GOOD NEWS/NO NEWS/WHO'S NEWS

Sometimes it’s not just what the media are talking about that is of concern it’s also what they may not be reporting about. Northern Rock. Missing data (got a letter of apology from The Revenue through the post the other day, cheers. I wonder who’s gonna pay for the postage?) Dodgy Donations… the list goes on. As outrageous as all these examples of gross government failure and corruption are; there could be worse shit going down. That we’re not being told about, if that’s possible. The way things are going, everything is possible and very probable. Take a minute and think about other things that have been in the news over the past few months….. Selling off land for housing, extended detention without charge and probably a ton of EU treaties, one of which the people were promised a vote on . Decisions may have been made effecting our lives without us knowing about it. This New Labour lot are so arrogant I wouldn't put it past 'em to bury bad news under their own bad news.

WEST LONDON'S BURNING!

http://www.savemeanwhile.com/

http://www.carbonsiliconinc.com/

THE APOSTLES - Alive in 83 'From Camden to Hackney' Blow it Up, Burn it Down, Kick it Till it Breaks

What can I say about The Apostles……a hugh influence, not just another anarcho band, questionable view point, by that I mean they made you think and question not just the big things, but your own place in the scheme of it all. Cathartic lyrics from Andy whose demons were unleashed onto the anarcho punk scene where there was no other band like ‘em, Johnny Thunders style guitar licks from Dave and a combination of Mark Perry and Mark E Smiths Punk Rock sensibilities gave the Apostles a unique sound and style amongst the 'Crass Brigade' The Apostles were no pacifists and were proud of that fact which often found them in trouble with some of the anarcho scenesters, you can hear this on the first 6 tracks recorded at LMC in Camden, where their vocals were turned down on account of their non pacifist stance. This however didn’t stop ’em working with Crass in the setting up of the anarcho centres in London. The last 6 tracks on this download were recorded at another venue the band opened under a railway arch in Hackney; The Recession Club and find the band exploring a more avante guard and less incendiary sound. Both recordings were released as separate tapes, I’ve just compiled ‘em both together for yer listening pleasure. Get the goods here.

BLOG COMMUNIQUE #4

I’ve come across a few interesting places in cyber space just recently. MASS GRAVE is a new blog on the block, and a fine start it is to. Some choice musical cuts and some well aimed blows of the boot to Blair and Nick Griffin. Yes indeed this blogging shit can be addictive Zen punk. Shoot it up! That’s what I say. SCROUNGING CIDER HIDDEN FLAGON has got to be my favourite blog name ever, great stuff irishdave. Another place worth stopping off at is THE WAY TO EQUALITY which puts some intellectual back bone and theory to some of the more anarchic blogs out there. Well worth a read, plus another fine selection of musical offerings to boot. Talking of boots, stumbled across this place and found two great NEW MODEL ARMY bootlegs from Berlin and Düsseldorf in 1990. I know there’s a few of the militia out there, hey John.! Just a click away back there. Finally, thought I’d finish with a mention of PAMPLEMOOSE what the fuck! is that I hear you say, well it’s the blog of Dave Allen from the Gang Of Four, who is presently posting up some mp3’s of some right rough and raw recordings of the latest GO4 stuff, it’s good, but it aint Entertainment if you know what I mean. For me the Gang Of Four were one of the gang of five; The Clash, Crass, The Redskins, Crisis and…… they were all bands with something to say and something to play. Anyway that’s yer lot; coming soon….Generation X, more Thunders, some live stuff from The Apostles some more Redskins, might chuck in some more Lords Of The New Church, The Enemy and Dead 60's and a couple of festive ditties if the mood takes me whatever + the usual ranting and, raging to go with the raving. Stick with it, this blog is nearly a year old, I would say you’re all invited to the party but hey 60,000 of yer have already been to the party. Cheers to each and every one of you.

DON'T CALL ME MOHAMMED!

