planet mondo

Mary Hopkin: A 35th Anniversary Exclusive on Bowie's Electric Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:02:00 +0000

2012 will be the year zero for a scrolling, rolling, infinite list of anniversaries, reviews and reissues. By 1977 the fractures of new sounds and styles that had appeared a year earlier, webbing their way across pop's slick surface tension - cracked and shattered as angsty punk, clangular art rock and sci-fi disco smashed through the flares 'n' hair-flicks sound barrier.

Released 35 years ago tomorrow - an early indicator of out with Old Wave and in with the New Wave, was David Bowie's Sound and Vision. A taste test of Low's genetically modified robot rock - compressed into a three minute cube of roaring sax, hissing synths and android drums.

Guesting on backing vocals was producer Tony Visconti's then-wife - Mary Hopkin, who on the 35th anniversary of Low's release very kindly agreed to entertain a few of my questions on the single and album sessions - expressed via the medium of Twitter and its 140 character limit.............

@themaryhopkin: You and Bowie were both folk scenesters - did you cross paths on the circuit, or later, have an acoustic Jam in the studio
@Mr_Mondo: No jamming - I only saw David while he was working with Tony (Visconti), when Tony and I were still married.

Today (interview was on 14th Jan) is the 35th anniv of Low. It still sounds like the future. What were your first impressions of the single/album's sound
David has always been ahead of his time. 'Low' is a great album and I'm delighted to have been there during the recording of it.

Low was recorded at the 'haunted' Château d'Hérouville - did you or the children experience any spooky doings
Not a thing. I'm glad I didn't know at the time that it was reputedly haunted. It was a beautiful chateau and we had a great time.

Who wrote the S & V backing/vox parts and were you allowed any input or much movement on the melodies?
Brian (Eno) wrote the line and we sang it in unison. It was a great little riff so I didn't need to offer any alternatives :-)

Your children sang on a couple of tracks - do you remember which & did they have a fave studio uncle: Bowie, Eno, Iggy
I can recommend an excellent book, 'The Complete David Bowie' by @NicholasPegg. No, too young for 'Low', but my musical 3 yr old son played 3 notes on piano which inspired Eno to write 'Warsawa'

How was Eno - did he get you doing Oblique Strategies?
No, but he let me read his thesis on Cybernetics. Fascinating.

What would we be surprised to hear about from the Low sessions.
Nothing you haven't already heard, and certainly nothing I'm going to tell :-)

It was Bowie's 65th birthday this year - did you send a card
No, I'm not in touch :-)

Did you get to visit Bowie and Iggy’s Berlin flat, was it bachelor chic or crash pad clutter
Yes. David is extremely stylish and has excellent taste. I saw less of Iggy but liked him very much.

A huge thank you is due to Mary, who can be found on Twitter and at her official website

The 50th Podrophenia - a Widescreen Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:03:00 +0000

More cross-pop pollinations from Sean Hartter here

When Piley and I first started recording our ramblings and rattlings in his kitchen/my kitchen 3 years back - I don't think either of us would have expected to hit the 50 mark! Well certainly not by now anyway.

But, here we are, our half century later - where tonight's theme - a Film Special, sees us joined in the bunker by Dan from the Blog of Eternal Disappointment and dipping into a jamboree bag of cinematic sounds. I'm not sure what's on Piley's or Dan's playlist, but from me expect: a reggae refit of a Bond theme, a cult classic with a soul spin - some Hammond magic and a film only track from group who were pencilled in to take the leads in early/60s Lord of the Rings...and a mystery film theme

It's been one of the toughest trawls reducing all the contenders down to just four tunes, leaving this lot seated on the subs bench: Roy Budd, Electric Banana (below for both), Quincy Jones, and Jagger as Turner.

Should you fancy grabbing issue 49: Covers (an all suggestions special) download is here or via iTunes

Rockers and Revolutionaries at The Railway Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:15:00 +0000

It's something of repeat motif around this semi detached corner of Cyberspace - but, The Railway Hotel is Southend's most rock 'n' roll local.

Run by two multi-instrumentalist musicians -Fi Jacobs and Dave Dulake, it's a pub with a platinum plated pedigree that - over the recent run of months has hosted: Chas Hodges honky-tonking it up on the pub's grand piano (joined by his son on drums), one of Britain's premier league harpists Wes Weston regularly hooting 'n' tooting along with Martin McNeill's Bottletop Blues Band. A pub quiz hosted by Ed Tudor-Pole and John Cooper Clarke winging in for a gig (with Wilko Johnson in the audience)

And the Feeding of the Five Thousand. An all-you-can-eat endurance challenge, seeing who can chow down and plough through the all-veggie pub menu before the Crass album of the same name completes. On a similar riff a couple of weeks previously, Piley and myself popped in for our usual pre-show pint and noticed a petit, pixie faced lady framed with a floss of backcombed hair, topped off with a red beret. Who, it turned out - was Crass vocalist Eve Libertine.

Eve had dropped in to taste test The Railway's Crass Burger, loved the grub, the pub and parked herself there until closing time. Luckily I managed to grab a handful of natter with her...

Me: Relaying how Reality Asylum is still one of the spookiest tunes ever rendered to record and rattled me somthing rotten as a teen.
Eve: That she's still musically active and working with Mark Webber at the mo' - but has also been pitching with in with Mark Stewart ex of The Pop Group.

And what a fine slice of elctro agit-pop they've produced with Nothing is Sacred...which you can grab for free - at Mark's website hereabouts..

And check out his newie due in Feb (20th) - a Primal Scream team-up

Should you be hanging around town Southend way - whizz your way to The Railway. You never know who you'll meet. Or track them on the Twitterverse. The Railway

We've Got You Covered

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:15:00 +0000

Refits, reworks and retreads are the themes for tonight's Radio Podrophenia - an all suggestions special of cover versions built around a playlist handpicked by the Podrophenia Panel from.... Simon, Drakey, Marmite, Dave Wright and Dog Faced Boy.

