The April Podrophenia is a rockin' rollin' conversation' with bass player Chris Constantinou. From his early days with Drill and touring with Slade, travelling the world with Adam Ant, playing Live Aid, working with Chas Chandler, Annabella Lwin, The Dandy Warhols, The Wolfmen.... right up to latest projects The Mutants (Wilko Johnson, Norman Watt-Roy, Wayne Kramer), One Thousand Motels (with Rat Scabies) and Rude GRL & CC it's all there!
Including stories you'll have never heard or read anywhere else! Plus a playlist of tunes from across his varied career.
Podrophenia the letter Y - is up for download: Chris Constantinou joins us covering his career from playing Live Aid with Adam Ant and Top of the Pops goss' - to The Mutants, The Wolfmen and his new 1000 Motels project with Rat Scabies, plus new Clash covers with @itsrudegrl
From the Podro playlist Lord Hastings, Piley and m'self spin in tracks including funky reggae, Toussaint's buried treasure and a non-skippable Yoko track also the only Roxy Music track written by their drummer. Dig in and download
While I'm still in recovery from the broken shoulder - how about catching up on what's been sizzling away over the summer months - and backtracking to the evening of 27th June, when all of punk, pub and garage rock's historical planets came into alignment.for a due soon album The Rhythm and Punk Revue
At the nucleus of this cross-generational get-together was the re-teaming of Wayne Kramer and Wilko Johnson - a pairing reunited for the first time since sharing a bill together at The London Rock n Roll Show 1972. Where the Feelood's were backing Heinz - and a gig Wilko has repeatedly gone record as saying changed his life. In fact, dig into the vid below for the King of Canvey in full flight - telling the tale himself.
Be warned - contains tales of mild peril and explosive effing and jeffing from the get-go...
This glittering gathering has come together under the banner of The Mutants working up new tunes written by Chris Constaninou and Paul Subsource and recorded with a roll-call of new wave, ska and punk legends. Dig about the latest issue of Vive Le Rock and in between a bulgiing edition covering the birth of New York Punk, Ian McCulloch interviewed - you'll find Chris giving the back story to these Mutant moments
Dig around the back pages and you'll find me reviewing Norman Watt-Roy's first solo album Faith and Grace - as well as Wilko's homecoming gig at Southend's Village Green festival...
There *are* three steps to heaven - God, Elvis and David Bowie. Although only one of them is still putting out new material
Last Sunday, Podrophenia placed a Converse-clad foot on the first step, as your Podrophonic pals were featured on David Bowie's official FB and Twitter pages *faints* - *faints again*
We've been told before by someone in the know that Podrophenia would be right up Bowie's street - and while broadcasting live last Thursday, as well as Mr Bowie net listening in - we discover one mystery listener in New York (it couldn't have been - could it?)
We've never been so chuffed. We're happy - hope you're happy too.
A huge thank you is due to the ol' Starman himself and the Grand Master of Bowie Net for their support and shouts - so why not zip on over and take a look here....or here . Then grab yourself the Podrophenia Bowie Special - a Ziggy Podcast you could say right here - or in iTunes.
We've got five exclusive cover versions from Andy J Gallagher (and guests including Roman Jugg of The Damned ), Silvery, The Millipede Engine,The Wolfmen and Hannah, live Bowie covers from David Woodock (joined by Wendy Solomon for one) - and the first play of Eight Rounds Rapid new single - due soon on Podrophenia Records...
In fact why not pop on over to Millipede Engine HQ and grab their Bowie cover while it's online for a limited period
The Bowie Podrophenia Special can be streamed below or downloaded here
And if you haven't yet - grab the new album - it's all beauty, no beast
Comes in the format of two art, fashion and music periodicals.
Plectrum The Cultural Pick: where Cathi Unsworth - described by author, David Peace, as “the First Lady of Noir Fiction”, talks to Jay Clifton about her previous books, her approach to writing and latest novel 'Weirdo'. Chris Price, interviews Bruce Lacey on his associations with The Goon Show, Ken Russell, The Beatles - he was George Harrison’s flute playing gardener in Help, and is celebrated in the Fairport Convention song, Mr Lacey. And new short fiction by Max Stites, fashion from Fifi Chachnil, make-up by Illamasqua and shoes by Jefferey West.
Perhaps, follow up by backtracking to my Bad Penny Blues interview with Cathi here..
Level 4: (a horror special) comes loaded with a Cathi Unsworth interview, Julian Wollatt's Zombie photography, Dan Newman's best of TV Horror.