Fuckin’ hell! A diplomatic incident over a teddy bear and a naïve or stupid teacher. A case of insulting or idiotic, depending on your belief system. What ever.. End result equals propaganda for all parties and more cultural tension in global hot spots. Looks like the situation in Pakistan may be cooling down, with President Musharef removing his military uniform and becoming a ’civilian president’ no doubt under diplomatic pressure from the West in it’s striving to spread civilising democratic Western values across the world.

DOWN IN WEMBLEY

In 27 years of gig going, I’d never been to Wembley Arena, that is until Tuesday night when I went to see BABYSHAMBLES there. Fuckin’ hell what a fuckin’ horrible place to go and see a band. Lifeless, large and lacking in any atmosphere. Support bands of no interest to me what so ever, neither was the extensive array of merchandise from disposable lighters to knickers, all as overpriced as the alcohol you could buy from people wandering around with large backpacks of lager that they poured for you from some sort of hose pipe. Still saves queuing at the bar I suppose. It aint a rock’n’roll venue, fuck knows why babyshambles were playing there, they were never gonna sell it out, saying that though it was about a third full which was quite a lot of people jumping around and getting excited. Pete and company put in a good performance played for over an hour, not a lot of banter with the audience. The set was comprised of the bulk of Shotters Nation, an acoustic interlude before finishing with a couple of numbers from Albion. All in all a solid un-shambolic workman like performance totally in keeping with the setting. If yer interested there's a recording of the 'SHAMBLES at Wembley here.

So much to rant about, so much music to post, so little time to do it all in,so................................

The Seers - Lightning Strikes

Spare yerself 4.05 minutes, watch this and think...................

BUILDERS AND BULLSHITERS

Another day another debacle. Labour rode in on a no sleaze, no corruption ticket and what a great job they've done; from cash for honours to this latest episode of dodgy donations. This New Labour lot are as transparent as a brick wall and as honest as an estate agent. One of their crons, a property developer donates large sums of money in other peoples names to avoid suspicion, why? Well here's a thought, the clues in the word property. It just so happens that there is a drive to build more housing around the country what better way to secure contracts for this and other developments than by buying them with a 'donation' and then make out other people gave the money. Bish, bash, bosh, job done.

Q) Was Tony Blair the slimiest, smarmy and smug Prime Minister Britain has ever had?

A) Is the pope a Catholic!

THE PACK - Dead Ronin

From outta Brixton in 1979 came The Pack, fronted by the soon to be iconic 80's positive punk pinup Kirk Brandon. Theatre Of Hate were really a more finely tuned and refined version of Kirks first band, with added sax appeal. Included in these 12 tracks is an early version of the classic track Legion. Went to see The Pack live once, I'd love to be able to tell you all about it, but unfortunately I can't 'cos the venue the local youth club Bowes Lyon House wouldn't let me in because get this; I was too young, and there was a bar. The problem I had with this was that I'd previously seen Chron Gen there twice (or Chronic Generation, as they were then called) and it wasn't a problem then (the bar was separate and you needed ID to get in there) neither was it a problem with any other gigs I went to there. (Crass, Theatre Of Hate and tons of others) I still occasionally see the Youth Worker that refused me entrance. She hasn't changed in the past 27 years; still looks like a miserable sour faced cow. Not that I'm still bitter about it, I have 'moved on', talking of which I'm sure you'd rather be listening to The Pack rather than hearing about my memories of not seeing 'em live. Well here yer go...CLICK!, CLICK!, CLICK!

No feel good football factor in Britain this week. Manager gets sacked, not here to debate that decision, if he fucked up he fucked up. The two Blair's and Darling fucked up and they've kept their jobs. Corporate Company directors who fuck up, lose their jobs, but get a nice fat pay off. I wonder what would happen if I lost my job because someone felt I fucked up? What would I get, I'll tell you what, FUCK ALL!

