'APPY NEW YEAR

LETS HOPE IT'S A GOOD ONE/OR WHATEVER IT WAS THAT JOHN LENNON SAID/ WELL/THAT'S DOWN TO US/WE HAVE THE POWER/TO SHAPE IT/ MAKE IT/OR BREAK IT/OUR MINDS ARE OURS/DON'T LET THEM THINK FOR YOU/OR TELL YOU HOW TO THINK/DON'T DEFINE YOURSELF BY HD READY TV'S/THINK FOR YOURSELF/DON'T BE MADE TO FEEL DISSATISFIED WITH YOUR HOME/GARDEN OR YOURSELF/CHANGE THIS/CHANGE THAT/CHANGE THE FUCKING CHANNEL/THE ONLY THING TO CHANGE IS YOUR INNER SELF/YOUR VALUES AND BELIEFS/YOU ARE MORE THAN THE SUM OF YOUR POSSESSIONS/CONSUMPTION=CORRUPTION
DON'T LET 'EM DRUG YOU INTO SUBMISSION/WITH LIFESTYLE CHOICES/LOOK BEYOND AND BEHIND THE MEDIA/SEE IT FOR WHAT IT REALLY IS/A WEAPON OF SOCIAL CONTROL/LOOK LIFE IN THE FACE/AND FACE IT/DON'T JUST LOOK AT THE PRICE AND BUY IT/YOU DON'T GET 2 LIVES FOR THE PRICE OF 1/VALUE WHAT IS NECESSARY/LOSE WHAT IS NOT/WE HAVE THE POWER/IT'S JUST WE'VE BEEN BRAINWASHED INTO THINKING WE DON'T/THE POWERLESS ARE EASIER TO (CON)TROL/WE ARE THE POWER/USE IT/COMPLAIN/PROTEST ABOUT THINGS THAT PISS YOU OFF/JUST LIKE YOU WOULD IF YOUR NEW BARGAIN 0% FINANCE FOR A YEAR T.V DIDN'T WORK/TOGETHER WE CAN USE THIS POWER TO FIGHT THE POWER////AND MAKE IT A REALLY NEW YEAR////

'The Blinding' BABYSHAMBLES

Here's a truly fucked up band for a truly fucked up world, enjoy them both before they finally implode.

What you've got here is a live compilation of The Blinding e.p, all 5 tracks chosen by me for you from recent 'shambles shows.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5T3OYW6J

Enjoy, as it all falls down around you. It doesn't get much better than this, or does it ? Well that's down to Pete and us.

'HANG 'EM HIGH'

I'M STRANDED

Free with this months Mojo, there's a thoroughly depressing collection of songs, of Hurt, Pain & Despair, nothing wrong with a bit of hurt, pain and despair, but no Nikki Sudden or Television Personalities, come on what were the suicide watchers at Mojo thinking ?
The only good track on it is by Jim Reid who offers a fucked up and deconstructed version of The Saints classic tail of alienation; 'I'm Stranded'. Jim makes it sound dark and despairing and shows his genius and the power of a killer song. I'm Stranded is one of the 'classic punk singles of all time' and The Jesus and Mary Chain were one of the true revolutionary bands of the post punk era.
Anyway for your aural consumption here's 3 takes on I'm Stranded. Jim's version, a more conventional cover by one of my all time fave bands The Vibrators and of course the original by The Saints.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Z1Q2JZ35

Enjoy, it's just a click away !

I'm suffering from a bout of 'bloggers block' at the moment....Normal service will be resumed over the coming days, weeks and months. Got a few ideas, a few trips down memory lane planned, (from the anarcho-scene of the early 80's to the glam of the late 80's) the continuation of the Stevenage Calling posts, some music (working on an akoustic Kasabian compilation at the moment), some more artwork and lots of ranting. Hold on tight 2007 is coming "like a jail on wheels" and it's gonna be a rollercoaster of a trip.

