Retro Man Blog

Thee Spivs New Album Launch Party June 29th at The Half Moon Putney - with The Fallen Leaves & The Past Tense

2013-05-23T11:06:00.001+01:00

I am extremely pleased to announce that the next Retro Man Blog Night will be at the The Half Moon, Putney on June 29th. This will be the official Launch Party for the brand new album by Thee Spivs entitled "The Crowds and The Sounds", which will be released on Damaged Goods Records on June 24th. Copies of the new album will be available for sale on the night and the bill will be completed by special guests The Past Tense and The Fallen Leaves. Tickets are just £8.00 on the door or in advance from The Half Moon, click here to buy. Be sure to book early to guarantee entrance as this is shaping up to be a great night..!

You can hear exclusive tracks from Thee Spivs superb new album "The Crowd and The Sounds" on the latest Retrosonic Podcast, "The Damaged Goods Records Story". This is split into two Episodes, "Part 1", and "Part 2", which are both now available to listen to or download for free, from the Retrosonic Soundcloud site. Ian Ballard, the boss of Damaged Goods Records, talks us through some of the pivotal releases throughout the label's history including tracks from Billy Childish, Manic Street Preachers, Buzzcocks, Graham Day & The Gaolers, Holly Golightly, Giuda, Fabienne Delsol, Cowbell and of course Thee Spivs!

With many thanks to Ian, Thee Spivs and to Adam Donovan from The Jetsonics for the gig poster.

Dr. Feelgood Exhibition extended to June 30th at the Canvey Club, Canvey Island

2013-05-22T17:14:00.002+01:00

The Dr. Feelgood Exhibition, a superb collection that brings together 40 years of musical mementos and memorabilia from throughout the band's career, has now been extended to June 30th. It's being held at the Canvey Club, 162 High Street, Canvey Island, Essex SS8 7SS, right in the heart of Feelgood's territory. Photographer Paul Hughes, went along and has kindly contributed some of his excellent photographs of the exhibition which I am very pleased to share.

With many thanks to Paul Hughes for contributing the pictures. For more of Paul's superb photography please check out his FLICKR page. You can also check our previous Blog feature on our own little Dr. Feelgood's Canvey Island and Southend-on-Sea tour here. This features some famous landmarks such as The Kursaal, THE Jetty, The Admiral Jellicoe, the Monico and the iconic Labworth Cafe. As a bonus there are some classic Dr. Feelgood pics from the 1975 Naughty Rhythms Tour by the legendary photographer, and friend of the Blog, Paul Slattery. All photos copyright Paul Hughes.

For more details on the Exhibition please visit the web-site Dr. Feelgood Exhibition.

The Damaged Goods Records Story Part 2: A Retrosonic Podcast Special

2013-05-20T11:34:00.001+01:00

In this second special episode of our Retrosonic Podcast, Steve from Retro Man Blog talks to Ian Ballard, boss of the legendary Punk and Garage Rock record label Damaged Goods. Ian talks us through some more of the label's pivotal releases including songs from French chanteuse and ex-Bristols vocalist, Fabienne Delsol, and he explains his pride on finally getting to work with one of his all-time favourite bands, the Buzzcocks. Damaged Goods Records strong Medway connections are highlighted with a trio of the Delta's most successful artists in Billy Childish & The Singing Loins, singer-songwriter Pete Molinari, and ex-Prisoners legend Graham Day & The Gaolers. There's also a track from the debut album from The Wolfmen, featuring ex-Adam & The Ants guitarist Marco Pirroni. We then play some of the latest Damaged Goods releases, including the promising Cowbell and some stomping Italian Glam Rock from Giuda. We are pleased to have some exclusive new songs too including one from Thee Spivs excellent forthcoming album "The Crowd and The Sounds" and The pUKES ukulele take on a Punk Rock classic! For more info on Damaged Goods releases and merchandise please visit the Damaged Goods web-site.

Part 1 of The Damaged Goods Records Story is available to listen to or download for free on the Retrosonic site. In this Episode we are joined by Rock Photographer Paul Slattery who talks about his involvement with Damaged Goods acts including the Manic Street Preachers and Billy Childish and The Headcoats. There are also great tracks from Thee Headcoatees, Helen Love, Holly Golightly, Slaughter & The Dogs and an exclusive from Thee Spivs forthcoming album "The Crowd & The Sounds".

Retro Man Blog along with Damaged Goods will be hosting the official Launch Party for the brand new album from Thee Spivs entitled "The Crowd and The Sounds". This will take place at The Half Moon Putney on Saturday June 29th, with very special guests The Fallen Leaves and The Past Tense. This looks set to be a great night, so book your tickets here to guarantee entry!

