The Nagz “Wrong Direction” (Radio Obligato)
Thanks to Ms Mona, I finally got my paws on this and you need to do likewise. It’s a fine slab of Swedish powerpop that combines elements of The Shivvers with some sleek Slade overtones. The concept itself is fairly attractive but when you hear ‘em pull it off, then that’s a major result. I believe their next release will include a cover of “Frantic Romantic”. Great kids with exquisite taste, plus the bonus of Jens "Ubi" Lagergren on guitar. Start queuing now but not before you hit up the people at RO for a copy of this.


Glasvegas “Geraldine” (Columbia)
This starts like the opening of a Simpsons episode and soon hits a timeless pop stride. The drum sound is exquisite and it’s a great song. As mentioned before, being sung in James Allens’s brogue adds a whole ‘nother dimension. As the Spector torch goes, this is pretty much spine-chilling the way that “Cheree” is. How in the name of Rev/Vega did that happen? And that fucking drum sound, The Cramps should bounce Drumdini and get this girl in.

Jeremy Gluck “I Am Time” (Perpatrator)
Very remiss of me not to have blogged about this 7” on the Auckland, NZ label before. I’ve been reading Jeremy’s book “Victim of Dreams” and although beautifully written it sort of scared me. He’s been to some dark places and manages to unlock scenarios that maybe some or all of us have faced at some time. “I Am Time” is utterly unlike The Barracudas, it’s more darkly ambient. A downbeat, intoxicating sonic fugue. Hopefully this is just the tip of the iceberg and there’ll be a full length JSG in the works.

Attlc Lights "Bring You Down" out on 7", cd and download this coming Monday...

Scott Kempner’s “Saving Grace” is finally out. Maybe I could just leave it at that. Top Ten’s command of the heart and soul that beats within this rock’n’roll shenanigan is pretty much unprecedented. These stories and sounds are beyond the pigeonhole of Americana. He’s soaked up several generations of the gospel and assembled it into a sincere attempt to exorcise the demons that haunt we all.

Fogerty through Dion to Springsteen is a pretty decent route map. If you’re familiar with The Del-Lords, and the good lord knows you oughtta be, then I’d say this is closer to maybe “Lovers Who Wander” than his previous set. This album is better than the recent studio works of any of the three guys I just mentioned. Scott can evoke The Drifters one minute and Creedence the next. Not as an exercise like these people who compose from a hip music collection to garner points. This stuff is in this guy’s blood, he lives and breathes it. When the chips are down, this shit is impossible to fake. “Heartbeat of Time” is a masterpiece of twang, pure and simple.

Released on the Brooklyn-based imprint, 00:02:59 – “Saving Grace” clocks in at just a minute under an hour. It’ll seem like half that. The inherent swing of the rockabilly-laced “Here Come My Love”, the post-Groovies swagger of “Between A Memory And A Dream” and the outright classic pop/soul nous that is “Shadows Of Love” are just 3 reasons to join this party. There are another 10 that shimmer just as bright.

For my tuppence worth, this guy should have been riding the high plains of success several hundred moons ago. For some fucked up reason best known to fate or whatever, it hasn’t happen. Scott Kempner makes the kind of music that most of us thrive on, the stuff that keeps us ticking over.

The Del-Lords back catalogue is about to be reactivated too. More about that in due course.

You need The Minstrels in your life!


(Beware though, the song is probably not work-friendly)


Many thanks to J. Wunderle for the tip off.

Just heard the version of the Foo Fighters "Everlong" on NoFoSo from this. Very cool. So I googled it and the whole shebang looks (and sounds) like a belter. It has a Pete Shelley song on it but I'll let that slide. Of course, it's Swedish, who would expect anything less. Sofia's myspace.

Album on Wild Kingdom via CD Baby. Out this Monday.

A new direction for super-rock? "The Fabulous Fleshtones" from YouTube. Quite the makeover, I think you'll agree?

Weary. I think that's pretty much where I'm at right now. That and a tad directionless plus I have to look for car insurance. Quite the threesome but hey, it could be a lot worse. It could be Monday again... or you could get home and the power goes off.

However, it's back on now and here's some stuff for the immediate to long term future that you may care to consider...

Rollocking punk rock label A Fistful of Records has a website...

The Lost Crusaders and Mary Weiss are at the South Street seaport in NY tonight for FREE.

Säkert! are appearing here tonight at a very cool FREE festival with a bill that kicks all and any Live Nation attempts outta the park. Go Skelleftea!

The Mirrors are playing in Cleveland tomorrow night (Saturday) but not for FREE.

Boonaraaaas!!!! alert - November 21st @ DWC, November 22nd @ The Corn Rocket Club. Dates in your diaries like now. And check out the posture of this other guitar player...

That's about it for me tonight. Looking forward to hooking up with my homies, Amy and Eric tomorrow on the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. In the meantime, let there be chores!

RIP - Les Crane

Still juggling internut problems here... however this may be coming soon.

(Thanks Steve)



Also MOBY will be undertaking a DJ set at Avalanche Records in Glasgow this coming Tuesday (24th July). It kicks off at 4pm. Later on, at 6pm, he'll do an acoustic set at Mono. If you haven't had enough by then, it's possible to "vote" for the venue that will host a club show later at his website. Storm the site and make sure it takes place off the beaten track. Marks and Spencer maybe?

...LOS COYOTEMEN HIT THE ROAD WITH THOSE SPANISH SOAKS LOS CHICOS...
AUG 5TH - THE HOBGOBBLIN BRIGHTON
AUG 6TH - WHAT'S COOKIN'? LONDON
AUG 7TH - CORN ROCKET CLUB STOKE NEWINGTON
AUG 8TH - BANFORD STORES, NORWICH
AUG 9TH - LAVA LOUNGE LEICESTER

The early Dutch punk scene gave us some minor classics, but few discs hold up in this day and age. Ivy Green 's (2) debut LP and The Suzannes 45 come to mind as discs that still sound good. Those, and of course the Helmettes' amazin' I Don't Care What The People Say. Turn up the volume and dig the 2nd part of the guitarsolo that sounds like a friggin' airraid warnin'!

Been listening to some piffle about combating knife crime by taking the perps to hospitals or even morgues and showing them the damage they do. Do the blighters that dream these things up think wir heids button up the back? Perhaps the only solution is to establish "stabbatoirs"? Where what they did unto others could be manifested upon said scum. Actually, I'm only about a quarter kidding here. And no, I don't care what their background reports come up with.

Don't have any time to tap out anything more substantial tonight. Got other stuff to deal with and I appear to be having intermittent e-mail/connection problems. So if you're trying to get a hold of me, for whatever reason, that could be the bugbear.

The thing they call normal service will resume at some juncture. Presumably.

Mr Morton tells me this was blasting off the stage every 5 minutes between bands at "Pee In The Dark"... let me state clearly that I have no interest in you buying a volvo - just listen...

RIP - Nick Sanderson

Best film I've come across in recent times is HIS LAST REQUEST. A short silent directed by Simon Birrell which has recently been made available on dvd. Shot in sumptuous black and white, you can see the trailer here. It's a sick twist on a tale from the unexpected and the cast includes Jack Taylor, star of Jess Franco's "Succubus". It's a real treat, put together with no small measure of homage in addition to it looking more modern than most alleged "indie" projects. Elegant and bizarre it sez on the box and I second those emotions.

