Bring Me The Heads of The Dresden Dolls
The Dresden Dolls v Panic! At The Disco - a slapstick revenge video with 'Backstabber' as the soundtrack. Looks like they all had great fun making this!
Saturday, 7 October 2006
Maximum Maximo
"We are Maximo Park" opines Paul Smith, pronouncing it "maxeemo".He was svelt and fit in a skin tight white 'suit' with his hat at a jaunty angle. And then the music started pounding out of the speakers. Up in the balcony at Brixton Academy we got a good view of me Geordie lads as they played their relentlessly punky, energetic songs, short and sweet, loud and brash with their sometimes quite thoughtful lyrics.
The band were excellent, very tight and well practiced while Paul jumped all over the place, stalking around the stage whipping the audience into a lather. They played some of the new songs from the new album (but no mention of when it'll be released) which sounded good, definitely having the Maximo sound.
Most notable songs for me were, 'The Coast Is Always Changing', 'Graffiti', 'Limassol' and 'Postcard of a Painting', finishing with 'Apply Some Pressure' when the crowd went wild. I sang along with a silly smile all over my face. They didn't play 'A19', which is one of my favourites, but I forgive them. After tonight I can forgive them anything. I sort of felt proud of them for some reason.I'm so pleased to finally see me lads live and I came so close to not getting tickets because I thought I'd be too old. Hah! Yes, there were young teens there, but most of the audience seemed to be in the 20s-30s range and even some blokes looking older than me. Anyway, who really cares? They seemed really nice lads as well, thanking the audience for supporting them and applauding the audience a few times. That was a nice touch, especially since we should be thanking them for bringing such joy to Brixton. Why aren't they bigger?
Paul closed with the immortal phrase, 'We are Maximo Park'. O yes we are.
Friday, 6 October 2006
Retro Record Bag: 1975
After an absence of several months it was international superstar DJ time again, this time with a 1975 setlist.
1975 is an awkward year but I found five tunes with which to amaze the Retro Bar punters:
Thanks for the Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam) - SLADE
Glass of Champagne - Sailor
Imagine Me Imagine You - Fox
That's The Way I Like It - KC and the Sunshine Band
Young Americans - David Bowie
I quite like the stately progression through musical styles - from former glam, through pop to disco - leading nicely towards a 1976 set of disco and punk. But that's for another day.
Chris and Don both did nice sets (with Don even playing Dido - I think I preferred the Gaelic punk or mariarchi sets...) but, as ever >sigh< mine was the best setlist.
I also had three pints of Guinness, the most I've drunk in a single session in what seems like an age. I am bad.
1975 is an awkward year but I found five tunes with which to amaze the Retro Bar punters:
Thanks for the Memory (Wham Bam Thank You Mam) - SLADE
Glass of Champagne - Sailor
Imagine Me Imagine You - Fox
That's The Way I Like It - KC and the Sunshine Band
Young Americans - David Bowie
I quite like the stately progression through musical styles - from former glam, through pop to disco - leading nicely towards a 1976 set of disco and punk. But that's for another day.
Chris and Don both did nice sets (with Don even playing Dido - I think I preferred the Gaelic punk or mariarchi sets...) but, as ever >sigh< mine was the best setlist.
I also had three pints of Guinness, the most I've drunk in a single session in what seems like an age. I am bad.
Thursday, 5 October 2006
Wednesday, 4 October 2006
Buffy Sainte-Marie - A Multimedia Life
A new documentary about Buffy will be aired on the other side of the Atlantic in November. The blurb announces:
BUFFY SAINTE–MARIE: A MULTIMEDIA LIFE
World Television Premiere – November 14 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT
This one–hour documentary explores the dynamic life and career of this Academy Award–winning musical pioneer. From her Aboriginal roots, to her folk music performances in 1960s Greenwich Village, to her roles as an educator and activist, Buffy Sainte–Marie’s journey is documented through archival footage and interviews with Sainte–Marie, Joni Mitchell, Robbie Robertson, Randy Bachman, Steppenwolf’s John Kay, Taj Mahal and Sylvia Tyson. Legendary artists including Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Cher, Janis Joplin and Neil Diamond have also recorded hits penned by the songwriter of 'Up Where We Belong'.