For updates and further info on the Launch Party, Facebook users can register at the Facebook Event page here. Otherwise please keep a check on the Blog for all the latest news.

The Transients live at The Rising Sun, Slough May 18th

2013-05-19T20:32:00.001+01:00

Kieren of The Transients - Photo by Steve Worrall

I saw The Transients play a great set of unusual covers, and a couple of promising originals thrown in for good measure, at the Rising Sun in Slough. The band are singer Kieren, guitarist DC, drummer Freezer and bassist Mark Leech, who used to play in the excellent 80's Psych band The Onlookers. The Transients choice of cover versions could have been the playlist to one of our Retrosonic Podcasts as they included Radio Birdman, The Kinks, Pere Ubu and more top tunes.

Mark, DC, Freezer & Kieren - The Transients by Steve Worrall

The Transients kick off with a cover of "Cast a Spell" by the Putney based 60's Psych band The Open Mind, it's a great track and it's catchy chorus "...it's all in the mind..." snares some casual drinkers into paying a bit more attention. They follow this with Subway Sect's classic "Ambition" and then Wimple Winch's Freakbeat gem "Save My Soul", with Mark nailing the superb bass intro and guitarist DC capturing the stinging guitar riff perfectly. The song builds to a crescendo with drummer Freezer flailing away and vocalist Kieren letting loose. "i-94", a rare one from Australia's Stooges, Radio Birdman, is a nice surprise choice and then they mellow the mood with The Kinks "See My Friends".

The Transients by Steve Worrall

There's nothing mellow about their great rip through Television's "See No Evil" though, it motors along. Kieren straps on what looks like a vintage Vox guitar and joins DC in having an admirable stab at Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd's intricate guitar work. "Specs of Dust" is an original track and that and "Tube Ride Away" hint that The Transients could certainly move away from the covers in the future. The best of the originals however, is "The Hatfield Twins", which is about two early Punk King's Road faces who were apparently responsible for the "never mind the bollocks" catchphrase. It's an excellent Garage Rock track. I hope the band can get into a recording studio soon and get some of these songs released. Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers "She Cracked" is followed by a rather obscure choice of Small Faces track, "Up The Wooden Hills To Bedfordshire", and the set finishes with a raucous "Non Alignment Pact" and a great mash-up of The Vibrators "Whips and Furs" and The Only Ones "Another Girl Another Planet". It was a great fun night out and I recommend going along to catch The Transients live if you get chance.

You can keep up to date with all The Transients latest news on their official Facebook page. Here's a video of their original track "The Hatfield Twins"

Thanks to Freddie - top man!

Good Vibrations: Terri Hooley and a Tale of Teenage Kicks, Undertones, Outcasts, Music & Mayhem..!

2013-05-17T15:39:00.000+01:00

Richard Dormer is sensational as Terri Hooley in Good Vibrations

"Good Vibrations" is the heartwarming and uplifting true story of Belfast music legend Terri Hooley, the man responsible for discovering The Undertones and recording "Teenage Kicks". Terri is a radical, rebel and music lover in 1970's Belfast, when the bloody conflict known as The Troubles shuts down his city. As all his friends take sides and take up arms, Terri opens a record shop on the most bombed half-mile in Europe and calls it Good Vibrations. Through it he discovers a compelling voice of resistance in the city's nascent underground Punk scene. Galvanising the young musicians into action, he becomes the unlikely leader of a motley bunch of kids and punks who join him in his mission to create a new community, an Alternative Ulster, to bring his city back to life.

Feargal Sharkey by Paul Slattery

Richard Dormer puts in a stunning performance as Terri Hooley, expertly portraying the wide-eyed, sorry make that, wide-one-eyed, almost childlike enthusiasm and passion for music in all it's forms, bursting with energy, ideas and scams. As Terri recounts in his excellent biography "Hooleygan", people think he was just into Punk but he was probably Northern Ireland's biggest Reggae fan and was first awakened to the joys of music by Hank Williams "I Saw The Light" at a very young age. It was that power of music to unite and uplift people that moved him to call his record store "Good Vibrations" right slam in the middle of a place where good vibes were a very rare commodity. A radical and politically driven hippy in the Sixties, he was constantly demonstrating and campaigning against whatever injustice he saw in the world at large, "Hey Terri, what are you rebelling against?", "whaddya got?". Although wary of aligning himself to any particular party or movement for long, mainly due to his somewhat maverick approach, he managed to take this neutrality and outsider persona into the dark days of the Troubles. In fact it's the unifying spirit he found in the Northern Irish Punk scene that inspired him as much as the music - Protestants and Catholics braved the curfews to go to gigs together and this created a camaraderie, united against the religious bigotry, paramilitary violence and the brutality of the R.U.C. All this played out on Belfast's war-torn, dangerous streets, something that the Punks in London, safe in the boutiques of Chelsea's Kings Road, could not even comprehend.

