MUTINY ON THE BROWNTY

There’s nothing like social justice and under New Labour there’s nothing like social justice! Gordon Brown needs to take his moral compass from out of his arse in order to find some direction, which should be out of the door. Never mind Blair’s Banker Lord Levy dishing the dirt on Brown, he wasn’t so much stabbing him in the back, as shovelling mud on him in the shallow grave that Brown has dug for himself, with his inability to handle anything more than his penis. Missing data, missing immigrants, prisons overflowing, credit crisis, rising crime (don’t let the figures fool you , cos the only reason reported crime has gone down is because no-one is reporting it because they have no faith in the police and the justice system) Then there’s the 10p Tax Rate fuck up, Brown decided on this cut when he was the ‘prudent chancellor’ now he’s got to deal with it as the ‘impotent Prime Minister’ and just how prudent was it to allow the banks to get themselves into such a financial mess that he has to bail them out with tax payers money. When a countries leader starts to go back on their decisions, no matter how wrong they are, it aint good. Thatcher and Blair were bad!, but at least they stood by what they believed in, no matter how wrong they may have been, that’s why Brown aint gonna be long in the job, he’s a spineless, limp wristed excuse for a leader who has shown the masses that he is weak. The scary thing is that he is at the helm of the good ship S.S Great Britain and it’s sailing in choppy global economic and political waters with obstacles everywhere and if Brown couldn’t see the Northern Rock fiasco coming then I have little faith in him seeing anything else on the horizon. Shape up or ship out Gordon, cos I’m sure there’ll be a few warning shots coming across the bows in the Local Elections on May 1st. If something don’t change soon we’re gonna hit an almighty iceberg and it won’t be women and children first.

Have you heard the oilful news?

So the news is that oil companies profits have risen to record levels; while the price of petrol to the consumer has also risen to record levels. That aint news, that’s capitalism; the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. No news is bad news!

DEMO DAY

What I know about both these bands could be written on the back of a postage stamp, but here goes. The year 1987, the place London. THE LOVELESS included a former guitarist from Lords Of The New Church (Al) a bassist from Diatribe (Tim) and a drummer who used to be in The Gunslingers(Neil), more about them in a later post. The three tracks on this demo are A+ Punk’n’Roll, similar to The Vibrators and Chelsea, catchy choruses and hooks guaranteed to get you singing along, don’t think record companies were impressed, because as far as I know, no records were released. ROMEO STREET GANG on the other hand released one 12” on Jungle records Heavy House / Money Talks, the three tracks on this tape sound similar to Big Audio Dynamite and Lightning Strike, a slab of “heavy bass and drums shattered by guitar and keyboards” so says the press blurgh that came with the tape, which doesn’t say much else except “The gang aint just four musicians!! We’re coming from all directions.” So there yer go, the postage stamp is full up just room to say click here! For The Loveless and click here! for Romeo Street Gang.

So it’s been a year since the McCann’s rather irresponsibly and foolishly lost their daughter Madeline. Now we’ve got the TV documentary, and there was/is talk of a book and a film. For fucks sake, what next, a musical? with a spin off reality show hosted by Andrew Lloyd Webber called A Search For Maddie, or maybe a Playstation game were you have to eat as much food as you can, while going back from the restaurant to the apartment to check she’s still in bed, then if you’re too slow getting back and she aint there, you have to secure as much money and publicity as you can before you start searching for her, obviously the more you get of both the more chance you have of finding her, or do you? Personally I think a board game would be good, cos I’m certainly bored with it all and wish the parents would get lost.

THE DOGS D'AMOUR - The State We're In

Right then, for all you rock’n’rollers out there, it’s The Dogs D’Amour’s debut album; The State We're In. Only released in Finland at the beginning of 1984, and featuring a certain Dave Kusworth on guitar. (No this blog isn’t turning into a DK appreciation site!) Vinyl copies are very collectable, this download is taken from a tape I recorded from a vinyl copy many, many, many moons ago, hence the dodgy homemade cover and reduced sound quality, but it’s still very, very listenable and a great long lost relic, so if you dig the dogs, it’s just a click away.