And simultaneously, what turns up but the latest Mondo A Go Go project that just happens to be a collection of tunes from the Spanish master's films. Quite a coincidence. So anyway, this is a limited edition of 100 copies so you better get off that hiney and get to scoring one before they vanish. The Radium Dial imprint is where you'll find it. Sean and co have captured the essence of what makes these soundtracks tick. "De Sade 70" is cracking. This isn't just a garage romp, the band captures a very filmic mood and therefore adds to the fare rather than simply recreating it. Put togeher for love and the sheer hell of it. What better reason could there possibly be? "Lucky the Inscrutible" provides some insight into what might have happened if Edwyn Collins had joined The Rezillos instead of Orange Juice. Blimey.

Hey, the world might be coming down around our shoulders. Banks going the way of the Bailey Building and Loan, freak weather and astronomically priced petrol all chipping in to noise we the fuck up. Even being able to get to the damn post office these days is fraught with problems. Saturday morning seems to be the best bet so that's what I do, despite preferring to have the supplies in before most of the rest of the world decides to stir.

Managing to stomach two songs by The Verve last night, I switched off about a minute into the third. It was truly awful and anyone from another planet tuning into this pish could well be put off music for life. Why is it that the majority of the bills on UK festivals are so shit? Spain, Sweden and Denmark provide examples that it doesn't have to be this way. Indeed there are smaller enclaves here that strike a decent balance but this Balado thing - I don't know what would be worse - the chemical lavvies or the excrecable acts. Opposite sides of the same coin in this here book chums. Of course, there is good music out there and I'm listening to a wheen of it right now.

Info, subjective insight and links coming your way in the fullness of time. Just don't hold your breath(s). Monk is on today too. Result.

Festival season is fully in swing, and Sunday 13th July sees w'OWFI fESt take place at Glasgow's Captain's Rest. The varied (to say the least) lineup for the all-day benefit includes Hari Kiri of Kylie Minoise, Edinburgh's Mills and Boon, Fall-inspired Johnny and the Entries, troll-fabled folk from Norwegian fiddler Solveig Askvik & banjo/guitarist Mike Hastings, anything-goes-improv from Jer Reid (of Dawson) and Shane Connolly, Japanese Taiko Drumming, lo-fi songwriting duo James William Hindle and Calvin Halliday to Glasgow's own Gummy Stumps. Plus, DJ sets from Katrina of The Pastels, Simon Shaw (V-Twin, Lucky Luke) Wolfie Wolfoid, Humaira Saeed, Paul (Missing Records) and Chuckles D'Amage, and what's apparently the debut on the wheels of steel from Dep Downie of the Monorail record shop. All proceeds from your £6 go to the Organisation of Women's Freedom In Iraq which provides safe shelters for women in the country. (info from Jockrock)

Brother Duano has been making his list.

He's probably checking it again as I type.

Have a look see what you fancy.

Brother Patrick brings us up to speed with...

TAV FALCO’S PANTHER BURNS – 2008 and more

Tav Falco told me that the very first article on Panther Burns’ appeared in the Next Big Thing. So this same mag, er blog, is proud to be the first to celebrate the Panthers Burns 30th years (formed in Feb 1979) and to announce a new album called "CONJURATIONS: Séance for Deranged Lovers". The demos are awesome, they just need a record label now!

Panther Burns were in Paris for two shows recently and I attended the second of those at La Féline, a cool bar in the north of the city. The audience was composed of real fans, maybe 50 maximum! A(nother) shameful turnout for a legend like Tav! Or course as usual, there were no writers from official magazines.

PB V.2008 are an amazing ensemble with a beautiful girl (Giovanna Pizzaro) on drums, wearing a bikini. Other members are Grégoire Cat on guitar and Laurent Lo on bass. Tav played on his small Hoffner violin-shaped guitar..

Considering the shows that I’ve already heard, the set list was far from regular: some blues song (the show began by “Mississipi River Blues”); during “Drop Your Mask”, Tav put his guitar in a corner, combed his hair and then began to dance tango with friend Via Kali (another beautiful girl); some songs by request too and a lot of rockabilly like “Funnel Of Love”, “Fire Of Love”, “She’s The One That’s Got It” (she got what ? .... well, you know ...) and “Train Kept A Rolling”, dedicated to Chris Wilson.

I asked Chris if he was gonna sing a song wih Tav. He answered “maybe”. It didn’t happen, but anyway Mr Wilson, seeing my microphone, shouted in it like he was Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.
And at the close, Chris took Grégoire’s guitar to play a few blues notes.

My only regret is that they didn’t play “Tina The Go Go Queen”, but Tav told me that they’ll play it for me next time! Can’t wait. Also, I hope I’d have the chance to hear the original unissued version (acetate) by Sir Mack Rice, one day ...

Tav accepted the request to answer to my questions, more focussed on the present/future than on the past.

Tav: It is preferable to focus on the present and the ever-looming future.

Patrick: What record label will have the honour to release a new Panther Burns album? To celebrate 30 years? Frenzi; Last Call ... I mean we need a new album (here’s hoping).

Tav: For the past 9-years, the Panther Burns and I have been busting like crazy to get our "CONJURATIONS: Séance for Deranged Lovers" album demo produced and released by a proper label. I am convinced that this proposed album of all original songs, composed by Tav Falco, will be the chef d'oeuvre or masterpiece of the PANTHER BURNS because every label that we’ve approached in the US, Canada, Australia and here in Europe has turned it down flat and passed. This is a positive indication that PANTHER BURNS have created a unique album of music that today’s companies do not understand the essence of and don’t know how to handle. Labels proclaim that they want something different but when they are confronted with something different, they don't know what to do with it. Record company people of today are the most conservative, dull-minded people that I know. They're completely unwilling to take a risk of any kind, yet 90% of the groups they choose to release will never be remembered.

Gerard Cosloy at Matador thought he had his Panther Burns with the Blues Explosion; Geffen Records thought they had their Panther Burns with Southern Culture on the Skids; Rough Trade thought they had something of Panther Burns with Morrissey; god knows who thought they had something of Panther Burns with the White Stripes... but it's never going to happen. There is no band like the PANTHER BURNS. I don't care how successful they are or how much money they make. Panther Burns are not in it this for money or for massive record sales. We intend to make music for the people who should be hearing our music. These people know who they are and they know exactly who they’re listening to when they play Panther Burns music. Most record companies are a joke and provide endless amusement for me.

FRENZI Records is the titular band label of the PANTHER BURNS that works with those proper and rare record labels who have at times committed themselves to producing and releasing our music. However, I never use the resources and money of Panther Burns to produce and release our music because I feel that is an act of vanity. If the marketplace/world is not interested in the present decade to demand a production of our music then there will simply be no new music released by us. On these matters and the issue of artistic control, I am uncompromising. Otherwise, I can’t look in the mirror and call myself an artist.

Patrick: May I suggest to you a list of songs that I think would fit perfectly for Panther Burns? You can answer “no”, “why not”, “no way”, “good idea “ (ahahah) but also you can tell us more about the artists or songs mentioned. I’d really like to have your point of view on those songs that I really love. Here’s the list :

Rufus Thomas “Memphis Train” - Too classic.

Jerry Dallman “The Bug” - This one I've already done in performance quite a bit during the early 80s.

Esquerita “Undivided Love” – This one got for sure has an “undivided” Tango beat! Fantastique melody and ethos. The background vocals are very church-like, and the violins extremely tasteful. This is the kind of minimal, yet lavish production that record labels today might not be interested in producing.

Nathaniel Mayer “My Last Dance With You” – This song has exquisite drums and rhythm guitar.

The Poets “Dead” / The Versatones “Bila” : Have to listen to them.

The Musical Linn Twins “Rockin’ Out The Blues” -.Sounds too rockin’ (P :for sure it rocks, Tav; I’ve always wondered what those guys had in mind when they went to the studio to record this. Anyway : I don’t know how they did it, why they did it, but I’m glad they did it !).

