THE POGUES - Live @ The ICA, 31/12/84

New Years Eve, a time for partying and revelry amongst the reflection and resolutions. One of the best New Years Eves I had was going to see The Pogues, a fucking excellent night, not that I remember that much about it, due to excessive alcohol, but between the group of mates I went with it was all pieced together (or should that be pissed together?) This is an audience recording, not by me or my mates I hasten to add, it’s a good quality one that captures the atmosphere of the night well. Enjoy this, and enjoy yerself tonight whatever you are doing.

Another friend of the West is assassinated in the pursuit for global democracy. One thing that I don’t quite understand is that Benazir Bhutto’s political peoples party is described as a democratic party, fair enough they are pushing, with the help of the USA and Britain to bring democracy to Pakistan, whether this is the right thing for the country doesn’t seem to be an option, it’s what the West wants and as we know what the West wants the West gets, no matter what the cost to the country it is trying to change. Some regions in the world are not equipped for Western Democratic values, even with an Oxford University education, there are too many social/religious and political divisions to overcome. Anyway the Wests interests in these regions is purely economic, they need some sort of Western values introduced in order to buy and sell the people. Hey, I’ve strayed from my initial point which was; how can a party be democratic when the only leaders it has had are from the same family? Democracy, Dynasty or Dictatorship ? You decide, Western leaders have all ready made their decision and as we know they will over look certain ’values’ in order to get what they want.

A NEW YEARS REVOLUTION?!

As well as a time for top 50’s of the year, it’s also a time for reviewing the year. Well not here it aint, maaan! Why would I want to review the year having lived through it and commented on certain stories of what’s been going down in our mad, mad world. It was bad enough thinking about it at the time never mind revisiting the corrupt politicians, America and Britain's pursuit of global democratisation in order to secure economic resources for their failing economies, the media-rization of society; Team Mcann, the cult of celebrity, bullshit stories in the press that provoke desired responses of outrage and hatred towards some groups in society, because the readers don’t realise that the truth has been distorted and manipulated for political ends. Talking of politics, I aint even gonna go there and list the disasters and disgraces that our beloved dicktator Gordon Brown and his party have presided over, but hey he says that 2008 is going to be a year of “real and serious change” Yeah right, just like everyone who has said they are gonna give up what ever for the New Year will stick to their resolutions. Call me a cynical old Victor Meldrew, but………………………………......I DON’T BELIEVE IT

BUT NOT TODAY

ABNORMAL SERVICE WILL BE RESUMED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

SOFA GONE!

What the fuck is wrong with people. Spend, spend and more fucking spending, not content with consuming before Christmas, the celebrations are barely over and people are still being encouraged to, and are if figures are to believed still fucking spend, spend, spending. Everything must go, well I think it all went a long time ago, people have been sold down the river on a wave of conspicuous consumption and they can’t even see it, and don’t really care so long as their arse is sitting on a new buy now pay later sofa, in front of a HD digital ready brainwashing box, people just don’t care about the society we have become. Even talk of a ‘credit crisis’ hasn’t put people off using their plastic cards to spend, spend, spend. What is wrong with people, surely they do not need half the shit that they buy, cos I certainly don’t need to be paying more bank charges/interest/tax whatever to subsidise these people and their thoughtless spend, spend, spend attitude, cos that’s what will happen when the plastic snaps, it’ll be down once again to those people that are trying to live their lives with ’real values’ to suffer for others lack of responsibility. And that is wrong!

HAVE A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS HOWEVER U CELEBRATE IT.

LAST CHRISTMAS

If we believe what we read ,or read what we believe, then this time next year we will be celebrating nothing. There will be no more Christmas, for fear of upsetting and offending people from other faiths. It’s another attack of multi-culturist madness on our freedoms by the politically correct terrorists. There will be no post tomorrow, but just like the shops I’ll be back for business on Football Day.

