agree with Lindsay's POV on the Nomads tribute disc. The fact that there are a number o' tunes on this that the guys did in tribute themselves, should be evidence enough that they are masters at creating their own body of work no matter the source.
'N yeah, this might seem like shorthand, I know... Too bad, but I'm headin' for my last shower in what might be weeks right now, so please forgive me for bein' so brief here....
Damn, almost forgot mentioning the Dirtbombs latest. Easily one of the top 5 p-rock/garage discs this year...

Stop the world the MTV awards are coming to Edinburgh this week. It's gonna be a massive boost to the local economy don'tcha know? The price we're paying is that it's getting saturation coverage. Forget the fact that Edinburgh has no tangible music scene as such but it does have a castle. And at Christmas time, it has a dirty great ferris wheel planked in front, or to the side rather, of Scott's Monument in Princes Street, just along from Bargain Books. All Edinburgh is these days is a soulless money drain. Damned scenic looking in a fur coat, nae knickers kinda fash but is there no end to the constant "gies yer money" vibe. Meanwhile good folks like the Mouats are trying to put on quality entertainment there on a regular basis and get piddly wee audiences. It's an ill-divided world right enough...

In a proper world, The Nomads would enjoy the megastardom they deserve and The Demolition Doll Rods would have been the combo to put Detroit back on the map but we cannae have everything... stand by for the Nomads tribute 20 Years Too Soon comin' atcha this very week courtesy of Big Bongo/Wild Kingdom. It kicks off the party with The Dictators 16 Forever and hammers home the message that those Solna boys introduced us to some damn fine tuneage over the years. Voladoras do more than justice to The Way (You Touch My Hand) and I'd say that all told, this is a damned goodnatured project. More than just a bunch of covers, there's some heart and soul here. The Hellacopters Pack of Lies makes one wonder what it'll take to hep the kids to the fact that they should be selling the tickets and records that T*rb*ne*ro are. Can we get to turning the tables here?

Still getting to grips with this broadband and severing the ol' ties with AOL. Never had this kinda guff with pen, paper and stamps. This is like moving house without actually moving. A proper posting soon, nae kidding. Swedish readers may be interested in picking up todays DAGENS NYHETER to read a report on Glasgow by Niklas Wahllof who suffered for his art I can tell ya. It's not on line but early reports are most favourable.

Time certainly flies when you're, well uh, busy... It's almost a week now since returning from our holiday trip and I've hardly posted anything here. As some of you already know I'm headin' for parenthood somewhere early in the next year if all goes well, and the logistics that come along with that take up a lot of time at the moment. We're gonna have an extra floor build on top of HQ in the next couple o' weeks, not to house our upcomin' baby tho', but to make room for my ever expanding record collection ! (earlier today I was tryin' to clear up the mess that is my "music room" and I noted that over the past six days I had bought 18 LPs, that's three a day!... that's insane!...) But, as you can well figure, that building business will be needin' most of my attention in the near future, so please excuse me if I'm temporarily not as frequent with my posts as what you're used to.
Enough of that tho', let's talk "culture". First off, I finally got to read Robert Gordon's amazing Muddy Waters biography 'Can't Be Satisfied' during our stay in Greece. A fantastic read that doesn't go all scholarly like most books on blues, but tells Muddy's story in plain detail. Fascinating, captivating and inspiring, how's that for superlatives?. Another great read was the new issue of Ugly Things magazine. Mike Stax has really outdone himself with the Misunderstood story, and with all the other info available in it's 200 or so pages, this one will take a while to fully digest. For no apparent reason I also dropped Charles White's Little Richard biography in my traveling bag after it had been gathering dust on HQ's bookshelf for a decade or so. I had forgotten what fantastic book this is, easily as wild as the reverend Penniman's wildest discs. The story of his encounter with Buddy Holly is worth the price of admission by itself !. That's it as far as reading is concerned, as for my current listening habits; I'm stuck to a steady diet of old blues 'n soul discs, everything from pre-war country blues to Bobby Womack's early 70s LPs. It never stops to amaze me how much great music is still out there to be discovered, we're talkin' over a century of record music here !, yet people are actually gone over such horsedung like the Darkness and King Of Leon these days, bands that no one will give a shit about in 12 months time. Truth is; fifty years down the line you can put on a Muddy Waters or Little Richard disc from their heyday and sparks 'll still be flying, while these current "contenders", baskin' in their 15 minutes, can't even hold a candle to either of 'em. Excuse me while I do the Boogaloo and refuse to be duped into yet another marketing ploy....

