Podstock the fantasty festival is up for DL - and worra line-up. Piley, Mondo and Lord Hastings choosing from Chuck Berry, Bowie, Elvis Presley, Iggy Pop and The Ramones all live, live, live!
Keep 'em peeled for our gig quiz, an audience that refuse to leave - and who was Bowie's forgotten guitar star?
There's a world exclusive spin of Howling Black Soul - The Memory of You, and new music from Cosmetique - on Blow Up Records DL and dig in here
Glory be: the religion edition of Podrophenia is up for download with M G Boulter on his Clifftown album and podcast. Local tales of fractured jazzers, Southend werewolves - and two quizzes -plus new music from Vix20Bob Collum and a playlist of heavenly sounds
Being five years since Major Dave left his capsule - Podrophenia celebrates the life of a widescreen genius by way of a scrapbook of Bowieness. Outtakes, alt-takes, oddities, curiousities and some live tunes from Dave 'Woodmansey' Woodcock…
Strap in for a playlist that spins in: Young Americans extras, TOTP albums covering Bowie, overlooked B sides - and two quizzes…..
1)Bowie lyric or Eno Oblique Strategy.
2) Guess the song from the shonky Thai translation.. (Ground control to Magic Town etc…)
One of the earliest entries on this blog involved Batman 222 wherein the Caped Crusader investigates a 'Paul is Dead' type mystery - September 2007 to carbon date the actual post.. A few weeks later it appeared in Word mag' ish 56, after a very generous offer from Mark Ellen to write 250 words on it...
Fast forward 13 years and a fantasticus chat was had with David and Mark for a birthday treat. In forty five mins, we cover: rock stars in unlikely places - comics. football programmes, Rod Temperton's dodgy toplines. The sky-high value of collectable comics.
My Radio 1 calendar/diary, with odd singles bought during this period, and tales including - Radio Luxembourg Roadshow comes to Southend - with m'self and pals getting drunk on crate of Crocodillo I won doing the pop quiz. Naked neighbors displaying. Dressing up as KISS at the School Arts Festival... and of course records bought
To Westcliff-on-Sea where our celebrating patron offers highly entertaining memories of the "white stiletto crowd" at the Lacey Lady in Ilford, the Fickle Pickle Folk Club in Southend, a 'Paul Is Dead' Batman comic, Toni Basil's effect on a Bowie sleeve, Petula Clark, Sex Pistols ads, a Goofy Greats compilation and the Ladykillers at the Pink Toothbrush ("Altamont meets the Muppet Show") - and we play Southend Stackwaddy and guess the psychedelic album that starts with a foghorn.
As we're unable to get to gigs, live nights or festivals in these strange days -
let Podrophenia bring the the music to you - with a festival celebrating the
best live albums, rare sessions and possibly concert recordings of indeterminate
orgin ..
Plugged and Unplugged is the theme of the latest Podrophenia - Dave Livings lays down an amazing live session, while Lloyd Price spins in some digital winners from his band The Frixion - listen carefully Podpals and you may even spot them teaming-up for an improv Goldfrapp cover..
Playlist-wise we bring you the new single from Leo Clemenson , Bowie's acoustic demo of Ziggy, a rare Goldfrapp session track and two tunes touched by the hand of Tronik Youth..
Plus possibly our best run of puns yet...
The Art Podrophenia is up for download and features two special guests - video director and photographer Carl Hawkins - chatting about his work and spinning some top tuneage.
And artist and guitarist Jack Browning endorsed by Wilko, Russell Brand and Ace Frehley
Brush up on samples of their work above and download a freebie DL of Podro which comes loaded with a Bowie cover, a Steve Hooker newbie and pallete-loads more
The latest Podrophenia is an acoustical special with Whom by Fire live and special guest Micky D, frontman with Grand Reunion (Lee brilleaux''s favourite Southend band) and entertainment correspondent for the Southend Standard through the sixties,. Micky joins us with tales of from his spell on the paper - meeting The Beatles and Stones at the Southend Odeon. a frisky and flirty meeting with Shirley Bassey at The Queens Hotel.
