POLITICS: 2 FOOTBALL:1

I didn’t fancy mass debating last night, so I went round to see a mate and watched the football instead. I caught the highlights of Britains Got Politicians when I got home. It was pretty much the same as the others… My Party will do this….the others will do that. Nick Clegg has played a blinder, just by being there and offering an alternative, yeah he’s the same as the other two he’s a politician, but I said this years ago in one post or another; that the only way forward in our political system is to take bits of Labour, Conservative and Liberal policies along with The Green Party, mix ‘me all up and see what comes out of the pot. A Hung Parliament is the first step towards this. If we have to have a system controlling us, I’d rather it was balanced and fair, one were everyone had a say. Yes… even the BNP, because in a balanced and fair society they wouldn’t exist. The televised debates could be the start of a process that sees their system change, and who knows but in my children’s, children’s society the state may have withered away and everyone is free from it’s control, or it could go the other way if people think there is no alternative to the free market surveillance and consumer driven techno society we have become. Change takes time, do nothing and things move quickly. What we are seeing now is a stage toward the eventual outcome of history, which will be anarchy (words in italic aren’t mine but I’m fucked if I can remember whose they are.)At this stage Politicians are a neccessary evil These debates have been good for democracy, even if they were highly controlled and stage managed. More people are becoming interested in politics. Next Thursday, Polling Day I’d like people to vote Liberal and show the two main parties what they think of them, after all they’ve got us in the shit. Me?…. Well I’m getting a sore arse between thinking about not voting or giving The Lib Dems my cross. What’s the best way to help hang the parliament? Don’t fear their fear, because what they fear is everyone coming together….. as one.

Untitled #?

I read today, in the Labour loving Daily Mirror that the reason Gordon Brown ‘reacted badly’ yesterday was because he thought the lady he called a bigot had said “Where are they fucking coming from?“ instead of what she did say which was “Where are they flocking from?” So as well as not being able to write properly (remember the letter to the family of the dead soldier debacle.) being half blind and prone to temper tantrums he’s also hard of hearing! You couldn’t make this shit up!….or could you?

HAZEL O'CONNOR - Breaking Glass (Soundtrack)

This post was inspired by the news this week that after 31 years a Report into the death of Blair Peach at an Anti Nazi demonstration in Southhall, London in 1979, has concluded that the fatal blow to his head was likely to have been from a Policeman and that there was a subsequent cover up which resulted in there being no justice for Blair and his family. No real news, just confirms what people thought at the time.
Breaking Glass was released in 1980 and tells the tale of a struggling singer Kate played by Hazel O’Connor and her ‘New Wave’ bands meteoric rise, and subsequent fall. It is set against the back drop of discontented late 1970’s Britain, with strikes, demonstrations and police harassment. There’s a scene were Hazel O’Connor’s character in the film witnesses the death of a protestor at a demonstration against Nazi’s, it’s from this point that the Rock’n’Roll starts to fall apart through sex, drugs and the cut throat music biz. The film was co-produced by Lady Di’s last flame Dodi Fayed, and features Gary Tibbs ex Vibrators bass player, there are small blink and you’ll miss ‘em parts for Gary Holton and Rat Scabies, amongst other actors who went on to appear in Brit TV dramas The Bill and Casualty. Phil ‘park life’ Daniels has a more prominent part as the bands manager, before he’s sacked by the record company. Unfortunately I don’t have the means to convert my copy of the film and post that, so here’s it’s rather fine synth, sax driven post punk pop’n’roll soundtrack instead. THIS DOWNLOAD HAS HAD TO BE REMOVED, BECAUSE IT CONTRAVENED SOME COPY WRITE LAW THANG.

BREAKING NEWS....Gordon Brown catches foot and mouth....BREAKING NEWS.

So a SkyTV microphone is left on and the people get to hear what Gordon Brown really thinks, (nice conspiracy theory there; Sky-Murdoch-The Sun newspaper = Political Plot) what you see is what you get hey Gordon, the man of the people upsets a life long labour supporter by calling her a bigot after she’d asked him about the political hot potato of Immigration, and expressed not only her concerns, but also those of a lot of other voters. He then went round to Mrs Duffy’s house to apologies about ’the misunderstanding’. No, people understood. Interestingly she wasn’t pictured with Gordon when he left her house. Perhaps he had one of his losing the plot moments, and slapped her about a bit, either that or she didn’t want to be seen with a big idiot! The final Britain’s Got Politicians show could be interesting viewing tomorrow night.

