RIP - James Arness

Caroline Munro at GFT this Sunday...

The best powerpop and garagerock festival in Europe this summer! Check out the line-up! :)

Now, you know how some people are prone to make claims that simply don't stand up?

However this one is justified and I'll even let that "smiley" go because it's there to punctuate the truth. This time next week (Friday) one hell of a party will be kicking off in Moss, Norway. There's still time to make your arrangements. Those of you that already have will no doubt be aware that the venue has changed. All the up to date info is but a click away. Look forward to seeing you there.

In the run-up... The Fleshtones are in Stockholm tonight and heading toward Moss in a logistically complex trajectory (Portugal tomorrow) to superrock next Saturday night.

The Nomads are in Lyon tomorrow for a Moss pre-match warm up.

There's plenty more fun like this just a click here away...

Big thanks to Rich Lustre for making it all available

OK kids, another shot at making MC5: A True Testimonial roll in the thunder.

As much as I dislike the computer as a crutch, when something like the J*zz f*nk” auction comes along then there’s a brief spike of them seeming useful. But then, like a metaphor for all life really, the custodians wade in and rain on the parade. I’m hoping that we’ll be able to find out what happens and that the story has a happy or at least positive ending. This was no mere “listing”, it touched a nerve. Even if it was only to rejoice in the mockery of what is perhaps the sickest, ugliest (and neither in a good way) excuse for a genre that ever was. The feeling of community was further enhanced by the guy taking time to reply to all of the “questions” or rather messages that people sent him.

It was a genuinely uplifting few days, torn down by the burghers of tosspot town. No harm was being done but what seems like an honest ribbing at the expense of someone who behaved questionably in all areas including taste in music – has had the plug pulled.

I’m hoping that some enterprising media company will endeavour to report on this for all angles. They might even be able to turn up the individual that amassed this heinous haul? Now that’s something that I would definitely tune in to.

Just got back from seeing "Thor". It's not bad, with enough of a nod to the original comic books and in-references to detract from the "special effects". No, it wasn't in 3D. My eyes barely do 2D anymore.

Anyways, there's not much of Sunday left so I need to grab it. You can stream the new Dave Alvin record here while the sands of time run out. Apparently you can do it at i-Tunes too if you're set up for that gubbins.

It was kind of fun to watch people get aerated about the “it’s just music” quip that Missus Gawgaws manager sent to Bob Lefsetz. Admittedly I can get apoplectic about ultra-triviality too but the comparison in the same sentence of Justin’s B and T to The Be*tles (and other old guard stalwarts) knocked my ability to get irritated clear out of the park.

I vaguely recall a time when I used to write about music on here. Preoccupation with matters outwith that sphere have been dogging my ability to do this. It’s not that I don’t want to, more that I don’t seem to be able to. Add to that the fact that I’ve had it up to here (raises hand above head height) with computers and you have the perfect situation for a creek and lack of a paddle. Spending all day, every day in front of one of these damned things has removed any novelty value the blighters ever had. They’ve made everything – except people – superfluous. The way that some individuals seem to be attached to phone devices is something that really rankles. It’s taken rudeness to a whole higher level. Yes, these things can be useful but for christ’s sake turn them off for a spell will you?

Here we are in the last days of May again. Hopefully that pesky ash cloud won’t be stinking up the airways a little over a week from now. Of course, it seems forever away at this point but I’m REALLY looking forward to the International Rock’n’Roll AGM in Moss. There’s still time to make the scene.

OK, chores to be done, if you haven’t seen this, it’s guaranteed to raise a titter.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/290570522953

RIP - Jeff Conaway

RIP - Gil Scott-Heron

From Brother Bruce Bennett via fb - how can this have come around so quick!

To paraphrase Sleepy Labeef's onstage stumping, "If anyone's going to be in the Europe area next week..."

Behold: A-Bones European Sun Tour '011 --

Sat June 4th - France Bourges Cosmic Trip Festival

Tues June 7th - Italy Brescia Lio Bar

Wed June 8th - Italy Piacenza Spazio 4

Thurs June 9th - Italy Roma Traffic

Fri June 10th - Italy Ancona Osimo FunHouse shop

Sat June 11th - Italy Torino Spazio 211

Sir Tom Phobic wishes it to be known that...

Hi kids,

We got a great gig to tell you about in a coupla weeks time so stick the date in your diary now...in fact just go to the tattoo parlour and ink your skin so you don't fergit it. FRIDAY 3rd JUNE at The Castle, Finchley Road NW11 8DG Doors £5 from 8pm - 1am with WILD MUTATION, THE PHOBICS and SPECIAL BRANCH.

