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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 !

Monday 28 March 2011

Some wriOting.


So, the streets of London were full of protesters, the numbers vary depending on who’s telling the tale, but there were quite a few looking at the pictures on TV and in the papers, many were public sector workers on a day out with their families, no doubt concerned about the impending job cuts, for some people it was the first demo they’d been on. It all seemed very middle class, the £25,000 undeserving we’re poor brigade. It was all going spiffingly well until those nasty naughty troublemaking anarchists decided to take some direct action.

We live in a violent society were the state kills protestors and tries to cover it up; lest we forget Ian Tomlinson. Our children are bombarded by images on DVD’s, while bricks were being thrown through bank windows bombs rained down on Libya, the fighting continues in Iraq and Afghanistan, as paint is poured over a policeman there’s a kid in his bedroom with a Playstation or X Box; shooting, punching and kicking a virtual enemy, all this must be thoughtful violence, because when people take their frustration, anger and rage out on symbols of power and wealth it is described by the media as being mindless violence.

If the clean up is gonna cost £1 million then so be it, I’d rather pay for that than some poxy census or missiles for regime change, unfortunately we end up paying for everything whether we like it or not, as some of those first time marchers are gonna find out when they can’t afford their foreign holidays, or the up keep on their second car. From Marks and Spencer’s to Poundland; go past go, do not collect £200! and some of the toffy nosed rioters, are gonna find out what it’s like to get on the wrong side of the law, I wonder if mummy and daddy are gonna post their bail or pay the fines? I’m sure not all those who were rioting came from a privileged back ground, but ….If this is a class war, who’s fighting who?

Any action that involves violence not prescribed by the state or consumer market is gonna be denounced as bad and unacceptable, but it’s something that we need to accept will happen, that’s the nature of the beast. The media report the facts by manipulating the truth, and the truth is, the powers that be are scared that what’s happened on these recent demonstrations is affecting Britain’s image abroad and may put people off coming to London for The Royal Wedding or The Olympics, but more to the point…they are scared that the bricks will be flying and fires are gonna be burning at both those events, they are fearing the fear and are planning to use anti terrorist laws to stop and search suspect people in London in a bid to stop any violence. Oh the irony….the SUS laws in the 70’s and 80’s saw a large number of black people stopped because of the colour of their skin, now in 2011 everybody who’s dressed all in black and attending a protest stands a good chance of being stopped and searched ….because after all in the medias eyes that’s what an anarchist looks like.

Setting The Record straight.


When I reviewed The DeRELLAS stomping slab of a digital download single She Kissed The Gun, I was bemoaning the fact that digital downloads weren’t the same as vinyl or CD. It turns out She Kissed The Gun was also released as a 7” single, and not on just any old vinyl… no it’s red! Just like an old UK Subs single, and it’s got a b-side. The DeRellas take on The Vibrators classic Baby Baby and turn it into a glamtastic classic of their own. It’s available from CrushWorld Records, for the princely sum of…. well I dunno how much cos my copy was a freebie, cheers Timmy. One last thing The Vibrators and The DeRellas are playing in London at The Boston Arms, Tufnel Park on Sat 23rd of April, it promises to be a Rawk’n’Rolling night.

Sunday 27 March 2011

Essential Ephemera #11

Remembering Nikki Sudden (19th July 1956 - 26th March 2006), with an article from a 1993 Record Collector Magazine.

THE GODFATHERS - Birth, School, Work, Death.


Birth, School, Work, Death was The Godfathers major label debut, it lacks the rawness of their Hit By Hit album, it doesn’t however lack the tunes, or the anger and frustration of living in 1980’s Britain. This was a real kick in the teeth to the Rave Culture that was polluting Britain in 1988, The Godfathers were no loved up smiley faced ravers; more amphetamine fuelled rage-ers. Songs with passion, power and feelings that were all too real, rather than escaping the times in a field The Godfathers embraced them on a run down council estate before punching them in the face. No baggy tops'n'flares or electro beats here this was sharp suits and guitars. If you fancy a bit of Birth, School, Work, Death. You know what to do. Enjoy and Destroy!

