SOCIAL DISTORTION - Live @ Camden Underworld, London 18/9/92

Today’s musical offering comes from Social Distortion. Recorded live on their first and rather short tour of duty in Britain during the autumn of 1992. I was fortunate to catch a couple of their shows. The first was one I promoted in Stevenage, where they nearly blew the roof off the venue with their Punk’n’Roll Blues, the next one was two days later in Camden Town, London at The Underworld where they did exactly the same thing. Their set was a mix of numbers from the Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell album which they were promoting and older numbers Mommy’s Little Monster, The Creeps with some Ball and Chain, Let It Be Me from their self titled 3rd album. Drug Train gets dedicated to “Mr Johnny Thunders….A man who's influenced us through the years.” Just like Johnny, Mike Ness (singer/guitarist) is the real deal, but unlike Johnny he’s still alive, and continues Rockin’ and Rolling after spells in prison and years of heroin adiction and times in re-hab, which are well documented in his songs. Social Distortion have a new album out this year, and according to Mike Ness it’s gonna sound like “The Dead Boys meets The Black Crowes or something.” Should be well worth a listen. In the mean time have a blast of this! from 1992.

Fucked Up !

Surfs Up !

Pack Up !

THE VIBRATORS - Live @ 100 Club 1977

Live recordings of The Vibrators, other then officially released ones seem rather hard to find, so imagine my delight when I came across this little beauty on eBay, and including postage it was cheaper than a packet of ten cheapo fags! The quality is well reasonable, a short set that clocks in at half an hour, but includes all the classics, but omits a few. I’ve not come across the picture, with Knox in a rather fetching but some might say unfashionable jumper before, (It comes from a two page spread on Punk Bands in a Fab 208 annual from 1979 that I got from a boot sale for 20p) but hey The Vibrators were never a fashionable band, and have flown in the face of fashion for the last 30+ years, jumpers off to ’em, and that’s why I love ‘em, plus Knox writes a great song. Check out some Pure Mania here! Well it was gonna be there, until….
While writing this post and uploading the music to media fire I was listening to it again and suddenly thought, hang on I’ve heard this before, but with far better sound quality. I riffled through my ’brators CD’s and found it, a copy of The Boys / The Vibrators BBC In concert disc, and sure enough my eBay bargain turns out to be not a copy unless it’s a 50th generation one, of the very same Vibrators show, it’s also missing a few numbers, but ….doesn’t cut the Whips and Furs/I Need A Slave and Feel Alright/Into The Future into separate tracks, so I dunno if it’s from a tape someone made of the original Radio broadcast or what, but here it is anyway! I might get in touch with the seller to find out the source, but I dunno if I can be arsed.

Yet more untitled ramblings....

Thatcher said there was no such thing as society, John Major wanted a return to warm beer and cricket, and now Cameron is looking for a Big Society, well talk about stating the obvious, British society is the largest it’s ever been, population wise and structurally. What is it that the LibCon coalition are looking for? Well they’re looking for the people to take control of their communities i.e. Schools, hospitals etc and giving them a better say in how these services are run, sounds like a government doing things on the cheap because the last lot spent all the money on themselves and war. On one hand there’s no more new school building and money has been taken away from repairs to existing schools. On the other, there’s the idea of parents, communities and private partners building their own schools, it wont be long before parents etc start repairing the old ones. In a slight of hand the government passes on financial and management responsibility to individuals, or empowerment as they like to call it.
Competition or co-operation, or can they coexist in an individualised world some people will be unable to de-centre themselves, or have the ability to think altruistically or charitably
I can see big divisions happening in their big vision, with the people who’ve not bought into it being denied access to services in the big society, I’ve intentionally omitted the word Public, because they’ll be services only available to some of the public.
Do they owe us a living? Of course they fucking do! Especially in areas such as housing and health care, otherwise what are or have peoples taxes been used for? If people are paying into the state, then the state should provide something other than security in return. I say security, but try telling that to Raoul Moats victims, or the mother of James Bulger, or the family of Ian Tomlinson. The states security has let them down, as it has for every victim of crime, and then there’s the families of the dead and injured soldiers….who’s war are they fighting in?
Has anyone stopped and asked the people what they want? other than money, cos that’s what it's all about in their big free market capitalist society, and It’s not enough!