And me (waddya mean shameless self promo!) contributing music reviews (Steve Hooker), book reviews (Cathi Unsworth). And an exclusive interview with the ex-Ants that are now Wolfmen - Chris constaniou and Marco Pirroni discussing Live Aid, working with Tony Visconti, 12 string basses and conspiracy theories.... it's all hereabouts
Shocky Horror Show: white lace, see through pants - for him and for her
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, men and women - is the musical motif for tonight's Podrophonic runout. Unisex, drugs and rock and Roll you could say
I'll be opening with this Jet/Beatles bootleg - but expect The Wolfmen and a mystery northern soul vocalist - along with the usual natter and banter from Piley and the other one. We're live from 9 at Chance Radio
If you missed last week's Leap Year Special, fill your booties below
Cat's Eyes, Little Barrie and The Bottletop Band not pictured (downloads)
Happy New Year bloggy chums. Putting a musical toe into 2012, the first Radio Podrophenia of the year brings you a round up of the best of 2011. Twelve Hand-picked personal faves from the combined collections of Piley and the other one.
So what's on the list? A mix of six tunes culled from the above bundle of thumpers and thunderers, new releases which hit the record racks last year (ish)...
We're live from 9 tonight and spinning our New Year's revolutions...
Tune in to Chance and let us know your hits, highlights and must haves of last year, or perhaps any predictions for this one.
A seasonally themed vid' (the full 11 minute versh) from the Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 (pictured top left)
Released this coming Monday - Jackie is it My Birthday is The Wolfmen's alternative/antidote to the usual Xmas offenders, X Factory winners and seasonally reheated hits: ASBOs in Skiwear, the drunken New York duet and that bloody Wham! song with it's dour sound of lolloping and lumpy intro notes.
Drew's already given it a cyber salute and Radio 2 have been peppering their schedules with Jackie
Keeping it in the family - literally, My brother Tronik Youth pieced together, compiled and edited a festively funky official new vid' for the single - which is now showing at both The Wolfmen and Dandy Warhol HQ's.
Have a squint below and perhaps add Jackie is it My Birthday to your christmas playlist The whispers are there's also a cheeky new Jackie remix due from Cornershop soon!
Just over a month ago - well 1st of November to be exact Piley, myself and our three guests: local author Syd Moore, Roman Jugg (ex of The Damned) and Paul Pouch-of-Douglas were all ready to roll with the Halloween/horror edition of Radio Podrophenia.
The questions were prepared and the playlist had been picked - including one tune that's been the cause of some historical hi-jinks for Piley and I. It won't mention it by name (I daren't mention it by name) but will clue you in as much as it's the closing track to side one of Eno and Byrne's My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.
Previous spooky doings based around this art-rock oddity include: perfectly workable DJ decks going dead on the spot and flickery electrical faults and blow outs(captured on this podcast) - We've now become so superstitious about the tune and it's voodoo routines that we ran a should we/shouldn't we poll on Facebook. Of course the votes were all in favour of 'play not pass' - so, it got plonked on the playlist.
When Tuesday the 1st rolled around, it was more of a disappointment than surprise to find there would be no show that night! Why - an unknown electrical malfunction had taken the station out of action and off-air for the evening. Technical gremlins, pesky gremlins and variations on the gremlin themes were repeat motifs for the rest of the evening spent in the pub.
Although the last surprise was still to come - reviewing the a team photo - we spotted something odd over my shoulder. A stone gremlin. But not just any ol' gremlin. This was a musical gremlin - plonked atop a gramophone...and facing towards us - gurning at the group...
Left to right: Syd Moore, Roman Jugg, Piley, Paul P.O.D, me - our stonefaced lurker
Hopefully we'll be free of heavier level spookery as Syd Moore joins us for Take 2 tonight with a live reading from her debut novel the Drowning Pool. The perfect book for tucking into by a roaring winter fireside. If you haven't read it yet - check out my debut book review here at Plectrum - The Cultural Pick
Also joining us in Podrophenialand tonight is Fi Jacobs from the Railway Hotel for a bumper December edition of the Railway Roundup..
We're live from 9 on Chance Radio. And
If you missed last week's edition (sport) - you can reserve a ringside seat for an action replay below..
There is (well, there was) a very British tradition of musicians and music biz types - finding creative inspiration and influence while working though an academic stretch at Art School - Lennon, Townshend, Keef, Jimmy Page, Bowie, Bryan Ferry, Eno and of course later - the class of 76: McLaren, Matlock, Poly Styrene, Adam Ant.
Punk, as a movement, was almost a sonic blast of Pop Art shock with it's Warhol pallet of out-of-register graphics, dayglo spray and droptone trim.
Continuing this - Gaye Advert launches her latest expo at the Signal Gallery, Shoreditch - Punk and Beyond. A collection of new, or of-the-time art from first generation punks and new wavers. Heavy-hitting contributors to the current installation include...Marco Pirroni,
Thurston Moore,
Paul Simonon,
Jamie Reid and Jill Furmanovsky.