Protex outside the Harp Bar in Belfast - Photo by Paul Slattery

Intrigued by punters coming into his shop asking for records with strange and violent names, he is persuaded to go and see the band RUDI. Terri enters the venue and finds himself amongst the crowd of Punks and he slowly lets himself go, lost in the euphoria he ends up joining in the pogoing. I'm not sure a film such as "Good Vibrations" would ever get anywhere near the Oscars, but Dormer certainly deserves one for this scene alone. Terri is so inspired by this Rock & Roll epiphany that at the end of RUDI's set he rushes over and offers to sign them up on the spot despite not having a label at all. It's this naive enthusiasm and total disregard for money, contracts and business acumen that makes Terri such a likeable and inspirational character. He then, rather reluctantly at first, signs up The Undertones from Derry, but as soon as he hears "Teenage Kicks" he releases it on Good Vibrations Records, convinced it will be a massive hit. The scenes where Terri desperately shops the single around London are magnificent, faced with the utter cynicism and disregard of record company moguls (in his book, he admits even Rough Trade turned him down), he is distraught. Only John Peel is impressed, and historically played the song twice in a row on his influential late night radio show much to the delight of Terri and his friends back in Belfast.

The Undertones - Photo by Paul Slattery

It all goes a bit wrong for Terri from there, he famously signed away the rights for "Teenage Kicks" to Sire Records for the price of a new van and his failure to get RUDI's single released in time for a high profile TV appearance sees the band lose patience with his haphazard business planning. He has to close the doors of Good Vibrations due to mounting debts and then loses money on one of the biggest Punk gigs in Belfast due to the longest Guest List ever known. But the irrepressible Terri, with a gleam in his one good eye, will not be beaten and you are left with a feeling that another scam is just around the corner. The movie shines a light on some excellent and totally underrated bands such as RUDI and Terri's loyal helpers and friends The Outcasts, who he refused to manage as they had a particularly violent fan and a dangerous reputation. Of course The Undertones might get the attention, as they were the only Good Vibrations band to break through, but check out the brilliant Power Pop band Protex, or Ruefrex or The Moondogs...there's so much great, uplifting music to have emerged from such a troubled period, thanks mainly due to Terri Hooley.

Protex with Good Vibrations' iconic Elvis - Photo by Paul Slattery

Terri is still involved in music, he now has a new Good Vibrations store at 89-93 North Street, Belfast and he helped to set up the Oh Yeah Music Centre, a charity dedicated to helping local musicians, so he remains a truly inspirational figure for all those passionate about making things happen. His story can be followed in the fantastic book "Hooleygan", in which, written together with Richard Sullivan, Terri weaves his autobiographical musings alongside stories and tributes from other characters such as RUDI guitarist Brian Young, Greg Cowan from The Outcasts, journalist and broadcaster Stuart Bailie and Gary Lightbody. Good Vibrations was nominated for three Irish Film and Television Awards, and is the second film from "Cherrybomb" directing duo Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glenn Leyburn and is scored by David Holmes with a screenplay by Colin Carberry and Glenn Patterson. The movie was released via The Works.

With sincere thanks to both Lucy Fleet at The Works Film Group for the film stills, and to photographer Paul Slattery for the superb, and truly evocative, black and white photos.

Check out Punkerama Records another Belfast based label that specialises in great vinyl picture disc releases from bands such as The Defects and Charlie Harper of the U.K. Subs' Harbour Rats project.

Krister Henriksson as Doktor Glas at Wyndham's Theatre

2013-05-16T16:48:00.002+01:00

It was such a treat to get the rare opportunity to see Krister Henriksson, one of my favourite actors, appear on the London stage recently, performing in the one-man play Doktor Glas at Wyndham's Theatre on Charing Cross Road. Henriksson is the star of the Swedish crime TV drama "Wallander" and more recently the movie "Kiss Me" with Ruth Vega Fernandez, the wonderful actress from "Upp Till Kamp". When I mentioned to people I had seen the play, the general response was "oh, I bet that was depressing then..." and I suppose the subject matter of Doktor Glas - rape, revenge, jealousy, religious and moral corruption - doesn't do much to dispel the dark and brooding image that now immediately springs to mind following the success of Nordic-Noir crime dramas such as "Wallander", "The Bridge" and "The Killing". However, Doktor Glas is no contemporary crime story but is adapted from a 1905 novel by Hjalmar Söderberg, which at the time of publication caused outrage.

