Lez Zeppelin? Read all about 'em.... maybe they'll consider next year's Edinburgh Festival?

Actually, sticking with the "memory-man" theme, I drove past Grangemouth Stadium and the fence there has been replaced by one of those fantoosh jaggy type impaler deals. You can see straight into the grounds and on to the area where I worked in the Record Tent at the Grangemouth Pop Festival. I seem to recall this being in August 1972 or thereabouts and that Uriah Heep didn't turn up amongst other things. Anyway, I can remember selling alot of copies of the first Roxy Music album too for some reason. And Lindisfarne's "Dingley Dell" getting some kind of advanced availabilty specially for the event. Anyway, it was possibly the most ill-conceived bill ever put together in terms of appeal. I remember Billy Connolly, Sunshine, Lindisfarne, Status Quo, The Everly Brothers and Beck, Bogert and Appice. The Average White band may have been involved as might The Sleaze Band. Anyway, there's not much on this worldwide web beastie to help me jog those fried braincells but I did find the very entertaining FALKIRK MUSIC SCENE portal which will whisk anybody who wishes to be back to certain points and persons in the history of this area's "scene". It comes right up to date and offers current happenings too so it's not just a place for daft auld duffers like me to "fouter aboot" in.

As my memory gets more fragmented by the minute, I'm prone to bursts of recall. While these don't happen as frequently as I'd like - one of these flashbacks came to me this afternoon. I don't think that I intimated that the long running rock and roll bible published in Toulouse, France put out DIG IT 34 some months ago.

Though they publish in French, the spirit is very much international and Gildas and his crew have been flying the flag for fine music for longer than any of us possibly care to remember. They are tireless and passionate and if you "reada da lingo" that can only serve to make you enjoy this print more. Like J was saying a wee while ago, there aren't many printzines left. We need to support folks like this crew that are prepared to go that extra mile.

Ben (Gart via the Staysick Board) flagged up the problem of having been connected to a blackjack/poker site when he tried to visit us yesterday. Far as I can tell things are all operating fine now but it's hard to keep up with all the "rapidly spreading threats". If you were in the same boat then apologies but I "divnae ken" what happened but will keep an eye on it. This kind of bollocks makes me hark back to better times when communications were less prone to the interference of fuckwits who basically exist to put a spanner into whatever works that they can. Several recent occurrences have made me consider just retiring from the whole shooting match. If it weren't for Jeroen and Steve then I probably wouldn't be in this virtual fracas anyway but it is fun. Sometimes. Particularly when you make contact with a long, never heard from amigo, or when you discover something really great that you just have to share. But with all that, there's the spam and similarly irritating pish to contend with. All sent to try us I know, but when you consider how far down the pan the human race is in general, isn't it feasible that enough people would realise that and at least attempt to pull us out of the whole big tailspin. Wouldn't it be great if you heard on the news that there were no suicide bombings today anywhere? Anyway, it's not likely and that kind of optimism has been sparring with my mostly dark mood of late.

I'd like to take this opporchancity to wish the great Long Ryding Sidney Griffin all the best for his impending half-century. More geezers with that sorta chutzpah if you please. If you're in London, go help him celebrate...

Been a quiet few days hereabouts, taken advantage of that to keep the mitts off the old keyboard, and the peepers "aff" the screen. Maybe if I stay away long enough I'll get my eyesight back? Then again...




Euro-based Dictators afficianados should be able to score VIVA DICTATORS via the Escapi Distribution network. It can also be procured via the band website for $15 along with back catalogue cd action for just $10 a pop. So if you've been holding off on giving that vinyl of yours some respite, this is the time. And if you're feeling flush you could direct some of those savings to a worthy cause.

For a limited period, order a copy of AMY RIGBY's LITTLE FUGITIVE album direct from SIGNATURE SOUNDS and you'll get a limited edition 45 of "Dancing With Joey Ramone" thrown in with the deal.

If you already have the album and need to score the 45 (flip is a cover of Wire's "Mannequin" performed live with Hazel) then contact Amy via her website and she might be able to hook you up.

If ever a song deserved to be in that good ol' 45 format then it's this one.