We spin in a playlist of acoustic tunes including: an early versh of Maggie May with Rod busking random lyrics, two acoustic pop quizzes, a Bowie Ziggy demo and acoustic Chas and Dave.
All here for your listening ears...
For January's Podrophenia Piley and I bring you a live session from Island City - booming around the SFOB studio with their brand of acoustic northern soul. There's a few tunes from our fave 2015 albums, a rare Bowie demo of All the Young Dudes and respin of David Woodcock and Angel Melodyhorn doing a tango twist on Let's Dance...
A taste test of the Island City boys in session then
The October edition of Dogrophenia is now up for grabs. David Woodcock and Angel Melodyhorn are live with exclusive reveals of brand new tunes, While Piley and I pitch in with Bowie covers, Blow Up belters, 70s rockers and Howling Black Soul on the pooch-based playlist...
Plus all the news on two charity events Dogtober and the HARP sleep out...
Dig in and dig it..
Should you fancy grabbing the latest edition of Podrophenia wherein Piley and I (assisted by Weird Gear's Paul Wolf on the tech decks) run through our hits, highlights and finds of 2014 - dig in below.
There's a fistful of new tunes, threading together - blues, funk, indie and retro-disco and Southend band
For natterings - we ask which celebs are look-a-likes for these Essex police photo fits and #beersongs and #shoesongs... plus an appearance from James of The Ends to discuss the upcoming single
Last Sunday (31st Jan), I was invited to take part in Steven Hastings always excellent Harbour Bazaar: The theme of this edition - Love's Forever Changes (an album new to me). - where, we were joined by Roman Jugg (The Damned, Phantom Chords, Naz Nomad)
Also on the menu were lost gems from Daniel Newman, and we discuss majesty of Mick Ronson... Who did Bowie clone his Ziggy Tone from, which local legend is also secret TV drummer - what is the Southend connection with Teddy Boys - and Roman Jugg brings you Ronno's most perfect note...all contained within this podcast. Download, dig in and groove on...
This evening Piley and I celebrate and mark our fifth Podrophonic Anniversary! Five years that started with us parked up at Piley HQ playing records and a ball-pit, to tonight where we'll be broadcasting live music from The Railway's ballroom
Been lucky enough to bring in a gallery of guests for chats and natters. And were on to our 8th live night at the last count, Podrophenia (and sometimes Retroman team-ups) always superbly shot by Paul Hughes, that have included storming performances from the Len Price 3,Bif Bam Pow, TV Smith, Dick Yorke, Swindle, Andy Gallagher, Thee Faction and - Eight Rounds Rapid, the rising rockers who became our first release on the Podrophenia label
Random Podro moments: a flashmob review from the listeners on this single. A stage invasion at our TV Smith night, being bootlegged by Russian sites. Although of all the hot-spots and highlights - getting the offical endorsment and approval of David Bowie will be hard to beat..
A magical, and musical mystery tour that has taken Piley and I to places and people, we couldn't have in anyway expected when we chuckled and bumbled our way through that first sixty minutes of tunes and chatter in July 2009
If you've ever listened live,downloaded a podcast, chipped in, appeared in, commented, suggested a tune, bought a single, shaken a leg at live night - we'd love it if you could swing by for a listen in tonight
Or if you're local pop down to the Railway for our indoor/outdoor broadcast of a live session from Southend's chippies nippiest band The Ends
A huge thank you is due to everyone who's ever done any of the above
Boys. girls and bloggers - help yourself to a copy of the latest Podrophenia from Piley, Kate Johnston and the other one. Our round up of the best new music, albums, blogs and discoveries from 2013.
Slightly saltier than usual - with beard watch, new jingles, rum ol' hashtags and assorted shades of smuttery, which we'll blame on the Podrophenia board. Take one and pass it on....