Tonight's opener will be a Simon says suggestion

Sandie Shaw - Love Me Do

Mystery Track Alert: I'll be pitching in possibly the most spectacularly unexpected chunk of funk from a mystery artist midway through the evening. On a similar riff - tuck in to a reamped versh of a Northern Soul classic from Cliff

Should you fancy lending an ear to last week's radio run-out, grab the take away edition below

Radio Podrophenia - Charity Shop Classics

Yacht to Trot

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:15:00 +0000

One my best of breed albums for 2011 was Yacht's Shangi-la. A review was readied for the 10th edition of Plectrum-The Cultural Pick, although space restrictions meant it couldn't be included - but, nothing goes to waste...

Following up on their debut album, Portland's finest pop-boffins Yacht return with Shangi-la, a collection of triple distilled listening. The new, New Wave of New Wave you could say - where the duo's inspirations and influences are worn like button badges of honour.

Lene lovich, Atomic-era Blondie and Giorgio Moroder are gathered together in the Yacht music library, with the key components being hand-picked and refined down to a distilled spirit. A drop of which is added to Yacht's hot-wired originals. The final blend is a creation of futurist-disco and android-electro - that booms, bleeps and buzzes its way into your internal hi-fi, repeat playing the album's key pieces. Yacht's house sound is Claire L. Evans kittenish vocals deployed as either dream-scrape drifts or street-corner bawling, twinned with skittery electro-funk - sitting somewhere between The Slits and The Tom Tom Club.

Love in the Dark, is Heart of Glass given a ghoulish re-spray in blood and glitter One Step is Gina X's flirtier sister fluttering her false eyelashes. And Paradise Engineering must be an absolute roof-raiser live.

In fact the word is from those in the know (Tronik Youth), who happened to catch them in action at the Hoxton Square Bar last summer - live, Yacht ramp Shangri-la's already pulsing base-build to super-charged new levels of snap, electri-crackle and pop.

Tune In for Charity Shop Classics

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:14:00 +0000

Suggested by David Wright - the theme for this evening's Tuesday night shindig is Charity Shop Classics. Theme tunes, Studio 2 Stereo albums, Herb Alpert and Hallmark TOTP make-overs are all appearing on the Radio Podrophenia playlist...live from 9. It won't be a complete cheese board, we're also donating Big Beat, Beatles covers and Shirley Bassey belting out the funk.

Along with some natter and banter on best/worst buys, and an eye-spy guide to charity shop stock - books: James Bond, Jaws, Blue Peter annuals. Records: MFP, The World of comps...gadgets: sketch-a-graph'.

If you're an Apple or Android user, you can now lend a digital ear to Chance Radio via the TuneIn app. And if you missed it or fancy a re-run of last week's charabanc around the musical song map you can climb aboard below

This is my opener for tonight, following a Bassey related rarity from Piley

Shirley Bassey - Spinning Wheel

Radio Podrophenia - Avenues and Alleyways

Podrophenia TV

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:17:00 +0000

Pull up a seat, ready your remote and focus your peepers as Piley and I unravel the big red ribbon wrapped around our new Youtube channel Podrophenia TV.

Last year Roman Jugg and Darren Jones joined Piley and myself in our Tuesday night bunker for some close mic'd acoustic sessions, which (with thanks to Phil Hubbard) have been recorded, rendered and uploaded to Channel P. So what's on the viewing information..

Roman Jugg gives us an acoustic version of The Damned's obscure single-only release 'Lovely Money' - refitting it as a stripped down Ray Davies unplugged piece- (or is that unjugged). With the Viv Stanshall spoken word section being taken up by Piley and the other one.

And local lad and Oil City dweller Darren Jones - pitches in with 3 self compositions from the first of his two acoustic sets

We'll update and upload as more Podrophonic sessions happen - (and more are planned)

But for now turn on, tune in and tell a pal.
Podrophenia TV.

Avenues and Alleyways

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:04:00 +0000

Thanks to a sharp-eyed spot from London Lee last week - tonight's Radio Podrophenia is built around a metropolis of popular song - inspired and playlisted from a selection of tunes and tracks populating the Song Map from Manchester based design collective - Dorothy

As well as roads and streets - expect to hear some uptown uptempo anthems celebrating farms, woods and parks - from Ella Fitzgerald, Solomon Burke, XTC and Lowell Fulsom. Right here at Chance Radio from 9 tonight...

If you missed last week's edition of the Podrophonic Alphabet - H. Feel free to take one and pass it on right here.. or on iTunes if you prefer
Radio Podrophenia - H

Or if you you're a Facebooker - why not come on over and join our gang

If only I could find this kinda shirt for tonight

Funky Friday - The Salsa Davis Group

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:16:00 +0000

Aye Carumba amigos - how about this for a for two-fisted find - not uno, but dos Spencer Davies ditties given a hot tropical going over by way of this collection of samba stompers and shakers.

Feeling Alright - usually known to these ears via Lulu's lung-busting belter.

I'm a Man - of all the frisky refits, Wynder K Frog's take is the one I'll typically reach for first.

But for a pan-continental combo try these for sizzlers..

Feelin Alright - Mongo Santamaria

Spiteri - I'm A Man

And if you missed our Top Tunes of 2011 Radio Podrophenia - fill your boots below

Radio Podrophenia - New Year's Honours List

H is For....

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:14:00 +0000

Bowie's barnets - missing the classic T J Newton do though

Happy 65th birthday (belatedly) to ol' blue/brown eyes himself David Bowie - continuing with the riff of H, what a run of great haircuts he's paraded through the ages..

Why H? Because tonight we unwrap chapter 8 of the Podrophonic Alphabet. The hooting-tooting harmonica honking of Wes Weston. Happiness (the Pursuit of) and a funky Monkees cover from Hubert Laws and his Royal Bowieness are amongst a handful of the hits and highlights you can expect to hear live from 9 on tonight's Radio Podrophenia. Where Piley and I are joined in the bunker by King of the Jingles - Phil Hubbard.

Tune your ears and internet to Chance Radio from 9..

