Further to my update the other day, I’m spending a lot of time ruminating over the fact that I have maybe 20 years left. Give or take. I see the sands of time disappearing and although I don’t want to waste time at all, it feels like that is exactly what I’m doing right now. Still, motivation is not a commodity that’s in plentiful supply right now.

As I may have mentioned back yonder, the EIFF is on. Pulling itself up by the bootstraps after a couple of years in the wilderness. I’m scheduled to see “Sailor Suit and Machine Gun”. I even lifted my Cineworld embargo to take in “God Bless America” last night. Might go to the Filmhouse “Best of the Fest” screening tomorrow too. I hope the festival can recuperate to retain former glories.

Whilst in Auld Reekie last Saturday, I watched Kevin McDermott play a solo acoustic set to a scatttering of people in the square outside the Sheraton Hotel. I was never really a fan but as a progenitor of the Derek Amitri school of Scots Pop, he has his moments. I was thinking to myself, why isn’t this better attended but I’m not sure if anyone knew it was on. Couldn’t help thinking that if it had been in George Square in Glasgow it would have been an entirely different affair. How do you connect a prospective audience with something they might like if they just don’t care. Sure, the interweb can create a flash mob. It can lead the proverbial horse to the trough but it can’t make the blighter neck it.

A woman in the sparse crowd played and danced with her kids during the set clearly familiar with all the songs. Maybe she was related but I don’t think so. I prefer to think it was someone who this ultimately intimate setting meant something to. That’s the closest I’ve come to a romantic notion about the thankless world of the singer songwriter in a week. Last time was watching Eric and Amy do their world-class thing to a similarly less than rammed scenario. The week before out in Moss, it was different. The locals came in out in force to experience the phenomenon that exists on their doorstep. The entry price was just pennies more than the cost of a pint for chrissakes.

Over the past weeks, there’s been a bunch of stuff I never got around to posting. Not so sure I would have posted the earliest known photo of Lux and Ivy. After all it’s been doing the rounds for a while and as historically hysterical as some might find it, it’s sort of intrusive and I’m a little hyper-aware of that. I did make a note about Bert Weedon but it got buried in amongst a ton of other scribbles. So obviously, everyone in the UK knows he died but maybe readers overseas don’t. Or even don’t know his significance.

No idea if I'll ever catch up at this point or will ever find the time to try. Ideally I would disappear of the face of the earth to see out the rest of my tenure on earth doing something worthwhile with people that I like to hang with. Sometimes, I think it could happen and then I wake up.

Ostensibly a kid’s record, there’s more punk rock spirit swilling about the KinderAngst rumpus room than you’ll find on most albums of that actual persuasion right now. Or perhaps pigeonhole would be more apt.

The idea is that this will provide some top beat for your brat(s). Something that will ideally extricate young minds from the cesspit of talent(less) shows and the general malaise that haunts the mainstream. There could be no better role models for a mutiny agin the mundane than Ms Palmyra Delran and her compadre Rachelle Garniez.

Kicking off with “Alphabet City”, this is old school NY punk pop action the way it was before the lower east side got all Disney-fied. The absolute highpoint is “Rat” with Palmyra’s enunciation of “huh?” during “Let’s Play” running that a close second. It's so her I can't even begin to explain. One of these days the purported meet between Ms P and Amy Allison will take place and then we'll be in real trouble.

Debbie Harry guests on one song ("Do It Yourself") so that should help the profile but someone should be working this up into a series. This is a savvy set of songs for children of all ages and a franchise begging to happen. This market is very sophisticated these days and there’s actually hope that in a couple of generations time, O*e Dire*tion will end up in a war crimes court for their filching of the Ramones T-shirt design. As sacrilege goes – I applaud the idea but never has an institution been so badly misrepresented.

But these gals – their altogether fizzier brew might just jump start future generations to embrace popular music as true art and not another spreadsheet exercise. At this time on a Friday afternoon, anything is possible.

A festival with House of Rock style credentials in Italy this weekend. Nice bill.

Whether on the air or on the stage, Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. keeps cool this week with back to back shows! Relatively cool...
*WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27th / WFMU'S "SEVEN SECOND DELAY" SHOW / Broadcast live before an Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre audience! /

On the air at 91.1FM and wfmu.org / 6pm to 7pm

*THURSDAY, JUNE 28th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD / 538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in ol' Manhattan

Two artificially cooled sets, from 8:00 sharp until 10:00 / No cover!
Tropically yours, Michael

Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.

"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

I know naff all about sports but I know who I like...

Thanks Philippe!... Vive le French TV!

I was kvetching to a friend about the guff mountain I have to climb and she implied that the “climb” might have to start sooner rather than later. Sage words. My procrastibility is sky rocketing with a seemingly endless appetite for distraction. And no shortage of that particular commodity.

And that brings me to something that seems forever ago now but was actually just two months. And to tie in the fact with that Dave Alvin and the Guilty Ones are coming back this way to “do” Ireland en route to Italy in three weeks time.

The show in Glasgow was at The Arches and depending on where you found yourself in that particular venue, the sound sometimes left a little to be desired. Also, it was a decent audience but it should have been rammed so the concert going public of that parish should hang its collective head in shame. The main thing was that they blew in, delivered and headed for Newcastle, as did I.

Just the second show by Dahlmanns 2.0 and even at this early stage, it’s clear that we’re dealing with another level. Whilst the previous incarnation was damn good, it was an approximation. The train is well and truly hurtling down them tracks now.

In addition to everything else that’s come down about me lately, I’m having to put up with some old glasses before my new greg’s are ready. This makes looking at a computer screen (or phone) problematic. I’ve been in full Magoo mode for longer than I care to think about. Totally blind folks have better coordination than I do right now. Or than I ever have - no doubt according to some... this won’t solve all my inadequacies but it’ll be a start. So when I get the vision sorted, then I’ll maybe go into these recent adventures a bit more. I also have the Voladoras, KinderAngst and Bruce Anderson/Rich Stim album action info to pass along.

I’ve made a few pilgrimages in my time – NY, Solna, Snoqualmie, Moss, Springfield, Mo. (to name some) and the latest - last weekend – was to the fine city of Hull to catch their #1 son (and daughter in law) provide top flight Saturday evening entertainment to the very nice people at the New Adelphi. Next morning, I took some pictures of historic landmarks on my way back down to the railway station.
Events over the first half of this year have really made me reconsider what I should be doing. The realisation of living forward and learning backward are conspiring to suggest that there’s surely more to life than slogging one’s guts out.

This has been brought harshly into view by what happened to my folks. This brush with mortality has forced me to face mine in some regard and anyway, who the hell knows what might happen or indeed when. So who knows if this’ll actually “publish”? I forgot all about the “cookies” furore that’s going on so maybe that explains this disconnect between my pedal-powered pc and the blogger interface. I’m sticking pretty close to the bunker today after making a foray into Edinburgh for the Film Festival yesterday. Long gone are the days when I’d do 3 or 4 films a day for the duration. The programme is pretty good this year but I don’t have the time or wherewithal to see more. Next weekend is “God Bless America” on Friday and a couple more on the Saturday (I think). Better check the tix.