Welcome back J. This guy is the glue that keeps all this together y'know. Been hunting for more victims for my Ebay clearout. Repatriating stuff that's been in boxes in the loft for a while now. I'm letting 'em out on good behaviour for whatever they raise. I think quite a lot these days about how, if I go out some morning or whatev. and get hit by a bus, that it'll all end up in a skip anyway. The idea then is to raise some dosh so I can spend time with my extended family across this planet. They know who they are. Anyway, music stuff soon. There's been a certain amount of turmoil about the abode this weekend. We've gone broadband so I haveta shut down the AOL thing and make sure that I have all the info I need outta that account before it's deep sixed for good. Will this new faster, doesn't kick you out every 15 minutes connection make for an increase in postings? You never bleedin' know mate...

OK, back from Greece and downing the final parts of a bottle o' "imported" Greek wine.....
I'll spare you the details (at least for the moment) and just urge you all to get a hold of the new Zodiac Killers full length 'Society's Offenders'. As fine a p-rock blast as you're gonna get in this day 'n age.....

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest but I've got a stinkin' cold and today's papers are full of crap about The Strokes. This is in sharp contrast to yesterday when my cold was just creepin' up on me and hearing Steve Earle talk about The Dictators on BBC Radio Scotland pre-11am.
Also how hard does the new Mojo suck? Not the cd or Sylvie Simmons thing on Johnny Cash but their latest Hall of Fame "list" might finally be the thing that pulls the plug on me buying it ever again and nothing to do with the fact that I'm actually forbidden by religion to buy issues with Oasis, The Beatles, Paul Weller or The aforementioned Str*kes on the cover. I hope those thunderstorms ain't raining on Jeroen's parade too hard now...

I've been called a lot of things in my time but capable isn't one of them. Ok kids, wanna see Godlis? some kinda iconic punk rock photographic action as only NY could serve it up. Go!

While all o' you are checkin' this blog on monday morning at work, Alice 'n me are off to Greece for some well deserved, uh, rain and thunderstorms apperantly.... So I'll have to leave you in the capable hands of Steve 'n Lindsay for the next 10 days or so. Please be kind to 'em....

Time to shunt this WHO WILL SAVE ROCK'N'ROLL project into action. This was prompted by meeting a friend of my brother's in the supermarket this morning. He reminded me how lame the kids of today are. Did you read Metal Mike Saunders thing on sissy-rock recently? It was brilliant but anyway, the "parents" are taking the kids to Linkin Park and in my book that sucks. My old man would never have taken me to see Alice Cooper or Led Zep and the world could do with a generation gap more than ever. I guess it'll all be washed down with a pre-match swally in McDonalds? So anyway, please feel free to pitch in anything on the subject. I'd like to get it all in by the end of November to be published early in 2004. Kids ain't allowed to be kids anymore. I blame computers and the continual peer pressure hard sell but that's what we auld fellers do. Parents goin' to concerts with the kids, never woulda happened in my day. Then there are those that take them to the frauditorium and wait outside in the SUV while the little sorry-asses groove to the nu-metal boybandness. It's all handed out on a frickin' plate.

Cap'n Per Hagred crossed my cd player with a copy of an album by a combo called The Blackstone Valley Sinners and what a wee cracker it is too. Reminds me of a country-fried (not -fied) Guadalcanal Diary. Swingin'. Go!

I was just (politely) chastised for not being up to date with my buddy of old, Art Fein's Another Fein Mess. The A fella is a one of a kind writer that, when I read his stuff, I wonder how the hell he isn't some kinda high-falluting "writer" that gets paid a hefty wad and on the best-seller lists. his writing, no matter what it's about, rocks. He also has a public access TV show that has a guest list that reads like a proverbial who's who. The standard dipped when I was on in 1992 but it has since regained its wall to wall status. I met Art when he managed The Blasters and was representing The Cramps in 1982. In the 20 years since he has stuck to his guns and continues to champion exactly what the heck he likes. Read what he writes and attempt to live by it. Because you could y'know... GO!.

An alternative guide to Glasgow culture and beyond anyone? GO!

"The Rocket From The Tombs non-reunion continues to roll on in its inimitable non way. A second tour begins November 17 in San Diego and runs up the west coast, across the top, down the east coast and across the south ending December 14 (maybe). Like topsy it keeps growing. Go here for the latest state of affairs.
The lineup continues, miraculously, as David Thomas, Cheetah Chrome, Richard Lloyd, Craig Bell and Steve Mehlman.
An album of studio recordings of the live set will be released on Smog Veil Records. It's called Rocket Redux and features the following songs: Frustration, So Cold, What Love Is, Ain't It Fun, Muckraker, 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, Sonic Reducer RFTT, Never Gonna Kill Myself Again, Amphetamine, Down In Flames, Final Solution RFTT, and Life Stinks. Copies will be on sale at the upcoming concert dates but the commercial release and general availability will not be until Feb 1 2004".
Persistant rumors from Cheetah Chrome insist that a Euro tour is in order for early next year !.

