Saw this yesterday. Clerks 2 is out here on September 22nd and is the expected puerile smut with a good heart. Kinda thought Kevin Smith woulda been there for an introduction at least but nope. If you're not familiar with the franchise then I don't know what to tell you. It's no "Chasing Amy" or "Mallrats" but Rosario Dawson is great and Wanda from "Curb" is in it. People keep putting the boot into "Jersey Girl" too but as I recall, I liked it better than "Dogma". Anyway, there are no frontiers being broken down here but if some stupid entertainment is on your agenda then this'll do you just fine. Also, check out the View Askew website, some funny stuff going on in yonder.

The Cramps interview from backstage at the Astoria for Michael the Mutants website...

My shopping phobia is getting worse but sometimes needs must so I dragged my bahookie out early this morning. Driving through old 'hoods where the wrecking balls have been in operation only adds to my misgivings about even heading out the door. However, there was the bonus that it was raining and generally driech so this, plus my Hello Saferide soundtrack kinda made me impervious to what was happening "out there" beyond my environs. So anyways, I reach my destination and it's immediately evident that I struck out. No hanging about, back into the car and offsky. Foray two fared no better and other than managing to get shot of a bunch of bags into a recycling facility, nada. There's no choice anymore, stocks are cut and you either make do with the shite that they do have or you come away cursing. Let's hear it for the ol' potty mouth. So, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" as Boner whined. We finally have something in common. Innit.

Another day at the film festival then... starting with Walter Matthau and Bruce Dern in The Laughing Policeman. Sounds like an Ealing comedy but it seems like the prototype which segued into shows like "The Streets of San Francisco". based on a Swedish novel and relocated from Stockholm, it almost seems like a TV pilot but that said it's a great snapshot and they certainly don't make them like this anymore. It has gone with an equally snappy (not) title of "An Investigation Of Murder" in a previous life. On equal billing with any of the players, the star is old SF itself. Something that added to the whole experience was the introduction by Eddie Cockrell of Variety who obviously knows his onions and cares enough to share them. This screening was at Filmhouse but it was off to the antiseptic "wheel 'em in" Cineworld for Gretchen. There's not much on this interweb thing about this except comparisons to "Napoleon Dynamite" and "Welcome To The Dollhouse". I never saw ND but it sure as hell isn't "Dollhouse". Anyway, it's like if Harmony Korine made a movie for Disney. The contrived dysfunction snuffs any humour in the uncomfortable crawlspace. It has it's moments but those are pretty few and far between. One of the characters, Marla (Yasmine Kittles), looks a little like Triche Boonaaara so that was a plus. I thought Courtney Davis (Gretchen Finkle) looked like Melissa Joan Hart so thatw as a little too much dibelief to suspend. There's no Q&A or director present, or even an EIFF representative on hand to try and buff up the premise. Perhaps because the previous screening in that room over-ran. I dunno. Anyway, I was kinda glad to get out of there because much grazing on popcorn and other processed foyer shit was going down. Can I recommend it? In all honesty no. Might try and catch more of the "They Might Be Giants" thread because at least some effort is being applied in this department and we're dealing with work that has trailblazed in it's time.

LOS STRAITJACKETS are back!

THE CAMEO CINEMA HAS BEEN SAVED...

"The Cameo today (16/8) is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Grand Reopening in 1986. Founded in 1914 as the King’s Cinema, it was bought by cinema pioneer Jim Poole under whose ownership it was refurbished and opened as The Cameo, Scotland’s first arthouse cinema, in 1949. He ran it until his retirement in the early 1980’s. It reopened on 16th August 1986 when it played ‘Heavenly Pursuits’.

Tonight The Cameo continues its tradition of championing independent cinema with screenings of the highly anticipated "Summer Palace" and "The Host" from the Edinburgh Film Festival in its glorious neo-classical Screen One. In Screen Three, Ken Loach’s "The Wind That Shakes The Barley" is still enjoying popular success in the eighth week of its run at the cinema.

The Cameo is also celebrating its future. The ‘for sale’ boards have come down from the front of the building and the business of serving the local community with the very best film from around the globe is continuing as normal. Recent plans to sell the site or to develop screen one into a multi-use venue have been shelved, and on the back of strong local support operators City Screen have now committed to keeping The Cameo.

A process of discussion with the local community and interested parties is underway to create a plan for safeguarding the cinema’s future. With public support, City Screen hopes to raise funds to implement a major refurbishment programme to improve Screen Two, the foyer and the toilets.

Ian Hoey, The Cameo’s General Manager commented: “On this, the 20th anniversary of the Cameo's rebirth, we are delighted at the news that we are to be removed from the open market and will continue as a key site in the Picturehouse network of classic cinemas. The Cameo has been functioning in an atmosphere of great uncertainty for many months and it is a credit to the staff and the support of the public that it has performed consistently well in the midst of the highly competitive market of cinema exhibition in Edinburgh. The Cameo is the historic heart of cinema in Edinburgh and should remain that way for many years to come."

Genni Poole, Jim Poole’s daughter and leader of the Save the Cameo campaign, added: “The Campaign is pleased that The Cameo’s vulnerable state of limbo has been removed. We very much hope that its operators will prove their commitment to the long term future of this very special cinema and build bridges with local people and cinema-goers who love The Cameo for the unique filmwatching experience it offers. It has a special role in the community of Tollcross and residents have been tremendously supportive. We urge people to vote with their feet and choose The Cameo to see films, to ensure that its future is safeguarded amidst the fierce competition of the city’s multiplexes.”

Local MSP Sarah Boyack has also expressed her support: “This is excellent news - the Cameo is no longer up for sale and City Screen have now committed to keeping the Cameo open. We want to thank the local community and the Cameo's fans who have stayed loyal. Without our campaign I don't believe we'd have today's announcement. I look forward to the discussions that City Screen have promised as there is clearly a need for investment in the Cameo if it is to remain an attractive venue and fulfil its potential.”

The cinema is enjoying its role as a central Film Festival venue and is looking forward to a great summer, with Pedro Almodovar’s highly anticipated Volver opening on Friday 25th August. Tickets for The Cameo are £5.90/£4.50 for cinema members and can be booked on 08707 551 231 or online at www.picturehouses.co.uk. Tickets for the Edinburgh Film Festival screenings (priced separately) can be booked on 0131 623 8030."

A missive from Stephen at Monorail Music in Glasgow...

"Just to let you know - our friends and landlords at Mono are hosting a very special evening with Howe Gelb (of Giant Sand) on Tues 22nd August (doors 8.30pm). Howe will be flying into Glasgow especially for an intimate solo performance on piano and guitar. This is his ONLY UK appearance.

Also, on Wednesday 23rd August (doors 8.30), Mono have the incredible destructo-pop unit, Quasi, from Portland, OR. In case you don't know, Quasi live are wild and brilliant - kind of like The Zombies meets Swell Maps. They feature Janet Weiss of Sleater Kinney and Sam Coomes (one of Elliott Smith's main collaborators) and, now, Joanna Bolme from The Jicks. They are joined by their old muckers, International Airport. I'm part of the association!

Tickets available from Monorail, Kings Court, King Street (0141 552 9458) and Tickets Scotland."

RIP - Bruno Kirby

"Stripchords action this Sunday!
All hail, kits'n'kittens! The Stripchords return to Dr Strange's swinging Sunday night sesh at revered East London venue Bethnal Green Working Mens Club this weekend, avec their customary tits'n'twang action, Mr Bishop's saucy flicks, and go-go honeys - Ms Lager-Shandy and Miss Stephanie. Plus, there's top 45rpm action from The Sonic Reducer Tag Team DJs. We're looking forward to a slight hiatus following this weekend's gigs, as it's been a heavy-duty bump'n'grind of a summer, so make sure you catch some of their saucy action, unless you want to wait until October! See you at the bar! The Stripchords

More info at www.ontherockslondon.com/theLargeClub/index.html
And, of course, tracks, vids & pics available via www.myspace.com/thestripchords "

This annum's film festival semester began last night with Art School Confidential, the new Terry Zwigoff/Dan Clowes feature. It's been out in the US since May and may well be on dvd by now. Anyway, it's an OK way to spend just under two hours. It feels like these are motion comic book frames and there's a certain Kevin Smith air about it all but it holds together pretty well. Steve Buscemi is in it being himself and that's never a bad thing. In terms of the Festival atmos, there was none. No director, no actors just a big barn-like cinema packed with punters. I guess everybody concerned is well into another project by now. More on Saturday...

