All in French for those of you who can parlez da lingo. I wonder when there'll be a show in Paris? Meanwhile, I imagine there'll be a number of folks travelling to London this weekend to see the band. Viva le pilgrimage!!

RIP - Jon Cedar

End and tether are two words that spring to mind right about now. Discouraged and disgruntled are two more. I’m struggling to update this as often as I should but still feel obliged to at least post something every day.

I'm hoping that this weekend's encounter with them Groovies will relight the pilot of this decidely rickety escapade. Hooking up with the crew definitely will but then there's the part where one turns back into a pumpkin. Or equivalent. No disrespect to the actual fruit in question.

It's easter everywhere. Well nearly everywhere, somebody up here in Northern Britain has made a right pig's ear of the holiday this year. Par for the course. Still, if you can hold on until October, Capt. Kevin Morris has announced that the first big thing for Glasgow Americana this year is Alejandro Escovedo on October 9th.

And there's a ton of great shows taking place all over. Info on these will be conveyed as it becomes available. And fine new recordings also by some of our staple artists. Taken in that context then things don't suck at all, it's just the life experience of the past 4-ish months that has been wearing me down. There's an expression that goes "Everything that's for me is against me". I tried googling it and got exactly nada by way of an explanation but it pretty much sums things up for yours truly. Recited in a Scottish brogue, it makes perfect sense.

B-Side the A-Side Easter Special with The Nuns & The Deltics!

Yer hosts DJ Louie (Louie) and BigKegShandy (Sonic Reducer, The Stripchords) proudly present a B-Side the A-Side Easter Special with live guests The Nuns, the world's only all-lady, six-piece tribute to 1960s legends The Monks, featuring members of The Headcoatees, Mambo Taxi and Echobelly. Plus local garage punk groovers The Deltics! All for FREE!

Saturday 23rd April8pm-late
The Royal Oak Free HouseLower Bristol Road, opposite Windsor Bridge Bath, Somerset

Check out The Nuns whompin' on "I Hate You"!

RIP - Kent Morrill

10 years since Joey died? Hardly seems possible but that’s exactly what it is. The news broke shortly after we got back from The Nomads 20th anniversary antics in Stockholm. Obviously there are a ton of great clips on this interweb thing so go watch some.

The Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds show was a blinder last night. You have to catch them while they’re in the UK if you can. A highly entertaining combo indeed that makes a funked-up, space rock groove laced rock’n’roll racket the like of which you’re unlikely to hear anyplace else. Really first class.

RSD tomorrow and I am unable to take any more requests as I’m just about to go and queue overnight for my Flaming Lumps box set. Not. Ebay is already creaking under the strain of opportunists that hope to make themselves a wee fortune out of resetting their swag. Not exactly the spirit that the event was born out of but an unfortunate cul-de-sac of human nature.

I hope you manage to snag something. Most likely something that isn’t part of the stramash that you’ll get many hours of pleasure with.

And finally... from facebook via Monte A. Melnick and Genya Ravan...

David Lynch Signature Cup Coffee from David Lynch on Vimeo.

Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds begin their UK/Ireland stint tonight in Leeds.

Check out the closest show to you and get along there...

Early to bed, early to rise? All shows at the Rodeo Bar are now earlier -- including Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.'s second-Wednesday-of-every-month residency!

Same bawdy banter and near-patented "Ballads, Boogies & Blues" that you've come to expect, but now starting at **8:30 sharp**! Think of how much fresher the complimentary peanuts will be...

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13th / RODEO BAR / 375 Third Avenue (at the corner of 27th Street) in ol' Manhattan / Two prime time sets, from 8:30pm sharp 'til 11:00am / No cover!

Reasonably fresh, Michael Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. "Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

Though I should probably be out taking in "the rays", I've been getting exasperated trying to list something on ebay for the first time in ages. Just as an experiment. the reason for quitting that bunfight before was down to a couple of run-ins with they type of scum that gives the site a bad name. Most folks are perfectly nice if obsessive but a couple bad apples and you know the rest...

Anyway, I've had to resort to contacting their UK customer service because they're trying to flim-flam the shipping. All I ever did was charge the actual real cost of postage and that's how I call it. But does that fit into their "calculator" and location bs? Try and guess. So maybe I'm going to head down to the glass recycling place and take my chances with the sun. Or then again.

Meanwhile, on the countdown to RSD, here's a tale about a place that will get a few of you misty eyed. Be warned though, it contains the word "dildos".

Figured you'd best be told being that it's the sabbath and all.

RIP - Sidney Lumet

Norton is 25.

That's the label, not Ed (Art Carney) Norton.

A special album from Scotland for Japan will be released via bandcamp on April 11th.

'Love Letter To Japan' has been specially compiled by Duglas T Stewart to raise funds for the Japanese relief effort and to send support to the people of Japan. The album will be exclusively available for one month only. The tracks come from a wide range of acclaimed Scottish musicians.

"Many of us Scottish musicians have received so much love and support over the years from friends and fans in Japan. Now we want to send some love and support back to the people of Japan" Duglas.

The album features exclusive, previously unreleased tracks from BAFTA and Golden Globe winning composer Craig Armstrong, Stevie Jackson of Belle & Sebastian, BMX Bandits, Bill Wells, The Pearlfishers, The Pastels, Snowgoose, Alasdair Roberts, Paul Quinn, The Starlets and Eugenius. The Eugenius track will be their first new recording to be released in 15 years. BMX Bandits tracks was recorded in Tokyo with Japanese group Tenniscoats. Momus currently lives in Japan and was there when the earthquake and tsunami hit the country.

All funds from the release go directly to The Japanese Relief Effort.