"Hello Friend, The lads of SUSQUEHANNA INDUSTRIAL TOOL & DIE CO. cordially invite you to join them on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH for the company's lone date this month at OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD, located at 538 East 14th Street in Manhattan's Eastern Village.

Why, it promises to be a fine night of entertainment, what with our special guests ROSALIE MORRIS and DJ REX DOANE of WFMU -- plus, as is the custom, a free raffle! Two shows are on tap, beginning at 8:00 and 10:00. And you betcha it's all FREE.

Sincerely, Michael, SIT & Die Co., "Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

THE SAINTS are back for a short UK tour in-between re-conquering their home soil of Australia this autumn.

SUNDAY - SEPTEMBER 25TH, THE UNDERWORLD, LONDON

TUESDAY - SEPTEMBER 27TH, JOSEPH’S WELL, LEEDS

WEDNESDAY - SEPTEMBER 28TH, ROCK CITY, NOTTINGHAM

FRIDAY - SEPTEMBER 30TH, THE CROFT, BRISTOL

Now slimmed down to a fiery three piece (Marti is taking a holiday) THE SAINTS hit the road to re-establish their reputation the one of the premier punk bands still at their peak. Re-promoting their album “Nothing Is Straight In My House” (Cadiz) and new single BANG ON available on Itunes/HMV Digital and Virgin Digital. They'll be ably supported by Billy No Mates (featuring Dominic Redmonds from Snuff) on all dates. Beyond Reasonable Doubt on all dates except for Bristol and Mr Shiraz in Leeds.

"The Shooting Gallery & Tiki News magazine present "Tiki Art Two: The Second Coming of a New Art God," a group show of new work inspired by Tiki including Bosko, Kirsten Easthope, Niagara, Isabel Samaras, Shag, and more.

Tiki Art Two

Opening: Friday, Sept. 16, 2005 - 7pm - 11pm, 839 Larkin St., San Francisco, CA 94109

This unique array of neo-primitive images is also captured in a 112 page full color catalog available opening night!

Images: “Gone Native (Joseph Vialetes de Mortarieu)" and “Gone Native (Princess Albert de Broglie)”. Oil on wood -20 x 16 inches (each) by Isabel Samaras.

GONERFEST

RIP - Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (link provided by MT)

From Barney Hoskyns...

"Hi there, Forgive the shameless advance (self-) promotion, but I wanted to let you know that my new book, HOTEL CALIFORNIA: SINGER-SONGWRITERS & COCAINE COWBOYS IN THE LA CANYONS 1967-1976, is being published in the UK in November by Fourth Estate. US publication by Wiley & Sons follows in the spring.

The book is about the Los Angeles music scene after the Monterey Pop festival and before punk, focusing on the relationships between the artists represented by managers/label-owners David Geffen and Elliot Roberts: Neil Young, Crosby Stills & Nash, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, JD Souther, the Eagles, Warren Zevon, Judee Sill and others. Simon Reynolds was kind enough to write the following:

"One of our finest pop historians reappraises a neglected and often maligned milieu, the soft-rock and singer-songwriter superstars of Southern California, that FM radio aristocracy who dominated almost the entirety of the 1970s. Barney Hoskyns deftly evokes not just the decadence but the sense of discovery, rooted in Sixties idealism and fostered by a gaggle of record industry mavericks who for a brief period managed to make art and business co-exist."

BMX BANDITS are at MONO in Glasgow tonight at 9pm and it costs exactly no money to enter those hallowed portals. And whilst we're on the subject of Bellshill... Davie Scott's excellent programme on TEENAGE FANCLUB's BANDWAGONESQUE is on Radio Scotland's LISTEN AGAIN feature for the whole of the coming week from today. Just click on the Classic Scottish Album feature and follow the wee audio (star) sign beside the title...

