Bag a bargain - the latest Podrophenia is up for download.
A charity shop special - loaded with upcycled songs: a medley that hops from Georgie Fame to Led Zep, Anthony Newley's version of Goldfinger, the funkiest fizzy-pop song ever, Mud getting on the good foot (rather than the Tiger Foot) and a track from the fifth most expensive record sold on Discogs (value is no indicator of quality)...
All here and all free..
For just over a year now. I've been running a bi-monthly night of disco doings - Soundr.
Wherein we spin in tracks and tunes from Daft Punk to Dolly Parton, Tom Jones to Grace Jones and Cher to Chic.. The next run-out is 25th May - at Soundr HQ or Peggy Sue's to give it it's official title..
Should you fancy sampling the vibe of the night - dig in to Snaps 'n' claps a freshly pressed mix swishy disco and deep cut remixes..
Buckle up rockers and rollers - Issue 27 of the UK's boomiest music mag Vive Le Rock has just hist the shelves. Featuring, The Who at 50, Brian James on his new band and life after The Damned, gig, new music and reissue reviews - including a a critical ear from me on Suzi Quatro's Greatest Hits...
One review that didn't make ish 27, is The Payroll Union's new album.. but nothing goes to waste so dig in and taste test below...
Paris in America - The Payroll Union
Philadelphia freedom. Virtue, liberty and independence - from South Yorkshire!
From ‘Sgt. Pepper’ to SHAM’s ‘That’s Life’ to Beck’s Grammy winning ‘Morning Phase’ – the appeal of the concept album is format that’s never faded – certainly not for frowny-browed song-scribblers . Although Payroll Union take an unusual spin on the medium of story-arcs-expressed-through-music, aligning themselves more with Jeff Wayne’s ‘War of the Worlds’ than your usual long-form haul.
An album produced in collaboration with University of Sheffield, where folk ‘n’ roll meets battle re-enactment. ‘Paris in America’ takes as its source – ‘a narrative of Philadelphia in the 1840s and '50s, based on the antebellum with its tales of violence and conflict’, for an authentically academic take covering a specific time-slice of American history (with annotated sleeve notes), which could act as a metaphor for today’s current political climate.
Sonically it’s a Philadelphia experiment shifting between shades of Handsome Family meet Fleet foxes and Divine Comedy communing with Arcade Fire
Behold rockers, rollers and revolutionaries as we bring you the next single released on the Podrophenia record label.. a sizzling seven inch slab of socialist stomping pop that'a had meeja movers 'n' shakers describing it thus...
DANNY BAKER “enough invention and energy to power three-quarters of Europe”
ZOE HOWE “swaggering, sexy, hard-boiled rock ‘n’ roll with a conscience and a point to make”
Vive Le Rock magazine "9/10"
But who are Thee Cee Cees: a heavy-hitting line-up of punk ‘n’ Britpop rockers, fuelled by the spirit of industrial strength Thames Delta rockers and Oil City Rollers..
Steve ‘Smiley’ Barnard on drums (Strummer/Foxton/Archive/The Alarm) Adam Devlin (The Bluetones’s) - guitar Billy Brentford (Thee Faction) on rhythm & polemic Andy Lewis (Paul Weller/Spearmint/Drugstore) bass & memotron Chris T-T (Xtra Mile recording artiste & D.I.Y. music expert ) vocals Kerry Schultz & Darren Hayman on other vocals
Buckle up and behold side A below
Dates and details, of wheres and whens will be with you shortly. And the first Podrophnonic airing of side 2 is due soon/ Salut
Let's put the keys in the ignition - ZZ Top style, rev the engine, pump that pedal and head out on the wild and unknown highway of 2014 with a soundtrack on the stereo that's blazing and blasting a best of - errm, well 2012 *cue the furious squealing of brakes and burning rubber* 2012? - they chorused
Yes, somehow - I just plain forgot to post up my collection of fave finds from that year. But here it is, 23 tracks of fresh-pressed tunes from vintage names (Hugh Cornwell, New York Dolls, Glen Matlock) Some international newbies (Hello Phones, François & the Atlas Mountains, Matsuki Ayumu) best of breed from that year (Eight Rounds Rapid, Thee Faction, Alfa 9, Fay Hallam) and as always rediscovered nuggets..
Scan the list below, then fill your booties, ipos and ears at the bottom. Salut!
Scuse the brevity of the blog-post pals, but it's one handed typing all the way at the mo..