Henriksson puts in a quite remarkable performance as the Doctor which is not a million miles from his portrayal of Kurt Wallander, the slightly shabby and unhappy loner in his scuffed shoes and ill fitting suit, struggling to find companionship in middle age. An unassuming man who has a "pleasant way of keeping quiet", beaten down by the unfairness of life in general, where everyone else always seems to be having a good time except him. We learn that Doktor Glas is infatuated by one of his patients, the beautiful Helga, who unfortunately happens to be married to the loathsome and arrogant Pastor Gregorius, who's rasping cough and frog-like demeanour Glas mocks incessantly - behind the Pastor's back of course. It's these merciless impersonations that provides much of the comic relief in the play and certainly highlights Henriksson's consummate skill as an actor as he flits between the characters with ease. The Doctor's hatred of Gregorius and his own self-loathing increase as he struggles with that age old challenge to the male ego..."what is a beautiful girl doing with such a repulsive man when she could have me?". Then one day Helga appears at the surgery and, probably well aware of the Doctor's infatuation, uses her charms to suggest a rather unorthodox plan. Fed up with her disgusting husband's demands for his "marital rights", she asks Glas to fabricate an illness of the womb to put off the unwanted advances.

Photo by Steve Worrall

Thinking that this might be a way to ingratiate himself into Helga's affections, Glas agrees and summons the Pastor into his surgery to explain the situation. Gregorius is furious but reluctantly promises to keep to the Doctor's advice. The promise isn't kept for long, a couple of days later Helga visits the Doctor to explain that the plan to keep her husband at bay had not worked as he had raped her. She also confides that another reason she no longer wants to have sexual relations with her husband is that she is in fact secretly having an affair. Doctor Glas realises that he knows her boyfriend, the handsome Klas Recke, and is driven into fits of jealousy. Klas Recke, the man who's looks he admired and wished he resembled - Klas Recke, Henriksson wrings every syllable out of the last name, seething with jealously, it sounds like the English word "wrecker" which is apt, considering Klas is the man who, in the Doctor's mind, stands in his way, wrecking his dreams of a romance with Helga. Then his thoughts turn to the Pastor Gregorius and the rape, the disgust and hatred toward this so-called religious man swells and he summons him to the surgery again. He takes great pleasure in telling Gregorius about an exaggerated heart condition, making the Priest squirm and suffer before announcing his diagnosis and instructing that a long trip to a Spa is in order.

Photo by Steve Worrall

That night Glas has a vivid dream where he exacts terrible, and surgical, revenge on the Priest, and Henriksson perfectly captures that fleeting moment when you wake up and think that the dream had really happened. Glas then goes from plotting and fantasising about murdering the Priest to struggling with his guilt, and he is tormented by thoughts of love, death and morality. Would you kill to take revenge on behalf of someone you love, or is it just a murder borne out of jealousy? What about the Hippocratic Oath? Should he take his own worthless life? Henriksson is a remarkable actor, I thought that anyone trying to perform alone would be full of grand, over exaggerated gestures to hold the attention of the audience, but not so, the subtlety in his performance was so impressive. The play ends with the Doctor finally administering a lethal pill, under the guise of medicine, to Pastor Gregorius and the curtains draw to a close to the strains of Lou Reed's "Perfect Day" - a deliciously ironic, if somewhat incongruous choice of song. The audience reaction was warm and polite rather than rapturous, I rose to my feet to join in what I was sure would be a standing ovation. There wasn't one. I turned slightly and realised I was in fact the only one standing! Considering I was right at the front row centre of the balcony, I felt a slight twinge of embarrassment at first, but then again, why should I? I'm not a theatre-goer so I'm not sure of the protocol. Maybe it was because it was a matinee performance, maybe it's not the "done" thing, but all I know is that Krister Henriksson certainly deserved nothing less than a thunderous reception, a standing ovation and repeated curtain calls to acclaim a quite stunning performance.

Krister Henriksson takes the applause - Photo by Steve Worrall

So, you may be thinking "...what's a theatre review doing on the Blog?" Well, here's the thing, there is a link, an albeit somewhat tenuous link admittedly, to Krister Henriksson and my favourite Swedish band, The Soundtrack of Our Lives. So as a bit of fun, here we go...six degrees of separation...

1. Krister Henriksson starred in a 2009 TV movie of Doktor Glas directed by Mikael Marcimain.

2. Mikael also directed Krister in two Episodes of Wallander Series 2, "The Ghost" and "The Heritage".

3. Ruth Vega Fernandez featured in "The Heritage" and also starred in the movie "Kiss Me" along with Krister.

4. Sverrir Gudnason featured throughout Wallander Series 2 as new police recruit Pontus and both he, and Ruth, went on to star in the Marcimain directed TV Series "Upp Till Kamp".