No posts today. I've come down with a dose of CBA Syndrome (Can't Be Arsed)

WANKER !

NOTE:

The OGC logo above, was allegedly designed for the Office Of Government commerce. When viewed at the above angle it shows something completely different to what was intended.

"FUCK IT!" things had become clearer now. It was either time to take what was on the table, or play on. He still had a few aces up his sleeve, but was he a gambling man?"

THE WATERBOYS - The Big Music (12" vinyl-rip)

The Big Music, yes indeed this is a big stadium of a song, but not as big as one of the b-sides of this 12” Bury My Heart is a beautiful tale from the eyes of a Native American, of mans brutality to fellow man in the name of religion, capitalism and civilisation, musically it’s a cross between Bob Dylan and Johnny Thunders, brilliant stuff. The Native American theme continues with the final track The Earth Only Endures, which is a traditional Sioux death song, given the Mike Scott treatment. If you wanna hear this Big Music, you know what to do.

WHAT A NICE WAY TO TURN SEVENTEEN #2

This is the second in the series of musical offerings from What a Nice Way to Turn Seventeen fanzine, this time expanded to 18 tracks of, off kilter pop, psychedelia and good old rock’n’roll. There’s some familiar names here NIKKI SUDDEN, SWELL MAPS and DAVE KUSWORTH, who’s a bit of a feature on this album, as TV EYE, THE SUBTERRANEAN HAWKS and THE RAG DOLLS all include him in their line ups. THE PSYCOHOLOGY VANDALS and THE LAST BANDITS both feature Jeremy Gluck from The Barracudas. Those are just some of what’s on offer, plus you get tracks by THE MEMBRANES, THE JASMINE MINKS, THE FURIOUS APPLES and THE GREAT OUTDOORS and a few others, all in all a great way to spend an hours grooving and moving. There is talk of a best of CD compilation release from the Nice Way To Turn 17 folk, but until that happens enjoy this by clicking here!

There seems to be some sort of 80’s nostalgia trip going on in the media, looking back at the fashion, culture, politics and economics of the time. So what do we remember? But more importantly, Why do they want us to remember? “Those that control the past control the future” but what part does it play in the present? In the words of Spandau Ballet “To cut a long story short.”
The 80’s shaped today’s society. Some say the 80’s needed to happen after Labour Governments failings in the 1970’s Winter of Disconntent, IMF, 3 day weeks, people sick of seeing rubbish on the streets. Hence Thatcherism and all it’s social evils, Free Market capitalism benefited some and left millions on benefits.
The Trade Unions were beaten into submission during the Miners Strike, youth culture became business through the new enterprise capitalism. Credit turned Council houses into castles, left people as slaves to the wage, some lucky ones got their freedom when they sold their homes for huge profits, others ended up in the workhouse when theirs were re-possessed.
During the Thatcher regime Political activism grew e.g. Red Wedge, Stop The City, CND, Anti Poll Tax Demos. A reaction to the injustice of selfish monetary policy, but strong political force, prevented any protest damaging Thatcher’s New Right Government, any opposition was crushed by her claw.
The 90’s was about consolidating our new society and packaging it up in Celebrity, Complacency and Compliance, Citizens as consumers. A re-branded Great Britain where things could only get better. But that was then and this is now! So where do we go from here then, and how are we going to get there, if the 80’s had to happen because of the 70’s, what is going to be done about the state of the nation in the 00’s? What’s the plan? Another set of extreme measures me thinks, for a whole new set of problems that have grown out of the 80’s and 90's e.g. Climate change, pollution, all the waste of 80’s economic growth had to go somewhere, and that’s on top of the constant issues no matter what decade, with things such as low pay and high prices, crime, living standards, you know the usual things that ails a Capitalist state, the things that they’ve created or condoned. The Cold War has finished, now it’s the War on Terror. Our young people are killing each other with guns and knives and for some reason immigrants want to come and live in Britain. No doubt here in 2008 there will be people saying that we have returned to a time of Labour crisis; discontent in Public Sector over pay with first the Police and now the teachers going on strike. People unhappy with Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, credit crunch, high interest rates, increased cost of living, issues around immigration. Something old, something new, something borrowed something blue. Where’s the alternative? the opposition! New Labour and Conservative are one and the same a one party policy state, where it’s about containment and how to control the masses in this brave new world of theirs, with its high tech computers, genetic modifications and surveillance . As I’m thinking and typing this I can see many parallels with times that have gone I keep wanting to expand on points, and highlight them, but I’m starting to feel like I’m going to go round in circles if I do that, so I’m going to stop, unlike the world, politics and economics, which does go round in cycles. We need to remember that, and we also need to remember…fuck, forgotten what we need to remember, but it was along the lines of we are the opposition….we are growing in numbers…and they shouldn’t forget that…..and I wonder what people looking back will remember about the 00’s.

