CHELSEA - *NEW ALBUM NEWS*

Chelsea's 12th and final album?! ‘Meanwhile Gardens' is gonna be funded by the fans via Kickstarter. Financial support is rewarded by offers that include CD's, artwork, signed guitars, recording with the band and if yer really rich you could get ‘em to play an acoustic gig (it would be their first) in your front room.  

Get involved over at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/chelsea-punk/chelsea-punk-band-the-final-album

CHELSEA - Live @ Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage 29/3/81) *MPFREE DOWNLOAD*

For no reason other than I've been listening to their new album Saturday Night Sunday Morning a lot recently, I'm gonna post a copy of a gig that Chelsea did way back in March of the year 1981, (Sunday 29^th to be exact, as the ticket to yer right testifies) at Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage. In 1981 Chelsea were one of the few survivors from the class of 76 still knocking about, they were on the road promoting their soon to be released single Rockin' Horse. It was a new line up from the days of their self titled debut and Alternative Hits era after both James Stevenson and Chris Bashford upped and left Gene without a Guitarist and Drummer. New members were recruited, including Guitarist and songwriter Nic Austin and Chelsea were back in action with some top toe tapping Rock'n'Roll tunes that would become the Evacuate album.

In the 1980's Chelsea had been accepted by a new generation of UK Punk Rockers, and the band toured with Anti-Pasti, Anti-Nowhere League and Chron Gen. Gene was always proud of his punk rock roots, and lets face it without his input despite what history doesn't tell you, in the early days several doors into the music industry might not have been kicked in. By the end of 1982 Chelsea fell apart and Gene pursued a solo career, until 1983 when he got Chelsea back together with a line up that featured several “Stevenage Hooligans” who attended the gig in March 1981 (Guitarist Jon Thurlow, Drummer Geoff Sewell and Bassist Pete Dimmock, were playing in a local band called Optional Xtras, before Jon and Pete left and joined Chron Gen.) Geoff had played drums for Chelsea on the single Stand Out prior to Jon and Pete joining after the split of Chron Gen in 1982. This line up were captured on the Live and Well album. (recorded at The Lyceum in Oct 1983 when Chelsea supported Johnny Thunders.) Jon left soon after, but Geoff and Pete from the Stevenage connection remained and featured on the next couple of studio albums: Original Sinners and Rocks Off, in places both were rather strange Rock'n'Roll affairs; a blissed out and druggy Punk'n'Blues rhythm, not yer standard Chelsea fodder but still good stuff. Neither of them were well received by the music press, Original Sinners has never been released on CD, although there is a planned re-release of Rocks Off. 1989 saw the release of Underwraps, probably Chelseas weakest album, despite the help of Willy from Glam Poppers The Grip and the appearance of ex Clash Drummer Topper Headon on one track, but something was missing.

By the early 1990's Nic Austin was back in the line up along with Mat Sargent on Bass and Chelsea returned to form releasing a couple of cracking albums in quick succession; The Alternative and Traitors Gate. (Both are due to be re-released soon on CD and vinyl)  The classic Chelsea line-up (James Stevenson, Dave Martin, Geoff Myles, Chris Bashford and Gene) re-united in 1999 for the Social Chaos Punk Rock package tour across America, captured on another live Chelsea album; the in yer face and hostile Metallic F.O.

In 2005 minus Myles and Martin Chelsea released a new studio album, Faster, Cheaper, Louder and Better Looking, a great fist in the air pumping and powerful collection of new numbers that saw Chelsea move up a gear, one in which they have continued to the present day; their latest album is a classic,  due to the strength of the latest line up that unites Nic Austin and James Stevenson into an awesome twin guitar attack, alongside a solid rhythm section and Gene's passionate vocal delivery of songs that say something. Saturday Night Sunday Morning, check it out now! Until then rewind back to Stevenage 1981 and check out this piece of aural punk rawk history. The Sound quality is OK....it is what it is.... 

Thanx to whoever it was that originally passed the files my way, sorry my mind has gone blank and I can't remember yer name, but it might have been Harry The Bastard, or it might not have been.

CHELSEA - Live @ Madam Jo Jo's, London, 28/10/13 (*DOWNLOAD*)

Time for some punk friction. It's been nearly 37 years since Chelsea front man Gene October helped open the Roxy Club in the Soho district of London, which in a hundred days kick started the punk scene by taking it out of the hands of the fashionable elite and putting out on to the streets. Fast forward to 2013 and we find him once again in Soho this time at Madam Jo Jo's, with the great unsung heroes of the punk rock wars; Chelsea, playing not just to London, but to the world with a live and direct internet streamed show. Thanks the dedication and determination of people like Gene, Knox and Charlie Harper, Punk Rock now stomps the streets of towns and cities across the world. The power of the music and the message still resonates today War Across The Nation never sounded so vital, there's a hunger and rage burning; Chelsea are still on fire!