TWENTY FLIGHT ROCKERS - Turn it up louder....I love to Rock and Roll

The year was 1985, a year of benefit gigs; Live Aid and Red Wedge, crack cocaine first started to appear on the streets and the Rock’n’Roll hall of fame was opened. One band the music press were talking about was the TWENTY FLIGHT ROCKERS, who featured former Gen X drummer Mark Laff and East Londoner Garry Twinn on Vocals. Described as one of the best live bands of the moment for once the music press were right. These four leather clad rockers…rocked. Influenced by Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and The Clash, their future was bright until after one single on ABC Records Tower Block Rock they signed to Warners and were lost after the A+R department was sacked and the company concentrated on acts like Madonna and Prince. They did however release one single for the label; Johnny 7, but their proposed album 9 Yards Of Dead Cow, a reference to the amount of leather the band wore was never released. By the time former Clash manager Bernie Rhodes took the reigns and moved the band to the USA, the leather had started to crack and the band fell apart due to internal problems, there by making it impossible for them ever to appear in the Rock’n'Roll hall of fame. Instead of posting the 2 singles, I’ve opted for this shit hot quality 11 track live recording at an anti-heroin benefit in East Sheen on 30th June 1985, it does the band more justice. Check it out here!

5 YEARS...."News guy wept as he told us, earth was really dying"

JOE STRUMMER & THE LATINO ROCKABILLY WAR at Amnesty International Festival, Milton Keynes Bowl 16/6/88

Cars kill! and are like a loaded gun in the hands of some people. Too busy chatting, not concentrating….CRASH! And a corpse in the road. Lets face it, there are a lot of dickheads and fanny faces out there who think it’s sensible to chat on their phone, put on their make up and generally pay no attention to what they are doing, which is driving. Need to make a call? Wait till you’ve finished your journey. Didn’t put your make up on? Go without. Some people need telling, ‘cos common sense isn’t common to ever one, but blood is. So how do our government plan to instil some sort of responsibility into a mindless mass. Ah! Yes, another false promise and unworkable solution, (just like bringing democracy to Iraq) I know what we’ll threaten to imprison people found guilty of using their phone or putting on make up at the same time as driving. Fuck Off! By your own admission the prisons are full to bursting and ‘real criminals’ don’t receive custodial sentences, don’t make idle threats, actually do something. Why not just ban people from using their cars for a period of time. One offence, get walking or use public transport for a few months, sorted, take away their freedom that way, as that’s what the car gives people, a sense of freedom. But hey we know that’s not gonna happen cos there’s too much money to be made out of the motorists, so we’ll just act tough; talk the talk and then walk away looking stupid without actually achieving anything. A bit like in Basra; where since British troops have withdrawn women’s bodies are turning up mutilated on the streets, their only crime believing in Western values of freedom and democracy, where the price of a life can also be putting make up on.

NO COMMENTs! / WAS IT SOMETHING THAT I SAID?

So the Northern Rock debacle continues. Not only did Gordon Brown know about the possible crisis a year ago and did nothing about it, but now there’s talk that the tax payer may have to foot the bill for the government bailing out the bank. What a load of bollocks! You just couldn’t make this shit up, or could you? Well not all of it, but this shit about the public picking up the tab, I can’t believe that the government are that stupid and arrogant to even suggest the idea, especially with the rest of the shit that they are sinking in, but then again….who’d have believed a Labour government would have done half the things that they have during their dictatorship. Still, I can’t see ‘em lasting for much longer with the media doing such a good job at destabilising the party, and the opposition sticking the boot in a bit more, it’s about time there was a change of party, bring back some ‘honest Tory pricks’ for us to kick against.

THE REDSKINS - Radio One David 'Kid' Jensen Session.

The revolution never sounded as sexy as it does on these session tracks from The Redskins. A Plateful Of Hateful/It Can Be Done/Keep On Keepin’ On, all as funky as fuck. Plus as a bonus the ‘skins punk it up for yer with a live cover version of The Clash’s Complete Control. Get bolshy here.

Another day, another loss of personal information by an agency of our trusted state. This time 3 million learner drivers records have been lost somewhere in the mid-west of America??? What the fuck!!! Let me guess, it was cheaper to out source the processing of the data, to our trusted American buddies. Still at least the government didn’t try and cover it up, or did they? Because this case of incompetence happened 6 fucking months ago!