So there’s a wee catch up. I haven’t disappeared off the face of the earth but that is one appealing notion alright.

This is great. Thanks to Casa D for the tip!

Really hope that you folks around these parts can make this screening. Not in a conventional cinema but let's thank Denny Tedesco personally for making such a great film.

There are other showings around the country and I'll get to those but Glasgow, being the UK's premier rock'n'roll town, needs to step up to the plate here.

Stereo, Glasgow. Friday July 20th.

There's something wrong with Blogger - the formatting just keeps kicking me out.

In addition to everything else, like wearing glasses two prescriptions old, a bit of gallivanting and a whole mess of other guff - This thing is taking a back seat. I'm not dead but I'm most certainly not resting.

My thanks to those that are keeping yours truly afloat every which way. So let's see if this works...

A late Monday for a school night reiterates the fact that I’m too old for this. Although signs in some of the sounds would indicate that I could be travelling through a timeslip. One look at the back of Mojo and the fact that much of the “music” on show tonight is firmly rooted circa when I came in to the fray during the early 70’s.

Ultimate Thrush yada yada have a long, long name. This isn’t necessary and first impressions suggest that they’re Los Murky without the charisma. They go on and on in some kind of studied melee and they have an album out on Chemikal Underground that I really don’t need to hear.

Next up - Holy Mountain. A hairy three piece that apparently includes a guy from Idlewild. I sort of warmed to them when, at the end – they teetered on the brink of BOC and whipped out a little Skynyrd frisson. I’m hoping that they recognise the fact that this is daft. Mighty riffs are capable of great magic sometimes and this amalgam of Sabbath, Black Widow, Led Zep, Taste and the Nuge actually works to a degree. If they looked like Guitar Wolf then they could rule the world.

Which brings we to that very beast. As a concept, the Wolf is brilliant. Theoretically crossing The Cramps with The Ramones and then whapping them into a blender with some serious stoner tendancies is something you’d like to hear. But it all comes back to songs and these guys don’t really have any. Even as an experience, with the volume – the “lock and loll” begins to grate. Mickey asked me if I heard the bit of “Kick out the Jams” and had to admit that I didn’t. Oh there were little elements of all sorts but we couldn’t help pondering that if Guitar Wolf morphed with Holy Mountain’s riff ammo then truly we might have something.

As it is, sadly we don’t.

Having closed May, one expected (by me) occurrence hasn’t happened. The ongoing situation is making it difficult to find the time and energy to actively post here. This has all intensified the consideration that I’m sick of jumping through hoops and somewhat sickened at other crap that’s going on in and around my vicinity. This general malaise has resulted in a lot of “sleeping with the TV on” only there’s no recollection of William Powell dying amidst any of it but anyway it’s a while since I just wittered on so let’s see where some of this goes.

I’ve read acres of yatter about Adele’s record and how great it is but there’s not one song on it that comes anywhere near Amy Allison’s “No Frills Friend”. Nothing to do with being contrary just calling it like I hear it. Now if the aforementioned multi-million seller were to recognise this and record “Hell To Pay” then we’ll say no more about it. Anyway, it’s my plan this weekend to not travel far from the bunker. To try and knock it into some kind of shape or at least just plank stuff up in the loft, to paraphrase another Amysong “out of sight, out of mind”.

Eric is back and blogging as only he can.

Much is being made of the alcohol pricing being mooted to “save lives”. Now I’ve heard some pish being spouted but this ranks right up there. Really, do they think our heid’s button up the back? Now, if one really thought such a levy would benefit the health service then it wouldn’t be a problem but the revenue stream will be diverted into some other lamebrain scheme. I don’t trust government to do anything but to keep pruning our civil and sundry other liberties. That particular pastime is the sum total to which they excel.

Finally got around to finishing “You Only Rock Once”, The Jerry Blavat book I was gifted last fall. It’s a star-studded affair that tells the story of the Philly legend that actually invented the televised rock’n’roll hop. I was particularly taken with his remarks regarding The B*atles. The Geator is still packing them in along the South Jersey Shore and beyond and there’s no sign of him letting up. If you haven’t had the pleasure of Ben Vaughn’s Birthday tribute to the Boss with the Hot Sauce then do so now. The book expands upon the theme set down over the course of that two hours but the sheer excitement generated during Ben’s celebration is pretty damn infectious.

Sometimes when the TV just goes over the score in terms of shite, an executive decision to watch more Car 54 (Season Two) has been taken. So let’s see what transpires tonight but expectations should be kept on the DL. Punk Britannia is on tonight and so is the TV Smith documentary. The big question around here is “will BB Quattro be in it”?

In relation to the recent deaths of Robin Gibb and Donna Summer I was thinking about the pigeonhole known as Disco. Of course it has since taken on the mantle of “club” which is probably supposed to sound better. Certainly more vague. My early encounters with the form were odd. While there were good records, the whole ‘lifestyle’ aspect just didn’t appeal when measured against that of the various strains of rock’n’roll. When I saw Saturday Night Fever, I hated it apart from the use of White Castle. After all, this was where The Dictators were pictured on the inner bag of Go Girl Crazy. SNF at that point was as close as I ever expected to get to it.

The “Death To Disco” movement was sort of fun too and it seemed like a good idea at the time. The notion of life being cut and dried is as far from reality as a galaxy way, way out there (points to the heavens). It seems even further away now. I have no idea what the deal is with physical postage overseas but the recent hike here is less than agreeable.

Pay more for a crappier service seems like the order of the day. So I guess the outcome of this is that I’ll be forced to use the service less – or find lighter things to mail overseas but records, confectionery and haggis tends to be weighty. Consolidation isn’t the answer either but I’ll figure something out.

And to top it all off, we’ve got to sustain all this jubilee guff. The country is close to being towed out into the ocean to be sunk and we’re being force fed an antiquated notion that went out with the ark. A historic occasion apparently. Well not to me. And as for this upcoming “sporting” event, that’s an even bigger obscenity just visible on the horizon. Most of the "events" will be papered due to a mass epedemic of cannae-be-arsed. Even the idiots aren't on board for this bun fight.

But hey, it’s the right side of Friday and the BBC is serving up Punk Britannia to celebrate our sceptic isle. Oh how the more things change, the more they stay the same. But it could be worse, right?

RIP - Doc Watson

I am so far behind with stuff that it is entirely possible that catch up will never be achieved but let’s try to at least address some of it.

Tav Falco will be doing a reading at Rough Trade East tomorrow afternoon at 3pm.

Eric and Amy kick off their return to these pallid shores tomorrow night (30th) at The Greystones in Sheffield, nice joint. Check here for the full itinerary and if you don’t have tickets for London then you better be quick. The dynamic duo is also headed for Germany. I’ll see you in Hull my friends...

Count on Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. to keep you in corn. This week at Otto's followed by a return to the home of "Sleep No More" and our last Rodeo Bar show until September!

*THURSDAY, MAY 31st / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD / 538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in ol' Manhattan / A pair of big & bawdy sets, from 8:00 sharp until 10:00 / No cover!