Public Transport, we’re forever being told to use it as an alternative to the car. I don’t drive, so I’ve got no choice if I need to go out of town, to say a meeting at my works head office. To get there I have to use 3 buses, and they’re always late, every time not just one of ’em, but all of ’em. I’ve got used to it now, and try and allow for extra time, but it still pisses me off no end, it’s just another case of fuck the people lets leave ‘em standing in the cold, wet and make ‘em late. Here’s a random thought; What’s with the new police uniforms; slightly camp, pseudo military and down right sinister looking. Saw a couple of ‘bobbies’ strutting their stuff on patrol while on my bus journey and thought blimey some things have changed, their uniforms for one and secondly, you don’t often see ‘real police’ on the streets. Normally it’s the pretend community support officers, who are as much good as public transport for getting the job done.

"DON'T WORRY DARLING"

The government bang on about security, take away our rights to protect our freedom, and their own Revenue Department can’t even look after a couple of computer discs containing 25 million of it’s citizens personal data. What a fucking shower! Then I hear some Labour jerk saying that this highlights the need for ID cards, because information could be stored centrally rather than by different departments…………….I’m at a loss for words.

THE REDSKINS - The Power is Yours (Live in 1985)

There are some that say music and politics shouldn’t mix; Bollocks to that. From Elvis to Crass, music is revolution and there are many soundtracks, but none so pure as The Redskins. They were influenced as much by Motown as they were by The Clash, this was soul power, music to dance to while smashing the system. Not that The Redskins wanted to smash it, they were fully paid up members of the Socialist Workers Party, back in the day when Socialism didn’t mean supping from a champagne glass and toasting the strength of the pound. Their debut album Neither Washington Nor Moscow was like listening to The Communist Manifesto, a call to arms, a call to get organised, to kick over the statues, to make it work, to turn loose furious flames, to hold on and don’t run away, to take no heroes and to KEEP ON KEEPING ON! Recorded at various gigs during 1985 on The Kick Over Apartheid Tour, it’s essential listening for any politically minded music lovers and harks back to the days when people took a stand against the government, it was the era of the benefit gig; Ken Livingstone’s GLC ran London, to some they were the ‘Looney left’ to others they were ‘Socialist saviours’ they certainly liked to put on one day music festivals. My only encounter with The Redskins was at one of these events on London’s South Bank when the band took a load of stick from right wing skinheads, scary stuff. It wouldn’t be long before Thatcher gave the miners a kick in and destroyed the unions, who didn’t figure in her new world order. If they had of done then we wouldn’t be living in the shit we are today were no one takes a stand and were social solidarity is decaying like the corpse of Elvis. You know what to do….CLICK!

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Do you ever have those days when you feel listless, restless, can't get focused, but yer not sure why? (what you need is....) Well today is one of those. Had intended to post some stuff today, but when I sat down in front of the PC, I just couldn't be arsed, was gonna rant on about those two would be Liberal Party leaders bickering and arguing live on TV in a so obviously staged situation. Then I was gonna share some music with ya, either some live Generation X or The Redskins.... Still tomorrows another day.

FEARDOM

Be afraid, be very afraid. Fear is a control mechanism, based on the power of threats. From the mugger to the politician, they are all the same. They prey on insecurity, and fear. “There is nothing to fear but fear itself” Take control, take a stand, do nothing and they win. Muggers think the streets are theirs, politicians think the country is theirs. Well I’ve got news for you, (and this aint Murdoch propaganda) it is our land, our world, our lives, and they are becoming increasingly more controlled and constrained by fear. Not a genuine fear but a manufactured fear based on government statistics and audits expanded and distorted by the mass media and presented in a framework, were our lives are under constant threat from attack by terrorists and muggers. Knowledge is power, ignorance is bliss and fear is the states best friend.