THEATRE OF HATE - Live @ Bowes Lyon House, Stevenage 18/1/81

This is the last recording from the two gigs that Theatre Of Hate played in Stevenage. Not much that I can really say about Kirk and his boys that I haven't said in previous posts, but talking of Boys I don't think I mentioned that Boy George was in attendance at one of the gigs, not that I knew who he was at the time, he was just a bloke in make up. Talking of make up, if you take a trip to Punks On Postcards there's a scan of a review from March 1981 in Sounds of He Who Dares Wins, a right made up hatchet job piece of journalism. Anyway here's some more live Hate for yer...Click!

RUNNING RIOT IN 2008 ! 30 YEARS TOO LATE FOR WHAT ?

Right then, it's almost 30 years since either punk rock died or a new generation was born, depending on how old you were and whether you were at art college or a comprehensive school. By 1978 punk rock had hit the mass market and offered a voice to the youth of the day, much to the dismay of the original scenesters this was seen as the end and not the beginning. 30 years latter hearing bands like Green Day, they may well have had a point. But hey capitalism has the capability and capacity to absorb any potential threats, even Punk Rock. Any way here's some live action from three of the class of 77 in 1978.

THE ADVERTS - The Marquee 27/7/78

SHAM 69 - The Vortex 3/1/78

SLAUGHTER AND THE DOGS - Huddersfield 1978

A BEER AND A CIGARETTE.

Another day, another………rant. Nah I just can’t be fucked, it all gets too depressing, same shit different day. No wonder according to a recent survey in Grocers Today, or some shit, were it said that Booze and Fags made up for 13 out of the top 20 brands (told you it was the time for lists and top tens) sold in supermarkets. A nation on a crash course for whatever………

A POST!

It’s that time of year when everyone starts preparing lists of this and that Top 50’s etc, etc, blah, blah, blah. Well this is gonna be a list free zone, mostly on account of I just can’t be bothered to think what’s been good and bad this year, it’s all just been. Anyway as I’ve started typing I suppose I better finish what I was gonna say which is; For me the outstanding musical releases this year have come from those old kids on the new block CARBON/SILICON who in true punk rock tradition decided after a few years of Mpfree downloads via their web site, (just when every other band is catching on to this idea) to release their stuff in the more traditional manner. The News EP, The Magic Suitcase EP and The Last Post LP for me at least are like I said before THE outstanding releases of this year on so many levels, musically and lyrically they are superb and once again, but this time 30 years latter Mick Jones speaks to and for a generation in a mellow yet still angry manner. Brilliant stuff. While I’m at it might as well mention THE ENEMY who’s debut We Live and Die In These Towns was a call to arms for a new generation, and also THE DEAD 60’S who’s new album Time To Take Sides planned for early release next year is, thanks to the wonders of the internet a corker. Any way enough waffle here’s some tuneage.

CARBON/SILICON - Live In Stourbridge 2004

THE ENEMY - Live at Itunes Festival 2007

THE DEAD 60’S - Live at Itunes Festival + bsides.

You’ve got the police on your back; they want more money and they want to know were you got your money from. You’ve just signed away goodness knows what to the EU without the previously promised referendum and fuel depots are gonna be blockaded. There’s only one Christmas turkey this year! “Brown sauce anyone?”

LIGHTNING STRIKE!

It’s 1988, the times were a changing communism was collapsing, music was lifeless and pop, CD’s were taking over from vinyl, but somethings didn’t change, like the nature of a rock’n’roll band. London band LIGHTNING STRIKE came from the Bernie Rhodes school of punk rock management, courtesy of hard nosed manager Kevin Daley, who helped create the mythology, by moving the band to New York for a couple of months of low rent poverty living, cause a bit of controversy over the political content of their lyrics, did a poster campaign slagging of pop idols of the day Bros, and got ‘em posing a lot looking like a gang. Lightning Strike played the role well. These guys were proud to be described as Clash copyists “The last review we had said ‘The singer must have stood and practised in front of the mirror for hours to be Joe Strummer’ And the geezer was right. I did! So what? We like The Clash so I don’t take it as an insult.”
The band gigged round London toured the UK with Boys Wonder and Crazy Pink Revolvers on the jiffy condom sponsored safe sex tour. Caught ‘em live in Stevenage on that tour, they rocked their hearts out to an empty hall. They were signed to major label RCA and released a single Beat Street and this their self titled debut and then bang as soon as they appeared they disappeared and judging by what I couldn’t find on the net have remained forgotten about. Any way, have a blast of some Rollockin’ Rock’n’Roll, all hooks and choruses, with a hip hop undercurrent. Catchy stuff. Nothing radical or revolutionary but a good way to spend half an hour. The Lightning Strikes here!

WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Come on down Ed Balls, Schools Minister. What an unfortunate name for a New Labour dick. This man thinks that the Spice Girls and Margaret Thatcher are good role models for young girls. He’s talking bollocks! The sexualisation of girls at a far to early age and the idea that it’s all about image, along with the person that individualised society. The Spice Girls and Margaret Thatcher are responsible for the mess that Ed Balls is trying to clear up with his new ’Children’s Strategy’, which is basically an admission that New Labour have balls’d up, because five years ago in another strategy ’Every Child Mattered’. Yet nine months ago in a study into children’s well being Britain came bottom of the developed nations, and a matter of days ago it was reported that standards in British schools have dropped. All this has happened under a Labour government. Now that’s bollocks! So yes something needs to be done and the government have to do it; there are ideas of less testing of children, a more play and creative based curriculum, adventure playgrounds and youth clubs. Great, at last, this should have been done years ago, but hey woe, wait a minute; that’s how things used to be. When it was safe to play without Health and Safety, when you went to school to learn and not to be a statistic. It’s a case of going back for the future to try and repair the damage caused by social individualisation, where all this anti-social behaviour is a consequence of a lack of respect for the collective nature of society, mind you who was it that said “there is no such thing as society”? ahh yes, that role model for young girls; Margaret Thatcher. Now that’s bollocks! Surely it is a good thing to eliminate present social problems from future society, well yes, in theory, but what about in practice! Will the new system involve any sort of totalitarian and authoritarian measures?, for example collection and distribution of data, (another recent government balls up) state intrusion, and what about the parents? Yes the government are responsible for the society that we live in, but as citizens we also play a part; So parents why are you looking to the state for support? Do your job, tell your children that it is all bollocks, that it aint about looks, being selfish and money, because if you don’t then the rest of us who have been trying to do the right thing all along will be forced to have the state intruding into our lives, and that’s bollocks!

S*M*A*S*H - "Bang, Bang, Bang. It's the sound of my head against the wall....Fuck 'em all!'

The year was 1993. The World trade Centre was bombed for the first time. Iraq was under attack, Britain was still under Tory rule and musically the nation was raving on. The time was ripe for a dose of healthy punk rock anger, and it came in the shape of S*M*A*S*H, a 3 piece from suburban Welwyn Garden City. One part The Clash, a bit of Jesus and The Mary Chain, MC5 and a lot of soul and passion. With the help of the music media and their need to create little scenes S*M*A*S*H found themselves as part of ’The New Wave Of New Wave’, which was what it said on the tin, bands like Elastica and S*M*A*S*H touring buddies These Animal Men who had their roots in late 70’s punk/new wave. The band were never really comfortable with this tag. An appearance on Top Of The Pops without having a chart record saw them blasted into the nations front rooms and endless touring , saw the yoof of the nation take them to their collective hearts. Here was a band that mattered. Championed by the likes of Joe Strummer and Billy Bragg, It’s a shame that their singles and album didn’t capture the bands live intensity. But hey that’s were this release comes in. Originally issued in a limited run of 50 cassette tapes it has been unavailable for 13 years. Recorded at one of their many gigs in Stevenage, this is raw and emotional stuff. Just check out their Tory baiting Kill Somebody. The names and party may have changed but the sentiments still ring true 14 years later. Get it here. By 1995 the band had split up due to a combination of bad reviews and inter band tensions, shame. Any way fast forward, it’s now 2007, S*M*A*S*H are back playing live and have just released a new album, can’t comment on that cos I’ve not heard it yet, but saw ‘em live in 2006 and they still rawked.

SOME SEASONAL CHRISTMAS CYNICISM.

