Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Vive Le Rockers


Who would've thought when I first fired off my cyber-jabber all those years ago - anyone would have taken my ol' musical musings and spins with anything other than a large salty pinch

But thankfully the good bods at Vive Le Rock! - have given me the opportunity to pitch in with some opinions for issue 2 of their block-rocking read. As well as my mutterings: Adam Ant talks everything from Live Aid to Liam Gallagher with John Robb. Chris Constantinou former Ant bassist now a Wolfman splains why being an Ant was like being a Beatle. There's glam antics from Michael Monroe and the Bay City Rollers - and exclusives with The Stranglers, Poly Styrene Sylvain Sylvain, James Williamson and walloping read on the often forgotten Chiswick Records label


For my part: The Posies, Black Robert and Thee Faction albums are all under review....thumb around the back pages and you'll find my scribblings, scores on the doors and mentions of these exact tracks..

The Posies - She's Coming Down Again!



Black Robert - J' Arrive Pas รก Dormir





And if you happen to be in the Bloomsbury area get yourself trotting to the Orange Dot Gallery for a Vive Le Rock photo expo which runs until March the 1st..

12 comments:

markus reeves said...

aahhh viva le rock @ ;ive aid... adam was on fire there ... headstrong chioce of song for such a big gig, but rollicking nonetheless ... saw it in person and it was just as good.....

Kolley Kibber said...

Well done, buddy - where can I pick up a copy of VLR? Just been reading Adam's autobiog - he really has been very unwell at times, hasn't he?

ally. said...

cor... well done you. the newsagent's round the corner'll be yelling 'it's not a bloody library mrs....are you going to buy that?' at me before the days out and no mistake
x

Mondo said...

I missed it the entire Live Aid show - and the insider info on why Adam only got one song is - the choice was: do old material, get a bigger setlist (max 3 songs), new material and it's one song only. Adam chose to promo new material so..just the one track.

Although, when they were booked for Live Aid no one knew how big it was going to become - and the day was in the band diary as 'benefit gig'.

BTW Vive is probably my favourite Adam album.


Bless you Ally and ISB (guarantee VLR will be right up hubby's street) it should be in Smiths, and was due last week but the CD pressing plant had problems..so check today or later in the week. The Adam interview is a corker..

It's a great biog very sad in places but a great read - have you read about the teacher he had a crush on. She was the mum of

lil said...

Fantastic Mondo I’m so impressed!
Stomping good fun today lov’n the tunes...

Wow Markus, amazing you were actually there on the day, would love to hear more...?

Matthew Rudd said...

He wouldn't know it at the time, of course, but his Top 40 career was already over as far as the 80s was concerned when he did Live Aid. For all the worthiness in promoting new stuff, he should have had the whole of Wembley doing the choreography to Prince Charming (well, the hands bit, anyway).

Mondo said...

The Posies album really is something special Lil, it's been on a perma-play since being sent a copy. I gave it 9/10, and a couple of months on still haven't changed my mind.

That's exactly it. From what I'm told Adam was normally very shrewd, but chose to spotlight the new album - as you stay Prince Charming, Stand and Deliver could have turned events round Queen-style for him.

Adam says in the VLR interview, he's been offered serious money to wear the white stripe again - he's thinking of doing it next year and reforming the Ants

Anonymous said...

Nice stuff matey.

Matthew Rudd said...

Do you think Queen needed a boost in 1985 then? The Works had been pretty successful the year before...

Piley said...

Been trying to pick this up for the last 2 days, still not reach the likes of Southend yet...

Enjoyed the first issue of VLR, so well up for this one - huge Adam fan, so very interested to see that. Whens the last time you saw an Adam interview anywhere?

Agree re the autobio (I was lucky enough to get a signed copy from the book signing he did in Milton Keynes).

P

PS - did you see the pic of me and Adam from the 1980's?! It's in my facebook piccys!

Mondo said...

Strange I haven't seen it there either P, must be distribution issues (geddit?)

Matt - Yeah, that's why they were afternoon/middle bill, not top-slot. And remember Hot Space (single:Body Language) the pre-Works album they were on their downers until Live Aid?

Coop said...

Still think Dirk and Wild Frontier era stuff sounds brilliant, the thing I always like about the Ants was even during their poppier period they still stuck out cracking, pervy b-sides.

Plug alert!! Check out our first Polyvinyl Craftsmen podcast which features a tune by Marco and will feature some Ants in future transmissions.