1. Snowgoose: Harmony Springs
2. The Pastels: The Pastels: Guest of Honour
3. Hidden Masters: Golden Hair
4. Stevie Jackson: Price of an Education
5. Paul Quinn: Away
6. BMX Bandits (with Yeongene & Tenniscoats): Standing Still
7. Eugenius: Friend or Foe
8. The Pearlfishers: Swan Dreams (live)
9. Bill Wells & Tape: Troublesome Malady
10. Ally Kerr: Could Have Been a Contender
11. Lenzie Moss: Where Eagles Dare
12. St. Deluxe: After the Fire
13. Jo Mango: The Moth and the Moon
14. Alasdair Roberts & Mairi Morrison: Bràdhagair an Taobh Siar
15. Randolph's Leap: Going Home
16. Craig Armstrong: Cherry Blossom
17. The Starlets (with The Andersens): To Make You Feel Brand New
18. Momus: I Can See Japan

Available from: http://lovelettertojapan.bandcamp.com/

For more info please email lovelyduglas@googlemail.com

Thank you.

RIP - Bill Pitcock IV (Dwight Twilley Band)

(via Paul Collins facebook)

It seems as though that scare yesterday was just rumour.

Let’s hope that it stays that way. While I’ve no tangible reason to think there’s

a god lately, this is definitely a welcome development. Meanwhile taking a 180° turn to a worthy combo, The Primevals jaunt to punt “Disinhibitor” rolls South this weekend (London The 229 Club and The Hydrant in Brighton) and on to retrace their steps of several moons ago in France. If they’re headed anywhere near you then please make the effort to see them. There’s no way you’ll be disappointed. No expectations or promises for the coming week. That way, no-one (except me) will be disappointed when I fail to use the time off wisely. It would be good if the cycle of futility could be broken but I’m not holding my breath. Or perhaps that’s the solution? A couple of things that I have tried to organise have failed to materialise so business as usual would appear to be the trajectory. There’s always tidying what passes for a garden/drive but only as a final resort.

And as if things didn’t suck enough, one of the outright worst acts ever to exist is reported to be finally getting back together. Presumably to hoover up a huge mound of cash. I guess that it could just be chalked up to a large swathe of the populace deserving to be taken but pretty depressing nonetheless. However, there are positive things out there if you scrunch up your eyes and peer hard enough.

For instance, the very fabulous Lakeside Lounge on Ave B, NYC is 15 years old tomorrow!

And Dead by Dawn 2011.

Amazingly its 35 years since the first Ramones album came out, 25 years since they last played in Edinburgh, 15 years since they split up and 10 years since Joey died... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1nymlKj5tk

This Saturday 10 bands reinterpret and rediscover those Bowery Beatles, the Fast 4 - The Ramones

Henrys Cellar Bar Saturday April the 9th - Doors open 8:30, first band on 9PM Sharp, DJ's playing suitably ramoniac stuff until 3am - 5 quid to get in

its just 4 Ramones covers from each band and maybe one or two of their own depending on how the schedule runs so it'll be a fairly snappy night, it should be fun. Check the Henrys website for the final lineup

The world famous SHOCK AND AWE will be playing either first or second so get there sharp ! We'll have a special guest guitarist who's never played with us before - come along and find out who it is !

See ye in there if you make it ?

Cheers,

Murray

Scunnered pretty much covers it for the way things are. Possibly in the grand scheme of things, I need to go on some kind of course where one could be taught the “half full” philosophy and how to put it into practice. They’d have their bloody work cut out with me if there were such a thing.

I think that this will numb the pain for as long as the show lasts. Wish the audio on this contraption was better.

CyberSweden here I come... happy new tax year by the way.

RIP - Keith Fordyce

Travelled to what used to be deepest, darkest Leith yesterday evening. No evidence of sunshine by that time but certainly, in terms of gentrification, the area is unrecognisable. The bus service is good too and could virtually be perceived as joined up until you get to Waverley and what passes for a rail timetable. But still, it’s not often that a resident of Springfield, Mo. Comes to town so a certain amount of effort needs to be exercised. I won’t be travelling down there to visit the mall anytime soon that's for damn sure. The Scottish Government offices look like Marineville and I guess that Stingray was out in the forth someplace?

The hastily arranged Auld Reekie debut of Cindy Woolf went pretty well under the circumstances. Hopefully the next one will be subject to a little more notice.

Just about to switch this thing off. I'm doing reasonably well with not firing it up in the AM so a similar experiment for the evenings would seem like a plan. Not that I have anything better to do but it's a test of sorts. Pretty sure I'll fold and jump on again in a couple hours but you never know.

Maybe I have more willpower than I think I do.

Just looking at the landfill that's set for April 16th. Not much that I really give a hoot about but if you do and you want anything then let me know sooner rather than later. Nothing much going on here today because I'm heading for Edinburgh shortly.

Nothing on at the pictures that I want to see. Particularly the computer-generated Yogi Bear. What the heck is that about? And also I'm a little pre-occupied with trying to get bunker stuff done during a week's holiday that's coming up. If it all goes like eveything else lately then it'll be an unmitigated disaster. Still...

Remember, Cindy Woolf in Leith tonight. Get along there if you can.

In an eerie coincidence, having just posted that Wunderle/Terry clip - I just heard from Cindy Woolf of the Springfield, Mo. parish to the effect that she's playing in Leith tomorrow night (Sunday 3rd).

Someplace called Bond #9...

A wee while ago I was hanging stuff on the walls when all of a sudden I just about ripped the top of the middle finger of my left hand off. Ketchup all over the place except thankfully not on the wall itself. Anyway, I don't trust these hooks I got now so I ended up on here. The copy of First World Manifesto turned up today too so I'll get a few spins of that sorted out while I'm waiting on the flow to stop.

Anyway, I was perusing fezbook and I saw this from Kogar. Pretty exciting. I've never seen the film he's talking about but presumably it's the source of the stills that became those early promo screen prints? Hope to see the actual thing one day.

And this morning, I "shared" this on fb but seeing as it's almost a decade since Joey left us, then it seems fitting to post it here too. It's amazing that stuff like this can still turn up in these pre-packaged, product placed times.

From J. Wunderle via Joe Terry on fezbook...