Photos of THE CRAMPS in Stockholm by Kitty Kowalski.

(Thanks to Martin P for the link)

As I tap away here, The London Astoria will soon be reverberating to a capacity throng getting their jollies to the strains of The Cramps. It's their 30th anniversary in November (!) Those of us who couldn't make it are sitting tight, waiting for the cyber-telegraph and in particular - YouTube to deliver us some (un)edited idea as to how it all went.

Forget all that shit about Snakes on planes. Surely all the added security means that you could never get the blighters on innit? You should concern yourselves more with regard to Nomads on a boat! Taking place this coming Thursday. Wish i wiz there!...

Daundered into Glasgow yesterday to catch the post-Belladrum Medicine (music) Caravan. This was to feature Joe West, The Tom Morton Two, I See Hawks in LA and Tony Gilkyson. However, it is said that one part of the wagon train hit a bit of a snag and the latter two didn't make it. The on/off tosh with regard to the will they/won't they turn up malarky was bollocks. However, the West/Morton end was kept up well and they both made a valiant attempt to salvage the evening. Joe West has a great song called "Rehab Girl" and he knocks out a mean Townes song. His album is called "The Human Cannonball", no relation to Webb Wilder. Tom and his son James do a nice line in loud skiffle. They do the one about hating The Beatles and a new song "Gay Bomb" that sounds like a great lost 45 from 1977. They've got a neat wee combo going here and they rock (albeit acoustically). Some other guy came on and I left, he was awful. Well, maybe not awful but not good. Something about ping pong and bananas or some tiresome fnar,fnar bollocks like that. As for the no-shows, what the fuck is that about? Not something that a free drink will smooth over in my estimation. But the guys who did show up did good. Woulda been better suited to The State Bar in terms of numbers but that's Glasgow on a Sunday evening for you. Earlier, I walked past Beanscene and Chris Difford was doing a pre-Tuts warm-up. There weren't too many folks there either and it reminded me of the night Squeeze played Grangemouth Town Hall and only drew 90 people after having a Top 30 single. Simple Minds opened and it was the night I met the great Howard Thompson. Those were different times alright.

Many thanks to Martin Percival for rustling this up in spite of his "on tour" status...

The Cramps - Lokerse Feesten - Lokeren Belgium - Weds Aug 9 2006

Many towns and cities in Belgium and the Netherlands have an annual festival, often subsidised by their local authorities. Can you imagine that?! The 32nd annual such festival in Lokeren in the Flanders region of northern Belgium this year featured the double headlining bill of The Cramps plus Bauhaus....all for 10 Euros! Remarkable value for money and it proved to be a very well organised and fun event.

I arrived in Belgium earlier in the day and headed to Antwerp by train to meet Dirk "Ungawa" Roeyen in his home town. Dirk is a hardcore Cramps afficianado and even wrote a book on the band back in 1996. He and I then headed out on the short drive to Lokeren with 2 of his pals.

The festival site holds 15,000 and, although not sold out, there must have been close to that number present by the time the Cramps hit the stage around 9pm. I've only ever seen the band play at a festival once before, Reading in 1990, and it was strange seeing them play in the light! As had been rumoured prior to the gig Lux has dyed his hair a sandy blonde colour and he's also lost a bit of weight since their last European visit back in September 2003. He was on very fine form, as were Chopper and Bill Bateman, and both Lux and Ivy were actually looking younger than they did 3 years ago. They must have a picture up in their attic somewhere!

The set opened with "The Mad Daddy" and was swiftly followed by "Rock on the Moon". Lux was stalking around the stage and clearly enjoying himself. His first quip for the crowd was "You come - they give me wine!" and before long he was slurping down his favourite red wine straight out of the bottle. As usual though a fair amount was spilt.

Jake from the Lords of Altamont was spotted stage side and it was good to see this long time Cramps fanatic working with the band again.

By the time "Caveman" was completed the first mike stand had gone to meet its maker and wine bottle number one was empty. "Let's Get Fucked Up" followed and Lux was well on the way to working himself up into the frenzy that we've all grown to love from a Cramps show. He made his way down to the pit in front of the stage and the TV cameras filming the festival for the stage side screens picked out a happy looking Dirk in the front row.

At the close of "Dames, Booze, Chains and Boots" Lux's PVC trousers were slashed and gaping, just in time for "TV Set". "That's a GOOD song!" was Lux's assessment of the classic from the first album, and I don't think anyone present would have disputed his opinion.

"Psychotic Reaction" saw some great harp playing and much rolling around on stage as the sun went down. The set closed with "Wrong Way Ticket" and the final song was introduced as "some bad advice straight from hell"
before going into "Tear it Up". There was no encore so the set did close in a rather frustrating fashion for long time fans. Only 50 minutes and everyone wanting more. However it was great to see that a lot of people at the festival, mainly there to see Bauhaus, had clearly really enjoyed what was, probably for the majority present, their first Cramps show. For a band to still be so hot live 30 years into their career is incredible. This was likely just as well as Bauhaus later had equipment problems and consequently only played 12 songs. They also gave a more than passable impression of a band falling apart in public..... but let's not dwell on that.

At the end of the evening I decided to pass on the local delicacy - horse meat sausages - and headed back instead to Antwerp a very happy Cramps fan greatly looking forward to the London gig the following week where maybe we'll be treated to some new songs and I'm sure a longer set. I also suspect that night will see Lux in a more "traditional" state of frenzy by the end of the show!

Just for the record the set list was:

The Mad Daddy
Rock on the Moon
The Way I Walk
Hanky Panky
Hang Up
Fissure of Rolando
Papa Satan Sang Louie
Big Black Witchcraft Rock
It Thing Hard On
Primitive
Caveman
Let's get Fucked up
Dames Booze Chains & Boots
TV Set
Psychotic Reaction
Wrong Way Ticket
Tear it Up

Martin (LOTC member 610.....oooops - that was 25 years ago!)

Wayne County - At The Trucks (Munster LP).

What with Jayne County bein' in the news this very moment, it seems like as good a time as any to hip you to this explosive new footlong of archive material.
Truth be told, I've always thought of Wayne/Jayne as a fun "concept", rather than something I'd listen to on a regular basis. The only exception bein' the fab Things Your Mother Never Told You LP that, thanks to an amazin' David Cunningham production sounds as psychedelic as any Electric Prunes disc you'd care to mention.
This new LP however, firmly implants County's stake in the mid 70s pre-punk settings. Side one is a live set recorded in jan. 1974 while he was under contract with Bowie's Mainmam company. Somewhere halfway 'tween the New York Dolls and Lou Reed's Rock & Roll Animal without really touchin' either's majesty (good as it is tho'). But flip this disc over and there's a stellar take on the Yardbirds' Putty (again from 1974) plus wild, undated, early takes of Fucked By The Devil and Prostitute With A Parachute. To round things off, there's an early 80s version of Max's Kansas City, where, in the artist round-up, Jayne mentions everybody from Von Lmo to Madonna! Great stuff! Now roll on the long lost set that County apparently recorded for ESP way back when...

Ugly Things #24.

The world's finest music publication returns with 208 jam-packed pages of arcane knowledge. Obviously way to much to digest in one or two sittings, but what I did read so far is up to the magazine usual high standards.
While the Mojos of this world can't seem to get past the handful of big names and have sucked these bands/artists dry of just about any life juice left in their respective corpses, Ugly Things, time and time again, comes up with vital information on the left-overs and footnotes of rock & roll's history.
The Bush, Flamin' groovies, Rubber City Rebels and Willie Alexander are just a few of the acts to appear in this issue. It also good to note that the contents seem to get more varied with each issue (excludin' the one reviewer who's journeys into different musical settings seem mainly inspired by the will to be offensive and/or eccentric) But with excellent writers like David Laing, Jeff Jarema, Doug Sheppard and the Stax-man himself aboard it's easy to overlook such minor quibbles. Get it straight from the source at Ugly-Things.com.

Flamin' Groovies - At Full Speed, the complete Sire recordings (Rhino 2CD).

