Great to see the Barracudas in action again last Friday night here in London. A near capacity crowd turned out for El 'Cudas at the Dirty Water Club and were treated to a tightly delivered set of surf/garage snarlers via a crisp'n'clean PA system. To cap it all Chris Wilson joined the band, sans Jeremy, for an encore of "Slow Death" and "You're Gonna Miss Me". Warning: This guy still possesses a strong pair of lungs. Hot news from PJ, the club's promoter, is that the Fleshtones are near-as-dammit confirmed for a slot in April. Dare one hope for a 'Cudas / 'Tones double-bill? Yes sir, an encore of "Hoss Boss" featuring Streng/Zaremba and Gluck/Wills slugging it out might be nirvana to some but could also pose a danger to those of a more nervous disposition. Are you (wo)man enough to go under the thunder of the Barratones?

"Steven Van Zandt has recently signed on with Sirius satellite radio as a consultant. He will be developing a 24/7 garage rock satellite radio outlet which should launch later this year. As good as his show is, and he has acknowledged that his "Underground Garage" was initially inspired by his love of WFMU's Teenage Wasteland, the satellite outlet promises to be the mecca for garage-aholics." - Bill 'The Guru of Garage' Kelly, WFMU

ROCKINGSCOTS is a website dedicated to West of Scotland beat groups and rock bands from the '60s and '70s.

From Brother Liam of Sabrejet County, Belfast, "Thought you might, uh, "appreciate" the attached flyer from mad Norse rockers, The Wild Bunch....... I'm thinking it may be kinda hard to live up to their expectations..."

I can get on to the internet but can't get my e-mail. Wha' happening?....

US TV show nuts, check out JUMP THE SHARK!

As some of you may know, I'm not a Billy Childish fan but I know a bunch of you are so maybe you'd like to cut along to this....



Further info from www.radio-lollypop.net

N o r t o n N e w s F l a s h !

Roky Erickson will be stopping in at Waterloo Records in Austin this Friday, January 9, at 5 PM for a special autograph session to celebrate the release of "Don't Knock the Rok!" on Norton. This new CD (and posh gatefold double vinyl LP) collects twenty three unissued blasts cut at the 1978 warm up sessions for Roky and the Aliens’ EVIL ONE LP featuring Roky howling through a slew of covers ranging from Dion and the Belmonts and Bobby Vee to Elvis and Buddy Holly, not to mention a Bye Bye Birdie show tune! Dig some unheard Roky originals, too! It’s like the Elevators meet King Uszneiwicz at a Martian pajama party! Dig the whole scoop on the Norton New Release by clicking the sidebar link.

Refreshments at the autograph party will be provided by the St. Arnold Brewing Co. and very importantly, Roky Rocky Road ice cream will be available at Amy's during the event! New Roky teeshirts will also be available in case you get excited and drip Roky Rocky Road all over your duds! Waterloo Records is located at 600A N. Lamar. (512) 474 2500
Reach the Rok's WATERLOO here!

All hail to THE KING and any of you folks who find themselves in and around Hollywood tonight should be attending the world's finest and long running Elvis birthday tribute event. The shindig is curated by the great Art Fein who also has his latest ANOTHER FEIN MESS sermon up and atcha. Get Clickin'...

"SNOW BIZNESS LIKE SHOW BIZNESS: They came from Min-ne-a-polis, Indianapolis, Phoenix and Atlanta to see the Dictators' two-night stand at CBGB, but some ticketholders who lived much closer couldn't even get out of their driveways because of the record-breaking two-day snowstorm that paralyzed much of the Northeast over the weekend. Others who set out for Mecca on the Bowery never made it: Three fans traveling from New England totaled their car in a four-car pileup (no one was seriously hurt, thankfully). Those who successfully slogged through the ice, slush and snow were treated to two nights of rock in honor of the 30th anniversary of the venerable CBGB (the New York Post quotes Andy in its article on the club's milestone) and were participants in the filming of the Dictators' first-ever DVD". (Reports, photos and fan photos from their two-night stand at CBs .....).

Uptight have made their latest waxing, the Collars & Cuffs EP, available for free in the MP3 format. Step on over to their website and groove to the mighty nothern band.

Oh boy, another day - another set of internet problems so who knows if this'll actually post or not but y' gotta try. Right? Poisoned Aeros are a Canadian combo that I think you folks would get a big kick outta. Timeless rock and roll antics with a little glam undertow that could well be transmitting direct from Max's Kansas City. Their album, Turbulence is available now on the Doublehell imprint and I urge you to check 'em out! This is my first big thing of 2004 and the initial pressing comes with a blank cd so you can burn a copy and pass it on to one of the untold millions that needs a band like this in their life.

