Disappointments and Joy

What an odd day I've had. This should have been SLADE Day but it wasn't entirely successful.

Up to Oxford Street I merrily trolled and into HMV with my honourary escort to record the joys of SLADE Day and there it was in the new releases section, 'SLAYED?' in all it's glory, proud and brash. I nabbed it then wandered down the racks to find the others. No sign of them, so I scooted over to the SLADE section in the A-Z racks and .... nothing! Where are they? Why aren't they here? What villainy is this?

Time was limited so I hurriedly got 'SLAYED?' and scurried down to Virgin to see if it had them - it didn't even have 'SLAYED?' so I'm designated it a crap shop. Back to HMV to ask about the other CDs and it appears there are distribution problems but they'll be available "any day". I'm afraid "any day" isn't good enough. So much for relying on 'real life' stores for my SLADE fix...

Headed off to the tube to get over to Fulham for my long-awaited appointment with the back doctor at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. I worked in Fulham 16 years ago and got instantly confused when I realised they've totally changed the tube station and built a small shopping centre on it! I looked in the Virgin there are there was a solitary SLADE CD - I've decided that Virgin is officially crap everywhere apart from Times Square.

Then I scurried down Fulham Road to the hospital which is conveniently situated nowhere near any tube station. I eventually see the doctor who tells me to strip down to me pants and then pokes and prods me. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect since I'm almost better now, no severe symptoms to diagnose or dismiss, so it was rather odd. Unfortunately, he hadn't seen the x-ray from nearly 2 months ago (either my doctor didn't send it or the hospital lost it). Basically, I just need to keep doing what I'm doing, exercising, seeing the physio and he'll see me again in two months. He offered to arrange physiotherapy on the NHS but couldn't say when or where it would happen - I thought I'd stick with what I've got.

I was really quite down after that. Part of me realises he can't really do anything since I'm over the worst but the other part wonders what will happen the next time my back goes and it will, it's only a matter of time. Do I start afresh again and wait until I'm virtually better before I see a proper back doctor? I suppose that's what bothers me.

Home in the rush hour, what fun. Victoria Station HMV has 'SLAYED?' but not the others. O bugger. But I read the booklet on the train home and that started to get me in the mood. I put the CD on the player as soon as I get through the door to hear a marvelous crisp and rich sound, much improved on the 1992 CD release I have.

I'm thoroughly enjoying the CD and then I hear a sound I haven't heard since the '70s - the first of the 'B' sides! They're good and sound so fresh, powerful and more 'serious' than the singles. And the memories come flooding back... I particularly loved hearing Don get his short stint on the Melanie fan-disc wrong - I remember it so well!

Then up to the gym to work off some aggression listening to 'SLAYED?' on iPod on the way there as well as on the way home. What an odd day...

Looking on the bright side, I've got another three new SLADE CDs to get during August. It's been a long time since I could say that!

The Unsinkable Bambi Lake

I've finally got round to reading, 'The Unsinkable Bambi Lake: A Fairy Tale Containing the Dish on Cockettes, Punks and Angels', a sort of autoboigraphy of Bambi co-written by Alvin Orloff. There's not really that much to the book and it's a a bit disappointing in that respect. No real narrative, chronology, discussion or self-analysis. In part, I've been left wondering who is Bambi Lake?

The book is full of anecdotes, gossip, name-dropping and short paragraphs about people she knew (or didn't know but simply mentioned people on the scene at the time, it's not very clear). It reads like a stereotype queen talking and talking and talking, not so much to impart information but rather to remain the centre of attention and to make sure that no-one else can get a word in edgeways.

For example, page 36, chosen at random, contains four paragraphs, each starting by naming someone and talking about them but the only link is that Bambi knew them and all this tells us about her is that she knew a lot of strange people. None (from memory) are referred to again in the book.

"Ruby called himself Greta Garbage. He was a cute young hippie boy who liked intentionally tacky drag...."

"Jenny was a tiny brunette hippie waif. She'd always be taking off her clothes and dancing..."

"Mary and Arthur were the adopted children of the man who invented the Kellogg snack pack. I called them the Kellogg twins..."

"Paul Dahling showed up one day with a bottle of Jack Daniels in his hand. He would never say where he came from..."

Bambi starts off life as Johnny Purcell and somewhere along the line becomes Bambi Lake, courtesy of theatre and drag acts, the Angels of Light, sexual politics, vast quantities of drugs, Berlin and hormone injections, breast implants, prostitution, singing, 'tragic' love affairs, spending nights in jail, travelling between the West Coast of America and Europe, working as a stripper, nights on Hampstead Heath with skinheads, hooking on Polk Street and being a club hostess on Broadway in San Fransisco. And, oh so much more. She remains a pre-op transexual.

Bambi also likes name-dropping more recognisably famous people. Meeting Bowie and Iggy Pop in Berlin, Siouxsie Sioux in San Franscisco, going on tour opening for the Stranglers, the Warhol and Waters sets are mentioned several times, even Gene October gets a mention.

I think I started reading the book with the wrong mind-set. Rather than thinking I was embarking on the autobiography of a fascinating twilight character I should have thought of it as an afternoon chat over a cup of tea with someone whose world I will never understand but can, in any case, enjoy the throwaway lines and anecdotes. Read from that perspective it starts making sense as a glimpse into a world that no longer exists.