Released about two moths ago, and yet I still have to see the first mention of this in any publication (digital or otherwise). Heck, I couldn't even locate it on Rhino's own website!
I really hope all you NBT readers are familiar with the contents of these discs; some of the most powerful/touching rock & roll music ever. Shake Some Action, You Tore Me Down, I Saw Her, I Can't Hide, Take Me Back etc, etc... This is the stuff of legend, timeless beauty and (insert favorite adjective here)...
Forget the similar, but shoddy three CD set that came out last year. This is the way us fans always wanted it to appear. Handled by those who actually understand; Sound produced by Bill Inglot, package design by Phil Smee and (2002) liner notes by the late Greg Shaw who out did himself putting the band's saga in proper perspective.
Absolutely mandatory... (and if Rhino doesn't want to sell it, just head for Amazon)

Been getting to grips with the JD King and The Coachmen thing entitled AMERICAN MERCURY and tis a mercurial beast to be sure. Just released on Ecstatic Peace, this is mood swing music that works at all volumes. It's swinging frequencies work equally enthrallingly as ambient Sunday am background textures and also unfathomably loud. And with the moods swinging pendulously you'll hear shards of Velvets and T. Rexian garageisms amongst the shimmering backdrops of crisp, burning tones. The polar opposite of noodling awaits anybody with ears open to something other than yer usual ramalama fare. there's a depth and soul displayed here that makes me wish they were on the bill for that Sonic Youth fest in December where The Stooges and DKT/MC5 will be going HiDeHi on the audiences collective ass. Now if these folks were playing, I'd be down there like mud on a pig. Read more about it at Blog to Comm. Get it in the UK from Volcanic Tongue.

A hot August (Saturday) night in Malmö ... captured by the very Rev. Lennart Persson!

Info via E-mole... I think the exclamations are warranted in this instance...

"From: Jayne County and THE ELECTRIC CHAIRS

Date: Aug 10, 2006 9:21 PM

As many of you have probably already heard, CREEP Gene Simmons has stolen my band*s name and given to his son Nick Simmons! This is a dispicable act of greed and disgusting contempt! To not only me as a person, but as a Glam/Punk Pioneer and Trans artist! And quite frankly it is a tremendous INSULT to the entire PUNK WORLD!!! I thought up the name myself back in 1977 and have been recording and touring with this name since way back then!!! I have ALWAYS been WAYNE/JAYNE COUNTY AND THE ELECTRIC CHAIRS!!! And my first LP was called THE ELECTRIC CHAIRS. Everyone in the Punk world and othere knows that!! In fact I have a gig in London on Oct. the 28 with the DAMNED and I am billed as JAYNE COUNTY AND THE ELECTRIC CHAIRS! IT IS MY NAME!!!!! Creepy Mean Gene has even gone and copywrited my for himself!!! I will try to fight the best I can but Mean Gene is RICH and has top lawyers!!! He will try to shoot me down, like a dog!!! SO, I NEED YOU... ALL MY FRIENDS AND FANS TO HELP ME FIGHT THIS GREAT INJUSTICE!!! Do absolutely ANYTHING you can and can thinkk of to harrass and protest to Gene Simmons, that awful show called I think the Family Jewels or something!!! Also - protest to A&E TV station. Calll them. email them. fax them. harrass them and let them know that they are NOT GOING TO GET AWAY WITH IT!!! Here is some useful info about the show for you!!! The DIRECT PHONE NUMBER to the show is.... 323 468 2000. The company doing the show is called THE GREIF COMPANY .. A DAY WITH, INC,.. and their address is: 9233 W. Pico Blvd. .. Suite 218..... Los Angeles, Calif, 90035 Their num. is 310 385 1200 and the Fax. is 310 385 1207 ... OK TROOPS. MOBILIZE AND HELP ME FIGHT!! IF YOU LOVE ME AND MY MUSIC YOU WILL HELP ME!!!!!!!!! Love to you all. XXXXXXXX Jayne"

(From Sara J.) "DJ'ing at The Abbey Lounge this Sunday August 13th...The Leather Uppers/Black Clouds/The Shemps

A late addition DJ affair....I'll be spinning more of the 'zee LOCK and LOLL this Sunday August 13th at the Abbey Lounge in between band sets. On stage that evening....The Leather Uppers (Goner Records) from Canada, The Black Clouds with their new 7 inch in hand, and The Shemps from New Jersey. Sunday cocktails, music, fun and some Jilted John....OH BOY!

Also (sadly) not showing at the 60th Edinburgh International Film Festival...

Tales of the Rat Fink (link via Imants Krumins/E-Mole)

Ditto this article on Deniz Tek.

Didn't I tell you? (Thanks to Martin for the link)

and those links, they keep on coming... (cheers Björn)

Dead Flowers presents
THE THIRD ANNUAL ATLANTIC ANTIC ROCK'N'SOUL FEST!
Sunday, September 17th
11am - 6pm. Rain or shine.

The Fleshtones / Reigning Sound / The Dansettes / The Fabulous Soul Shakers

Plus: More bands and DJs TBA, and a killer after-party inside Magnetic Field!

Magnetic Field
97 Atlantic Avenue
(between Henry & Hicks Sts.)
Brooklyn, U.S.A.

Today's word is "disruption". Certainly preferable to "destruction" but what a bloody to-do. Patience is the proverbial virtue and all that. Better just to stay at home and piss about on your computer or whatever. And hey, it could put global warming back, oh, at least an hour. Maybe two. It’s an ill wind indeed… Anyway, I hope Brother Thewlis made it to Edinburgh eventually.

And what about Lux’s new barnet? Any step away from that Hot Topic look has to be a good thing. And they’ve got Bill Bateman in tow, a man who knows a thing or three about the big beat. I look forward to hearing the reports. "Disruption" permitting.

Time I wasn’t here…

The Cramps in Belgium last night. First photos of the "new-look" Lux.

In the fotos section, there isn't a direct link.

Tonight (9th August) Heavy Trash will play live on Radio Pula at 8 pm (CET), That's 7pm UK time I think - And they'll be interviewed by Lada from The Bambi Molesters. Tune in to http://www.hrt.hr/streams/index.html and click PULA. I just checked out the link and heard a "dance-ified" version of Free's "All Right Now"?

Thanks to BIGor for the tip off.

Normal service around here is not something that I have any control of at the moment. Thanks for bearing with it. Ditto e-mail. If you've e-mailed and haven't had a reply then you will eventually. Eggs cannot be unscrambled, what can I tell you?

As a fully paid up member of YouTube Anonymous who (presumably) used to have a life, I offer up another 20 minutes worth of entertainment should you be in pursuit of such a thing...

BMX/Evie Sands videos on YouTube

Anyway That You Want Me

Witchi Tai To

Long Rydin' Sid Griffin on YouTube

The Coal Porters - Final Wild Son

The Coal Porters - Little Cabin Home On The Hill

Sid Griffin - When I'm Out Walking with You

Been trying to figure out this new postage malarky that comes into play as of August 21st. Postage will be charged in line with size as opposed to weight and those behind this ruse are doing their utmost to say it's fairer but what is the actual likelihood of that? Not much... Just as well that i'm not physically mailing stuff at the frequency I used to or i'd be knocking on the poorhouse door. This, as much as anything, has put the kibosh on any further printed manifestation of NBT. Not that I could ever afford to do such a beastie anyway. Chalk it up to doing my bit for "the environment". Plus, all those flyers that are printed up for the Edinburgh Festival(s) have pretty much exhausted world paper supplies anyway. Used to be these things were like little pieces of art. Now it's just dtp'd bollocks. They'd be better just putting the pre-printed paper stock into the shredder because it's such utter waste that it nips my noggin just to think about it. There is no electronic format that can compete with hand pasted and xerox. Not to my knowledge. But hey, let's hear it for this misnomer called "progress". I hear about it but don't believe that i've made its acquaintance.