Lavern Baker “Jim Dandy” - Brilliant. I like it a lot as a kid and used to whistle it to myself, but no one could ever do it better than Ms. Baker.

Gene La Marr & his Blue Flames “You Don’t Love Me Anymore” - I have not heard anything as loose as this Gene Lamarr song in a long, long time! Really wild and thrown away.

Ben E King “In The Middle Of The Night” - This Ben E. King piece reminds me of my idol - the incomparable and unapproachable vocalist, PJ Proby. There is no better singer.

Mel Dorsey “Little Lil” / The Chimes “Zindy Lou” / The Isley Brothers, a lot possible, well, let’s say “Twistin’ With Linda” - Don't like to do songs named after girls anymore.

Ike & Tina Turner “I Idolize You” - Think I know that one. Brilliant. I saw Ike & Tina with the Ike-ettes in 1964 in Arkansas when they were really hot. Incredible.

The Del-Mars “Snacky Poo”- Sounds sick enough.

Richie Deran “Love and A Hot Rod” - Don't like to do songs about cars anymore.

Eddie Floyd “Big Bird” (Lx Chilton covered that one) - Know that song well. Roland Robinson, a bass player with Eddie Floyd, also played with me on a few gigs & on the "Life Sentence" album. I modelled my original, "Gentleman in Black" after "Big Bird".

Arthur Alexander “Get A Shot Of Rhythm & Blues” - Too jivey.

The Jaynettes “Sally Go ‘Round The Roses” - This song I adore, and used to sing it quite a bit with PB in the late 80s.

The Champs “Train To Nowhere” - Could be perfect.

The Dazzlers “Gee Whiz” - Embarrassing.

The Collins Kids “Whistle Bait”- Too puerile.

Obviously I have done my share of covers. Four or five of them are pretty good. Like Jerry Lee Lewis, I consider myself an 'interpreter' of songs. On the other hand, I have done a number of my own originals. Presently, the Italian pop/rock singer, LILITH, has released a moody version of one of my new album demo tunes entitled, "Secret Rendezvous". Actually I premiered this song with PANTHER BURNS for the first time on stage on the Fête de la Musique, April 20th at Le Fanfaron in Paris.

P: Have you recorded songs that still remain unissued ?
Tav: "Tina, the Go Go Queen", among others.

P: What other songs would you like to cover ? And do you have new material ready ?
Tav: As I have explained, I have a new album demo of original material ready to record. Actually it’s the first demo we’ve ever made in our entire career. I will give you or anyone 10 % minimum off the top for a record deal with a proper label to produce and release the next PANTHER BURNS album. As for covers, I am not so interested in doing new covers other than one I have been drawn to lately which is the uptempo version by my friend, the late Charlie Feathers of Jim Reeves, "He'll Have to Go". I also sang this at La Féline in Paris on the 21st of April.

P: Your music has a lot of influences, from Memphis where you’re from, to Vienna, where you live now. Don’t you miss Memphis and where’s the best place you’ve ever lived ?
Tav: After living 17-years in Memphis, and in Arkansas before that, I think I can tolerate a change. Memphis will always be a part of me. For that reason I do not miss it. The best quality of life and the most creative environment has without doubt been Vienna. It’s not a R’n’R town. I don't hang out on the rock scene anywhere. Rather, I associate with writers, poets, dancers and artists. The morbid, old world appeals to me now far more than the new world. This part of the Europe is perfect to get lost in. Like Memphis, Vienna is another river town on the border between east and west. I can relate to the split personality of such places.

P: Panther Burns current line up is very classy and sexy. Can you introduce the members?
Tav : Avec plaisir. This is an astonishing formation of the PANTHER BURNS that I have been playing with exclusively for the past 7 years when I relocated to Paris after a stint in Buenos Aires and New York. On drums is Giovanna Pizzorno from Rome, Italy. I have played with her off and on since the ‘80s, during the time when the band was playing in New York. She wanted to learn to play the drums, so we took her back to Memphis and she learned from the best there. On electric guitar, we have the Parisian - Grégoire CAT. There is no better guitar player anywhere. He started his career in Vince Taylor’s band and over the past 7 years he has mastered the complete PANTHER BURNS repertoire. On electric bass we have Laurent LO, the youngest member of the band representing the new generation of Panther Men and Panther Women.

P: You once said that your fave show ever was in Belgrade in 2002. Did something special happen during this show ?
Tav : It was enthralling to play in a communist theatre built in 1953 before an audience of 700 over-excited Serbians who were listeners and followers of the famous underground R’n’R resistance B92 radio. Now my favorite show in terms of artistic merit is the show we did at Fondation Cartier in Paris. The band played with such brilliance, as never before.

P: Your last album ”Panther Phobia” (2000) featured another of my heroes: Jack Oblivian. Do you plan to work with him again?
Tav: In May of this year, I was back in Memphis for a few days doing some book research, and by chance Jack Oblivian walked up to me in a parking lot. Not sure that Jack and I will have the opportunity to play together again. Jack has not yet discovered himself as an artist and all that he can do. The future holds great promise for him.

P: Among other artists you know or work with are (some others of my faves) Lx Chilton, the Cramps and Chris Wilson. Can you tell us anecdotes about them ?
Tav: Often times when I got in trouble on stage, LX would hide behind his amp. The Cramps showed no mercy in the recording studio and treated recording concepts with total disregard as if the studio were a live stage. Chris Wilson, I have come to know recently as a friend and can recount an exclamation of his, "I'm so hungry I could eat a baby's butt through a park bench".

P: You like music, photo and film. If you had to choose just one, which would it be?
Tav : There is no separation between these.

P: From all the films/clips you contributed or shoot, what’s your favorite?
Tav: "Born Too Late" filmed at Club Fézsék in Budapest in 35mm motion picture.

P: “Love’s Last Warning” clip featured Jean-Michel Basquiat (RIP) who was a friend of Andy Warhol. Can you tell us about your relationship with Basquiat ? Did you meet Andy W.?
Tav: Actually, the cameo role in "Love's Last Warning" is played by underground film pioneer, Kenneth Anger (Scorpio Rising, etc.). In the movie, Downtown 81, which was finally released a few years ago in New York and in Cannes, I appear in a cameo role with Jean-Michel Basquiat. Around me he acted as if he had sucked the cock of arrogance. I visited Andy Warhol at his Factory on Union Square and he was far more charming.

P: Tav Falco is a living legend and also a well-kept secret ! What’s your opinion of success ?
Tav: I have no quarrel with success.

P: Is there a question you've never been asked that you'd like to answer ?
Tav: Not really, I’ve already talked to much.

P: It was a real pleasure to talk to you, thanks. My regards to the Panther Burns.
Tav: P.B.F.L. / Panther Burns Forever Lasting

Panther Burns myspace

Thanks to Jacques for the photo from la Féline

RIP - Bruce Conner

After yesterday's torrential rain, most roads lead to Scotland's largest music festival this weekend. I can confidently say that there's nothing on the 180 act bill that would entice me into the middle of nowhere for a weekend of soaking arse. I just travelled over the main drag via Kincardine and it's not exactly the usual jammed up jelly tight to use a Panther Burns phrase. This is opportune because Brother Patrick has conducted an interview with Tav Falco which I'll post over the weekend sometime.

Back to the festival though, we seldom have the climate for this kind of thing. And most of the tickets go on sale before the attendees have a scoob who’s playing. The dockets for 2009 go on sale this coming Tuesday, two days after the last note is struck. Of course, I'll watch it on TV if I can stay awake. Used to tape it and fast forward but I can't even be shucched doing that now. Life's too short and 95% of the entertainers are, in my opinion, something that begins with sh.