FOR SALE....EVERYTHING MUST GO....BUY, BYE !

No posts for a few days, while I search for the meaning of Christmas. I may be awhile.....or a whale.

JOE STRUMMER - Gone But Not Forgotten.

'Rebellion is deciding to push ahead with it all for one more day. That's the toughest test of revolt, keeping yourself alive, as well as the cause' - Joe Strummer

Undercover wiv PRIMAL SCREAM

Over the last 20 years Primal Scream have consistently been the best Rock'n'Roll band since The Clash. Punks to the core. Pushing musical boundaries and paying homage to heroes, icons and influences with every release. Their choice of cover versions reflects this: John Lennon, MC5, Johnny Thunders, Iggy Pop and The Clash amongst others. All visionaries, trailblazers and troubadours, just like The Scream. Here for your rockers delight is a live compilation, take a trip as The Scream go undercover.

Tracklisting:
1) Gimme Some Truth. 2) Cold Turkey 3) 5 Years ahead of my time. 4) Motorhead. 5) 96 Tears. 6) Loose.
7) Neat, Neat, Neat. 8) Jail Guitar Doors. 9) Born To Lose/Kick Out The Jams. 10) Ramblin Rose.

PRIMAL SCREAM - Go Undercover : http://www.megaupload.com/?d=VYSTHD5W

Enjoy, this is 100% high octane fuel driven rock'n'roll. Listen with care.

EVERYTHING MEANS NOTHING

An empty hollow life devoid of substance, denied a reality that is real, seduced by image, constrained by circumstance. Searching for a sense of belonging. Boxes,cages, labels and packets. Conformity, commodity, division and separation. Codified, signified and designed for life. Moulded into shape by a system that needs a passive acceptance of laws, rituals and traditions to maintain a capitalist mode of production and commodity consumption. There is more to life than what is fed to us, it's just they don't want us to taste it.

STEVENAGE CALLING #1

Hey Ho Lets Go ! right then here's the first of the Stevenage Calling posts, I will be adding bits to this one and further years gigs in future posts, so keep on reading.

1980 It’s a Brand New Age. - UK Subs

‘My god is Rock’n’Roll it’s an obscure power that can change your life.’
- Lou Reed

Jan 1980 FILTHY HABITZ / OPTIONAL X-TRAS / CHRONIC GENERATION
This is were it all started, on a Thursday upstairs at Bowes Lyon House, with two Punk bands from Stevenage and one from Hitchin, promoted by local fanzine V-Sign. Prior to this after the punk explosion, bands had played at Hitchin College SCRITTI POLLITI and ACME SEWAGE COMPANY (6/7/79) and The Leys Youth Club in Letchworth, CRISIS. The Leys also promoted several free gigs as part of the Weird Tales/Fuck Off Records tours.

???? PATRICK FITZGERALD / THE REEKERS
East end Punk poet, supported by local garage punks The Reekers, who did actually practice in their parents garage, when it wasn’t full up with the T-Shirts they produced for bands.

???? CHRONIC GENERATION / ORANGE DISASTER

???? THE PACK

???? ATHLETICO SPIZZ 80 / OPTIONAL XTRAS
Where’s Captain Kirk ?, whose Spizz ?

???? DANGEROUS GIRLS / CARDIAC ARREST

??? THE NIGHTINGALES / JANET AND THE JOHNS
The sight of a piano on stage was just too much for some people. The Nightingales lead singer Robert Lloyd had previously been in Birmingham punk band THE PREFECTS.

Sept 18th CRASS / POISON GIRLS / THE SNIPERS / ANNIE ANXIETY
Violent atmosphere, a skinhead was glassed by the singer of CONFLICT for harassing his girlfriend. Steve Ignorant, Crass’s lead singer jumped over the heads of the crowd to help out. A fight at Stevenage train station after the gig resulted in arrests being made, one being ROB NEWMAN, who recounts the events on his live video.
Uncompromising anarcho collective, less rock’n’roll more party political. A whole underground movement developed around their political and musical stance. Parallels can be drawn with the 1970’s free festivals. The atmosphere at gigs was intense, a fanaticism, verging on fascist. Not helped by Crass dressing in a military style ‘uniform’. Crass’s Politics were open to constant criticism, but politicised a generation.