Who the fuck are....FLATS ?

Here’s another band for yer, plucked from the pages of the NME, the New Music ???? sounds much the same as the ‘old music’ just in a different time’n’place, not that this is always a bad thing. FLATS are a point in fact.
Initially attracted to the band by seeing the singer was wearing a Crass T-Shirt and then checking out their Myspace page where Mucky Pup, a tune done by a band called Puncture, and later covered by The Exploited playing on their media player. The 43 seconds that is their song Flats Waltz slaps and slams me back to my younger days in 1980-83 and the sound of bands like Crass, The Insane, Chaos UK, Subhumans etc. I wonder why NME picked up on a band like Flats, cos they don’t sound like yer usual NME band, personally I’d have wished they’d picked up on a band called Armies Of Anger a few years ago. How authentic Flats are depends on what they’ve got to say. I’m hoping their single will come in a fold open sleeve with some lyrical statement of intent and some old skool collages. I’m gonna leave my final words to one of my favourite anarcho punk bands from the 80’s, Zounds, (one of the members of Flats has been pictured wearing one of their T-Shirts.) “There’s a new band every week / A new way to move your feet / A new sound, but in the end it’s a new way to make you spend” God Damn that capitalist system, it sucks you in ….Flats debut 5 track 7”single is due out on 2nd August, it’s a limited edition of 500, hopefully now 499 as I’ve ordered one, so get in there quick if you fancy some retrolutionary punk rock.

Smug Mugs

There should be a law making it illegal for some people to appear in public without having their face covered; that way people wouldn’t have to look at their smiling faces. What have they got to laugh about? Luxury or Poverty!

THE HEARTBREAKERS - CBGB'S N.Y.C 7th Sep 75 (Re-Post)

Here’s a re-up request, can’t believe it was 3 years ago when I first posted this. Maan! Time flies when yer having fun, or should that be fun flies when you’ve got no time. This is an early show from The Heartbreakers, when Richard Hell was on Bass and sharing vocal duties with Johnny Thunders, this became a bit of an issue within the band, when Hell wanted to do all the vocals he was ousted, no longer a Heartbreaker he was soon to become a Voidoid and Johnny was left to handle the vocal duties. The cover of this Camden Town tape is from the first Heartbreakers photo session in early 1975, by Sept when this was recorded Walter Lure had joined on second Guitar, and the bands publicity advised the punters to “Catch ’em while they were still alive” If you want a hit of something pure and uncut, here yer go. Enjoy!