WILD MUTATION are: SPIZZ (Vocals - SPIZZENERGI),
SHANNE BRADLEY (Bass - NIPPLE ERECTORS/THE MEN THEY COULDN'T HANG),
TONY MORRISON/Sharron Slutt (Guitar - LONG TALL SHORTY/Angelic Upstarts/Kiria),
MARC PEARSON (The man with the Star Guitar THE GLITTER BAND and Y.T.D.S),
ALEX KARL GOLD (Drums - WUTARS)
JENNY DRAG (BV's & Guest Vocal - The Priscillas)

Running times SPECIAL BRANCH on stage at 8:15, THE PHOBICS on at 9:15 and WILD MUTATION ABOUT 10:30

IT'S PART OF A WEEKEND OF CELEBRATIONS FOR MICK RONSON'S CANCER CHARITY SO BRING SOME MONEY.

What a stellar line up - eh kids? The other bands will be kicking out a bunch of selected covers and favourites for your pleasure, while we will provide a run through of our soon to come out on vinyl album DEPTFORD CALLING and anything else we can get away with. Sounds blinking good to me.

I was looking for something to post on here and came across this curio that Deborah Frost flagged up on fb. One of the comments mentioned David Roter so that clinched it...

Severe winds and horizontal rain plus an ash cloud reprise. No tangible sign of the apocalypse although it would be hard to tell with the initial 5 months of 2011 providing a fair old dollup of what could be construed as hell. Maybe the Mayans can be trusted to get it right? However, I’d rather that none of us would have to suffer any more per se than we do already so a swift exit would be preferred.

I’ve been interested in the pictures that have been beaming from Puerto Del Sol in Madrid. That’s my sauntering area where I amble through to and from the Wurlitzer, El Sol or wherever. I hope the actions of the protesters can elicit some improvements in their situation but these are peculiar times where the greedy bastards in all sectors of society are hanging on like grim death to their spoils. They don’t seem to realise that the weight limit for the baggage to the destination we’re all headed is zero.

Mr Duff went out last night...

Ted Chippington and The Nightingales. Two names that anyone who began listening to John Peel at the same time as I did will remember with some affection –even if, like me, you can’t be sure that they were actually as good as you remember them being. Last night, I had the opportunity to test my memory and my teenage judgement and am pleased to report that I’ve nothing to be ashamed of.

I turned up at Sneaky Petes with high hopes. Comments from colleagues who’d attended the previous night in Glasgow concluded “if only Frankie Boyle and that Sonic Youth were a tenth as good”. That assessment pretty much nails it – in respect of The Nightingales for sure.

They began as they continued with a serious twin guitar row backed by a rock hard glam rock bass drum stomp. In fact, if I can think of anything to compare them with it’s those jaw-dropping ‘junk shop glam’ records that Robin Wills regularly posts on his PUREPOP blog. And when - by song three, Robert roared “I didn’t know I loved you til I saw you rock’n’roll”, I knew I was on the right track with such thoughts. It’s not all ramalama rabble rousing though, there’s a fair bit of Beefheart and something that I can’t name but that is pretty damned rowdy, mixed in. The last time I saw a band kick up and maintain this kind of mania was The Oh Sees. Now, Robert Lloyd’s vocal delivery is a good deal more droll and a bit less unhinged than John Dwyer but sonically speaking, the action is comparable. On last night’s evidence at least, The Nightingales are that rare beast in these days of everybody knowing everything, a band that has been truly overlooked. We should consider ourselves lucky that Robert Lloyd still feels the need to come out and make his noise.

Ted Chippington, sadly sans his showbiz drape suit, opened and gave us a rough 20 minutes of what we’ll have to call material, although it’s still unlike any other comedy material you ever heard. The closest he got to a recognisable joke was “I was walking down this road and this bloke came up to me and he said ‘hey I’m addicted’. I said, ‘You probably are mate.” The highlight (his version of Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep - recast as Chirpy Chirpy Cockney - aside) was a tape he played of an unidentified British punkrocker embarrassing himself with his inarticulacy on US radio. If anybody who knows who that was, I’d be delighted to know.

Oh and if you’re in Edinburgh or Glasgow scratching your head and wondering how you never heard about this then the reason is because - as far as I can see no one knew – I saw NO publicity around Edinburgh or on the net at all. The Nightingales told me that they got a call from the promoter at noon yesterday (the day of the show) to say they were pulling it so the band took the reins themselves. There was about 20 people in the room but those 20 people saw a great show. The Nightingales achieved victory in the face of incompetence and indifference, I think that may well be a decent summing up of their whole story. Go see them tonight if you're in Hull, they deserve better than they got in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Thanks to Paul Johnston...