Oct 16th UK DECAY
1st visit by UK Decay, always a popular band when they visited Stevenage. They had a distinctive sound, Spon their guitarist only had five strings on his.
UK Decay’s take on first wave punk (check out Siouxsie and the Banshees and Adam and the Ants.) would later mutate into what became known as GOTH, The photo on the front cover of their Black Cat e.p provides testement to this.

Nov 8th THEATRE OF HATE / OPTIONAL XTRAS
The return of Kirk Brandon and his new band. Boy George paid a visit, along with UK Decay, Theatre of Hate broadened Punks appeal, some called it positive or post punk.

Dec 12th THE EPILEPTICS / THE ERATICS / THE SINYX
An Essex Punx showcase of sorts.

1981

Jan 4th UK DECAY / WAXWORK DUMMIES / THE STATICS / PNEUMANIA

Jan 18th THEATRE OF HATE

Jan 31st WASTED YOUTH / BLAK FILTAIRE / THE GOOD BLOKES
Drugged up Velvet Underground, Lou Reed stylee. Eastend lads Wasted Youth, The Good Blokes were fronted by Simon Kelly who had previously sung for original local punks THE BLEACH BOYS.

Feb 15th MANUFACTURED ROMANCE / THE ABDABS / CHRON GEN
According to SNOTRAG fanzine ‘Manufactured Romance created a bit of a stir with their danceable, jumpable punk.’

March 8th UK DECAY

March 29th CHELSEA

April 5th BLEACH BOYS / SLAUGHTER HOUSE 5 / THE ABDABS
Re-formed Bleach Boys return for a night of 77 Anarchy.

April 12th THEATRE OF HATE

April 26th MANUFACTURED ROMANCE

May 3rd THE GREAT ROCK ‘N‘ ROLL SWINDLE (FILM SHOWING)

May 10th THE STRAPS / VICTIMS OF THE PESTILENCE / FALSE CONCERN

May 17th DISCHARGE / SUBHUMANS / THE MOB
Only the Subhumans second gig outside their native Wiltshire and their first with a ‘name’ band, big PA and a crowd of over 100. To right, the gig was rammed. Leather, studs and soapy spikes. This is probably my all time fave gig at Bowes, 3 of the best bands from the anarcho/squat and street punk scenes. Hugh crowd. Top gig

May 30th FLUX OF PINK INDIANS / HORNSEY AT WAR / VINYL AND THE EMULSIONS / CHAOS

June 7th ANTI PASTI

June 14th CHELSEA / ALTERNATIVE T.V / VICTIMS OF THE PESTILENCE
Punks Not Dead as two stalwarts; Gene October and Mark Perry front new line-ups of old bands.

June 28th THE ADICTS / WAXWORK DUMMIES

July 12th SPLODGENESSABOUNDS

July 18th NEW ROMANTIC NIGHT

Sept 19th THE WALL

Sept 27th UROPA HULA

Oct 4th VICE SQUAD / ERAZERHEAD / DEAD LOSS / THE SOLUTION

Oct 18th BASKING SHARKS

Oct 21st NAKED LUNCH

Nov 8th THE EXPLOITED / INFA RIOT
Hundreds of skinheads, red doc martins and green flight jackets.

Nov 19th UK SUBS

Nov 15th ETERNAL SCREAM

Nov 22nd THE PARTISANS

Nov 25th CUDDLY TOYS

Nov 29th BLAH, BLAH, BLAH

Dec 13th THE EXCITERS

Dec 19th CHRON GEN

1982

Jan 24th ZOUNDZ / NULL AND VOID /SPECIAL DUTIES / THE ERATICS
‘Null and Void played to a rather empty hall, The Eratics songs collapsed half the way through, Special Duties played fast raw punk. Local band Dead Loss played one song before Zounds came on. Zounds played a really good set and managed to get everyone dancing.’ This is how local fanzine Subversive Society described the gig.