As a means of escape yesterday I thought it might be an idea to lock horns with some “culture”. It wasn’t entirely successful but whats done, etc. Edinburgh is already hoaching with Festival goers and the "season" hasn’t really even started to kick in. Auld Reekie is also teeming with drunks who have od’d on the hot weather and being able to sit outside like they do in other European cities. It’s just that many of them aren’t up to the task. But anyway, irritating as these people may be, let’s not get into that debate that right now. The Notorious Bettie Page is a somewhat unadventurous endeavour. Looks great and the old NY footage works really well. Gretchen Mol is authentic and Lilli Taylor as Paula Klaw is a casting plus. This all went down just 50 years ago and we’ve ended up quite the way down the highway since then. However, it seems like no time ago at all and the mainstreaming of the fifties glamour/fetish material has diluted the myth somewhat. If the myth is gone then what the hell is left. This is gloss over substance and quite possibly premeditated as such. However, there are worse ways to spend a couple of hours. Isn’t there another Bettie biopic doing the rounds someplace? I wish she would tell her story from her angle. Now that might well be something. A wee amble through the densely populated streets then to my next encounter with the arts. Harry Shearer and his wife Judith Owen are appearing at the Assembly Rooms all through August. This Is So Not About The Simpsons (American Voyeurs) starts with Harry doing Montgomery Burns, Ned Flanders and a couple of others before presenting their view of the US circa now. To be able to see someone who was in Spinal Tap and The Folksmen up so close was great. I wish I could say that the show was wall to wall funny but it really wasn’t. There’s a short back projection of Robert Tilton and a section of Bush film (no, that wasn’t me referring back to the Bettie movie) but the rest left me thinking, er, is this it? His wife’s oeuvre is, to my chagrin, basically Vonda Shepherd channelling Richard Stilgoe with added scat singing. I’m not big on the latter and wasn’t convinced that the rest of the audience had been won over either so perhaps it wasn’t just me. Elsewhere in the building, Kylie Minogue was hanging out at some show with “Havana” in the title. Far as I know it has nothing to do with The Ramones.

RIP - Arthur Lee

After Iggy caused some damage to a Dutch TV studio miming to Lust For Life (#3 over here in november 1977), the Dutch press turned up en masse when he returned to mime to I Got A Right. Too bad for them, Iggy refused (even after mucho pleading) to damage anything at all (he's good at posin' tho'..)

TEENAGE FANCLUB perform Bandwagonesque Certainly one of the best bands to come out of Glasgow, always seem to be around when you need them! And this time it’s to remind us of their 1991 album Bandwagonesque which, you may have forgotten, was voted the Best Album of 1991 by America’s Spin magazine beating Nirvana’s Nevermind and REM’s, Out Of Time. A travesty? Tickets on sale Saturday 5th August @ 9am.Glasgow, Barrowland - Friday 29th September. (Info from Gigs In Scotland.)

The Knights of Fuzz (21st century multi-media edition).

Thanks to Ben for the tip-off.

The Stripchords @ South London Pacific,
August 11th!

The Stripchords are set to bring their patented mix of tits'n'twang to an Ooh, I Like A Bit Of ... club night at Londinium's esteemed tiki bar, South London Pacific, on Friday August 11th. In addition, Ooh, I Like A Bit Of ... features top notch turntablism from Nick Brown (Stag-O-Lee/Intoxica!) and KatManDude to keep you in a South Seas-type mood until the wee, wee hours (don't overdo the cocktails, folks!). The venue's a 5-minute walk from Oval tube on the Northern Line (even if you've got a wooden leg). See you at the bar!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ooh, I Like A Bit Of ... @ South London Pacific 340 Kennington Road London
SE11 4LD - £5, £3 b4 10pm, free before 9pm

AND!!!!

Tim Rogers @ Sonic Reducer, August 12th!

Hey kits'n'kittens
Muchos gracias for the wild reception afforded to the set by tits'n'twang aggregation The Stripchords at the last sweltering Sonic Reducer sesh. We've got summat even hotter than July (hmmm, heard that before ...) scheduled for the SR on August 12th, namely special guest DJ Tim 'Jolly' Rogers of You Am I, The Temperance Union, and now T'n'T, alongside the mighty Tex Perkins (The Cruel Sea, The Beasts Of Bourbon)! Tim'n'Tex (or Tex'n'Tim) are playing at Islington Academy on August 12th, showcasing their mightily witty collaborative album, My Better Half. After the gig, the estimable Mr Rogers of Kalgoorlie, WA will decamp to Sonic Reducer, joining BigKegShandy on the decks, for his second guest DJ turn at the club. Old Jolly's again expected to spin classics and nuggets by the likes of The Easybeats, AC/DC, yer 'Stones, da 'Ooo, The Raspberries, Big Star, and owt else that takes his fancy ... As per, we'll be raging until 1am, and entry, of course is FREE! Selah, BigKegShandy
-------------------------------------------
Sonic Reducer @ The Spitz (gallery space) July15th Spitalfields Market,

Londinium E1 8.30pm-1am, FREE ENTRY Tube: Liverpool Street

A couple of items you may care to take a wee swatch at...

Nick Kent realises the error of his ways (Thanks to Martin P for the link).

also, Ben Weasel tells it like it is on the subject of myspace.

I was minding my own beeswax when a message from Kevan Aman came in which was titled "What Rock'n'Roll should be". This resulted in my sliding down the rabbit hole which is YouTube to a portal of Oblivians and Gories clips plus a ton more.

I've also been digging the Stereototal-tastic CSS from San Paulo, Brazil. They've got a new album out on SubPop.

Mr Spence has confirmed that The Grease Monkeys and The Dexateens will be opening for The Fleshtones at the DWC. It's gonna be quite the shindig.

Let's head for Sweden now... (if only) ... couple of reviews that are way overdue...

The cross-fertilisation of Kraftwerk and Bo Diddley has to be a good thing so Sci-Fi Skane are considerably ahead of their time. SFS is the fevered by-product of Bob Hund singer Thomas Oberg with help from some of his bandmates and the mysterious Solnafingret. Veering in and out of a cinematic groove, their take on Canned Heat's "Going Up The Country" is kinda like the spawn of The Silicon Teens older, sicker brethren. They're using technology (look out honey, etc.) as if the BBC Radiophonic Workshop had something slipped into their tea by some malevolent canteen lady. I imagine that they'll confound a good many people but that has to be a positive thing. They've been doing a club in London recently. Stick with this program.

Maia Hirasawa is a member of the Hello Saferide group and purveyor of cracking home recorded lounge pop gems in her own right. "The My New Friend EP" contains six quiet, reflective songs which you can sample at her site. The vibe reminds me of Sara Hickman and that's no bad thing. So, should you be seeking a wee diversion from ear-shredding rock'n'roll then this should sooth yon savage beastie. T'was just the business to calm the nerves after all those frantic clips I just ingested.

And so to the final episode of Top of the Pops that's on tonight. I hope that the BBC are working on something authoritative to replace it? That's what we pay our sodding licence fee for. Kinda like Jools Holland but not irritating. I know there are people within that organisation that can put such a thing together so give 'em a bloody chance. Alright? Something not controlled by the self-appointed hipster mafia.

The Treasures of Long Gone John. Coming to a multiplex near you in the fullness of time... nae doobt!

Also, check out the new SFTRI booty. Including a new album by The Fondas.

FREE MUSIC in Gothenburg NEXT WEEKEND and BEYOND!

Musikprogrammet på Frihamnspiren, EM-festen 2006

Friday 4 August - Stora Scenen
Sture Alléns Dansorkester
I’m from Barcelona
Hello Saferide
The Soundtrack of Our Lives

Tältscenen
The Slaves

Saturday 5 August - Where The Action Is - Stora Scenen
C.Aarmé
The Hellacopters
Backyard Babies
Millencolin

Tältscenen
Molotov Jive
The Animal Five

Sunday 6 August - Stora Scenen
Tiger Lou
The Embassy
Eskobar

Tältscenen
Firefox AK
Slagsmålsklubben

Monday 7 August - Stora Scenen
Asta Kask
No Fun At All CKY (us)

Tältscenen
Blindside
Satanic Surfers

Tuesday 8 August - Stora Scenen
Bloodbound
Burst
Arch Enemy (s/uk)

Tältscenen
Avatar Nine

Wednesday 9 August - Stora Scenen
SLS
Snook
Petter
Tältscenen Technics Swedish DJ Championship (DJ-SM)

Thursday 10 August - Stora Scenen
Henrik Berggren
The Twilight Singers feat. Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan
Echo & the Bunnymen (uk)

Tältscenen
Howe Gelb (Giant Sand) (us)
Field Music (uk)

Friday 11 August - Stora Scenen
Sébastien Tellier (fr)
The Dears (can)
Lisa Miskovsky

Tältscenen
Scissors for Lefty (us)
The Rogers Sisters (uk)

Saturday 12 August - Stora Scenen
Whyte Seeds
Timo Räisänen
Looptroop

Tältscenen
Montys Loco
Hets

Those of you in NY might like to know that this coming Thursday, August 3rd at 8pm - PUNKAPELLA - Slovene vocal quartet with Mike Pride & Fritz Welch. (Cafe Grumpy, Meserole Ave., Greenpoint, Brooklyn)...I didn't know they'd named a club after me in deepest Fleshtone territory?!... thanks to Bigor for the heads-up and the photo (via Dusan). The 'pella are in town recording ...

