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Yesterdays news is still today's truth!

They only tell us what they want us to know.....An Anti Austerity Demo gathered outside the BBC headquarters in London the other weekend, ...


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MAKE SENSE OF THE SENSELESS ! / QUESTION THE QUESTIONABLE ! / SHOUT ABOVE THE NOISE !

Sunday 27 September 2009

KHMER ROUGE - New York London 1981-86


You may have noticed that I’ve been running one of those widget ads for the Nikki Sudden and Phil Shoenfelt album. A while back I posted a Phil Shoenfelt album, and said there was a link between The Clash. Here’s the link; Phil Schoenfelt was a child of the 1977 UK Punk scene. He relocated to New York in 1979 and immersed himself in the No Wave scene, were he met up with Barry Scratchy Myers, a guy who was all versed in all things punk rawk, having been The Clash’s tour DJ for their first 3 US tours. The pair recorded and gigged together under the name Khmer Rouge, a reference to America’s foreign policy in Vietnam. They had record company interest from former New York Dolls manager Marty Thau, but he insisted the band had to change their name, he also had problems with the pairs heroin use/abuse, so any proposed deals failed to happen, and subsequently very little was released by the band, who remain to this day one of those ‘cult bands’ you wish you’d heard more of at the time at the time. The band played with The Clash, Billy Idol and The Fall, before disintegrating like their drug supply. Considering their dependencies the bands recordings are remarkably together and positive. After Khmer Rouge ‘Scratchy’ served time in The Junior Manson Slags while Phil went solo and also recorded the Golden Vanity album with Nikki Sudden in 1997. This compilation was originally released by Cog Sinister, The Falls record label. It’s a 2 disc set with the studio stuff here and the live stuff there. What’s the vibe? Well it’s like Joy Division meeting PIL and the Gang of Four and The Clash. Compelling stuff that still says something, after twenty + years; the groove and the message has aged well. I mean New York band Radio 4 used the Khmer Rouge blue print for their mighty fine 2002 album Gotham. Enjoy!

Another Sunday Sermon.


Keeping up with the Jones’s / Killing off the Jihadists / Bullshit Broadcasting Corporation keeps us informed / Replaying the past / Repeating the future / What have the masses got for entertainment ? / A Strictly Dancing Factor Lottery / Tax Payers / Tax Players / Vote them off / Bonus balls to it all / Here are some lucky numbers for you / 2, 4, 6, 8.…………UP AGAINST THE WALL!!//

Saturday 26 September 2009

Tony Blur

Respect to Blur for not having taken part in the Britpop New Labour Love-In.

Are Illegal Downloads Killing Off The Music Industry? (Discuss)


I was gonna discuss this a while back when Peter Meddlesome suddenly took an interest in illegal downloads, (makes a change from immigrants) after a meeting with music biz supremo David Geffen, who’s not happy as he feels he’s losing out on more cash from his film and record companies. Greedy bastard! Seeing as ‘the issue’ has appeared again with Lily Allen claiming illegal downloads are killing the music industry, I thought I might share a few thoughts of mine with you.
It’s about the 3 M’s Music, Message and Money, no make that 4, and Motivation. Why do people make music? Is it to get a message across, cos they like making music, or because they want to make money? It’s got to be for at least one of those reasons. The only artists illegal downloads effects are those were the only notes that count are the ones that come in wads, and the record companies, well they can fuck off cos they’re the ones responsible with their overpriced products. Yes prices are dropping but that’s only cos people aint been buying, just shows the mark up and the money they must have made off people before the digital age. Perhapes it’s pay back time for some of us. Anyway, the majority off stuff I have illegally downloaded I have bought at a latter date. If I haven’t then there’s a reason and that’s because it’s been shit! So perhaps the only people killing off the music industry are the artists themselves by releasing crap records/CD’s/Downloads or whatever it is the makes the pounds and dollars dance.
As for stuff I post on this blog, I don’t post anything that is newly released or readily available to buy, there’s been a few I’ve bought digitally that I’ve shared rather than let you suffer the scratches and crackles of my original vinyl and there’s a couple were I’ve felt that it’s important for people to hear the message and hoped the artists in question haven’t minded. The rest of the shit is old live tapes and stuff not available digitally that nobody would have got the chance to hear if I’d just left them in the box in my loft. Now some blogs, well….they are well and truly killing the music biz off, which ever since the Britpop and New Labour No10 Love-In of 1997 music has been seen as some sort of career choice, with band after band jumping on any band wagon that’s passing the studio/rehearsal room. It’s all fashion and no passion. Well to these ears and eyes the majority of it is. I’m not saying that artists shouldn’t get paid for what they are doing, that’s if they’re doing a good job, but It isn’t just about record sales, it’s about merchandise and touring. Then there’s the message.
Say that a few years back I had played in a band called The Drug Prowling Wolves and 20,000 people downloaded our album (Not that we ever made one) for free and only 5,000 paid for it, that’s 25,000 people listening to the music and the message, if those 20,000 people didn’t download it for free that’s a lot of people not hearing the music and the message, alright so the bands not making any money, but hey is that what it’s all about? The more people that hear the music by whatever means, means the larger the audience maybe at gigs etc. That’s if year any good. We were shit! But that was the whole point! It’s all about hard work, and Lily Allen is a product of the digital instant age were she became a hit immediately with out having to play small gigs in small clubs before she achieved her success, now she’s worried that her future riches may be stolen from her at the click of a mouse. Peter Mandelson, well we all know what his interest in it all is; he‘s there to try and secure the industry and his future. Music and Governments don’t mix. Anyway Lily Allen and Peter Mandelson can mass debate as much as they like but Pop has finally eaten itself! The music industry and people like David Geffen have become fat and bloated on their own success, so Click! Click! Lets carry on with the killing!

