A CHRISTMAS CONSPIRACY.

In the dying days of 2009, as one family’s child is flown back in a box from Afghanistan another’s son boards a plane for America on a ‘suicide mission’ So just who is winning ‘the war on terror’? This latest one came from Yemen, and he may have been radicalised in London, it also transpires that security forces were aware of him. A late entry into a Top 10 List of You couldn’t make this shit up, of things that happened in 2009 perhaps? I say you couldn’t make it up, but they could let it happen though. Think about it! Support for their war is falling amongst the public, who maybe need reminding as to what the fight is all about. At least no one was killed, or maybe that was part of their plan. I fail to believe that MI5, CIA, Homeland Security etc could have taken their eye off the ball that much. I mean A terrorist attack at Christmas think of the symbolism if it had succeeded. Just another thing, any failings that are seen in and by the security services, will then justify their use of increased surveillance and new detection technologies. One more gate will shut in fortress Europe as their war on terror enters another year.

PETER PERRETT and THE ONLY ONES - Silent Night b/w Baby's Got A Gun (7" Vinyl-Rip)

If I set foot in another shop before next Christmas it may be a day to soon. But enough, tis the season to be jolly, and here’s a solitary little gift for you all. A slightly crackly vinyl rip, but hey it’s the thought that counts. It’s Peter Perrett and The Only Ones and their take on that traditional Christmas ditty Silent Night, backed by the rather unfestive Baby’s Got A Gun, but then again after my experiences in those Churches and Cathedrals of consumption one could have come in handy, to clear queues, remove shoppers that stand in front of you when your browsing, the cashiers that ask if you want a bag and all the other shit that goes with shopping. BANG! BANG! Tis the season to be jolly fa, la, la, la, la Fuck Off!. Tis the season that people should search for some sort of meaning in/to it all. Anyway enough ranting. I hope you all have a great time over the Festive Season, celebrating it in whatever way you do. Happy Christmas. Enjoy!

"If he only had more time to tell of all the things he planned."

DISNEYLAND AFTER DARK - No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims

Formed in the sewers of Copenhagen, Denmark in 1984. As a band they listened to The Ramones, AC/DC and The Clash, collectively they agreed that The Gun Club's Miami was the best record they’d heard. It was to be 5 years before a million pound deal with WEA records in 1989 launched them on to the world stage, fuelled no doubt by the thriving metal scene of the 80’s. But anyone expecting a blast of downtown L.A Hair Metal is gonna be either very disappointed or very relieved. This is Rawk’n’Roll with it’s roots in Punk as much as Metal which bridges the gap between the genres much like Motorhead, who D.A.D sound similar to in places. I say D.A.D because unfortunately due to threat of law suits by Uncle Walt’s Corporation the Disneyland had to be dropped from their name. No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims is one of those records that grabs you by the balls and swings you round before letting you go smashing into the wall with its addictive stomp along anthems, but hey don’t just take my word for it, here! Have a blast yerself. Enjoy/ Destroy / But most of all….PLAY LOUD!

"Walking in a winter wonderland."

The world leaders stomped massive carbon footprints across the Earth to attend The Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, were after Two weeks of ‘talks’ nothing was achieved so very little will change. In Britain a day of ‘heavy snow’ Brought parts of the country to a standstill. Still at least it kept the cars of the roads and some planes out of the skies for a day. Every little helps. Interesting that the extreme weather we are seeing more of, which is often put down to global warming, in some small way is helping to reduce C02 emissions, but not only that. The more extreme weather we see the more it strengthens their case for global warming. I aint no ‘flatearther’ because just like economics and politics nature revolves and evolves in cycles. People have shaped our political, economic and social paths and now one way or another they are shaping our natural world. The longer it goes on with the world leaders resolving less the more I think that they are prepared to stamp over our world in order to maintain the socio/economic/political environment that they have been creating for the last hundred or so years. The Green eCONomy is just another sprout on their tree of global free market capitalism.

RAGE AGAINST SIMON COWELL!

A few weeks ago a couple of people unhappy with the Cowellisation of the British pop charts Christmas No.1 single, (like anyone gives a shit.) by the years X-creta Factor winners, set up a ‘face book campaign’ to get people to buy downloads of Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name to try and make it the festive chart topper. It’s the one with the catchier than swine flu “FUCK YOU I WONT DO WHAT YOU TELL ME” refrain.
Without any sense of irony 600,000 people did exactly what someone told them and signed up to the face book group. Still the revolution starts somewhere!

THE VIBRATORS - Under The Radar (*A REVIEW*)

Yes the new Vibrators album. It’s been out for a couple of weeks. Well worth rockin’ the(ir) recession with. £8.99 including postage from those good folks over at Captain Oi. They’re the business when it comes to keeping the spirit alive! So what with Consumermass coming up put it on yer list for Satan to stick in yer stocking. If you get in there quick it's only £6.99 in the X-Mas Sale. Bargain! and while yer there check out The Walls Punk Collection, or The Fits or The Dark. Brilliant CD's the lot of 'em. Anyway I digress *A REVIEW* 14 Tracks of new Vibrators material, no punk rock garage classics here. This is Knox’s take on all things in and out of love set against backdrops of sleaze in crumbling cities and dead end towns. Musically the band have never sounded more frantic and furious, more solid and sexy. There’s a trace of familiarity among some of these tunes; a guitar lick here, the odd riff there. Foot taping and stomping stuff a total pounding rock and roll out of a record. Some bands/musicians never let you down. If you like The Vibrators I’d be disappointed if you were disappointed after taking a ride Under The Radar.

NIKKI SUDDEN - Lost In A Sea Of Scarves (MP3)

Seems that Nikki Sudden is quite popular around these parts, and that’s not just with me. Someone requested Lost in a Sea of Scarves, well, I try not to post stuff that I haven’t actually got a physical copy of but seeing as it’s nearly ConsumerMass here you go with an MP3 of said album, straight from my hard drive straight from somewhere. It’s a compilation originally released in 1985 on German label What’s So Funny About, of his work with Dave Kusworth as The Jacobites, and a great introduction if you’re not familiar with it. If you’re not never mind shame for the angels, shame on you, but that can be easily rectified with a click here! For those that are there’s a couple of scans of some old Jacobites gig flyers to accompany this post.

