I’ve really taken to the ruling of not switching on the computer before I leave in the morning. Don’t fret though - it’s not that the time is being used wisely or anything. There are more positive glitches on the horizon interspersed with the more common, extended bouts of gloom. Motivation is still a problem in the main.

The "alternative vote" seems likely to go the route of the similarly-monikered comedy type. Like independent and "indie", the bigger problem is getting people to vote at all and encoraging inclusion rather than disillusion. “The daftest wee country in the world” goes to the polls tomorrow as a stop off before hitting canine central altogether.

Still, perhaps you’re out enjoying the last vestiges of sun for now. They’re predicting rain for tomorrow so make that hay... if you’re in Edinburgh then both Peter Case (& The Sunshine Delay) and Greg Trooper are in town tonight. I’m conserving my energies and meagre finances for Friday though and contemplating a very quiet weekend here at the bunker. Let’s see how that pans out.

RIP - Andy Dunkley

I was just scrolling down facebook when I noticed Joly's post. What a shock.

As anyone my age who attended gigs in their formative years will be aware, this man helped shape our tastes. He would play requests in addition to educating the ears of his audience. Over the years I was lucky enough to get to know him a bit and during his time at Rockpool, he helped me get the word out on the mag and also The Skeletons. I'm genuinely stunned at hearing about this and send my condolences to his family and friends at this sad time.

Seeing as you started the day with The Dictators, go to Scott Kempner's blog and read about The Del Lords encounter with Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Real rock writing lives.

I know that you get hit up for money right, left and centre. And that you possibly don't have bags of it anyway? Still - I would ask you to consider chipping into the ATT coffers so that the film can finally be released. Even to the extent of it appearing in theatres. No sensurround required to get the maximum effect.

Anyway, there are 10 days to go before the Kickstarter campaign stops so if you could nip over there (link is right next to this) then that would be tops. If you downloaded it or had a copy burned for you by a friend then please consider giving at least 10 bucks so that future generations don't have to.

This project has come up against too many hurdles in it's short life and as labours of love go, they don't get any more true believing than this.

The Dictators at Winterland in July 1977.

No video for the intro but then - BLAM!

(Thanks to Bill Gibson for the fb tip off)

Laura Cantrell’s celebration of Kitty Wells is out and about as of now. Just ahead of her upcoming visit to the UK that commences this coming week. It’s a fine distillation of tribute and education that will hopefully elicit some interest in the more extensive back catalogue of its subject.

Like all good country music records, it’s short and sharp and it makes a strong impression. Wish there was a dynaflex vinyl version because I’d snap up several safety copies. The set opens with the title track “Kitty Well’s Dresses” that Laura wrote with “wir ain” Amy Allison and for some reason, the tune reminds me of “Chariots of Fire”. Maybe I just finally completely lost it.

There’s a wee promo video on this page if you scroll down a bit. Here’s an interview that appeared in The Scotsman last weekend and the tour dates are here. This time next week she’ll be in Edinburgh and thusly so will I. So you’re all tooled up with everything you need to partake of some damn sweet music that harks back to a time that maybe wasn’t so complicated.

This time last week I was looking forward to “The London”. Time sure flies and as we get to pulling out of April then my thanks to “the palace” for sorting out my not having to make the journey to the salt mine today. They’ll forgive me for not joining in with the bunfight in any way, shape or form. Posting Sex Pistols songs on fezbook is no more “punk rock” than Hot Topic is and posting such just encourages them. The Bottom Rung shindig in Auld Reekie looks like a good alternative too but I won’t be over there tonight. I did get some weeding activity completed this morning though. That’s not a typo by the way.

I’ll have several attempts at that over the weekend if this weather keeps up. And will nip out to see a couple of films and hang out with T + V for a bit. They’ve come north to escape the rampant stupidity and road closures in their ‘hood. So now I’m heading around to the shop for some chocolate and when I come back will have a listening session of sorts. I hope you’re making the best of your freedom if you have it. My commiserations if you didn’t get the day off for whatever reason, including living overseas. Don’t worry – we’ll pay for this one way or another.

Likely both.

Part(y) 1 tonight...

RIP - David Wilkerson

(link via Miriam Linna's fb)

The Fleshtones will be bringing the Brooklyn Sound Solution to Europe over the next month or so. Keep checking here for details,the first lot are up now.

There's a good chance of an instore this Friday before the show the poster is for (thanks jm).

Exactly why the antics of what’s happening at the other end of the country could interest anyone is a huge mystery to me. That goes for this week and the 2012 gubbins, up there with the pyramids and maybe even the Loch Ness monster. However, as long as you keep well away from the TV and every other form of media then it's provided an extended weekend break. Make like you’re on a plane or in the quiet coach of the train and turn off your gadgets. We'll still be here after it all dies down. perhaps even during to offer an alternative.