How about this. After a nippy tweet from me to the Lamacq Show last week - they were looking for guests for the Good Day/ Bad Day feature - I was booked in for a spot yesterday's show.
Which way did I choose? Tune in below at 50 minutes in for the reveal...as well as first singles, gigs and album info.
Do you know I can feel a Pop-Master revisit calling
The Quinn Martin style epilogue - Pal Lamacq gave me a 'callback' as they say - an unprompted shout and dedication on tonight's show.too at 2hr 34 mins...
That's 'P' for Podrophenia and 'Q' for the 17th edition of the Podrophonic Alphabet: Queen, Quintessence, Quicksilver Messenger Service and the Quantic Soul Orchestra - NONE of which will be featuring on this month's playlist.
So who are the Qs getting a run out in the July Podrophenia? Tune in from 9pm (Southend time) at Radio Novalujon for the full reveal. But we will be bringing you - glam/electro covers, homo-erotic-jazz-disco, Hungarian Funk, a quintet and a quarteto
We may even be joined by a special guest from 8 Rounds Rapid, and will be updating you on all the latest #Whereswoodcock news
The April edition of Radio Podrophenia brings you the sixteenth instalment of our Podrophonic Alphabet - the letter P...
Politics, pants, peace, pursuits and pettiness are all on the playlist. As well as talk of print editions
And, we welcome in an all new guest for the Podrophenia Sessions as Seasider Paul Hill steps aboard for live tunes and chat..and an exclusive spin from Thee Faction's minty-new album
Podrophenia Roadshow the Fifth was our most rammed do to date with representation from a sparkling selection of Southend scenesters: Zoë and Dylan Howe , the Middle Age Spreaders, Level 4 editorial team, a Polyvinyl Craftsmen. Musicians Darren Jones, Dave Woodcock, Wendy Solomon Tom Burgess and pals and Podophonic regulars E F Rice, Pouchy Paul, Simon Monk, Martin Read - were all aboard for a leg-shake and a post-gig shindig to the disco doings of Piley and myself.
Opening the evening to a (possibly over) capacity crowd, and kicking in after a Zoë Howe intro - Eight Rounds Rapid blazed through an unrelenting set, with all the clout and power of a raging electrical storm Dostoevsky, Steve, Britain's Got Talent (But Most of Us Haven't) - every track in fact connected with impact of a prizefighter's punch. As Billy Reeves of Thee Faction later said it was 'a defining performance' an 'I swear I was there' gig. similar to the Pistols at the 100 club or Manchester Free Trade Hall.
Breaking News: Eight Rounds Rapid are supporting Wilko Johnson on his Farewell Tour of the UK throughout February and March
Photo by Paul Hughes
For their triumphant Railway return, Thee Faction were bulked and buffed by the addition of a real live horn section Brass Kapital. As always - the songs are sharp, the between-song banter is both boisterous and inspiring - and the performances are powerhouse Revolutionary R 'n' B. Thee Faction are simply one of the most engaging, inclusive and welcoming bands to set foot onto a soundstage. Think Speakers Corner passion with Soul Revue swish....
Next, to Shoreditch and the groovy bar/boutique that is Paper Dress for a night of all out glam 'n' rocking. New-to-me The Blow were classic Les Paul based riffery - patrolling the borders between the Pistols, Led Zep and Jeff Beck.
After a selection of glam-stampers from my bag of discs and tricks, The Feathers delivered a set pitched at the pace of The Ramones with the sort of hooky choruses and ear-snagging anthems echoing The Revillos, The Runaways and Ronno-era Bowie. And behold two guests were on board a for loose-fitting re-tweak of the Dame's Cracked Actor Spizz Energi and errmm me!
But, let's leave the last word to Barry Cain who, said of our Feathered friends 'Great melodies, tight harmonies, glam and eggs. With the right direction they have huge potential.'
So, Sunday - was funk, hammond, Motown, disco - but, mostly reggae that sparked off the dance, leading into a live segue of me spinning this and The Basey Brothers picking up the Latin baton, then vamping a live version as the intro to their Sunday evening set.
Although tonight's earfuls will be spun from a much tougher cut of musical cloth. I'll be winging in a mish-mash bash of proto-punk, freakbeat, garage a go-go and all things good 'n' glamorous as part of my Mondophonic ad-hoc setlist. Tunes that will be set-dressing an evening of live music from two of London's rockingest bands at the capital's grooviest vintage boutique and bar - Paper Dress
With me whacking in the sonic attack before, between and after the bands. If you fancy a preview - these two mixes should set the scene for the sequins 'n' spikes shindig.....