ALL MOUTH AND NO TROUSERS!

There’s nothing worse than a politician, except a politician that hasn’t got the Bollocks or the Fanny to stand by a decision they’ve made. It just shows that they can’t even be trusted to tell their own truth. Now that Labour have backed down and turned around about the 10p Tax Rate, perhaps we’ll see the banks passing on the Governments recent financial investment in them on to the consumer, and we might even see major supermarkets reduce their profit margins in food stuffs. Yeah and a politician will tell the truth.

THE BOLSHOI - Happy Boy (12" vinyl-rip)

The Bolshoi, were a three piece, originally from Wiltshire but relocated to London to seek fame and fortune. I suppose they could be described as a post-punk goth outfit with traces of Bowie, cropped up at loads of gigs during 1984-85 as support to bands like The Cult, Lords Of The New Church, March Violets amongst others, before going on to headline their own shows by 1987. Happy Boy is the bands second single; a melodic, dark brooding bass driven beast of a tune that was released in August 1985, described as “The best band that nobody’s ever heard of”, not strictly true, cos that accolade goes to the late’n’great Mercenary Skank. I always found The Bolshoi’s output a bit patchy, but this is a stomping single and well worth clicking yer mouse here to have a listen, the b-sides aint too bad either.

Never mind the wolves being at peoples doors, the vultures put this through my letter box today. Fucking junk mail!

PETER PERRETT in THE ONE - Woke Up Sticky (album)

Today’s musical offering is from Peter Perrett when he became The One. Woke Up Sticky, has been described as his “great lost album” I posted the EP of the same name a while back, all the tracks on that are included here as bonus cuts. It is a great album well worth finding and equal to his work with The Only Ones, who incidentally should have a new album out later this year. Anyway while yer waiting for that if you want a fix of Mr Perrett just hit it!

Heads you lose, Tails you lose !

Robert Mugabe and Hilary Clinton are just different sides of the same coin. Mugabe refuses to admit defeat in the Zimbabwean elections and Clinton refuses to give up her fight to become the Democratic Party candidate in the U.S primary elections. Mugabe has divided his country with terror. Clinton is dividing her party, who are becoming scared because the division may effect the result of the final ballot against the Republicans. Still at least the Americans have the opportunity for free and fair elections. Ooops, forgot the Florida Fiasco a few years back with the allegations of vote rigging. The same coin, and it’s global value keeps falling.

A MONDAY MISH-MASH-MIX-UP!

What happens when Gary Twin (ex 20 Flight Rockers) and Bernie Rhodes (ex Clash manager) get together in a recording studio? Not a lot really, Bike Boy a second rate Billy Idol sort of sounding sound, a shame really, should have been better. But hey don’t take my word for it, hear what ya think here!

Here’s a blast of Mick Jones’s first musical outing since he left/was asked to leave The Clash. He certainly came back with a bang with the revolutionary Big Audio Dynamite who fused the hip hop dance groove with rock’n’roll guitars; the result was like Chuck Berry meeting Chuck D. This is the Rick Rubin re-mixed 12” of BAD’s debut single The Bottom Line / BAD, check it out here!