THE DIRTY STRANGERS Feat JOHN SINCLAIR - Lock And Key (Lyrics)

Now I know where I’ve seen your face Plastered up on posters all over the place /

Born with ears, even now, packed with garbage. the stuff of dead men. wax, & elbows, sewage, seaweed, debris of forgotten oceans, or shells, or the shells & shit they beat the Indians with /

All the trouble you’ve caused, pain and misery You do so much wrong you should be under Lock & Key /

For us to shut up, what they can offer. pitiful. so small, can it bend the ear. paper, & shells, to fill our ears, to make us forget /

All the trouble you’ve caused, pain and misery You do so much wrong you should be under Lock & Key /

To sing, made some improbable proposition, to get thru, Some genius we wanted to cry, to the moon, like weird wolves of illusion, insanity, the stoppage /

All the trouble you’ve caused, pain and misery You do so much wrong you should be under Lock & Key /

Drained, & collapse, on the floor, thru, with love, & unsettled ears. to begin to go, where the music goes, out, to you /

Long long time been under Lock & Key About time everybody should be free All the trouble you’ve caused, pain and misery You do so much wrong you should be under Lock & Key

About time everybody should be free //

MR RAYS WIG WORLD - Faster KittyKat Play Play (4 Track 12" Vinyl-Rip)

“ROLLING DOWN THE STREET ON CHOPPED DOWN HOGS, SCREAMING THAT THE ONLY SCENE THAT THEY’D SEEN WAS THAT THEY’D SEEN IT ALL BEFORE!! BORN OF BOREDOM AND CONFUSION MR RAY’S WIG WORLD INVESTED IN GUITARS & BROKEN PEDALS WITH MONEY OBTAINED FROM HOLDING UP HAIRDRESSERS” - extract from a Mr Ray’s Wig World press release circa 1992. Anyway..........................................................
Here’s a little heavenly something for ya this Sunday. Bruthas and Sisters I give you….Mr Ray’s Wig World….who?/what! the fuck! are they and what’s it all about you may think, well I’ll tell you….It’s like spitting a Pop Eating Wonder Stuff into an Atomic Dustbin, and finding a 1970’s Glam Stomping 60’s acid party going on inside, or possibly as the band told NME back in 1992; “We were once described as a cross between Sonic Youth and The Banana Splits, which seems pretty accurate” But hey…. Don’t take mine or their words for it check ‘em out here and take a hair raising ride into wig world.

More mass debating

Seconds out…Round Two. Like I said before, I couldn’t watch this one because as in our democratic society where freedom is the right to consume I have chosen not to have Murdoch’s Sky TV in my house, I listened to it on the radio instead, and no surprises it was much of the same bickering and bantering about who’s policies would be best for the country. The Liberal Democrats are still kicking arse despite the media’s predictable slurs on Cleggs character, and their scrutiny of his parties policies but like I said before. “THEY ARE ALL THE SAME” they talk about real change, but then you’ve got the media trying to scare the people by saying a hung parliament would be bad for Britain, when the reality would be that a hung parliament would be the first step toward real change. Everyone’s hung up on the economy. I’ve had election leaflets for my local Labour candidate come through the door telling me “the election is primarily about one big issue securing the recovery of the economy” and “if we take wrong decisions everyone will be paying the price for years to come” yeah right, the economy that Labour fucked! Then she has the cheek to apologise if her message “has to be stark” Who ever we vote for, and who ever ’wins’ will still make us pay the(ir) price. Fuck their economy! This is just how unjust it is; I heard Richard Branson moaning on the news about the recent grounding of aircraft during the great volcanic ash debacle, how the authorities over reacted and as a result the industry has lost billions of pounds, dear old Dickey B wants the government to compensate the aircraft companies for their losses, what!!!! I don’t fucking think so. Stranded travellers who’ve had to extend their holidays or pay extra to get back to Britain are very unlikely to get compensated for any extra expenditure due to it being an act of god, and now Branson expects them to pay, because it’s the people that pay, out of the unjust tax system, Government money is our money, they’re just looking after it for us and as we’ve seen they’ve not being doing a very good job of it for us, well not for the majority of us anyway, the minority of bankers and business leaders have done alright out of it. Lets look at Richards Branson, I know it’s not a pretty sight but it’s only for a minute. According to a Rich List he’s
Worth £2,600 million pounds….(thanks to his media empire, something else I have chosen not to have in my home) and he wants us to cover his losses. Well…. I haven’t seen him sharing his profits with us. They talk about a just and fair society. Well this sort of shit just aint fair! Then I see him and his beard beaming from the front of the latest Big Issue, proclaiming “We need a revolution to change the world.” Yeah too right Richard, but how about you change your attitude first you revolting man. If all this Britain’s Got Politics On Ice spectacle has got people a bit more into politics, it needs to be remembered that the young people are from the Branson/Murdoch generation, they need to know that Rupert and Richard are just the same as the politicians, protecting their interests, power and privileges. If people are gonna vote, I hope they make the choice because it is how they feel, not because of how they have been made to feel by the parties and the propaganda, through threats and scares of what will happen to the country if they vote for a certain party. Bring on the third round this week when the squares square up for the final fight.