Went out for a hike around Hilversum today to check out the works of W.M. Dudok, the towns former planner/architect. The amazing townhall (pictured) is the obvious icing on the proverbial whatsis, but there are large numbers of schools, bridges and even entire neighborhoods designed by Dudok to enjoy. More pictures of the townhall can be found here, while other buildings can be viewed in this PDF file.

Mr Duff was going about his business this morning when he came a cross the news that those FLESHTONES will be playing at Dirty Water on October 20th. Support is said to include Glasgow's own Grease Monkeys but I haven't had confirmation of that. Seems like a good shout should it happen. The Super Rock troupe will also be at the fine Paris Maroquinerie on October 22nd. Could be a Eurostar adventure in the offing? Work is also progressing on the aforementioned VINDICATED....

'THE MASONICS' plus 'PRESTON PFANZ & THE SEATON SANDS' play 'BEATSVILLE'

at Henry's Cellar Bar, Morrison Street, Edinburgh.

Friday 4th August, 11pm - 3am £5/4

The Masonics, 'Medway Garage Beat', are Mickey Hampshire, ex of The Milkshakes, Bruce Brand ex of Milkshakes and Headcoats and John 'Lard' Gibbs (ex Kaiser). They play they're thudding mix of 'Punk Sea Shanties' and 'R'n'B Two Chorders' once more after a sell out show last January at 'Beatsville' and in support Edinburgh's own Preston Pfanz & The Seaton Sands purveyors of fine Beat and Surf Instrumentals. It's time to 'Shadoogie!'

Cardboard Compulsion "Record collecting included a compulsion to keep the mailers they were sent in. Here they are, along with the stories behind them."

RIP - Jessie Mae Hemphill

(Link courtesy of Colin Duff)

From therunaways.com:

"Hello Friends,

Many of you have written letters to Sandy West and have inquired why there is no new music or merchandise. It has come the time for us to address this issue. It has been a very hard year for Sandy.

In August of last year, Sandy was diagnosed with lung cancer. She has battled bravely and endured an extensive course of chemotherapy which is still continuing. We did not release this information as Sandy wanted her illness to remain a private issue, and to reemerge with new projects, cancer free.

Earlier this week, Sandy received some news that has made her reevaluate the issue of privacy vs her need for your prayers and support.

In addition to the existing lung cancer, Sandy was diagnosed with a brain tumor. She is currently undergoing radiation therapy in addition to the chemotherapy. It is a very hard time for her, and while we remain optimistic and hopeful, at this time we ask for your prayers and for you to please send out your positive and healing energy to Sandy.

We have set up a special e-mail for Get Well letters. Sandy won't be able to respond, but you can rest assured she will receive your letters. The greatest joy in Sandy's life is her fans. She considers all of you family and would sincerely benefit from your letters of encouragement at this time.

We have set up a Paypal account for Sandy as well. Even though she has some medical insurance, her bills are piling up alarmingly, and any amount you'd like to donate, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.

Please email your Get Well wishes to: lettersforsandy (at) yahoo.com

You can help Sandy here:
Donate here through PayPal.

For money orders:
Sandy West
c/o Rocket City Records/Times Square Productions
520 Washington Blvd # 199
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292-5421
Please add the insurance/registered mail option so if anything happens it can be tracked.
Money orders only. Please make them out to Sandy West
Please do not send cash!"

Motivation. Now there's a word. Ambition is another and your reporter here is sadly lacking with regard to either. I have no pressing urge to take over the world or indeed anything. The simple art of peedling on has taken on something of a downward precipitation. A tailspin that has me, frankly, wondering if it is in fact possible to avert an almighty splat. I listened to a couple of things today but nothing of any consequence and a couple just plain stank. There are cool things lying around here and stuff I oughtta be filling you folks in on but let's just say that i've come down with a bout of "writer's (breeze)block". Not that I ever considered myself a writer in the first place but you probably get my drift? One pressing matter around my noggin is to figure out about taking some time away from the stalag. Anyhoo, I hope that the lack of activity around these parts won't put you off dropping by again. I'm listening to someone on internet radio banging on about Mercury Music prize nominees. What meaningless pish that is in the grand scheme of things. However, let's take things out on a positive keel - check out this Radio Stars website and don't forget Jeroen's Chiswick sideproject. The "auld yins" are the best right enough...

No sign of Mitch and Mickey unfortunately but Derek Smalls appears in his alter ego of Harry Shearer with his wife Judith Owen at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh during much of August.

Also, tonight there's a BMX Bandits/Evie Sands session on Radio Clyde which you can stream live but I don't think there's a "Listen Again" function. It's on Billy Sloan's show which starts at 7pm and runs until 10pm.

Upcoming Bambi Molesters shows...

29th July - Zagreb (CRO) - Muzej za umjetnost i obrt

4th August - Dubrovnik (CRO) - "Lazareti/Mora" with DJ Dinko

16th September - Kranj (SLO) - "Wave 2" Festival

RIP - Jack Warden

Get VINDICATED! - The latest...

MAXIMUM R&R - ART and MUSIC FESTIVAL in PULA, CROATIA, August 10th -12th

thursday, 10th August -

At noon: presentation of croatian translation of Roni Sarig's The Secret History of Rock, with Lada in charge...

5 pm: ROCKUMENTARY GROOVE:

"Petrovaradinsko pleme" D. Pintarica (60 min.) www.pozitiv.si/petrovaradintribe/

9 pm: the concert
Petrol (Beograd)Fetisha (Ljubljana) www.myspace.com/fetisha and Goribor (Bor) http://www.goribor.co.sr/Sjekire (Rijeka)
11 pm: Deboto (Pula)
11.30pm: Jugoplastika (Spain) http://www.jugoplastika.com/
0.30am: Heavy Trash (Jon Spencer & Matt Verta Ray) (USA)

Friday, 11th August

at noon: presentation of cd compilation of bands from Rijeka, Croatia
5 pm: ROCKUMENTARY GROOVE:
1. "Divided States of America – Laibach 2004 Tour" S. Podgorsek (70 min.)www.laibach.nsk.si/divided_states.htmlwww.laibach.nsk.si/podgorsek.html
"When musicians shock" D. Jagati?a (52 min.) (Rock Cafe)

9 pm the concert
Gin Cooler Quartet (Zagreb) www.gincoolerquartet.com/
One Piece Puzzle (Rijeka) http://www.onepiecepuzzle.com/
Justin's Johnson (Split) http://www.myspace.com/justinsjohnson
Erotic Biljan & his Heretics (Zagreb) www.heretics.htnet.hr/
11 pm: Overflow (Koprivnica) www.overflow-tv.com/
12 pm: Bellrays (L.A. - SAD) http://www.thebellrays.com/

saturday, 12th August
at noon: discusion Is it rewarding to be in rock and roll in Croatia?
at 5 pm ROCKUMENTARY GROOVE:
"Geto 103" J.Altiparmakova (10 min.)

"Foltin" J. Altiparmakova (35 Min.)

"Ritam rock plemena" B.Modri?a (86. min.) http://www.film.hr/bazafilm_film.php?katx=6&film_id=1682
9 pm the concert
the final part of young bands
10.30 pm: Barrakuda (Pula)
11 pm: Eyesburn (Serbia) http://www.eyesburnmusic.com/
midnight: Muskat Hamburg (SLO) http://www.muskathamburg.com/
00:30 am: Kultur Shock (Seattle - SAD) www.kulturshock.com/

Great googa-mooga! GHOULARDI on Youtube! (link via the Staysick Fraternity)

It's overcast today, as am I. However, here are one or two things to check out...