A few related rarities for your Bowie browsing

The Freddy Buretti version of Hang On to Yourself

One unreleased Springsteen cover from the Young Americans sessions

David Bowie - It's Hard to be a Saint in the City

And a Ziggy-era cover by Belfast punks Victim - with Rat Scabies pushing the production buttons..

Victim - Hang On To Yourself

Funky Friday - Bongo a go-go

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:13:00 +0000

The picture Birds in the Park can be spotted here

Hurrah for Mrs M and her list of infinite invention. I am a fussy bugger to buy for when it comes to Christmas and birthdays - yet on every occasion she comes up with some kind of wonderful.

The lumpy bundle I guessed may have been a crate of booze, was unwrapped and revealed to be - bongos hurrah! (again). And I've been tip-tapping away, lost in the crazy rhythms on an almost daily basis since. A couple of patterns getting cribbed and copied have been from these found videos...

Vid A

Vid B

Two tunes perfect for practicing along to were found on Christmas/birthday CDs

Vid A: Lee Dorsey's voodoo grooves are a snug fit for

Lee Dorsey — Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further

Vid B: Habanera beat works a treat for

Victor Boa - Ruffles

The Radio Podrophenia New Year's Honours List

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:13:00 +0000

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)

Dear Diary:1980 - December. The Last Post

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:22:00 +0000

It seems fitting that after two years and 24 posts, as Dear Diary reaches it's last entry - so we finish on King of the Blingers, Jimmy Saville who also bowed out with a closing coda this year. Light on entries but heavy on celebrations (three birthdays, Christmas and New Year's Eve) - a couple of moments to note include...

My First Concert: Adam and the Ants at Chelmsford Odeon (13th) - as we've mentioned previously an absolute skull-cracker of a gig, during the brief transitional shift when Adam was slowly shedding the hardcore of mohicans and kilted fans that had dragged around behind him as the shadowy Ant People - before the pre-teen/ Televisual crowd massed on the now cavalary jacketed Adam (with newly installed songwriting team-mate Marco Pirroni). The Chelmsford audience for this date was a sweaty swell of ructious skins and punks snarling, scrumming and thumping lumps out of each other at stage front, to a point where Adam had to stop the performance midway through one number - to bark at a hot-spot of rucking punks/skins..

The Shadow of The Damned: from the earliest Dear Diaries well May 79 - the as it happens (not in the Jimmy Saville sense) output of those first-past-the-post(s) punks have been rendered and recorded with regular entries. December 80 sees The Damned at their most dynamic - a one off Christmas curiosity single - There Ain't No Sanity Clause and the widescreen genius of double LP The Black Album. Not surprisingly my second gig and follow-on to the Ants outing was The Damned at the Lyceum 5th July 1981 for their fifth anniversary gig with a setlist supporting the Black Album (details here)..

Now and then: all singles bagged December 1980

The Quinn Martin style epilogue: If, back then, some anonymous bod, had told me 'in 2011 you'll write the sleevenotes and interviews for Marco Pirroni's latest album (The Wolfmen - Married to the Eiffel Tower), and rattle off 8 pages of overviews and interviews for a magazine cover feature on The Damned' - it really would have scrambled my teenage brainwaves. In fact it scrambles my middle aged brainwaves now.. I mean, really, who'd a thought?

To borrow a question from Marc Bolan - whatever happened to the teenage dream? Well in this case, it came true!

So that's it chums - we're all done with Dear Diary. If you've been in from the beginning, a huge thank you is due for sticking around - if you've been a dipper-in or occasional grazer of these scribbled bits - a tip of the titfer is due to you too.

What's next - there's a new monthly motif possibly lined up for 2012. A magazine based take on vintage times - but more on that in Jan. So until then, have yourselves a hoot for hogmany, a knees-up of a New Year's Eve - and I'll catch you next year x

The singles list is fairly sprightly, but beware the album chart - a giddy mix of nutty comps, new wavers and A O R-tists

Top 75 singles

Top 75 albums

The Damned - There Ain't No Sanity Clause

Festive Family Favourites...

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:52:00 +0000

Phew! this plum was never pulled from Piley's Christmas collection - during his lucky dips

A huge thank you is due to all who turned on, chipped in and sprinkled their sparkle over the last Radio Podrophenia of 2011 on Tuesday. An absolute Christmas cracker of an evening with everyone cosying up around our Podrophonia fireplace swapping tunes, tales and chat - from pulled pork and pink oboes, to rock stars as Panto acts and naffo presents. The holiday highlight being a top turn from Hannah on the ol' Joanna giving us a recital of Root Beer Rag. If you haven't tried a scoop or two of our weekly offerings or couldn't make it Tuesday, perhaps lend a festive ear here...

Radio Podrophenia - Christmas Special

A Podrophonic salute goes out to all the radio regulars, ident-doers, jinglers-makers, contributors, special guests, downloaders and all at Chance Radio who've made 2011 such a special year for Piley and I.

That's not quite it for this year for me though - we've still got the final Dear Diary entry to come afore Hogmany falls upon us. Another soul salute is due to all the bloggers and browsers, regular or occasional who take time out to visit this corner of cyberspace..

Whoever you're with or wherever you are this Christmas - have a sparkling one, a fab festive stretch and - l'll see you on the other side..

The Podrophonic Christmas album

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:09:00 +0000

If you're not busy or bustling about at a works do, school nativity, panto, carol service or some last minute, late night shopping - why not point yourself in the direction of Chance Radio from 9 tonight as Piley and I do our last Radio Podrophenia run out of the year - and our first (live) Christmas edition...

Piley's doing a lucky dip from his Christmas box, while I'll possibly be playlisting tracks by Elvis, Clarence Carter, Ella Fitzgerald and Big Tiny Little. A huge thank you is due to all at Chance for taking a punt on us this year, our guests for joining us in the Podrophonic bunker - and of course all the board regulars, our silent listeners and podcast downloaders. Speaking of which..

Last week's edition featuring the legend that is Roman Jugg is grabbable here. Standby for a full hour of tunes and chat on Naz Nomad, The Phantom chords, Marc Almond and The Damned..