RIP - Don Hill

Thirty four years ago today, NBT #1 made its debut. In many ways it seems forever ago. Who could ever have thought it would still be going albeit not in physical form? Not me. “Still going” is a subjective statement. I’m beginning to doubt the double bluff that existing online is the way to the future. I used to have an attention span and while I seriously do try to keep up activity, I consider that I just keep going over the same old ground.

To that end, I feel like a phony that should just chuck it and walk out Reggie Perrin style into the sea. A scientifically proven to be past it’s sell by date to the point of whiffy fossil. Or should I be working on an NBT app and navigating into the choppy waters of iPadmania?

There’s no fool like an April one but somehow I manage to fly that flag for the other eleven months too. I wonder what it would have been like to grow up like everybody else...?

Couple of things this coming weekend...

Hamell On Trial April 1st at The Bay – 142 West Regent Street, G2 2RQ Glasgow.

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THE GO-GO, 11th Birthday Bash Part 1, requests and old faves from the early days.. Saturday 2nd April, Upstairs @ Studio 24. 11pm til 3am. Free B4 11.30 £5/4 after that. DJ's Tall Paul & Big Gus play 60s mod, garage, soul, girl-groups and psychedelia.

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RIP - Farley Granger

My thanks to Mr Duff for this report from Edinburgh last night. My thoughts on the JJR are known and to be honest, I never really got The Bellrays either but I never saw them and I won’t make it to Glasgow tonight. One thing I do know is that they shouldn’t be opening for these hokey sonic snake oil salesmen.

Without actually trying, I must have seen the Jim Jones Revue 9 or 10 times now - they've either been supporting someone I wanted to see or have been playing for free somewhere nearby - and I could never put my finger on exactly why there was such a fuss about them, or why I couldn't find it in me to care. Sure all the necessary ingredients are there, but despite repeated viewings and much benefit of the doubt all that volume and noise just doesn't communicate. Nearly every early review of the Revue namechecked Little Richard and the MC5. I have to say I never got the connection to the Five.

It took Mr Boyle's throwaway comment last night to expose what the real comparisons are. "It's like Spedding playing with Freddie 'Fingers' Lee" he said to me and in that instant it became clear - the JJR references are mid-70's rock'n'roll pastiche. They've a lot more in common with Crazy Cavan & The Rhythm Rockers or The Wild Angels or others of that breed than the 'oh-so-much-cooler' touchstones that usually get brought up. Add a wee dash of Slade Alive and you've got the JJR down. Exaggerated, overdone and soulless rehashes of historic high-points is what they deal in.

The Bellrays, who supported (!) the JJR last night despite being trumpeted as 'Aretha Franklin fronting the Stooges' are in truth a good deal more than a hodge-podge mix of the more obvious points of your record collection. They were the real stars last night. The real sweat and raw rock'n'roll that they brought to bear last night was a privilege to witness. Lisa started out a little shaky, the voice was all there but she seemed nervous. By the time they kicked into Sun Comes Down she's lost all self-consciousness and the whole band sound totally at ease. They close the show with Black Lightning, the album opener and despite calls for more, the DJ comes over the PA and it's over.

The Bellrays were triumphant. I believe that they're only doing Edinburgh and Glasgow before heading off to Europe. If you have the chance, I'd recommend you catch them at Tut's tonight. You can skip the headliners and still get home at a reasonable time too.

Coming up around Easter weekend… Vinilissimo will release 180g slabs of

“Songs The Lord Taught Us” (200 copies in purple wax) and

“Psychedelic Jungle” (200 copies in green wax).

A crowd-pleasing black vinyl edition of each will also be available.

Enquire with regard to availability here.

We’re nudging April here and several situations haven’t been resolved. The one saving grace this weekend was the screening of “Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains”. Selected and intro’d by Ms Tara Quinn who also had these rather nifty commemorative badges made for attendees.

I guess I hadn’t seen it since the mid-80’s on video. Actually, I thought it was older than 1982 but the memory plays strange tricks when you get to be of my vintage. And not necessarily in a good way. But some night this week I will hunt out my copies of The Tubes records. For auld lang syne or whatever. What do you want from life anyway?

Ray Winstone looked positively Richard Jobson-esque and as for the band… jings.

Friends, Romans, countrymen! Lend us your ears as Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. returns to its last-Thursday-of-every-month residency at the always temperate Otto's Shrunken Head!

THURSDAY, MARCH 31st / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD / 538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in Manhattan / Two colossal shows, from 8pm sharp until 10pm / No cover!

Classically yours,

Michael

Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.

"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

I guess this Ray Davies Meltdown information is old news but maybe some of you haven’t seen it?

Mr Ulf just sent me the link to the Record Store Day stuff... as if the world didn’t have to contend with landfill enough but there is the odd morsel here and there. If you’re out yonder and feel the need to have any of it then let me know and I’ll see what can be done to hook you up.

Leaving the fracas aside and the Blink fan commentary to the effect that the band sucks, “First World Manifesto” came out a week or so ago. In terms of packing a punch (oops), this is a tight wad of songs that don’t take themselves too seriously.

The dynamics take in the Weasel canon you (should) know and love and mix it up with a notion that’s not far from vintage Who in terms of high octane pop thrills. A dash but not so ramone-ic as The Riverdales with a Dickies vs Big Country via Fastbacks guitar harmonic and Barracudas snarl here and there. “Follow Your Leaders” kicks things off with lyrics that are likely to goad the haters from the get go. There’s no real let up after that so you’re either with them or you’re not.

The pace and inherent frequencies are pretty much what the doctor ordered. I don’t know what people expect from music anymore or if they even care. They’d rather piss about with a mobile phone or gab to their buds, preferably it would appear, using the former.

There are 14 songs on FWM, the killer for me being “Fortune Cookie” that includes the lyric “each day I’m just a little closer to forgetting then I’m reminded there will be no happy ending”. That one really hit a nerve. “Baby Talk” includes a section that I’m pretty sure is Ben lampooning a certain singer who I won’t/can’t mention because I don’t use language like that. “Come and See The Violence Inherent in The System” presumably seemed like a perfectly harmless song title at the time... (originally entitled "What? The Curtains??")