Some shit about some shit!

I was shocked and surprised to hear about the death of Elizabeth Taylor.... I thought she was already dead…. and another thing….If as the news reported Colonel Gaddafi’s airforce has been rendered useless, why then are the West still bombing Libya? I thought the whole no fly zone thing was about stopping his air capabilities, seems to me the job’s been done, unless there’s more to it….Like regieme change. Is he a target? Isn’t he a target? And when the bullets fly past his head will his guards be shouting “GADDAFI.. DUCK!”

Sunday 20 March 2011

Here we, here we, here we Fucking Go!


Rewind 25 years. In 1986 the US, with the help and backing of Britain launched air strikes on Libya. In retaliation for terrorist attacks across Europe that had been linked to Gaddafi’s government, including one at a Berlin disco when one American was killed. These air strikes did not have either the backing of the UN, or countries in the Arab world, ironically 1986 was the UN year of peace.
Here we are in 2011and off we go again, this time the US have taken less of a lead in the rhetoric, which may go some way to explain the support this latest intervention has received from the UN and Arab world. Rather than let a sleeping mad dog lie, the West pokes him with a stick. Rightly or wrongly, when Blair and Brown cosied up to Gaddafi, it kept stability in the region, and moderated Gaddafi’s excesses, now after the recent uprisings across North Africa and Egypt the region has been plunged into turmoil, I’m sure Western forces have been involved in covert operations in the region prior to the uprisings, I mean look at that recent Diplomatic Mission to Libya, were the group was arrested and found to be in possession of Guns and ammunition. When the Libyan people rose up unlike Egypt, their government was prepared to turn the guns against its citizens, who in turn were prepared to stand and fight. It seems that the West like this idea, and after 25 years have decided that enough is enough and an alliance of countries led by Britain and the US has developed, who despite what they tell us are involved in an operation to oust Gaddafi, something they could have done years ago, but for economic and political reasons they chose to leave him in power and after 9/11 go after Sadham Hussain instead, who was a nasty man to his people, but unlike Gaddafi had no links to terror attacks against the West, from allegedly supplying money and munitions to the IRA, to the Lockerbie Bombing, Libya’s name was in the frame. The rhetoric of this latest action taking place in order to protect Libyan citizens from Gaddafi’s forces is just a smokescreen, because by that logic and argument why aren’t and haven’t missiles rained down on China for its treatment of the Tibetans, why is Robert Mugabe still in power and why aren’t we supporting the people of Bahrain in their struggle. No this is regieme change through bomb bay doors. Will it be another Iraq? Well I can’t see Gaddafi going quickly or quietly, but then can Britain afford another fight? What price for freedom and democracy across the world when the Armed Forces budget is being cut, but then….this latest military involvement could be used as a reason by some for not making as many military cut backs as originally planned! Or alternatively the West lets the Arab nations sort it all out amongst themselves, because at the end of the day who are we to impose our values on other nations. In the bombing raids that have taken place already and those that will no doubt take place in the future days, I wonder how many of the civilians the West is supposed to be protecting will die. Probably less than did 25 years ago, what with all the hi-tech weaponry that has been developed and tested in Iraq and Afghanistan, perhaps Libya is gonna be another testing ground for some more state of the art guided missiles. When and if the pictures of the innocent casualties of these attacks are beamed in to our living rooms, that’s when we’ll find out just how much the people of the West are prepared to pay for the freedom and democracy of others, and whether it can be achieved through force, and does it make our leaders any better than those they wish to depose? No….they’re all the fucking same! It’s just the way they treat their people that is different!