Not exactly sure what is on the agenda for me this weekend, another quiet, somewhat uneventful one hopefully. As far away from the mud and buck-ied up subspecies as is feasible methinks.

Check out the Bob Gruen experience... (thanks to Randy and Martin for the link)

The Bambi Molesters are playing in Berlin this Saturday!

Another winner from the Show Me state... another Lloyd link (plus he's in the clip)

So now we just need Donnie and Joe to complete the set. And Kelly maybe.

A missive from Mr Phobic...

Hi Kids,

THE PHOBICS are playing a FREE GIG this Saturday 12th July at the Joiners Arms, 35 Denmark Hill Camberwell, which is just around the corner from Camberwell Green.

We expect to be on around 11 could be before, but come along and bother a sausage or whatever else is on the BBQ from about 6pm onwards. I dunno if there's a veggie option, my advice to veggies is go for the alcohol, that is completely meat free unless you lick it off your friends or have any strange water sport habits.

There are many buses to take you there, 35, 45, 68, 171, 36, 436 & 185 to name a few - nearest train station is probably Denmark Hill and a 5 minute walk down the hill. also a good selection of night buses can get you back to almost anywhere in London.

We will be aided and abetted by Terminal Decline, The New Dogmatix and Apologies I Have None, between us we'll cover several schools of punk rock mayhem but it's all rock n fuggin roll to me.

So there you have it - all we need now is your kind indulgence......and it is FREE to get in.

ps We will probably be dedicating Pills to the memory of Mr Arthur Harold "Killer" Kane, at the last gig we tipped the hat to Mr Bo himself. Thats the thing with time, kids, Lots of our friends and musical mentors are dead... So, in the words of the immortal Heartbreakers', catch us while we're still alive!

lamf tpx

Thanks to Lloyd for the Llink...

It's true. This was up for a very brief period on Saturday morning and then pulled. However now, in something approaching a world-exclusive - you can feast your eyes on the cover art for the upcoming Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby album. Coming your way on the regenerated Stiff Records before this alleged summer ends. Soon as I know when then you'll know.

The intrepid couple will be setting out on a worldwide crusade to bring their oeuvre to your locale so when they do, please make an effort to see this - quite frankly unique unit in action. Two certified legends with more great songs between them than just about anybody.

You should buy a copy when they breeze through your 'hood but if you can't wait then pre-order it here. It's out September 15th.

Wow, thankyou government. Now I have the information that will allow me to circumnavigate the food crisis said to be engulfing the world. If I lay off the two jars of pasta sauce for the price of one deals, order will be restored. Seems very simple. And these twonks wonder why nobody believes in them, cares or votes, or hasn't abandoned all hope of any semblance of order being restored. A little like the Python's "How to play the flute" - Well blow in this end and run your fingers up and down here. But never mind, eh. They haven't got an easy job like you and me. Or presumably a conscience.

I've taken to looking at the site visit stats and its fun to see the spread of visitors. It would be good to get the numbers up of course but I get a genuine sense of achievement when somebody visits us because they googled "hello saferide" or "fleshtones" for instance.

The links that folks make on their own blogs and websites are also appreciated. It makes the effort worthwhile. Conventional reviews and bullshit in the established press are still rooted in the thinking that these provide a service. What? By cutting and pasting the information the “product” supplied to you?? Unless these connect you directly with the artist or a conduit to hearing and seeing something for yourself then they're ultimately pointless. The band or act should benefit from this means of potential contact. Be it to gather intelligence or just to sell their wares to prospective buyers, without the middleman. Ditto with buying from the independent record store, you need to support the person furthest from the conglomerate.

I'm at that stage where I'm about to bounce a whole load of stuff into the paper recycle bin. Attempts to unload copies of Mojo and whatever to good homes have come to nowt, not a whiff of interest. I imagine that's because a lot of folks are down with the need to rid themselves of clutter too and I understand that.

A couple of bits and bobs might make it on to ebay. I'm not sure that anybody gives much of a shit about that either anymore as the desire to shed some tonnage reaches fever pitch. Anyway, as a certified hoarder of some 30 years at least, I really need to do something about this. The easiest thing would be to get hit by a bus and let someone else deal with it.

There’ll be some actual information coming soon, I think I just needed to vent. Do you care that Knuckleback signed a deal with this Live Nation abomination? Thought not, me neither.

I should really go and donate blood but think I'll wait until Wednesday. I HATE the sports complex place that they're holed up in today anyway, and that's not the kinda location you want to be parting with a pint of the crimson now is it? Or maybe I'll just attend one of the transfusion centres in Glasgow or Edinburgh. So much choice.

Murray just hepped me to the fact that the DKT/MC5 show is being rescheduled for Glasgow and indeed all of Europe seems to be likewise. So if you were going, better sit tight for info on the new dates. I'll post them when they become available. The "guests" are guys from Alice In Chains and also The Sisters of Mercy. (!?)

I added READY STEADY RADIO to the sidebar yonder, it's a US based station devoted to UK music past, present and future so stop by and check it out. You might even hear "I'm Your Girl" by Technically Men. A stonker in any currency.

Dutch folk take note: Two years after their amazin' return to Amsterdam the New York Dolls will be playin' at Tivoli De Helling right here in Utrecht on August 1st. Holiday season or no, this demands your attendance!

A truckload of Roky/Nomads YouTube vids can be found here.
I'm constantly pickin' up my jaw everytime I'm watchin' this... Did I mention the droolin'?
I'd say a Euro tour should be next on the agenda... Then again, I'd fly just about anywhere to catch this team in action....

The fact that the Hoodoo Gurus were in Glasgow sometime in 1989 came as news to me. My powers of recall charted just a singular appearance, opening for Boner and Co. in 1987. But anyway, it's a bloody long time since they were here.

Given the wealth of material that they can choose from, a Gurus set is never going to be long enough. Tonight there was a curfew that you get in these venues where the gig is a precursor to the disco. Although I’m pretty sure there couldn’t have been anything on a Tuesday night? You can see from that what was played and it was great to be in the company of so many people who knew the songs. I was curious to hear Dave introducd “Death Defying” as “the closest he’d come to writing a country song”. Just the other day, I was thinking that Amy Allison could do a corking version of that very number.

When all is said and done they have a whole caboodle that should have swept the world. Tonight they let us have it with some of ‘em at full tilt volume. They closed the night with a Persian Rugs song (I think it was “Be A Woman”?) and the perennial “Like Wow Wipeout”.

Edinburgh was a strange choice. Maybe next time they’ll shimmy back to the West Coast and I’m sure most of those who were present would make their way there too.

It was great to meet those guys too after all these years. I think I was the first person to review “Stoneage Romeos” here in the UK, a couple of lifetimes ago. The fact that three-fifth’s of the band from the “Mars Needs Guitars” is still available to throw a party of this magnitude (cum loudness) is testament to the world’s rock audiences being largely deaf and/or stupid.

With some Bow Bar pies for pre-show sustenance, The Gurus brought some considerable hoodoo down on this otherwise sleepy Tuesday night in Auld Reekie. They’ve still got it and you need some. I hope the flood gates will open and more Australian combos will make it this far north.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GIRL TROUBLE PLAYS MARYMOOR PARK ANYWAY

As you may know, the first Girl Trouble album, “Hit It or Quit It”, was released on K/SubPop in 1988. In fact, this was the first full-length record SubPop ever released. The record matrix number was K/SP-20. This month SubPop is hosting a huge, two-day concert of SubPop bands in Marymoor Park on July 12/13 to celebrate their 20 year anniversary.