5. "Upp Till Kamp" also featured Ludwig Dahlberg, Kim Fransson and Mattias Bärjed from the band Free Fall, who had a song played in an episode of Wallander. Mattias also wrote the soundtrack music to "Upp Till Kamp" and Marcimain's latest movie "Call Girl".

6. Mattias was the guitarist with The Soundtrack of Our Lives.

So, there you go...how to link your favourite actor to your favourite band in six steps!

The beautiful Wyndham's Theatre - Photo by Steve Worrall

Krister Henriksson on stage at Wyndham's - Photo by Steve Worrall

Krister Henriksson has an official Facebook page brilliantly organised by Karen Gillett, so please join the group here for all the updates, including news on the brand new series of Wallander.

Crash 74: Glam Garage Beat from founder members of Sparks & Revillos: Live at the 12 Bar Club London May 31st

2013-05-14T12:54:00.000+01:00

One of the founder members of Sparks, Harley Feinstein and ex-Revillos drummer Nicky "Rocky Rhythm" Forbes, have got a Glam Garage Beat band together called Crash 74, for what appears to be couple of London shows including an appearance at London's premier sleazy Rock'n'Roll venue, the 12 Bar Club, on Friday May 31st. I'm not sure exactly how permanent this line-up, or indeed the band itself will be, so don't miss the opportunity to go along and see some real Rock pedigree in action!

We hope to be meeting up with Nicky soon for a Retrosonic Podcast special edition where he will be discussing his superb, no holds barred music memoir, "The Rhythm Method" (Sex, Drums and Rock'n'Roll), which is available from Amazon or from the Revillos site. We will also touch on some of the Bands and Artists that Nicky has been involved with, such as Dave Vanian's Phantom Chords, The Revillos, The Pork Dukes, Joe Strummer, Glen Matlock and Tenpole Tudor.

Beatnik Record Store & Cafe, Altrincham, Greater Manchester

2013-05-14T11:43:00.000+01:00

It's always encouraging when a new independent record store opens and yet I must admit to feeling a twinge of jealously. I've often thought I'd like to have my own Record Store/Cafe/Live Venue, but a complete lack of any finances, no retail experience, no catering knowledge and a terrifying lack of any business sense whatsoever, means it's probably best for me to stick to the day job and sit back and appreciate the efforts of other braver more adventurous souls! So I'm very pleased to give a mention to Beatnik, a brand new Record Store and Cafe in Altrincham.

Beatnik is a new, independent record shop selling Vinyl, CDs, music merchandise, art and books combined with a Café offering locally sourced pies, cakes and proper Coffee. The shop opened on 20th April to coincide with Record Store Day and was an instant hit with the local community and music fans from far and wide. The opening also caught the attention of Jo Whiley on Radio 2, Mark Radcliffe and Lauren Laverne on BBC 6 Music and local and national press, including The Guardian who featured the shop on their Record Store Day report. It was standing room only in the shop, as customers enjoyed live music from local troubadour Patrick Green and cult legend MJ Hibbert, and Mike Joyce from The Smiths arrived to wish the tired and emotional staff well just before closing time!

The shop specialises in stocking a carefully curated range of both new and second hand music on Vinyl, CD and even a few cassettes! Beatnik will also be showcasing work by local artists and performers. They have featured events such as an intimate afternoon show with local songwriter Lizzie Green and a talk by music journalist Paul Du Noyer (NME, Mojo, Q and The Word). Music Shops may be vanishing from the high street, and indeed Altrincham has lacked a Record Shop for many years, but at the same time Vinyl is resurgent, physical formats are still sought after by fans, and the future lies with independent shops like Beatnik with a real passion and a desire to promote music culture.

Beatnik aims to combine all the best things about Record Shops, add a whole lot more and provide an exciting destination where visitors can discover new music releases, unearth unknown gems and experience something that can't be found on-line. There is a listening post, and for those who want to get back to Vinyl, a range of vintage record players on sale. Customers can also enjoy a delicious range of food and drink which is as carefully chosen as the music, mostly sourced from local suppliers. This includes highly rated pies by the Great Northern Pie Company of Bramhall, Lush Brownies of Manchester and Cakes by Mrs B's of Winsford. Customers are also welcome to use free, WiFi.

Beatnik is located at 38 Greenwood Street, Altrincham, Greater Manchester, Cheshire WA14 1RZ. Greenwood Street is the heart of the Market Quarter, and the shop is conveniently located next to one of the finest Belgian Bars in England.

Opening Hours:
10am to 4pm Tuesday to Thursday
10am to 5pm Friday and Saturday
11am-4pm Sunday.