With the band handing in their collective resignation, the season finale on this is all a little early for my liking. The dust must settle of course but c’mon – this isn’t what the punk rock wars were fought for. For the towel to be thrown in at the first sign of soapy (bubble - trouble) surely? This fezbook piece by Joe King of The Queers is the only thing I can find that isn’t a pantywaist condemnation. Hopefully not so far down the road, something will happen to allow things to roll on forward again. Sometimes things escalate and spiral out of control. We’ve all been there I’m sure. If you haven’t then you’re a spotty oik that oughtta come back after some life experience.

Ben Weasel (Foster) is a stand up guy. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly or otherwise and I imagine that's why so many spineless divots are having a field day. Having admitted that he fucked up, the guy should be allowed to put this experience behind him. It’s unlikely that he’ll forget it so the sooner the whining ceases...

Meanwhile, it’s a wee bit early then to ponder whether 2012’s gathering will be renamed South by Screeching Weasel but you never know. Like MC Lars stated "Hot Topic is NOT punk rock".

I have never felt older (give or take) than I did during the sets by the two opening bands in London on Wednesday evening. Regurgitating several decades of what has already been reconstituted to death, this was the musical equivalent of turkey twizzlers or whatever. One of the members of Cymbals looked like Chesney from Coronation Street from where I was standing. The poster said something about the other act being called Prehistoric Penguins, if it’s the same group and they changed their name then change it back. I know I could google to validate that but I already burned way too much time experiencing their, er, music.

Openers, Echoes – all the good names are already taken. We know this but come on, “you’re ‘avin’ a giraffe” as the ex-Eastender says on the ad, that often plays in the breaks between Corrie, the one with “Sinbad” in it. A soundtrack for the impending Royal Wedding that was so horrendously generic that it’s quite possibly headed for the stratosphere.

Last time I was in this venue it was February 1991 or thereabouts, when Dave Alvin and The Allnighters played. The evening before the first Gulf War broke out my memory serves me like one of those wheels on fire. Or maybe that should read misfires.

Nothing sells out anymore but this show did and it’s a testament to Matt and Kim’s unique thrash pop sensibilities that the place was packed to the rafters. This is without conventional support ala magazine hype and airplay on what passes for radio these days. It was perhaps the most rapturous response I’ve ever seen an act get down there. They even kick off with “Yea Yeah” these days so you’ll get some idea about the energy levels by close of play. Such boisterosity is only fitting for the wall to wall anthems and “Northeast” might slow things down a little but the way it builds is nothing short of stadium-mungous. “Sidewalks” finally gets a UK release next week but I’ll be damned if this audience wasn’t entirely conversant with the new material already.



These positive vibrations are at odds with what is sanctioned by NME type quangos. This might mean that it takes a little longer to infiltrate an actual audience here in Blighty where people seem to depend on being spoon fed but the medicine will go down, I’m certain of that.

They were supposed to go see Screeching Weasel in Austin last Friday night and for one reason and another couldn’t go. Kim told me that she’d heard that Ben had hit someone and that the gig came to an end. And sure enough, when I got home there's all this stuff about what happened that has turned into a feeding frenzy. Not having been there, I’m not qualified to comment but I don’t recognise the Ben Weasel monster that’s being painted in cyberspace.

I did think about being flippant. That I might try to deflate it by chalking it up to equal opportunity but of course no-one can condone hitting women of either sex. Reading the “punk rock” commentary that follows the Jim DeRogatis report is pretty sickening but ultimately typical of how the cyber-bush telegraph works. Violence never got anybody anyplace and I’m sure that no-one regrets the situation more than Ben does at this point in time.

Don’t let any of this colour your enjoyment of “First World Manifesto” though, more about which later.

For those around the environs of Glasgow, don't forget this special Monorail Film Club screening on Sunday.

I'm just back from London, playing catch up and mourning the fact that this weekend will be an hour shorter in duration.

Them Fleshtones are headed for Europe... word on an Amsterdam show just in. More to follow!

Trying this from a phone. It'll never catch on.

Apparently I saw 35 films at the weekend. By the name it got to yesterday evening and the more prog sections of the Nosferatu soundtrack I was definitely struggling. I kept semi-lucid by trying to figure out whether the last time I saw it the tinting wasn’t something I could recall. And still can’t.

Anyway, the first Hippodrome Festival of Silent Cinema (to use its full title) was quite the blast. It took a certain amount of stamina and at one point yesterday afternoon I was yay close to bunking off but somehow didn’t. Of course, seeing these old films in a place they would have played first time out makes for a special atmosphere. The Hippodrome is unfettered from normal time and space and I hope that can continue. Everybody that visits it that can will return so I’m sure there’s an excel spreadsheet that can predict exactly when they might have a full house for every screening.

It’s odd because the film that I was going to bump turned out to remind me of Blood Feast. There was definitely a touch of Fuad to the limping convict but there’s no way HGL could have seen this amateur Scots film called “Hair” surely?

The score was composed and performed by kids from local schools. It indicates the chasm between what kids are taught and what is considered education nowadays. With the benefit of hindsight, I might have stuck in a bit better if I’d been confronted with film and music or it’s likely I would have found some other means of veering off the tracks and ending up in this deep rut that I occupy.

The way this country has been sold down the river quite probably presents a slew of new ways of falling through the cracks. Staring down the barrel of being surplus to requirements at any given time, these are just cold hard facts.

In other news, I’ll be in London for a few hours, Wednesday into Thursday for the Matt & Kim blitzkrieg. These two do all their own stunts just like those heroes of yesteryear. In the days before CGI when fakery was at least creative.

Not looking forward to the clocks going forward this weekend. No sir. No madam. I am not.

Mandatory for those within travelling distance of Springfield, Mo.

RIP - Jet Harris

RIP - Jet Harris

RIP - Ferlin Husky

The world really is unravelling. I saw an interview with Gadaffi’s son on Channel 4 that was more Sacha Baron Cohen than Borat himself. Unbelievable. Spoof characters that would have been unbelievable on TV and movies are playing out some kind of doomsday scenario in real life. It would be worrying if it wasn’t so matter of fact stupid. Yes I have got that round the right way. Just. Maybe?