Radio Podrophenia - Roman Jugg Special

Or via Itunes

One you may find under the Christmas Podrophenia tonight

The Annual Birthday Post

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:08:00 +0000

Yes it's that time of year again another 365 days older (or 366 on a leap year obvs). In previous outings we've covered ever-cherished soul favourites, teen nights out and even look a likes..

So by way of change, thought this year could be the time to introduce a tick list of hits and highlights found over the past 12 months, by way of a 24 track a mix of mostly new tunes and a tail-end sprinkling of vingate bits - all of which were new my old ears this year.

The Planet Mondo Annual 2011

Should you fancy a revisit of last years Best of 2010 - lend an ear here..

From Phantasmagoria to Podrophenia as Roman Jugg joins us live tonight...

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:10:00 +0000

Expect to hear Naz Nomad, The Phantom Chords and of course The Damned as former keyboarder and guitar whizz for all of the above joins us live from 9 for Radio Podrophenia

As well as working through all angles of Roman's back catalogue Piley and I will be dipping into his pop productions and solo projects, and also firing up five hand-picked favourites from the Roman Jugg Jukebox - a fistful of artists that have been an inspiration and influence on his musical doings. And the black cherry on top - there's a possibility we may even get some live tunes..

Piley and I are both long-haul Damned avids - so it's an absolute platinum plated super-scoop to get Roman aboard for a Podrophenia special.. Redirect your ears and internet to Chance Radio from 9 tonight

If you missed out on last week's Drowning Pool special with Syd Moore - dig in to the take away version below

Radio Podrophenia - Podrophonic Alphabet: G

The Ghost of Christmas Future?

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 07:10:00 +0000

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!

G is for: ghosts, ghoulies and gremlins

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 07:20:00 +0000

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..

Radio Podrophenia - Sport

Or via itunes

G - is also for Gallic a go-go...

Vive Le Damned - the interviews, outtakes and untold tales from 35 years of The Damned

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 07:10:00 +0000

The cover you won't see - spot the deliberate mistake?

If you're a regular or even occasional browser of this blog, one name you may have noticed popping up on repeat play is that of The Damned. I've been a Damned avid since bagging Love Song in '79 - then absorbing the albums and submerging slowly into the tunes 'n' chants atmosphere of their supercharged live sets. I've given The Damned a lifetime of unconditional support and they've never let me down. Not one howler of an album, never a half-hearted performance or limp squib of a gig - from my first (their fifth Anniversary gig at the Lyceum '81) - to my latest (their 35th anniversary at The Roundhouse last month - review here..)

Punk was the poisoned apple that tempted me away from our long-held, stately family favorites: Elvis, The Beatles, disco, budget pop comps - luring me into a songbook of short, sharp shock-rock. The Sex Pistols were the atomic-age sonic blast that had already levelled everything by the time I clambered aboard the bondage bandwagon. But The Damned were different. By Love Song they were in their mark 2 lineup, reformed, re-energized and expanding to fill the new wave void – adapting, exploring, colonizing and cross-breeding with punk's inspirations and influences to create strange new worlds. It was a now-wave experience that unfolded in real time for both of us with me buying every new release and press piece on the day of release.

Four years and four albums on from the 30 minutes of slab-handed riffing compressed into the debut album, Sensible, Scabies, Vanian and Gray unwrapped The Black Album - a double LP set and a journey through a multi-mirrored hall of pop, punk, and psych to the centre of the album's dark heart - a 17 minute epic Curtain Call, that presents The Damned's widescreen genius at it's most progressive and polished.

In a thirty five year career that collects most of punks 'First Place' medals, sets the tempo for US punk, pre-dates and preempts several 80s fads and fashions - the business end of the back catalogue: the albums, singles and supporting tours - have never had the financial underpinning or safety net of any major label investment. All of which for my record vouchers - makes The Damned the Greatest Indie Band of All Time…

So to be offered the opportunity to do 8 pages on them and their 35 year career of Anarchy, chaos and destruction is a teenage dream achieved. A huge thank you is due to all at Vive HQ :Eugene and Jim for the full bodied support and advice. And to Damned members past and present Captain: Rat, Brian James, Paul Gray - for their hours, answers, honesty and accessibility.

Due to space restrictions - not all of the interviews could be squeezed into Vive Le Rock and what lies below are the out-takes and extras. Think of them as a side salad to main course available in issue 5 of Vive Le Rock.

So Damned fans and perhaps non-Damned fans, buckle up and behold the untold tales from The Damned Reunited.....

Captain Sensible
'I just thought, well - you have to stretch yourself'

Captain with The Damned at Croc's Boxing Day 1983

Expanding on the MGE template, the Black Album is widescreen listening that no one else (certainly punk bands) were doing then - and is almost a template for the 80s psych revival and Goth. Were you deliberately distancing yourself from Oi and contemporary punk of the time or was this an album that evolved in the studio
I just thought, well - you have to stretch yourself, do the best record you can so if the progsters of the early 70s could do a whole side of an album containing one epic song then why couldn't we. When Dave came along with Curtain Call that plan went very much into action. After all night brainstorming sessions for about 5 days the monster lurched into life. We couldn't believe what we'd created ourselves when we played it back. Epic stuff.