As anybody who knows me will know I’m a bit edgy at this time of year. I like to see it out there in the rear view mirror. We wish all of our crew all the best, all the time. Un-deterred by calendars or the like. This morning I've been trying to catch up on messages and keep getting the blighters returned. Something to do with recipients servers or some such bollocks. The double-edged sword that is cyber-communications exasperates me. I am the king of no-patience and the master of the short fuse. With regard to making up some kinda retrospective list, my heart isn't in it. Have a trawl through the archives if you have the time and that might turn up some nugget that got away. The spectre of having to return to the daily grind is clouding my vision somewhat too, tis' a bummer but we gotta eat. I think that 2004 will be a bumpy ride but let's not lose sight of the big picture here. It's important not to piss up anybody's back and tell them that it's raining. Let's root for what's good and leave the sub-karaoke and worse that passes as mass entertainment in the dust with the scum who are perpetrating this "electronic chatter" that sanctions our space to be invaded in the name of safety. These people are willing to 86 themselves for their beliefs and I think they're taking the mick but our authorities can't take any chances. It's Mindset Wars and our side ain't programmed like the bogeymen and wummin are. Me? At this point, It's like Iggy once said "I don't believe in anything and I don't stand for nothing". Nothing 'cept to keep on keepin' on anyway I can and it's all forward from here. At least today. This morning, Brian Matthews played "From The Underworld" by The Herd and for the length of that at least, all was right with the world.

Scandinavian Tour Advisor and General WARNING



To fans, friends, loud-mouths, lay-a-bouts and anyone looking for a good time
in the Great frozen north:

It is with considerable surprise (even to me!) that the world’s one and only,
original SUPER-ROCK band is issuing this Scandinavian tour advisement and
general warning. After an absence of almost a generation, endless desperate
requests and engendering countless pale imitators, The FLESHTONES are indeed
returning to Scandinavia Feb 6th- 14th, 2004. To play, that is. Why? Certainly not
for money. Perhaps to give those who think they’ve seen it all a chance to
kick their diet of highly adulterated imitators and see how this thing is really
done. Or maybe we’re just looking for that special moment. All I know is that
the tour will indeed kick off at the DEBASER CLUB in STOCKHOLM with our good
friends The Nomads and The Maggots. If anyone remembers what it was like the
last time the Nomads and The FLESHTONES got together in that city, be prepared
for more of the same! Much more in fact, we’ve been practicing. In addition,
appearances at numerous fishing stations and fur-trading outposts will be
announced later. No, seeing all those other bands is NOT like witnessing the REAL,
one and only FLESHTONES, live and in person. Look I’ll tell you something
straight up, I don’t want to return home after a week and a half of freezing my
butt off gnawing on herring to read any e-mails asking why don’t we play
Scandinavia. We’re coming NOW. So, I’ve heard a lot of talk. I don’t know about you,
but The FLESHTONES are ready for ACTION. On stage, and if need be, off. If you
miss us this time, don’t count on catching us the next time we make it up
there. Which might be in another 20 years, or in time for the return of Haley's
Comet, if ever. Spread the word and see you there!

Dead Seriously,
Peter Zaremba

Watched The 100 Worst Records of all Time last night on C4 and it was somewhat wide of the mark. I don't think that The Cheeky Girls have been wreaking the worst pop damage at all and it's time they made a record with the one and only Duglas T. Stewart.

Can't wait for things to get back to some semblance of normal. Having said that normal is somewhat like rational these days, you gotta take it when y'can get it. Anyway, here's a link to something that's certainly gonna be keeping me on the straight and narrow. Go!

Rank your nerdiness.

So here we go. Headlong into another one... hope it works out grand for you and yer gang. Normal service may well resume tomorrow or thereaboots.

A very happy half-century shout out to the great Billy Miller whose contribution to our collective existence is unprecedented. Yes babies, he's the greatest! The real Birthday Honours list starts here... click the Norton link on the side bar there ya dumplin's!

Made it back and not a moment too soon. Those Deacon Blue folks are grand people but I'll have to say "No Thankyer" to their brand of pop. Huge audiences, Amy went down well but I was somewhat traumatised by having to endure a whole set in Glasgow last night. Anyway, it was all for a good cause and once I stop twitching I'll get to trying to compile a wee list of belters that might have got away. Our friends in the USA who have HBO are to be blessed with an all-new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm starting January 4th and The Sopranos on March 7th (info via the same link as Curb). About bloody time too... I'll be having a drip feed of Larry David action today methinks to stabilise me after my seasickness caused by that choppy trip on the ol' ship called dignity, dagnabbit!

Today we head to Aberdeen where Amy Allison will open for Deacon Blue. She was invited to do these shows by Ricky Ross himself so we're hoping that the Blue crew will dig that. It's probably snowing up there and it'll be bloody cold but it'll be an adventure to round out the year. My experience in HMV Edinburgh the other day wasn't as rosy as Steve's was in London but hopefully his version is a sign for 2004 but let's not pin our hopes on it though. I had a "tussle" with the Urban section. Another flaccid hat for that caterwauling corner of hip hop or whatever, hooever... I digress. Will try to gather my thoughts on the train trip, fueled by a visit to The Pastie Shop in Stirling en route. Those things have hallucinogenic qualities I tell ya! So better go get my tour managers hat and round up the troops... more soon.