RIP - John Macsween

RIP - Peter Hawkins

Sprung for a bunch of tickets to this year's Edinburgh Film Festival. Just heard that Hannah McGill will be taking over as Artistic Director from next year. Just the foot up the jacksy it needs.

Remembered something else that rankled me at the BOC show t'other night. They were selling Tyranny and Mutation shirts but on the backprint it bore a presumed typo that read "Tyranny and Mutations". Perhaps in testament to the hairstyles of some in the audience. I don't have to worry about such things, there ain't much left to sculpt.

There's a wheen of Youtube stuff to hep you to also but that will entail an inordinate amount of copying and pasting that i'm not at liberty to partake of now. Perhaps later...


And don't forget that THE RADIO THRIFT SHOP is on the airwaves again and this week's broadcast was a blinder. It includes a segment of Tammy Wynette on the Navy Hoedown programme and she does a version of "I'd Be A Legend In My Time". It was also great to hear Area Code 615 again too. Bravo lassie. If only all radio was like this...

One thing and another has postponed my blogging in recent days but being that it’s too hot to sleep, I figured that I might as well make it a late night. I’ve usually passed out in front of the TV by now…

Sunday night’s Evie Sands show was fairly well attended given the matinee nature of the timing. Those who took the opportunity saw a lady small in stature maybe but with a voice and persona to match any big hitter. Her set featured old, newish and yet to be recorded. “Anyway That You Want Me” was positively spine-tingling, anybody who didn’t get the chills is presumably clinically dead. I dug the song “Leap of Faith” and it’s “Sweet Home Alabama” undertow. Rounding things off with a rousing “I Can’t Let Go”, I don’t think she could even if she wanted to. Not sure what her band back home would be like but they’d have to go some to hold a candle to this combo. Check out the setlist, etc on the TFC message board.

The Bandits themselves followed through with a very nifty set. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to actually believe that some of these songs are coming from the man that brought us "E102" all those years ago. Tonight saw that song reborn as a burundified stomper and really, the dynamics of recent Bandit performances are a lesson in putting together the ultimate pop confection. What they do has guts, heart and soul. Rachel and Duglas trade off one another like they’ve been doing this forever and the music they make is equally timeless. BMX Bandits circa 2006 are real contenders.

The other reason for my late shift is that I just got in from seeing Blue Öyster Cult at “The Ferry” (formerly the Renfrew Ferry). First time I’ve been in it since the refurb and relocation. Don’t know if I care for the upgrade but let’s not dwell on that. The actual decision to go was only made today. Tickets 20 quid a pop, funds a tad on the boracic side but I figured that for old times sake, and to represent Kim Salmon, then I ought to make the effort. It was good but it wasn’t great. I never cared for “Shooting Shark” or even “Burning For You” for that matter and those should be ditched and replaced with “Astronomy”, “Baby Ice Dog”, “Mistress…” “ETI” - need I yatter on? The drum and bass solos during “Godzilla” simply don’t work. Not in a place where zero in the way of projection is remotely possible. There’s no lightshow, no pyro, because the place is like a mini-sodding-mall. But anyway, there were high points “Last Days Of May”, “This Ain’t The Summer of Love” (I wish The Nomads would resurrect this live!), “Harvester Of Eyes”, “ME262”. The encore was something of a misfire. “I Love The Night” followed by “Hot Rails To Hell”. The sound had gone for a burton by this point. Not sure how or why but I was mourning the lack of “Dominance” and this made things worse. They can still cut it but in small places like this they need to tailor the set but, at least there was no attempt to introduce new material. I wish they could play venues of a size that their best songs deserve and they have a trove more than most. Being on my feet for the whole set almost brought me to my knees. The spirit was willing even if the flesh has taken something of a tabering. I left feeling just a wee bit sad, thinking how the mighty have been side-stepped in place of many lesser acts. It’s verging on Tap-esque but that doesn't seem to have dampened their ability to rock.

RIP - Mickey Spillane

The 30th anniversary of punk (if you're talking the 76/77 variety) continues to gather pace and today's Seven days section of the Sunday Herald spits is tuppence worth into the fray. I've been doing a lot of talking and thinking about it too which has unlocked memories but what sgnificance do such war stories have? Shouldn't we have grown up and moved on?? I appear to be cursed but what about all the others? Ben Weasel has relocated and is back in the Blogosphere. Murray sent me a link to the Dolls section of the Roadrunner site and there's an electronic press kit on there. Like I said before the album, due out next week, is better than anybody could have imagined it could be. Check out Shock and Awe Go Home also. Look at the time. I ought not to be here. More soon. Maybe.

“I’m From Barcelona” aren’t actually from Barcelona, they’re from Sweden. Don’t know if they’re all from Stockholm but I discovered them through the HS axis. When I got on to my “dealer”, he said they were like Belle and Sebastian and while I see the comparison, these folks are altogether more exotic. Like The Polyphonic Spree vs The BMX Bandits with some They Might Be Giants thrown in. There’s definitely a touch of the Glasgow Brill Building sound, one cannae deny that. There's also a jug band choir, adult version of the Langley Schools project going on. And - being that we're actually in the throes of one this year, this could be THE sound of summer, such is the breezy singalong nature but these tunes are marinated in strangely rich arrangements of skiffle type-orchestration punctuated with horns. And then there’s the Beach Boy type harmonies Get down with the videos and get with it. The actual effect is somewhat indescribable but if you hear it for yourself then you’ll get the gist. “The Saddest Lullaby” isn’t the kind of title that I’d normally go for but it has a kind of Spiritualized gospel swing to it. Like "From The Underworld" by The Herd infused with a slow-burning gospel brass ensemble. Just read on Swedesplease that Mute will release this in the rest of Europe this coming September. One appearance on the right TV or radio show and these folks will be heading for the megasphere. Chalk up another victory for those Scandanavians...

Due in a matter of days...

The Rt. Hon. Duglas T. Stewart has intimated that tomorrow night's (Sunday 16th July) Evie Sands show at the ABC2 will start at 7pm. Not 8pm as the ads said. This is presumably so the, er, "club" can strike up the disco for "the kids" later. Whilst being of elder years, I appreciate being able to get outta dodge at a reasonable hour, this whole concept is - how can I put this... oh yeah, fucked!

You'll hardly notice, considerin' my lack of postings on this here NBT blog, but I'll be off on a short holiday break.
Back soon enough I'm afraid, but in the meantime I'll be "out there havin' fun in the warm Walcheren sun" (if that means anything to ya...).
Obviously, Captain Hutton 'll remain in charge here, but at least you'll be spared my inane ramblin's for a while...

RIP - Red Buttons

“Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” (allegedly). I’m settling at the minute for the fact that recent events haven’t in fact killed me. Waters and wells and Joni Mitchell songs reverberate in my noggin. Driving to and from the stalag today, I got re-aquainted with “Nights of Forgotten Films” in anticipation of the Edinburgh Film Festival programme dropping through the door. I need to give it the full forensic treatment tonight but a quick skip through the site, and said print, doesn’t look like I’ll be holing up in Auld Reekie too much over the two weeks. No Monks, no Pankrti, nothing terribly musical at all except maybe The Pixies documentary - "loudQUIETloud". If you aren’t down with that album by The Strange then I’d advise you to spring for that before you even think about film festival tickets. Because it evokes the kind of pictures we WANT to see. It’s The Bambi Molesters + Chris Eckman. What’s not to like for chrissakes!?

Meanwhile, coming up on the horizon sooner than said movie fest – Evie Sands show at the ABC2 this coming Sunday (16th) should be on your radar. Time to pick over that programme then to plan the festival schedule whilst listening to Amy Rigby and Marti Jones. There’s nothing good on TV (anyway).

"STOP F+CKIN PRESS

Well the rumour merchants continue to decypher what was said to the great Zidane by his fave italian Matterazzi, and we at Phobics HQ can reveal what drove Zid Vicious to Head Butting crazy man mode...... " Hey Zinedine, can you get my effin' phobics cds back from your sister and mother cos now we've won the world cup I wanna celebrate you loser!"

Expect to see both in the crowd for this Saturday's gig - but be nice gentlemen or we'll be flashing our red cards!

Yessir our last minute reminder for Saturday 15th July. Barnets birthday extravaganza at the 12 Bar in Denmark Street - THE PHOBICS are on at 10:30 and will be signing autographs and body parts all through the night.