For a band themselves with the line 'anarchy, chaos and destruction' and were notoriously boisterous - the Black album is self written and self produced - you must have been fairly disciplined for these sessions
It has to be said that because of our reputation the label was not inclined to put us in the studio without someone to keep an eye on us - which is why we found a producer called Alvin something or other sitting in the Rockfield control room when we strolled in. He didn't last too long because if I remember correctly after disappearing for a band meeting we marched back in, Mr Vanian having a black cloth over his head, which harked back to the so called 'good old days' when that would be an Old Bailey judges attire on announcing an execution. Alvin scarped sharpish I can tell you - and we were free to make the record WE wanted with no A+R influence whatsoever. I wonder how many studio sessions are done like that these days…… not a lot I imagine. If Chiswick records thought we were going to get up to no good they were absolutely right, but we confined all the dodgy activities to outside the studio environment which was one of our better ideas from that period I'd say. The night time recording scenario was very productive as that was when the ideas would flow and we pretty much recorded until we dropped. It was anything goes too, searching for weird and wonderful sounds and harmonies because as we'd already made a few noisy albums we didn't care to repeat ourselves. Low boredom threshold and all that. Particular favorites were the Hammond Organ, Tubular Bells, Harpsichord and a Sitar…. in fact I had recently purchased one of those and on completing the album I watched as the roadies tied it to the side of the Luton van telling me that they were determined that nothing untoward would happen to it on the way back to London. Apparently it wasn't going to move… solid as a rock, etc. The mistake they made was in not securing our 4 by 12 Speaker Cabinets in the same fastidious fashion as, being on wheels one of them crushed my beloved sitar to smithereens as they took the first corner on leaving the bloody studio. I don't know, eh….

Were the glasses and hat a guard against the gob
Thankfully that doesn't happen any more. I blame J Rotten, the butter salesman.

You seem a very accommodating chap teaming up Magic Michael, Crass, Charlie Harper – but who would your ideal team up be with?
We all do things outside the band - Dave Vanian has been doing TV and film soundtracks, Pinch produces library music for TV use over in LA, Monty has rapidly released 2 quite unusual solo albums while I have been lucky enough to be asked by my mate guitar maestro Tony McPhee to do some recording on a forthcoming Groundhogs album. Backing vocals, a bit of bass and some Mellotron - don't mind if I do. Well, I was brought up on the glorious 70s sound and in particular the 'Hogs Split album so I understand the music pretty well. And making a record with your hero feels pretty nice too I must say. What's the story behind the Magic Michael single? Described by NME writer Nick Kent as "Ladbroke Grove's answer to Wildman Fisher" we'd met Michael at Stiff Records where he was attempting to get a record deal, like a lot of other eccentrics who couldn't find a home at a 'normal' label and saw a potential home on Jake and Dave's pirate ship. When he DID eventually get someone to put him in the studio he very kindly asked for us to be his backing band - AND we got paid too. In fact, a darned sight more than we were getting at Stiff Records, but that's another story. When he played us the 2 songs we were pleased to hear that they were blooming' good tunes and that fact, added to the fact that the bloke could definitely sing leads me to guess that it was his left field personality that prevented him becoming a success. I loved that Portobello scene though - the Pink Fairies, Magic Michael, Lemmy, Viv Stanshall. What a bunch of sweeties indeed!

Does being a multi instrumentalist broaden you song-writing and - what's your benchmark i.e. this song/album got to sound as good as...The Damned seemed write a huge quantity of high grade material: double album, great B-sides, single only releases and side projects. But there are hardly any studio based or leaked demo's. Did only the strongest songs make the grade - and what goodies are unheard in the vaults.
Well, I can play a few instruments a BIT….not great but enough to get it down on tape…… even if it IS take 23 or whatever. It enables you to get the parts down that YOU want…. as you hear it in your head. Sometimes that's great, other times it's self indulgent. But there's nowt wrong with a bit 'o that in my book. The Damned had eclectic tastes music wise…. Gong, Olivier Messiaen, Burt Bacharach, Sweet, etc and the trouble with having spectacular record collections is that you tend to be extremely critical of your own work. So loads of demos got rejected - I still have some cassettes from back in the day - unused tunes in various stages of completion and listenability. Our quality control worked well.

Even from the earliest days the Damned songs have featured some fiddle fingered riffing and later Santana and Floydian style solos (not tunes for beginners to learn in anyway) , thumping drummers, and a singer that can actually sing - do you think the musicianship of the band gets overlooked
Looking back on it the initial punk boom was a golden period for UK music…. bands like the Only Ones, Wire, Buzzcocks, UK Subs, X Ray Spex… all of them with their own take on the punk thing. I'm more than happy to be in that company. We were lucky to have the services of probably our generations best singer in Mr Vanian and the rest of us could play a bit too. Possibly why, even after the intervening years we still have a solid reputation as a live act. I do think that the breadth and diversity of the original '77 bunch in their sound and outlook is interesting though, especially when you compare it to the homogenized punk thing that emerged a couple of years later. Not that there's anything wrong with that but we always said the 1st rule of punk is there is NO RULES. Do your own thing.

In amongst the jangle-pop and punk of Strawberries there are some deliberate political finger points Thatcher, Reagan and animal rights something you’ve maintained since what made you go public on politics
Politics is too important to leave to a bunch of corrupt, career politicians on the make. How unedifying is it watching them jump on the gravy train one by one after they leave office…. a nice fat cat directorship maybe, for services to the same corporation they gave an easy ride to when in Government. It's patent cobblers and makes for a more interesting lyric than 'I Love You Baby'. Not that there's anything wrong with that it's just we've heard it before somewhat. And I honestly think if people knew what went on in abattoirs a lot of them would give up eating meat. Absolutely ghastly. And cows and chickens are lovely creatures too, with proper individual personalities and all that. They deserve better than what happens to them.

Was it frustrating that the era when you left The Damned - they had their greatest mainstream success
Well, I was off doing my own pop career in Europe mainly so I was quite pleased for them in a 'I knew there was hits in this band all along, despite the knockers' kind of way. I physically couldn't cope with the 2 careers - it was hectic and exhausting - and they had an able and talented replacement in Roman Jugg anyway. It's just tragic that Eloise didn't get to No1….. Wasn't it was some horrible novelty song kept them off the top spot too? Disgraceful!