Join Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders as we Rock San Diego & Long Beach

Where: The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., San Diego, CA 92101. The Woggles, Pat Todd & the Rankoutsiders (ex-Lazy Cowgirls), The Loons, DJ Tony the Tiger!!! When: wednesday, Sept. 14th 9:00pm. How Much: $8
AND we'll be in Long Beach the following Friday, Sept 16th: Where: Que Sera/Club Strychnine 1923 East 7th Street (at Cherry Avenue), Long Beach, CA 90804. Pat Todd & The Rankoutsiders will Rock Out Long Beach Yet Again!! w/ The Loons & Harbortown Saints (ex-Humpers/Lords of Altamont)

Mr Vahlberg kindly sent me the heads-up on whats happening ala ROBERT JOHNSON and PUNCHDRUNKS. The soon-to-be released "Taste The Whup At Old Dog" is quite a departure from the futuristic surf. This is more a polysymphonic spree kinda like John Carpenter getting it on with Yellow Magic Orchestra while they figure out some Joe Meek chops. The electronica-fied programmed drum throb might be alarming on first entry but stick with it. The pulsating backbeat isn't as much of a jump as the initial jolt would suggest. There are only two members in RJaP now and they've got 14 different producers on the 14 cuts that make up the album.

The cinematic sweep of the sound makes me wonder if this'll ever be performed live. I can't see these guys hamming it up amidst a battery of stadium lighting like The Chemical Brothers or Orbital. Robert is too steeped in rock'n'roll for that, to my mind. When I visited their site, I saw there was a 2cd collection of previously released material available with plenty of rare and unreleased gear on there too. Having had the privilege of witnessing the raw power of RJ in action, I've got the bug. I could see where this new direction could flummox people. However, when the surprise - or even shock - has quelled, this bold jump is oddly satisfying.

There are obvious Kraftwerk and Suicide comparisons to be made and lazy bastards might be inclined to write off "Old Dog" as such. However, there are many subliminal riches in these seams and aided/abetted by serious volume - there's a lotta life in this strange twist in the road that our Swedish chums have taken.

Dirty Water and Club for Losers get together for DIRTY LOSERS - TONIGHT! It's at Clockwork, 96 Pentonville Road, Islington (five minutes walk from Angel, seven minutes from Kings Cross) with live sounds from:

TITS OF DEATH – Five women, two bass guitars, two synths, one guitar. And the dirty box! T*ts of Death was borne out of not much more than the simple desire to jump around and act out the deepest, darkest, most Spinal Tap-esque of rock fantasies. And yet the beast has grown to become the dirtiest, s*xiest girl rock’n’roll group in town. If you’ve been wanting a band with the Runaways/Suzy Quatro/Girlschool kind of spirit then this is the group you’ve been waiting for!

BONAR LAW claim that "...in these bitter climes of boring, two dimensional, cut and paste pretension the eclectic nature of Bonar Law and her offspring of intense modern pop songs threaten to bring all adversaries to their knees or sweep them off their feet. One more aphrodisiac for the road!"

Doors open at 8:30pm, just a fiver to get in. Three for a fiver on some lines of bottled beers, draught beers also available. DJs till 3am.

Anybody who can, oughtta make it a priority to get to the shindig in Brooklyn tomorrow. Details below. Great people getting together for a great cause who will get the funds raised directly to the people who need it.

It's been a quiet week in terms of anything happening around here. Our old mucker, Mr David Snyder has made the hop from from Philly to Glasgow for a few days so we'll be hanging out with that wildman. He'll have copies of his new BOB pamphlet with him so if any of you folks want one then just let me know and I'll mail you one. At no cost to your bad self.

Those Boonaraaas are heading for the studio this weekend somewhere in Germany to start work on the follow up to Go Get Goo Goo. That made me wonder what's happened to the Voladoras album. Isn't there a label out there that needs some primo gear to release instead of the slop that's served up on a daily basis?

Just heard a great song by someone called Linda Cumbo on Brian Matthews so I'm off now to track that down. It's on a President Records comp.

Nothing to do with Wee G I imagine, so we're all set...

From Mr Spence... fresh from his tussle with those DRIVE BY TRUCKERS...

"Greetings Brothers, Sisters, and relatives of varying/dubious degrees of separation!
It doesn't look like the promoters for these shows have done much promotion (the
Edinburgh one has a poster advertising the show for Tuesday!) ...so I'll do it for them! There's a coupla impending kick-ass shows in Glasgow & Edinburgh....