Yet another untitled piece of prose.

My heart Fucking bleeds! £40,000 a year. Nice work if you can get it! Having to pay an extra £200 in tax. Fuck me, an extra £200 in my wage packet and in millions of other peoples a year would be nice, don’t suppose that’ll ever happen, we’ll just be taxed by stealth to pay for their fuck ups. Here’s a Top 10 of them for this year:
1) The continuing illegal war
2) MP’s expenses.
3) Taking the country to the brink of bankruptcy
4) …..Fuck it I can’t be bothered to think of anymore, it’s just too depressing and makes me too angry. Poxy fucking culture of lists. Top 10 albums/bands/books/films etc. Truth is it should be about quality rather than quantity, and its all subjective and not very objective. I object because this thing about lists, it’s just a bottom down version of New Labour’s obsession with audits, league tables etc, that’s what has defined this government, that is what has created a market for all the managers, jobs etc that are needed to monitor, collate, analysis and then present the data to the public for propaganda purposes. How much does all this shit cost to tell us, that the average family is worth £204,000 (If figures are to be believed) what? Well I never said I was average, and as for these people earning and having to pay more tax. Too right! The more you are worth, the more you should have to pay. I’ve nothing against wealth and money, it’s just peoples attitude towards it, and what it is actually worth. Nothing, if you haven’t been brainwashed by their Capitalist System, where everything is up for sale. Food, clothing and shelter, basic needs. The rest are just wants. The more you want, the more you need their money, the more you have to play the game. My families income with two people working each year is just over half £40,000, our assets? Well…….I don’t think so. What a bunch of losers! Not really, still manage to live a fulfilling and satisfying life, it’s about the value of things. The only value money has is to corrupt. The reason we are in ’this mess’ is because everyone who grew up under Thatcher and had nothing, has thanks to New Labour grown rich and become the very people Thatcher wanted to create. The Cult of The Individual. More like the individual is a cunt! Now times are hard all those who’ve worked for their future, spent money they didn’t have to attain and maintain the elusive illusion of a life style that actually means something when in reality it means nothing are gonna have to pay, but they aint gonna be happy. I can understand that with MP’s expenses scandal, costs of War etc I aint happy about those either. But the difference is I didn’t buy or wasn’t brainwashed into it and I’m doubly pissed off with seeing those that did and were, moaning about everything, but doing nothing and I’m having to live in the shit that the greedy fucking arseholes created.
You can’t fight progress, but you can slow it’s advance. Take pleasure in the Simple things, beauty in the mundane. I’m not talking about a total alternative lifestyle, cos some progress is good, some of what Capitalism and the Free Market offers is good, but a lot more of it makes me sick. It’s about a balanced diet. Total Capitalism is unhealthy! Like I said before. No class. A classless society. Maggie’s dream, and our nightmare. The people of Britain, need to wake up and see that they have been taken for a bunch of ……. Write that on yer THINGS TO DO IN 2010. List… 1) Take to the streets. After all what have you got to lose? Time to playing a different family game this Christmas.

Bringing some more of the past into the present.

"So we buy it, we consume. We are the suckers"

Why is it whenever I go shopping some things piss me off? Sales ass istants ! When you need one, they know absolutely nothing about the product you want to know about. When you don’t need one, they follow you around the shop and what until you stop walking and then they pounce. “Do you need any help?” No I don’t and if I do I’ll ask someone who’s not gone know about anything anyway. Then if eventually I do decide to make a purchase, there’s the till, queuing up behind people paying by credit card, if you can’t afford it in cash why you buying it? Some shops have cash only tills, I often find the queues shorter at those. So finally make it to the till, then the ass istant utters the words “Would you like a bag?” No! I’m gonna balance the goods on the top of my fucking head and let them get wet in the rain while I walk home, of course I want a bag.

THE WAR ON WEALTH!

THIS ISN'T CLASS WAR! THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO CLASS. I BET THEY ALL VOTED FOR BLAIR. CAN'T GET BY ON £100,000 A YEAR...... CUNTS! AND WHY NOT MAKE IT 50%?

JOHN MOORE AND THE EXPRESSWAY - Expressway Rising.

I posted this fellas debut single a year or so ago, so I thought it’s about time I posted his debut album. John Moore played with the Jesus and Mary Chain, before he went solo with his twangy, bangy 60’s Pop Punk Sleaze; a little Lou Reed here, a spot of The Byrds there and a slice of Garage Punk over there. Great stuff! He went on to release a couple more (no excuse for the pun) solo albums, before enjoying a bit of chart success during the 90’s in Black Box Recorder, but none of that work imho matches the majesty of 1989’s Expressway Rising. Check it out here! Or Check out there! Unfortunetly my original tape has long since stretched ,so you’ve got my digital replacement instead, with two bonus tracks. Enjoy and/or destroy, but do something! John Moore now writes articles for The Guardian, and still rocks out.

UNTITLED

The wanker bankers are in the news again, what a greedy bunch of mmutha fuckers. RBS the bank our government bailed out with our money now want more of our money to pay their executives obscene bonuses, for what? Investing in Dubai Stock Exchange and possibly putting more of our cash at risk.
There’s people not happy that the EU may take control over Britain’s banks, which is fair enough as after all no one was consulted over our increased control by Brussels, but then again someone needs to take control, to stop the Banker Bonus Bonanza and gambling of money on dodgy investments, it’s what our government should be doing or to be more correct; Should have done! I mean the figures if they are to be believed are obscene £5 billion. It’s just greed, but hey our politicians can’t really talk after the expenses debacle. Just think what could be done with that money? Equipping the troops in Afghanistan, better patient care on the NHS, just a couple of things that spring to mind, but hey we’re paying for those already, so why should we pay twice? Well both the armed forces and Health care are haemorging money through quangos, managers and civil servants, while frontline services suffer. High wages for managers etc provide Happy Shopper budget care and equipment.
Climate Change. Change the climate; Change ourselves! It’s fundamental, it’s the only way it’s gonna happen and I’m not talking cutting down on plastic bags or energy saving light bulbs here. It’s about what we put in the plastic bags and what we can see in our homes. Do we need it? Or do we want it? I mean how ever did we get on without mobile phones, how could we watch television before the HD flat screen plasma injection, cos that’s it; people seem addicted to technology and it’s advancement. The white heat of technology is frying people’s minds and the planet. How much more micro can the micro become? How much faster and flatter can we get? before everything reaches a finite state and we’re finished, because that’s what will happen. If people didn’t buy the shit then there’d be no reason to make the shit and if no-one was making the shit there’d be no shit being pumped into the environment. We have more than enough shit in our lives that doesn’t really make people happy, they just think it does. The brakes need to be applied before there’s one almighty crash, we need to start thinking about going backwards to go forwards, that really would be a change in the climate, but one that could just save the planet.