From the looks of it, the documentary might well be available on DVD at some point. At that point I'll be happy.News of a new album yesterday, a documentary today ... what Buffy news will tomorrow bring?
Tuesday, 3 October 2006
I heard a rumour ...
... well, read one actually. That Buffy's releasing a new album shortly. Shortly is defined as 'between winter and spring'. The Buffy wires are a-buzzing at the moment. Can this really be true?
Monday, 2 October 2006
The SLADE Box
Let joy be unbounded, let the trumpets sound and let me get to the CD player! O yes, the waiting is over and I am now the proud possessor of 'The SLADE Box', the long awaited four-disc anthology set. And it is marvelous.Re-mastered sounds are washing over me. I've already heard some of the re-mastered tracks on the re-issued albums so it's great to hear tracks from albums not scheduled for release until next year. Four CDs with over 70 minutes of music on each. I'm working my way through the discs as I type.
The packaging is wonderful with a 72 page glossy booklet inside - it's virtually a book in its own right - with a long essay by Keith Altham about the band and it's full of glorious photos of the lads, including a series of photos from the 1974 tour of America. There's a big double page portrait pic of the band over the legend, 'This band is gooder than shit' attributed to Lester Bangs.
I'm discovering new SLADE songs - singles that weren't on the albums and, of course, the 'B' sides of those singles! I've discovered a new favourite - 'It's Alright Buy Me', a 'B' side from 1978 which sounds fresh and new and never-before heard!
In some respects it's quite a strange track selection - it might have been obvious to focus on the glory years of the early/mid '70s and the renaissance in the early '80s but this selection covers the full recording career. I'm pleased it does. The glory years have already largely been covered by the albums released so far (with the exception of 'Flame' which is due next year) so this anthology treats us to an odyssey of developments and changes in SLADE's music including singles that hardly troubled the charts but are all part of the legacy. And what a legacy it is.
As Nod would say, 'Keep on Rockin'!'
Full Frontal
I got home this evening to be faced by the flashing red light on the telephone that tells me I have an answer phone message. It was a recorded message from Ticketmaster to give me 'important information' relating to the tickets I've bought to see see 'Cabaret' at the Lyric Theatre later this month.
Apparently it's important for me to know that the production contains 'full frontal male and female nudity'. Oooer.
Apparently it's important for me to know that the production contains 'full frontal male and female nudity'. Oooer.
Sunday, 1 October 2006
South Bank Saturday
For the first time in months I get beyond the boundaries of ye olde Streatham village on a Saturday and what a nice change that makes.
First of all, up to the gym to sign up for more sessions with my personal trainer and then over to the opticians. My short-sightedness has been annoying me for months but I needed the eye test at St Georges first to check the back of my eyeballs for diabetic nerve damage and that took place two weeks ago when I got the all clear. My eyes haven't changed much but the position of the lens inside my eye has so I now need either reading glasses, bifocals or varifocals. Just as I suspected. Not sure which option to take, but at least I have options, which makes a change!
Up to Waterloo for the first public showing of Dawn Right Nasty's new product - Tranny Hag the mag. And, as an early adopter, I also got a delightfully pink 'Tranny Hag' badge which I wore proudly throughout the rest of my South Bank adventures. That was followed by a drink and a nice sit down at the National Fillum Theatre for a chat with Wee Don Kerr at which I finally found out where that odd name came from.
After a wander round as the lights came on I went to the Royal Festival Hall (which is still being refurbished - how long does that take?) to sit on an orchestra. Don had earlier pointed out the little light-box seats as we walked along by the river so thought I'd try them out. Sit on a box and the instrument it represents in the orchestra starts playing. I actually couldn't tell if the violins I ws sitting on worked or not but it seemed like a fun thing to do and lots of people were enjoying it. I also remembered that I'd brought my camera so photos were duly taken. I didn't try the 'prison' fountain further along the balcony - stand on a metal grating and jets of water spring up around you - but lots of people tried it out. Must be damp on a windy day.