Saturday 19 March 2011

GLASVEGAS - Live in Berlin 10/3/2011


In this post I was gonna tell you about Glasvegas having been away for a couple of years, how they’ve changed their Drummer and that they’ve got a new album ‘EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK\\\‘ coming out, but….Shock breaking news in this weeks NME….James Allan (Glasvegas’s Singer) OD’d on an unspecified substance….Two years ago! Quite why the press now think this is news is beyond me. Who cares now? And who would have cared then? Sex, Drugs, Rock’n’Roll! And all that. I’m just waiting for the “James Allan caught in hotel corridor wearing only a latex Lou Reed mask and with a prostitute for company” story to break. Until then here’s Glasvegas with their brooding and pounding Rock’n’Roll. ‘ENJOY /// DESTROY \\\’

OH FUKushima!


Meltdown / Nuclear fear / Three Mile Island / Chernobyl / Radiation // Blanket media coverage / Pull out colour supplement / Souvenir Edition / This aint no Hollywood Blockbuster / No Armageddon or Day After Tomorrow / This is now / This is real / The medias reality with page after page crashing down on the reader / TV Channel after TV Channel / Music makes the visuals even more harrowing / Create the compassion / 24-7 / This is a Sky TV fear fest / A war zone / Hiroshima / World War Two / Third World War / Iraq / Afghanistan / No…. Libya! / Quick change the channel / There’s a whole new drama starting //

Spot The Difference?

From Boarded up, to botched up!




It's Oil Going Down the Shitter!


Sunday 13 March 2011

A Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On.


I Can’t let this weekend pass without comment on the Japan earthquake/tsunami disaster. Once again Nature shows it is the most powerful and indiscriminate force on the planet; the only true global super power, and more unpredictable than any mad dog dictator. Our planet is going through another cycle, there are systemic shifts going on in the natural world, you don’t have to be a scientist to work that out, you only need to have watched the news recently, Floods in Australia, Earthquake in New Zealand, they say all things come in threes. On a national level look at the increase in Britain of what’s been labelled ’extreme weather’ Yeah global warming may have something to do with it, but is this really true or just a case of the emperors new clothes; because these cycles of nature are nothing new, they’ve gone on for millions of years. Ironically in the wake of the Japanese disaster the biggest concern is the damage to a Nuclear Power station; the natural world meets the human world where Nuclear Energy has been seen as an alternative to the depleting sources of natural fuels, such as coal, gas oil etc. Nature takes no prisoners when it’s forces are unleashed, lest we forget!

Friday 11 March 2011

JOHNNY THUNDERS - Live @ The Hope and Anchor, London 21/4/82



Here’s another show from Johnny Thunders stay in London during 1982. This one was at The Hope and Anchor, in April 1982. Some of the tracks were released on the Wanted: Dead Or Alive - Reward $10 bootleg album, this tape is a different source and was recorded by a mate of mine in the audience. Johnny is on fine form, or as fine as Johnny is depending on yer point of view.
After asking for some more reverberation Thunders first words are to a heckler, ”Hey scumbag, shove it up yer mothers left nut” before launching into Alone In A Crowd, quite a bit of crowd interaction, Johnny even gets political asking the punters what they think about The Falklands and Nuclear Weapons. For reasons long forgotten, I never went to any of these 1982 gigs, and had to wait until Oct 1983 at The Lyceum for my first hit of Johnny live, still ranks as one of the best gigs I’ve been to….ever! Pretty much saw most of his London gigs since then, and a fair few around the country and had the privilege of promoting an acoustic show of his in 1990 in Stevenage. What made him special as a performer for me was that no gig was ever the same, depending on his mood and state of mind, but they were all pure and honest. Johnny Thunders was the real deal!

Wednesday 9 March 2011

SATURDAY 26th MARCH....