SHARKS - Shallow Waters ( the myspace tunes)

Here’s a band that may well be worthy of your consideration, they have been of mine since I read a brief snippet about them in the NME, and downloaded some tunes from their myspace page. It’s rare that there’s been many bands to catch my attention over the last few years from those pushers of taste at the music press; The Gaslight Anthem, Glasvegas, Twisted Wheel, The Enemy, The Dead 60’s, probably about one a year, this years model goes by the name SHARKS. Why this bunch ? Well… 1) With their slicked back and quiffed up hair they look slightly different to the floppy fringe, skinny look spiky haired indie wannabe whatever look, but more importantly…2) They had something to say that made me think umm! These guys might actually be worth checking out, unlike the rest of the floppy fringed, skinny look spiky haired indie wannabes that the NME shove down its readers throats. The band said they’d “rather be poor and lonely for the sake of keeping their music pure” NME said it could make the band seem po-faced. Excuse me but since when was it po-faced to do it your way, regardless of the cash and celebrity. Sounds like a good attitude to me, that’s what makes a band A BAND and not just another product for the industry. Anyway, time will tell how Sharks survive in the waters of the music biz. Not that they sound that bothered because in an interview for Impose Magazine when asked about future plans James Mattock from the band said “It's hard to know, destroy and rebuild music... I guess.” Sharks back up their talk with a sound not to dissimilar to early Manic Street Preachers with a dash of the Clash a splash of US Punk Rawk and a sprinkling of that 80’s and early 90’s indie/alternative sound. Geat stuff! As well as their myspace songs I’ve also included their cover of The Wedding Present’s Brassneck on this here download. If you’ve liked any of the other bands I’ve plugged here via the pages of NME; Gaslight Anthem, Glasvegas etc then I’m sure you’ll find Sharks just as good, give ‘em a few months and they’ll be circling, scaring and ready to tear at the flesh of the industries dead and dying ducks.

"THE ANSWER IS BLOWING IN THE WIND."

A butterfly flaps its wings. A few weeks ago there was a report in one of the papers about Chinese scientists. In Beijing I think it was, there was a problem with lack of water. Scientists decided to seed the clouds i.e. release chemicals into them, this causes a chemical reaction and hey presto! Rain, well that was the idea, except they got the quantities wrong and there was a ’freak’ snowstorm instead. Makes you wonder how much of this freak weather we are seeing is just down to natural ‘climate change’ Just last week a small town in England called Cockermouth had it’s whole infrastructure wiped out by torrential rain and floods. Nature was as powerful as a laser guided missile taking out bridges, businesses and raking death, destruction and devastation across the area. A result of climate change, they like to tell us. They’ve got the numbers to prove it, or are those the figures that may have been ‘sexed’up to strengthen the case for global warming. I say may because I’m sure that no one would make up figures to strengthen a case for a cause, would they? 45 minutes was it for Iran to ready their weapons of mass destruction? Anyway I’ve shifted from the point, slightly. First off I’m not suggesting that someone like China used Weather Modification techniques to attack Cockermouth,but fucking about with nature can't help the natural climate. but what I am saying is that you can bet your bottom dollar that if the Chinese have the ability to change the weather, than so do countries like America and Britain. But why? Because they can! Why would anyone want to though. Well…. Since scientists have made us aware of changes to the Earths Climate a whole market has grown, A Green Economy fuelled by the need to save the planet at whatever cost. Fear sells and people buy into it, but they need to be reminded of what nature can do, a spectacle! The sight of residents standing in a water soaked house with all their possessions gone, is a good image to plant in peoples minds. There you have it, just a thought. One thing for sure, is that the weather is changing , but it always does and always has, that’s nature, but freaks of nature seem to be common place these days or the reporting of them does. I’m starting to get blown of course with this post, so I’ll end it all now, but just remember what ever the causes of climate change are it’s humans that are fucking up the planet one way or another. Either pumping the atmosphere full of chemical/industrial waste or trying to control nature and use its force as a weapon of mass destruction and propaganda. As a foot note: While I was working on this post last night I heard on the news that there had been flooding in Saudi Arabia. Blimey.. I thought! You don’t hear of that everyday. Now as I’m typing up the post I’m hearing that the sands are shifting on the Dubai Stock Exchange. A butterfly flaps its wings………..

Seasonal Affected Disorder.

Get up, in the dark! Go to work, in the dark! Finish work, go home, in the dark! Get in, turn on the lights, dim energy saving light bulbs. It’s enough to make anyone sad, but surely not that sad to pay £35 on some light box that may or may not improve your energy levels, it’ll probably improve your electric bill by a few quid and that’s all. I realise I may be making light (pun 100% intended) of what to some is seen as a serious condition., but hey lighten up and don't be so sad.

SMACK BLAIR UP!

The Iraq War enquiry, don’t insult my intelligence, the government had no intelligence other than half truths and lies. Thousands of people knew that then, and thousands more will know it when the enquiry unfolds, any attempts at cover ups will just make it worse. There was no danger, no terror threat, no Weapons of Mass Destruction.; all justification for an unjust and untruthful war, to maintain and increase the US and UK’s interests in the Middle East. Lets also remember that it wasn’t just Blair’s War, politicians from all parties supported the shock and awe and so did the people in the streets blinded by propaganda and fear, or just stupidity. Whatever happens with the enquiry Blair will never be able to wash the blood from his hands. He should be tried alongside Bush as a war criminal and as for the rest of the supporters of the War? Well they were just following orders! Thank fuck Blair wasn’t elected as the EU president!

