This is what you want - this is what you get

Mr Lydon is currently chanting that very phrase in my living room.

It occured to me an hour or so ago that I hadn't listened to 'The Best of British £1 Notes' for an age and I was overdue to play it quite loudly. So, once my '70s disco collection came to an end I slapped this into the CD player and started wondering when he'll go on tour again.

I've never seen him live. I obviously didn't see the Pistols back in the day (being a young whipper-snapper) and didn't want to see them on the re-union tours because, as I thought, it wouldn't be like way back then and I wanted to think of them as young rebels not middle aged men. I regret that now and wish I had seen them.

John has an interesting body of work behind him (and, I hope, ahead of him too). He's never stood still, keeps moving forward and experimenting with sound and image. He still causes mayhem (and good for him) such as earlier this year in New York at the Anglomania thing and his response to the 'Hall of Fame' (the wonderful 'piss stain' comment).

I realise he's not everyone's cup of tea, but he's mine. Served without milk. Or sweeteners.

Another Biscuit Tin

A biscuit tin is a nice way of thinking about this blog – a bit of this and a bit of that.

Health

I am *so* much better than I was this time last week – what an awful week that was. I even went into work today (I like to bestow surprise honours on my people now and again), introducing Mr Sticky to the joys of the choob and a nice young woman actually offering me her seat (that made me feel so old and useless!). Travelling was a lot easier than I’d expected (thanks in large part to Sticky) and I got round in the office with no real problems so long as I’m careful getting up and sitting down. I see the physio again on Thursday so I think she’ll be happy with my progress.

Last 10 iPod

As of now, the last ten choons are:

Pinhead – The Ramones
Free Me – Emma Bunton
Brown Sugar – The Rolling Stones
Living For The City – Stevie Wonder
My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
(I Believe) Love’s A Prima Donna – Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
Broken English – Marianna Faithfull
The Onion Song – Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
Perfect Day – The Saints
Open Up – Leftfield/Lydon

I like to think this demonstrates my eclectic musical taste. Or does it?

Fuck The Back Row

I missed Amanda Dresden Doll – o woe is me… I feel like such a traitor for not seeing the show but I avidly read her last blog about her mis-adventures at the Edinburgh Festival.

'New York Doll'

Watched the DVD of the Arthur Kane documentary yesterday - that's the third time I've seen the film and it still brings a tear to the eye. The first time I saw it was at a art-cinema in New York last November along the road from where the Dolls played way back when. The second time was at the Odeon in Panton Street in April this year. It took 30 years for Arthur's dream to come true but it happened.

We've ordered tickets to see the 'new' New York Dolls play live in October and I can't wait. I wonder how many monkies they'll release on-stage to dance and shake their tail-feathers to one of the best songs released this year - 'Dance Like A Monkey'.

Hinternetweb

Sufering some frustration at the moment with my broadband connection deciding it doesn't like the 'always-on' tag. Mine likes to disconnect and have to be re-connected almost every time I change pages. Ggggrrrrr....

Sticky, SLADE and Stupid Muscles

May I introduce my newest of good friends, dear anonymous ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to Sticky!

Sticky is quite a gregarious soul and likes to take me out to places (provided they are in Streatham). I made Sticky's acquaintance yesterday and brought him home to live with me. Sticky's favourite hobbies are standing up and making a noise when he hits the pavement (he loves making a noise). And, of course, he's the latest gentleman's accessory for strolling round town. I'm sure we'll get on famously.

SLADE have rarely been off the CD deck or iPod since the joys of SLADE Day. If anything the records just keep on getting better. The sound quality is excellent and I'm quite fond of the SLADE ALIVE! double anthology of their live material - they were truly a great live band. And I'm sure they've contributed to my improving health.

But now I'm anxious for the four-CD box set in September. What will be on it? what photos will be in the booklet? will there be 'new' material not previously available? I need to know...

After the joys of the magick pill on Monday evening when I felt a dramatic improvement in my back I've gone down hill again. Spent most of Tuesday in bed (which isn't good for the back at all) since I was so tired after the weekend and Murderous Monday, not being able to sit, stand, lie down or walk, changing position every few minutes. That was awful. Wednesday saw a trip to St George's to see the liver man (if one more doctor says I should lose weight I'll punch them - is that's all it takes to be a doctor these days?) and yet more blood tests (seven phials of blood this time, the bastard vampires). And a trip to see a physio to 'open' up my back. And another trip to the physio today, pulling down my trousers and pants (as Russell Brand says) and giving my lower back and bum a good old kneading!