The romper-stompin starts at 7:30 and runs until midnight. Paper dress also boasts one the most internationally panoramic bars in London with a bevvy of imported beer and fruity booze.
As Alvin said 'tomcat, you know where it's at' - so, coo ca choos - haul your boogie, your bovver boots and platform heels to 114-116 Curtain Road and Paper Dress for an evening of stompers, spanglers and sparklers.
If there's any album that renders the essence punk, glam and garage into a nippy fist of pacey riffing it's the Heartbreakers L.A..M.F . The notoriously muddy original mix, has been remixed, remastered and reissued several times But for an alt.take - lend an ear to the rare UK cassette mix. Distributed at the same time, but a sharper spikier sound than any other available version. And if you likes what you hears - grab a (free) copy hereabouts
If there was one person (aside from Bryan Ferry) instrumental in tooling the shape and scope of early era Roxy Music it was Richard Hamilton, Bryan Ferry's tutor and mentor at the University of Newcastle. The artist behind collages, constructs and installations with titles that won't be unfamiliar to Roxy/Ferry fans..
And 'Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?' - the 'deluxe and delightful' 'smart town apartment' source material for In Every Dream Home a Heartache.
As Ian Dury, Adam Ant and the Velvets absorbed their visuals from Peter Blake, Allan Jones and Andy Warhol - Bryan ferry's assembly of art graduates and academics in retro-futrist finery - sculpting, styling and framing them into something as much pop art as much as pop group - is entirely Richard Hamilton's influence refined and re-rendered for the rock format
I was lucky enough to nip along (twice) to the Whitechapel Gallery earlier this year to catch the This is Tomorrow retrospective - showing the blueprints and background to the 1956 Brit-pop Art expo, breaking down Just What is it.... to it's component parts: muscle mags, moon-shoots, modernist living and comic book romance tales celebrating and selling shiny new futures and glossy modern exotica. All off which, really, are a base-build materials for the early Roxy Music albums
He was the UK's last proper pop star. I've got the albums, the singles, the box sets and even worn the t-shirt (Frontier Tour 1980). But in just over 30 years I've only hit two Adam Ant gigs. The first at Chelmsford Odeon - when Adam was simmering up to Ant Music's boiling point and the audience still a molten mix of snarling skins and spitting punks, who would break into random bouts of head-cracking and high flying fist-fights at the spill of a pint or any period of extended 'bogging'.
The second was last Wednesday. In a loaded, low-key Southend sweat-box venue where Adam reanimated a patchwork of his former personalities: King of the Wild Frontier, the Dandy Highwayman, Prince Charming - rendering them into a multi-sided composite of the characters that's almost Johnny Depp meets Axl Rose with a Bolan-ish tone. Read what you will into that..
Dig through the Ant Music back catalogue and all the hits are 'bankers' - perfect pop constructions. But for me, the magic always lay buried (pirate style) in the muscular punk of the early works, the B-sides and the bootlegs. If you'd asked me to rattle off a fantasy set-list..Fat Fun, Fall Out, Beat My Guest, Lady, Vive Le Rock would have been a few of the tunes. And as if by magic - Adam beat me to it, drafting up the dream set-list of hits, oddities and obscurities.
You can't help feeling slightly sorry for the those only there to hear the hits. This being a playlist pooled from the fanzine-era and Dirk days of darker matters: Cleopatra, Plastic Surgery, Physical, Deutscher Girls
Adam now moves at a more stately pace and doesn't present with the same breathless energy, or the full frontal attack of the young up 'n' comer he once was, but the presence is just as punchy, the voice is still intact - switching from crowd-rousing growler to crooner boom. The jawline and cheekbones are still sword sharp, while the band (with double drummers) blitz it like a Spitfire.
Unbelievably Adam Ant is nudgingly close to his sixtieth birthday.
Rock Chic is the vibe at Fee Doran's newly re-housed glam-grotto. Originally occupying a fifth floor space Clerkenwell way - Mrs Jones new lodgings, currently parked up along Hackney Road, are Mr Benn goes Bowie at Kensington Market. Housed in a glittering club-house where handmade one-offs are racked and stacked alongside a set-dressing of black sprayed mirror balls, the coolest cult collectables and an assortment of sparkles, spangles and funkily feather-cut numbers. All of which make a visiting the emporium feel like a rummage around Eno's Warm Jets era wardrobe..