Didn’t think Raoul Moat would stay buried for long, in the media, but this is gonna be the last time I’m gonna go on about the whole sad and sorry saga. Facebook tribute pages, T Shirts, all deemed offensive, but non stop SkyTV coverage was acceptable, and I’m sure no-one will complain about any TV dramas, documentaries that will undoubtedly appear on our screens in the future. The police, well from start to finish everything they did or didn’t do is questionable. Tasaring someone in the poring rain aint gonna be the best idea; water and electric don’t mix well, and as for the tasar they used well….not one of their conventional ones, never used before….The there are the stories about Moaty asking for psychiatric help, let down? Still not really an excuse, I mean he did kill one person and injure two others.
PM Cameron condemning the face book page; telling people how to feel and what they should think, nearly 30,000 people, a small percentage who’d been brainwashed by the whole mass media event, signed up to a face book page proclaiming Raoul a legend. I’m pretty sure that’s because he made the police look stupid, and some people have a lack of respect for the forces of law and order after being needlessly stopped and searched, wrongly accused etc. Still with Raoul Moat dead the police have saved the taxpayer some money by not having to support him in prison for however many years he’d have got if he was taken alive.
Police stop and search powers under anti-terror laws are gonna be curtailed, yet there’s talk of banning the burkha in public, or 'covering ones face' as is being reported, probably because it sounds less inflammatory, makes it worse if you ask me; the police already have the power to ask protestors to remove balaclavas if they’re wearing them on demos and protests.
If people wanna cover their faces on religious or rebellious grounds, let ‘em. I don’t find it offensive if people wanna dedicate tributes to killers and wear tasteless t-shirts let ‘em, because I find it more sick, offensive and obscene that Wayne Rooney is getting a £40,000 A WEEK! Pay rise, when some people are having their pay frozen or cut. I wonder if there’s a face book page called Wayne Rooney is a money grabbing c**t! one last thing, No! I’m not gonna end it with a joke about shots on target during the world cup, I’m gonna get my eyes back on the ball wherever and however it bounces.

JOHNNY THUNDERS - "Hey shut that fucking shit up!"

I dunno how I forgot about this one, especially as I’ve posted the Roxy side of this old Camden Market bootleg tape ages ago. So here yer go, this one’s from May 1st 1982 at The Rock Garden in London .
Johnny s on stage crowd baiting banter is some of the finest chatter off his box I’ve heard from him. He’s not in a good mood, he wants a joint, gets angry with a member of the crowd; some times obnoxious and offensive, but never dull. The playing is loose and shambolic at times not a car crash of a performance, but there are a few near misses. Anyway you know what to do if you want a blast of Thunders ….HIT IT!

Here’s some news on the Easy Action/Chatterbox Johnny Thunders releases:
"Easy Action are rapidly bringing their first Johnny Thunders project to fruition. Hurt Me, Johnny's 1984 "rebirth" LP, will be remastered and re-issued as part of a 2-disc set. The second disc will be Johnny's 6 December 1983 acoustic performance at Dingwalls in London. The Dingwalls show was essentially the London launch party for the LP, and JT played a long set full of classics and new stuff. Just him and a guitar.
The liner notes have been composed by the inimitable British journalist Kris Needs,
Easy Action is working with the members of the Chatterbox forum to bring you long-out-of-print and never-heard JT material. This is not a bootleg enterprise; JT's estate is fully involved."

"Bang! Bang! You're dead!"

While I was posting yesterdays scribblings,in a strange synchronicity the police had surrounded Raoul Moat, and after a six hour stand off he killed himself. Bringing the whole sorry saga to its inevitable conclusion, live and direct on SkyTV. Meanwhile hundreds of miles away in London there were five shootings, it’s commonplace in the capital, but there are no airforce jets overhead or armoured vehicles on the streets hunting down the culprits, just gangs armed with guns and knives declaring war on each other. Someone else will probably be shot or stabbed tonight.

"1,2,3,4,5,7,8,9,10. Coming ready or not."

I don’t wanna hear no jokes about that geezer who’s on the run in Northumberland, England after he shot a couple of people and killed one, they’re not Raoulmoatly funny! Something else that aint funny is that it would never have happened if the police had listened to people, who said that when Raoul Moat was released from prison he would harm his ex girlfriend and her new boyfriend. They didn’t and he did, then for good measure he shot a copper. The Police fucked up and their response is over the top; I mean airforce jets, armoured cars and fuck knows how many different types of guns on the streets of small villages and in the countryside of North East England. How much is all this costing a service that’s supposed to be making cut backs? I don’t suppose they might be over compensating for their mistakes, or because he had declared war on the police and shot one of them? Now to justify their actions they issued a statement saying that the general public may also be targets. In true post-modern fashion the whole story has turned into a sensationalised hide and seek media drama with Moat acting out the starring Raol in a comedy of errors were both he and the criminal underworld are laughing at the police.