TV SMITH - X-mas Bloody X-mas EP (Includes live versions of Gary Gilmours Eyes/Bored Teenagers/Lords Prayer, plus a festive ditty.)
THE VIBRATORS - I Hate X-mas (Single)

Whats bin happening? The two worst fraudsters in history have dominated the bullshit broadcasts this week with the tale of the husband missing for 5 years, who suddenly turns up and it transpires he wasn’t missing after all. But hey Gordon don’t think we’ve forgotten the recent Brown stuff you’ve been coming up. Nice speech, reminding people that you haven’t forgotten about the hostages held in Iraq since May. Well I wish you’d fucking disappear and never come back.

TOTALLY (NOT SO) RANDOM MUSIC POSTING #3

Today’s offering comes from ANOTHER PRETTY FACE, It’s a 2 Track 7” single from early 1980. It’s a corker! Described by Gary Bushel in a review in Sounds (Back in the day of 4 music weekly’s; NME, Melody Maker, Record Mirror and Sounds) as a cross between The Clash and Bruce Springsteen, he aint wrong there. Whatever Happened to the West is a guitar driven punk/pop attack of the West’s values, on the other hand Goodbye 1970’s is a laid back and more piano/saxophone cynical look back as the 70’s turned into the 80’s, a beautiful lament. Mike Scott the singer and guitarist later went on to find success with The Waterboys. Listening to this 20+ years later. ….Time moves on, but nothing changes, just gets worse. Do yerselfs a favour and check out this. A call to arms! captured on this vinyl rip, the crackles just add to its importance, and to top it all off the cover art is great. Get it here

“The rights and liberties which were such vital factors in the origins and earlier stages of industrial society yield to a higher stage of this society: they are losing their traditional rationale and content. Freedom of thought, speech, and conscience were - just as free enterprise, which they served to promote and protect - essentially critical ideas, designed to replace an obsolescent material and intellectual culture by a more productive and rational one. Once institutionalized, these rights and liberties shared the fate of the society of which they had become an integral part. The achievement cancels the premises” - Herbert Marcuse in One Dimensional Man

WHEN THE SNOW MAN BRINGS THE SNOW......

Tis the season to be jolly fa, la, la, la, la, la FUCK OFF! Tis the season to spend. The news is of a ‘consumer crisis’ well in my town centre there’s no sign of one. The only crisis is me not losing it with any of the mindless shoppers racing about like they’re on drugs. There they are; standing on my toes, bumping into me with no words of an apology, stopping right in front of me to talk on their mobile phones “They haven’t got that one…shall I get a different one?” I’ll tell you what why don’t you buy nothing and get out of my way, so I can get to the queue at the till in order to wait for ages while someone uses their card for chip and pin. Credit crunch? Lets hope the machine crunches your card. If cocaine is becoming the new drug of choice, it goes some way to explain some peoples behaviour, especially at this time of year. Total fucking madness! Bah humbug indeed.

Blimey, I forgot I had this, how that happened, dunno fuck it. This is great sing along shouty punk rawk. A three track single Dead Friends/Capital Gold and the brilliant anti royal rant Pour Petrol In Her Face, from the er…fabulous, FABULOUS. What are yer waiting for chop, chop, click, CLICK.

CHARGE - Perfection (Vinyl-Rip)

In the year of 1979, from the squats of North London came Charge. Their 1980 self financed debut was released on their own You Can All Fuck Off record label, financed by nicking the lead from abandoned council house roofs. By 1982 they had become a bit of a force to be reckoned with having released a further 3 great singles; Kings Cross, Destroy The Youth and Fashion and having supported the likes of Theatre Of Hate, The Exploited, Killing Joke and Discharge. In October 1982 they released Perfection a 12 track album the band felt that it was dull and lifeless when compared with their singles. Harsh self criticism, it's not as full on, but still it's a fuking great listen with some right dark lyrics. An overlooked slice of ‘post punk’ and ’pronto goth.’ After touring with The Damned, conflict within the band resulted in singer/guitarist and driving force, the wonderfully named Stu P Didiot leaving the group. Sadly he died from cancer in 2003.