Details of forthcoming events and all other shop news will be updated regularly on the Beatnik website, Twitter and Facebook page. To find out more about Beatnik, enquire about participating in events, selling your music, merch, artworks, fanzines, books and anything else you want, please email Carl, Grant and Tim or give them a call on 0161 941 411.

Anyway, I'd like to personally wish Beatnik all the very best, it's great that there are people still passionate enough about music to start a brand new business like this. I'd encourage you to pop in if you are in the area and give them as much support as possible. If you know of any independent record store near you then please contact us at Retro Man Blog and we'd be happy to give them a mention too.

The Monochrome Set: Live at Bush Hall, London April 27th

2013-05-13T11:28:00.001+01:00

Bid & Lester Square of The Monochrome Set - Photo Steve Worrall

The Monochrome Set played a wonderful gig in the rather ornate Bush Hall, it was a perfectly balanced set-list with a choice selection of old favourites and tracks from their latest, and rather excellent, album "Platinum Coils". The first support act were the splendid Indie-Pop band, Would-Be-Goods, who happened to feature Monochrome Set bassist Andy Warren putting in an impressive double shift, and guitarist Peter Momtchiloff moonlighting from the rather more raucous Hot Hooves, who recently featured on the Blog here. Next up was Stuart Moxham, once of Young Marble Giants, who unfortunately failed to hold the attention and a large part of the crowd seemed to drift off to the bar. Maybe it was because I'm not familiar with any of Stuart's recent material and maybe it was the somewhat weak sound, along with having to follow the more compatible Would-Be-Goods, that didn't do him any favours. It also all went on just a bit too long and there were murmurings of impatience around me.

Andy Warren & Helena Johansson - by Steve Worrall

Suddenly it was over and after a short pause, a character dressed as "Where's Wally" appeared on the stage and took their place behind the drums. The familiar tribal beat of "The Monochrome Set (I Presume)" kicked in and the band appeared all dressed in black. All apart from Lester that is, who sported a rather fetching Black and White stripey suit and he struck up the buzzing guitar intro to the perfect set opener. This was followed by another track from "Strange Boutique", their superb debut album, the saucy tongue twister "The Lighter Side of Dating". "Jet Set Junta" and a brilliant run through of the classic spiky Post-Punk single "Alphaville", keep the die-hard fans happy and then it's into three songs from latest album "Platinum Coils". This album, in my view is probably their strongest and most complete album since "Eligible Bachelors", and in particular "Hip Kitten Spinning Chrome" can easily hold its own amongst their "classic" material". Tonight this comes over brilliantly and "Cauchemar" and "Streams" follow seamlessly.

Lester & Bid of The Monochrome Set - Photo by Steve Worrall

I was pleasantly surprised that they played "Walking With The Beast" from one of my favourite albums "Dante's Casino", driven by a rollicking Samba beat, it was one of my highlights of the night. Next we have a triple hit from the faultless "Eligible Bachelors" album - "Fun For All The Family", "I'll Scry Instead" and "The Ruling Class". Then we are brought bang up to date with two more tracks from "Platinum Coils", firstly "I'm Happy To Be Here" and the brilliant "Waiting For Alberto" which has had me singing "I hope it's not bananas..." to myself, and probably a few passing strangers, all week. Some non-album tracks follow; "Wallflower", "Cowboy Country", the 'big hit' "Jacob's Ladder" and then the grinding brilliance of "Eine Symphonie des Grauens" closes the show.

Photo by Steve Worrall

Due to the time restraints Bid said, "we've come to the end of the set and as we don't have much time, just pretend we've gone off stage and come back on again...", before heading straight into the songs marked for an encore. We were treated to a beautiful rendition of "Goodbye Joe" and then a thundering romp through "He's Frank" before the band had to finish rather abruptly. Abrupt was the word of the day as we couldn't even get a beer in the bar afterwards as it shut bang on 11 and we were then, rather unceremoniously herded out by security - Saturday night, London, Rock 'n' Roll...!

Despite my slight misgivings about the Bush Hall, I felt that this was one of best shows I have seen from The Monochrome Set in recent years, the band were tight and the set list was a fan's dream, well probably all except for one fan, who's persistent calls for "Fat Fun" went unanswered. But with such a huge back catalogue packed full of so many delights, you're not going to please everyone all of the time, although I am sure tonight the band came pretty damn close. The band will play in Madrid on May 18th before heading off to America for some dates. They will return to the U.K. for a show at London Cargo on July 13th with more dates to follow later in the year. Please check out the band's web-site for more details on the shows.

Would-Be-Goods - Photo by Steve Worrall

A cheeky Bid - Photo by Steve Worrall

Steve Brummell - Photo by Steve Worrall

For more photographs of both The Monochrome Set and Would-Be-Goods, head on over to the Retro Man Blog Facebook page and hit "Like" for access to the photo album. We played a track from The Monochrome Set's latest album "Platinum Coils" back in Episode 3 of Retrosonic Podcast.