I guess that the weekend there recharged my ailing batteries to some degree. Hooking up with old/new friends and associates taking up the burn of the day to day hokum. I just saw something about “major studios streaming to YouTube” which brought me down a bit. It’s all so desperate. Still if someone would rather watch something on the (very) wee screen as opposed to anything like a decent sized one then why the hell should I try to stop ‘em. I guess the only real winner here will be specsavers or some other such outlet that deals in seeing gear.

On the subject of the pictures, if you’re in Glasgow next Tuesday (May 3rd) then there’s a screening of the Creation Records documentary that will be followed by a Bandits set and other stuff of that persuasion.

Another passing... RIP - Huey P. Meaux

RIP - Phoebe Snow

The rabbits are a hoppin' this week -- with Susquehanna Industrial Tool & Die Co. at its last-Thursday-of-every-month residency at warm and fuzzy Otto's Shrunken Head!

THURSDAY, APRIL 28th / OTTO'S SHRUNKEN HEAD / 538 East 14th Street (just west of Avenue B) in Manhattan /
Two brightly colored shows, from 8pm sharp until 10pm / No cover! /

Happy Easter!
Sincerely,
Michael

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

I’m not sure how such events are curated anymore but whatever brought the Flamin Groovies in the form of The A-Bones + Ira Kaplan + Roy and Cyril to Le Beat Bespoke 7 is all that’s important. Quibbles about the sound notwithstanding, it was an occasion. Of course, audio quality isn’t everything but perhaps if the guy at the desk had spent less time checking his phone then maybe the necessary tweaks could have been addressed. There’s nothing this type of attention deficit could do to snuff out the humungous good vibe though. As the racket boomed around the gym hall style room there were plenty of satisfied grins across coruscating coupons (that’s faces to folks that don’t hark from around here). Young Nick West who sustained an ankle injury couldn’t be there and I think he bribed the gods into a little mischief.

From the opening rip through “Second Cousin”, this was a celebration of a great catalogue and some of the finest rock’n’roll songs ever written. Occupying a position that pre-dated tribal pigeonholes, the various forms the Groovies took over the years has percolated into the firmament. I can’t say how this stacked up against the Ponderosa Stomp reunions because I wasn’t there but there was one distinct difference that we’ll get to later for better or the flipside.

I’d never met Cyril before but what a top geezer and of course, gentleman Roy Loney has to be one of the most convivial blokes in the business. Perhaps that’s what has conspired to keep him from overground notoriety. More likely that it’s just a case of the public at large having no taste. And what can you say about the band that is to these guys what the Wondermints are to Brian Wilson although for my money, them A-Bones have dollups more juice in the spirit department in addition to the proficiency.

Apparently Cyril had said something on WFMU prior to this trip that he’d welcome Chris Wilson on stage in London. What's that one about careful what you wish for? As the day went on, it seemed like a rumour but sure enough – CW was outside the venue when we daundered in from across the road. So the prospect of him joining in for “Shake Some Action” seemed great, if nothing else for historic significance and the burying of hatchets. Reports that his performance was staggering aren’t totally unfounded but not in the jaw-dropping sense, more in the case that there’s a rogue “was” at the start of this sentence. Like the thing that wouldn’t leave, it could have been great if he hadn’t been completely pished.

In a grand display of patience and good humour, everyone else on stage worked around the intervention to make the best of the situation. So no time for “Jumpin’ In The Night” due to the curfew but I was able to jump on to the #27 bus (thanks Penny) that took me all the way to Chiswick. Like the song sez, “All’s well that ends well”. Just a tad too early was all. Maybe we can do it all again in Spain or something?

Please excuse the lack of photographic evidence. Some pillock (me) left his camera in the dressing room – known here as the board room – it’s safe though. Miriam has it so we’ll sort out the logistics of getting it back in due course and maybe adding some to this.

A final consideration then... No opening act other than one that is sanctioned by the headliner but preferably no support at all. As attention spans deteriorate and buffoons fanny about with phones this has to be a consideration surely. It’s also a facet of getting older. Having to bear – in the main – crap acts and stand about waiting while they “warm” up the crowd (not) is time consuming. And we’re all getting painfully aware of how precious that commodity is. How would lesser known quantities become known? That - my friend - is the dilemma of the person or unit, leave me the eff out (of it). What’s with a situation where a disco can blare out until the wee hours but a band can’t knock a few more tunes out?

The campaign for eradicating openers that offer bugger all to the party starts here. And it starts now. Of course, if there was some hike in the quality control then this edict could be re-evaluated.

RIP - Poly Styrene