While tripping through cyber space, came across this blog DIRK WEARS WHITE SOX, thought I'd give it a mention as it's posted the Creation records compilation Alive in The Living Room, why would you want to know this, well because it has some right good live tracks, all recorded live at....yes.....The Living Room. (The birth place of Creation Records, before Alan Mcgee sucked corporate cock.) Check out Three Wishes and A Day In Heaven by the Television Personalities, Lonely Lenny - Alternative TV and A.W.O.L by the Three Johns all rough'n'raw and only available on this album. Get it there.

Did a post a few days ago about the media reporting certain things and not others, and then this happens, which highlights what I was or trying to say. There is another hostage situation in Iraq, which would be old news if it had been reported. The hostages were taken in May this year, but for whatever reasons MI5 etc decided that it shouldn’t be overly reported in the media. Whatever? But then why all of a sudden start reporting it now? Perhaps it is because the British Government has been given 10 days to withdraw troops from Iraq which makes it news worthy now, unfortunately no one seems to know whether the 10 days started when video was recorded, 18th Nov or when it appeared in the media 28th Nov, so the poor bloke could already be dead, or very close to being found in a Baghdad street. One other thing worth mentioning is that the group holding the hostages are believed to have links to Iran, and on the same day the story broke the US secret services had announced that they didn’t believe that Iran had the nuclear capabilities it was first thought they had. Coinsidence or conspiracy, cos the more bad press Iran gets the more the US government will use it to justify some sort of action against Iran.

LIVE FROM THE ROXY O.K

The Boys were one of the first bands on the punk scene, who unfortunately due to the death of Elvis Presley found that their classic debut album The Boys was overlooked by their record company who re-released Elvis records instead of pushing The Boys. The band never really recovered their initial impetus, but carried on releasing some great records before splitting up in 1981. This recording claims to be from The Roxy in 1977, but I’m not so sure as it includes several of their later tracks, including New Guitar In Town and Kamikaze. Still where ever and when ever this is from it’s a great example of the work of one of Punks overlooked treasures. Get it here.

Flown over from New York by Malcolm McClaren to add some authentic New York style punk to the Anarchy In The UK Tour, Johnny and the boys found ‘em selves in the midst of a moral panic were by nearly all the dates were cancelled. They stuck around London playing the emerging punk venues and looking for a record deal, which they found with the ironically named Track records. The piss poorly mixed/mastered album LAMF remains a tarnished master piece. This recording is from the most famous of those punk clubs; The Roxy in Jan 1977. It’s also claimed that during their time in England The Heartbreakers introduced heroin to the London punk scene, it was also around this time the band considered changing their name to The Junkies, I’ll say no more except it’s just a hit away, oops I meant click!

SYSTEM FALIURE!!!!!! I KNOW NOTHING??????

LOVE MUSIC HATE MORRISSEY?!

A few weeks ago NME did a special Love Music Hate Racism edition, with free CD, which I plugged here. I also posted something on Nov 2nd about immigration and racism, and how they should not be confused , the point I was making is that people should be able to speak out against immigration without being branded racists. I still stand by that, but like I said then; it is how you go about it that is the test. Well Morrissey certainly presented his case well, (especially as he had previously courted controversy in 1992 when he came on stage wrapped in a Union Jack.) using words like ‘explosion‘ and ‘flooded’ is not the best way to win over the NME, like they rightly said it sounds like something from a BNP pamphlet. What Morrissey was expressing, but not in the best way was that he felt the British identity was disappearing. If that’s the case, and it’s a big IF, there are thousands of others who feel the same and who also feel politicians aren’t listening to them, this is dangerous, as is not being able to discuss the subject in an objective way. Failure to do this plays into the hands of the far right and idiots like Morrissey who express themselves in a subjective and racist way. So fuck off back to Italy Bigmouth, where their national identity hasn’t become “a memory now“, or go to Germany….where it hasn’t ”been thrown away,” wait up..Germany, Italy…Fascist governments in the past…Hitler, Mussolini…….Don’t think I need to say anymore. Except see you down the National Front Disco, where the Bengalis in Platforms will stamp on your head you miserable bastard.