Politics / Music.

What’s wrong with mixing Politics and Rock’n’Roll?
1) Nothing. When The Dirty Strangers team up with former MC5 manager John Sinclair and release Lock and Key. A driving, hypnotic riff of a song with Johns politician baiting spoken words over the music and a catchy chorus “All the trouble you’ve caused, Pain and misery you’ve done. So much wrong, you should be under lock and key.” Available as a 3 Track digital download at Itunes for a recession busting bargain price of £1.29.
2) Everything When in a stunt The Labour Party appropriate The Jams Eton Rifles in a bid to spread their message of class difference between them and the Tory Party. There is no difference, which is unfortunately highlighted by the media in their expose that Paul Weller sent his kids to private school. Interestingly his new single Wake Up The Nation is his most political song in ages, it’s probably available on Itunes as well.

THE OTHERS - This Is For The Poor (CD Single)

"This is for all the kids who stand out in the crowd / This is for every disappointment /This is for anyone who’s been shoved around / This is for all the ones who stood up for themselves / This is for all the ones who had to fight for it all /This is for the poor and not you rich kids//"
This was a call to arms in 2004 by The Others, a bold and brash blast of post brit pop punk’n’roll. Think Libertines, The Paddingtons, The Parkinsons and you’ll get the idea. The Others were truly a peoples band, using text messaging and the internet to galvanise fans at guerrilla gigs on the zebra crossing outside Abbey Road studios and on a tube train. When I saw them live at The Scala in Kings Cross, by the end of their riotous set there were more of the audience on the stage than on the dance floor. One of the best gigs I’ve been to ever!!! And I’ve been to a few. Check out This Is For The Poor here!

Election Polls

Just like a volcano erupting, British politics has seen a ‘seismic shift‘; thanks to the shallowness of a media driven society people have discovered there’s a new political party called The Liberal Democrats, who if the opinion polls are to be believed have seen their popularity rise. It’s an election, they’re politicians, nothing is to be believed. Nick Clegg is just the same as the others, who are quick to point this out as they try and defend themselves. It’s just a different flavour to the shit we are being fed. Still at least it’s given Brown and Cameron a well deserved kick up the arse, and if there is a hung parliament the traditional two party political system will see a shift in its power base, which can only be a good thing for our so called democracy, where even if The Liberal Democrats did well in the Election, they could never be in power as there is no proportional representation, it’s just the number of seats the party wins that dictates who’s in power. As for their policies, well Vince Cable was one of the few politicians to see and warn of the recession coming, and in the wake of America and Russia’s nuclear arms reduction pact the idea that Britain cuts back on spending for it’s Trident Missile program might be worth considering, as the only thing the world needs to fear now are the forces of nature.