I have stupid muscles. Okay, let's be fair, they're well meaning and have simply got it wrong. I've done something to my dodgy disc that's moved it slightly and it's pressing on the sciatic nerve which is agony enough so my lovely muscles in my back and left leg go into spasm and clasp the nerve tightly to protect it. That's a nice thing to do but it's also wrong cos it's agony! The trick is to 'open up' the muscles, relax them so that the nerve can move again. So, in trying to protect me the muscles are doing the exact opposite. My left calf is rock solid and so is most of my back and that's what makes it painful to move. My thigh and foot are numb or tingling (it varies). And that's on top of the pain from the nerve. Ouch. That's how I think of it anyway. And that's what the physio does, releases the muscles and tries to get everything back into balance so the body can heal itself.

I just wish my muscles were more intelligent ...

SLADE Day!

SLADE Day dawned gloomy and wet and with much ouch-ing whenever I moved and whenever I didn't move (some days you just can't win). My back has been getting steadily worse over the last week and today was the nadir - I couldn't stand up and couldn't sit down, couldn't walk and couldn't lie down, changing positions every few minutes to bring some ease is so tiring. A trip to the docs and some magick pills have done the trick now but it's funny how pain can block all other thoughts from the brain. A primitive animal response. Luckily, SLADE Day was delivered by first class Voisey Mail late this afternoon and I'm in mid-animal response to the glory that was, is and always will be SLADE!

Four re-mastered CDs flood the record shops today made up of seven SLADE albums. I got 'SLAYED?' a couple of weeks ago (it was released early in HMV stores as part of a promotion) so the first one to hit the CD deck was 'Old, New, Borrowed and Blue', mainly so I could hear the 'B' sides I haven't heard in three decades.

The sound is so much clearer and louder than the previous CD release and the packaging is great, a nice little biographical booklet with loads of photos. It's almost like a layer of dust has been blown off the record and I'm hearing it fresh and new. I love it! And the bonus tracks are three 'B' sides and 'The Bangin' Man' single. I've always had a soft spot for 'Kill 'Em At The Hot Club Tonight', the '20s-style oddity 'B' side, and it sounds fabulous in this re-mastered format.

I can't get over the sound and how fresh and clean the albums sound in comparison to the CDs from the '90s. Someone's put some effort into letting us hear SLADE as they should sound.

I'm currently listening to 'SLADE ALIVE! - The Live Anthology', a double album made up of 'SLADE ALIVE!', 'SLADE ALIVE Vol Two', 'SLADE on Stage' and 'Alive At Reading '80', the EP that saw their re-birth at the start of the 1980s. It's packaged in a gatefold digi-pack format using the iconic red and black cover of the original 'SLADE ALIVE!' cover from 1972. That was my first SLADE album, the first of many. It was a thrill to open the digi-pack for the first time.

The sound is, again, excellent, and shows SLADE doing what they do best - play live. Always a great live band, Noddy goading on the audience, Dave providing spectacle and Jim and Don keeping it real with the pounding bass and drums. I love the live version of 'Get Down and Get With It'.

The fourth CD is made up of 'Beginnings' (by Ambrose Slade, their first ever album before they dropped 'Ambrose') and 'Play It Loud'. 'Beginnings' is what it says, their early work from 1969, a bit hippy, a bit progressive. Oddly enough, it includes a cover of the Beatles' 'Martha My Dear' - I've never quite understood why unless it's very oddity is justification enough. 'Knocking Nails Into My House' is an excellent track, so much going on beneath the surface of the record and you can hear it properly for the first time.

'Play It Loud' is skinhead SLADE with some great early tracks written by Dave and Don before all song-writing chores went to Noddy and Jim. It's recognisably SLADE before they'd found their 'sound' and feature more lyrics per song than normal, but you know who it is from the start. I like this album, it's more of a late-night album when you still need something with a bit of edge and some balls.

The first CD is, of course, 'SLAYED?' which I've been playing for a few weeks now. The bonus tracks are 'B' sides not previously available on CD, so that alone keeps me happy. I'm particularly fond of 'Candidate' and 'Man Who Speeks Evil'.