It’s billed as the SP-20 event, one letter off from the old Hit It or Quit It matrix number. Coincidence? You be the judge. Of course, Girl Trouble awaited the invitation to join their old friends and label-mates on stage for this most festive occasion. Unfortunately, the band now suspects that a mistake has been made. They have yet to be contacted by their old label! With only weeks to spare it was obvious there was some sort of unintentional oversight by SubPop.

Girl Trouble has never been a band to let a small detail like not being invited deter them from joining in on any celebration. That’s why they have decided to bring some instruments and play the show anyway, somewhere in Marymoor Park, as close to the venue as they can legally get.

This will be the first all-acoustic Girl Trouble show, playing selections from their SubPop album, Hit It or Quit It, in order. Feel free to look for Girl Trouble somewhere in the park (possibly by some picnic tables or a tree) starting at noon, where they promise to entertain anybody who happens by. Unlike the $30 ticket price for the bands inside the Marymoor Park venue - there will be no charge for this one-day-only performance.

Please join us on Saturday, July 12 for this special event. Don’t forget your picnic lunch, blanket and sun screen. Complementary bag of chips to the first 40 K/SP-20 attendees. Hope to see you there!

Possibly the reason is that, with the possible exception of Mudhoney, no other SP band is up to snuff when it comes to sharing a stage with the mighty Trubb. That's my opinion, of course.

RIP - Larry (Bozo The Clown) Harmon

It's the 32nd Anniversary of The Ramones at The Roundhouse. Topping the bill that night were Sire stablemates at the time, the Flamin' Groovies. In a bizarre coincidence, Cyril Jordan is back here for a set at the Wireless festival with Magic Christian on Sunday.

It's a funny old world... but it's also Friday. So here's a song to celebrate the US holiday and the alleged punk rock year zero from a guy that should need no introduction... along with the best band in the world. It included the late, great Chris Gaffney. Can you guess who it is yet? - without clicking the clip.

THE GO-GO -
Saturday 5th July

Upstairs at Studio 24, Calton Road, Edinburgh.

From Dublin, psychedelic-garage 5-piece, THE URGES play live - band on stage at midnight. Admission £5/4.

60's garage, pop, mod, beat, soul, ska, psychedelia, girl groups, French pop, and punk.

DJs Tall Paul Robinson & Special Guest 'Chris from FAST'.

Posts here have been like buses recently. Nowt for ages then a whole pack at one time. That's the nature of my existence at the minute. So anyways, I wonder how The Pastels opening for My Flipping Valentine went? Any of you folks there? I was at the Hoodoos and it was a belter but I need to gather my thoughts before I blog about it. I read a really annoying review of it by some plonker who missed the point by at least one funnel.

It's nearly Friday and I plan to go exactly noplace and to catch up on stuff. Friday night in Stockholm? If you're there then I Are Droid are at the Slussen Debaser. If you're at Roskilde then don't let me find out that you watched Wirelessnapper instead of Säkert!

That would be three bowlfuls of wrong right there.

The priority at the minute is to catch up with Season 4 of The Wire so that's just what I'm about to do. I'll leave you with this, not great quality but three weeks ago tonight I was at that very show and this song is so new that i believe it's as yet untitled.

Damn... I just realised today is July 3rd... if you're in NY, head for Manitoba's and request that Emma play Säkert!, and of course, The Nomads.

THURSDAY JULY 3rd
SWEDISH INVASION AT MANITOBA'S

8 DJ's from Sweden take on señor Handsome Manitoba's punk-rock dive on Ave B. Joel & Krille from Denimzine Magazine, Stockholm along with DJ's from Gothenburg clubs like Wipe Out and Showdown. Along with myself we will be bringing the house down with punk-rock-garage from Sweden as well as U.S. Christopher and Sara pours the drinks.
99 Ave B. 10pm-4am. http://www.denimzine.com/








FRIDAY JULY 4th - BBQ BASH AT ASTERISK

What better way to spend fourth of July then with full on BBQ and the best of the best from NYC garage-rock scen. Bands play on the boss DIY scene in this highly cool house. BBQ and drinks on the roof. The Jadewalkers are very happy to play this along with good friends like The Back C.C's, Abducteens, The Rats, The Choke, The Beat Rats and The Totallys. Vikingskull will be DJing as well. 9pm fireworks!!! After this we'll trug our way down to Don Pedro's for the Hullbaloo. DJ's Shimmy and Charles Gaskins.

On stage Nobunny and The Okmoniks.

Asterisk - 280 Johnson Ave. 2-9pm.

Don Pedro's - 90 Manhattan Ave. 9pm-4am.

Both in Brooklyn (who wants to spend this day on Manhattan. really?)

The scene last Saturday in Borlänge when Texas brought in the Stockholm artillery. Nick told me that Roky, his son Jegar and his wife Dana were cool people to be around and that it all went great. Knowing these guys to be the perfectionists and total gentlemen that they are, there was never any doubt from this end. Dana paid Hans quite a compliment when she told him that he was the best guitar player Roky had played with since Duane (Aslaksen). And who knows, it may even happen again - somewhere down the road.

Photo courtesy of Eva Vahlberg

Without any further ado, a report from the Rotterdam (Water)frontline...

PRIMITIVE LIVING 2008 by Lenny Helsing

OK, so I missed the opening kick off party again on Wednesday night with The Peptones… and all of Thursday too I’m afraid this time, I didn’t arrive until Friday afternoon…So Thursday night’s picks like UK whipper-snapper garage-loudniks Thee Vicars, and Argentina’s Los Peyotes, I regrettably didn’t catch. Everyone who saw them said they were pretty great too! So for me, Primitive began on Friday afternoon when we picked up the Ronnie Splinter, Leendert ‘Buzz’ Busch and Appie Rammers – the Outsiders, and headed over to the venue.

We then rehearsed for an hour or two and it was amazing. The only singers present were Primitive Dave, Jorge from Dr Explosion and myself. A little later, Marky from Phantom Keys turned up. As you can imagine, getting to sing through a load of Outsiders songs was pure magic for me and for Jorge too. Plus the beer was now beginning to flow and I was supposed to get up and do a number with Dutch group the 1 2 5 in the Café but things started late – they weren’t there when we arrived at first at 4pm, so I thought I’d come back later…and then I absolutely couldn’t pull myself away from singing song after song with Ronnie, Buzz and Appie. It was all too much. So again, I really do apologise to the 1 2 5 for my no-show.

First on in the hall at 9-ish were Hipbone Slim and the Knee Tremblers who, despite being without our loveable bass-playing rogue John Gibbs (now an ex-member of the band) put on what was in essence a great rockin’ swampy / blues’a’billy show, with Diddlin’ Bruce ‘Tasker’ Brand on truly fine form bashing along on the drumkit / maracas as is per usual. The first up of the evening’s bu-bu-Burlesque dancers was the great Agent Lynch. She came on in slow motion, a high-healed go-go spacewoman no less, with primitive Union Jack in tow, and those filling the hall were spellbound.

My favourite UK group were on next, The Higher State. By this time I had also been cajoled into being some sorta MC for the night – well, after a fashion. So, like some kinda South Coast Pop Art Experimental Group, Marty, Mick, Mole and Mark took to the stage and thrilled all with their high-coined beat music. They have classic after classic building up in their repertoire, with big chiming Rickenbacker chords blazing over superb vocal harmonies. Also heard in this much clearer mix than I’ve heard before, were some of Marty’s climbing Elevatoresque breaks and so great to actually hear some of Mick’s cool tom-tom fills and Mark’s doozy bass lines. The fizzing, fuzzing latest 45 ‘And In Time’, and ‘If We Don’t Realize’ was aired with panache, plus some ‘From ‘Round Here’ faves and some great new tracks from their coming-out-soon LP ‘Darker By The Day’.