BATUSIS - 4 Track EP (A Review)

Far more interesting than the pizza leaflets and election propaganda that had come through my door while I was away, was a package from NoblePR, containing a copy of the Batusis E.P Sylvain Sylvain from the New York Dolls, and Cheetah Chrome from The Dead Boys new ’supergroup’ I dunno about super, but it’s a great fuckin’ record. A 15 minute gasoline soaked whiskey ride down the devils highway, that puts many of today’s contenders/pretenders to shame when it comes to blasting out some decent and honest Rock’n’Roll. Sandwiched between the two instrumentals; Blues Theme and Big Cat Stomp. (The first is the theme from 70’s biker film The Wild Angels and originally preformed by Dave Allen and The Arrows, while the second is Cheetah and Sly’s sequel) are a couple of tunes that sum up Rock’n’Roll for me; What You Lack In Brains is a piano ladened boogie with Sly’s tounge planted firmly between either his cheeks or some blond bimbo’s, or as Mrs Wolf said “What’s this sexist shit?” err “Rock’n’Roll, and I think they’re taking the piss.” Bury You Alive on the other hand is Cheetahs dark, apocalyptic growler of a song about ‘the man’ falling which references 9/11 and the Iraq War, Mrs Wolf said it sounded like the Lords Of The New Church. So if you’re interested and like all things Rock’n’Roll; the Batusis 4 Track EP is available from Smog Veil Records on May 4th.

All washed up?!

Back with a....................

Well I’m back after a week away on the Norfolk Coast. I never tire of walking along the sand with the sound of waves crashing, and the wind whistling through the marham grass on the dunes, a good way to defrag your mind. I tried not to think about too much of what was going down in the world, there were a couple of things however that couldn’t escape my thoughts:
1) The Prime Ministerial Debate. I’d have rather watched people taking the piss out of politicians on BBC 1’s Have I got News For You, than politicians taking the piss out of people, but Mrs Wolf wanted to partake in The Spectacle of the ‘historic broadcast‘, so I watched, what did I think….well Brown and Cameron bickered and Clegg said he offered an alternative, they all acted out their parts, to the silent studio audience, all very clinical and rehearsed. 10million people watched it and decided they thought Nick Clegg had the X Factor. I for one can’t wait for Round Two on Thursday, because it’s being broadcast on the SkyNews Channel, and I don’t get SkyNews on my T.V Reeeesult!
2) Volcanic ash cloud. Natures power, no planes flying, no pollution. Silence, I live under a flight path, and the sound of the big jets are always there, passing over, not today they’re not, it’s also strange not seeing the vapour trails criss crossing the sky. It’s not been a good few months for the aviation industry, what with the strikes, and now mother nature striking back. Shame!

BRIAN FALLON - Live @ First Unitarian Church, Philadelphia 17/1/10

I’ve been looking forward to next week for a while, a week of no work. Time to take a break from everything including the blog . Something else I’m looking forward to is the new Gaslight Anthem album when it comes out, think its due in June. The sneaky snippet I’ve been blasting out on the stereo, is sounding good. American Slang is the song, the title track of the album. Anyway here’s a chance to get up close and personal with lead singer Brian Fallon as he blasts through three stripped down and accoustic tracks from The 59 Sound. Recorded live and intimate at The First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia on 17th Jan 2010. The recording comes from the good folk at Dimestore Saints forum; the place for all yer Anthem needs.

All the fun of the unfair. The ride starts now. Hold on tight. (Some notes)