And another one down; apperantly Andy Starr passed away on the same day as Johnny Cash. On 21st October, he would have celebrated his 71st birthday. (News forwarded by Jan Kooi).

As previously mentioned, the Dictators will be playing CBGBs on December 5th (w/ the Star Spangles) & 6th (w/ the Fleshtones) as part of the CBs anniversary fest. Word just came in that both shows will be filmed for a DVD release. That's the good news. Sadly there are also strong rumors that this may be one of the final events at CBGBs as their lease is up at the end of the year and doesn't look likely to be renewed.

After a long hike thru' the woods earlier today I found myself diggin' out some primo p-rock blasts tonight, mayhaps in response to all that peace 'n quiet and the abundance of tweetin' birds, who knows. It was not your "old skool classics" however, nope, I had a severe case of "back to the 90s" (a phrase I'd love to trademark!). And before you knew it I was already thinkin' in "best Of" terms (a sure sign to spot the nerd). So here it is; my "top 10 (chronological) best of the 90s p-rock discs":

1990 Gories - I Know You're Fine
Never really cared for their debut disc, but this one (their 2nd) is on a par w/, say, the first Cramps, Ramones or Suicide discs, bein'' stylistically completely unconnected to their surroundings....
1991 Nomads - Sonically Speaking
Way overlooked, this might just be their finest moment. Like CCR or Jerry Lee Lewis, the Nomads are able to take whatever song or musical element and turn it into something that can't be anything but a Nomads song...
1992 New Bomb Turks - Destroy Oh Boy
A real head-turner for me at the time. It might have well been the first time since 'Damaged' that the entire notion of p-rock as a valuable proposition held any credence.
1993 Devil Dogs - Saturday Night Fever
If all their records were produced as solid as this one they'd probably be worshipped on a global level these days. Sadly it wasn't to be. Watch your speakers melt while these guys tear thru' the Garry Glitter and Gene Pitney songbook.
1994 Rip Offs - The Rip Offs Got A Record
Remember the Fingers, Supercharger or Pure Filth magazine?, well this this record actually rounds up all the best parts of 'em. Looked like they were desperately tryin' to be the Lurkers, but in fact they were so much better than their heros ever were.
1996 Loli & the Chones - P.S. We Hate You
From the same scene as above, the entire thing lasts about 15 minutes but is impossible to fault.
1996 Oblivians - Popular favorites
For about two years these guys were the best band on the planet, no two ways about it. This is their finest moment, but anything w/ their name on it justifies whatever is the askin' price...
1997 Hellacopters - Payin' The Dues
This is where the controversy set in for a lot o' folks, but a disc that combines the best parts of the Nomads, Alice Cooper 'n the Dead Boys is A-OK with me.
1998 Turbonegro - Apocalypse Dudes
I know ol' Lindsay hates 'em, but to me this is pretty hard to beat as far as punk/glam/gay-metal crossover goes
1999 Nitwitz - Dark Side Of The Spoon
Tony Slug is one o' the finest 6-string strummers the low-lands have delivered in the past quarter century or so, the sad fact however remains that nobody's noticed so far. Worshipped in Spain, the Slugster remains a complete unkown in his native country....

M.I.A.: Nine Pound Hammer, Supersuckers, Lazy Cowgirls, Didjits, Ramones, Riverdales

The German Ramones Club site has been pretty quiet for the past 6 months or so, but it looks like Heiko is shifting gears once again to get the thing back in action. Hey, we're talkin' the most up-to-date Ramones re-source on the web. Latest news contains info on the band's long suffering tour manager Monte Melnick's upcomin' book on his years on the road with 'em, plus plenty other worthwhile stuff. GO!.

