Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Birthday Blitz

See Friday the 16th, It's where I spent the evening of my 18th birthday

So another birthday rolls round like a bad penny, or to be specific - the 25th one since my 18th (ouch!). And, considering it's the Silver Jubilee of possibly my booziest of all birthdays - I've still got a fairly full recall of the day..

*Cue plucked harps, wobble vision and screen melts*

Which included getting my first Walkman (Saisho, not Sony), some 'as requested' LPs from the parents - 'Let's Stick Together' Bryan Ferry, and a glamtastic comp' 'Ballroom Blitz' were a couple. Hoovering up the Tennents Extra on the commute to art college, rounded off with a few 10 O'Clock vodkas in 'The Refractory' with Paul T Marmite, Bleech, Lil and Mrs-PM-To-Be (although we were just classmates at the time ) then hoofing along to the lipsmacking, non-stop, snog-a-longa-Christmas that was, the end of term Tech' tear up..

Following a quickie drop-in at my dull-as-dumplings former sixth form disco, I don't know why I went, how I got there or even got in (it was an over subscribed sellout, and I was totally ticketless), but Hanoi Rocks were playing at Crocs, just a short train hop away. Before the gig I only had swift shrift for H.Rocks - but Snakes Alive! The Rocksy rockers put on one of the most explosive shows ever seen at the venue, and I came reeling out a complete convert.

Hanoi Rock - 'Blitzkrieg Bop'. Filmed at The Marquee 19/12/1983 - three days after Crocs.


Their albums are lightweight wishy-washy affairs, but live and in action they packed more wallop than a one inch punch, and for me, are still topped only by The Damned's Crocs show a few days later...

The Damned come to Crocs - rammed to the max - where you stood was where you stayed

So how bizarre then that almost 25 years to the day, I'll be back at the same venue (now the Pink Toothbrush), on the 23rd next week, for a Crocs '80-85' reunion 'do', where a sure-fire floor-filler was always The Sweet's 'Ballroom Blitz', a track that featured in The Damned's set of the time (see above), and of course The Sweet who did the Rayleigh run sometime in '85 (see below), .

Brian Connolly at The 'brush '85

But as it's my birthday (and I'll sigh if I want to), and being on a micro glam-buzz at the mo', I'm treating myself to a couple of tunes from the crypt that fit the mood of the moment...

The Damned tag-teaming with Motorhead as Motordamn on The Sweet's '73 shuffler

Motordamn - Ballroom Blitz



And another goth-gone-glam anthem that was guaranteed to get 'em flapping on the floor

Bauhaus - Telegram Sam



Should you happen to be at Crocs reunited next week, and see someone wearing mostly this - give 'em a tap on the shoulder and let's raise a glass and shake a leg together..

30 comments:

NAVAL LANGA said...

I have read some of your posts. I would like to revisit your blog, as your writing has interested me.

If you like short stories and paintings, then a short visit to my blogs would be an entertaining one.

Naval Langa

lil said...

Happy Birthday PM
wishing you a fab day!
83 was a stand out year for sure, listening to the tunes of the day brings the memories flooding back…

Cocktails said...

Hey, happy birthday Mr Mondo. I suspect that I spent my 1983 birthday dancing around the house with my Barbie dolls to the sounds of Culture Club. Both Hanoi Rocks and Bauhaus would have had me hiding behind the couch with my fingers in my ears.

Have a top day!

Mondo said...

Thanks Lil/Cocktails - do you remember much of the Tech 'do' Lil? I think it was the year after, I remember seeing you literally fall, flat-out-drunk, from your seat before we'd even left the pub..

Strange, but absolutley true Cocktails - Culture Club played their first live show at Crocs October 81 - but I saw them at Raquels (a tiny club) in Basildon a year later..I actually bought some tops and tee's from Boy George when he worked at The Foundary Carnaby Street - be worth a fortune now but went in the bin years ago

lil said...

It’s all a bit of a blur PM!
My memories of that time are a bit hazy - I don’t think I could distinguish one end of term Do from another???
I had a really good time at all of them tho…

Simon said...

Happy Birthday Mate!!

Have a couple of drinks for me; I've just given up smoking, so I'm off the booze too; one drink and I'll be reaching for the smokes!

Keith said...