Stylistically Fee Doran's designs trace a line from the Wonder Workshop and Biba's widescreen scene via Mr Freedom and Alkasura to Roxy Music meets Worlds End. Dig about the Mrs J website and you'll find a client list that reads like a Burke's Peerage of the glossily trendy gentry - Kylie, Goldfrapp, Scissor Sisters, Madonna. Dig about the multi-coloured pop shop's stock, and bespoke bits or unique 'pop star droppings' are yours for the bagging.
Mrs Jones Emporium can be found 49 Hackney Road, E2....Mrs Jones can be found on the web and Twitter..
A tune that seems to match the mood of Mrs J's is this Roxy rarity.
Rarity rating being: a Peel session (4th Jan 1972) from before the band signed to Island and featuring Davy O’List on guitar and Graham Simpson doing bass duties
Here's something for your next pub quiz: did you know the wacky world of Rock n Roll even has it's own industry-specific illness? Tour Flu - when a virus takes hold in the cramped confines of the tour bus causing a collective infection amongst band mates. It was this rotten ol' lurgy that led to the Glitter Band's last minute cancellation of their Southend show on Monday. And we'd glammed up n'everything. Me - leopard skin and velvet (not quite as jarring as it sounds). Mrs M - looking pretty in pink.
Followed by a wave of boosts and beams when it was announced, trooper that he is, Captain Sensible would be pitching in with an ad hoc extended set for the evening .. I was lucky enough to catch up with Captain briefly before and after the show, a thoroughly lovely gent, but the poor ol' sausage (veggie sausage - natch!) was suffering some serious throat agg' himself and sounding for all the world like Weezy from Toy Story. So, none of us assembled Southenders were quite prepared for the rock 'n' rollercoaster ride that happened over the next seventy or so minutes
Opening with Captain's solo material, an ear-catching songbook of jangle, clang and Anglo-melodies, almost Kevin Ayers-ish topped off with poppier sensibilities. But, before you could say Captain (he said Wot!) we were racing and ripping through The Damned era hits - Love Song, Neat, Neat, Neat and Cap's Crass team up - (What d'Ya Give) The Man Who's Gotten Everything.
But then boys and girls, then, that infamous tribal, Glitter beat began working it's sordid, foot-stomping, hip-twitching magic and you're caught cobra-like, lost in the crazy rhythm - punching a fist in the air and shouting YEAH when Captain asks Do You Wanna Touch? (X 3)
And still the evening's doings weren't completely done. Through a few canny phone calls, bass player - ex Damned member and Hot Rodder Paul Gray - had located and roped in a solid gold local ledge, Barrie Masters, frontman of Eddie and The Hot Rods - looking for all the world like David Johansen meets Patrick Troughton - leaping on stage left and leading the Captain's gang into a hand-clapping run through of Do Anything You Wanna Do and Gloria.
When the band finally bailed after a second encore, they hung about the venue as if both punters and performers were sharing the same stunned, head-spinning experience at what magic had just crackled around the room. All created entirely on the fly by way of an improv' set list and a handful of rehearsed-that-afternoon tunes. An explosive, unfolding, one-off performance of musical winging and adrenaline riffing. An evening that could so easily have backfired became a high-firing night for all.
Highlights: Captain serenading Mrs M and I during Happy Talk's 'talk about the boy/girl' section. Hearing Cap's jangle and top-line soloing interlocking with Paul Gray's furious fingers and bass dynamics (I've literally never seen anyone drive a bass like this before..) The Captain's between song panto-banter. And post-show, chatting with Cap, the band and Hot Rods ledge Barrie Masters.
I've been to God knows how many gigs and seen The Damned multiple times over the years - but I've never seen anything that comes close to the sparky musicianship, fluid band mechanics and camaraderie of this event. And the 14th, which could have been a day of glumness (mum's first birthday since losing her) was lifted by the lingering afterglow of this glittering gig.
God bless Captain's solo outings and all who sail with him...
There's only two days left to catch Captain and gang in action....
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)
Sixties garage, The Who, Small Faces, Iggy Pop, Ian Dury and Dr Feelgood can all claim paternity rights to the Godfather of Punk title. True enough, each one's a conributor to the movements genetic heritage. But let's not forget the big brassy pantomime dame that is punk's glitzy older sister (or brother). Glam!