THE LONDON COWBOYS.

Moody, broody Rock’n’Roll. Like a punk’d up Rolling Stones. The London Cowboys were one of the most underrated bands ever. The band centred round Steve Dior and Barry Jones, who first met in 1973. During the Punk Years of 1977 they played together in a band; The Quickspurts, that featured Chrissie Hynde and Keith Levene in the line up, but went nowhere. Barry also helped run the Roxy Club and designed it’s flyers and posters. In 1978 they teamed up with Jerry Nolan and Arthur Kane in The Idols, when Sid Vicious hit New York for his Sid Sings fiasco, The Idols backed him up, and held it together for him. The Idols folded in 1979, a couple of years passed until Jones and Dior strutted their stuff again this time they were The London Cowboys, Bass playing and Drum duties were carried out by Glen Matlock and Jerry Nolan, although Tony James (Generation X) and Terry Chimes (The Clash) supplied the rhythm on The Cowboys 1983 debut album, (a lost classic) Animal Pleasure, from which the Hook Line and Sinker b/w Saigon single is taken from. Street Full Of Soul is a Glen Matlock tune and the single was produced by him as well, the b-side Lets Get Crazy is a full blown rocker, a nice contrast to the sleazy strut of Street Full Of Soul. For lovers of The Lords Of The New Church, Hanoi, Thunders etc. Get ’em here and here. LETS GET CRAZY!
Disclaimer: I’ve had to use digital versions of all the tracks, cos when I ripped my vinyl versions they sounded shite, far to crackled and scratched but I really wanted to post summat by these guys. I’ve also got a really great bootleg, but I can’t remember who I got it from, so I don’t like to post it without crediting the source. It might have been a top fella by the name of Pipeline, or was it King Rocker Marky Dread, I dunno….also one more thing. The Animal Pleasure album and its follow up Tall In The Saddle with Mike Monroe from Hanoi Rocks on Sax can be found with the Midnight Rambler over at Sons Of The Dolls blog, which is well worth visiting.

No police, more crime. No prisons, more crime.
No money, lose house. No jobs, no benefits. Don’t fear their fear.
Time for change. Change costs.
Compensation culture, tortured terrorist suspects. Who pays? Who’s War? Not in my name, but out of my taxes. We pay, we always have, No change.
Liberalisation of Drugs laws, along with prostitution. I mean, they’re nice little earners if any government had the balls to go for it. Never mind cuts how about some government approved cunts and crack to help see people through the ‘hard times’ ?

Unite in Unison!

It’s easy to Crow about the workers “Never being on their knees”, aint it Bob, when yer earning £100,000 a year! He’s not the only one either, between them all they’ve got as much of an idea about the real world as messrs Cameron, Clegg and all the rest of the C’s that reside on millionaires row.
We don’t need no leaders telling us what to do. Those at the top who claim to represent the people only represent themselves as they play their part in the power game. The Workers are just pawns in this game, ready to be sacrificed whenever the time is right. It’s a no win situation; do nothing and workers lose their jobs, do something and they still lose their jobs; show me a coal miner, steel worker etc. It’s better to die fighting….too right, but for who? them or us. We are the people! Fuck their organized strike action, lets have some real disorder.
Let’s tell ‘em whose jobs should be on the line, and it aint those on the front line, it’s those jobs upstairs, in the offices. The managers, pen pushers, the auditors, all the non jobs, they’re the ones, all those jobs created to manage the New Labour machine. Where were the Unions, when this was going down? Complicit, compliant and conspirators in it all; helping to build a New Working Class that has ultimately played a part in the present ‘economic crisis’ by living above its means, now’s the time for them to pay some of the price.

Essential Ephemera #3

A flyer and ticket from Manic Street Preachers circa Generation Terrorists. The Wild Hearts didn't end up playing, and quite a chaotic set from the Manics, I think Nicky had injured his knee.