Next release is a four-CD box set due in September. That's all I know about it. I will, of course. be chomping at the bit come September, but I'm so happy with the four CDs I've got so far.

SLADE Day started out so badly and ended so well courtesy of Voisey Courier Services Inc. Ta indeed!

Fuck The Back Row Hits London!

How thrilled am I? Fuck The Back Row arrives in London on Sunday 27 August and where FTBR appears Amanda can't be very far behind.

How on earth did I miss this news? FTBR is taking place in the Devonshire Arms, 'Camden's gothic and alternative bar' as it advertises itself. That makes me tremble slightly, but not as much as trying to get home from Camden at midnight on a Sunday ....

The blurb says,

Please note: this is NOT a Dresden Dolls show
Fuck The Back Row! A Night of Short Films and Dadaist Vaudeville... This is a program of short films submitted by Dresden Dolls fans that have been selected by long-time Dresden Doll friend / collaborator / indie-film iconoclast Michael Pope and BriAnna Olson. Amanda Palmer will close the evening by performing songs from not-so-popular film soundtracks.

More thrills from The Dresden Dolls include a new song I found on the DDs MySpace site and, *tada!* tickets for the 4 November Roundhouse show arrived today! The song, 'Lonesome Organist', seems to be on the Japanese version of 'Yes Virginia' and I like it. The next single will be 'Backstabber' so here's hoping 'Lonesome Organist' is the 'b' side and available for download from iTunes. I say 'download' since it almost certainly won't be released here (I gnashed and wailed over the release/non-release of 'Sing' in the spring so assume this will be the same!).

Happy? O yes!

From the ridiculous...

OK. So here's the latest. I told you last week that my trainer was being sneaky and coming up with other ways to do exercises so that I don't stress my back. So, what did he ask me to do this evening? To sit down.

It was a prelude to doing squats, get the thigh and bum muscles working, to sit down on a bench just using the legs. Obvious, eh? Because of my back, I always hold onto something, or put my hand on the seat first to prevent any hard falls that would send a shiver of pain up my back and down my leg. And when I stand up I hold onto something or press myself up using my hands on my thighs to lever myself upright. So, just using thigh and bum muscles to sit and stand isn't that easy.

I couldn't do it. That was so frustrating! And a bit stupid. In part, I've no doubt that it's a confidence thing - my back is much better so sitting down shouldn't hurt and I just need to believe that.

I will practice sitting down and standing up.

I've lost £60m

I have y'know. I've got to find it tomorrow.

Or I'm in big trouble.

A New Thing

I did a new thing today (oo-er). I've bid for tickets on eBay to see Maximo Park (aka, me Geordie lads) at Brixton in October. I'm excited. Will I win them? Will I lose them? My life is one long search for thrills, in'it?

I tried to get tickets when they went on sale a month or two back but they sold out so quickly. Browsing on eBay I see that one seller is selling 20 tickets in one auction and then has about four other auctions selling pairs of tickets. How do they get so many tickets? I'm bidding over the odds for these tickets but I want them. And they're in the balcony so I can have a nice sit down while I watch me lads jump all over the stage (I'd be surrounded by lanky beanpoles downstairs and wouldn't see a thing). I know me lads jump about at Brixton Academy because I've got them on DVD doing just that on that stage.

Only two days to go until I know whether I'm seeing me lads. Just so I don't jinx the auction, I'm not putting it in my diary just yet.

Are you ready Steve...?

Simply one of the best singles ever released in the history of music.

Madonna 3

Some photos from the latest Madonna escapade...


Photo of the big video-wall behind/above the stage.


Madonna's just emerged from the big glitter-ball that she's lowered onto the stage in, and sings 'Future Lovers' in her equestrian extravaganza.


Quite close to the extended stage at the end of the central catwalk, and this is one of the few photos without extraneous hands and cameras in shot...


The industrial setting for 'Sorry' during which, a few minutes later, a fight ensues and Madonna emerges triumphantly. I don't approve of gratuitous violence.


'Let It Will Be' - and the live version is much better than the album version. A very lucky photo since she only wears the hat for a few seconds before throwing it into the crowd.


In full Saturday Night Fever mode for 'Music', a great sequence!