Anecdotally and historically, glitter-rock's smudged lipstick and sticky fingerprints are all over the frightwig hair and short, sharp, stomp of punk...
Sex Pistols: Rotten's Pistols auditioned was played out to Alice Cooper's I'm Eighteen. McLaren briefly managed the NY Dolls with Steve Jones bagging Sylvain's Les Paul. McLaren's original group idea was for subversive Bay City Rollers style boy band. The Damned:toured with Bolan, and later covered the Sweet's Ballroom Blitz and borrowed Gary Glitter' Rock and Roll riff.. The Clash: Mick Jones was a Mott the Hoople avid. Adam Ant: make up a go-go and peacock wardrobe. Glitter Band double drums and guitar twang. Marco owns Dave Hill's Super Yob guitar Ramones:Slade influenced (the Brothers Ramone aped Dave Hill's hair and the bands pile-driving pop). The Undertones: Covered Gary Glitter's Rock and Roll
Factor in the Rocky Horror, Bowie, Roxy Music and Eno's louder output and the sound of the suburbs begins to take shape. For me one the greatest indicators of the punky shake-downs and bust-ups to come is The Sweet's Turn it Down.
A black leather 'n' studs pop-stomper for the angry brigade, the single kicks in with a honking two-fisted riff that wouldn't sound out of place on a Pistols single with Andy scott's squeal and feedback anti-solo being the sound of the Velvet Underground. Sweet's bubbleglam angst gets graffitied with references to 'degenerates' 'creeps' and gum-chewing sneers of' 'don't gimme no lip'. But the phrase that really pays is gobbed out...'listen hear, ya punk'.
Typically, Legs McNeil's New York fanzine - Punk, debuting in 76 is recognised as the earliest use of the word 'punk' with a musical association. But here we have lipstick-brickies Sweet (banned by the Mecca dancehall circuit for their 'overtly sexual stage act'), spitting and snarling the P word two years before Punk went to print ~ and on a single banned by UK radio for being 'unsuitable for family listening'.
Now if that isn't punk, I don't know what it is..
Look out for: the inverted hippy symbol on Andy Scott's guitar sticker. Listen out for: the throaty rumble of Steve Priest's Rickenbacker bass. A model later played by Glen Matlock, Rick Buckler and Paul Gray of The Damned and Hot Rods
Whether you're a long-haul reader or casual browser of this blog - you'll probably know if there's one band that kick-started my passion for punk, fired my energy and enthusiasm for gig-going and wide-screened my musical horizons with their technicolour productions tuning me in to strange new worlds: psyche, garage and power-prog - it is The Damned.
A regular rant of mine typically riffs on how under-valued and hugely influential this national treasure of a group are. A group with one of rock's (not just punk's - but rock's) finest guitarists on fret 'n' jangle-duties. So, it's no overstatement to say - getting yer actual Captain Sensible on this ol' blog is an absolute super scoop of the century for me...
Well, what are we waiting for gang - let's get to it and crack on with Captain.
Christmas seems the perfect time for your tour with the Glitter Band. What can we expect to see in the setlist..Glam anthems, Damned tunes (Sanity Clause?) Captain solo hits and Christmas bits - and is it a double bill or team up.
I'm definitely going back to revisit my 80s pop material. Not just Happy Talk.... there's some lovely tunes in there. Right jangly stuff too, that in my opinion gives Pop a GOOD name. Like before Simon Cowell made you avoid the charts.
I have ALSO been invited to do a song or two with the Glitter Band which might be a giggle.
The Damned appeared on Mike ‘cue the music’ Mansfield’s Supersonic pop show in early 77 – alongside: Cliff Richard, Guys and Dolls and Leo Sayer. How did these established polite pop acts react to having such a hi-energy punk band on the bill..
Cliff hated us, he just doesn't get punk at all. He's old in the head, even back in the day. Couldn't he see that we were getting the same bad headlines that his hero Elvis had gotten? Supersonic was good cos they mixed up the acts.... a little bit like Jools. Holland - except for the fact that the Jools show won't have us on. Even when we release albums. What the problem is I have no idea.... I used to get on OK with Squeeze and JH himself. Maybe it's just some daft production policy - no UK punk bands maybe?
And THAT would be a disgrace for, whatever anyone thinks of 1977 and all that the eyes of the world's music scene were VERY MUCH on Belfast, London and Manchester and the UK in general where there was a music revolution going on. Crazy days that will be talked about for decades to come. This country should be PROUD of it's punk days - and play the bands on the radio occasionally - the BBC take note!!!