CHINESE ROCKS

China dominates and controls the global market in ‘Rare earth materials’ These like the name suggests are minerals mined from the earth that are rare. They are also major components in the Green technologies that are being developed by the West, ironic considering China is one of the worlds biggest polluters. These rare minerals are also used to provide materials for American high-tech weapons and surveillance equipment. With the West’s dependence and addiction to their military war machine and new world saving technologies it’s little wonder that a blind eye is turned away from Chinas record on human rights. “FREE TIBET!“ China has been condemned for exploiting countries in Africa where the minerals are mined, which is rich coming from nations that fought for parts of Africa in the 18th and 19th Centuries and then plundered the continents resources. Another irony in this tale is that these rare earth materials are the leftovers from that scramble for Africa, by countries such as Britain who are now dependent on all this blue chip shit micro-technology. The future’s bright, the future’s………………….

Fuck the(ir) recession with THE PADDINGTONS.

One of my favourite bands from the last few years; The Paddingtons have a new single out. It’s available here from the band and it’ll cost ya nowt. Shame About Elle is taken from the bands ‘difficult second album’ No Mundane Option. Why do music biz types always refer to second albums in this way? What’s difficult? just write a bunch of songs that are as good if not better than the ones on the first album, job done! and fuck the music biz. Which is exactly what The Paddingtons have done. The second track Sweet is a new one, only available there. Where? Here! No! There!

Bringing the past into the present.....

...with a piece of artwerk I scrawled and stuck together in 1990.

NIKKI SUDDEN - The Last Bandit

What else can I say about Nikki Sudden that I haven’t said over the numerous post I’ve done on him. Nothing! But that would do him a dis-service and make this post a Rather lazy one. Let’s go then. The Last Bandit is a compilation of 18 of his songs, compiled by Nikki himself. I’ll steer clear of calling it a ‘Best Of’ but it’s a great collection and introduction if you’re not familiar with his work. It draws from his solo albums so there’s none of the stuff he did with Dave Kusworth here, but there’s still a good cross section of some beautiful love lorn laments alongside the lo-fi and the rock’n’roll. For those already touched by Nikki’s magic, it’s a valuable companion to the albums the tracks are taken from and a different way to listen to the songs he chose for us, but also a sad reminder of what we lost when Nikki died. Stay bruised!

LE MAT - Le Demos

OOOPS! I was gonna post some Nikki Sudden tonight, but got a bit sidetracked by visiting the new Le Mat myspace page and downloading then listening to some early demos of theirs. It was about time there was something in cyberspace from this truly unique group. The page was put together by the band and as well as the demos there’s a few photos. So if you’re one of the people that downloaded their album and single Waltz Of The Fool when I posted them way back, then I recommend a trip to their space. If you’re into yer Nikki Sudden then you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. SORRY!

The Mediaaargh!

In a recent post about The Fall of The Wall, I asked the question how has it been for the former communist countries. The press cuttings to yer right seem to answer the question; not that good, from what various academics from these countries have been saying to the press, but at least they now have a free press and right to expression. The newspapers and the media are a funny old beast. Check out the other cuttings were last week one paper went from saying on one day that, Babies born in 1948 were the luckiest generation to telling us on another day how the same generation who are now in their 60’s suffer more illness, doesn’t sound very lucky to me. Another paper reported that 1948 was the most fortunate year to be born, because the launch of the NHS meant ‘cradle to grave’ care. Irony or bullshit? I dunno, but these baby boomers are the cross in the box the political parties wanna get. How they gonna get their support? Through the media of course and people like Rupert Murdoch and his Sun and their ‘free press media empire’ sticking the boot into the BBC. Yeah the presenters, directors etc are often paid obscene amounts of money while licence fee payers struggle to make ends meet. But the same goes for ITV as well, it’s just that people pay in a different way; by buying the shit that the station advertises. If people didn’t buy, companies wouldn’t advertise and ITV would have no money to overpay its presenters. I begrudge paying my licence fee, not because of the BBC’s excesses, but because of ITV’s adverts.
Then there’s the quality. Last nights (17th Nov) leading news story on ITV was about the yacht couple who’ve been kidnapped by pirates and how conditions for them are worsening. I’ve already let my feelings known about this couple of idiots, who ignored advice and sailed into dangerous waters. The BBC however choose to lead with a story about mobile phone companies selling their customers personal data to other businesses. These unfortunate people had no choice. I know which story I find more concerning and news worthy.
We need the BBC otherwise there will be no balance in news reporting and no one to question anything, I mean were are ITV’s Newsnight, Politics Show and Question Time ? A lack of these sort of political debate programs is as dangerous to our Democracy as having a free press was to Communism.

"YEAH, YEAH, YEAH"

Possibly one of the most important words in the English language, but one that is being used less and less. No-one likes to say NO! People have become disempowered by love, fear and political correctness. They don’t like to say no to demands of friends, family and loved ones, for fear of upsetting them, they often live unhappy lives as a result of this. Parents don’t like to say no to their children for fear of upsetting them; as a result there’s a generation were some children are growing up thinking that they’re always right and have no respect for anyone or anything. Workers don’t say no to their bosses for fear of losing their job, therefore the bosses maintain their power and profits and people are unhappy at work, when people are unhappy they’re easier to control. Politicians carry on regardless because people don’t say no to them and their policies, but what they fear most is everyone saying NO!, so by them having created a culture were people are afraid to say no at a personal level they’re making sure people don’t say no to them on a political level.
It’s time to regain and reclaim some power and respect. Don’t fear the fear. Just say NO! But….does saying no in some circumstances make you selfish? I don‘t know. Stay tuned for another half-baked rant, based on the words ME and WE.