Aiding and abetting will be TOXIC SLUT, LAY OUT THE TRAPS, VACANTS and APB and headlining are the mighty evil-elvis-tastic VIVA LAS VEGAS. It's six quid in with a flyer which you can download from the photos section of www.myspace.com/thephobicslamf

those of you who like candid entertainment should make your way to the punk photo exhibition in west london which has some fab heartbreakers shots by leee- it's free and at the redferns gallery in bramley road near to latimer road tube.

....and those for a likeing of great punk journo overload should check the latest edition of trakmarx which is a new york dolls special edition.

All this in the same weekend of Johnny Thunders Birthday and the Anniversary of Arthur Kane's death so lots more reasons to raise a glass or three. see you at the (12) Bar!

tomx"

monks

the transatlantic feedback

a play loud! documentary film by dietmar post + lucia palacios

(100 min - usa/germany/spain 2006)

two screenings at FILMFEST MÜNCHEN on Wednesday July 19 and Saturday July 22 at 10:15pm The filmmakers will be in attendance.

MUSEUM LICHTSPIELE MÜNCHEN press screening July 22, 2006 at 12:00 AMat Maxx 5

Visit the play loud! site to see reviews and get news of the upcoming Monks tribute album.

Hollywood Reporter review

RADIO BIRDMAN have their new album "Zeno Beach" released by Yep Roc in August and they'll be embarking on a global trek to promote it. The monster lands in the UK at the DWC on Wednesday, September 13th so none of this "onstage at 6.30pm" malarky that hampered their last visit. Word is that there's a pretty nifty line-up in the works for that Dirty Water evening. Full details if, as and indeed when. They're also playing at the great La Maroquinerie in Paris during their schlepp. Click that global trek link for full details.

RIP - Syd Barrett

I heard that divot Gary Robertson on Radio Scotland say “Have The Who had a hit since ‘My Generation’?” Only slightly rising to the bait I managed to quell the urge to send an e-mail rocket. What would be the point? And what difference does it make in the grand scheme of things?? You just expect people to know, y’know? Particularly those who aren’t exactly spring chickens themselves. Anyway, Pete and Rog are getting much media mileage out of closing P in the Dark tonight. The “hope I die, etc” is on a constant loop. I know who I want to die and those two aren't even in the pecking order. The tossers that reckon this constitutes “news”on the other hand... And also the popularity of some of the others on the bill. Watching some of the performances on TV last night perplexed me. The Zutons aren’t too bad but The Ordinary Boys? Calling themselves that is surely damning themselves with faint praise. Terrible tuneless pish. Wolfmother’s Jack White/Zep via Deep Purple heavy rock codswallop – dearie me. And Paul (F) Weller (to quote those Voladoras) , I had to switch over at that point such was the scale of utter averageness. The Kooks are pretty mind-numbingly awful too, it has to be said. Why do I bother? Well, I like to try and find out about what’s popular and make up my own mind. Rather than just jump to any conclusions. But no wonder sales are down. The stuff they’re pushing to the kids is, at best and for the most part, tripe. In the end I voted by pressing the off button to ponder whether or not I’m prone to over-reaction. It's true, I do have more pressing matters to concern me and I don't need any cranking up of the irked-ometer right about now. But it's not all doom and gloom. there are still events being organised in this world that offer a ray of hope. In Spain, this approaching September there’s a festival that includes some GOOD bands at least. Check out the AZKENA bill then. I'm not sure if they're certain of good weather but you wouldn't mind getting a bit wet in the presence of some of these...

Brother Patrick's US Tour Reports sounds like it was a blast! parking and speeding tickets notwithstanding...

June 22 – July 5, 2006

"The only thing I knew is that we (my son, Jonathan and I) were starting out in Boston and leaving from Chicago. Well, I also had a book that Ben gave me, “Rock’n’Roll Traveller USA”, it was very useful (and the GPS that helped to find records shops and other cool places).

In Boston, Chuck and Jim (aka Nimereht, theremin backwards) were waiting for us at the airport – they took two days off to show us around, cool guys. They’d planned to go the Crypt shop opening that was supposed to happen on June 23rd but was postponed to early July. We stayed at Chuck’s place and they drove us to all the cool places. Record shops (Stereo Jack’s on Massachusetts Ave, is the only one that I remember the name of), the place where The Rat (then Ratskeller) used to be, their favourite restaurants (Mexican) or clubs - the Middle East, where the MC5, Dirtbombs, the Monkey Butlers have played, the Museum of Fine Arts ( we saw sthe great paintings mentioned by Jonathan Richman in his song “Girlfriend”, but there was also this special and great exhibition called “Americans In Paris 1860-1900”. We probably visited the whole downtown Boston (New England), beautiful place.
And they wanted to pay for everything! Chuck even stopped in the first record shop to buy the new Demolition Doll Rods CD (I already had an advance copy but this new Swami record on seems not to be that well distributed) and Jim gave us T-shirts, pins, records of his own group, The Monkey Butlers. By chance I had brought some records and Champagne for these generous guys. Talking about records, we finally all found copies of The Coachwhips vinyl – Jim “you’re member of every garage forum ... and a guy told you, did you go to see the Coachwhips show the other day, they’re a kinda mix of Mummies/Gories/Oblivians – Who ? the Coachwhips! they issued 3 or 4 albums (I found 3) and you even never heard their name!”. The guy we met who saw The Coachwhips show is called Pip. He first saw the Cramps in Boston (1984) and that show changed his life; he said that Lux got into a fight after 3 or 4 songs and that Nick Knox came to the rescue, jumping on the guy Lux was fighting with. He said it was the wildest show he ever saw, and that included a Lords Of The New Church show during which Stiv got a blow job from 2 girls while singing! Another great story is when Chuck and Jim were in Philadelphia to see the Cramps. They went to Rich Lustre’s place, he is one of the greatest people they ever met and had said, “too bad I couldn’t reach you on the phone, Lux and Ivy were looking for someone who could drove them to the venue ...” – Jim told him “stop, I don’t want to hear that”. In Boston, I also bought the Volcanoes “Into The Psyche” LP, probably one of the best Cramps sounding album, along with Art Phag’s “Instant Ventriloquism”.

After another rest in Chuck’s beautiful house (he’s an architect), we went with Kim, his sweetheart, to have a marvelous breakfast at Joey’s Diner, a 100% Fifties place with parts of vintage cars and a great jukebox ... then we went to visit Porthmouth, a beautiful port. We got our first ticket (fine) there but Kim said she’ll take care of that.

After a quick visit and sleep in Providence, we headed for the big apple, where we got our second ticket (the main problem in the USA with the prohibited parking places – sometimes up to $ 15 for the 1st hour). Even a New Yorker parked just behind us couldn’t explain why we got it. Jim told me it happened to him too. After a few difficulties with finding a hotel room, we finally found one at The Newton on Broadway). It was time to go to the special Bar-b-q show at Magnetic Field in Brooklyn. The bar-b-q was cancelled due to the weather but the show was the most important part. A special Canadian set with Imaginary Icons, BBQ and Demon’s Claws. The 2 others were pretty decent but BBQ one man band was the real deal, awesome - what this man can do with just a drum kit and a guitar (sometimes played with just one hand!) – during the last 3 songs, he was accompanied by 2 guys from the Demon’s Claws. I chatted with Pierrot who told me that he just left The Fatals and Mighty Go Go Players to play organ with The Demon’s Claws (my advice : not a good choice). I noticed this beautiful girl with a bag designed with the Rolling Stones “Aftermath” (English edition) LP cover, and asked her if she was Miriam : she was – and Billy was there too – I told her all the good things I think about Norton records, the Cramps, A-Bones etc. She’s a real cutie, very kind – she really enjoyed BBQ show and also told me that she was born in Canada. Our second day in New York was visiting – from uptown (Harlem) to downtown, we must have walked around 20 miles. I noted all the record shops addresses for Sean, a few good ones, too bad Bleeker’s Bob doesn’t exist anymore. After a visit at CBGB / CBGB Gallery (313-315 Bowery) where I bought the CBGB book, featuring a cool photo of the Cramps in 1977 (with Miriam), lotsa Ramones. Went for a giant dinner at The Carnegie Deli – we couldn’t finish the whole thing but we impressed the other clients and even the crew considering the amount of what we ate (I was ashamed when I remembered that some people are starving). The World Trade Centre was a strange place to see too, very emotional (by chance I went to NY before 2001), the only thing that sucks are those guys selling postcards or books with the planes crashing into the towers. We also went to MOMA museum – special Dada exhib (Marcel Duchamp...), fantastic. I wanted to visit Passout Records in Brooklyn, probably the best garage shop in this part of the USA said Jim, before heading for Philly, but it seems those guys needed to rest (shop not opened at 2 PM!).