Here we fucking go! It’s official, the race is on, one in which we lose from the choice that some make. It’s election time. Who’s got the best looking wife? Who dresses the best? Who’s got the best slogans? Just like the capitalist system they’re all supporting, it’s sell, sell, sell. Win, win, win, unless you lose, lose, lose, which is pretty much most of us.
And then there’s the policies, Economic Tax is too taxing for me. They talk of a ‘fair society’ which is just an illusion, because their capitalist system doesn’t reward the fair and just, it needs things to be unfair and unjust to function.
This Election is gonna be the most media driven ever thanks to the “White heat of technology.”
Prospective prime ministers are gonna mass debate on Television, a political first, no doubt well controlled and stage managed.
Preaching Green Policies while clocking up air miles and leaving carbon footprints across the country travelling by plane. Kissing babies, hugging hoodies.
Celebrity driven. Michael Cain and the Conservatives have come up with this voluntary citizenship program. How long before it becomes compulsory? Because those that would/might benefit from some sort of discipline/order in their lives aint gonna be volunteering. How much to administer and manage such a program?
National Insurance, so business leaders aren’t happy about an increase in contributions, it means they’ll have to put a little less in their pockets. and workers earning £20,000+ probably aren’t gonna welcome the news. Both Tories and Labour have spoken about the fair society, well in my eyes, the more you earn, the more you should pay, and as for business, well the more profit they make the more they should pay. As for public services suffering because of the increase in contributions the employer, would have to pay, well I’m all for some efficiency savings. I work in the public sector, and believe me it’s over run by managers, the ratio between worker and manager in one department I’m aware of are almost 2 to 1, all monitoring performance, targets and standards. Then get this….the same department have employed a couple of consultants to see how savings can be made!!!!???? Well how about managers speaking to the workers, rather than pay an extortionate amount for a couple of consultants. Probably cos the workers would tell the managers where to go. When it comes to public money those in charge don’t care how it’s spent. They’re the fuckers earning £20K+ so it seems fair on several levels that they should pay more tax. Firstly because of the level of their earnings and secondly because they are responsible for wasting public money, tax payers money. Our money, which in my case is a lot less than twenty grand a year. So now it’s time they started paying it back. Sounds fair to me. I don’t think they will though, but hey….Life isn’t fair and everything that’s solid melts into air under capitalism, so now it’s time those that have benefited from an unfair/unjust system were treated a bit more fairly and saw their wealth start to disappear. It’s time for change….real change, but that aint gonna happen at this election, cos they all want year votes and everyone wants to keep their money. It’s the bottom dollar to people the rest is just secondary: Law and order, Health, Education etc.
Don’t get blinded by the election, a couple of other things. Petrol at it’s highest price. America and Russia have reached a nuclear weapon reduction agreement. No election and we’d be hearting more about other news, I wonder what’s been buried in the garden at number 10 or in the flower beds at The Houses of Parliament, how many new laws have been passed? and what are they? Keep yer eye on the(ir) game.
Nothing any of ‘em say will make me wanna vote for them. The right not to vote.

R.I.P Malcolm McLaren

“The only notes that count are the ones that come in wads!”

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS - Live @ The Marquee, London 1984

I’ve had this show knocking about on my hard drive for a while now. I hadn’t intended to post it, on a account of I got it from a forum and can’t remember which one, and I do like to give credit to others if it aint all my work, but….In a strange sort of synchronicity It seemed right; after hearing that a couple of Blackhearts were involved with Batius and when I was sorting out the Batius post my daughter was playing Avril Lavigne and something just reminded me of Joan Jett, who after all was an inspiration to a lot of women in Rock’n’Roll, (Avril Lavigne..rock’n’roll?????) she also blew the pants off a lot of alpha male rock’n’rollers.

From The Runaways to working with Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols, and then some hit singles with her band The Blackhearts, including I Love Rock’n’Roll and Crimson and Clover. Joan makes a great ballsy catchy rock’n’roll racket, which is why I found myself attending this gig at the Marquee in Dec 1984 (The press cuttings and ticket stubs come courtesy of one of my scrapbooks.) I can’t remember that much about the gig other than it was another hot, sweaty and sticky night, (yes even in Dec) of rock action in Wardor Street. The recording captures this, as it’s an audience one. Not the best, but if you fancy a blast here you go. Joan’s still rockin’ out and giving it to the man with her anti Iraq War stance and pro gay marriage views. This one’s for you Nekrodad.

Happy Easter.

Let’s celebrate the news today that South African white-supremacist the white terror of Black South Africans during the Apartied era, Eugene Terreblanche is dead. That’s one less Racist in the world. Eugene Terreblanche Rot In Piss! It’s down to us to make sure Nazism doesn’t rise again.

BATUSIS - Who?....What?....Why?....Where?....When?