*TUESDAY, JUNE 5th / MANDERLEY BAR at THE McKITTRICK HOTEL / 532 West 27th Street (between 10th & 11th Avenues) in Manhattan / 10:30 'til 11:30, following the evening's performance of "Sleep No More" / Mention "SIT & Die" at the door after 10pm for *free* admission! /

*WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13th / RODEO BAR / 375 Third Avenue (on the corner of 27th Street) in Manhattan / Our last Rodeo residency show for the summer! / 9:00 sharp 'til midnight / No cover!

Yours in hardcore corn,
Michael
Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.
"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

So, let’s take the Foo(d) Fighters as a point of reference for comparison to Imperial State Electric. How nice a guy or how much of a fan he is of music, Dave Grohl and co have no songs. They throw all the right shapes and never fail to come up short. Two albums in to their existence, ISE burst in and kick the FF’s arse at every turn. In terms of outright “rock”, I’m not sure that there’s a better recent example than “Pop War”.

It’s so soulfully and beautifully constructed from shards of the past yet it’s no museum piece. Proof that, when done with this much love for the form, that it can be timeless. While audiences are queuing to hear albums being played live in order, the bastards are quite happy to shuffle play their lives away. Or make do with approximations. It’s no secret that I believe (and still do) that The Hellacopters should have ruled the earth. Nicke Andersson is a master craftsman. Tinkering away caring not a jot if the world catches up with him or not. His fellow passengers in the ‘copters are all doing other things too but if Dregen has stayed put and not joined Backyard Babies then the landscape of this story might be different.

Consisting of just 10 songs, this is over before you know it. Never outstaying any welcome and even countering ADD, it just rattles through offering quality over quantity, leaving the listener wanting more. It’s quite a tonic to these times in addition to being such a joyous noise. I wonder if there’s a tear in the timeslip that could connect these guys with the size of audience that they deserve. I’m afraid it might actually be too pure for mass consumption. But that would be any potential consumer’s loss. We don’t have time to concern ourselves with that.

Anybody with the chops to sound like they thought it would be a good idea to resuscitate memories of Montrose one minute and have the cheek to emulate Roy Wood-era ELO the next is entirely the type of person who should be in high rock office. “Enough To Break Your Heart” does just that and well, it is. And as the strings soar into the stratosphere, I can’t help but think that we should move lock stock and barrel to ISEland. For it seems like a far, far better place.

Which brings us to the Stockholm 'burb of “Solna”, also the title of the new Nomads album. Now I’ve written many acres about that band over the years and they’ve never ever let me down. I believe them to be like family. So it was pretty great to see such deserving folks as they crash the Swedish album charts lately. So I mention them here because they’ve made a really fine record. Perhaps their best, all this way down the road. Never resting on their laurels or diluting something that was never a good idea in the first instance just bashing out their primo gear as only they can.

And, had it not been for them, there would be no Imperial State Electric, or Hellacopters. Someone asked me recently if I thought “Miles Away”, the album opener was trite. And while I recognised what this person was getting at – having gone back and studies it to some degree – I’m pleased to report a resounding “no fucking way”. Rather it sets out the stall perfectly for what follows.

The 45 version on Universal has a stoating Tommy Ferdi Andersson song entitled “Something Good, Something New” on the flip. The Devils Jukebox release has “American Beat” on its reverse. And “Make Up My Mind” is just one of the greatest wee pop tunes that I’ve ever heard. Yes, ever. Maybe one day it’ll be a 45 too because it sure deserves to be. The vinyl edition or “Solna” includes “Fine Fine Line” that sounds like Mud taking a crack at “Jukebox Babe”. Glam-mungous!!

It may have taken a wee whiley to get this together but it was sure worth it, excellent work gents and gracias for continuing to deliver the goods.

RIP - Robin Gibb

A new Joey Ramone album, 11 years after the big fella left the building, is finally coming out soon and of course the over-riding plus in all this is we get to hear his voice again. One song, “Party Line” is, in my opinion, up there with anything he ever did but how is the rest of it. Is it like the time Natalie and Nat King Cole got together or the colourisation of a classic black and white movie?

Actually it’s pretty good. Having been assembled from demos and rebuilt using friends/fans to lay down the firepower, “... ya know?” is a “relative” success being that Joe’s brother Mickey Leigh has coordinated it. It sounds big and powerful and Joe is singing great. As I understand it, it's culled from across quite some stretch of time. Haven’t clocked a finished copy so I don’t know if such information is annotated. I sure hope that it is.

The road to this has been twisty. It would have been nice if there could have been a “documentary” version that presented the songs as they were with what they became. Maybe a film to go with it but this ain’t the case so we should probably just savour the fact that it exists in any form. One big question that bugs me however and it’s this...

Would Joey have wanted this material out? I’m thinking perhaps not. But it’s the closest we’ll ever be to him being around and – in essence - anything that makes the memories of the guy burn has to be a good thing.

I can just about listen to “Party Line” now without feeling like I have something in my eye. The first time it outright made me cry. “Waiting For That Railroad” is practically roots rock of Del Lords variety. The Percy Faith(ful) rendition of “Merry Christmas” is cool. Wish they’d slapped “Duke of Earl” on here too – did you ever hear that? Blasting off with Joe’s voice soaked in funky cold medina on “Rock’n’Roll Is The Answer” would perhaps have gotten to radio if that medium still existed. Joey's predeliction for Bolan really comes across here and there.

He should have owned the airwaves when he was alive but unfortunately we are where we fucking are - missing the fact that the greatest singer of my generation ain’t still around making music and being a force for good. The star-studded cast brought together to nail this presumably did so out of a common goal to celebrate the subject. After all, Joey and his group made it possible for many of them to be where they are. The rock pantheon, like life, is an ill-divided platform. Sitting on a mushroom out in the woods throwing some WHO shapes seems like a fairly attractive proposition right about now.

So here we have Little Stevie Van Zandt playing train conductor (those are his dulcet tones at the end of “New York City” right?) and “I Couldn’t Sleep” seems to radiate a Jukebox Babe kind of mutant rockabilly. Maybe this should have been the single because it positively crackles. Kinda got chills when I heard “Wonderful World” blasting out as the music bed of a Thomas Cook ad in The Hippodrome recently.

The Ramones brand is ubiquitous but it saddens me that only Tommy remains to see it but CJ and Ritchie may yet enjoy some fruit from their association. I don’t count Mark and as I understand it, he’s on some of this scratching out further mileage.

With only Line Dahlmann coming close to delivering a more devastating woah-oh-oh these days, it’s a fine notion to be able to enjoy my old friend’s voice again. It was suggested to me lately that Mickey might have re-recorded some of the vocals but that’s a bridge too far for me to even contemplate. Such a conspiracy theory is surely up there with the notion that the twin towers was an inside job. Isn’t it? I often wonder what Joey would have thought about what happened down there and how it affected his “town”.

Anyway hear it for yourselves here, I’m curious as to what YOU think.