Totally Random Music Postings #5

Something a bit different for you today. Welsh band Super Furry Animal's finest moment. It’s a psychedelic, prog rock, punk, techno trip of a track. Released in 1996, unsurprisingly The Man Don’t Give A Fuck a great political statement received no radio airplay, shame it would have made a great Number One. The chap flicking the V-Sign on the cover deserves a mention himself. Robin Friday was a talented 1970’s footballing bad boy with a penchant for mind expanding drugs and alcohol. He was once arrested at Cardiff railway station when he arrived from Reading (his previous club) for fare dodging, he also took a shit in another players kit bag after he’d been sent off for kicking the player in the face. Cardiff City had to let him go due to his volatility becoming a liability. He died in 1990 aged 38 from a suspected heart attack, they don't make 'em like Robin anymore. Super Furry Animals dedicated this single to his memory and his stand against the “man” check it out!

YOU FAT BASTARD!

So former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott suffered from Bulimia. Without wanting to make fun of serious personality/psychological disorders, I don’t feel I can let this little story pass by the radar. John Prescott/eating disorder! You couldn’t make this shit up!! Let’s face it, he’s had his head in the trough for years, £4,000 of cash payers money a year for him to stuff his face. Never mind making himself sick, his antics over the years have made me sick, and this latest one, well….is it any coincidence he’s got a book coming out? This story isn’t in the public interest, just his private interest, I’m sure people would rather have known about it when he was second in command of the country, after all it couldn't have done him any damage; what with him punching members of the public, we all thought he was a bit unstable and unsuitable anyway. Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh, after all he hopes that he will be able to use his experience to raise awareness with an NHS campaign about eating disorders, I ask you how much good will that do and much is it gonna cost? it’ll probably go belly up; because who’s gonna take it seriously with John Prescott fronting it.

Same Old, Same Old, Same Old Shit!

What’s bin happening this week?, pretty much the same as last week and the week before, just different flavours of the same shit. Panic on the streets, people consolidating all their debts into one lump sum, that they’ll still have to pay back at a nice higher rate of interest. Bulk buying works out cheaper….Bollocks, it just encourages more waste and over indulgence, especially with food stuffs. Two for the price of one, we’re gonna either be sinking under a mountain of wastage or turn into a nation of fat bastards and as for alcohol, don’t think I need to say anything about the binge culture that has developed due to ‘bargain booze’ It’s all been about greed and not need. Lets hope that those who fell for the ‘capitalist con’ start to wake up and smell the roses, and realise that their castle has been built on shifting sands that could give way at anytime, sending their whole 42” plasma wi-fi connected world crashing down around them. There’s not even the football to look forward, that always helps unite a nation and take peoples minds off things, but no the England team are shite, a bunch of over paid, under performing under achievers, who, along with their SLAGS, or is that WAG’s have assisted in creating the culture of celebrity that has enslaved people into spending money that they haven’t got, their aspirations don’t reflect the reality of their lives, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to better yourself, but at what price? But hey if it all goes wrong it’s not our fault. The issue of Immigration is still there; a slow burning fire, waiting for politicians to throw a few more logs of propaganda on it to get it ragging so the masses can draw closer and keep warm when times are cold, another trick in the capitalist con. Social Mobility, that’s another one, which entails people entering into homeownership, stocks and shares and all those other neo-conservative policies that have prevailed over our society for too long. What goes up often comes back down, and it comes down a lot quicker. The capitalist con doesn’t have winners and losers, there’s just losers, who like the England football team think they are winners with an overgrown/blown sense of their own importance. If people have played the game they should take responsibility for their actions and pay the price for keeping up and trying to over take the Jones’s, but that’s not gonna happen with Brown and his moral compass living next door in his house of prudence. The new 10p tax cut will reward those who played the game and penalise those that haven’t, just like those who’ve not got into debt end up pay more interest to support those that have, it’s all part of the continuing con, that will go On and On and On and On until people say No, No, No, No!

UGLY VACUNT !