WHO!
This exciting rock and roll project celebrates the first-ever collaboration between punk icons Cheetah Chrome (Dead Boys, Rocket From The Tombs) and celebrated glam rock innovator Sylvain Sylvain (New York Dolls). The 4-track EP also features Enzo Penizzotto (bass) and Thommy Price (drums) - the driving rhythm section for Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
WHAT!
The self-titled 4-song EP will be released in the US and UK on May 4, 2010. The debut recordings will be released on collectable multi-colored vinyl, with eco-friendly recycled content jacket and full color two-sided insert, and also on digital download.
“You might describe Batusis’ explosive, self titled EP (released by Smog Veil Records) as a garage-glam dance party or a Harley-revving, speaker-melting guitar throw down. As far as the bands concerned, though, you can just call it rock’n’roll.”
WHY!
“I’ve known Sylvain since 1975,” says Cheetah. “The Dolls were a huge influence on me.” Sylvain adds “We’re just nuts about rock ‘n’ roll. We knew that’s what we’d come up with, no matter what!”
WHEN AND WHERE!
BATUSIS: UK 2010 Tour Dates
Monday May 3: Glasgow O2 ABC2
Tuesday May 4: Sheffield O2 Academy2
Wednesday May 5: Liverpool O2 Academy2
Friday May 7: London Islington O2 Academy
Saturday May 8: Hatfield Forum, University of Hertfordshire (The Attic Room)
Monday May 10: Oxford O2 Academy2
Tuesday May 11: Southampton, The Joiners
Wednesday May 12: Bristol O2 Academy2
Thursday May 13: Birmingham O2 Academy2

Batusis myspace page

COMPULSION - Question Time For The Proles (4 Track CD Single)

Released in 1996 Question Time for the Proles is a blistering barrage about that New Labour reinventing the past notion of retrolution “Ancient times are taking over. Sentimental when you’re sober. Fills your mouth each time you speak. You choke.” they tell us that “Harold Wilson/Maurice Saatchi says that things are getting better for you” A year later New Labour also declared that “Things can only get better” with the help of hindsight we now know just who things got better for. Not us but them. Between 1992 and 1996 Compulsion were a breath of fresh air amongst the stagnant smell of the grunge and brit pop eras. Like S*M*A*S*H and These Animal Men they were lumped by the lumpen lazy music media into The New Wave Of New Wave scene. Compulsion were powerful and forceful in their presentation, a full on foot to the floor blast of Punk Raw guitars and chugging rhythms. Think 80’s Post Punk meeting the Manics, Nirvana and The Pixies, and you still won’t do this great forgotten band justice. Click here for some Compulsion. “Question time for the proles, The lunatics are running free and no-one knows.”

No mass debating for me tonight.

BOLLOCKS! Gonna just have to watch instead. Yes, there was No call from the BBC. The Nuzz Prowling Wolf Experience wont be making an appearance in the nations front rooms tonight on Question Time, shame, never mind something’s just weren’t to be. I was all hyped and hoping, to make my point about people being treated as fools and being fooled by the powers that be, especially as there’d been a story in the papers this week, not todays I hasen to add (April Fools day) about a Pet shop owner getting a draconian sentence for selling a goldfish to some one who was under 16 years old. Fool the people. It’s not about the goldfish, or the pet shop owner, it’s about the injustice in the justice system, but I think a better story would have been about the unjust and draconian sentences protesters received after the Anti - Israel invasion of Gaza demos/protests. They weren’t even arrested at the time of the protests, only after police had viewed CCTV footage and identified them were they arrested, but no…… it’s all about the goldfish. The media try to shape the publics opinion and there by forcing the politicians into addressing what ever the issue, or ’Political Hot Potatoes’ is. Take yer pick, they’re all in the fire at the moment; Law and Order, Immigration, Health, Education, all roasting away. I wonder what’s gonna be tossed around on tonight’s Question Time, and how will the politicians respond? By telling people that their way is the right way and fooling them into believing that they’ll listen and do something, when all they will do is nothing, but control the country for their own ends. Tony Blair…what a cunt! I was fooled once and voted for him. Never again will I vote. I haven’t got a memory the size of a Goldfish. I’ve seen what the Conservatives did to the country and now what New Labour have done to it. It’s about time they both cleared up the mess they’ve made. Vote for no-one. Hang the parliament! if we can’t hang the politicians, the WANKERS!