"Oh boy!  Listen up, music lovers and noise heads, improvisers and olde-skool punks:  This 'un's gonna knock yer sox off!  The new CD LIVE FROM THE BASEMENT 1975-1997, from Gulcher Records, collects the 7-inch vinyl output of the Screamin' Mee-Mees, legendary pre-punk crazies from St. Louis, Missouri.  With this disc, Jon Ashline and Bruce Cole finally get the respect they probably still don't think they deserve.  Such is the self-deprecating racket-roll these two yahoos have been spewing about in Bruce's basement since 1972.
The Gulcher CD picks up the story with the release of their debut EP, LIVE FROM THE BASEMENT, recorded in '75/'76, but unleashed during the punk-rock frenzy of 1977.  The Mee-Mees were punk more by timing than by design.  It's true they had grown up on a diet of Stooges, Velvet Underground, and 60s garage--like many early punk-rockers--but they were equally influenced by more outside sounds like Amon Düül I, the Godz, Silver Apples, Captain Beefheart, etc.
Although a few of their songs are composed in the old-fashioned way, most are spontaneous eruptions of rhythm, sound, and absurd word play.  I should also mention that the Mee-Mees possess a very strong all-Amerikan sense of stoopid.
They recorded a second EP, HOME MOVIES, in 1978, but it remained unreleased until their comeback in the '90s. The '80s were a pretty dry period for the duo, but their 90's singles are all here:  "Pull My Finger"/"Family Tree" ('93), "Life Never Stops"/"Oscillations" ('94; B-side is the Silver Apples song), and "Answer Me!"/"Arthritis Today" ('96).  Also included are the Mee-Mees' cover of the Twinkeyz' "Cartoon Land" from a split single with Mike Rep & The Quotas, and "Squawk Squawk Squawk" from a comp EP for WHUMP! fanzine.  The most recent tracks are from Bruce Cole's 1997 VENUSIAN PLATEAUS solo EP, which you probably missed completely.  Bruce took a very natural turn into more overt forms of improv, noise, and drone.
Half of the Gulcher CD tracks are re-mastered from the original tapes, most done properly for the first time after various botched vinyl jobs. There are also numerous extended versions, with music, noise, and conversation not included on the original 7-inch releases.
Lots of great sounds here, boys and girls!  And it all comes packaged with a 20-page booklet full of rare photos, reproductions of the sleeves, an interview with Bruce Cole by Jeff Kopp from HEAD IN A MILK BOTTLE fanzine, liner notes by yours truly, and a complete discography for the Mee-Mees and related projects".  (Eddie Flowers/Slippy Town)

There's a burst of BMX Bandits activity going on to celebrate the new Down At The Hop album on Shoeshine. Check their stall out.

Yeah. The blonde bomber is gone. Brother Randall sent this link to the Dallas News obit. Bye Ronnie...

More sad news; Ronnie Dawson passed away yesterday at 16:30 local time. (news c/o Tjarko Jeen).

This month's releases from Ace.

Finally found a decent obit for Paul Burlison here.

Sundazed has announced a 10" EP by 60s garage legends The Unrelated Segments. The EP includes The Story Of My Life, of course, as well as five other songs. Liner notes are by Jeff Jarema. Official release date is October 21st. (news c/o 60sgaragebands.com).

Those of you lucky enough to be heading for the Budget Rock festival in San Francisco on Sunday night (Oct 5th) will be chuffed to learn that Cyril Jordan's new band, Magic Christian, are taking the stage directly before the Fleshtones. More info about the Groovies and Magic Christian at: http://www25.brinkster.com/chancede/News.html

Kids, Chip Zepp, who is one of our brethren in Dictators/MWK fandom, has undertaken the noble project of trying to compile a complete list of all the dates and venues the guys have ever played over the yrs, with set lists. This is an open plea for help - search your memory banks, where did you see them back in the day? Who opened, or who did they open for? Any set lists in the bottom of drawers anywhere? Old ads or listings? Please give him a shout if you can help in any way. He's at cwzepp@yahoo.com, his results thus far are posted here.

RIP: Paul Burlison.

Just my luck; for whatever reason my e-mail program wiped itself clean, which means I've lost all my previous correspondence and the contents of my address books !. So if you're waiting for a reply from me, please let me know. In any case I'd appreciate it if everybody I'm contact with would drop me a line so at least I'll get your address again.
What a way to start the week........ (contact me here).