GARY HOLTON - Ruby (7"vinyl-rip)

Gary’s been mentioned in despatches on this blog before. Here’s his first solo single since he left/was asked to leave the Heavy Metal Kids. Ruby (Don’t Take Your Love To Town) was a song written in 1967 by Mel Tillis. It originally told the tale of a dying and disabled Korean War Veteran, who didn’t want his lover to leave him. By the time it had been made popular by Kenny Rodgers in 1970 it was about a Vietnam Vet, In Gary’s tale the line about “That old crazy Asian War” was changed to reflect the British Armies involvement in Northern Island. It’s a stonking slab of bar room boogie, dominated by Gary’s cockney barrer boy vocals. When he released it in 1982 with Casino Steel of The Boys fame It reached Number One in Norway, don’t think it dented the spittoon when it came out in Britain two years previously. Gary will probably be remembered more for his acting roles, especially his role in the popular Auf Wiedersein Pet, which he should really have sung the theme tune to rather than the no-mark that did who’s name I can’t and don’t particularly want to remember. However Gary did sing the theme to Murphy’s Mob, an early 80’s kids drama about the trials and tribulations of a youth football team, directed by Mickey Dolenz of Monkees fame trivia fans. I don’t know if it was ever released as a single, if it was, it’s a bastard to find, however here’s a brief sound clip of it, and here’s Gary’s Ruby single, plus it’s b-sides. Or was it the other way round? Whatever, enjoy!

"FUCK YOU!" the man thought as he stood next to a pile of stones, he took the sling shot and loaded it with one of them. He pulled back his arm and prepared to fire it through one of the many windows at the head office of those Corporate Cocksuckers. He wasn’t happy!

THE SCREAMING BLUE MESSIAHS - The Last Scream of The Blue Messiah (Live @ The Subterania, London 5/6/90)

Here’s a live recording of The Screaming Blue Messiahs, not just any old recording, but their last ever gig, and what a stonker it is, an audience recording that captures the sheer power of the Messiahs. This is pedal to the metal, full throttle, high octane rock’n’roll, the drive of yer life. But hey don’t just take my word for it, lets see what Cathy Unsworth from Sounds magazine thought of ‘em that night in 1990
“The eyes are bulging, but Bill Carter's expression is one of wonder rather than his usual BSE simulation. Before him is probably the politest audience he's ever witnessed.
'Mega City One' and 'Sweet Water Pools' have just ravaged the atmosphere with delicious brutality, and the response resembles a Saturday Night Fever workout. Snorting like an indignant bull, Carter slams his fingers against the frets as sparks of ravaged, thunderous blues course out. Heads down into 'Watusi Wedding' and the adreno-therapy is beginning to work.
Yet Carter retains his nonplussed air all night. As the bopabout turns into a sizable ruck to the mental rhythms of 'Jesus Chrysler Drives A Dodge', 'Gunfight', 'Bikini Red' and 'Here Comes Lucky' the man remains bemused, letting his fingers do the mauling, sometimes hardly bothering to sing at all.
'Happy Home' scrapes the skin off a few skulls and 'Twin Cadillac Valentine' rubs the salt in. They're back for one encore, then disappear, leaving a pile of steaming bodies gasping for more. Mission accomplished, but they could have been sleepwalking.” So if you fancy a drive step on it! I’m indebted to Grant over at BLUE HEAVEN for letting me share this with ya, If yer into the The Screaming Blues take a visit, it’s a great resource for a great band, this post also goes out to Markydread at CHEAP EMOTIONS, a colourful and well crafted blog, featuring some top recordings, including another Live Blue Messiahs one.

(Don't Fear) The Gap Year

My condolences go out to the families of the 5 young Brits killed in Ecuador, but……do we really need to see them grieving on News At 10, or read about the gory heartbreak details in the newspapers. There’s the private and the public, but in our spectacular society there are no distinctions, everything is up for sale, except cotton wool sleeping bags, because with the story in the media, the fear factor will start to take over. Parents of children who are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take time out and travel to ‘broaden their horizons’, may start to question whether these trips are gonna be safe; when the reality is that we are living in a risk society where accidents happen, and in other countries the risks are often higher. That’s life! but it’s there for living!