Happy Birthday! Congrats! I hope all your birthday wishes come true. It sounds like you had a great birthday all those years ago. That's cool that you can still remember so much about it. I do hope you have a great time. I remember my 18th birthday which is now 20 years ago. I had a belly dancer at my party. Wow! Have a great one. Cheers!

twopalmtrees said...

Happy Birthday! Hey, I was at that Crocs/Hanoi Rocks gig too! All I remember is the lead singer's hair-sprayed creation getting drenched with a pint of beer halfway through and ending up looking like a drowned rat. You're right about their energy though!

Mondo said...

You're right a beery blur Lil, but a fab time though.

Cheers Simon I will be raising a glass or two and giving the bar a whack the works do tomorrow (free booze and food all night)

A Belly Dancer - Keith now there's thought for next year;)

A mad gig indeed 2PT, they played Crocs earlier in the year too, when it still had the small stage (missed that one though)- did you do the Damned a few days later, absolutely crunched, but somehow I managed to get right to the front. I'll post some more snaps soon(ish)..

Tall J said...

Great post. The line up of bands on that flier is incredible. When I was in high school there was a brief period where I thought Sex Gang Children were a great band. I don't really know what I saw in them anymore. Seeing their name on the flier cracks me up.

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday Mr Mondo !!!

All the best
Mr Double Down

davyh said...

Happy Birthday You Old Glam Tart. I too have read some of your posts and would like to revisit your blog (but then, I don't get out much).

Keep it funky x

Mondo said...

It's a mad line-up J, they had some crackers at Crocs, early Depeche Mode gigs, I saw The Damned twice and Lords of The New Church shortly after fell asleep during The Virgin Prunes though...

Thanks DD - gave your new Talkin' About hEY Love mix a blast last night - what a stomper..

Is he a mate of yours Davey? Or perhaps related to production ledge - Cliver Langa

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday, PM!

I was only a wee lad of eleven at the time, but 1983 was indeed a magical year.

Mick said...

Happy Birthday, PM. Whatever you have planned to celebrate have a great time.

Istvanski said...

Jeez, I remember Saisho!
The poor kids' Walkman!

Have a very happy birthday, PM.
Sagitareans kick ass...

(Can anyone spell Sagisubtereanean?)

Mondo said...

Thanks chaps - I got few years out of my Saisho before it literally went on the wobble Istvanski (and isn't the correct spelling saggyhairyarse')

Piley said...

Happy Birthday nmate! I wasn't with you on that particular evening, but did acompany you there on many a boozy evening... so i dread to think how wasted you must have been if that was worse than any of the nights I saw you!!

Do I remember you sinking a bottle of JD as 'prep' BEFORE going down there one night??! And on your eventual return home you tripped up the very first step of the stairs, and spent the whole night kipping up the stairs??!! WORSE than than night right??!!

Have a great one!

P

Mondo said...

Oh Gawd - that JD night, much worse than my 18th (where the worst that happened was a lost motorbike jacket)

I was found by my mum - asleep, halfway up the stairs, with my troos halfway down (couldn't get them off for bed).. and the front room walls splattered in sick - and how did I try to recover the next day? By going on most of the seafront's roller coaster rides - maderness

Devil Dick said...

ooooh.... you missed the death cult!?!?!?!?!?????!!!!!!!!!!!!

Devil Dick said...

ohyeah and habby pirthday!!!

Devil Dick said...

late

I Am Not The Beatles said...

Hope you had a lovely birthday, and have an equally marvellous Christmas.

Take care,

Ian TB
x

BLTP said...

happy Belated Birthday pm
and have good christmas too.

Mondo said...

Hey hey thanks DD - Yeah Missed Death Cult, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode - but did see The Damned twice, Hanoi, Corduroy, Mother Earth, Lords of the New Church, Zodiac Mindwarp and a ton of others..

Thanks Ian TB and BL latecomers are always welcome

Anonymous said...

Hey PM are you gonna answer my comment on the offbeat interlude posting bout billy childish? the links no good. sounds like you had a good b'day ma child, hope xmas goes with a bang too. check out thehoundblog for some truly amazing festive tunes

Mondo said...

Yeah mailed you the link to sonicsixty ? Have you got another addy just in case?

Anonymous said...

sorry. it's
sonicssixty5@hotmail.com
two s's. thanks old bean keep up the good work, thanks ffor not inflicting shit xmas songs on us today - like you would. thanks also for introducing me to the work of the wolfmen this year, great stuff indeed!

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