The Dirty Water Club, London - Friday 26th September

The Voladoras can be described as a gutsy femme garage band from Sweden with matching dresses and big hair. They offered little in the way of "stagecraft" but were a treat to listen to and watch, especially, when the blonde guitarist lilted back and forth during solos. Their set definitely moved-up a gear when Mans from the Maggots leaped onstage to add maraca shaking and grunts during “Monkey Man”. If you dig female garage bands such as the Pandoras then these girls are worth seeking out. On the other hand The Raven is apparently a US booking agent by day and itinerant rocker by night. On this occasion, he was backed by a bunch of Limey geeks, featuring Parsley The Lion on Keyboards, and performed tunes that ranged from 70s punk to bluesy garage blasts while referencing “hits” by Sir Cliff Richard and the Pleasure Seekers along the way. A thirty minute set from the man in black was enjoyable and just about right. OK, the time is 11.30pm and Alan Crockford from The Solar Flares has been pacing around for thirty minutes wondering when his band can take to the stage. The tube system closes down as 12.30, right! Parsley remained behind his bank of vintage keyboards and my ears told me that he is now fitting in well alongside Day, Crockford and Howard. Not only is Parsley’s playing more assured but he’s also contributing backing and lead vocals. For example, he sang a great version of “Hold On” at the end of the set. Several new songs were performed by the Flares and although Crockford was being ironic when he explained “They’re just as bad as the old ones,” an alternative observation would be that they also share exactly the same structure and chord changes. Still, if you dig The Solar Flares then you’re not gonna have a problem with that are you? Another thing that struck me about them on Friday was how abrasive these guys are on stage. Actually, Crockford and Day were just the same when the Prisoners played at the Hope & Anchor back in ’83. In other words, lots of aggressive back handed comments thrown at the audience. While there is probably a kinder side to their natures they sure as hell do not want to show it on stage. Why so much verbal confrontation? To be fair, they attacked the stage with such venom that they made The Raven and the Voladoras look like they were playing at a tea party in an old folks home. In nothing else, these old codgers know how to “make show,” as Tony Sheridan would put it, and besides, if they were “nice boys” they would probably wouldn’t be half as exciting to watch. File under: grouchy life-affirming vibe.

Weird or what?, seems that Tony Slug's former band Loveslug have inspired the creation of the "Loveslug cocktail". GO!.

After that "Support the next generation, dagnabbit!", or whatever it was Lindsay stated a couple o' days ago, I figured it was about time I clued you in on a trio of young 'n upcomin' contenders;
First up are the Little Killers from NYC who have just released their debut full-length on Crypt. If you can imagine a head-on collision twixt prime Velvets, NY Dolls 'n Saints you're about halfway there. Easily the best new band on the scene since, uh....., the Leg Hounds (no kiddin' !).
Speakin' of the next generation; the Diskords are about as young as bands get these days without bein' directed at the kiddy-porn market. Their EP on Vinyl Warning is solid p-rock action that ol' foggies like me will compare to Eater or the Lurkers but may in fact be much better then either of those ever was...
Closer to home we find the No Goods who's latest 45 on High School Refuse offers some ace Dutch beat/garage sounds.
Hey, I could go overboard 'n analyze these discs to death, but if in anyway you are inclined to the NBT sphere o' thinkin' I suggest you pick these up like pronto so you'll be able to congratulate yourselves w/ bein' well ahead of the pack somewhere in the near future, but best of all are up for some truly wild sounds that piss all over just about everything offered as an "alternative" these days.

The big news this morning is that Kylie has received 700 death threats. These were presumably wrongly addressed. Shouldn't these idiots be after Robbie bloody Williams? But nothing like encouraging numbskulls eh media? However all is not lost with the world. This very am, I caught Tiny Tim's rendition of Great Balls of Fire and an alternate take of All Tomorrows Parties. All pre 10 in the morning. The only real outlet for great music this side of wir ain Radio Scotland. A prime example of why visitors to the R&R-B&B go mental when they hear Brian Matthews show. You hipsters with broadband can listen to this hootch online at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/sounds60s/
The closest the UK will ever come to the wonders of WFMU.

November is already shaping up to be a busy ol' month starting with The Star Spangles opening for (I never dug 'em but what the heck) Janes Addiction. Not sure how our boys rock'n'roll will go down with that ensembles fans but they're doing it so hopefully said unfortunates will see the light. Then we've got Laura Cantrell and the mighty Paul Burch opening for the grand auld man of Bluegrass, Ralph Stanley and his Clinch Mountain Boys. Then, at the end of the month, a triple shot of Spit & Polish moonshine hits the road, Amy's Allison and Rigby along with Neil Cleary. All of 'em deserve to be famous and being that they're family and all, we divnae play favourites. Full date action when it becomes available but they'll be all over the UK and Ireland so make sure you catch 'em.
Hey, another one gone... poor ol' Robert Palmer. I never cared for a lot of his music but his version of Moon Martin's Bad Case Of Lovin' You was pretty decent. My friend, Kathy Kenyon, used to work for him too and by all accounts he was a nice geezer. It's seldom the one's that deserve it, innit?!

Shapin' up to be a wild weekend in "the London" with Voladoras at The Dirty Water Club and Stereo Total at Water Rats, Brighton, then somewhere else in town on Monday. Being stuck some hundreds o' miles away from such action though, you folks have to go and report back.
The Cramps are there also for their long-awaited two night stint so I know a lot of you will be daundering aboot the capital anyway. Support the next generation, dagnabbit!