Thursday 24 September 2009

GARY HOLTON and CASINO STEEL


I’ve been meaning to post these couple of albums for a while, but never got round to it, that is until I was reminded by a mighty fine posting of a Casino Steel compilation over at Intruder Alert blog. So here's the first and there's the second album released by those lovable self confessed male chauvinist pigs messers Gary Holton and Casino Steel. Virtually ignored across the world except in Scandinavia where the pair reached almost superstar status with their collections of lovelorn, lager and liquor soaked laments topping the ‘pop charts’ Enjoy! LINKS HAVE BEEN FIXED!

In their surveillance society we are all being seen as guilty!
Public spending cuts? More like cunts spending the publics money! The MP’s expenses scandal seems to have all been forgotten about, a bit like the wanker bankers bonuses One year on since the financial collapse and they’re still raking it in. Union leaders aint doing too bad either. I dunno whether they're protecting the workers jobs, but they're certainly keeping their pay packets secure.

Saturday 19 September 2009

Saturday 12 September 2009

UK DECAY - Live @ Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage 1982


Right then! Time for the final part of the UK Decay live @ Stevenage Bowes Lyon House trilogy. Date on tape says Sept 82. My memory and poster says Oct 82, so I dunno. Either way this in my opinion is the best of the three, a live greatest hits set, all the favourites are here For My Country, Unwind, Dresden, Jerusalem etc. A real spine tingling, blood curdling primeval performance that pounds and pummels it’s way into yer soul. By Dec 82 the band were no more with singer Abbo announcing at the first of a two night stint at The Klub Foot in Hammersmith that the next night would be the bands last gig. According to Abbo “It wasn’t the end, it was a new beginning” unfortunately this wasn’t the case as both Furyo and In-Excelsis the bands formed by Abbo and Guitarist Spon never came close to having what UK Decay had. Enjoy the sounds of the past in the present, and if yer into the band and haven’t done so check out their web-site, a huge resource of everything UK Decay related. Had to pinch the poster for this post from there, as my original one crumbled away a long time ago.

It's not all bad news!

Unfinished scribbling #2


Roll up roll up for Osama Bin Ladens magical mystery tour. BANG! BANG! BANG! Terrorist porn. The 9/11 spectacular explodes on our screens once more to remind people why soldiers are coming home in boxes draped in flags. The plethora of television programs of propaganda; Human Interest stories of bravery and courage, it’s in their interest to make sure we humans never forget the evil that men can do. Repeating the rememberable. Keeping the images in the minds of the masses as to why the West entered and continues with it’s ‘Hot and Holy War’ against an unseen enemy it will never defeat.
Arms makes money, the recent arms trade fair in London testifies to this. No war no money. The West is complicit in the Killing fields and deserts across the world. Supply and Demand. It’s in the interests of the powers that be to continue in their global conflicts, but would they have killed a Princess to maintain these interests? President Obama and Prime Minister Brown’s hearts and mind club band.

Wednesday 9 September 2009

999 - I'm Alive In '85



In February of the year of 1985, 999 paid a visit to Bowes Lyon House in Stevenage. Probably one of the biggest bands to visit the venue since The Who played there in the 60’s. 999 had been players on the 77 punk scene, Second division some say, but top flight if you ask me. Unfortunately the album they were promoting; Face To Face was/is far too much of a poppy affair, not one of their better offerings. Live however, now that was a different story; as this recording from Glasgow in May of the same year testifies. The band blast out the old classics, and a few of their stronger new ones and literally bringing the barricades down. Have a listen and you’ll see what I mean. Enjoy! The band are still knocking ‘em out today and their last album Death In Soho was a mighty fine return to form for them. I’ve been meaning to post some 999 for a while, just had to wait for the day.