The two newer albums have some of The Damned's strongest songs and performances - when can we expect the next one - or how about a Damned do covers' What would be on your list..
Yes, the current lineup are scarily good on their day and can pretty much improvise at will, which is how I always judge the merits of an act when I'm in the audience. Another recording excursion will hopefully happen… maybe something different next time. Covers might indeed be fun. I've revised my idea that the Damned should re-record the WHOLE of the dark masterpiece that is the Stones' Their Satanic Majesties Request album. I now feel that EVERY BAND should remake the whole thing…. I'd like to hear Muse's version of 'Gomper' wouldn't you? How about Coldplay tackling 'Sing The Song All Together' with it's free and rather stoned sounding jamming. Robbie Williams would be a shoe in for 'On With The Show' though, eh? Maybe somebody should tell him. What would we cover? 'Twilight Time' by the Moody Blues, the Pirates' Shakin' All Over, maybe even attempt a Glitter song. Well, if you ask me it's a real shame we don't hear that unique double drum kit Glitter beat on the radio anymore. After all…. they still play Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis for crying out loud. Given that almost every band or musician has a book out (if not biopic film) and

The Damned were one of the first original Brit-punk bands, have an incredible back story and are still very much an active unit - surely the time is right for some critical revision or a band biography (or film) documenting the untold tales of The Damned
Yes, that's not a bad idea. It's a bloody good story including some fairly over the top escapades. I'm not sure I'd want my kids to watch it though.

Rat Scabies
'I don't call myself a musician - I call myself a drummer'

Rat with The Damned at Crocs September 1983

How did you pick up on punk and the developing scene
I only really liked playing fast songs. In fact I got thrown out of bands for not wanting to do soppy covers... Brian James was the most innovative guitarist of that punk generation. When it came to the punk style of playing he tipped it on its head, there was nobody doing what he did In a way

The Damned were almost a band of four frontmen
Absolutely! That was part of the problem,

Sid Vicious and Dave Vanian were both invited to audition weren't they - It would have been a completely different story (for you and him) if Sid had got the gig - how do you think things would have played out if he had joined
Disaster, tears and bloodshed - who knows?

Would you say being a drummer gives you a different temperament from other musicians and is having that energy/temperament something that draws you to the drums
I always wanted to be a drummer from when I was 8, when I got my first kit. I just always liked that sound

Do you lock in with bass player.
No forget all that of that bass player shit. The guitar is what I play with - that's the generation I'm from. Townshend and Moon, Hendrix, page and Bonham. It was drummer/guitarist combinations were groups that I listened to. So with Brian's style of playing and my style of playing, whoever was on the bass we wanted to anchor it down.

The speed and energy of the first album is on MGE but also some colourful production touches and a real sense of fun that one else was doing.
We used to like having fun. We were very careful about what we did and the notes that went down and getting that right. But when it came to doing vocal over dubs, a few beers later - you'd get the legendary okapi chorus. Who came up with the okapi line? I did. We used to play a game in the band called 'Scabies Unbelievable Lies' I used to tell the band things and they used to have to decide whether they were true or not. And I told them about this animal that lived in the jungle and was a cross between a giraffe and a zebra - called an Okapi. Nobody really believed me, but they liked the word so much, we used it all the time... Synchronistically enough, years later - working with a band called Flipron - the singer Jesse told me it was his grandfather (a Victorian explorer) that discovered the okapi

The albums still sound fresh today. They haven't dated and sound timeless if not better than ever.
Yeah we didn't really know what we wanted anyway - I was used to going into a studio and coming back and being amazed how different it sounded

In 18 months The Damned had written and recorded two albums (one a double) with the Black album expanding on MGE and were sounding unlike any other ‘punk’ band We had a lot of things going for it. I always made sure there'd always be something going on, so I'd always have an idea even if it was something ridiculous - like Take Me Away. The important thing was we kept on going. We were very lucky in that Captain's got a brilliant sense of melody - that helped a lot. You could go in with a rough idea - Curtain Call or Stranger on the Town, Dave would sit down with Captain and work out the notes and get it in the shape they wanted and do the vocal lines. We quite liked our audience so we liked doing a chorus they could join in with. It was always a good thing live - and it makes exciting listening. We were always very aware of the audience, but were always aware we weren't that great a band. We'd go out and play live, listen back to some tapes - and it didn't sound anything like the record. We'd go and see other bands and they did sound just like the record! We thought that was very boring anyway. We realised every week there was a different group that went into that town and played at that venue, and really we weren't able to be that kind of live band, but what we were able to do was get drunk, be raucous and go for it. So in a way it made the gigs a spectacle, people would go away and talk about it - the gloves were off. There weren't many bands that engaged with the audience in the almost music-hall chants banter or even meeting the audience

I remember going to Hammersmith Palais (83) and you were at the bar chatting with the fans
I was never afraid of our audience; they were pretty much the same as us, and that whole Rod Stewart - arriving in a limo, surrounded by security. First of all we couldn't afford that sort of thing (laughs) but really there wasn't any difference between us and the people coming that were to see us. It was never at a point where I felt we were better than the crowd, or we were getting too hassled by our audience. They're the ones that are paying for it, it's part of the job. If the public pay your wages - you're public property. It's a strong back catalogue.

There's no fat on the albums, the B-sides are great. But is there any material in the vaults.
No I think pretty much everything’s emerged now. Ace Records (bless 'em) used to rent a little 8 track studio, so we'd have the place for a few weeks and everyday me and Captain would go in and we'd always come out with at least two or three ideas. We were lucky that we were able to do that, but I think everything's emerged. Some of the stuff ended up being used as masters - like Just Can't Be Happy Today was a demo. When we went in to re-record it, we just couldn't get that same kinda thing happening, but we really liked the demo, so we just took the tapes and worked over the top of that.

Outside of The Damned you were doing production: The Satellites, Victim
Anybody that would let me go into a studio with them - I used to love going in, just so I could learn the process of what everything did, what a reverb does, how compression works. I was quite lucky because other people paid for my education. Even acting with Breaking Glass I don't think that was acting, that was director saying 'just go mental Rat and here's some money'

Were you tempted with anymore parts
I don't think I work well enough to do something like that. When you meet people that can act and watch them do it, and suddenly realise there's a whole part of your personality that you just turn on and make it much bigger - it's a bit weird. I don't mind do doing presenting, like the Holy Grail thing.