Eric Goulden - A Dysfunctional Success (Do Not Press).
Picked this up in London last weekend, began reading it on the flight home and finished it within 24 hours. Yep, Wreckless Eric's auto-bio is a fine read; fast, funny and (at times) frightening. Just the fact that there is little to no self-pitying here makes a nice change from most other rock-bios. From his childhood days on Eric is able to create a picture of himself as someone who almost accidentally stumbled into success and found out he was completely unable to deal with it. Luckily for us he was still able to come up with a batch of amazin' tunes over the years that (at least) still get their just RPM's here at HQ on a regular basis. My only beef is that the book ends somewhere in the mid 80s, robbing us of almost two decades of the complete story. At that point Eric managed to battle his alcoholism and became a father, which is all fine 'n dandy, but certainly didn't finish his musical genius. Anybody familiar with the stellar 'Joe Meek' 45 he did for Sympathy will attest to this. But hey, maybe he saved some for a second book, which, on the strength of this one, I'd pay for in advance!.

The latest issue of the I-94 Bar e-zine is a Detroit music special.
"*We speak to Prime Movers singer Michael Erlewine who offers some insights into the early Iggy Pop. The Prime Movers were a seminal Michigan blues band who had a young Jim Osterberg on the drummer's stool. See outrageously rare photos of Iggy before he was a Stooge.
*Speaking of photos, Sue Rynski was there in the late '70s and early '80s when the likes of Destroy All Monsters, Sonic's Rendezvous Band, the Mutants, Motor City Bad Boys, the Ramrods and Johnny Thunders (among others) were leading lights on the Detroit underground scene. Sue's exhibiting photos in Paris which seemed as good an excuse as any to chat to her and have a peak through her album.
*The Stooges have been on the road and we have reports - and pictures - from shows in Spain and France.
*Radio Birdman's Euro tour has wound up but the missives from I-94 Bar reporters haven't with gig reviews from Italy and Germany (2) uploaded a few minutes ago.
*Also, we carry reviews of the Casanovas, Intercooler and the Specimens.
*Keep checking for more Birdman reports and in the next few days, as well as a backlog of disc reviews.
*Don't forget our ridiculously easy Sheek the Shayk contest".

The I-94 Bar: Sydney Rock Action via The Bowery and Motor City
www.i94bar.com.

If Steve won't post 'm, I will: More Fleshtones dates;

Fri Oct 17th Hoboken, NJ at Maxwell's w. Swinging Neckbreakers
Sat Oct 18th Baltimore, MD at Fell's Point Oyster Festival
Fri Oct 24th Baltimore, MD at Mojo/Tattoo Bar
Sat Oct 25th Chapel Hill, NC at Local 506
Sat Dec 6th New York, NY at CBGB's w/ Dictators- CBGB's 30th Anniversary Event.

Sites recently added to The Garage dedicated to 60s garage bands include the following: A resource dedicated to Kenny & The Kasuals that includes a biography, news of forthcoming dates, and even autographed merchandise. Why not email Kenny and ask him when that comprehensive “Best Of” is going to appear? Most readers of the NBT blog will probably have committed to memory the tracks on the first dozen volumes of Pebbles. In which case check out the Heard photo archive, sadly devoted to a recently deceased former member, and then move it on over to a site put together by the guitarist in the Satyrs. Said bloke conducted a Google search and found that, much to his amazement, “Yesterday’s Heroes” had been comped several times. Crikey! And while we're in the land of one-45rpm-wonders, don’t forget to read the story of the Rising Tydes rise to semi-obscurity. Finally, if your more of a Liam Watson than a Dr Watson, conduct a virtual rummage around the Fine Recording Studio archive. Get the low-down on the Rochester, NY studio that started in the 50s and captured a slew of 60s punkers, including “I Try” by the Young Tyrants, along the way.

"Some of you may be interested in reading my interview here with DK Smythe - the Rezillos first bass player. It's accompanied with some great photos from the second ever Rezillos gig in November 1976!". GO!
(c/o Martin Percival)

"Smog Veil has 2 very special gigs next week and if you are in the Los Angeles or San Francisco area, please attend: the first ever North American appearances of Rob Younger the vocalist for The New Christs and Radio Birdman:
Wednesday, September 24, Knitting Factory, Los Angeles:
Rob Younger and the Leaving Trains, Duane Peters and the Hunns, Hangmen.
Thursday, September 25, Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco:
Rob Younger and the Leaving Trains, Harold Ray Live In Concert, Hard Place.
Can't make it? Rob will doing a radio interview tonight between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. on Stella Stray Pop's amazing radio show on KXLU, 88.9 on the FM dial in Los Angeles and simulcast at: www.kxlu.com".