Fuck the(ir) recession with some CARBON/SILICON

I’ve spent most of the weekend smoking too many fags and blasting out Carbon/Silicon’s new release. The Carbon Bubble is a positive, uplifting total rock out, which finds M.J and T.J returning to their pre-punk roots and turning out twelve tracks of Prog/Glam Stomping 21st Century Punk Rawk, brilliant stuff, but this aint no retro shit; musically and lyrically this is as relevant as The Clash and BAD or Generation X and Sigue Sigue Sputnik were, and just as inspirational. There’s no excuse for anyone not giving this a listen, it’s available from the bands website as an MP.Free so all it’s gonna cost yer is a few minutes of your time while you wait for the tracks to download, As a bit of a bonus, and so you don’t leave here empty handed here’s a couple of early versions of two tracks from the album; Reach For The Sky and What’s Up Doc. Enjoy! The image on the right accompanies Shadow, my favourite track on the album; A 6 minute slow burner of an anthem, which juxtaposes The 18th Century English Radical Politician and Journalist John Wilkes with a world of the Facebook X-Factor generation. Smoking!

THE VIBRATORS - Rip Up The City (Live)

Recorded in Germany in the early 80’s and originally released in Germany on vinyl in 1986 as The Vibrators - Live This is the Receiver Records re-release from 1999 with a couple of extra tracks and a new title; Rip Up The City - Live. When this was recorded Pat Collier had been replaced on Bass by Noel Thompson, but Eddie, Knox and Jon Ellis were still there banging out a career spanning set of numbers from Baby Baby and Keep It Clean to Rip Up The City and Crazy Dream. This is power pop punk rock at it’s best, but don’t just take my word for it, this is what Alex Ogg had to say in the linear notes “This CD catches The Vibrators, survivors of the punk wars with over two decades’ worth of battle scars to show their grandchildren, playing live in Germany in the early eighties. While the punk movement as a whole has been recognised for its social and political import, some of its originators continue to be written out of it’s history. For want of being fashionable, The Vibrators have suffered more than most from this affliction. Yet The Vibrators best songs - Judy Says, Baby Baby, Automatic Lover, all included here, argue against such flippant dismissals.” Check it out here for yourselves. Satisfaction guaranteed! After 30 years The Vibrators are still buzzin’ with a new album Under The Radar recorded and ready for release by Captain Oi in either December or early next year. Can’t wait.

Looks like there's a problem with track 6 of this download, their classic slice of punk/pop Baby Baby. Anyway here it is as a single MP3, for you to download and slip in with the rest of the tracks. Hopefully this wont be 'corrupted'

*THOUGHTS OF THE WEEK* or Unfinished Scribblings #3

All’s well in the world; they’ve found water on the moon. Great, human beings have nearly fucked up one planet, how long before the space cowboys start to fuck up another one. In the past the space race proved a good distraction for the people and good propaganda. The East and West spent millions shooting for the moon. I wonder if even in a time of global economic uncertainty countries are gonna be pumping money into space programs with the view to building a new world outpost?
Time for people to get real and take control of their own lives and situations. They/we need to work together to fix broken Britain. (That’s if it is really broken, or it’s just in the mind and eyes of the propagandarists.) There aint long and if the Tories get into power they’ll use a great big stick to beat the people into shape and submission, thanks to all these New Labour laws it’s gonna be a bigger stick than Thatcher had. That’s what David Cameron’s talking about when he says “We’re going to use the state to remake society.”
Don’t be fooled by the Tory sheen and smiles. Promises of this and that, cos it’s gonna cost and freedom is a high price to pay.
Short term solutions leave long term problems.
There are concerns that the BNP will be using funding that they get from Europe for propaganda purposes. It is sad, but they are entitled to this money. Ironically on the same day I read about this Gordon Brown finally said what he should have said years/months ago; that talking about immigration isn’t racist. Perhapes if he had then the BNP might not have won their two seats in the European parliament and no-one would be worried about how they spend their money. Nice one Gordon.
What about the letters debacle, I mean you couldn’t make this shit up. I aint Browns biggest fan, but I mean he tries to do the decent thing and write to bereaved families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan and is crucified in the media for his poor handwriting and spelling. I mean it’s not a good picture is it…Our one eyed half blind leader struggling to write with his felt tip pen. But that’s what it’s all about painting a picture to use for propaganda, and the media especially The Sun are gonna have their crayons out between now and the next election. Something only becomes an issue when it is made an issue; that’s the problem. Fact+Fiction=Friction!
Never mind blowing up the houses of Parliament the real threat to freedom and democracies comes from Murcoch and the media so lets blow up their headquarters. The alternative they are pushing is no real alternative just a bunch of heartless traditionalists who want to conserve the past and present it to the people as the future. I mean I don’t recall Thatcher handwriting letters to the families of the Falkland Islands fallen soldiers. David Cameron has moved forward, he doesn’t want to return to Victorian Values, he wants to return to those of the 1940’s and 50’s, the age of austerity. Yeah, but for who?

Lest we forget......

The war dead are not just for Remembrance Day!

THE FALL OF THE WALL (Freedom Strasse)

It was Twenty years ago tonight that the citizens of Berlin tore The Wall down. Communism was collapsing as the iron curtain fell. Many heralded it as the triumph of Liberal, Capitalist Democracy. Oh the irony…The worst global recession since Wall Street crashed, and in countries like Britain we’ve got surveillance the Stazi would be proud of, we had a leader who took the country to war with the West’s i.e. USA and Britain’s new enemy; Terrorism, a smokescreen behind which to bring a new Tesco’s superstore to every Middle Eastern country. He did this by lying to the people. His un-elected successor has presided over a country where politicians, bankers and bosses have made themselves rich while they’ve let the poor get poorer through ‘credit capitalism’ To the citizens of the former Communist countries I ask you how’s it been for you? Well, from what I’ve seen in the media, it seems like it’s been much the same, you tell me! Is the honeymoon over? How much Freedom can you endure? Anyway the photo to yer right is of me posing at Checkpoint Charlie when I visited Berlin for a couple of days in 1987 with my mate Daz. About fifteen minutes later, there was a problem, well I was the problem. An East German border guard pulled me out of the line of people waiting to cross into East Berlin. I did stand out a bit with my long hair and general unkempt appearance. The guard took me into another room to get a closer look at me. I think it might have been the skull buttons on my decedent La Roche cut down denim and leather waistcoat that was the issue with the guard; because he took hold of one, looked at it and uttered the words “You can’t come into our Country dressed like that!” My mate Daz was let through while I was ushered out. I went to the nearest bar on The Western side of The Wall while Daz went to the nearest bar on The Eastern side, we met up outside Checkpoint Charlie a couple of hours later, both well pissed, but I’d run out of money while Daz had come back with change from his East German currency. We also went to visit The Olympic Stadium where Black American athlete Jesse Owens ran the Aryans off the track, In a time when there was a real threat to our freedom. Fascism! Since the collapse of Communism there has been a rise of Fascism in many countries across Europe fuelled by the ‘immigration issue’ that’s the free trade free world for you. Imagine what the world would be like now if the Wall hadn’t come down, what about if it had just been lowered by a few metres? and had the barbed wire removed?