Feb 7th JOHN COOPER CLARKE / DEATH IN JUNE / VERTICAL HOLD
The gig was filmed by the BBC, for a documentary on John Cooper Clarke, who ‘had recently drifted to Stevenage to take drugs’, so the sleeve notes to ‘And Here is The Young Man’ a compilation of tracks produced by the legendary Martin Hannett. John did his bit for the local music scene by doing the gig for free.

Feb 21st SUBHUMANS

Feb ?? THE OUTCASTS
The Outcasts were due to play but pulled out due to recent death of drummer in road traffic accident.

April 18th DISCHARGE / ANTI SECT / THE WAR GAME (FILM)

May 5th ERAZERHEAD / ACTIFED / DRESDEN FUN
Incidents with drunken followers of the the east ends answer to the Ramones and Lurkers.

May 16th G.B.H / DEAD MANS SHADOW / PARAMEDIC SQUAD

June 26th FLUX OF PINK INDIANS / SHATTER / ASSASSINS OF HOPE / THE SYSTEM / THE DESTRUCTORS
Interview with Allen Adams(Bass Player of The Destructors) on www.punkoiuk.co.uk Q. What is the highlight and what is the lowest point in the bands history? The GBH tour "attacked by rats" (with Abrasive Wheels and The Blitz) and Stevenage Bowes Lyon House with Flux of Pink Indians are the highpoints. The lowest point was the bands break up in Cambridge (24/09/83).
In Ian Glaspers excellent book Burning Britain The History of UK Punk 1980-1984 Gizz the bands guitarist, who later joined THE PRODIGY, also recalls this night. "We supported Flux of Pink Indians at the Stevenage Bowes Lyon House....when we played the whole hall explodedinto life. The bands came out and danced to us too. That was a moment when the hairs went up on the back of my neck. Flux were really cooking and the whole night was magical."

June 6th PETER AND THE TEST TUBE BABIES / THE BURGLARS / ABH
Keep Britain Untidy

Sept 19th THE ADICTS / NEWTOWN NEUROTICS / STATE ENEMIES

Oct 3rd UK DECAY / SEX GANG CHILDREN / FIELDS OF FLAME

Oct 17th SCREAMING DEAD / BRIGANDAGE / THE VERDICT / UXB

Oct 31st DISORDER / AMEBIX / CHRONIC OUTBURSTS
West Country punk, scummy and scussy. The dying fly disorder and fans.

Nov 28th POISON GIRLS / RUBELLA BALLET / RIOT/CLONE

Dec 12th THE METEORS / 4 MINUTE WARNING
Wrecking Crew, psycho Billy, no really psycho.

RAISED IN A PRISON, WITH IRON BARS......
BIRTH, SCHOOL, WORK, DEATH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No posts for a couple of days, been having a 'pop up porn problem' on my computer, which left it feeling dirty and sullied. Problem now resolved with lots of virus checking and corrupt file removing, thanx to Shep on carbon/silicon forum for advice and free product placement. No thanx to joker who uploaded a 'live show' on a band forum. It certainly was a live show, but not the one I was expecting.

ARISE ! GET OFF YOUR KNEES, WE'VE BEEN SHIT ON FOR FAR TO LONG.

STEVENAGE CALLING

Coming soon to this blog: Memories and Recollections of a provincial live music venue (Bowes Lyon House/The Klub Wiv No Name) between the years of 1980-1995

NEWS FLASH

The eyes of the world are watching.
The ears of the world are listening.

Justice....Freedom....PROPAGANDA.

The minds of the world are thinking.

The hearts of the world are beating.

Justice....Freedom....PARANOIA.