Went to see the Cramps last night in Amsterdam and I'm sorry to report that it was absolutely dismal. Of course, the Paradiso is hardly the place to be on a hot (late-)summer night, esp when filled to the rafters the temperatures there quickly reach boiling level, couple that with a chain smokin' crowd and no ventilation to speak of, and we're off to a seriously bad start....
First up were the Riots, a band from my hometown so I would have given 'em the benefit of doubt in most other situations, but their brand of Motorhead/Zeke-styled "rawk", failed to impress. Maybe it was the crappy sound (all drums 'n vocals), but I couldn't find any tunes or riffs to latch onto. Oh well, maybe another time...
When the Cramps came on I was ready to get all excited, but alas, it was not to be. And even tho' the sound had improved somewhat, they sounded lumpy and seemed to be plodding along. Ivy still looks cool, but havin' seen 'em so many times over the years it was obvious Lux was just goin' thru' the motions, the other two guys could have been you, me or your mother, nobody would've noticed the difference. So I did what I hardly ever do, I just left after 20 minutes or so, no time to waste 'n all that. Or maybe it was just that after seeing Radio Birdman earlier in the week actually enjoying their time on stage (jeez, Deniz Tek was smiling at one point !), I couldn't be bothered to watch a pale copy of what once was the wildest show around, who knows.
(Social observation: the crowd of aging psychobillies and "rockers" gave a good indication of what to expect when the current hordes of pierced 'n tattooed idiots will get older and their flesh starts saggin' and their "tats" fadin'. Believe me, there are frightening times ahead of us....).

History Of Rock Written By The Losers "The social misfits who chronicle rock seek not only to log facts, but also to influence public opinion about obscure rock issues, something most people care little about". GO!.

So lets get the gripes outta the way first shall we? This Mean Fiddler practice of putting a band on in the matinee slot on a Saturday night is a fallacy. The howff that Radio Birdman played is a far cry from that great space in Harlesden that the MF use to reside in. So we arrive at the venue and the band are at least 3 songs into their set by 8.15pm. Obviously that set the ol' teeth on age from the get go but we made our way through the labyrinth to the body of the crowd. Next problem was the sound at that point, a tad lumpy and only inkling at what I know in my mind's eye that yon twin guitar attack will sound like. The sonic fog cleared though and it all started coming in loud and clear. I'm reliably informed that the sound in the DJ booth was bang on all the way through, causing Brother Joe to reassess his take on the band. He heard the light, what can I tell ya? So my understanding that the band would come on at 8.45pm musta been a dream or something. The place has gotta turn into a disco at 11pm. Thats disco, not club, don't try and make it sound like anything other than the sorry hole in the Tottenham Court Road that it is. Having travelled 400+ miles to miss such a large chunk of the show was a pisser. Not though drunkenness, not through a disagreement with a cheese sandwich on hte train, no - nowt like that. Through sheer goddamn rudeness. The UK doesn't know how to treat theat all too rare beastie, the R&R legend. Spain, France, anywhere else (even Scotland) can conjure up some decorum but not London. I have a feeling that when The Dictators make it here then that's where they'll play. I'll be there at bloody teatime the night before when that happens. So anyways, when the sound was sorted, the band really gained altitude. Most of the crowd seemed to get what they came for but their second encore didn't include Transmaniacon MC like the web reports suggested. No we got bloody Cold Turkey didn't we. That encore also included a swaggering Waitin' For My Man (a really cracking version) and a blood curdling You're Gonna Miss Me so like that big, stout feller Meatloaf might say, Two outta three and all that.... So yeah, it was all over very fast. Didn't get to say hi to the band or to John Needham. As it was, we only got to hang with Jeroen for maybe an hour and virtually a handshake with Steve. Guess that AGM will have to wait?
Stayed in Chiswick though, what a contrast to the centre of town dump. Our hosts, David and Penny did us proud and made it seem like we weren't in London at all. Even saw the guy who used to let The Small Faces rehearse in his basement ferchrissakes.
T'woulda been nice if Birdman had made a stop in Scotland as was originally intended. A rousing Aye Hup woulda cleared the tubes alright. The kids who were supposed to start this new race thing are a tardy bunch. Took 'em a full quarter century to get their tails in gear but let's salute the rock'n'roll soldiers anyway. Don't make me drag up those stories about the punk rock Wars again...

Straight off the plane from London, and even tho' I'm gonna leave the honours of a full review of the Birdman show to our chief Lindsay, let me just state that I've witnessed one of the finest guitar tag-teams ever!, and hearin' songs like 'I-94' and 'Dark Suprises' in a live settin' caused a serious amount o' goosebumps. If you can't wait, there's pretty acurate reiview here.

Sad news about The Man in Black. Johnny Cash left the theatre aged 71 today. Will provide links to good obits as we find 'em...