OUT SOON................

Available as a FREE download via the official Carbon/Silicon website - on Saturday 14th November 2009. Full CD cover and booklet artwork will also be available to download from the site.

THE STRANGLERS - The Raven (CD-Rip with Bonus Tracks)

I picked this up when I was away the other week. A £1.99 charity shop bargain. My original vinyl copy was well scratched, even before it was either swapped, sold or stolen. Finding this again on CD with bonus tracks was a right result, and listening to it again, well….I should have taken better care of the original, cos this is a classic that I’d forgotten about over the years, but it’s back in my life now thanx to whoever donated it to the RSPCA Charity Shop in The Mumbles, nice one. Like The Clash’s London Calling and The Damned’s Machine Gun Etiquette The Raven sees The Stranglers moving away from their original sound, the trademark Bass and Keyboards are still there but this is dark, poppy and experimental in equal measures. Through the eyes of The Raven The Stranglers songs took on a more worldly view and subject matter; Genetic engineering Genetix, Uranium mining in Australia Nuclear Device and The Shah of Iran leaving Shah, Shah A Go Go, they even took it to another world of aliens and UFO’s with Meninblack, and Duchess… well that has to be one of the best pop songs ever written. Enjoy!

I’ve had to upload this to a different file sharing site because in the week I was away my usual hosts Media Fire have had a change around and for some reason I can’t seem to upload anything to it anymore, hence why there’s been no music for a while. Hope this doesn’t cause any problems, if it does, let me know. Problems....did I say problems, well................

FUCK THIS SHIT! A WHOLE DAY SPENT TRYING TO UPLOAD THIS TO VARIOUS PLACES AND ALL I GET IS SHIT. JACK FUCKING SHIT! NOWHERE WANTS TO KNOW. I give up. Maybe tommorrow. RESULT! Here'a link to The Raven by The Stranglers. CLICK!,

Intolerance Strasse.

Click, Click, Tap, Tap, Blah, Blah, Blah. The sound of someone incessantly using their mobile phone next to me on a bus/Train etc. No, No, Ouch, Ouch, Argh, Argh, Argh. The sound of that person having the mobile phone inserted up their arse…………………Sideways.

“On a great big clipper ship and all the politicians makin' busy sounds.”

So the Government aren’t gonna be paying the ransom demanded by Somalian pirates for the release of the British couple captured in the yacht of the coast of Africa. I bloody well hope not, why should we pay for this couples stupidity/mistake. The government will probably change their minds anyway, I mean what about the whole Drugs advisory fiasco. The Government employs a group of people to scientifically advise them on the effects of drug use on individuals, and then when the advisors say that cannabis and ecstasy use is less harmful than legal drugs such as alcohol, cigarettes and other social activities like horse riding they sack them, and try to deny them the right to having an opinion.
So what’s to be done about ’the drug problem’ it’s obvious that the millions the government have spent on anti-drug campaigns haven’t worked. Individuals choose get their kicks in different ways; smoking a joint, popping a pill, shooting smack or sailing round the world in a yacht
I’m not saying give heroin away on the NHS, that’d be like paying the pirates a ransom, but what about licensed suppliers, Drugs‘R’Us anyone, or leave things as they are with the dealers calling the shots. Talking of shots, at this point in time every shot of smack is a Taliban bullet fired at a British or American soldier in Afghanistan. I’m not saying that using drugs can’t be harmful to the individual or to society. I haven’t been robbed by drug users, not saying that all drug users are thieves, but on a personal level, over the years I’ve known more people die from drug use than horse riding, but then I also know more people who use or have used drugs and have suffered no lasting harm. This may not be scientific research, but it is fact.
If you don’t wanna be captured by pirates don’t sail into dangerous waters, and this government are sailing pretty close to the wind when they ask for advice and when they don’t like what they hear or don’t agree with what is being said they choose to ignore it. Never mind pirates, this Labour government are just a bunch of fucking cowboys!

Hey!......It's good to be back.

A bit stuck for thoughts and words at the moment, I always find myself feeling like this for a few days after going away and absorbing the beauty and nature of a place; it takes me time to adjust to the reality and normality of the cold concrete urban living. Here are a couple of holiday snaps for you before I get back to the ranting and raving about whoever and whatever interspersed with some Rock’n’Roll. Until then…………….

Back in a week....or so!

BBCBNP.

What did we make of the BBC BNP Question Time spectacle? The Licence payers early Christmas Present to the BNP, well Nick Griffin was suitably shown up for the sleazy, sweaty, scumbag he is, and making not a lot of sense, he looked awkward and uncomfortable it was hardly a party political broadcast, more a bullshit one. Jack Straw! What a twat, avoided answering anything about any Labour failings, it was voter dissatisfaction that resulted in Nick Griffin being elected as a MEP and hence his appearance on Question Time. I Thought audience and panel did well in haranguing Mr Griffin, true it might have looked like bullying to the less enlightened viewer but it’s the way the BNP operate, will his appearance have gained him more supporters? True it was a London-centric audience, maybe not a true representation of the people on the streets of places like Hull or Burnley, only time will tell, it could also have lost him support. It’s now up to the Anti-Fascists to keep the pressure on, and the media when they’re not stirring up the immigration issue and the other parties to start listening to the people and responding to their concerns, it may get ugly, but nowhere near as ugly as it would if the BNP ever came to power. Lets hope the present they received was a jumper that your Nan knitted.