Marc Bolan took The Damned on tour as support in '77. I've read mixed reports of him during the mid 70s - but what are your memories of Marc
Nice chap, VERY helpful... full of advice about the music biz. Took us on the road in his tour bus. Sociable too. I used to pop in his dressing room as there was always a bottle of bubbly on the go. He lent me his shades one night after I sat on mine.
Why do you think most newbie bands seem happy to gig in their gardening gear - what happened to rockers looking like Rock Stars - why do you think dressing up seems to have disappeared
It'll come round again. When glam was 'cool' everyone had to wear the daft garb and it was reflected in street dress too. And then punk came along, which meant posh people had to ditch the expensive apparel if they wanted to be in fashion. What fun.
Wearing anoraks onstage is taking it a bit far the other way though.
There used to be a tradition of crowd-rousing band members (Rod Stewart, Noddy Holder, Freddie Mercury, Captain Sensible) - any thoughts on why newer performers don't work or interact with an audience in the same way
Can't say as I don't follow the scene at all. After seeing gigs by Sweet, The Groundhogs and Brian Auger why would you want to see these stage school educated bands around today?I'm sure there are WONDERFUL performers around.... some quirky eccentrics with totally original ideas but I can't be bothered to plough through the ubiquitous dross to find 'em.
Couple of local interest bits: I saw The Damned at Crocs in Rayleigh 1983 – with a totally over-capacity crowd in a tiny venue (exploding modern Health and Safety standards) do you have any memories of these shows..
Nup. Sounds like fun though......
The Damned's set-list September 10th 1983
Another Southend question: if you had any free time, which of these Southend Rock 'n' Roll landmarks would you visit?
1)The club where Donovan was discovered in Westcliff 2)Oil City (Canvey Island) home to Dr Feelgood and the Eddie and Hot Rods ,
3)Have an ice cream at Rossi's Ice Cream Parlour (relations of Francis Rossi) 4)Or, being a train fan - can the lot and catch a train to the end of Southend Pier (the World's longest pleasure pier)
Yes, I'm interested in all of these.... Don's 'Catch The Wind' is such a lovely song. I did that onstage myself a few times. You can't beat the Rods and Feelgoods for sleazy R+B..... and 'Ma kelly's Greasy Spoon' by the Quo is a forgotten masterpiece. Recorded just before their sound had gelled into a formula. They used to have a drink in the bar with their audience occasionally too..... a tradition the Damned carried on with some enthusiasm.
I'm still a 'spotter' too.....
[Captain's written a great piece on an Ivor the Engine style adventure here]
Do you think the influence of glam on punk has become overlooked. Which Glam bands did you catch in concert as a teen and who were your faves.
Yes, a lot of punk bands were into glam..... Mark E Smith was well into the Glitter thing, I loved T Rex and their beautifully simple riffy pop and who could not dig Sweet, described as 'brickies in tinfoil' by some wag at the time. Will you be sticking to your signature SG style guitars for the tour or going for something more Dave Hill-ish
I'm not playing a loud raucous set - it'll be full of thoughtful melancholy tinged jangly songs so - no.
Hopefully there'll be no gobbing at gigs - what a disgusting carry on that was, how did you put up with it and when did it die out?
Blame J.Rotten esq for that. And now he advertises butter. How times change.
The Damned's last records Grave Disorder and So, Who's Paranoid are two of the bands career-best albums in my opinion - are you working on any new material
No. It's quality not quantity with the Damned BUT we are talking about a special tour concept for next year maybe playing a couple of classic Damned albums back to back with stage sets and stuff. My choice would be the 1st album and the Black Album but it'll be decided by a brainstorming session round at Mr Vanians gothic mansion over a glass or 2 of port I'd imagine.
If you had to give a novice The Captain's Guide to Glam - what albums, bands or singles - what would you recommend.
Sweet, Slade, Mud, T Rex.... and don't miss out on the hugely influential Glitter Beat just cos the Daily Mail might get offended.
Regardless of what the ex singer got up to these great records should not be shoved under the carpet. Banning stuff doesn't work.
CALLING ALL SOUTHENDERS: Captain Sensible and The Glitter Band play Chinnerys on the 13th of December - click on the pic for all tour details..
A huge salute and a tip of the beret is due to Captain for his help with this and to John Medd for making it happen (Samuel Smith's voucher is in the post matey!)
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