RIP - Chuck Brown

RIP - Doug Dillard

RIP - Donna Summer

So I started off this morning thinking it was Wednesday. The psychological tsunami that overcame me when the penny dropped was a little fractious but by the time I get to tomorrow I’ll be back on track. It’s hard to keep stock and it seems like it’s even harder to find the time, or more importantly the will, to blog anything. This is problematic because there’s stuff that I want you to know but never get around to. Tonight is a night “off” so let’s try to address that after I knock my column for The OX into some kind of order.

Don’t fret. I’m sceptical that I’ll make it back too but you just never know.

RIP - Donald "Duck" Dunn

The compatibility between the new blogger and my pedal powered PC is, well, let's just call it a strain. On top of everything else the futzing with the facaca formatting is doing my head in.

Never had time to bitch and moan about the new postal rates either. I think the expression "fucking deplorable" might just about cover it. They're really taking the piss. So some consideration with regard to the use of the mail service will have to be considered. Apparently it's reasonable compared to other countries, but hey - they would say that.

Still have to write up the Dave Alvin shows and get to some of these records including The Nomads and Joey Ramone gear. I did manage to finish the Geator book during my latest train journey too so I need to hep you to that also. Eventually. Sometime.

It's the May Day holiday and while I should go out for a wander and grab some supplies, I have no desire to be soaked so maybe later.

Another tale of punk-rock-pounding down under, this one from David Swift in "The Melbourne". Note - it's not the Cavern Club...

THE SONICS at the Caravan Club
Oakleigh RSL, suburban SE Melbourne Australia

Friday April 27

So you spend 30 years listening to 'em, thinking you will never EVER get to see 'em, and then The Sonics turn up locally and smash you in the lugs twice in three days!

There is an inescapable law of diminishing returns about rock'n'roll reunions and they are (almost) always best avoided. But.....it's The Sonics. How could you not go-see? Even ''older and wiser' at 50, I could not resist. And did not. And these guys are all pushing 70 now.

They package-toured Australia for two weeks this April as part of the Hoodoo Gurus' ''Dig It Up!'' travelling carnival of excellence also starring The Fleshtones, The 5.6.7.8's, Redd Kross, and some other home-grown luminaries. The Gurus flew in their best foreign friends to celebrate three decades in the biz. Their bill represented remarkable value and awesome good taste, and what a terrific day out it was at the Palace Theatre in Melbourne on April 25, Anzac Day (our veterans day).

Steve Wynn and Redd Kross were exceptional - but it took The Sonics to really outgun the hosts and the high-expectation reception they received led to the Gurus cutting their headline set short, believing the audience had been strafed and slaughtered Gallipoli-style by those old bastards from Tacoma, Washington to such an extent, that the crowd had zero energy or excitement left in them. Quite possibly true - the reception the hosts got was comparatively flat.

But then, two days later, attention turned - keeping it Anzac-esque - to a veterans' club in suburban southeast Melbourne which occasionally doubles as a gig venue. (As Returned Services League clubs, equivalent to British Legion bars, have done for several decades here.) The Caravan Club, a hipster co-op who regularly book the RSL's dance hall and occasionally land some great acts including the Celibate Rifles 3 months ago, somehow obtained the services of The Sonics for their only Australian side-show. The one time here they appeared solo separate from ''Dig It Up''.

Tickets went even faster than their Sub-Pop compilation CD of some years back and the ''sold out" sign was on the website within a matter of days. Capacity about 300, it's about the same size as King Tut's in Glasgow but doesn't hold as many people because there's a tables-and-chairs section for the older punters. Not that, on this night, there were many older than the band... The Sonics took to the stage to rapturous applause and it was clear by the air of excitement that a great many people had chosen this small event instead of the package-deal two days earlier to witness history being made. Age shall not weary them!

They tore it up with every selection you would expect, right down to filling the set with Little Richard covers. Just like they would have done nearly 50 years ago at sock-hops in greater Tacoma. Remember, these guys started out when American Graffiti was modern living. It is joyous to note that nearly five decades down the line, guitarist Lary Parypa can still wring maximum menace with minimal effort from his strings. He barely breaks a sweat while busting out the few chords of fame that frame ''Strychnine'', 'Have Love Will Travel'', ''Psycho'', etc.....

On the other hand, band leader Gerry Roslie - while still pumping the keyboards fiercely - has clearly lost his formidable growl at the microphone, and expecting to hear him wail and holler just like he did in those first sessions for Etiquette is just too much optimistic. Which is where new-era ring-in Freddie Dennis on bass really shows his worth - he might well be of a near-pensionable age himself but he screams just like Mr Roslie did in 1965 and when he takes over the lead vocals on several numbers, things get real primitive.

When drinking in the honk and squawk of Rob Lind's sax above the tumult on both sides of him, you do wonder how many other former Vietnam fighter pilots (yup) are still delivering a SONIC BOOM in 2012.....

The Sonics blasted through the set you would wish for with a couple of new additions and it has to be said that one fresh romp entitled ''Bad Attitude'' is a thunderbolt from the original DNA. Live at least, it stands right up there with their platinum punk and more than makes up for one or two inevitably weaker new offerings. It was a privilege and a blast to see and hear The Sonics in the flesh.

And they do their legend full justice.

Photos by David Swift

Es muy grande! Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. returns to the ol' Rodeo Bar this week, following a month off from its residency there. As always, with free peanuts and no cover!

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 9th / RODEO BAR / 375 Third Avenue (on the corner of 27th Street) in Manhattan / Starting at 9:00 sharp and carrying on 'til midnight / No cover! / 

Plus, in the far off future...

*THURSDAY, MAY 31st / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD / 538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in ol' Manhattan / A pair of big & bawdy sets, from 8:00 sharp until 10:00 / No cover! /

*TUESDAY, JUNE 5th / MANDERLEY BAR at THE McKITTRICK HOTEL / 532 West 27th Street (between 10th & 11th Avenues) in Manhattan / 10:30 'til 11:30, following the evening's performance of "Sleep No More" / Mention "SIT & Die" at the door after 10pm for *free* admission! /

Yours in orthopedic recovery (still),
Michael
Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.
"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

Brother Ross Nelson's DIG IT UP!
Hoodoo Gurus 30th Anniversary Invitational – Sydney, Sunday 22 April 2012

The Hoodoo Gurus 30th anniversary invitational, Dig It Up, landed Sydney with what may well have been the best line-up of rock n roll action that many could recall – ever! A 10 hour feast that didn’t let up. Hats off to Tim Pittman and his Feel Presents cohorts and the Gurus for pulling together such a stellar line up.

Spread across four venues within spitting distance of each other, with the main course being served up at the Enmore (capacity around 2000),with supports in much smaller rooms at Notes, The Sly Fox Hotel and The Green Room. While there was no possible way to see every act, we were safe in knowing no matter where we ventured, there’d be something worth a look. My strategy revolved around the Enmore and darting across the road for whatever I could catch during breaks.

The Hard Ons got things underway but I missed most of their set queuing for my ticket. The three songs I saw conjured up recall of the many nights I saw them during the 80’s. Always masters of sonic overload, barely restrained and that’s what I witnessed again albeit too briefly. I should get out to see ‘em more often. The first dash gets me the tail end of The Straight Arrows – contemporary local garage rock that seemed on the money with plenty of movement on stage and a tight, rockin’ sound. They wrapped their set with a cover of “The World Aint Round, Its Square” hit the spot quite nicely.