UK SUBS - Warhead

Time for some muzak, here’s another one of those cheap and chearful Harry May Record Company compilations, same deal; some studio cuts and some live shit. This time it’s those perennial punks the UK Subs, all the classics are here: Warhead , CID, Stranglehold etc. No self respecting record collection should be without at least one UK Subs release. Whether this one is the one, I dunno I’ll let you good folk be the judges of that. Enjoy!

Mail boxes, Ballot boxes and the BNP at the BBC.

The Christmas Pantomime has started early this year with The Postal Strike; everyone is playing their parts. Unions and management are nailing the lid on the Royal Mail’s coffin while Peter Mandelson stands by rubbing his hands in glee waiting for it’s delivery before he fucks the corpse. Thousands of miles away in Afghanistan they’re gonna have another election, as the results of the first one were declared to be fraudulent. Obama refuses to commit anymore American troops to the theatre until there is some sort of meaningful democracy in the country, double speak for one that the U.S government is happy with. Gordon Brown needs to start British troop withdrawals now, I mean all the terrorists are now in Pakistan anyway and more terror plots have been foiled by security forces at home than they have by bombing the fuck out of Afghanistan, which has just made the situation worse, like they were told it would. Next up on the stage we have BNP leader Nick Griffin appearing on BBC’s Question Time Anti-Fascist groups are playing their part by saying he shouldn’t be allowed to as it legitimises the party and its politics, well unfortunately we are living in a democracy which has allowed and enabled the seeds of fascism to grow through the inactivity of the major parties in addressing and looking for solutions to the issues that the BNP are using to attract voters to their abhorrent political view. Personally at this point in time I think that Griffin should appear on Question Time, lets get this shit out in the open and not have it festering underground. The best way to show people what the BNP are is to show them up for what they are and the only way to do this is through debate, here’s hoping that the rest of the panellists and the audience ask the right questions. Not allowing Nick Griffin to appear would give them just as much publicity. Democracy costs and sometimes the price can be high, it’s all about making sure that people don’t buy into the more unsavoury side of it. There are others speaking out , senior British Army Officials and The British Legion are both unhappy about The British National Party appropriating images such as The Poppy and The Spitfire for their own ends, as I type this protesters have broken into the BBC to try and stop Griffins appearance. Let the show begin, and be prepared for an epic one, cos the curtain aint gonna go down before the election next year, wonder if there’ll be any postal voting?

Hic!

I had all good intentions of posting something tonight, but after a hard and stressfull day at work I cracked open a few bottles of lager and now feel a bit too intoxicated to make much sense of anything. Never mind, tomorrows another day......

TV SMITH - Live @ The NVA (3 Track Promo Download)

This post comes with a “Guess that’ll be OK” from Mr Smith, was hoping he’d choose the 3 tracks, but he declined leaving me the task of choosing (shuffle modes knackered on the stereo) just three out of a mammoth set of thirty songs, recorded live at the NVA, Ludwigsfelde in Germany. The double CD is available from Boss Tuneage and it’s well, , wellworth the £9 it'll cost ya. Over 1hr 40mins of Pure Punk Rock Passion from one man armed with an acoustic guitar and some great words, all the classics are there from his days in The Adverts and Cheap plus his solo career. The 3 tracks I’ve chosen here for you are: Not In My Name, The Lords Prayer and Useless. Brilliant stuff, Enjoy! and Buy!

English Defence League?!

The English Defence League! What do we make of these characters? A single issue group of people who’s objective is to “Peacefully protest against millitant Islam“ Why then have all their demonstrations ended in violence? Before I answer this lets look at a couple of things.
Muslims across Britain are not happy with radicals operating within their communities, and the bodies of British soldiers are still being flown home in boxes as a result of ‘the war on terror’, so then is it any surprise that some people feel resentful and angry when messages of hate are continued to be preached in our green and unpleasant lands. But lets not get seduced by this and the message on the EDL website that claims they don’t want “Innocent Muslims being victimised and abused”
There was a recent news report were the EDL denied that they were Racists and had anything to do with the BNP, well they aint exactly gonna admit to it are they. A group of EDL members were shown, all dressed in balaclavas burning a Swastika, while standing in front of their banner that read “English Defence League. Black and White Unite” A reasonable statement? or the start of something wicked? Especially in the light of the recent Court ruling that has compelled the BNP to look at their membership criteria, as legaly they have been defined a racist party for not exepting members with a different skin colour who’s nationality is British.
Groups like the EDL spring up when politics are in crisis and people are dissatisfied with a system that they feel doesn’t listen to their views, they look for alternatives to fill this vaccum and it’s easy for people to get seduced by the spin, but Lest we forget that “First they came for the gypsies and then they came for the Jews” The anti racist groups know this, which is why all the EDL marches have ended in violence. Paranoia is awareness but violence breeds violence.

IT’S A FUCKED UP WORLD! A while back I posted an appeal to help find a mate of mines missing daughter. Well she was found, but it wasn’t good news. My respect and sympathy goes out to Jem and Samantha Wrights mum, and families, for their loss. STAY STRONG!!

BLITZ - Warriors (CD-Rip)

Today’s musical offering comes from the heavy and heady days of the early 1980’s A divided nation in the grip of Thatcherite economic policies with either unemployment or a dead end job on offer for the kids on the streets, No Future indeed! By 1981 inner city Britain was burning with riots in Brixton, Toxteth and Bristol and Punk was now onto it’s third wave, thanks in some part to Gary Bushell and his Oi scene, a collection of skinhead/punk bands, that unfortunately became a target for the far right to infiltrate. One band that captured the aggression and frustration of the times, with songs like Someone’s Going to Die Tonight, Nation On Fire and Razors in The Night were BLITZ, 2 Punks and 2 Skinheads from New Mills in Derbyshire. For a couple of years they were the voice of a generation. This recording from The Harry May Record Company includes 6 live tracks from a gig at The Lyceum and alternative versions of Youth and Warriors amongst others, once again scant info is provided. So if yer feeling a bit pissed off, and angry and fancy blasting out something a bit rough’n’raw you know what to do. It’s just a click away!