AN ADVERT OF SORTS #1

I don’t really do adverts here, but something’s are worth mentioning. CAPTAIN OI have been keeping the 80’s Punk Rock spirit alive for many years now. Recently did business with them to get a copy of The Best Of The Dark, by surprise, surprise a band called the THE DARK, it includes all their singles and their only album The Chemical Warfare, a great band, with a rather short career, think The Damned. Shame The Living End Live 12”; a recording of the bands final gig isn't included, by now they had Razzle on drums, who went on to join Hanoi Rocks and shared a house with Dave from those non anarcho-scensters The Apostles (trivia fans) I digress, as the point of this post is to big up Captain Oi for their on the ball despatch team. I placed the order in the morning, and the CD arrived the next day. Result! It still sounds as great as it did 20+ years ago. In an ironic twist, since my purchase John over at Punks On Postcards has posted a vinyl rip of the album, on his excellent site. Just shows yer can’t keep a good band down. There ya go advert over, time to exercise consumer choice, and if anyone’s got the Live 12”………

“OI WHAT ARE YOU FUCKING LOOKING AT!" Shouted the man to the guy who’d been staring at him as they'd passed each other on the street. “Nothing” he replied. “That’s alright then” the man responded and they both carried on going in their different directions. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, nor would it be the last. The man wasn’t paranoid, he’d spoken to several other people about ‘The Stare’ and they’d noticed and experienced the same thing, they in turn confirmed that they’d had similar conversations with other people they knew who had also felt ‘The Stare’ upon them. It appeared to the man that people were looking for something. He wasn’t sure for what though.

Never let it be said that NPW takes everything too seriously and only sees one side of an arguement. Here for all you Pete Doherty detractors is a little ditty called Waiting For Pete Doherty To Die by the, quite aptly named INDELICATES, very similar in sound to the Television Personalities. Enjoy you bastards!

THE LORDS OF THE NEW CHURCH - Live in 82

Here’s a couple of live shows from those leather clad lovelies; The Lords Of The New Church. Both were recorded in the Autumn of 1982 in the good old U.S of A, I’m not sure if the venues/dates are 100% accurate, but I’m gonna go with what my supplier told me (a big thanx to rcs) The first one’s an audience recording from Boston 23/8/82 the second’s a Radio Broadcast from Hitsville, NJ 17/9/82 Same set at both gigs, so take yer pick if you fancy some top quality sleazy and sexy rock‘n’roll.

“It was a Saturday afternoon and the town centre felt like a school playground. Lots of groups of kids just hanging out. I dunno why they say hanging out, cos they’re just standing there, with their hats, hoods and burberry….the next generation.”

The NF has been removed ! Well the graffiti on the wall near me I was talking about a while back has. If only it was so easy to rub out the BNP. Local council elections are coming up on May 1st, and due to voter apathy in certain areas, it is possible that the BNP may gain some seats on local councils. So I would urge people to use their ’democratic right’, for what it’s worth and if there’s a BNP candidate in your area make sure you vote for someone else in order to scrub out their chances of victory, pass the word on to others as well, cos lets face it with all the issues around immigration and politicians not listening to the public, for some people the BNP are the answer. No politicians should be trusted, especially not those in a party that in an attempt to maximise their votes and gain seats on the London Assembly are allegedly shedding their anti-semetic past and targeting Jewish voters by highlighting the cultural differences between Jews and Muslims.??!! what a Bunch of Nasty Parasites living on peoples ignorance and fear to promote their own perverse ideology. Place yer cross wisely and show ’em they have No Future in our green and pleasant land.

LETS HEAR IT FOR THE FEAR FACTOR !