The book also includes some of her poems or lyrics, including the full version of 'The Golden Age of Hustlers' which is amended and much shortened for the song. It's about time on the street in the mid-70s, glamourised for us poor non-glamourous people who will never see that world except for the safe glimpses she gives us. I love that song but the only version I have is on her one CD, a poorly recorded live version. It deserves better. And so does she.

The CD, 'My Glamourous Life as a Broadway Hostess' is available from the delightful CD Baby. Go to Baby's site to hear short clips of the songs.

So. Who is Bambi Lake? The short answer is that I still have no idea. I now know a lot more about her, at least the bits she shares, but that's about it. I'll watch this space...

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Madonna Confessions Tour - I Love New York

More Madonna

44

It's a bit odd - I think it's odd, anyway - that my little brother is 44 today (well, yesterday now since it's after midnight). That's my little bro, ie younger bro' not older bro'. That makes me feel so ooooooooolllllllllldddddddd.....

Happy birthday young 'un!

Bounce for Madonna 2

Guess what? Saw herself again this evening, closer to the stage, on the other side of the auditorium so had a different view - and this time I took my camera. It was an excellent show - better than the first time so this must be marked as 15 out of 10.

I still loved the rock goddess 'I Love New York' and 'Music' sections and I'd add the 'Jump' sequence with the dancer-lads leaping all over a huge climbing frame (which was incredibly exhilerating and exhausting to watch) and Madonna's wierd slo-mo drunken version of 'Let It Will Be' - most excellent indeed. In fact, it was all good. And to top it off, she gave me a balloon which I worried about all the way home but it got here safely!

Here are some photos:

Huff 'n' Puff 2

Phew! That's my second session with Nick, my personal trainer, over with... I need a sit down (which, luckily I am as I type this).

The session mostly followed the pattern of the first: bike, cross-trainer, stretches and mat exercises, then the treadmill (so he could see how I walk), more mat work then the bike and final stretches. It's amazing how quickly the time goes. I spent longer on the cardio machines today and he's written out a programme for me to follow when I go to the gym inbetween training sessions.

My back made it difficult to do a few of the exercises so Nick's come up with variations that I can do. My back will be a problem for a while yet - press-ups are out because it puts pressure on my lower back and so does lifting weights (I suspect with weights it's more a case of standing still that sends a surge of ouch down my leg).

I actually enjoyed today - it was a case of doing things rather than being measured and assessed and having things explained. Certainly got me sweaty! I treated myself afterwards with a nice sit down in the steam room for a while, very relaxing. Maybe my treat should've been a nice cream cakey and a pint of Guinness?

>Sigh<. I'm so good...

Five days to go...

Bounce for Madonna

Madonna Day dawned gloomy and damp and the dampness continued right to the end of Madonna's 'Confessions' show at Wembley Arena, very hot and sweaty in the auditorium. And what an excellent show it was, with Madonna striding across the stage and catwalks to make sure people could see her while her dancers were all over the place, even at one point, jumping into the audience and racing round.

There were a few jaw-dropping WOW moments and not knowing where to look since so much was happening in front on the stage, to either side on the catwalks and even behind us at the end of the catwalk - that's one of the drawbacks of being near the stage. Madonna used the central catwalk quite a lot to get right into the middle of the audience so that more people can see her close-up. What a fit woman - how many people could keep up that level of activity for nearly two hours? A lot of stamina.

My favourite sequences were:

# the opening where a huge glitter-ball descends to the end of the main catwalk in the audience and out steps Madonna in her pervy black riding costume while the dance troupe are all done up in harnesses prancing round the stage to 'Future Lovers'.

# 'I Love New York' with Madonna the rock goddess, the background is the New York skyline and she gives it some major league guitar hero power chords with madatory feedback and then launches into a guitar-based 'Ray of Light'. I love the rock version of 'I Love New York' (which is on the new live album) but couldn't bounce to 'Ray of Light' as instructed because of me back >sigh<.

# the red disco sleaze opening sequence ('Music Inferno') leading into 'Music' with Madonna and two dancers coming on in John Travolta white suits and striking the 'Saturday Night Fever' pose - that was excellent, particularly with the dancers zooming round on rollerscates. Then having a Dresden's moment by ripping off her suit to reveal the leotard underneath.
The show was incredibly professional and a lot of money was obviously lavished on the set and on the dance troupe to get them to that level of performance. The only bits I wasn't too overjoyed about were the simulated dance-fight sequences, particulary during 'Sorry' where Madonna whoops some ass in a sort of cage-cum-club scene and when a couple of the dancers fight all the way down the catwalk. It was very well done but jarred a bit with me.

All in all, I give the show 10 out of 10 and big kudos to Madonna!

Now then, the audience... Once again we had two beanpoles right in front of us - how does that happen? The god of audience manipulation has it in for me. Luckily they left to stand by the catwalk at the first opportunity so that was ok. They were both incredibly thin and looked like they would snap in a medium-strength breeze - they should see a doctor if the lack of actual body isn't chemically achieved. And if it is then they should stop it. Most odd. I obviously don't get out enough if I'm surprised by how stick thin some people are. There was also the inevitable bloke drinking beer all night with his back to the stage talking to his mates - why? I don't understand paying those ticket prices and then not even looking at the stage. That's his loss.

Photos courtesy of the fans at Madonnalicious.