It's Sunday again! Time for another sermon! Same shit! Same day!

To hear the Tory Party say they’re the party of the poor is frankly bizarre but predictable when there are voters to win over. All they have ever done is make the poor poorer or fill their heads with aspirations that are unattainable and unsustainable. A party that represents privilege is never going to understand what it’s like to be poor and what the poor need. They can con them into thinking that they know what will make their lives better, just like they did in the 80’s when the council houses were sold off, and the working class sold out. The ’social breakdown’ we may or may not be living in now is a direct result of this and other Thatcher policies that tore apart values of community and replaced them with the ‘cult of the individual’ Free market economics created wealth for the ‘deserving poor’ and consolidated the wealth of the undeserving rich. The public services became private and standards dropped as profits rose. Everyone was offered shares in the new society. New Labour have just carried on with this ‘mandate’ because the people have been compliant and complicit so long as they’ve got a few quid in their pockets, high interest bank accounts or money tied up in the value of their houses, now when all of a sudden everything has gone bust, they aint happy and will be prepared to vote for whoever and whatever restores their bank balances. The ones that bought into it all are the very same people that are now unhappy with the present situation and the Conservatives are gonna be targeting these voters and gaining support from a new generation to young to remember the Tory party of the past and what it did. All they know is the culture of commodity and the cult of the individual in a disposable world. This is the society their parents voted for. I’ve got one thing to say to these people. Think long and hard, because 30 years ago people voted for ‘change’ now look at how things have changed, for the better? No I didn’t think so, having to work till you’re nearly dead to support the lifestyle choice you are being conned into, just like your parents did way back. What sort of a world do you want your children living in? One where they’re having kids when their 16? and their grandparents get beaten and mugged on the street.
I agree something needs to be done, for example: Labours problem has been that all the money they have put into the public sector has been eaten up by quangos and bureaucracies many well paid jobs have been created in order to manage the services, but the actual public services have suffered as a result of this.
The Tories talk of cuts in public spending, well they would, better than Taxing the rich, after all that’s the sort of party they are; a Conservative party, conserving the values of individual freedoms at the cost of collective liberty.
To quote that old saying “Can a leopard change its spots?” I don’t think so, and I for one aint prepared to take a chance, because it could prove more costly than before. Think about all those new anti-terror laws in place and then remember Thatcher’s velvet glove and iron fist.
It’s all about a view on human nature as to what sort of society we live in; controlled or out of control Just or unjust. Can you have one without the other? Because a just society does not come from an unjust economic system. A controlled economy would infringe on peoples rights to make money is what the Conservatives would say. Fuck ‘em, that’s what I say, since when was it a right to profit from others? since Thatcher that’s when, who’s also responsible for the growth of the Media as a political tool to shape and control the peoples opinion. She made Murdoch the man he is today with the power to sell his media organisations to the highest bidder.
So what do we do about it then when none of the parties offer a total solution. I have no faith in the present political system, never have done. We need one that values and rewards Co-operation and Mutual Aid as much as it does Profit and Property, not one that penalises people like those two police ladies sharing childcare who were told they couldn’t, because the state didn’t allow it. The only way things would ever change would be to take bits of this ism and that ism, put them all together and start shaping them into some new sort of politics. Until then I’ll stick with the new enemy rather than have the old one back, but who ever it is though, it won’t have been my choice!

Words: THE WALL-New Way

Contradictions in Terms.

Barrack Obama’s been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize……………What!…………..Why? He’s only been in the job for 10 minutes. Yes he is trying to push through change at a global level; a reduction of Nuclear arsenals, an understanding of Islam, But let’s not forget he’s still presiding over a country at war. It’s all come a bit to soon if you ask me. Talking of come, here’s another thing I can’t get my head around: The latest in a series of Racist comments made by television presenters. This one concerns someone from BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing (so called because it’s a load of wank) who referred to someone as being a “Paki” not only did they keep their job, unlike another presenter on another show who used the word “nigger” and got sacked, also when the story appeared on the BBC News, the newscaster said the word “Paki” in their reporting of the incident. This contrasts with the reports of when the presenter who had been sacked for using the word “Nigger“ the newscaster then just said that the person had used the “N” word. What the fuck is that all about! Racist language is Racist language, and Peace doesn’t mean war!

An Observation.

Lets talk £1 Shops; you know the ones, everything on sale costs a pound, are a regular sight on the High Street, there are even 99p Shops. Today I saw a shop called 9TP, were everything costs, yes you’ve guessed it…90p. For fucks sake!, more like…… We can’t give this shit away shops. “Let them buy crap”

Third Way / Fourth Reich

So Ireland voted yes to the Lisbon Treaty, second time lucky for the powers that wanna be, but hey that’s democracy; if you lose the first vote you can have another one. This now leaves the way open for Tony Blair to become the unelected ‘President Of Europe’ but hey once again that’s democracy for ya, where if you’ve got enough power you can get away with anything. President? More like Dictator, with a capital DICK! Because this seems like some sort of Fascism to me. I’m no Euro-sceptic, but I am sceptical about how this European ’super state’ is coming about and its purpose in the world, and I’m even more sceptical about having someone like Tony Blair leading it, I mean this is the man that sent his country to war based on a bunch of lies, ignoring the concerns of some of his own MP’s as well as the public, in another shining example of democratic values

THIS MAN HAS BLOOD ON HIS HANDS! DO WE EUROPE TO BE IN THEM?

THE VIBRATORS - Public Enemy Number 1

A rather cheap yet interesting compilation (i.e. scant info as to where/when these songs were recorded) of alternative versions and live recordings from those old faves of mine The Vibrators. Released in 1999 by The Harry May Record Company. It’s not listed in the bands discography on their web site. The quality of the packaging might be cheap, but the quality of the songs isn’t. Top band with some top tunes, you know where to click if you wanna vibrate!