Tuesday 8 September 2009

“Truth can't be found on the television. Throwaway youth ya gotta take a stand.” - Stiv Bators

Sunday 6 September 2009

THE LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH - Truth Is The Sword


Put on yer eyeliner and squeeze into those leather/PVC trousers, it’s time to Rock’N’Roll out with The Lords Of The New Church. The Lords were always a good night out in the 80’s with the eyeliner running and the bollocks sweating by the end of the evening. I’ve had these couple of shows knocking about for a while waiting to post, but never got around to it until now that is. This post was inspired by a recent series of ones on The Lords over at Music Ruined My Life Blogspot which included some fine critical comments on the band; who could go from a song like their 1982 single Open Your Eyes, which I think is one of the best political statements made by a Rock’N’Roll group ever (It easily sits up there with anything by The Clash or Crass) to say, something like the singles b-side Girls, Girls, Girls without any hint of irony. A truly unique and individual group who were greater than the sum of their parts which were top quality in themselves; ex members of The Damned, Sham 69, The Barracudas and The Dead Boys. What was to be expected was what we received; 100% Honest Grade A Rock’N’Roll with a few minus B moments. What more could you ask from a band? Anyway what you’ve got here is a recording from The Loft in Berlin in 1984 and there’s one from The Reading Festival in 1986 just for good measure. I think Stiv rode on to the stage on a motorbike at this one, or was that Dumpy from The Rusty Nuts. Fucked if I can remember. Enjoy!

"WE GOTTA GET OUTTA THIS PLACE"


“I am making this statement as a wilful defiance of military authority because I believe that the War is being deliberately prolonged by those who have the power to end it.” - Siegfried Sassoon 1886-1967 (quoted in Memoirs of an Infantry Officer)

Saturday 5 September 2009


*THOUGHTS OF THE WEEK* (29th Aug - 5th Sept)

NHS the battleground in the next election. Stories about staff having too many sick days, elderly left to lie in their own piss etc, complaints compensation big cash payouts for botched treatment. This is our money being spent to meet or cheat targets. The sacred cow, that will be either slaughtered or cut up into smaller chunks by the next government, of that I’m sure. Independent consultants employed to find out how the NHS wastes money. I wonder how much they cost?
Unemployment, a lost generation the media scream. Headlines, Deadlines….Breadline.
Soldiers are being killed and injured in a fight to bring democracy to a country where voters were still to scared to vote.
Round and round it goes. Ever decreasing circles. Life becomes a dot.
Another Dead Kennedy; Liberal champion or sponsor of terrorism. You decide!
Chinese money bails out owners of Canary Warf.
Peter ‘Meddlesome’ Mandleson meets with entertainment giant David Geffen and all of a sudden it’s clampdown time on ‘illegal music and film file sharers’ These meetings of minds always lead to something. So what do we get out of this one, Geffen gets to keep and make more money, but what about us? more shit films and music!
Rising fuel prices, despite deals with Libya, the truth is coming out. “It was nothing to do with trade!” a week later ..”err,…well…..yes…..maybe it was” WANKERS!. The people demand to know the truth! …… well no they don’t ;cos their heads are so far up their arses, they don’t demand anything except cheap credit and celebrity culture. Those that do demand and deserve the truth already know that it’s in an MP’s job description to be a corrupt self seeking liar. We need to start pulling out everyone’s head from their arses and wipe the smokescreen from out of their eyes
No more ’normal light bulbs’ it’s all energy saving from now on in. The government in a strange moment of altruism have decided that they should help us save a few quid by banning them, under an EU directive and safe the environment along the way. Well thanks but fuck off. If I wanna spend a few pence more so I can actually see what I’m typing, reading, watching etc Then I should be allowed to make that choice, as for the environment well it’s just a drop in the ocean, like the plastic bag bollocks.
It aint gonna matter anyway because even after recent ’trade deals’ we are being told to expect power cuts in the future as our resources are running low.
At the current G20 conference France and Germany called for greater controls over bonuses paid to bankers. America and Britain just wanted control over the controls, i.e. not 100% the same as European idea. Hardly news is it, I mean since when has there been 100% agreement on anything. Thought this was a time for change, or that’s what people are being led to believe is gonna be happening. BOLLOCKS! you get no change from capitalism!