Next up on the main stage were The Fleshtones. They’d been out here twenty or so years back that I’d somehow missed but their reputation precedes them and there was a big audience ready for fun and they didn’t disappoint. Sure, I’d have loved to hear them play a set full of stuff from way back but what we got was all good. High kicks, cheesy grins and numerous crowd incursions from Keith and Ken. I recognised a couple of songs from their more recent records, a song about the Ramones and even an instrumental “Day Tripper”. A fun set that set the mood for the day.

I caught a chunk of The Lovetones set at Notes. Matt Tow has been a mainstay of the Sydney scene for years, he knows his craft and these Tones albeit without the antics of the previous 'Tones, pleased me and the crowd with an impressive selection of tunes. Next up was the “surprise” (not) band Kids In Dust, aka Sunnyboys. The last time the original line-up played together was back in 84. The last I saw of a band under the name was sometime late 80’s when Jeremy Oxley played out with a different line up and I recall that occasion as being somewhat chaotic due largely to Jeremy’s unhealthy mental state. But this was the real deal – he was obviously well enough to perform and looking excited to be back. The crowd was with them immediately and the band responded.

I didn’t recognise the first song but from the second, “Love To Rule” through the rest of the set, it was spine-tingling stuff. Memories of so many killer nites back in the day flooded back and here they were reeling their best off right here, right now. It was a hit and lovefest with much of their first and best album covered. “The Seeker”, “Tunnel of Love”, “Liar” and the closing “Alone With You” amongst highlights. While the songs were a tad more measured in their delivery than at their peak, everything was played with precision and gusto, a perfect comeback and the emotional highlight of the day without a doubt.

Managed to catch a few songs of Belles Will Ring next – another local band whom I’d not seen before. They featured one of the guitar players from The Lovetones as lead singer displaying enough over three songs to make me want to hear more of their beautiful and effervescent pop.

Long having been a Redd Kross true believer, their set was a definite highlight amongst highlights. Tight as a very tight thing and armed with a choice set list, they brought it well and truly as they romped through “Annette’s Got the Hits”, “Lady in the Front Row”, “Switchblade Sister”, “Frosted Flake”, “Blow You a Kiss In the Wind” and an absolutely poptastic “Pretty Please Me”. Bless the McDonald brothers for they know rock’n'roll only too well. As does the next guy up on the Notes stage.

Steve Wynn last played Sydney in 87 with the last version of Dream Syndicate – the one with Cutler on guitar in place of Precoda. That show was pretty awesome and nothing much had changed. With a band comprising Steve’s wife, Linda Pitmon on drums, Keith Streng and Ken Fox, we got a choice selection of DS tunes including “Tell Me When It’s Over”, “Halloween” and “That’s What They Always Say” plus a host of equally wonderful songs from Steve’s extensive back catalogue. An almighty set.

Meanwhile, back at the Enmore – Rob, Deniz and Jim from Radio Birdman (we can surely call Jim a Birdman with so many years of solid service) with Dave Kettley from New Christs also on guitar and a drummer who I was unfamiliar with but who nailed it impressively. They were on form and on target with a set built around Birdman songs with a few covers (including a spot-on “Hindu Gods of Love”) and some Visitors tunes also. Super charged, right on the money. I missed Royal Headache, a new-ish local band doing good things and one that I was hoping to see and also Kim Salmon and Spencer Jones. But hell, I needed to stop and grab some sustenance for a half hour before the final run.

Died Pretty was next. I last saw them sometime around 1992. Another band I’d seen perform some heroic shows and others being an absolute shambles. They built themselves into something truly special by the late 80’s. Tonight they picked up right from around that time in full flight and sounding quite amazing. For me Godbless, Winterland and Sweetheart were top of the deck.

Made a dash back to Notes to catch some of The 5678s and kinda regret missing the last piece of Died Pretty’s set. In fact, it was the only small regret of the day. Moments of cool but an over-riding sense of what could have or should have been is what lingered after their set. Funnily enough, I’d seen them in New York in November and they’d left me with the exact same impression. Maybe it’s me… But the next band I’d also seen in NY and so I knew what I had the right to expect.

To think I’d be seeing The Sonics again so soon seemed ridiculous – but it was true! In 2012! In Sydney! Incredible but true. I’d done my best to keep my enthusiasm in check with friends cos I didn’t want to set expectations too high. But any sense of them falling short on what I’d already witnessed were right out the window from the get go. They claimed the stage and ripped into “He’s Waitin’” and then it was manna from heaven all over again. With Gerry’s vocals more than ably supported by those of the new kid on bass, Freddie Dennis, they set about delivering the goods or the greats. “Louie, Louie”, “Have Love Will Travel”, “Money” (all the covers which the Sonics did are still the best covers ever!) plus “Boss Hog”, “Strychnine”, “Psycho”, “The Witch”, the whole shebang. Larry extracts the perfect tone from his guitar and effortlessly peels off the riffs, Rob Lind is focussed and his sax is integral to the whole thing, The perfect frat-rock foil to Larry’s guitar. Ricky Johnson on drums was an ace replacement for Bob Bennett. Being a 45 minute set, it seemed like Gerry was able to pace himself vocally early on but a few songs from the finish he must have decided he still had plenty in reserve and really brought it. Amazing and glorious, the set of the day.

Forever embedding their status of kings of whatever you want to call it with their Sydney audience. Incredible! Which left our hosts, the Gurus, to send us home. Being the 30th anniversary of “Leilani”, their run through the debut album is a sentimental touch-point for many. “Stoneage Romeos” still holds up as an incredible jukebox of styles and sounds. Picks for me were “Tojo”, “I Want You Back” and “My Girl” though it all went down a treat. We got a bunch of other songs in the second half of the set to ram home the combo’s well-established credentials in popsongdom. It’s a well honed live show of flash, bash and still a bit of trash to crown an absolutely fantastic day.

As we spilled outside and started to take stock, some were calling to do it all again next year. For me that’s too early and I’ll be happy to hang onto this one for a bit longer.

Photos by Ross Nelson

Coming soon - The Melbourne leg...

RIP - Adam (MCA) Yauch

(link courtesy of Doctor H.)

(Thanks to Morten Henriksen for the link)

Ed Stasium interview here...

The Nomads "Solna" crashes the Sverigetopplistan (that's the Swedish Album Chart to you) at #14!

That’s April on the way out, seems like I spent the whole month chasing my tail. When I come home at night and at weekends, I figure that it might be possible to put this thing back on track. However, then something happens and particularly after a hospital visit – my soul gets sucked right out of my skull. Generally leading to passing out for a couple of hours to the extent of crashing any logical sleep pattern. It’s wearing me down and despite half-arsed attempts to rectify this I still awaken at 2.18am or thereabouts and maybe one or two other times before the eventual 6am struggle.