Word from SXSW is that the interweb is over. Too true. We’re only a few years away from getting chipped and wired into whatever the grid the overseers see fit to plug us into. In the interim, your “device” will fulfil the same function. It seems like most people might have to be surgically removed from their own particular homing device such is the urge to stare at it all the time. I understand the limited appeal of them being useful to impart actual information. Such a thing could even be a lifeline in certain situations but not walking down the street not watching where you’re going.

It’s the weekend of the Silent Film Festival at the Bo’ness Hippodrome. Heading back in time but paying 6 quid a gallon for petrol. I wonder how this compares to the price in Japan where a large chunk of the country is experiencing the onset of Armageddon? The horse and cart will be making a comeback if it keeps up and teams of cyclists will be employed to keep cinema screens flickering. Or do they even do that in these days of digital projection? Anyway, I think the program is largely made up of proper reels so pedal power seems like the way to go. I was at a thing called “An Escape From Reality” this afternoon where a film that was made for the opening of the refurb’ed cinema screened and there was a discussion about the history of the place and the work itself. It was really great. Not a bad way to spend a Friday afternoon at all.

In other news, I was thrilled/humbled to get a note from Laura Chilton about Mike’s piece on Alex yesterday. Felt like I was doing something right for the first time in ages. I’m sure it’ll all tumble back downhill from here...

Thanks Duglas...

It’s exactly a year since Alex Chilton died. My thanks to Rich Lustre who had the presence of mind to suggest to Mike that you folks may care to read it. I think that you would.

I first encountered Alex Chilton in 1977. A long-time semi-obsessive fan of his former band Big Star, through some kind of reckless audacity or sheer dumb luck, I managed to secure an interview shortly after his “relocation” to NYC. Moments after our introduction, he requested my astrological sign. I reckon I passed the test, because, inexplicably, we connected instantly and developed a friendship that would last decades.

Much has been written and conjectured about Alex, of course, often depicting him as, among other things, “obstinate,” “quirky,” “difficult,” “idiosyncratic,” etc. But the Alex Chilton I knew was the basically polite, intelligent, funny, generous guy who happened to be spiked by a pretty serious dose of creative genius.

Complex, yes, strange, sometimes, intense, absolutely, honest, to a fault, a man who did not suffer fools gladly, you bet. But I simply viewed Alex as a person who behaved with very little pretense. He was, without apology, who and what he was.
During the course of the relationship, we shared many laughs, joints and lawn mowing ceremonies, we engaged in long conversations covering numerous diverse topics, including his deep historical interests, Katrina, the virtues of The Cramps, The Byrds, KC and the Sunshine Band, Clarence Darrow, the mystery of female as well as stuff like Walker Texas Ranger, college basketball and why the drum solo should never stop.

The last few years, I was fortunate to see him frequently, in Philadelphia, in New Orleans and in Brooklyn, where Big Star gave their final performance. Ironically the only occasion I ever witnessed the band and the last time I saw Alex alive.
Memories remain, of course, too many to recount, but some moments persist: hanging with Charlie Feathers in Memphis, dawn at Lux and Ivy’s apartment, motel blues when Alex would almost absentmindedly haul out a guitar and serenade with snippets of John Dowland, Ray Davies and Texas Whiskey. I also recall the Diet Coke, card reading Chinatown dinners with my daughters, with Guantanamera on the airwaves and Paris Hilton in the news, and fragile, enchanted guitar/flute baroque duets with his lover Laura and Gram Parsons gravesite in the fog and mist in New Orleans...

I’m not much given to things spiritual or mystical nonetheless…

St. Patrick’s Day 2010, listening to Like Flies on Sherbet, thinking of him, I felt him about…

Later, my daughter delivered the awful news…”you better sit down…Alex died…”
As always, the music resonates, providing comfort and solace. Still, there are those times when I realize that we’ll never hear that lazy, liquid drawl again or see that sly, crooked smile. And the sadness sets in.

When I finally remember Alex Chilton, he will be one of those few, rare individuals with whom I shared a remarkable bond that neither time nor distance could shake.
And I’ll know just how very goddamn groovy it was to have known him and call him my friend.

michael j. ferguson

I did kind of hold out hope that I could go to the Matt & Kim show in London next week a clobbering bill from the car service, MOT and having spruced up the bunker a bit the coffers are a tad low. This is in fact an understatement. I guess it was worth doing but I’m not altogether comfortable with the result. I’m not complaining just stating a fact. I haven't ruled out the M&K scene altogether just yet thanks to some twelfth hour encouragement.

Just about to dig into the new Screeching Weasel album that Ben kindly supplied in the event that amazon have put back their availability date. More about First World Manifesto in due course. Maybe it’ll help blow away the cobwebs? I guess if these guys can’t do that then it’s likely nothing will.

Hamell on Trial has some shows coming up in a couple of weeks. There’s Glasgow at a place called The Bay on April 1st. Anybody know anything about this venue? It’s in West Regent Street. An Edinburgh show is also said to be happening on April 2nd but I’ve no idea where yet. This will be his first time back since two stints over the Edinburgh Festival in recent years. Although he did open for Ana Difranco once but I can’t recall when that was.

Such is the fractious nature of my mindset.

Misadventure and grave errors of judgement aside, I don’t feel like I have the right to whinge about anything with what’s happening on the other side of the planet. So far, no-one anyone I know has been anything other than shaken but there’s all the other stuff and just dealing with the sheer scale of it.

The pacific rim does seem to be getting a kicking but I’m sure they don’t deserve it. I’m still juggling with the fact that I’ve lost the will to blog with any regular frequency. Largely as a result of a tremor that’s gone on in my own backyard with no sign of a positive outcome. I’m having doubts about this “time and wounds” business that I keep hearing about.

Anyways, I just remembered that Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby are bound for some shows in the likes of Austria, Germany and Switzerland so if you’re in any of these places, or near a venue then you should go.