A new album is due to be recorded in the New Year, the band are seeking support from 'the fans' to help fund the record. You can find out more at the bands website, and if you go here then you can grap a download of their Madam Jo Jo's gig. Enjoy! Thanx to the original uploaders of the video that I extracted the audio from.

CHELSEA - Faster, Cheaper and Better Looking (The U.S CD Bonus Tracks)

No special reason for this post, other than I've rediscovered the album and have been listening to it quite a bit recently, it's a corker! Released in 2005, twelve tracks of no nonsense Rock'n'Roll with something to say. It's up there with Evacuate, Original Sinners and their debut as one of my favourite Chelsea albums. Faster Cheaper and Better Looking was recorded by part of what some consider to have been the 'classic' Chelsea line up of Gene October, James Stevenson and Chris Bashford, unfortunately Dave Martin and Geoff Myles were unable to take part., Bass playing duties were taken over by Tony Barber. Anyway....for some reason the Captain Oi release (The one I've been listening to) doesn't include the two tracks Mr Ferry’s Son, which is an unprovoked but legitimate and well deserved attack on the odious Otis Ferry, son of Poxy Music's Brian Ferry and supporter of bloodsports and all things upper class. Home is a cover of Iggy Pops 1990 single. So for anyone else missing these tracks....here ya go!

CHELSEA - Live @ Reading Festival 1978

1978 was the year that Punk broke at the Reading Rock Festival, with The Jam, Sham 69, Penetration, Radio Stars, Patti Smith and TRB playing across the weekend. Chelsea played on the Sunday (27th Aug) although Friday was billed as 'Punk Night' which was when The Jam had problems with their sound and trashed some equipment, skinheads attacked hippies and trouble flared during Sham 69's set. A 45 minute film; The Kids are United, or Kids Like Me and You as it's sometimes called was made of some of the Fridays Punk night proceedings, it's quite obscure and I've not come across a copy before, although there are some clips of The Jam, Penetration and Sham 69 from the festival on YouTube. Anyway back to Chelsea, can't remember where I got this recording from, but respect to whoever, dunno if it's the complete set, cos it's only six songs long. The quality is not that great, can't hear Gene's vocals too well, but it aint that bad, and it is what it is, which is a piece of punk history. Get a bit here!

CHELSEA - Live @ The Acklam Hall, London 1980

Todays post is another pilfered performance from a torrent site somewhere, sometime. Respect to the original uploader for putting this little artefact out there. This recording captures CHELSEA live underneath The Westway in Ladbroke Grove London at The Acklam Hall in November 1980, at a matinee gig with The Dark and Infa Riot (I think) It’s only a short set that was besieged by technical problems, I’ve left it all as it was, so it is what it is, which is a great slice of punk rock history. Word on the streets is that there’s a new Chelsea album planned for this year. In the mean time here's a blast from 30 years ago. Enjoy!

CHELSEA - Live and Well

Here’s a blast of Chelsea, captured Live and Well. There’s no details as to where and when this was recorded, but I remember talking years back to Jon Thurlow who played guitar on this and he was pretty sure it was in October 1983 at The Lyceum when they supported Johnny Thunders. I think this is the only recording of this line up which also included Jonny T’s fellow ex Chron Gen member, Pete on Bass, plus Geoff who’d previously played drums with Jon and Pete in Stevenage's legendary punk band, Optional Xtras. This Chelsea line also included Guitarist Willie, who went on to find fame and fortune with The Grip in the 80’s and Honeycrack in the 90’s. As ever the front man ….Gene October, who along with Knox and Charlie Harper are still keeping the punk rock spirit alive, even though Gene‘s been a bit quite of late, although I did hear he was doing/or has done an acoustic gig in Brighton recently.

CHELSEA - Live @ The Bier Keller. (Audio)

Chelsea were always a good night out in London town around 1983 - 85. This was recorded at The Bier Keller in Blackpool some time during that period, I don’t have the exact date. It’s the audio from the Cherry Red DVD/Video release, and captures the band in a typical confrontational performance some real in yer face rock’n’roll. Gene October knew how to get the kids going, a real showman, never given the credit he deserves. All the classics are here; Right To Work, Evacuate etc, some with added crowd contributions. The flyer that accompanies this post comes from 1985 and was used to promote the bands Valium Mother single. It’s nice to see that the record company spared no expense in the promotion department, unlike the band, who always gave 100%.

A RE-UP AND REQUEST.

THE CLASH and CHELSEA This Is TV Clash, is what it says on the tin; an audio compliation clobbered together from various appearances The Clash made on television shows. Underwraps was released in 1989, not the best album Chelsea have made, but worth a listen. It opens with a cover of The Clash’s Somebody Got Murdered and ends with a ‘live jam’ called Come On, which features a certain Topper Headon on Drums. Click here for The Clash and there for Chelsea.