What the Fuck is going on? What sort of a society are we becoming, and how are we getting there? Some parents who don’t feel that their children are safe outside are considering getting a tracking device planted under their child’s skin, so through the wonders of technology they will know were their child is. I shit you not! Mass media coverage of the Madeline McCann case has brainwashed some people and as a result they seem to be suffering from Kidnaperphobia were by they believe that their children may be snatched from the street at any time by a stranger, when the reality is that it is more likely to be someone a child knows that abducts them as we are seeing in the Shannon Mathews case. Like I’ve said before, people who are scared are easier to control and some stupid bastards will do anything if they are made to feel scared enough, but it won’t stop there. These idiots are sending out a signal to our leaders that helps to reinforce and justify our ever increasing surveillance society, and now it’s been seen on TV how many more parents will think it’s a good idea to have a ‘chipped child’? A civilised society…Fuck Off ! this sounds more like abuse to me.

Another result for Team Tibet in San Fransisco a few days ago, that’s Four Nil then. Gordon Brown and the UN secretary are not boycotting the opening ceremony because they have “prior engagements” I wonder if any more world leaders are gonna be checking their diaries rather than telling the truth (mind you they are politicians so truth doesn’t come into their vocabulary, if it did things might be a whole lot different.) and continue to let themselves and who they are supposed to represent be held to ransom by China for economic reasons. Fuckin’ Olympricks!

WHAT A NICE WAY TO TURN SEVENTEEN #1

Here’s a little gem of an oddity/obscurity. A 4 Track 7” compilation EP that came with issue # 2 of What A Nice Way To Turn 17 a fanzine from 1984. THE RAG DOLLS kick off the proceedings with Sparrows, a beautiful little number written by Dave Kusworth , he was in Rag Dolls before he teamed up with Nikki Sudden as The Jacobites., talking of which NIKKI SUDDEN’s next up with the rockin’ Missionary Boy. Next you’ve got THE JAZZ BUTCHER with a haunting version of John Cale’s Chinese Envoy before the THE SAD-GO-ROUND wrap things up with a bit of Swell Maps style weirdness with a track called Elephant Flowers. If I remember rightly and rather vaguely I think Sad Go Round could be various Swell Maps in disguise. There you have it! Well not exactly…here’s where you can have it….Where?….There?.…No!….Here!

DRUGS OF YOUTH

While the press vilify Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty for being ‘junkie rockstars’ and Gordon Brown changes his mind about the re-classification of cannabis Doctors are prescribing anti-psychotic and anti depressants to children as young as six! These aren’t kids who’ve smoked too much skunk and are suffering cannabis psychosis, these are children who’ve been labelled with ’behavioural problems’ there’s a whole debate there about whether they’re just naughty kids who’ve been brought up on a diet of food additives and the only way to control them is through a ‘chemical cosh’ rather than a clip round the ear and no more Big Macs. I digress from the point that there is a hypocritical view of drugs depending on their definition; Legal or illegal, i.e. whether they are administered by The State or The Individual. It’s fine for the state to control the mood and mind of the individual, but wrong for the individual to make that choice themselves. Either way the end result is the same; people are numbed from whatever pain they are suffering. We are told that illegal drugs are bad , millions have been spent on Campaigns to discourage children from taking them. Just Say No FRANK, but the state is happy to dope up young people on a variety of pills, that often haven’t been licensed for use on children. The harmful side effects of drugs are overlooked by drug companies such as Glaxo in the pursuit of profit, just like the dealer on the estate who doesn’t give a shit what his pills and powder are cut with. The reality is that illegal and legal mind/mood altering drugs can kill in certain cases, don’t just listen to the grieving family whose child has overdosed on heroin, listen to the parents of children who’ve committed suicide after being prescribed Seroxat. So who are the better role models? The Politicians and Doctors who sanction and perscribe the use of drugs on children or Pete Doherty? I know who I’d lock up!

CLANG, CLANG GO THE JAIL GUITAR DOORS !

NICE RESULTS FOR TEAM TIBET IN LONDON AND PARIS, LETS SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN SAN FRANSISCO TODAY. BY MY RECKONING, INCLUDING THE INITIAL LIGHTING OF 'THE FLAME' IN ATHENS, IT'S THE OLYMPICS NIL:TEAM TIBET THREE!