One of the longest-running or at least certainly one of the earliest of the UK garage-styled teen punk groups, The Cannibals, were here too. It was a different line-up from what I witnessed a couple of yrs back in Belgium and I think, all round, singer/leader Mike Spenser now has a better group around him. Pretty spaced-out sounding garage rock with drips of Electric Prunes-noise here and drops of Standells-isms there is what they specialise in. Lots and lots of repeat echo, over-the-top fuzz fx and cadavernous reverb is what they seem to especially like to put into their midnight-trash soup feast. Most of the crowd seemed to like what they were fed too.

Trixie Malicious of the Burlesque dancers was up on the podium next shaking and shimmying to the delight of the crowd. Then I was called over to introduce transatlantic beat bashers par excellence Graham Day & The Gaolers. These ex-Prisoners and Solarflares guitar / vocal legend doncha know, aided and abetted by two noise merchants, on drums and bass respectively from Georgia and LA-based combo The Woggles. More on The Woggles later. Them Gaolers were pretty much on fire from the off, having lots of energy to share out. Not sure of song titles since I’d never heard anything by them up until now, but I can tell you they really did liven up the night with their screamingly electric beat rock songs. Graham really knows how to write and sing out on these hook-filled garage mod-rock anthems.

And then of course there was the DJs spinning their mad records in the hall and in the café while the equally-mad folks got onto the floor and slipped, sloshed, stomped and biff-bang-pow-wow’ed their way through hits by lost rock’n’rollers inc. The Music Machine, The Seeds, The 13th Floor Elevators, Great Scots, literally loads of great Dutch 60s records like From’s ‘Be Mine Again’, and also of course some honest-to-goodness Big Bad Bo Diddley sounds!!!!!!!!!!
Saturday for many of us started before we even knew it had done, having not long gone to bed. Still bopping the night / morn away to the late-bar DJs including my good friend Eva Haller from Barcelona who, like a lot of them (not me though) were still there partying like crazy till the bitter end…I got out when the going was good and could still see kinda straight as I knew the following day I had to be not too done in, there was much to get through. I met up with Jeff Conolly as he got to the hotel fairly early. He’d just got into town having waited a couple of hours at Schipol with no-one showing up to ferry him onto Rotterdam… however Youri, the Primitive driver, did show up and brought Jeff to the Zeemanshuis, where we talked and drank coffee for a couple o hours until the Lyre-man’s room was ready for him to crash after an exhausting flight from Boston… me, well I was up and about. Having missed breakfast, I was ready for something and headed for the Waterfront area with various Screaming Apple / Soundflat folk. Frode and his missus (of defunct Norwegians, The Indikation) came too and my old pal Mal Kergan, ex-Thane, now of Spanish garage psychsters The Phantom Keys wandered by. Hellllllooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

So eventually after we found most of Primitive still locked up, we headed back the way we came along the water front to The Strand, where Baldy’s Knee Tremblers, or rather Knee-Jerk Reactions were soon gonna be bustin’ up the surfboards (had there been any on display) with their raucous rockin’ din and my Wildebeestin’comrade Russ Wilkins (also of Lord Rochester’s Diddley-itis infamy) was to be MC for the early afternoon’s hilarious bout of wooden shoes racing, yes Clogs by any other name. So we sat nursing white beer and were seen, well Russ and I anyway, addling maracas to the group’s more Diddleyesque numbers, as did a couple of the Burlesque Go-Go girls.

Ah yes the ‘clog race’ … well in my bout the clogs went flyin offa my feet 2m from the finishing line, and I went sprawling almost head first into the sand…and good buddy Lutz, of Screaming Apple / Soundflat came to my rescue and though he himself coulda won, he stopped, helped me up and dragged me over the finishing line. Whatta star that man is, give him a Bunker Hill 45. Dandy Dave, Lord Rochester’s Tim Matthews, Phantom Keys’ Mal and Lord Bacon, among others, also took part. I hope Tomas’s feet are not still giving him gip.
Then after all the excitement of The Strand happenings, we made our way to the venue for the start of the evening’s entertainment. I’m guessing they did play, but if so, then I / we missed J.C. Thomaz & The Missing Slippers, and the set that Armand, the Dutch 60s protest singer and hash/grass afficianado, played.

But we would catch up with him again later, as part of the Outsiders guest vocalists. First up that I saw at the café then, after a good few wild 45s being spun by PJ Dirtywater, were Finland’s The Micragirls. They were something special to behold, that’s for sure. They had a singing drummer, and a guitarist / singer who was into going quite nuts at times, and another Micragirl was on the bass, with added deep-drone Hohner mini-keyboard something-or-other at hand, which was very boomy and subsoniccy at times, and quite grating, but in a good way added to the Micragirls’ punk-style spirit. They were received rapturously in the now chokka-blokka café atmosphere, performing a great version of ‘Funnel Of Love’, a real spook-chilled instro of their own that I can’t recall the title of, and their theme of sorts, ‘Micraboy’ among other things.

Into the main hall again, first band up was The Phantom Keys from Galicia, Spain. Did I tell you these guys now feature on bass and backing vocals none other than Mal Kergan, ex- of The Thanes. I must say he fits in real well to this fantastic garage punk (with a little acid on the side) group. Their first single ‘In The Summertime’ sounded real fab, and the six guys put on a helluva show, with lead guitarist Roi pulling out all the stops, a perfect foil for vocalist Marky’s hair-shaking antics. Great to know that they can really do justice to the likes of ‘Velvet Illusions’ and Cuby+Blizzards’ beat-punk winner ‘Stumble and Fall’ on stage too. Can’t recall if it was Linda A- Go-Go dancing next or maybe it was Denise Dubieux, or even Miss Christine L’Amour, it all got decidedly blurry around this time…Anyway the next group on were London-based King Salami & the Cumberland 3. Their crude rockin’ rhythms and hill-billy blues racket went over great with everybody I spoke to. I thought Eric was great on the old drum-bashing front, even though I’d actually forgotten that they were gonna even be on the bill, ha ha…
And then, before you know it, it is the turn of the Outsiders to take the stage. Well…Dandy Dave introduced them as is on their first spectacular LP, live side…and then after a minute or so they launch into ‘Space Demo’ an old unissued thing that gets them warmed up nicely. First of the guest singers is Michel Terstegen, of Da Capo records, ex- of The Otherside, who came on with a giant blow-up of original Outsiders singer Wally Tax, and sang ‘Don’t You Cry’ and ‘I Love Her Still, I Always Will’. The group were amazingly fired-up with Appie on bass and Buzz on drums pounding away while Ronnie Splinter conducted some pretty lightning-fast cool guitar runs here and there, and some perfect, slower chord shapings for ‘I Love Her Still…’. The crowd were eating it up. Next to sing was Robert Muter, ex- of The Kliek and Kek ’66, now of The Timeflies. He vocalised perfectly on ‘Teach Me To Forget You’, and another of the group’s achingly happy/sad songs ‘You Remind Me’. Robert was nervous about singing such songs, but man, he was great, one of my favourite singers of the night.

Spanish Jorge from Dr Explosion and Circo Perrotti recording studios was third up, and wow, he was brilliant, willing the crowd to go mental along with him on garage punk killer classic ‘That’s Your Problem’, he also did ‘Keep On Trying’ with great spirit and style. And the group kept things just right, never floating off on a tangent or deviating too much from what we wanted to hear them do. Superb!!!! Dave from Dutch group The Madd took on ‘Do You Feel Alright’ and ‘Filthy Rich’ and did a great job with both, although Ronnie, Appie and Buzz played their hearts out more on ‘Do You Feel Alright’, sounding totally spot on, proving that they may be getting on a bit now, but they can still play better than guys half their age. Oh Yeah! Dandy Dave, the Primitive main man was up next giving a great account of the 1st LP thriller ‘Won’t You Listen’, again Buzz’s heavy drum beats were right on the money, and the others did well keeping the pace up too. Next was the turn of Armand, who looks like some Renaissance bard with his long flowing red hair and loose, flamboyant attire.