The hands of the west are clapping.
The feet of the east aren't moving.

Justice....Freedom....POWER.

WARNING! This blog site maybe contaminated with traces of Polonium-210

Shame about Pinochet.

THE CLASH- Washington Bullets (Live Sun Plaza Tokyo 1/2/82) http://www.megaupload.com/?d=23F2ZNOP

NOT SENSIBLES - (I'm In Love With) Margaret Thatcher http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DATMT3JV

Fuck, it's cold today

"Look into the depth of your own being...seek out the truth and realize it yourselves, you will find it nowhere else" - Peter Arshinov

"Open your eyes and see the lies right in front of you." - Lords of The New Church

"Value what is necessary, Lose what is not." - Carbon/Silicon

LOST

Searching for a meaning, where there ain’t none.
I haven’t got a clue ‘bout whats going on.

Got a rage inside
that I can no longer hide.

I keep on screaming, but I’m not mad.
I keep on crying, but I’m not sad.

Got a feeling that things are wrong
My brain is ticking, a human time bomb.

Do you know where your children are tonight ?
Dressed like tarts and dealers, what a sight.

You must be really proud of them.
To treat ‘em like grown ups at the age of ten.

Where are the morals we had before ?
An alco-pops bottle smashed on the floor.

Real life, fake and phoney.
Communities of the lost and lonely.

Alienation, boredom and despair.
Scapegoats are everywhere.

Asylum seekers and refugees,
Are bringing the country to it’s knees.

It’s written in the papers, it must be true.
Benefit scroungers are taking from me and you.

Stir it up a little more,
Fuel the fire for a race war.

All that is solid melts into the air.
A world turned upside down, doesn’t care.

Struggling on trying to keep it together.
In a disposable world nothing lasts forever.

The hardest thing is getting up each day,
Knowing it doesn’t have to be this way.

Searching for a meaning,
in a time when nothing means anything .

Living in a dead democracy,
Everything is all at sea

Riots, bombs and bird flu
Looks like they’re coming, for me and you.

As it all crashes down, round our ears,
The guilty feed on all our fears.

Gonna be postin' up some muzik in the near future cant think of wot at the moment, so much choice past and present, anyway this lot here really drone on in a Kind of Doors meet Joy Division, Spacemen 3,BRMC, The Warlocks and Neil Young sort of way. It's THE BLACK ANGELS with a Bush baiting little ditty entitled The First Vietnamese War, taken from their debut L.P 'Passover' ,expect to hear more from this scruffy, scuzzy bunch of Texan boys'n'gals.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q4MBG13B

FUKT

Fuck your system and your rules.
Your sham democracy, engineered for fools.

Fuck your progress and consumer choice.
Your sham democracy, gives no real voice.

Fuck your wars with all their slaughter.
Your sham democracy makes me roar with laughter.

Fuck every single working hour.
Your sham democracy, gives illusions of power.

Another day, different Shit !

Day 2 of this blog thang

Hey Ho Lets Go !, bollox, can't think of anything to write. Ha, Ha, Ha, better sort that out or there doesn't seem much point if I have nothing to say doing this blog, perhaps it's an ego thing. Does anyone out there in cyberspace actually gives a shit about these blog things and I'm just doing this under some misguided believe that they do, when the reality is that maybe I feel important enough to think that people reading this will think 'hey that geezer sounds like a hip and cool guy who talks a lot of (non)sense'.......erm......Looks like I did have something to write after all.

Something for Consumer-mas

Merry CRASS-mas
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=E510OIOX

CNN’s global drama,


























Bush, Blair and Osama.

This blog will evolve as it starts to revolve in front of your very eyes, check back to older posts as they may have changed, 'cos I'm making this shit up as I go along, adding in bits here and there. Artwerk, poems, rantings ravings and music, whatever takes my fancy and comes out of my archives and into my brain. Oh you lucky, lucky people, for what you are about to receive may you be truly (un)grateful.