SUN 11th SEPT - NICE'N'SLEAZY, GLASGOW doors - 8.30; £7(?) admission

THE IMMORTAL LEE COUNTY KILLERS 3 - Auburn, Alabama's finest exponents of the essential fucked-up blues return w/ a new LP to punt called "These Bones Will Rise to Love You Again" on Funhouse Recs. Check 'em out at...
www.leecountykillers.com

BLACK DIAMOND HEAVIES - tour support 3-piece from Nashville ...dunno much
about them - but if the 'ILCKs rate 'em, they should be good! More info at...
www.blackdiamondheavies.com

MON 12th SEPT - THE SUBWAY, EDINBURGH doors - 7.30; £6 admission

THE IMMORTAL LEE COUNTY KILLERS 3
BLACK DIAMOND HEAVIES (...see above for web-pages)
THE GREASE MONKEYS - well, you know what we do!

....if you can't make it along, please still spread the word - 'cos no-one else is, and the ILCK3 are a damn fine band. Hope to see y'all there.

All the Best..................Jim & the Grease Monkeys"

Somebody shoot 'em; Scam 69: " Playing all the classic Pop, Punk & New Wave top twenty hits from 1977 - 1982". (Link c/o Michel Fenderwoods)

Hey Folks,


Big benefit for victims of Katrina this Sunday in Brooklyn!!! Know that the money raised at this event will go directly to people from the rock and roll community who are in need...

Sun 9/11

at Magnetic Field - 97 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn

$10 cover (more if you can afford it!)

Doors 4PM

Bands start at 6PM, DJs all day and all night long!!!!

Bands to play:

A-BONES (Norton Records)

KID CONGO and the PINK MONKEY BIRDS (ex-Cramps, Gun

Club, Bad Seeds)

INSOMNIACS (NJ Mod-Garage Rockers)

SPITTOONS (Brooklyn 50s and 60s rock n rollers)

Plus DJs all day and and all night long:

TIM WARREN (Crypt Records)

TODDOPHONIC TODD (Telstar Records, WFMU)

KARI KROME (from the Runaways!)

DAVE THE SPAZZ (WFMU)

THE GREAT GAYLORD (WFMU)

JOSH STYLES (Smashed Blocked)

THE THING WITH TWO HEADS (Penetration Party),

PADDY BULLOCKS (Penetration/Shop Fronts)

TOMDASH (Dot Dash)


Raffles from: Crypt Records, Sympathy for the Record Industry, Get Hip Records, Telstar Records, Norton Records, as well as local merchants and community members!

Baked Goods for Sale, Special CD comps for Sale

All proceeds will go to The Rock n Roll Community Fund and New Orleans Musicians Clinic. For more info on these funds, please see below...

Since this was done on the fly, please spread the word!!!

The rock and roll community fund

This fund was put together to aid members of the garage and punk rock communities who have lost everything due to Hurricane Katrina. Most recipients identified are currently in Memphis and Austin, however we are taking names of those in need from wherever they have established temporary homes. Thanks to DJ Paddy Bullocks, whose father is a minister there, funds are being administered by Trinity Parish Church. Due the high concentration of those in need who have fled to Memphis and Austin, funds are being distributed by Goner Records in Memphis and Rocks Off Records in Austin.

Trinity Parish Church Episcopal Discretionary Fund, 200 N Elm St, Searcy, AR 72143-5271 put Katrina Fund in subject line of check, paypal to: trinityparish@yahoo.com

New Orleans Musicians Clinic (NOMC)

This is a fantastic hands on organization who has the names and addresses of so many great musicians because they have them all coming to their FREE health clinic all these years and now, they are the ones who are tracking down the local musicians and finding them shelter. They are the New Orleans Musicians Clinic and know the whereabouts of the local musicians down there.

Send donations to:

NOMC Emergency Fund

funds will be distributed by:

SW LA Area Health Education Center Foundation, Inc.

103 Independence Blvd.

Lafayette, LA 70506

desk: 337-989-0001

fax: 337-989-1401

Contact: Kathy Richard directly at 337 989-0001

email: finance@swlahec.com http://www.swlahec.com/

musiciank@swlahec.com

The New Orleans Musicians Clinic is determined to keep Louisiana Music Alive! We want to relocate our New Orleans musicians into the Lafayette/ Acadiana community where they can remain a life force! But most of them have lost everything... we must help them rebuild their lives.

(Thanks also to Buzz Nutter and Eric for forwarding this info also...)