I’m not complaining, just stating facts. Writing, or typing, anything right now is problematic. It’s all about being tense and nervous and you know what that leads to according to David Byrne. Christ, I haven’t even put together the skinny on the recent visit by Sir David Alvin during which I bunked off to Newcastle.

Have to say that record store day 2012 ripped my knitting. It was the year this previously community oriented, old school celebration well and truly jumped the shark. Individual horror stories notwithstanding – it’s cool that the shops benefit but the aspect of queues of greedy bastards loading up to reset on evil-bay (thanks to Tom Morton for that one) those with no proximity so such a joint get shaken down.

So from here on in I’m giving it the body swerve. It’s dead to me having become the latest in the long list of casualties that started out as a good idea only to be hijacked by greed. What should be something that casts the net wider has ended up being a bun fight for scumbags to get their sweaty mitts on a bunch of swag. 99% of which isn’t worth having anyway being that the arse has been cawed out of it due to continual format abuse. Life is too short and filled with way too much stuff as it is so thanks but no thanks you thieving bastards. I’ve woken up and smelled the coffee.

I hope.

Shut-ins welcome. As always. It's a Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. Thursday this week at Otto's, with the sharpest hillbilly trio on five legs!

*THURSDAY, APRIL 26th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD / 538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in ol' Manhattan / From 8:00 sharp until 10:00 -- with salty snacks and no cover! / Followed at 10:30 by our pals The Hudson Hornets / And, coming quite soon...

*WEDNESDAY, MAY 9th / RODEO BAR / 375 Third Avenue (on the corner of 27th Street) in Manhattan / Two big, hopping sets, from 9:00 sharp 'til midnight / No cover! / 

Always yours,
Michael
Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co.
"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

How could you resist this... 7 inch out now on the All Tore Up imprint!

I can’t really put my finger on exactly why Kim Edgar towers above the contemporaries in her genre, whatever that actually is. The musicians she works with would suggest “folk” but her songs are so much more than just stories sitting inside a tune.


Her accent provides an extra jag to the words. From that aspect, perhaps it is f*lk but played outside its common environment. It’s much more moody and multi-dimensional than seasoned singer songwriter fare and several leagues ahead of anything that yon emperor’s new clothes emporium that is “The Fence Collective”.

It strikes me that Ms Edgar has a good grasp on whatever the craft of writing a good song is. And when all is said and done and everything is stripped away, it’s down to the song. Irrespective of what is slathered upon it. I really do look forward to seeing her play this stuff live one of these days.

My one wee bugbear is that I can’t read the lyrics in the booklet. Yes that’s my problem being of advanced years but it’s not so often that you want to read lyrics these days. Even although they’re in an eye-test size font. “The Steamy Note” is practically Norlin-esque. “Ready” reminds me of those tones composed to connect with the aliens in Close Encounters. Perhaps they’ll nip down from Bonnybridge for a wee look-see.

"8, 9, 10" closes the 12 songs in just shy of 40 minutes evoking memories of Ivor Cutler. Forget all the corporate shenanigans that are being made available for Record Store Day. Let those who are out to make a fast buck on re-setting via ebay burn. Instead invest in a keeper, like “The Ornate Lie”.

RSD 2012

Oh jeez, Blogger has a new look today and the layout isn't playing nice.

Anyway - forget the Bowie landfill, these are what you should pick up today.

It's nearly "Record Store Day". If you're in Glasgow then here's what's going on. Forget the bullshit "on the day" shakedown and buy something from the regular stock. Leave the collectors items to the blighters that think they'll make a quick buck on ebag. Not a typo. May these individuals get fourth degree burned. Like everything else that starts off as well intentioned, this annual event has become everything that it set out not to be. Still, support your friendly neighbourhood dealer. That's the only message that matters. As I've said before, I find the home baking aspect a lot more interesting than most all of the instant collectables.

The Monorail/Mono roll call can be seen in the poster to your immediate right, the scene at Love Music is as follows...

Love Music in Glasgow will opening at 9:00 am with a free tea stall for customers.

Live music kicks aff at 1:30pm with a set from DOLALAY from Hollywood California, Dolalay have a Scottish singer, Rebecca Connelly and a new EP called "Days Like This". At 2pm Edinburgh group the CATHODE RAY will play songs from their brand new self-titled album that is BBC Radio Scotland's Janice Forsyth Show's Album of the Month for April. Late 70s New York angular meets post-punk Manchester. At 2:30pm there's WHITE HEATH, the Edinburgh group that released an album on Stow College's Electric Honey record label last year. Famous for having a trombonist instead of a bass player, they'll be playing their new 8-minute-long epic single "In A Glasshouse". At 3pm, FRENCH WIVES will perform songs from their forthcoming debut "Dream of the Inbetween" to be released May 7th on the Electric Honey label. They're just back from a North American tour that included SXSW and Canadian Music Week. 4pm for the return of WOODENBOX having dropped the Fistful of Fivers handle but gained a second album-full of great tunes coming later in the year. 4:30pm is Punk Rock Busker Time: a semi-acoustic set from Scots punks THE MURDERBURGERS whose new album "How To Ruin Your Life" will be available on the day. 5pm to close the festivities we're pleased to welcome back ADMIRAL FALLOW. We'll be selling freshly-pressed vinyl copies of their debut album "Boots Met My Face" an Official UK Record Store Day release, and they'll also be treating us to some songs from their forthcoming "Tree Bursts in Snow".

Good luck with grabbing whatever it is you feel the need to get your mitts on.

RIP - Levon Helm

RIP - Dick Clark

It was a shock to hear that the Lakeside Lounge is to close at the end of this month.

Got the word from Amy (Allison) at the weekend while I was in Newcastle. Talk about the end of an era, this leaves Manitoba’s as the sole beacon down in that slowly vanishing part of NYC. I’m glad that I managed to visit this unique hostelry one last time back in November and wish nothing but good and cool things for the proprietors and bartenders as they bid farewell to this unique space.

For anyone who never got the chance to go there, it was an ideal spot. About as far from fancy as you could hope to get, a sanctuary of sorts with whatever aperitif you felt like and a truly monumental jukebox. Purveyors of spiritual enlightenment in the rock’n’roll sense of such a state. Wish I had some photos from our get together there to share but they’re burned onto my cerebellum and I don’t have a USB to get ‘em from there on to here.

So a huge THANK YOU to Eric and Jim for making such a place possible. We shall never see it’s like again (other than 99 Ave B) in NYC.

However, The Lakeside vibe lives on in Espana however. Let’s all go there and never come back.

Sir Lenny Helsing has put together this report on Le Beat Bespoke 8. There’s no mention of his being onstage with The Poets but that’s the kind of guy Lenny is. It should also be noted that there wouldn’t even be an event like this if it wasn’t for the other LH.