Wed, Mar 16 - Verein PMK Innsbruck, AUSTRIA

Thu, Mar 17 - Kultur-Schranne Dachau, GERMANY

Fri, Mar 18 - Treibhaus Luzern, SWITZERLAND

Sat, Mar 19 - El Lokal Zurich, SWITZERLAND

Sun, Mar 20 - B-72 Vienna, AUSTRIA

Tue, Mar 22 - Kampnagel Hamburg, GERMANY

Wed, Mar 23 - Crystal Club Berlin, GERMANY

Fri, Mar 25 - Blau Mannheim, GERMANY

They just put their house on the market and if they could return from the tour to a bidding war on it then I'm sure they'd be very happy. And they truly deserve to be.

If the Mayans have got it right and the world is ready for the high jump in 2012 then we should all be giving it laldie like it was 1999 all over again. Personally I don’t feel much like it but by all means, fill your boots. And then there's the matter of tickets for the London Olympics going on sale, don't get me started on that.

I call a truce on my Beatle-bashing to bring you this.

For those of you in and around Glasgow tomorrow evening...

Let's try and get something done about this once and for all...

I’m going to try and keep this motor running. What the heck else do I have to do?

My mojo or muse (small m) or whatever it was that drove me is still on hiatus. However, things like what happened in Japan today or NZ a few weeks ago provide one aspect of a perspective.

So now that you’re here, then here’s some stuff to play with.

CJ Ramone is heading for Italy (Thanks Kjell)

Roy Trakin’s Knickart newsletter is always good reading.

Let’s see how the weekend shapes up...

A message frae Murray Ramone...

Howdy folks, just a wee reminder

THIS SATURDAY 12/3/2010
Citrus Club
doors 7pm
The Sexual Objects (featuring Davy Henderson)
Vic Godard & the Subway Sect

Then after that finishes, go out the door, turn left, turn left, turn right at the cross roads,
cross the road, pop down the first set of steps and you're in .... Henrys Cellar bar

appearing in this order onstage from 10:45
Monica and the Explosion (featuring Paul Slack)
SPECTORBULLETS (featuring Russell Burn)
Vic Godard & Subway Sect (just a couple of songs for fun)
Shock And Awe (featuring one or two mystery guests ....)
Robert King - OPIUM KITCHEN (featuring Jo Callis. And me. Just a short taster set for the forthcoming album)
Sam Barber and the Outcasts

(Thanks to Doc H for the info)

"Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains" is the next Monorail film Club screening at GFT on Sunday March 27th!

Hi to all the vinyl lovers...
the vinyl dealer is here again with more 7" pills for your ears!!!
A brand new 7inch slice packed in a special round sleeve

Yes!!! We are very proud to announce that we are going to release
two unreleased songs of one of your favourite bands...
IMPERIAL STATE ELECTRIC !!!
"Wail Baby Wail" (Kid Thomas)
"Fight It Back" (Accept)

Limited edition on vinyl with 4 diferent covers (see pics on the GHR blogspot).
300 copies in black vinyl (black cover; green cover)
300 copies in solid gold & red mix (gold cover, red cover) * Mailorder Only *
No more than 4 records of I.S.E. for each order...

Prices NEW Imperial State Electric 7"
Choose your vinyl (black or colour) and cover with your order...

Black: 1 x 7" = 7 Eur
Colour: 1 x 7" = 8 Eur

And another great live and loud recording of ADAM WEST...
Three great LIVE songs... they are not dead, they are aLIVE !!!
"Yr. Days Are Numbered, Motherfucker"
"Have Your Way With Me"
"Neat, Neat, Neat" (The Damned)

Limited edition on vinyl with 5 diferent covers that you can join and make a long poster (see pics on GHR Blogspot) 250 copies (100 black, 50 yellow, 50 white, 50 blue) * Mailorder Only *
No more than 5 records of ADAM WEST for each order...

Prices New ADAM WEST 7"
Choose your vinyl (black or colour) and cover with your order...

Black / Colour 1 x 7" = 8 Eur

You can add more GHR vinyls available to your order...

ORDER TO: ghosthighwayrecordings@gmail.com

Everything must go... somewhere. The latest instalment from Ericland.

The legendary Kid Congo Powers, co-founder of the Gun Club, guitarist for The Cramps and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, will be releasing his new album with his group Kid Congo & the Pink Monkey Birds this spring.

Titled Gorilla Rose, the album follows in the footsteps of the band’s 2009 Dracula Boots with more ram-charged boogaloo, sleazy psychedelia and Chicano garage rock. In The Red records is gearing up for the new album by releasing a series of oddball limited edition vinyl-only records by the band. The first of these releases dropped this week in the form of the “Five Greasy Pieces” subscription series.

This is a very limited edition (250 of each) series of five different singles each containing two brand new tracks. Starting in January, In The Red will be issuing one of these a month.

The fifth and final single in the series will come with a handsome box in which all five will be housed. The only way to obtain these singles is to buy a subscription on the In The Red website. In March In The Red will be issuing a live LP by the band titled Live At The Prom which will be another vinyl-only limited edition release available exclusively online and at live shows.

29.3. D – Berlin- White Trash
30.3. D - Frankfurt - Ponyhof
31.3. F - Lyon - Le Clacson
01.4. F - Montpellier - La Raf
02.4. F - Macon - Cave a Musique
03.4. F - Gigors - Gigors Electrique
04.4. F - Marseille - L'Embobineuse
05.4. CH - Geneve - L´Usine
06.4. F - Dijon - La Vapeur
07.4. F - Paris - Point Ephemere
08.4. F - Beauvais - L´Ouvre Boite
09.4. F - La Rocjhelle - La Sirene
10.4. F - Lorient - Le Galion
12.4. UK - Leeds - Brudnell Social Club
13.4. UK - Newcastle - The Cluny
14.4. UK - Glasgow – Optimo presents at Glasgow School Of Art
15.4. NI - Belfast – TBC
16.4. EI - Dublin – The Mercantile/Ubangi Stomp Club
17.4. EI - Cork - Crane Lane theatre
19.4. UK - Manchester - Deaf Institute
20.4. UK - London - 100 club
21.4. UK - Bristol / TBC
22.4. UK –Brighton – Green Room
23.4. SF - Helsinki - Bar Loose
29.4. Barcelona
30.4. Madrid

Haven’t really had time to gather my thoughts this past couple days but here are a couple of clips from the MM show on Saturday. A real triumph. Everyone involved gave it their all, so much heart and spirit and hard work to put together in the first instance but more than justified by the performance. The sound was great too which isn’t always the case in The Arches.