Punk and Beyond runs from 25th of November to December 17th with live music performances on Saturdays from several of the artists on show - ..
A few of the sights to see include pieces from...
Jamie Reid screen print from '76
Gaye Advert
Marco Pirroni self portrait from 76
A top rocking night was had by all who attended last night's preview - with a punk ledge count that included: Gaye Advert, Don Letts, Andy Czezowski, Shanne Bradley, Knox, Barry Cain and Billy Childish...
Draw a big red ring around this Thursday: July 14th, for a night of glam anthems and black leather beats as The Wolfmen launch and play live - tunes and tracks from their summery sounding new LP Married to the Eiffel Tower. Of course there'll also be some old faves from Modernity and also a few exclusive doings for this one night only.
Bringing some high speed angular clang to the bill are long-haul favourites around these parts - Silvery. Along with some special guests and DJ spots we can't mention - all brought to you by the good people at Vive le Rock magazine.
If you're local to old London Town - polish up rocking boots and I'll see you Oxford Street way this Thursday.
If you haven't experienced The Wolfmen's live wall of wallop - be prepared for this style of thunderous rumbles - Thieves and Liars which is on the set-list: all Bhangra beats and two-fisted riffing..
To taste another new tune - redirect your ears to Radio Podrophenia tonight from 9, where The Wolfmen's July 20 is on the playlist - a playlist fitted around this week's theme of 'Time'. Or for some back catalogue - grab this limited edition cover of Eno's solo opener
Allsorts: The Adverts, Adam Ant and Amos Milburn - just a few of the A themed tracks and acts playlisted in the first installment of our Podrophonic Alphabet, getting a run out on S6 Radio tonight..(9 - 10:30)
As well a handful of songs to bring you, there's guest appearances, as Gaye Advert and TV Smith stop by to say hello - and former Ant man, now Wolfman - Chris Constantinou gives us an exclusive interview on why Adam Ant is Live Aid's forgotten rocker..
You can spot Chris on Bass below
And cherry-popping here..
And - we want your DIY idents. But more on that tonight
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..
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..
It's that man again, ol' Ludwig van Mondhoveen. Another music fan with a birthday on the 16th and soft spot for a rooster-do and outsize burns.
If we've crossed paths outside of the blogosphere, you'll know there's some resemblance between Ludvico and myself. But does this mean I've got a perma-crosspatch expression and late onset deafness to look forward to in me twilight times? Ho hum!
Fittingly - as a treat for today, those top rockers The Wolfmen have given me the official Wolf-thumbs up for posting their version of a long lost Velvet Underground tune I'm Not A Young Man Anymore. With the cherries a'top of the Birthday cake being...
It's a world exclusive and something you won't hear anywhere else until the album's released next year.
It's the Courtney Taylor-Taylor remix..(yes that Courtney of The Dandy Warhols)
You may remember some recent net-natter about a Charlie Chaplin film and the old curiosity shot of a mobile phone user. Well, now another Hollywood heavy-hitter is the subject of the latest web-whispers and video theorising.
It seems footage used for The Wolfmen's latest promo could contain some of the earliest (and previously undiscovered) footage of a young Marilyn working a burlesque a go-go routine. While Monroe's representatives and movie historians scratch their heads and run frame by frame studies, we're not legally allowed to discuss where the footage was obtained, but, are ok to say the video was edited together by Tronik Youth, and, that we can catch up with Wolfmen bass player, vocalist and co-writer Chris Constantinou for a chat about the bands new single Marilyn Monroe (Wam Bam JFK)
The new single's artwork seems quite early Ants-ish, is this intentional and is Mark Alleyne (designer of Kings of the Wild Frontier and other Ants albums, singles) doing graphic duties
Mark is our Art Director - and yes it is intentional, although Adam originally got it from a JFK comic book
Jack/Jackie seems to be a reocurring motif in The Wolfmen's Songbook (previous tunes include - Jackie Says, - Jackie, is it my Birthday?) Why is this..
I have no idea - it started way back in my previous groups – I’d need some therapy to find that out or a few lava strength phalls and Kingfishers
The new album (Married to the Eiffel Tower) is due out next year, and Courtney Taylor-Taylor of The Dandy Warhols has remixed some tracks. How many are likely to make the final cut and are their other plans for Dandy Wolfmen collaborations.
All Courtney's and Jacob’s work will be released as will Steve musters. But we’re not sure in what order this will happen though. We would love to do some more collab’s with Courtney and The Dandys – I jammed flute on Lou weed with them at the London Koko gig in July. The band is amazing and what a great bunch - Zia has been giving me advice on the best tequila to drink.
