CLOSED FOR ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE WORK. NO POSTS FOR A WEEK !

ALIVE IN 85 With: TheTwentyFlightVayneWolves

These 3 bands are no strangers here, so without further a do, I’ll get on with it. First up it’s the no nonsense debut album G.T.F by those Iggy/Thunders Rawk‘n’Rollers THE VAYNES, or DEAD VAYNES as they were called for this release. Next we’ve got the 2 singles Tower Block Rock and Johnny 7 from the TWENTY FLIGHT ROCKERS with their Gene Vincent meets The Clash Sound‘n’Style. Finally to slow things down a bit there’s the jangling Rock’n'Roll guitar lurch of JAMES KING AND THE LONE WOLVES with their The Angels Don’t Know 12” Enjoy!

FUCK DEMOCRACY !

Once again the illusion of democracy rears its ugly head. Members of Parliament are supposedly elected to represent the people. So when it comes to debate about the Embryo Bill, surely they should listen to the people and draw their conclusions from what the people think, and not what a man in a dress thinks. Democracy and Religious dogma don’t mix and the later shouldn’t dictate to the former. Talking of dresses, or lack of them; the media are working themselves into a frenzy over the French Presidents State visit, not because of anything meaningful or political, but because they’d rather shag President Sarkozy’s ex model and popstar wife than they would Gordon Browns. Choose yer illusion.

NIKKI SUDDEN - A Channel Steamer To The Angels

Two years ago today the music world became a poorer place when Nikki Sudden died in New York after doing what he liked doing best; playing live. He left a rich legacy behind from DIY Punk heroes the Swell Maps to his work with Dave Kusworth as The Jacobites and also the numerous solo albums he recorded, working with the likes of ex Rolling Stones and REM amongst others. Today’s post features his first couple of solo singles; Back To The Start and Channel Steamer, which carry on in the vein of the Swell Maps, plus an EP Shame For The Angels recorded with Dave Kusworth, which goes off in a completely different direction, taking his lo-fi leanings and combining them with Dave’s love lorn laments. Great and beautiful stuff, if yer aware of Nikki’s work, you’ll already know that, if yer not, why not give it, and the others a listen. Only quality gear available here! NIKKI SUDDEN 19/7/56 - 26/3/06 NEVER TO BE FORGOTTEN !

THE FLAME OF SHAME !

THEATRE OF HATE - The Hop (second hand 7" vinyl rip)

Dragged myself away from the computer today, for a bit of retail therapy down at the local Oxfam shop, while looking through their 7 inch vinyl selection, amongst the usual charity shop shite I came across this , and as my original copy had long gone, lost, sold or swapped, I thought 99p bargain! I’ll have that. The Hop, not included on their Westworld album, even though the b side Conquistador is. Not their best offering, but a good single all the same, and you don’t even have to leave you computer to get hold of it, all you have to do is click if you wanna hear about the “Eighties Revolutionary Hop” and while yer listening to it lets start thinking about the noughties one.

Right then, I'm off to the Doctors tommorrow with my internet addiction, get myself signed off from work on the sick, then I'll have more time to spend on the web. Result! and just to show I can handle my 'addiction' I'm gonna turn off the computer right no.......................

A SUNDAY SELECTION OF SEVEN SCRATCHY 7" VINYL SINGLES + B-Sides FOR YER EARS.

Starting off procedings we have

THE BATFISH BOYS
with Justine. Their singer Simon D used to be in ‘Goth Gods’ The March Violets. Goth this aint, think sleazy grubby rock’n’roll in the same vayne as Zodiac Mindwarp. For the second of the seven I give you THE WATERBOYS
This debut single A Girl Called Johnny by Mike Scott’s new band after Another Pretty Face and Funhouse, may or may not be about Johnny Thunders and/or Patti Smith (a couple of his heroes) a great single featuring some beautiful sax blowing. Next up it's TWINK ex Social Deviant and Pink Fairie with a blast of like the title Psychedelic Punkaroo suggests Psychedelic/Punk. You wouldn’t expect anything less of the fella would ya? Following swiftly on is The Stand by THE ALARM Often dismissed as “Clash copyists” This is a great single, with a great b-side, their finest moment? Now it' time to Git Down (Shake Your Thang) with GAYE BYKERS ON ACID Brilliant name! Brilliant single! A drug addled Punk/Metal/Experimental/Dance car crash of a record. Next on the agenda we have TENPOLE TUDOR The irrepressible Eddie Tenpoles first outing since his work with the Sex Pistols. This is a far better affair. Pub Rock, Punk Rock, like it says on the tin; Real Fun. Finally but by no means least it's the CUDDLY TOYS with It's A Shame. These Glam Romantic chaps are no strangers to this blog, so not much more to say about 'em really.

