S&LQ in the house...


Suzy & Los Quattro "Freak out" by BCore Disc

I was reading about a certain band that I cannot abide being embarrassed about what went down at their show in Dallas. This instance of the human condition notwithstanding – they’d be better employed being mortified about their alleged “music”.

Still tussling with this lurghi. Can't remember if I linked this before. If not then I meant to.

Rough. That just about covers the demeanour about now. Can’t seem to shake off this sore throat so it’ll just have to run its course. So yeah – Sheffield, way different to the last time I was there to see Springsteen when he toured “Tunnel of Love”. Getting there by train is a wee bit of a palaver but not much and it’s further down than I thought. Hence the urge to get off at Darlington.

Amy and Eric played The Greystones. A nice full room in the back of a bustling pub that seemed to serve a neighbourhood. There’s a full programme of stuff on there and while being in a residential that might not sit right with any major degree of sound volume – I haven’t been to many UK venues of late that are this well appointed. It was great to see them in good spirits. We hung out prior to the show and a bit afterwards. Highest highlights in a top calibre set included “Do You Remember That?”, “Kilburn Lane” and first time in a while – “The Trouble With Jeannie”. Andre filmed several clips that he’ll use to drum up attendees for the London show on November 26th at Union Chapel. Put the date in your diary folks.

And the fates smiled upon us in the accommodation department also. Plumping not to go down the Premier Inn route because it was too expensive – we went to Number Fifteen. A B&B that’s run by the promoter Simon’s wife Judith. Nice people, perfect place. If you’re heading to Sheffield then I unreservedly recommend that you stay there. An excellent breakfast with Sounds of the Sixties playing out in the background and no hangover. Result.

The train back to Edinburgh was cross-country so no changes. Not as comfortable as the East Coast mainline but it does the job. Hit the town a little after three and met Joss and Nadia with Yan and Steph at The Beehive down yon Grassmarket. Always a pleasure and it would have been even more so if the loutish packs of stag party scum could have been shepherded someplace else. Not drinking because I had to drive later perhaps heightened the low threshold of being able to zone out the incessant Neanderthal yelping but it was a small price to pay to watch the youngsters at our table having a good time.

From there it was a dash back to the station to get home and catch the vibes from Risør via a live stream. Imagine the frustration when this was interrupted and our homegal and her crew (Reine Laken) fell off the gas-powered PC radar for a bit. The only thing for it was to head for Tesco in order for A to stock up on tunnocks comestibles and a visit to the chippy. Most of my visitor's culinary jonesing was addressed this past few days methinks including the phenom known as the “crunchy pizza”. Then when we got back, we caught the rest of the RL set and the mission was indeed accomplished.

The drive in the wee hours to Edinburgh airport went without incident on autopilot to some degree. The remainder of Sunday is a blur and it's not a whole heck of a lot better now. Car insurance - that's what I needing to attend to now but the spirit and the flesh are very much in cahoots on this one.

RIP - Gene McDaniels (info via Al Chan's fb)

Hit the proverbial brick wall after a few days of big fun and am too fried to even consider collecting my thoughts and spilling them here. All in due course. My fellow traveller is back in Moss Rock City and I'm staring over that precipice referred to as Monday. In addition to it being August.

Regarding Thursday - The Primevals were swingin' as only they can at Cabaret Voltaire. I was in a minority that didn't really get The BellRays but nothing new there. I stand by my belief/opinion that it's great voice/all dynamic/no songs.

Don't waste your time by trying to convince me otherwise because I prefer The Twisteroos.

Anyway...

So has this damn fezbook real time, rolling update malarkey gone for good? I hope so. Although there are plenty more wee niggles to do with the place where a lot of us spend way too much time these days. Activity here will be limited ‘tween now and Sunday with the exception of maybe Friday.

Still… some stuff happening around that you ought to attend if you’re within gittin’ there distance.

The Surfin' Lungs 30th Anniversary bash on Friday night (29th) down the Brighton.

Eric and Amy are making with a short burst of shows starting tonight ahead of their heading US-ward. But don’t worry, they’ll be back in November.

The Wee Stramash is happening in Edinburgh seeing as it’s Uncle Big has been postponed.

And last but by no means least – Reine Laken will rock Risør in Norway on Saturday as part of Fyrjam 2011.

Big news came today!

Coming up this Thursday!

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"Ballads, Boogies & Blues"

PANTHER BURNS return to Belgrade on the Danube after their first theatre performance there in 2002. As part of the AUDIO VISUAL 21st CENTURY - AV 21 FESTIVAL BELEF 2011, Panther Burns will appear live before a psychedelic backdrop on Aug 6th at 9pm in the Kalemegdan Fortress on the plateau behind the Gallery Natural History Museum.

Via Eddie Flowers fb...

Sunday morning already. I kind of feel like buying a paper but really don't want to encourage the feeding frenzy. There are TWO BIG STORIES now, during a period of the year when almost nothing ever happens. And there's the other one that's gurgling away in the background - the one that might topple empires and govenments or both.

However, Norway is hurting pretty bad. And that makes me feel rotten. In addition to having many friends there, when I was there last month - the country pretty much helped me to remember that there there might be a purpose to this life malarky after all. I mean that sincerely and honestly. The people I met there were so gracious and cool and they really don't deserve this kind of action being visited upon them so what gives? The "religion" smokescreen. It's time that pigeonhole was reconsidered or even outlawed. It's several leagues more dangerous than drugs and booze ever were. It consumes idiots and makes them think that they have a purpose. They don't.

And after leaving "The Party" yesterday afternoon, I got the message about Amy Winehouse. Now I wasn't a huge fan of her music, I liked the stuff that reminded me of The Detroit Cobras. However, she was a proper pop star and however much she sometimes looked like she'd been dragged back and forward through a hedge multiple times, she exuded a beauty that was real. We can't legislate for her demons and nor should we. Whatever actually killed her is really none of our business. I keep reading about this "27" thing. That it has some significance. What bollocks.

Anyway, Everett True's piece here is pretty great and pretty much says all that needs to be said. It's not forensic, picking over her foibles. It's personal and I think that her character deserves that. And John Robb's is good too.

Your Fragile Mind by mxrich

I've no idea if this is on today or not but if you're in Oslo then you should go.

RIP - Amy Winehouse

Another Morten tip...

Some considerable time prior to punk rock being co-opted into the mainstream, it embodied an attitude and sense of worth. There was no software that could transform any old cak-handed twaddle into something worth listening to. My old mucker, Tom Phobic and I fought in the trenches of the punk rock wars and although we should rightly be looking at retirement with a nice pair of slippers each and a reasonable standard of upkeep, we’re really a bit like those individuals that were never informed that the war was over. Actually this one isn’t though so there’s a modicum of right on our side.

Anyway, that’s a long pre-amble into letting you know that The Phobics ”Deptford Calling” is now out and about. It contains 12 short, sharp kicks up the jacksy in the manner to that which you have come to expect from this fine Lahndunn combo. As honest as the day at your place of employment is long.

As always they combine the finer aspects of both US and UK varieties to arrive at something called “rock’n’roll”. Of the type that has no sell by date. Sadly you probably won’t read about how great this band is in the pages of Mojo but take it from me, they kick a sight more bottom than many of those who will be damned with some degree of praise.

This blighter is also available as a limited vinyl pressing so don’t muck about if you want one of those. No frills, even less nonsense noise of this type is to be nurtured, who knows, it could even kick something off.