From postcards from Pellicci's to postcards from Southend and Scarborough
Rewind backawhiles, to January 2010... and you'll find me getting into a wide eyed (boy from freecloud) froth over Michael Chapman and the proto Bowie-tone colouring the sound of his 1970 album Fully Qualified Survivor - a tone brought to the FQS sessions by the recording debut of Mick Ronson..
The result of some stealthy info-digging since first hearing FQS - reveals an entire web threading the Chapman-first/Bowie-later connection together, with a repertory of Chapman's accomplices and session men being absorbed into Bowie's orbit. From 69 and Jon Kane covering Chapman's Soulful Lady (produced by Tony Visconti) to Gus Dudgeon of Rainmaker and FQS (later of Space Oddity, MWSTW, Ziggy), Paul Buckmaster of Rainmaker and FQS ( also Space Oddity, unreleased Man Who Fell to Earth OST) to Chapman's drummer Richie Dharma later appearing on Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side - and of course - Mick Ronson's The Rats (from Hull), becoming Bowie's Spiders (from Mars).
So what's the point of this see-saw style, name-spotting? Well, Chapman returns to Southend for an appearance as part of the 2013 Leigh Folk Festival, which I believe, is his first live outing in this area since playing two local gigs with Bowie in 1970...
The tickets are booked, the bikes have been readied for a cycle to the venue - and who knows I may even try and grab a quick natter with Pal Chapman to get his take on the push-me—pull-you tale.
If you haven't backtracked to the original Chappers/Ronson post - lend a quizical ear below
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
We are the goon squad and we're coming to town – for a Podrophenia Bowie special or Bowiephenia you could say.Beep-beep
What’s in our Velvet Goldmine of glittering goodies? Exclusive covers from The Wolfmen, the Southend Allstars (featuring Andy J Warhol, Ronno Jugg, Leee Black Andrews, Dave Woody Woodmansey and Mark Bolan) also Silvery and The Millipede Engine
Dave Woodock joins us for live music. And behold – a preview of the due-soon Eight Rounds Rapid secret single. Our first release on the Podrophenia label
8RR white label test pressing
So come on all you young (and not so young dudes), Moonage Daydreamers and Lady stardusts – lean back on your Radio Nova Lujon for some cat’s layin’ down some rock ‘n’ roll. Lotta Soul
A drive-in Sunday in fact, celebrating the mod who fell to earth and widescreen Jean Genius of the artist formerly known as David Jones - where our Cygnet Committee will be spinning in hits, highlights, obscurities, rarities and related artists from the Bowie back catalogue
It will be an evening of glam, glitter soul and electrickery - played by an ever circling (not-so) Skeletal family of local DJs (they are what they play) each tuning in into a specific slice of the great Dame's timeline that breaks down thus…
Curly Dan (65-70)
Prof Andrew Branch (71-72)
Me (73-74)
Daryl Easlea (75-76)
Tom Seabrook (77-78)
Nikki Nicholas (79-80)
There's even talk of an in-house band firing up for some Bowie-oke
All the details you need to know are here so come along all you pretty things 'n' peoploids and fill your hearts with Bowie
Commencing countdown, engines on for 8pm - at Southend's rockingest venue - The Railway Hotel
A little known nugget from my assigned timeline which threads together and Alladin and Diamond Dogs is this cyberspace oddity
"Your flashy clothes are your pride and joy " David Bowie - The London Boys
Ahead of Sunday's Bowie by the Sea bank holiday shakedown (more on that later) - expect to see a Bo' post or two in your feed of a lunchtime this week, Starting at the beginning - with a re-up from November 2008
Bowie, Bolan, Bryan Ferry, Eno (and Rod Stewart) all made the breakthough from cult undergrounders to interstellar superstars as variants on the star-spangled glitterkid theme. They may have had stars in/on their eyes, but those platform boots were firmly grounded in Mod roots. The look-sharp and look-ahead apprenticeship of Mod, with it's made to measure mix of American soul and Italian style, Ivy League look meets British dandyism - an eye for the detail and an ear for a tune, was probably why Bowie (and the other moonage mods mentioned) endured beyond the best-before date and lipstick-brickie chic of their patent leather peers.