Then Chris appeared at the National Theatre and we wandered along the South Bank as night drew in and the trees lit up with twinkling blue and white lights. London can be a beautiful city, especially along that stretch of the river, the bridges and lovely old buildings on the north side with St Paul's Cathedral all lit up and lights reflecting on the river. We wandered along to the Tate Modern and the Kandinsky exhibition.
I'd wanted to visit the exhibition all summer but, of course, we didn't make it until the penultimate day before closure, but it was worth it. 'The Path To Abstraction' illustrates Kandinsky's early work on the move from figurative to abstract art. Nine rooms of wonderful paintings, drenched in colour and shape, eyes wandering over the paintings looking for a way in or simply wallowing in the swirls and stabs of colour and feeling the joy. Paintings on glass, sketches on carboard and masterpieces on big canvasses. Particular favourites were 'Two Girls' , 'Improvision Gorge' (above) and 'Composition VII'. I'd urge everyone to go but it closes today.
My adventure ended with a walk back along the river to Waterloo and the tube home, tired but happy. How nice it is to be able to go out on a whim and explore a great city. It's so easy to take that for granted.
First of all, up to the gym to sign up for more sessions with my personal trainer and then over to the opticians. My short-sightedness has been annoying me for months but I needed the eye test at St Georges first to check the back of my eyeballs for diabetic nerve damage and that took place two weeks ago when I got the all clear. My eyes haven't changed much but the position of the lens inside my eye has so I now need either reading glasses, bifocals or varifocals. Just as I suspected. Not sure which option to take, but at least I have options, which makes a change!
Up to Waterloo for the first public showing of Dawn Right Nasty's new product - Tranny Hag the mag. And, as an early adopter, I also got a delightfully pink 'Tranny Hag' badge which I wore proudly throughout the rest of my South Bank adventures. That was followed by a drink and a nice sit down at the National Fillum Theatre for a chat with Wee Don Kerr at which I finally found out where that odd name came from.
After a wander round as the lights came on I went to the Royal Festival Hall (which is still being refurbished - how long does that take?) to sit on an orchestra. Don had earlier pointed out the little light-box seats as we walked along by the river so thought I'd try them out. Sit on a box and the instrument it represents in the orchestra starts playing. I actually couldn't tell if the violins I ws sitting on worked or not but it seemed like a fun thing to do and lots of people were enjoying it. I also remembered that I'd brought my camera so photos were duly taken. I didn't try the 'prison' fountain further along the balcony - stand on a metal grating and jets of water spring up around you - but lots of people tried it out. Must be damp on a windy day.
Then Chris appeared at the National Theatre and we wandered along the South Bank as night drew in and the trees lit up with twinkling blue and white lights. London can be a beautiful city, especially along that stretch of the river, the bridges and lovely old buildings on the north side with St Paul's Cathedral all lit up and lights reflecting on the river. We wandered along to the Tate Modern and the Kandinsky exhibition.
I'd wanted to visit the exhibition all summer but, of course, we didn't make it until the penultimate day before closure, but it was worth it. 'The Path To Abstraction' illustrates Kandinsky's early work on the move from figurative to abstract art. Nine rooms of wonderful paintings, drenched in colour and shape, eyes wandering over the paintings looking for a way in or simply wallowing in the swirls and stabs of colour and feeling the joy. Paintings on glass, sketches on carboard and masterpieces on big canvasses. Particular favourites were 'Two Girls' , 'Improvision Gorge' (above) and 'Composition VII'. I'd urge everyone to go but it closes today.My adventure ended with a walk back along the river to Waterloo and the tube home, tired but happy. How nice it is to be able to go out on a whim and explore a great city. It's so easy to take that for granted.
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