How did Naz Nomad happen
Because of Captain, he was off busy Happy Talking and we just couldn't get hold of our guitarist. He was always away and too busy to do Damned shows, and we didn't have any money. Everybody was into the Pebbles and Nuggets thing, somebody said maybe we should take on another identity while the Captain's busy. Roger Armstrong offered to give us a few quid to go in and make a record for a while until things had calmed down for the Captain

Any plans for a Naz reunion
It would be fun, we're all knocking on a bit now but, we are still alive and able to play, and I'd hate to be standing over somebody's grave teary-eyed - saying ‘you know what, we should've done that reunion tour’. I'd like to do it, because it’s something I did and I’m part of

With Phantasmagoria, there must have been some stability and security being with a major.
I always thought it was our last chance. Which I suppose it was - our last shot. When it came to make the Anything album, we'd been on the road for 18 months, but to be honest there's nothing like 6 months on the dole to help you write an album Was the pressure on We'd been on the road constantly and we’d been working constantly from when the album came out. And hadn't really had a chance to take a breather and enjoy it. There was too much money at stake for everybody I was getting very bored of the songs we were playing - after 18 months doing the same kinda tunes night after night they start to lose their gloss. We’d go onstage and I’d still sweat and hit hard but I wasn’t coming home feeling satisfied. So when it came to do the second album, we went in and did the usual thing but the band’s spirit was starting to break

So off the label and then Not of this Earth a few years later
When we broke up, I’d always had my eye on Kris Dollimore as a guitarist. I’d seen him play with The Godfathers a couple of times and really liked his playing and he always looked good, so I thought why don’t I put a band together. We were working together looking for a singer but nobody seem strong enough or if they were strong enough they didn’t want to do it. In the end, I thought Lets’ ask Dave if he’ll do it – so he came onboard and we did that album I wanted that record really to be the starting point for the album after, where we could write to together and function like a band It’s a great album I like it. There’s a lot of great stuff on it no New Rose or Smash it Up, but I’m quite proud of the work we did – I love that line up, it was really great to play with everyone was solid on it and knew what they were doing and if you drifted off to somewhere else they could go with you…

So the plan was to take it further, get a label
I thought now we’ve got the line up together, what we should be doing is working as band, putting ideas in - but it just got so difficult I figured I’ve had enough. I’ll write a book

It’s a great story to tell. Would you be tempted to do a Damned biography or your biography
No - I don’t think I’ve done enough. I’ve only been the drummer in a punk band

Paul Gray
'Nothing beats The Damned'

Paul Gray and that jacket

You'd crossed paths with The Damned when you were in Eddie and the Hot Rods - what was your take on them before joining and did it change once you were in the line-Up.
What musical influences would you say you and other members brought to The Damned Captain and I were really melody merchants and shared a mutual appreciation of ABBA. I can remember playing ABBA stuff backwards on our Portastudios and finding all these weird melodies to nick. DV was obviously into the more filmic stuff that crossed over with the three of us sharing a love of 60s stuff - Nuggets and all of that. And rat and I were well into "Live at Leeds" and the MC5, so it gave it that anything-could-happen edge - quite a heady mix when you put it all together.

Far from being A.N Other bass player you were a core part of the team and a contributing songwriter. Were they receptive to your ideas and input.
They were, and they were all great, nothing was worked out in advance, one of us would come up with something and we'd all dive straight in with our respective styles. The Black Album especially was a hugely creative time and there were no boundaries - we were beholden to no one but ourselves, so anything was fair game. My bass playing just seemed to fit right in with Rats and Captain’s style, and Dave was a great singer to play off too - I've never traded off another singer melodically like him, he provided me with a lot of possibilities to bounce of his style of singing. And I’ve said it before and I'll say it again - I've never played with a better guitarist or tunesmith than Captain either.

For a band that tagged themselves as 'anarchy, chaos and destruction' and were notoriously boisterous -the Black Album is self written and self produced - the band must have been fairly disciplined for these sessions
Disciplined? You gotta be kidding - well maybe in a very bohemian way. Quite often me and rat would be heading to the studio in the morning and pass CS and DV on their way to bed. How the hell Hugh Jones the engineer kept it together - I don't know. He was a mere shell of himself by the time we'd finished. but we knew we had something special. And it was always about the music above whatever other shenanigans were going on. We really lived in a world of our own making.

You had a great motorbike jacket with white trim on it - do you remember where you bought it - have you still got it?
New York I think, and no its long gone, although perhaps I should have kept it under my bed like all the stuff a certain ex drummer is knocking out on eBay these days ;)

I understand you bought a Rickenbacker bass from Martin Gordon (Sparks/The Jets) have you still got it - and you were one the first revive the Rick sound - why these over Fender
The Rick is a very personal bass and one I have an immense affinity with on every level - its look, playability, sensitivity, sound etc. Takes a lot of work though, to get it just right, there are so many possibilities. It’s a bit like that rare girlfriend where everything fits, if you know what I mean. Martin’s rick lasted a good few years but eventually succumbed to the usual twisted neck which they're particularly susceptible too. The one I have now is the exact same year and colour, 1974. Fenders? dime a dozen. Nothing exciting about fondling a Fender! Not that I've ever found, anyway...

There are some stealthy Beatles-ish runs in Billy Bad Breaks, was Macca an influence on your style
No, and he was one of the few bassists that used a Rick and made it sound not like a Rick. As a bass player how easy was it to lock in with Rat's rhythms and style.

On Strawberries you've got separate writing credits - why is this
Erm - ask Rat. I remember stepping off a plane at Gatwick from holiday and buying the NME and reading that I'd been sacked. I was bit surprised about this as you would imagine. It so happened that the rest of the band knew nothing about it. As far as I'm aware they didn't know anything about the change in writing credits either...

There was brief but bloody Damned reunion live in 96 - you even wrote Spider and the Fly with a view to it being a Damned track - was there a long term plan or talk of a new album around this time
Yeah I knocked up quite a few Damned type tracks, probably the best I've ever written - when I wasn’t a member! The reunions - with Rat everyone was skirting around each other so the vibe was pretty dreadful. It was all very Machiavellian. I hardly saw the others save being onstage or at the airport. After, I'm not really sure what went wrong, there was a lot of treading water and no real direction from what I remember. Having managers who had no idea how to manage didn't help.