Sleep, work, sleep and then it's off to London for the Radio Birdman show, so excuse me if I don't sign in again before monday.

You'd think that Steve 'd forward any Fleshtones tour dates here, but noooo. Hey, I just noticed that the guys will be on a short west-coast trip early next month; 02 October :20.00 hrs Casbah, San Diego, CA (with Holly Golightly). 03 October :20.00 hrs Spaceland, Los Angeles, CA (with Holly Golightly). 04 October :20.00 hrs Parside lounge, San Francisco, CA (Budget Rock Garage Festival). And 05 October :20.00 hrs Parside lounge, San Francisco, CA (Budget Rock Garage Festival). Be there or be Steve.

LINK: Details on the launch party for 'It Makes You Want To Spit', a book that celebrates the 25th anniversary of punk in Northern Ireland. GO!.

LINK: Updated; The I-94 BaR.
"Sydney fuzzmeisters Sheek the Shayk are the featured act in this issue of the I-94 Bar e-zine. We speak to the Sheek himself and throw open a dead easy contest top win one of two Sheek the Shayk music packs.
The Radio Birdman machine continues to roll through Europe, laying waste to anything in its way, and our Eurostrike Zone now carries nine reviews of shows so far. There's also a pen picture of Birdman drummer Ron Keeley.
We have a live review of Sydney bent blues duo The Mess Hall, along with City Lights and The Tremors. Also up are our recent reviews of the Persian Rugs and Lou Reed's first 2003 Australian tour show (with a reminder that the final gigs for Lou in Sydney and Newcastle are on sale still.)
Disc reviews - we run the rule over releases form the Exploding Fuck Dolls, Rebecca's Empire, the Mess Hall, Simon Chainsaw & the Forgotten Boys, the Meek and the Persian Rugs.
In columns, Jeff Jarema points an ear in the diverse direction of the Count Five, Slade and the Grateful Dead while the Barman raises a glass to the Stooges and their reunion".
The I-94 Bar: Sydney Rock Action via The Bowery and Motor City. GO!.

LINK: "Welcome the the Happy Family website: We’re not really a family and we’re not totally happy but this is still the (kind of) official website of the Parisian Blood Brotherhood of the Rock & Roll Cosa Nostra". (a new site by the ever elusive Laurant Bigot).

LINK: Cool and very comprehensive site on The Gun Club and Jeffrey Lee Pierce. GO!.

Just caught my first blast of The Fondas' Coming Now on Sympathy and it's a wee belter. And what taste with covers of Mose Allison and Don Covay songs in the stew. I'm not sure how new this is but it's right up the ol' NBT street.

Woah, Gene Sculatti's bible The Catalog Of Cool is now on-line so here's another place to spend your leisure time when you really oughtta be attending to the domestic repairs.

Just up and running is a site dedicated to the Glasgow Apollo. Originally known as Green's Playhouse, The Apollo became one of the best places to play on earth and although Barrowlands was a heck of a place in its day, it hardly ever saw the heady heights of its Renfield Street cousin. Following it's closure, it was torn down and has since been replaced with a building that looks like a computer graphic on the city skyline. As this archive builds, it'll become an important portal for those of us who were there and anybody who wasn't. Steeped in rock history, there are many, many stories to be shared so you'd do well to pay a regular visit. I spent a lot of my formative years there and recall having to run a bouncer gauntlet at a WHO show in 1973(?). They were up for giving me a kicking for standing on my seat (I wis only wee) but I escaped. Still got chucked out though. I broke a seat at a Thin Lizzy/BTO double header but that went by un-noticed. Here's a photo from backstage on November 14th 1974, cut off at the extreme RH side you'll catch a pre-Cocteaus Robin Guthrie plotting to hijack Freebird.

RIP: Warren Zevon.

Not sure if I've ever mentioned Wang Dang Dula before, but even if I did, I'll just repeat myself here and state that it is well worth checkin' out, as it is filled to the rafters with ace info on bygone hepcats, cool label discographies and whatnot. Just dig in and dig....

Okey doke. So thanks to my erstwhile support team, it looks like I'm back on this horse. I don't think it's too much to expect that this computer carry-on works. Woah, just listening to the radio and there are gonna be daily flights between NY and Edinburgh. That's gaunnae be handy....

I'm not down with this technology. One little wobble and it throws me right off. I think that it thinks I'm Jeroen so I hope that doesn't get the laddie into any trouble. I guess we should have it all figured out by the time it gets to attens the NBT-AGM next weekend close by the moshpit at the Radio Birdman show if not right in the middle of it.

Since no one cares here in Holland, the latest news on the Nitwitz and Hydromatics can be found here and here (in Spanish of course...).