Arrived Friday teatime and bumped into The Pretty Things' lead singer Phil May who informed me that they had planned to bring along the Ronnie Lane Mobile recording unit but were told they couldn't due to some bureaucratic something or other. I then spent a very enjoyable dinner in the canteen with the mighty July on their lead singer, acoustic guitarist, and home-made sitar-guitarist Tom Newman's meal voucher as he had to speed off to get a replacement amp for the fast-approaching show. It should be said that the reason I was able to breeze smoothly into their company to begin with is that my good friend Alisdair Mitchell, former four-string swinger with Bangtwister, currently with the highly-rated Glasgow-based Hidden Masters group is the band's new bassist. Then followed a great sound check that gave a taste of what was to come; where Tom played his home-made July logo-shaped "guisitar". The Horrors' Rhys Webb, a good July friend, was on board to make sure the out front mix desk could punch in echo to approximate the tremelo fx the group used across the record.

As they took to the stage for the gig itself spacey music filled the air and a strange apparition resplendent in ancient weird head mask - the original design as seen on their lone '68 Major Minor LP "July". Said apparition carried with her a wooden staff hung with bells which was intermittently banged down on the stage floor as her ritual slowly and deliberately commenced.

July Photo by Holly Calder

Stunning doesn't really cover how the group executed the whole of that fabulous collection; complete in all its searing and disquieting majesty. Pete Cook, their original pre-LP sessions lead guitarist and chief songwriter is easily one of the very best psych-era git players around! Those heavy, searing fuzz notes and incandescent lead runs were, quite simply put, astonishing. Pete also supplied all the little keyboard touches that helped the set ebb and flow throughout. They even dressed up a little too. Tom as the "gentle king" a sort of pre-raphaelite shamanic pop storyteller. Pete in white top strung with hippie beads, and it didn't look at all contrived. Tom's son Jim is the group's second lead guitarist, a truly gifted partnership, keeping chunky yet deft rhythmic moves on the go. And he too can also let fly with an abundance of super-screech upper register solos as required. And the bass work of AM just slots in so perfectly you would've easily thought he'd been a July man long before just the last month or two that he's been rehearsing with them. A very young, fellow Glaswegian called Danny (who joined at the same auditions as Alisdair) produced some spot on, and thoroughly great drumming too.

Mystical, deafening, disquieting, top ho joyous, and truly UFO descendingly psychedelic. July are all that and more in this real-life 2012 "Eight Hour Technicolour Dream" bill, a group very much alive on stage in this smokey pokey world thrilling all in attendance with mad glad sad and exquisite songs like 'Hallo To Me', 'A Bird Lived', 'Move On Sweet Flower', 'Jolly Mary' and of course the rather legendary pair, 'Dandelion Seeds' and 'My Clown'. Two of the major triumphs that serve to illuminate the creative strength of pop's UK '67-'68 era. Group of the night for me without a shadow of doubt and a definite high water-mark of the whole weekend.

Next on was The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown and I must admit I didn't catch all of the set but what I did see and hear was by turns quite enjoyable,but also for me and a few others - a little bit boring and plodding. I have the original album, and like it a lot, although I've not played it in quite some time now. But I thought some of this staged show of the LP played in its entirety had too much of a "revue" kind of atmosphere to it.

Not spontaneous enough? But maybe I just wasn't paying it enough attention after the magnificent July. Organist Lucie was especially enthusiastic though and gave them a bit of drive. You couldn't fault the effort put into all the weird and lavishly colourful costumes on display and the make-up and trippy visuals...and of course - Arthur's soaring vocal histrionics that are still as strong as ever.

Led by the true legends that are lead vocalist Phil May and lead guitarist Dick Taylor, The Pretty Things were here again (they played 'S.F. Sorrow' two or three years back) to play all the material they recorded under their mad '67-'68 'Electric Banana' alter-ego. Annoyingly I missed the opening song which is among the group's best creations from that time, 'Alexander'. One of the highlights of the set was hearing them do the never-before heard live, unissued at the time except for a BBC session rendition, decades-long absolute blistering fave-rave 'Turn My Head'.

Not part of any of the de Wolfe label samplers the EB material appeared on, but nevertheless critical to them and that era. Outrageous! It looked like they really enjoyed doing this one too, and it sounded brilliant; the psych-style visuals were just right too. 'Blow Your Mind' was a bit weird, and with both 'Eagle's Son' and the psych-crown 45 flipside 'Walking Through My Dreams' a bit more practise is needed to extract extra nuance, and get the missing vocal parts, but hey, I'm not sure anyone could name a band that are as far down their particular lifespan avenue that are still as full-on as the magnificent 'Things still are.

With Frank Holland aiding and abetting Taylor in the six-string zone, and George Perez's thumping bass pronunciations and upfront visual presence they flew victoriously through the likes of 'It'll Never Be Me', 'Danger Signs', 'Street Girl', the kooky film-theme that shouldn't-work-but-does 'What's Good For The Goose' and the EB/'S.F.Sorrow' LP crossover 'I See You'. Fans of their earlier period were not left out either as they furnished us with a great 'Get The Picture' and 'LSD' before bowing out with another Sorrow wonder 'Old Man Going'.

Many hours of dancing to garage favourites and some freakbeat winners too, followed in the adjoining room; including a great Poets spot specially spun by the Rhys, which us fans, as it happened some of us having made the trip down from Scotland were particularly chuffed to hear. Rhys you see has recently bought a real original copy of that super-rare Poets Decca 45 'Wooden Spoon' / 'In Your Tower' and he played both sides. Sounded thoroughly superb I must say!

Saturday Afternoon

Saturday afternoon’s proceedings was a Dirty Water event in the smaller of the two halls. First up were Thee Vicars, England's smartly-attired young champions of basic r'n'beat-punk but here with a few new add-ons to their palette that even includes a nod or two to a slightly more bluesy, indeed almost soul-struttin' style.

With their new, third album about to come out, 'I Wanna Be Your Vicar' and a couple of new 45s already out, 'Everyday' that was even flipped with a cover of The Sorrows' 'Don't Wanna Be Free'. Another on the US decades-spanning Get Hip label featuring the great 'Can't You See' and 'I'll Do You Wrong', two new blasts of Telecaster-buzzin' beat action, alongside hoof-hoppin'ly wild instro 'The Dirty Dog', the group have much to be pleased about.

Girl drummer Alex has been with them eighteen months or so now, and takes a basic no-nonsense approach to the kit that fits really well with the group's already stripped-down beat template. Although now happening perhaps fewer times than before, the group can still evoke moments of early Who meeting The Milkshakes for a scrap in Hamburg's Star Club. Mike and Chris as always share lead vocals, the former with great projection, especially on the newer material. Chris’s lead guitar is definitely becoming more prominent; ear-shredding too with the overall song structures and general playing seeing a more proficient sounding group than ever.

Nonetheless they can still end in a pile-up of flailing limbs and feedback-drenched, mic-stand scraping sounds and optimum energy is for sure being expended. The crowd could've been more up for it but maybe it was still too early in the day, given that most folks had a pretty hectic, not to mention, a pretty late night.

Madrid's Hollywood Sinners followed this with a fine display of amped-up rock'n'roll sounds. They play in a teenage-spirited Sonics-style zone; only heavier with less fundamental melody to impart. They then throw in some MC5-styled shapes but, significantly, without any of the protracted lead soloing, or mutated avant-jazzisms. Edu "Gone Sinner Gone" on Burns guitar leads his cohorts thru' a tasty barrage of numbers from past singles and debut LP plus a few more recently-penned items propelled by wild sing-a-longs and plenty garage riff-a-rama.