If you want more then head over here and take your pick.

The vibe in the room was tremendous and I really hope that they can somehow do it all again, all over the place. You need to experience this first hand.

RIP - Jane Russell

RIP - Suze Rotolo

RIP - Mark Tulin (Electric Prunes)

RIP - Eddie Kirkland

Thanks To Jasmin for the link...

Where some people avoid and ignore, I mope and wallow and it’s not an attractive disposition. I’m not really too well versed in avoidance but I would dearly love to learn how to ignore. If these were Olympic events then I would be way up the table rankings. Presumably drinking can alleviate certain elements, at least briefly but that’s not my bag anymore, at least not here at home. Stimulation just isn’t forthcoming and as entertaining as tearing some lacklustre music a new one might seem, that’s not what this backwater is for.

Mr Stigliano should be aware that I did start some reviews and then got sidetracked. Really need to hook up the various players and replace some cables. In retrospect, seems that I’ve been avoiding doing that pretty good so maybe you ought to take that first statement with a pinch of salt.

The Monorail Film Club presents Blank City.

Tomorrow night (Sunday 27th) at GFT.

Mondo Morricone at The Arches in Glasgow tonight (Saturday 26th).

Listen to this.

The Primevals are set to journey south in April and then they’ll hop over to France for a few days to spread the word on Disinhibitor. Re-issued on Twenty Stone Blatt and available in blood red vinyl and on CD. I imagine you can “download” it too but who in their right mind wouldn’t want one of the more tactile editions? There are some landfill artefacts you just can’t do without. If you’ve sat through one of my sermons on de-cluttering and take issue with any of this, including the “right mind” stuff then please be informed that I have no idea where I’m at if truth be told so that's my get-out clause.

Here are the show dates...

9th April : London, 229 Club at The Water Rats (Kings Cross)
10th April : Brighton, The Hydrant club
12th April , Rennes, Le Sambre
13th April : Paris, La Féline
14th April : Dijon, Deep Inside Klub
15th April : Pagnier, Chez Paulette
16th April : Nîmes, Café Olive

Managed to drag myself out to attend a genuine world premiere screening last night but it didn’t take place at the Glasgow Film Festival, this one went down at the Bo’ness Hippodrome.

Northside is the first feature by a couple of local chaps (Bruce Strachan and Simon Beattie) shot in this area rather than being a documentary on the Factory Records post-baggy (?) band. Brought this far on what must be considered fumes as compared to a real budget, it hangs together pretty well. Like a darker aspect of Take The High Road intersecting Glen or Glenda with a rumour of Bill Forsyth. If The Broons ever made it to “the pictures”, the lady that plays Mrs McLeod would make a “braw” Maw.

It was the first time that the makers saw it on a proper (big) screen too and even though the date is 2009, this was the first time it had made it beyond family and friends DVD players. The venue really adds a sense of occasion to something like this. Not sure where it might be seen next but maybe you can find out here.

Brother David Alvin... Justified! (thanks to HT)

I’ve had to face the fact that I can’t head out for any the Palmyra Delran shows with Stupidity & The Cocktail Slippers!.

A mix of vacation time conflict and most damaging, the escalating over-budget of upgrading the bunker in recent times, means that I have to sit this one out. Guess the fact that I’m actually typing this rather than thinking it makes it all final.

While I’m not altogether relishing hearing about how I missed out on some real big fun – that’s just the way it goes sometimes. Anyway, that doesn’t mean that you can’t go. The shindigs start tonight!

Fri Feb 25: VIRUS, Örebro, Sweden (plus the Satans!)
Sat Feb 26: NEW BOWL HALL, Stockholm, Sweden (plus the Satans!)
Tue Mar 1: REVOLVER, Olso, Norway
Wed Mar 2: VERTSHUSET, Sarpsborg, Norway
Thur Mar 3: HOUSE OF ROCK, Moss, Norway
Fri Mar 4: BRYGGETAKET, Fredrikstad, Norway

RIP - Eddie Serrato

Mr Duff wishes it to be known... "Following from the February 4th Edinburgh celebration of the life of Lux Interior, we're doing it all again on the West Coast this Friday, the 25th February in Bar Bloc.

Some new bands, some repeat performances, all giving it up for Lux, the frontal lobe of the greatest rockandroll band ever to ooze over your record collection. Join us and throb to the Songs The Cramps Taught Us from...

• The (new) Pharisees • Iain Shaw • The Charles Randolph Rivers Slim Rhythm Revue • Acid Fascists • The Bastard Suits • Z28 • The Kosher Pickles • The Fnords • The Bucky Rage • Filthy Little Secret • Louise McVey & The Cracks In the Concrete •

All of this and extremely cool interband dancing tunes from the esteemed record collections of DJ Brydo and Mickey Rooney from the Primevals! Free badges and Cramps Family Tree CD for first 50 in the door.

Exclusive liner notes by Ian Johnston (author of the Wild, Wild World of The Cramps) and by me. £5.00 at the door and all profits to charity, www.dec.org.uk

Records on at 9pm, first band on at 10.30pm, close at 03.00am.

I don’t even switch the computer on before I go to work in the morning anymore, part of the regime change in this particular part of the world. There’s some bunker guff to contend with this evening so I’ll leave you in the company of Girls On Top. Ulf sent me the link yesterday with the message “bet you love this”. I’m pretty sure that I met the singer at DWC once and this 7” only release is possibly something that you won’t want to pass up. What's not to?