Armand was the ‘mellowest’ of all the singers, choosing to do the wonderful folk-beat-garage ballad ‘Lying All The Time’, and one of my all-time fave Outsiders songs – probably cos it was the first one I ever did with my old group The Green Telescope – ‘Thinking About Today’. What can I say that would sound right about the next one up…it was me, of course…all I can tell you is that it was a pure dream come true and a real honour for me to be up there participating with these deities of garage-punk-beat-psych. I was allowed to do a couple of their more Bo Diddley-ish bashers ‘Felt Like I Wanted To Cry’, and ‘You Mistreat Me’, but also ‘I Would Love You’ that The Thanes recorded for an old Misty Lane comp. LP back in the mid ‘90s, and that chilling CQ LP fave, ‘Daddy Died On Saturday’. Man, I could hardly contain myself.

And last, but by no means least, was Jeff ‘Monoman’ Conolly, of The Lyres and DMZ infamy. He chose ’67 ballad B side ‘What’s Wrong With You’, ’66 killer B side ‘Sun’s Going Down’ and that other – ain’t they all – Outsiders killa dilla ’66 garage smash ‘Touch’. He and the group did not disappoint, giving out with both energy and suave suss. And as if this wasn’t enough, they were called back on, and I couldn’t help taking a lead vocal, along with Jeff, and supported by most of the others on whatever percussive instruments were lying about, we set about ‘Lying All The Time’ as a finale. I think most people were happy…I know the Outsiders and friends / family were.

The night was not over yet folks, as USAs long-running garage rock’n’roll / soul firebrands The Woggles took the stage over and kinda blew everyone away, such was their post-midnight highly-energized set. They also invited various people onstage to help out in their crazy, sweat-drenched show, and although I missed him, Jorge turned in another wild performance by all accounts. They did invite Jeff C. back on but I don’t think the Lyre-man showed? By this time I was just hopping from one place to another trying to catch up with people and couldn’t stand still to watch much more… of course there was more dancing and drinking and dancing drinking and everybody was getting high high high, until the big hand in the sky pointed the way to a hotel, where sleep beckoned. Zzz

Sunday’s Primitive capers were kicking off in the late afternoon at the Tiki bar, but on the way there I caught the ‘60s Dutch Beat, and UK Beat picture exhibition at Vips! Wow, so many great pix of Outsiders, Het, The Motions, Q65, etc…and the ‘Stones, and The Who too…
After sipping a few beers at the Tiki, the phantasmagorically brilliant Lord Rochester’s Diddley-it is took to the floor. Their Bo Diddley sounds have to be experienced to be believed. Let’s see, we have His Lairdship on vocals and Mumblin’ guitar, Lady Muck on bass duties, and the great Mr Tim Matthews on drum bits and bobs. Great performances of tunes like ‘I’m Ridin’ The Train’, ‘Little Jermyn’, alongside the adopted future classic ‘Monkey Monkey’. Yours truly also participated during ‘Psychotic Reaction’ and ‘Cadillac’. Burlesque was by Agent Lynch and Trixie. A great time was had by all…Cheers and here’s to the next one!

The more eagle-eyed browsers of this portal will have noticed that CAKE has mutated into NORTH FORK SOUND. However, I know there are sleepier, less alert individuals out there that may not have gotten the memo, so here's another honk on the horn. A more diversely solid playlist is virtually impossible to find. Expertly curated, it's an encyclopedic journey through the entire history of all good music, irrespective of alleged pigeonhole. And there's also the NOFO blog to dig into while you're groovin'. With this and So Many Records... you folks are being spoiled but hey - you're worth it, right?

Suicide’s Alan Vega 70 This Year
Limited Edition EP Series - 4th Aug
Live Box Set - 4th Aug

Uncompromising solo artist and legendary front man of the band Suicide, Alan Vega celebrates his 70th birthday this year. To mark this occasion, blastfirstpetite is conducting a yearlong series of monthly limited edition releases.

Each release includes:
• an established recording artist paying tribute to Alan by covering one of his songs,
• a previously unreleased Suicide/Vega rarity from the archives, and
• proving that Vega's work even now continues to inspire, a cover version by a young up and coming band.

Major artistes will include Bruce Springsteen, Primal Scream, Peaches, Grinderman, Spiritualised, The Horrors, Klaxons, Sunn 0)) + Pansonic, Julian Cope, Lydia Lunch,Vincent Gallo and Liars . Upcoming bands include Beat The Devil/Shilpa Ray, No Bra, HTRK, X-Vectors, Nik Void (ex-Kaito), Effi Briest, S.C.U.M., and Stephen Burroughs (ex-Head Of David).
The sleeve images are all by contemporary visual artists who have been inspired by Vega, including Edward Mapplethorpe, Alex Rose, Cary Kwok, and Colter Jacobsen.

The series kicks off on 23rd July with two editions of 4000 each (catalog number PTYT 017), in both 10" vinyl & a limited download. Featured on the A-side is Bruce Springsteen’s cover of "Dream Baby Dream" (a live recording from The Boss's 2005 "Devils & Dust" solo tour). The sleeve is by Edward Mapplethorpe.

Any of series can be pre-ordered via links at blastfirstpetite.com and alanvega.com. Physical distribution is by Cargo (UK), Forced Exposure (USA), and digital distribution by State5.

Suicide Box Set Live 1977 – 1978
Out Aug 4th

Blastfirstpetite have released a six CD 3000 limited edition box set featuring thirteen live Suicide sets from the early New York performances and their legendary first European tour supporting The Clash & Elvis Costello. Entitled Live 1977-1978, the recordings are culled from the archives of Howard Thompson, the man who originally signed Suicide to Bronze/EMI outside of the USA.

Howard Thompson's archive, of which this box set largely comprises, consists of recordings made by himself and others who shared tapes so as to keep up with Suicide’s latest live adventures, and was originally intended purely for personal use. Captured on small handheld non-professional cassette machines of the era, tapes run out mid-performance and all the clunks, clicks, chatter and blather of amateur recording are captured fully intact, an audio-verité of Suicide performing in the flesh in clubs and halls of the time.

The gigs are presented in the order in which they happened, all the better to hear how the Suicide live experience evolved, to glean which audiences failed to grasp the implicit freedoms of Punk and which small bands of hardy souls rallied to Suicide’s brave new vision.

This set of recordings is not for the faint hearted. Nor is it the ideal starting place for uninitiated listeners seeking an easy introduction to Alan Vega & Marty Rev's dark and decidedly queasy proto-futuristic, low-tech sci-fi music, first unleashed on a mostly uncaring world under the banner Suicide many years ago.

Paul Smith
Blastfirstpetite (2008)

July 1 - Liquid Room - Edinburgh
July 3 - The Audio - Brighton (NOTE VENUE CHANGE!)
July 4 - Forum - London
July 5 - Guilfest - Guilford
July 8 - Open Air Free Concert - Town Square of Palma, Mallorca, Spain
July 9 - Kafe Antzokia - Bilbao, Spain
July 10 - MadridEl - Madrid, Spain

Finally some downtime to recharge these virtually unrechargeable batteries. Much as I'd like to see The Dolls tonight, I don't do the place they're playing. Perhaps I'll have to re-think that somewhere down the line but not today. Never say never.