JESUS SAVES, WE SPEND

I dunno who’s sins Jesus died for, but I certainly suffered yesterday at the local ‘super’ market; having to push past people in the aisles who were arguing with staff over the 2 for 1 offers on easter fucking eggs, and then queuing up behind someone who looked like they had gone shopping for 5,000. Jesus fucking christ It made me so cross.

A new drug resistant strain of TB has entered the country according to the news tonight, better put that down on the National Risk Register then. Looks like their Scare The Nation Strategy has started already.

OR AM I ?

How the Micro can effect your view of the Macro

I already used the photo to yer left for a post on 6th March. It was taken in the area where I live. Hadn’t seen any NF graffiti for years, it was quite popular in the late 70’s early 80’s (during the time of political and economic crisis in Britain) and appeared on walls all over the place. When I first saw this recent piece, I wasn’t too surprised or shocked, after all in last years local council elections there was a BNP candidate standing for election in my ward. (click on the labels tag at the bottom of this post to read about that) My initial reaction to the graffiti was to ring up the council and get it’s crack team of ’Graffiti Busters’ to come and remove it. Then I thought I wonder what would happen if I did nothing about it? So for a bit of an ‘experiment’ that’s exactly what I did; nothing. I did think of getting a spray can and writing SCUM next to it, but the law of sod made me think I’d probably get caught, so I bottled it. The purpose of ‘the experiment’ was to see how long the graffiti would remain on the wall. It has now been two weeks since it first appeared, which lead me to the following conclusions:
a) No one else gives a shit or is aware of what NF stands for.
b) My neighbourhood is full of Racist sympathisers
c) The council are not doing their job properly.
Yesterday was 20th March, two weeks since I’d first photographed the graffiti. I ended my experiment as I was getting pissed off seeing it on the wall every time I went out for a walk with my dog. I rang the Councils Environmental Services and reported it. While I was on the phone I asked them If it had been reported before, they said that it had. I asked when and was told 14th March. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions. I will be going along to the next Local residents Association meeting to raise my concerns, could be interesting, cos I've been to a couple before and they seem to be mainly made up of people who like and want to be given power, but don't want to listen to anything that doesn't fit into their own narrow view point, they'd be a right bunch of little Hitlers if given the chance.

BLYTH POWER - Live @ Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage 1993

Now for something a little bit different for all you good people. Blyth Power, a unique band, that blend ’Folk’ and ’Punk’ together and come up with an eclectic, eccentric and ultimately uncategorisable sound that is truly their own, if yer thinking The Levellers, forget it! Blyth Power are something different. First and foremost they are a live band, and a fucking great one at that; having witnessed them loads of times over the years in a variety of venues with their varying line ups, they always went down well when they came to Stevenage, where this was recorded. It’s a great uplifting listen, I strongly advise you to click here and check it out.

THE POLITRICKS OF FEAR!

So we now have a National Security Strategy, to help us as a nation to cope and deal with the increased threats in the Risk Society that they have created and are now going to police with fear. A National Risk Register will let people now what they need to be scared of; Terrorism, Climate change, Flu pandemic, Flooding, all points of the spectrum covered there then. A Civilian Defence Force made up of volunteers from the community, will help support the emergency services during any crisis’s. An extension of Neighbourhood Watch one minister referred to it as, more like a first step towards a citizens army made up of people who wanted to be school prefects, policemen etc, but who didn’t quite make it. The strategy will enable the Government to pass even more laws that take away our freedoms in the name of National Security. A population that lives in fear is easier to control. President Roosevelt once said “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” people need to remember that when the media tells them what risks our society is facing in the future and also remember who put us in that position in the first place; the war on terror, industrial pollution, scientists messing with nature etc. The biggest risk to our security are our government and it’s actions; they are just like a school bully using scare tactics in order to control and manipulate us into doing what they want us to do. Their security is based on our insecurity. Still at least we’ll have a Civil Defence Force that could stand up and turn against them, or it could turn against others that have been labeled as a risk or threat to our society's security and identity. Think about it..........