Good old fashioned punk rock daftness in all its glory. And it reminds me that there’s a Phobics around here someplace that requires my attention and subsequently yours.

The weekend went by in a blip. Mixed blessing but in my particular case, more of a mixed curse.

The soon to be released to cinemas restoration of The African Queen is cracking and perhaps proof that digital editing can be used for good. Seven years in the process and well worth catching if it plays near you. A sixty year old masterpiece. Angela Allen who worked as continuity girl and even Katherine Hepburn's stunt double here and there during the film. they don't make them like this anymore. Films nor Angela Allen.

The second part of the No Wave strand was a bit of a bust although there were aspects of “Letters To Dad” that I liked. Almost typed “that were interesting” there which would reveal too much of my advancing ADD. For some reason, I got it into my head that Wildgirl’s GoGo-rama was to feature in one of the films but that was delusional and I cut out before the final slice. Hopefully my leaving meant that it was bearable for the remainder of the audience but I wouldn't count on it. So I made my way past the Reel Big Fish queue at the ABC and just made it to the station in time for the train that would speed me toward home. Thankfully there were no stragglers from the bigots gala that took place earlier in the day.

And if there was, they were gye quiet.

And to box off this weekend of culture, the Nic Cage fracas that is Ghost Rider was on TV. Utter piffle and a missed opportunity to use the grandeur of Rev/Vega to sprinkle it with at least some memorable music. I fuh-fuh-faded away during it and woke up after it was all over

I don’t check spam very often. Mainly because I get hammered with it but just recently I found several legit mails in that howff and a lot more bogus messages in my regular in-box. ISP can’t stop it. There are bots generating cyber-reams of this crap to bombard us with and I don’t have the will or the mind to police it. So I just delete everything. Inevitably there will be (mail) casualties but that’s the line in the sand.

There are a dozen or so sites that I check pretty much daily even although they’re not updated regularly. The rest are totally random and even sites that purport to be about news aren’t refreshed to the extent that they used to be. Cutting to the chase, the sheer volume of crap has overwhelmed everything and I’ve pretty much decided that I’m not playing anymore. The scale of my disentanglement will be in direct correlation with my getting shorter by the minute fuse. Even I’m not sure what I mean by that but the general timbre is correct.

Winter doldrums?

Join Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. this week for two hours of uplifting songs about bears, hot dogs and grandma! Um...feeling better yet?

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD /538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in ol' Manhattan's East Village / Two neo-classical shows, from 8pm sharp until 10pm / No cover!

Most sincerely,

Michael

Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.

"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

A missive from Ericland.

ATTENBERG (Trailer) from filmswelike on Vimeo.

"Attenberg" is a strangely compulsive piece. It combines some genuine heart with some toe-curlingly awkward moments to arrive at an downbeatly positive conclusion. Must admit to the hairs standing up on my neck when the credit music cut in. One thing I would say is that the main character Marina is more of an Alan Vega fan than outsight Suicide but many of you will enjoy the exchanges and the way that the music is cut in there, paricularly with regard to "Bebop Kid". I was hoping the director would be there to explain the connection but she wasn't.

There's another aspect to the soundtrack that is cool also but I won't spoil that. For those of you around these parts, the film will be screened again this afternoon at the Cineworld megaplex. Not sure where it stands with regards to distribution in any given territory. I imagine it'll make the rounds on DVD but would be best enjoyed on the big rather than the flat screen.

"The Blank Generation" programme afterwards took place in exactly the same room as the last Suicide show in Scotland. When the CCA opened. It's more of a lecture hall vibe than a proper cinematic experience but it was good to see "Punking Out" with other people. many of whom weren't even born when the material was shot. It was all running late so I left to make the traipse home. Through the war torn streets that is Glasgae on a Saturday night.

Today it's the restored version of "The African Queen" and then more no-wave shenanigans. Topped off with another run through the jungle on this an "auld firm" day.

Taking some time out of getting nowhere with getting the bunker to some stage of normality. The Glasgow Film Festival is in full swing and although I don’t have the wherewithal to attend anything like the amount of screenings that I want to, I’ll be over there today and tomorrow. Before then I’ll be getting bombed on UPVC cleaner and paint fumes, trying to keep as far away from myself as is possible.

Gracias for the messages with regard to keeping this show on the road, it seems as though the idea of deep sixing all of this goes somewhat against the grain. Perhaps I’m over-reacting or then again, maybe what I’m involved with is past its sell by date? To try and explain without being terribly cryptic – when your faith in something/someone is shattered it can have a devastating effect. I don’t use that D word lightly but understand that even although one’s ticker is dead set on something then there’s no earthly reason that said situation will come to pass.

In addition, when someone says they’re going to do something then I expect them to follow through. Well people who I consider to be friends anyway. I know the planet is festooned with others that just blah their brains out and that this could be considered naive but it’s my one last olive branch to the human condition.

And - try as I might, the ability to unscramble eggs eludes me

RIP - John Strauss (info via Sam Elwitt's fb)

Will the new Wirelessnapper album be the soundtrack to the Big Society clambake that’s supposed to go down on this sceptic isle? And also in the news, the word that we’ll all be able to score our tickets to the 2012 Ollimpix soon – I typed it like that to give particularly inept spellers a chance when they’re googling.

As if I wasn’t down in the dumps enough, this is almost grist for outright killing one’s self. I dread to hear what’s next. The western world is unravelling at a rate of knots that far outstrips anything global warming is ever likely to achieve. Did you see that chump Cameron on the TV last night? I actually had to switch the box off just in case the Grundy effect got to be too much and I kicked the set in. We’re living in an extended, Rory Bremner-fied spoof only it’s for real. I’ve tried what Chance the gardener might have done with the remote control and it can’t be changed. It just rattles on.

Don’t think I’ll put the telly on at all tonight actually Because I’ll end up watching the Brits and getting wound up even tighter. Does the expression “hair trigger” ring any bells.

So there’s really only one avenue left for me this evening...