A date for yer diaries; When everyone who is a no-one in the eyes of this government of ours are planning to descend on the streets of London to voice their discontent, through the democratic act of protest against the government cu*ts. The day promises to be even more interesting now that the Police force are facing having to make their own cut backs, who’s side are they gonna be on ? Or will this government back down just like previous governments have when faced with the prospect of a protesting police force? The Police unlike other Public Services don’t just serve the public, they protect the public, and are there to maintain the laws of The State and its Government, and keep order in society, without them there’d be anarchy, and we wouldn’t want that would we….. Much better to have our lives controlled by people who don’t give a shit about people other than what they can take from them. We have the power! and they’ve made us feel like we haven’t, remember that if you take to the streets of London on Sat March 26th They are only our government because we allow them to be, they only do what they do because we let them, and it’s about time everyone where ever they are said “NO!” to the cunts! and kicked against the pricks!!

Sunday 6 March 2011

THE CAEZARS - A Review and Some Tunes.


I seem to have been going on some weird Rock’n’Roll trip recently, triggered by the Jim Jones Experience and their firebrand howl, but then again I’ve also been listening to the Trailer Trash Orchestra and their Neo Country Punk to death, and the new Social Distortion album isn’t shy on country/rockabilly influences.
The trip continued for me on Fri when I popped along to a gig . The write up in the local paper sounded interesting enough to get me out on a cold night and the venue was quite literally up the road from me. The Caezars, are a 4 piece 50’s Punk/Garage/ Rock’n’Roll band. The band played a blinding set, and considering it was the first time I’d heard ’em my foot was tapping throughout. It was a stripped down sound with the stand up bass and minimal drums slapping out the rhythm and beat while the surf tinged guitars and wired vocals rattled and rolled with intensity. The band looked the part and played with passion, soul and honesty, something that’s lacking in these days of technologically over produced music. They’re supporting current NME Faves The Vacinees on tour next month, so does a Rockabilly revival start here? Who knows? Who cares! But if The Caezars ever roll into your town, go check ‘em out. If you like Link Wray and The Cramps I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, anyway as a little taster here are 3 tracks from their Shakedown album. Enjoy the ride!

MAYDAY! MAYDAY! The Workers Are Under Attack!


So the powers that we let be are talking of moving the Mayday Bank holiday in order to extend the tourist season???? Apparently Britain is lagging behind Germany and France in attracting visitors. How moving the Mayday Bank holiday to Oct is gonna help makes absolutely no sense to me, but what it does mean is that we will lose a historic celebration, and replace it with a new state sanctioned celebration of Englishness Day. The history of Mayday can be traced back to pagan times
Dancing round the Maypole and Morris Dancers are part of the tradition, (now there’s an idea for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics.) It also coincides with the International Workers Day celebrations on 1st May. Why not have an extra Bank Holiday instead? So what if the economy loses money because people had an extra day off work each year, after all British workers work longer hours than those in say France and Germany, but no our Government would rather continue the tradition of taking things away from the workers, rather than giving them something back, and they tell us that this is an era of new politics! Bollocks!! It’s just the same as it ever was, and will continue to be as long as we let it be. Workers of Britain and Morris Dancers Unite!


Our government kisses the arse of another dicktator: Rupert Murdoch, whose mass media empire is set to gain even more power and control over what the people can watch and read, or should that be what he wants the people to watch and read. Pluralism in the media has been sacrificed at the alter of free market capitalism in the Church of consumerism were alternative choice becomes less in a world of more, never mind changing the channel, people need to be watching a different program!

Saturday 5 March 2011

THE LOVELESS - Film Soundtrack (Vinyl Rip)


Carrying on with the stripped back rock’n’roll from the last post, here’s the soundtrack to independent film The Loveless, which was released in 1984 and featured William Dafoe, in his first film role. He looks better in biker leathers than he did wearing a loin cloth in The Last Temptation of Christ. The film also featured Robert Gordon, who was primarily a musician, having been the singer for New York punk band Tuff Darts, before going solo. In the wake of Elvis Presley’s death he was the next major US Rockabilly artist which led some people touting him as his successor, he went on to play with the likes of Chris Spedding and Link Wray, and still performs regularly, as for his film work….that seemed to dry up after The Loveless. In the film Robert was a member of a group of leather-clad bikers en route to some blistering racing action in Daytona, they make a pit stop in a backwater Georgia town. While waiting for one of their bikes to get fixed, the gang decides to raise hell. But they get more than they bargained for when the townsfolk battle back in this moody homage to Marlon Brando's classic biker movie, The Wild One. The film was poorly received, unlike the soundtrack, which featured several Robert Gordon compositions. I bought this album for a couple of dollars in a second hand record shop in Los Angeles way back in 1987, and it’s here if you want a blast. Enjoy or destroy! We can also link Robert Gordon to Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) Neal X and Tony James (Sigue Sigue Sputnik) as they’ve all played with Johnny Thunders, who in a parallel universe was the only successor to Elvis Presley as the king of Rock’n’Roll.