JOHNNY THUNDERS - "I Guess The Boys Missed The Train" (Live @ The Fulham Greyhound, London 2/9/84)

After Johnnys triumphant take over of The Marquee in August, he played this low key and rather casual gig at the Fulham Greyhound. It was so casual that the band didn't turn up until really late in the evening, leaving Johnny to take the stage in a simple denim jacket, t-shirt and jeans ensemble with his acoustic guitar for a few numbers. As time went on members of Neon Leon and The Bondage Babies (support band at the Marquee Week) joined Johnny, before the eventual arrival of Billy Rath and Jerry Nolan to the stage. This recording captures that night; 18 songs 7 acoustic, some fucking about when the band arrives and the rest's electric as they say. Unfortunately the tape cuts out during I Wanna Be Loved and that's yer lot, but what a lot it is. You know what to do if ya wanna get yer mits on this....Click! and Save! I'm reliably informed by armadefuego over on Chatterbox (The rather fine Johnny Thunders Forum) that this was the last time Thunders, Rath and Nolan played together. So there yer go, a little piece of rock'n'roll history for ya. Enjoy.

SOME SATURDAY SOUNDS !

It's another lightning raid!

This ones been knocking round on the hard drive for ages now waiting to be uploaded, so now seems as good a time as any. The Sex Pistols contingent were no longer playing with the band by 1981, but that didn't stop 'em releasing this fine slice of Punk/Pop/Pub Rock. It's The Lightning Raiders with Criminal World and it's b-side Citizens. Enjoy, destroy, delete or repeat, but download first. Click!

SOME MORE SEERS FOR YA.

Right then folks, it seems the last Seers post went down well judging by the comments. So here's their second single, released in 1986, (fuck that's 21 years ago; where does the time go?) on their own and wonderfully named SkullFuck Records. It's a 3 track affair: Freedom Trip/Don't Bring Me Down/I'll Say Nothing. As a little bonus I've included Flyaway, which was released on flexi disc and given away with Bucketfull Of Brains Fanzine. There ya go, that's me all seered out, time to take a Freedom Trip.

"....those are my principals. If you don't like them I have others." - Groucho Marx

America and Britain removed one dictator; Saddam Hussain, while backing another; General Musharraf. He’s the West’s new best friend for reasons of geopolitics. Governments sanction Iran while Barclays Bank props up Robert Mugabes’s dictatorship. That’s democracies for yer !

Totally Random Music Postings #3

Like the Sex Pistols 15 years before them FABULOUS arrived on a musical scene alien to them. The year was 1991 Britain was gripped in ecstasy fueled youth culture, "A generation of cripples!" as lead singer and part time NME scribe Simon Dudfield declared to a bemused Flowered Up audience. The band courted controversy wherever they went in their hand painted Austin Maxi with "Arrest Me" daubed on the boot, peddling their snotty brash take on punk rock, on a road mission to "Ram it up yer" Anyway, their 15 minutes ran out a long while ago, their manager James Brown's lasted longer; he went on to edit 'lads mag' Loaded, but I digress. Back to the music, these 3 tracks: Personality Recession/Everythings Fine/Destined to be Free were released on 12" by Heavenly Records and produced by Miles 'cockney rhyming slang' Hunt from the Wonder Stuff (don't let that put you off) cos they are great slabs of Punk Rawk. Get 'em here.

LEST WE FORGET....

FROM THE GREEN FIELDS OF FRANCE TO THE YELLOW SANDS OF IRAQ AND THE MOUNTAINS OF AFGHANISTAN.

3 Track Rememrance Day Download: ANGELIC UPSTARTS - The Green Fields Of France / THE POGUES - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda / THE MEN THEY COULDN'T HANG - The Green Fields Of France.

HE'S NO SUCKER !

With his fortune and fame Lewis Hamilton has decided he doesn't like the media intrusion and it would seem he doesn't like paying tax in Britain, because he's moving to Switzerland. WANKER!!

iDIOT phoneYS

Tensions rise in Pakistan, but all’s well with the world when there’s a new techno gadget on the market. People flock and queue to buy it and get cheered by the waiting media; because they’ve spent £300 on an all singing all dancing mobile phone. Every purchase perpetuates the production and proliferation of these products that are peripheral to peoples real needs. It’s all about supply and demand. Well I can see the supply, but who’s demanding ? Well I suppose it’s people that feel the need to fill their lives with a plethora of gadgets and gimmicks that they don’t really need and only want because they’ve been conned by the total advertising assault on their senses. It wont make their lives any better, but it’ll keep ‘em happy until the newer and better model arrives on the market. In the build up to consumermass now’s the time to take a stand. With every purchase we should be thinking do we really need this ? Why do we want it ? And will it make our lives any better ? In our ‘democracy’ we have the freedom to choose while we battle for the bargains. In other countries people are fighting for the freedom to choose democracy. Still, at least we can watch their struggle unfold on our new mobile phones.