The Damaged Goods Records Story Part 1: A Retrosonic Podcast Special

2013-05-10T10:39:00.000+01:00

Steve from Retro Man Blog and Rock Photographer Paul Slattery talk to Ian Ballard, boss of the legendary Punk and Garage Rock label Damaged Goods Records. In this first episode we play and discuss some of the label's pivotal early releases and discover how Ian started off in the big bad world of the music business. Along the way Ian and Paul chat about their early experiences with the Manic Street Preachers and Billy Childish, and we hear the stories and background behind a choice selection of other Damaged Goods releases and some of the characters involved. These include Graham Day, Helen Love meeting Joey Ramone, The Snivelling Shits, Thee Headcoats versus the NME, Thee Headcoatees in Japan and Holly Golightly and The White Stripes. You can also hear an exclusive track from the brand new album by Thee Spivs, "The Crowds and The Sounds", due to be released on Damaged Goods on June 24th.

Part 2 of The Damaged Goods Story is coming soon so please keep a check on our Soundcloud page, or here on the Blog, for more news on the release date. The next Episode will bring the story up to date and features some great music from the likes of Buzzcocks, Pete Molinari, Billy Childish and The Singing Loins, Fabienne Delsol, The Wolfmen, The Briefs, Cyanide Pills, The pUKES and another fantastic exclusive track from Thee Spivs brand new album...!

Ian from Damaged Goods and Billy Childish - Photo by Paul Slattery

With many thanks to Ian and Paul. For more info on Damaged Goods Records and their superb roster of artists please check out their official web-site. To keep up to date with Thee Spivs news, they have their own web-site and Blog here.

Please visit the Retrosonic Podcast Soundcloud site to listen or download the Damaged Goods Special Podcast and check out all our other Episodes.

Retro Man Blog is pleased to announce that, in conjunction with Damaged Goods, we will be hosting Thee Spivs new album Launch Party at The Half Moon Putney on June 29th. Copies of the new album will be available for sale on the night. Tickets are just £8.00 in advance from The Half Moon, click here to buy - be sure to book early to guarantee entrance as this is shaping up to be a great night. Support comes from The Fallen Leaves, who feature original Subway Sect guitarist Rob Symmons, and the line-up is completed by local garage rock heroes, The Past Tense.

Thanks to Adam Donovan of The Jetsonics for the gig poster.

The Jetsonics + Mr. Bridger at The Grey Horse Kingston Friday May 10th

2013-05-09T11:04:00.000+01:00

There will be thrills, spills and power pop down at The Grey Horse, Kingston tomorrow night when local heroes The Jetsonics take the stage supported by Medway's incendiary garage rock trio, Mr. Bridger. The Grey Horse is located at 46 Richmond Road, Kingston KT2 5EE. Tickets are a mere £5.00 on the door. What a bargain! The Jetsonics have just re-vamped their web-site so please pay a visit and check out the brilliant video for "New Romance" and grab their three superb E.P.'s!

Adam from The Jetsonics is my regular co-host on the Retrosonic Podcast, so please visit the Soundcloud site and have a listen! Here's our latest Episode "Because I'm In Love With Cathy McGowan", which features Generation X, Denim, The Stranglers, The Prisoners, King Salami & The Cumberland 3, The Loop, The Hypnotic Eye, Eight Rounds Rapid and more...

Introducing: King Salami and The Cumberland 3 "Cookin' Up A Party"

2013-05-08T15:29:00.001+01:00

One band I'm really looking forward to seeing for the first time at the Hipsville Weekender is King Salami and The Cumberland 3 , who will be appearing on Saturday 11th at around 9pm. I've been hooked on their new album "Cookin' Up A Party" and loved it so much we managed to fit in great track, "Do The Wurst", on the last Episode of Retrosonic Podcast. The band play high energy stomping Garage R'n'B Soul music that puts a smile on your face and a bounce in your step and I will be sure to report back on what promises to be a great live show too.

In 2006, one Japanese, one French, one Caribbean and one Spaniard got together to form a black Rhythm and Blues Punk Rock Party band encompassing many of the greats of the '50's and '60's. The King twists, grooves and howls like Screaming Jay Hawkins with Bo Diddley chasing his coat-tails. His wicked band, The Cumberland 3, were formed by members of The Ulcers, Chinese Lungs and The Parkinsons who play their own brand of vintage Rockabilly and desperate Rock'n'Roll full of soul, fire, energy and fun! They have played all over Europe, sharing the stage with The Pretty Things, The Trashmen, The Standells, The Bellrays, The Mummies and The Cynics and have released a bunch of killer 45's on various European record labels. Their house shaking debut album, "Cookin' Up A Party", is out now on Dirty Water Records, it's been released on download, on CD or vinyl and is available from the Dirty Water Records On-line Store.