The sixties scene was an era Bowie referenced from his earliest recordings (London Boys) and one of the motifs and influences that's remained a constant throughout his peacock career - mentions of Lennon, Beatles and Stones on various singles. Twiggy and Jagger getting name checked on Aladdin Sane (along with a Stones cover), Pin Up's set of swinging London standards and Young Americans (covering classics like 'Knock On Wood' and 'Footstomping' during live shows), and pitching in with 'Pictures of Lily' on The Who tribute album through to the slim-fit suit on 'Reality' being almost a homecoming to the Lord John look pictured above...
For some strange reason all tracks are playing - Silver Tree Top track, but DLs should be ok
David Bowie and The Lower Third - Can't Help Thinking About Me (There's a clip of Bowie on his mod days, Steve Marriot and a 1999 version of 'CHTAM'here)
David Bowie - In The Heat Of The Morning - (BBC version)
(The Last Shadow Puppets made a healthy go of 'INTHOTM')
Davie Jones and the King Bees - Louie Louie Go Home
(LLGH was the B-side of Bowie's first single "Liza Jane")
Ziggy Stardust - The Mod Who Fell To Earth
A note on the tunes....and a Bowie Bonus Can't Help Thinking About Me (1965)
The first recording to feature the newly named David 'Bowie', and almost a blueprint of Bowieness the outsider lyrics and ambiguous angst of "my head's bowed in shame" "blackened the family name" to the set piece template of semi-spoken verse and Bowie-bellow on the chorus, it's a tune that wouldn't seem out of place on any album since Scary Monsters.
In The Heat Of The Morning (1970)
For my earth pounds the BBC take of this tune is superior to the official album version, and benefits from being enhanced by the extra bounce of Alan Hawkshaw's fantastically funky keyboard coda.
The Beatstalkers (touted as the Scottish Beatles), were under Ken Pitt's management at the same time as Bowie (and also signed to Decca). They were offered first refusal on any unused Bowie compositions or offcuts, 'Silver Tree Top School For Boys' is one of these, and a Bowie penned 'Penny Lane ' sound-a-like from 1967.
I am on something of a Bowie buzz lately (two Bo' posts in two weeks) brought on by reading the Fantistico Dave Thompson book To Major Tom - a gem and a joy of a read if you're into any type of music or movement from Bowie's catchment era
Tonight Piley and the other one will be reeling in the years picking one year a'piece and pitching in plays for Britpoppers and punks, disco dancers and glow stick ravers, indie kids and the Bowie brigade.
We're also hoping to be joined be a special guest Christian Philips, who's been part of almost every Radio Podrophenia by way of our intro jingle, played on the opening track of our very first radio run-out and had hit makers Alessi helping out on Make Do from his most recent album.
So which years Piley and I popping for, find out on Podrophenia live from 9pm at Radio Novalujon
The latest Podrophenia podcast with Piley, David Jazzy Dawson working the desk, you-know-who - comes fitted around the letter O. The 15th instalment in our Podrophonic Alphabet. Expect to hear: vintage punk , new tunes from local talent and pop classices re-covered..
As well natter and banter about the Queen Mother's book of condolence, Piley's creepy Dracula chum and some nut-popping monkey news.
You'll also discover what 'Spider-Man' and 'Umlauts'are (in a bedroom sense) get an earful of a salty new jingle from Phil Hubbard - and there's even a pop quiz. In two meanings of the phrase
Edition O is possibly our jazziest (in the mag sense) Podrophenia - so not recommended for the young of hearing
"Your flashy clothes are your pride and joy " David Bowie - The London Boys
Ziggy Stardust - The Mod Who Fell To Earth