OIL = POWER / OIL = WAR / OIL = DEATH !

KILL YOUR CUDDLY TOYS

After Sniffin’ Glue, KILL YOUR PET PUPPY was the most important fanzine; for it’s impact on ’punk culture.’ More than just a fanzine, those involved were a colourful collective of characters involved in squatting which led to the setting up of housing co-operatives, the various anarcho centres that were set up in London during the 80’s which fueled the ’movement’ More importantly they introduced a blast of colour and difference into the otherwise black clad world of anarcho punk. The bands featured and writings were not yer usual collection of sloganeering articles and interviews. One band I got into after reading about ‘em in KYPP were the CUDDLY TOYS, who were a mighty fine glam, bang, slam of an outfit in the Bowie/Bolan vein. This recording captures them at The Marquee in 1982 and is well worth a listen , they were kind of stranded on a desert island at the time, too new for the romantics and too glam for the punks. Great stuff. Anyway this post was purely gonna be a plug for the new Kill You Pet Puppy web page which is more than worth a trip to, check out the history, back issues, and some great downloads that you aint gonna find nowhere else. Loads of 96 Tapes releases, including Blyth Powers classic A Little Touch Of Harry In The Night. There’s also Sex Gang Children's Naked tape up for grabs along with live Southern Death Cult, X Mal Deutschland plus some rare Crass odds’n’sods. Go on take a trip to the dead puppies, but before you go don’t forget yer Cuddly Toys.

An apology of sorts, as to lack of posts over last couple of days. Well there's a whole world out there that imposes pressures on us all and sometimes there aint enough time to do everything, know what I mean. Life is all about a balance.

Feel a bit bad, (not); after slagging Barbara Follet off (see 1st Nov post) just read in my local paper, that she says "I most certainly do not use any of my House of Commons allowances to fund anything except legitimate expenses." Yeah whatever, like I should believe a word of that. This New Labour shower are corrupt and dishonest; from the war in Iraq to rigged council elections in Birmingham. Why should I believe a word any of you say? yes Barbara I know you're first husband was murdered by the South African state in the apartheid years and you spoke against the war in Iraq, but not loud enough though. Shit, where was I going with this, aah that's it....The BNP. There was a BNP candidate standing in the local elections in your constituency. Well we don't need or want them putting up a candidate in the next General Election, so get out there and listen to the people in your constituency cos if you don't then I'm pretty sure the BNP will, if they aren't already. Do your job, after all you're certainly getting paid enough.

Totally Random Music Posting #2

What's in the bag today? A relatively little known and largely ignored five piece punk/pop beat combo called The Seers with their energetic debut, the 3 track Lightning Strikes 12" released on Rough Trade in 1988. This is no nonsense Guitar raunch and pop melody stuff. Get it there.

THE BLAIR FACED CHEEK OF IT!

I'm thinking of changing my name to Blair, then that way I wont have to take any responsibility for anything. From an unjust war to an unjust killing; who is accountable? no one with the surname Blair it would seem.

THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND, THIS WORLD IS YOUR WORLD

Immigration is the current political ‘hot potato’ and lets face it something needs resolving, and I aint talking about shipping people out of the country like the BNP would have us believe is the solution. But if the government don’t get a grip on things then the BNP will be polling a lot more votes in the next election, thanks to newspaper headlines like the one to yer left. The way I see it is that the only way forward is to separate the issue of immigration from racism. Accepting that there is a ‘problem’ with immigration is not being racist, it is our response to the ‘problem’ that is the test.
Yes immigrants are getting jobs in Britain, and yes they are being housed by local authorities, but to say that they are taking all our jobs and houses just helps to foster feelings of racism toward these groups in our society, as do stories in the press about not being able to celebrate Christmas and all the other politically correct bollocks that is concocted by white middle class bureaucrats, for who’s benefit ? The BNP perhaps ?,cos they love that sort of shit, it gives them the power to say that because of immigration British Tradition is being taken away from us. Which is bollocks because ethnic minorities in Britain do not get offended by Christian celebrations or British traditions.
Anyway, moving on…Immigration is a complex issue. IDEALISTICALLY the free movement of people across the world is a good thing, it promotes a greater understanding of cultures and creates a truly global world. No individual should be persecuted in their country for their political beliefs, and everyone should be entitled to a better life where ever they choose t live. REALISTICALLY every country has only a certain amount of resources that cannot support an infinite amount of people, without creating social/political problems. ECONOMICALLY after years of hard line communism of course people of former Soviet Bloc countries are gonna want a slice of the pie. The rich oligarchs in these countries aren’t serving anything up, they’re too busy buying football clubs. Employers in The New Europe are rubbing their hands together with the cheap labour and a hard-line work ethic
POLITICALLY immigrants become scapegoats to blame for problems that have been festering away in Britain for decades, the housing crisis has nothing to do with immigration , the over stretched resources of the NHS has nothing to do with immigration, unemployment has nothing to do with immigration. Those areas were already fucked before Poland joined the EU immigration has just put more pressure on these resources and I fail to believe that it is our wonderful Social Security System that brings people into Britain in lorries and boots of cars, and if it is then it is the system that is at fault. Once again the media don’t help the situation when there are stories of immigrants claiming benefits for family members not living here and yet a British family have had their sons child benefit stopped for their son who is studying abroad with the Bolshoi ballet. Doesn’t seem fair does it ? And that I believe is the issue, those who are against immigration just want to see fairness. But as we know the system isn’t fair and the state maintains it’s power by having a divided nation fighting amongst itself. It is the state that allows the media to spread the propaganda which people read and believe because they know no other truth. In my experience it is the generation that grew up during the Second World War and fought in the war that are most susceptible to the propaganda. Ironically they fought against the Nazi invasion of Poland and now feel that Poland is invading Britain. These are the people who are gonna be thinking of voting for the BNP, not those that have grown up in a multi-cultural Britain, and as Britain is a country with an aging population there are a hell of a lot of potential voters out there who will turn to the BNP for solutions if the main parties do not act on their fears of immigration, and grab the potato. There does need to be some control over our borders like other European countries have. The British government opted out of this quota system a few years ago. Why, I dunno, but it’s gonna be down to money and economy, cos it certainly can’t have been for altruistic reasons when immigrants are set up as scapegoats and attacked on the streets by racist thugs.

JOHNNY THUNDERS AND THE HEARTBREAKERS - @ The Marquee, London 21/8/84

For 5 nights in the August heat of 1984 Johnny Thunders took over the Marquee on Wardour Street in London. If you were looking for trouble...You'd come to the right place. Never mind the plaster falling off the walls, the sweat was dripping off 'em and yer feet stuck to the beer soaked floor. Johnny was on top form for the whole week and the shows were electric, as this recording testifies. Enjoy, it's just a click away. CLICK

LAUGHING AND CRYING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK

No wonder my local MP, Barbara Follet,(formerly one of Blairs Babes and now one of Browns Bitches) and her husband Ken are laughing, having over a six year period taken £120,000 of tax payers money in MP's allowances to subsidise their joint £15 million fortune. Here a house, there a house everywhere a fucking house. A house near the Houses Of Parliament, she only lives 30 miles away YOU GREEDY FUCKING BASTARDS !

Jerry McCann goes back to work, about time they paid their own mortgage instead of using the funds raised by the public to find Maddie. YOU CHEEKY FUCKING BASTARDS !