I caught you live in Southend with Captain last year when the Glitter Band cancelled and you did an improv double-set (plus a guest appearance from Barrie Masters) - what a gig. What was your take on the night.
It was as it should be, as all the Captain gigs are - great songs played really well with everyone grooving!

The full Damned Peel Session from 76 with Peely intro's and outro's

l

Sensible, Scabies, Vanian - Paul Gray and Roman Jugg at The Ace in Brixton

World of Sport for all..

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:10:00 +0000

Sport of all/any sort is the theme we'll be kicking around on Radio Podrophenia tonight. Joining us in the commentary box straight from the sportsdesk is our resident expert @marmite boy

We're playing 4 a-side (tunes that is) from Piley, Marmite and myself - pitching in a couple pop quizzes with chatabouts that may include..sport in unlikely places, have you won a medal in any event and how does Hadleigh in Essex, one of the UK's flattest counties - become the arena for the Olympic mountain biking event

Kick off is at 9 tonight - join us for a ringside seat at Chance Radio

You can lend an ear to last weeks fixture here (or on iTunes), fitted around the theme of Food

Radio Podrophenia - Food

In a last minute switcheroo - we've had to play a substitute with Jack Gestures is now filling in for Marmite...

Punk and Beyond: New Artworks from New Wave Artists

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 07:05:00 +0000

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...

X-Ray Spex - The Day The World Turned Day-Glo (Rough Mix)

Listen out for the Andy Warhol chorus on this Adam and The Ants obscurity

Galloping DJs

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:10:00 +0000

A belly-busting buffet of foody tunes are on the menu for tonight's Radio Podrophenia.

Breakfast, tomatoes (sliced), grapes - baking even are all on the shopping list of popular song. Although given some of the subjects that have been bouncing around the board over the last couple of weeks: Biffins Bridge, Pouch of Douglas and I won't even mention the G word (NSFW in *any* way) - you may be best to have your tea before listening, not after...

Chat and banterwise Piley and I would like to know: extreme eating experiences, forgotten fast food chains and your grimmest eating out moments please

Prick up your ears and prepare for a double helping of 'hellos' from all at E. Pellici's (below) in English and Italian. We're live from 9 on Chance Radio tonight...

And if you fancy some extra seasoning, last week's edition: Seasons is available for take away here..

Radio Podrophenia - Seasons

Dear Diary:1980 - November

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 07:25:00 +0000

Without question - the most muted month in the history of Dear Diary doings. As the action switches (temporarily) to the trusty ol' Silvine notebook - where the news is...

Coming 105th in Cross Country Run (and some poor puffing shunters 'got lost' apparently). Well it was through the woods. And who knows - some of those runaway nags may still have been on the gadabout.
On the 8th: a trip to Leigh, buying Adam's King's album and, where we pop in to see Liz Karslake whose older sister (Jo) later became Mrs Ron Wood

Everybody's favourite Science Teacher Mr Hamilton - spent a lump of the lesson unravelling and popping holes in the baggy formulas and theories that made up Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World. A trip to nan's for Pie and Mash (also Sounds and The Unexplained too).

And how about this - pals Andy Hampson and Barney pop up as presenters on TV's musical yoof show - Something Else. Dexy's Midnight Runners were the turn on this episode and you can catch a Dexy's extract from this exact edition below. Calendar-wise. It's the return of our school year's lumpy chums Mullen and Turnidge who 'went mad'. Although there's no anecdotal evidence to support this - I suspect 'narking' them was probably the root truth of the meltdown.

Records bagged were Kings of the Wild Frontier and The Black Album. Two albums that, for me, were Narnian wardrobe moments of other worldliness and portals to punk/new wave's potential possibilities and technicolour dreamscapes, that left formulaic punk fodder seeming generic, dated and faded. A bi-dynamic pairing which are equally, early outings in new wave experimentation - and templates that stand as indicators and shapers of the 80s fads and fashions that followed: new romanticism, narcissism, new-wave-goes-pop, guitar twang, psychedelic revival, 60s revisionism, goth.

Black Album not pictured - it's buried in the loft somewhere

Exactly 31 years on from buying these albums - I've seen most variations on both bands this year Adam (June), ex Ants -The Wolfmen (July) and last Saturday, The Damned recreating the Black album at The roundhouse (review here). The Damned, who've always delivered and never disappointed live are now, more polished and accomplished than ever. The Wolfmen take Adam's antics into new glam/garage areas. And Adam has compressed his characters into a composite rather than move on - but he hasn't lost it ( in a performance sense) either.

Two tasters from both then - The Damned's midnight cinematic shimmer, with a coda that always reminded me of the Hooray for Harold Lloyd incidental music...

The Damned - Twisted Nerve

And Adam's feedback and drum-rumbling psychological self portrait - that's perhaps King's closest relation to Dirk-era Ants

Adam And The Ants - Killer In The Home

Top 75 singles

Top 75 albums

Seasons to be Cheerful, Part 23

noreply@blogger.com (Mondo) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 06:54:00 +0000

A medley of seasonal sounds is on the menu for tonight's Radio Podrophenia - our 23rd editon

Including: two types of Fall {one song, one band} Summertime, Rain and David Alexandre Winter's Qu'est-Ce Que J'Ai Danse! Although for all the scouting about - I couldn't for the life of me find a springy-thing. Any suggestions - let me know. Also piping hot off the press is a live Damned track recorded at The Roundhouse during their 35th Anniversary gig last Saturday

Natter abouts may include real life shop names: Touching Cloth, Threads Atomic Dustbin. And body parts that sound like place names (Biffin's Bridge, Pouch of Douglas) or vice versa..

And coming in to pitch some live acoustic tunes in our general direction is Canvey's own Darren Jones

We'll be parked up from 9pm hereabouts at Chance Radio. Should you fancy catching up on the last couple of back issues - grab both below

Podrophonic Alphabet - E

Keeping it Peel