10 million plus pounds to find out that Lady Di was killed by a pissed driver and the paparazzi. Who pays? We do, after all she was the ‘peoples princess’ Still at least it was a fair inquest. Well....not exactly, as the judge led the jury to a verdict of unlawful killing in order to put an end to all the conspiracy theories, which confused me a bit, cos surely that’ll just add to them. Still what do I know? Except that she’s dead, and at that price she should stay buried!

"Have You Got 10p ?"... A Car Boot Sale Bargain !

I passed this by when it was originally released, probably due to its slightly disco sounding vibe, and not being yer usual TRB style. (It was co-written with Elton John.) I wasn’t the only one; the band disowned the track for the very same reasons, which is why it’s credited to Tom Robinson and The Voice Squad. Judging by the crackles I have a feeling that the previous owner of this single preferred the B-Side Getting Tighter, which is much more yer standard TRB affair, even though the writing credit is given to Hot Peaches, so it may be a cover version (I googled Hot Peaches and just got links to porn) alternatively it may me a tongue in cheek reference to the 1979 Gay Pride/Stonewall Campaign that this single was released as a benefit/promo for. Whatever.... It’s up for grabs here if you want a listen.

BACK WITH A ............

They say a weeks a long time in politics, well it’s also a long time at work, but when you take a break and go away anywhere, it’s a bloody short time. It’s certainly a long time to have to wait for your luggage after using Heathrow’s new Terminal 5, fortunetly not me 'cos I went somewhere in Britain. It’s also a long time to count the votes or rig an election, but a short time to prepare your army to make sure you keep control of your power, Mugabe's time must surely be up, he can’t blatantly get away with that sort of shit with the whole world watching, then again the Chinese seem to be doing OK in regard to the Olympics, but Team Tibet are way ahead in the propaganda and protest stakes; were ordinary people across the world are putting our leaders to shame in voicing their disgust at the hypocrisy of it all. Talking of shame, poor old Max Mosley, exposed for the pervert he is with sordid tales of ’Nazi Bondage Sex With Hookers’, still you wouldn’t expect anything else from the son of 1930’s Black Shirt Fascist leader Oswald Mosley would ya. It must be in the genes. But what’s Gordon Brown’s excuse for the cock up with the logo designed for an International Socialist Summit that looked like a swastika, a Freudian slip? coincidently the winner of the Grand National on Saturday was called Comply Or Die ! I aint even gonna go into the reports of government figures on Immigration being inaccurate, or the continuing MP’s on the fiddle bollocks, but what about children spending too much time in their rooms posting pictures of themselves and chatting to people on myspace, facebook or bebo cos their parents are scared to let them play outside, ironically often due to the fear of ‘perverts’. The Minister for Play Ed Balls was swinging on a rope last week, unfortunately it was one in a kids playground where he’d gone to promote better play facilities and to encourage kids to play outside as well as a photo-op. Then there’s the Post Office closures that are killing off communities, the re-branding of Traffic Wardens to Civil Enforcement Officers. Still at least the people can eat their stereo’s and plasma screen TV’s, as the cost of non-essential items has fallen, but the cost of essential items like food keeps rising, either that or sit around them outside, cos their house has been re-possessed as they couldn’t keep up with the increased mortgage rates. The futures bright, the futures….!!!!….???? I don’t think I’m the only one who has concerns for not just the present, but also the future, but hey what about the past, well I watched the re-formed ONLY ONES on Later with Jools Holland last week. Maan! Pete Perrett looked rough, but then again he has survived a lot, still a great performance of surprise, surprise Another Girl Another Planet. Watching them reminded me that I’ve been meaning to post this live show of ’em at The Manchester Academy on 1/6/07 for ages now. Hopefully like a passenger having their luggage returned by British Airways it’s gonna have been worth the wait. The recording was percured from someone, possibly called Tommy over on the If Music Could Talk Clash forum, thanks mate. Anyway here it is for your enjoyment…..DISC ONE / DISC TWO

USUAL abNORMAL SERVICE WILL RESUME TOMORROW !