What's your take on the Marilyn/JFK conspiracy theories
JFK and crew had poor beautiful Monroe bumped off
In a perfect piece of synchronicity Up All Nighter from the first album (Modernity Killed Every Night) has recently been used to soundtrack Fox TV series Human Target. Is there any other TV or soundtrack work lined up, and was this anything to do with Marco being a comics fan.
No the Human Target thing was just out of the blue really - we have a track Nothing Else Matters in Paul Hills new movie called 'Do Elephants Pray ? ' Which is winning all the festivals right now (and the nice Trippy scene - is good) We’ve also got Needle in the Camel’s Eye in Dogging by Vertigo Films and had some music in some new games/ads and a fair bit of other stuff – which, I think is on Youtube ?
I've heard whispers the third album may be covers and collaborations? Have you got a list of who you'd like work with or tunes to be covered.
We’re just starting to get a list together
Being a Southender, I understand in your pre-Ants/Wolfmen days you played Southend, any memories of your visits venues or gigs there...
I Played with Drill at a place called the Top Alex - our singer Will jumped in the audience and sorted out some nutter who was throwing shit at us and giving general abuse - then managed to get back on stage to finish the song - it was a bit like that at some gigs..
The Top Alex was a legendarily dingy Southend pub, typically favoured by rockers and bikers - you'll hear the name crop up in the Feelgood's Oil City flick..
Can we expect to see The Wolfmen live next year, and what sort of gigs:clubs or festivals.
Yes - at the moment we’re booking up gigs/festivals from April up until December 2011
Marilyn Monroe (Wam Bam JFK) can be downloaded and here and here with the physical version available to buy via The Wolfmen's site from Monday 6th December. The new album (Married to the Eiffel Tower) is due out next year, with Courtney Taylor-Taylor of The Dandy Warhols and Jacob Portrait on post production, mixing and remixes.
Thanks to Davy Ghost for this Tweet-based tip off: an interview with a secret service agent present at JFK's assassination. Hear here
Barton Turf: whistling distance from our holiday digs...
We're off for a few days much needed breather and break next week. To Walmington-on-Sea in fact, well not yer actual Kent/Sussex village, but nipping about some parts of Norfolk occasionally spottable in Dad's Army location scenes - it's the flint walls that give it away. Cromer crab, Roys of Wroxham a trip to Narge and boating on the broads are all possibilities at the mo'.
In other news: I only realised a few days after last Sunday had passed, this place had clocked up three years on the blog-o-meter. I had been planning a third anniversary jamboree of sorts - but it's all slipped sideways over the summer. Luckily, those jolly ol' rockers The Wolfmen have allowed me to give an exclusive debut airing to their flute-tootin remix of the latest single July 20. It's the sort of Hanna-Barbera bouncer perfect for lolloping off on your hol's.
So I'll see you in a week or there abouts my booties. And perhaps we'll catch up on the missing Dear Diary posts when I'm back.
You may remember back in March, a mention of Plectrum Live Editions, an evening where I caught Cathi Unsworth reading from Bad Penny Blues. The hard copy companion to Plectrum’s Live events and website is the print edition magazine. The May/June issue of Plectrum has just been published and alongside the arts features, short stories and interviews with Biba big-boss Barbara Hulanicki and Biba model Delisia Howard. You’ll find me guesting as reviews editor lending a critical ear to minty fresh albums, singles, comics and podcasts. Two tunes under review are...
But don't just take my word for it, have a blast below. The 2 min's(half of the single) you'll hear is ripped from my own copy of Jackie - but you can get your own copy on 7 inch , CD or digital download
And don't you think Jackie would make a perfect Christmas single? A fresh airing and alternative to the overplayed Pogues, that Wham song or some one-shot winner from a TV 'talent' show
The fourth Podrophenia is uncaged today with 'animals' being the theme. Sixty minutes of music and muddling where Piley and I release a few pet sounds - birds, cats, elephants and monkeys into the wild.
We've also got two special guest appearances with animal related tracks from..
Amongst our usual rabbit and jabber , you'll hear which rocker we think looks like a crow crossbred with a chimney brush, celebs spotted in unlikely places, low-level rock 'n' roll memorials and rasher related randomness (the patron saint of bacon?) .
It's Italian for 'the wolf's mouth' apparently. And, also the name of The Wolfmen's mighty new blog making it's maiden voyage in cyberspace today, loaded with news, interviews and an early doors demo
Why not prowl on over and have a peep right here Bocca Di Lupo
Although if you're sensitive soul (or a raving Royalist), probably best to give it a swerve, as you may find the tale of a former Ants guitarist's carry-ons with a portrait of the Queen, which landed him (literally) with a broken wrist - mid Ant's tour, possibly a bit jarring.