Philly is a cool city too. We went to The Philadelphia Record Exchange, very good shop, a la Born Bad, with cool new stuff (I bought the brilliant Leather Uppers LP on Goner) and also tons of old stuff (I bought the Drifters “Under The Boardwalk” LP for Ben). The shop owner told me that Hasil Adkins played in the street in front of the shop the 1st time he came in town. He also saw Lux and Ivy once in the 80’s, freezing in the street. Maybe they were visiting the Sickidz.

By the way, the only bad thing during our trip is that we couldn’t meet Rich Lustre of Sickidz fame. I called him on his cell phone and he asked me to call his house later. But due to my bad English or rather (I hope) because of the noise on the street, I misheard one of the numbers, and the cell phone wasn’t answering (some some reason, I had other problems calling from hotel rooms and other places). So we missed Rich but caught up over a couple phone calls since – a very very cool character. I asked him about a new Sickidz album: maybe in a while; here’s hoping.

Hotel in Newark, then Baltimore. Rather boring city except for those houses in the suburbs that make us think of John Waters’ movies. So we spend a long time at the public library to check our emails. Met a great character by the name of Groucho Magic, he showed us a few tricks with coins, traded euros vs. $. He’s a dead ringer for Groucho Marx (it’s his job) and he told us that two of his uncles were members of the Three Stooges.

Hotel in Somerset, Pennsylvania (just before the flood), then Pittsburgh and visited the best record shop I’ve ever seen, Jerry’s Records with probably more than 500,000 records including thousands of 50’s and 60’s unsorted singles, all $3 a piece or $5 for the most recent arrivals (if they don’t sell within 2 months they go in the $3 boxes !). I found tons of incredible stuff like Fortune label (Diablos - Nolan Strong, Nathaniel Mayer), Ted & The Young Lions “Open Up Your Door”, the Poets “Dead” (a monster song as good as Zacherle “Dinner With Drac”, lotsa stuff from Lux & Ivy’s favourite and other ones, just because of the label (Checker : Bo Diddley, Dale Hawkins) or the name of the group (Tim Tam and the Turns On ...) / the songs (I’m A Nut” ...). And this day was a special 16 % minus on prices ! Eyde’s used to be a good shop too (3 floors), but it’s so so now.

Akron (Ohio), Lux’s city is rather small but it looks good. We got our card from the Akron-Summit County Public Library and had dinner in a cool Japanese restaurant there and the beautiful waitress who took care of us was called Ivy ! (don’t believe me ? I’ve kept the bill ...).

Cleveland – well, rather than going to the Rock’n’Roll hall of Fame, we tried to find batty bucks for Chuck – those shoes with bat laces that Mad Daddy used to wear – and also visited record shops (15 closed within a few years) : Royal Garden Records with something like 100,000 records, most unsorted, and the best ones : My Mind’s Eye (13727 Madison), lotsa new stuff but also oldies (bought some singles, “Hungry” by Paul Revere & The Raiders ... and Nolan Strong & The Diablos CD, among others). The guy was so generous that he gave me a special box to put all my singles. I showed what I’ve already found and we religiously listened to the Diablos “The Wind” (Fortune, blue label), his Grail – I promised to buy a copy for him if I saw one in Detroit, but no luck. I was in a hurry to get to Detroit : drove at 80mph instead of 65 and got a $105 fine, the price you pay to visit a police car.

Detroit looks like no other city, and I love it : Hitsville USA, the Magic Stick, the Michigan Theatre is now a parking lot ... Almost all the buildings are abandoned, except for a few downtown. A guy told me that this city and the people living here are fucked up, but I loved it anyway. There’s no subway, just the Detroit People Mover on a rail, which only serves a small part of the city – it was built with the idea of bringing factory workers in to spend their money in the bars or to shop downtown.

We visited 2 record shops recommanded by Danny Dollrod : Peoples (615 W Forest) with lots of unsorted singles (bought 15 singles – Fortune ... and a Wilson Picket LP for a total of $20) and Mays (on 8 Mile street), more expensive ($ 10 for Ray Charles “I Don’ Need No Doctor” on ABC records, but only $5 for this fantastic other 7” by the Poets “She Blew A Good Thing”, ...), but it’s worth the visit just to see this tall 70 year old guy who knows exactly where everyone of his records is (and they’re mostly unsorted).





Then it was time to go to this Comerica Tastefest free festival. We saw Cat Power, Ray Davies – show mostly composed by Kinks songs, a great moment, he speaks a lot of his brother Dave who, I guess, is very sick, and DEMOLITION DOLL RODS. It was great to see them on their home turf, with more people than usual : their public, of course, but also little girls dancing with hula hoops, just in front of the scene. The master of ceremony announced “after Dan playing solo 2 years ago and Margaret last year, now here are the Demolition Doll Rods band, the one in Detroit”. DDR played a short but intense set of 10 songs, featuring a new one called “Dream It Or Leave It”. As usual, they were cuties and they accept one photo before leaving in their 60’s cars.

A guy who distributed his free fanzine “Inflame Media” told me that DDR will be on the cover of next issue, that he’s gonna send to me (I wore a Gories T shirt, his all time favourite group). We also visited The Henry Ford Museum (my son likes cars) and I was glad to see “Rosa Parks Bus”, where the Martin Luther King movement began, a piece of history. There’s also Kennedy’s car and other cool stuff, the biggest train I’ve ever seen ...

A quick trip to Ann Harbor, Iggy’s place, saw the Stooges Manor, now a bank. Then to a beautiful beach, Benton Harbor on Lake Michigan – we decided to stay there that night.

Our last destination was at Ben’s in Chicago. After a visit downdown by ourselves : 2120 S Michigan Avenue = Chess studios, now Chess Museum – Vee Jay studios are located W Michigan; Ben drove us to cool places: the alley where Dillinger was killed, the Metro (the Cramps and lotsa punk groups played there), record shops (found Archie Blyers’ “Ernando’s Hideaway” and the Novas’ “The Crusher” on Parrot records). Ben made me hear some of the awesome new stuff he recently discovered (a show by the Cramps featuring “Hungry”, in 1978!). We were lucky that Gobo, his lizard wasn’t too cranky, he didn’t bite our toes. We also visited some Chicago suburbs - just because this damned GPS took us at the wrong place – or with Ben, to see the very first Macdonald’s in Des Plaines (1955: hamburgers for 10 cents), Lake Michigan and other great places. We spent July 4th (I bought the new Johnny Cash “American V”, issued that special day) in Kankukee, with Ben’s friend’s and family – we were received like kings and our trip finished with a big fireworks party, surrounded by bats and glow in the dark insects (lucioles).

The USA is a beautiful country, the people we met were very kind to us and we can’t wait to go back. "

So does CBGB’s heading for Vegas signal the apocalypse (or A-rock-alypse as Lordi call it)? Or is it just a logical outcome for the “brand”? Between hard rockisation and a hard place, I really don’t know. The increasing fragmentation of what the “music business” is morphing into makes it difficult to comprehend any bigger picture. I mean a Ramones “musical”? Who coulda seen that coming? Not me from “doon the front” at the July 4th 1976 Roundhouse show that’s for sure. There are so many distractions, so many angles that subtract from the enjoyment of the actual commodity. Ignorance is, most, definitley bliss. But, whatever happens to CB’s down the line, nobody can takeaway what it was or indeed still is at the original location. Urinals notwithstanding.

So what do you, er, "kids", um, think about this then?

RIP - Paul Nelson (link courtesy of MT). Interview at rockcritics.com

also RIP - Tom Weir

and finally... RIP - Kathy Wood (Widow of Ed)- link courtesy of Ben Gart via Staysick.

SWEDESPLEASE Scandanavian mp3's of all shapes, sizes and persuasions.