Re-assessment does happen y'know, despite my overwhelming ability to cut my nose off to spite my face. Glasvegas are sort of an example of this. One of the main things that put me off them was the fact that Alan McGee was/is so keen. They tend to attract O*sis worshipping meathead fuckwits as a result.

It is rowdy, there's a lot of cussing and it sounds kinda exotic in the Scots brogue. That's one thing we're very good at. Swearing. We do it better and more expressively than any race on earth. Even the French. However, this "Geraldine" single is great, like Slik vs JAMC, and there are no swearies in it so it's radio-friendly. There's no question that they have a great sound. Founded on many of the things I (and you folks) hold dear so we'll see how it pans out. Maybe the music will do the talking in the end.

Glasto gets hip hop karaoke, Peace and Love gets something a little more god-like. It really happened and Björn kindly sent this link to prove it. I know photoshop can make anything possible but this was for real. While we're waiting for visual and audio action from the event, go to Roky's myspace and listen to "Wait For You". I'm keeping my fingers crossed for "I Have Always Been Here Before". Anybody out there up for filing a report?

Kjell just sent me this review and my limited command of the language suggests that our team played a blinder.

Woah, first photographic evidence! (I guess you have to be logged in to view 'em)

Got back too late last night, plus it felt like Saturday for some reason. Edinburgh seems to be a haven for packs of drunks way worse than I ever noticed before. However, as long as they keep themselves to themselves…

So let’s rewind to Thursday. My friends Valerie and Greg run Music4Games which is involved with pretty much what it sez on the packaging. They’re great kids and 150% immersed in the medium. They fixed it for me to go see the Video Games Live extravaganza in Glasgow. I’d never played a video game in my life until two weeks ago. If you read my Stockholm report then you perhaps remember that I was trounced by a 6 year old Vincent Vahlberg at Wiii (how many i’s?) Bowling. Anyway, getting the chance to hear the RSNO and choir perform the soundtrack to these alien forms (to me) seemed like a good idea.

The Royal Concert Hall is the perfect venue for a show like this. Where electric, bordering on rock shows can sound a bit tame, the orchestra sounds full and crisp. Plus its very civilised, the polar opposite of the Barra’s. Being unfamiliar with the material, it peaked and troughed in terms of the visuals but the sound was phenomenal. Some of this gear is very John Williams in terms of grandiosity. Very nice but quite bland. It was the stuff that hinted at Mancini or maybe Percy Faith that I got a kick out of. At one point, I even detected a little Esquivel maybe?

This is composition like soundtracking a film. Built to evoke emotional ties to the visuals and my problem with a lot of the graphics is that they have the same effect on me as your average costume drama. It’s not the same as anime or straight animation. It also has that Lord Of The Rings vibe which I’m not down with. This ain’t a hobbit for me anyone? A couple of earlier games looked like Hanna Barbera cartoons, those I could get a beat on.

Essentially, I never felt quite so out of my depth since I nearly drowned in the pacific. It’s a pretty slick affair and while I dug some of the pieces, the rendered nature of the stuff going on with the screen just began to blur. It impeded being able to watch the players. That’s the musicians not the “gamers”. One person I did see during intermission whilst trying to scope out the M4G banner which wasn't there was the writer, Ian Rankine. I'm sure his creation, Rebus, would share my trepidation for the format being celebrated. All the evangelical zeal in the world probably won’t snare me into going anywhere near a console anytime soon. I am curious about these "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" things though. I might well take another spin with the RSNO though.

So, Friday (the day that felt like Saturday)… back into film festival mode and an early start. How do you feel about the smell of Truffaut in the early afternoon? Well the practically full house for “The Bride Wore Black” at 2.30pm were certainly eager. It’s a pretty good period piece and said to be the kernel of the idea seed that was "Kill Bill". Tarantino apparently claims to have never seen it but what the hey. It’s these stories that give it all a little mystery. Closing the Jeanne Moreau season, it hit the spot, great Bernard Herrmann score too. Thinks were looking up as Artistic Director Hannah McGill introduced it, finally it seemed like an effort was being made.

Couple hours to kill before Werner Herzog’s “Encounters At The End Of The World” in a very wet Auld Reekie trying to keep out of the rain. So, back into the red with regard to effort, no intro, no nothing lights down and away. I like Herzog but this is too long and his dry, piss-taking style sort of started to grate. Some of the underwater photography is mind-blowing and turns out that this footage was shot by Henry Kaiser. I think it’ll look pretty good on your flat screen TV. The soundtrack is by Kaiser and David Lindley who also did “Grizzly Man”.

Once more into the pissing rain and down to Haymarket, missed a train by two minutes and had to wait a half hour for the next one. This is the back arse end of beyond in terms of public transport but it’ll all be different when we become indie-fucking-dependent. At this point, I’m about 50/50 not going to the Bill Plympton screening tonight. There’s a noon screening of "The Cool World" tomorrow and those Hoodoo Gurus at The Liquid Rooms on Tuesday. I think I’ve had enough of the cinema for now though. I’m all cultured out.

But hey, the sun just came out so who knows. My spirit is in Borlänge, what can I tell ya...

It's PRIMITIVE weekend in Rotterdam and I don't know if J is headed that way or not? Maybe there'll be a report if he is. But I DO know that Lenny Helsing will be performing with The Outsiders so you'll be hearing about all this one way or another. Don't let Graham Day and the Gaolers put you off, get along there if you can.

Meanwhile in Borlänge, The Roky & The Nomads show draws ever closer. That's where my spirit will be trying to gain entry without a ticket tomorrow evening. Who could ever have perceived that these generations would come together like this? It's a pretty cool thing... makes a guy think that there could be a grand plan after all. God was perhaps not an astronaut then, judging by this weekend's events - he's a garage rocker. Pray then that he's not a scene hopper.

Me, I have two more film festival days to go and I'm done but my heart just isn't in it. Innit?

I did have a wee adventure, aff the beaten track last night though. More about that later...

Caught a whiff of ganja on my way into Filmhouse last night... a couple obviously limbering up for the movie.

The Upsetter is as good a summing up of Scratch’s work as could probably be achieved in a little over 90 minutes. Mostly narrated by the man in his thick, bordering on martian rather than Jamaican brogue, it's thankfully subtitled so you can get at least a scoob about what he's saying.

Best bit for me is the clip of him performing "Daniel Saw The Wheel" in his alias of Piecock Jackson (?). It's quite simply mental. The years of ingesting the weed and everything else has created quite a monster. He's in the country because he has an Edinburgh show tomorrow, why wasn't he paid whatever was necessary to bring him to the film festival? Again there was no introduction or owt. I know it was the second screening but c'mon, this is supposed to be a special event.

The closing encounter with a Canadian in a San Francisco gift shop is funny to a point. It feels like a bit of a set up - irrespective of whether it is or not.

The Upsetter is certainly worth a look and I imagine that when it comes out on dvd there'll be a ton of extras to wade through. Strange that the clip of Junior Murvin is from TOTP2 and not the original film but maybe there's some kind of presentation reason for that. Who knows. Anyway, the best way to watch this would probably be at home. Where the only person(s) rustling bags of whatever might be you and yours.

It played with a short film called "Made In Queens" about some kids in the NY borough that build huge sound systems on to their bikes. Pretty sharp.

Been feeling below par since Monday so a mixture of that and needing to deal with sundry guff has resulted in my having to make an executive decision. The all-out fun fest that was Stockholm was sure to catch up with me eventually. I'm hankering to catch this Roky/Nomads action but alas tis not to be.

So no Harlan Ellison doc, my needle is nudging empty and I can't face another schlep into Edinburgh. No. Not tonight. Catching up with Season 4 of The Wire it is then.