BLOG COMMUNIQUE # 5

A few of you good folk have asked for things to be re-posted. Well you see it’s like this….cos I’m a cheapskate and have a free DivShare account it means that you guy’s’gals can only download 10gb a month of music between the lot of ya, then the downloads stop until the next month. At the moment you’ve reached yer limit and have to wait until July 7th , So pop back in a months time, but be quick, cos remember there’s only 10gb a month, and I don’t want any fighting . But just for the Anon amongst you, and anyone else here’s a re-posting of Chelsea’s Rocks Off album, purely for the fact that it’s a much better recording than the one I originally posted and it ain’t on DivShare. Enjoy!

Chelsea - The Alternative

Next we’ve got a little bit more CHELSEA for ya, I say a little bit, cos this is a 4 track promo/sampler of their Alternative album (If anyone’s got a copy of the whole album, a download link in the comment box would be well appreciated) got this copy off ‘em when they last played in Stevenage, when promoting the album some time in the 90’s. It was a bit of an eventful night for the band, when after a great set it was time to go, they found the tyres to their van had been let down, it transpired latter that it was the actions of a member of the local support band a bunch of ‘anarcho miscreants’ JESUS H DREDD who had objected to Chelsea behaving like “superstars” because they wouldn’t let them use the dressing room. To add insult to injury after the tyre had been pumped up the van spluttered to a halt 100 yards down the road from the venue, it came to light that sugar had also been poured into the vans petrol tank. Understandably the band were rather unhappy and returned to the venue to use the phone to ring the AA and search for the culprits who like Brave Sir Robin had run off home. That’s a West Ham supporter for ya anyway if you fancy the alternative, you Know what to do …..

CHELSEA - Rougher Than a Badgers Arse Vinyl Rips

Original Sinners and Rocks Off, released in 1985 and 1986 respectively, are both apparently rather hard to find, so here ya go. Crackles'n'all. This time period of Chelseas history seems to have been overlooked in both the CD re-release department and also the biographical department. Why that is I dunno ? 'cos both of these are great albums showing musical diversity and a sensitivity not seen before from Gene October, because lets face it that's who Chelsea are. (or are they?) At this time the bands line up included Pete Dimmock from Chron Gen and Geoff who used to play in Stevenage band The Optional X-tras with Pete and Jon Thurlow who both latter joined Chron Gen. Jon also toured with Chelsea prior to the recording of these albums. Perhaps that's it; no one can find Pete or Geoff to secure 'em some royalties (mind you Geoff was no longer with the band for Rocks Off) Then again I do remember Pete telling me once that Gene didn't write the majority of the songs on Rocks Off, it was a guy called Willy from semi glam legends The Grip who did. This could explain the un-Chelsea sound of Psychedelia, Country and Pop to several of the tracks. Original Sinners is far more Chelsea sounding. Willy stayed with Chelsea for the Underwraps album, which coincidentally has a link posted to it over on the message board to yer left, courtesy of Spud. It was also around this time that soon to be goth legends Fields Of The Nephilim supported Chelsea a few times. One memorable gig that I can't remember because I was too drunk was at the Marquee. Anyway enough of this history bollocks, here's what yer waiting for: Original Sinners and Rocks Off. If the qualities a bit dodgy just remember what Michael Cann said in Alfie "It aint beautiful, but what is in life when you look close up. Yer know what I mean"

CHELSEA - Live @ The Music Machine 1978

Another 'bunch of old punks' captured live. This time it's Chelsea; formed in 1976 by the manager of Acme Attractions, a clothes shop on the Kings Road in Chelsea as a rival to the Sex Pistols. Early line up included Billy Idol and Tony James who left after a few gigs to form Generation X, leaving vocalist and motor mouth Gene October to recruit some new members. Over the years Chelsea's line up was constantly changing. Their classic debut album wasn't released until 1979 leaving them as probably the last of the first wave of punk groups to release an album, they had previously issued a string of anthemic singles including their attack on unemployment and trade unions; 'The Right To Work' Chelsea were also one of the only original punk bands that carried on and became part of the 80's Punks Not Dead scene, supporting the Anti Nowhere League, Chron Gen and The Defects on the infamous So What tour. A latter line up of Chelsea included two former Chron Gen members; Jon Thurlow and Pete Dimmock. The Alarm, Southern Death Cult and Fields Of The Nephilim all got their breaks by doing gigs with Chelsea at The Marquee and Chelsea well they didn't achieve any real success, but continue to gig and release records. Their last one 'Faster, Cheaper and Better Looking saw the 1978-79 line up reunited to produce a corker. Anyway enough waffle here's a live recording from The Music Machine in 1978. It's just a click away: http://www.sendspace.com/file/iynvds