This paved the way nicely for a group whose name is a serious contender for one of the best beat-era groups of all time, Coventry's The Sorrows. Fronted by the 60s giant, figuratively and literally, who is also equally legendary singer, Don Fardon. The group also includes original bassist Phil Packham, who wore a very wide smile almost the whole time they were playing. This recently re-constituted combo seriously ripped and tore their way thru almost all of their astounding 1965 'Take A Heart' LP and also some of their incredible single sides. Included in the set were rollicking, gasp out loud-inducing interpretations of 'Baby', 'Let Me In', 'Don't Sing No Sad Songs For Me', 'Let The Live Live' and 'Come With Me'. They really made the audience jump and shout! Later, as if we hadn't had enough, they also gave us 'Gonna Find A Cave' plus the wildest versions of 'Lucille' and 'Teenage Letter'.


Sorrows photo by Lenny Helsing

Drummer was Nigel Lomas who's been a Sorrow off and on since 1970; and who also played with The Eggy (the superb 'You're Still Mine'/'Hookey' 45 from '69 on Spark that foretold the sound of The Sweet and Queen). The rhythm guitar/occasional vocalist ('No No No No' and 'You've Got What I Want') was another smiler called Brian Wilkins and blasting out on coruscatingly brilliant lead guitar was seventeen year old prodigy Marcus Webb. There's not much more to say, except that not many groups coming back from the 60s have ever sounded as good as these guys did.

Along with July, The Sorrows were the real stars of le Beat Bespoke 8.

Saturday Night

OK, just who are The Screamin' Vendettas? Does anyone really know, well whoever this surreal nun-styled be-masked, smartly dressed-in-black combo are - they have themselves a great grooving sound with live-wire lead playing and a mean bass pummel. Not to mention a good line in some dry humour. They came across as very English too which was quite refreshing and they really did the beat business on a brace of cool teen-garage swingers. Some of their choice covers included the likes of Texas faves Larry and the Blue Notes' 'Night Of The Sadist' and Joe Meek-groomed Heinz's killer chicken-scratch git beater 'Movin' In'.

I had been swithering whether to traipse across town to watch pals Les Bof! at the Drop in Stoke Newington or to stay put and give The Trashmen another chance. I'd seen them once before when the group I drum for, The Wildebeests, played on the same bill in Las Vegas in 1999. I didn't think too much of them at that gig but decided I wanted to catch them again. They were pre-figured by a Spanish film about their importance and influence on groups like The Neanderthals and Waaarrgghh & Los Aaaarggghhh's that was shown on the onstage screen. Once over, it was onto the real deal, live in person.

It was almost all the original line-up with Dal Winslow on rhythm, Bob Reed on bass, his son Rob(?) on drums, introduced as "the first Trash-kid", and of course there was lead vocalist and lead-guitar tingler Tony Andreason. Tony handled most of the lead vocals, and Rob did stuff like 'Bird Bath' and other assorted aviaryations when required. I'm sure everybody then thought Rob would be the one doing 'Surfin' Bird' but it was actually Tony doing the main vocal there and pretty neat neat neat it was too.

All in all I'd say they treated us to a mostly superb collection culled from their recordings from almost half-a-century ago. Let's see, we got 'Kuk', 'My Woodie', Buddy Holly's 'It's So Easy', 'Malaguena', a nicely put together medley for their old pal Link Wray, 'A-Bone', 'King Of The Surf', and of course the one everybody and their parrot knows...pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-oo-mow-mow-pa-pa-oo-mow-mow. One or two little confusing moments of timing and rhythm, but they were probably invisible to the majority of the capacity crowd, and the amp of Dal "the master of disaster" Winslow sputtered a bit early on, but, alas, didn't die.

So, hey yeah baby, it's The Trashmen in excellent concert delivery.

Further to my last message, I found two VHF cassettes and my recall was way off. The sound they had was kinda Spectres-era BÖC butting heads with The Raspberries. The centre piece being Rich's incredible voice.

A wee pinch of latterday Groovies evident also. Anyway I'm glad I found these things and "Kerry Please" is just as incredible as I remembered it to be. These inlays in the man's own hand, figured you might like to see them. Check out the wind-out on the live stuff card... "NO NOISE REDUCTION - It would be a contradiction!". Amen to that brother.

To set the scene for this we have to travel back quite a time, to my 20th birthday and The Roundhouse in London. The Dictators opened for a troupe of stinking hippie opportunists and Jake Seath and I made the pilgrimage. A previous altercation here up north prevented us meeting our heroes that night. The dick (actually his name - nothing to do with Sir Richard Manitoba I hasten to add) that managed said faux-prog act wouldn’t let us through and that smarted a bit.

Not completely thwarted, I forwarded a package of fanzines to the band via Elektra who had just issued “Manifest Destiny” not really expecting anything. In those days though we’d already made connections and just a few months before, we’d met The Ramones.
I was a persistent wee blighter, even then.



So a few weeks later, a letter arrives from one Richie Teeter – drummist with le Dictators at that point, it felt like maybe there was a god. From that point on the hook up was made. Not just with the band but with Ms Miriam Linna, one half of that supreme tag team – The Millers. Rich had given Miriam a copy of NBT and she wrote me enclosing a whole when of cool NY gear and issues of her Flamin’ Groovies zine. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that will last for all time. And keeping up the string, she worked for Marty Thau at Red Star. So I sent her a tape of Simple Minds demo and she passed it on to Howard Thompson, who I’ll be seeing “dahn the London” in just a couple of weeks, quite a few George Bailey points to be going on with there.

I also remember coming in one night and finding a demo cassette for Bloodbrothers that I played over and over. Rich also supplied the means for me to introduce “16 Forever” to The Nomads. This would ultimately set the scene for the "Three Generations of Master Race Rock"summit in Sweden.

But anyway, this is just a long winded tribute to Ritchie. He was instrumental in setting out my stall in so many ways. Later today, I’m going to seek out our correspondence and reminisce. Hell, he and his wife almost attended my wedding way back longer ago than it’s safe to think about. You’ve heard him sing – if there was ever a voice that deserved to be on radio then it was his. After The Dictators, he formed VHF, an AOR-ish power pop combo that never got a break. They had one song in particular called “Kerry Please” that I recall being a smash in waiting. I need to retrieve that today too along with the "press kit".

I only ever met him once for a short period of time but I’m glad I did. Of course I wish it’d been more but as you well know, we seldom get what we want. So when I saw JP’s notice on fb yesterday my heart sank. How could this be? Hasn’t 2012 been bad enough that my friends are being picked off now in addition to family?

So I just want to publicly thank Rich for supplying the big beat that propelled me on this long, peculiar journey. My thoughts are with his friends and family. The only contact info I had for him was via the Sam Ash store, if anyone has an e-mail contact for his family, I’d sure appreciate you sending it on.

Dictators pics with Rich by Mr David Arnoff, don’t have a credit for the VHF shot but he’s the guy crouching.