Tuesday 1 March 2011

COLBERT HAMILTON and THE HELLRAZORS (Vinyl-Rip)














I first heard Neo-Rockabilly hero Colbert Hamilton the UK's original Black Elvis. when he supported Sigue Sigue Sputnik at Kilburn National Ballroom in 1986, I think it was. I ‘m pretty sure he came on before the Tai boxing fight, which was the other support act, the ticket and advert say he did but I’m fucked if I can remember. I also recall someone letting off some tear gas during Sputniks set, Ultra Violence and all that. I digress. Colbert blew me away in his silver suit and with his Rockabilly rhythms, so much so I bought this, his debut album, when I got paid next, and played it quite a bit. It was released in 1984 and is more stripped down than I remember him being live, it’s also a lot cracklier than it was when I bought it, the rip kinda gives it an almost authentic 1950’s feel, apologies for that folks but it’s here if you wanna blast of some Rootsy Rock’n’Roll Rhythm. Here’s a little bit of Rock trivia for yer: Colbert Hamilton was quite possibly the last person to record with Thin Lizzys Phil Lynott, The track, called 'Do You Want To Rock?', was recorded three weeks before his death it was produced by Lynott and sung by Colbert Hamilton, Phil also featured on bass and backing vocals. As we’re on the subject of trivia, here’s a little question for yer: Can anyone tell me what the connection between Phil Lynott and Neal X from Sigue Sigue Sputnik is? No prizes for the correct answer, cos it’s all about the taking part. This post goes out to brutha Nekro and his death party.

Olympricks!


I was gonna suggest that the good folk of Britain boycott the 2012 London Games, but after seeing the prices….a good many people aint gonna be able afford to go. The cheapest price is £20, but…. that’s not for a whole day in the stadium, that’s just for a couple of hours; watching a heat of the athletics and some Javelin throwing, if you wanna stay and watch some more, that’s another £20 for another couple of hours, and when it gets to the finals the price races up to £50.…Rip Off Britain can fuck off! Still at least the proles can watch it on TV because I should imagine there’s gonna be blanket coverage and you aint gonna be able to go out with out being reminded of the games, and how it’s great that we’ve won a gold medal, and shouldn’t we be proud of what a great nation we are. Yeah right Great Fuckin’ Britain a shining example of Democracy, where London mayor Boris Johnson wants the peace camp at Parliament Square to be gone by the time the games open, can’t let the world see that people aint happy in the Green and pleasant lands.
In a bid to increase Britain’s standing in the world of realpolitik, politicians from all parties have embraced the spending of millions of pounds of taxpayers money on a couple of weeks of friendly international competition ; a world war fought on running tracks, in swimming pools and gymnasiums, were there’s only room for winners.
No doubt the sportswear manufacturers will be gearing up ready to sell even more tracksuits and lycra to the unhealthy unsporting proles joining in the sportification of society. Still if it encourages young people to get involved that can’t be a bad thing can it? Well that’s if they get the chance, because thanx to the cunts and their cuts, the same people that have backed the games, there’s lots of funding being taken away from not just sports programs for the young but youth services in general. The Government’s hoping the private sector will fill the gap, which is all well and good if people can afford the services. If not there’s gonna be a lot of losers, and a small elite of winners. Pretty much like life in general in a free market liberal democracy where we pay for what they give us.