For more info on the band please check out their official Facebook Page and you can hear a great stomping King Salami and The Cumberland 3 track on Episode 7 of Retrosonic Podcast...

Hipsville Weekender: 60's Style Garage Go-Go Party on May 10th, 11th & 12th at Bisley Camp, Surrey

2013-05-07T12:51:00.000+01:00

The Hipsville Weekender kicks off this Friday May 10th for three days and nights of 60's style Garage Go-Go mayhem. The Event is being held at Bisley Pavillion, Bisley Camp, Brookwood, Surrey GU24 0NY. More information on accommodation and directions can be found at the Hipsville web-site. There will be loads going on over the three days including live bands, DJ's, Go-Go dancers, movies and much more, so please check out the site and get on the mailing list to make sure you keep up to date on what is happening so you don't miss a thing!

Garage Rock and Psych bands from far and wide will be appearing, such as The Masonics and King Salami & The Cumberland 3 from the U.K., The Mentalettes from Germany, The Archers from Sweden, The Norvins from France and Speedball Jnr. from Belgium, amongst many more.

Check out the excellent Hipsville web-site for all the updates, news and details.

The Rezillos + SpizzEnergi: Live at 229 The Venue April 26th

2013-05-05T21:34:00.002+01:00

Fay Fife of The Rezillos - Photo by Paul Slattery

The Rezillos long-awaited return to London took place at 229 The Venue at Great Portland Street, I'd never been here before and to say it was an unusual place for a gig is not an understatement. I wasn't the only one who had problems finding it either as there was a procession of confused looking Punky types walking up and down Great Portland Street, bewildered by the strange numbering system of the buildings. I went into two different pubs before some kind soul directed me - "It's across there, just round the corner of Pizza Hut" - ah, there it was, a large entrance with a big neon 229 over it - I went to enter but was stopped by a bouncer - "Who are you here to see?", "The Rezillos", "Not here mate", "What..? Are you kidding?", "No, it's just over there..." The actual entrance is what appeared to be a cross between a youth hostel and an office building. Inside the venue itself is large, quite a good room with a bar right at the back and the sound desk set tucked in one corner, giving an excellent and unobstructed view of a rather high stage.

Rezillos in 1978 by Paul Slattery

Photographer Paul Slattery and I made our way backstage and managed to have a nice chat with original band members Eugene, Fay and drummer Angel Patterson and also guitarist Jim Brady as they warmed up before the show. It was a great opportunity for Paul to catch up with a band that he hadn't seen since photographing them live at the Music Machine way back in 1978.

I managed to catch the last half of the set by SpizzEnergi and they played a blinder, and I mean that quite literally, as Spizz is covered head-to-toe in reflective logos and flashing LCD belt buckles. All of this, together with his shock of spiky bright blonde hair, means it might be a good idea to take some shades with you to your next Spizz gig. He's a live-wire front-man and puts on a great show, eyes smudged with mascara, he does look like he's been beamed down from some sort of flying saucer attack. Spizz has also gathered a great band around him, including guitarist Luca from The DeRellas, and they really inject a bit of sleazy glam Punk & Roll into proceedings. "Soldier Soldier", "Red and Black", "Spock's Missing" - all go down a storm with the packed out venue. But of course it's one of Punk Rock's best ever 7" singles, the classic "Where's Captain Kirk?", that sparks off the biggest response, and tonight it's so good it's almost worth the price of admission on it's own.

Spizz - Photo by Steve Worrall

Time for The Rezillos, and I managed to take a few pics from behind the stage and then went down to the front to take some more photos. This was not easy - the stage must have been about six and a half feet high and the rather dour bouncers would not let you touch the stage, let alone put your beers, or even your coats, on it. A few people around me were getting irate with their attitude and petty behaviour and later, after a bit of a confrontation with some exuberant but harmless dancers and pogoers - one of them appeared in front of me looking slightly dishevelled "I'm going to call the Police", he said rather shakily.

The Rezillos - Photo by Paul Slattery

The band kick off with the fantastic "come-back" single "Out of This World", it's sometimes a brave move to start with a new number, but not when it comes to The Rezillos as the song's quality is such that it stands up perfectly well to the classic "Flying Saucer Attack" that immediately follows. The stomping "Mystery Action" and "Getting Me Down" keep the crowd on a high as Fay and Eugene trade vocals and stalk the stage, looking remarkably good as if they have been cryogenically frozen in time by some advanced being from one of their much-loved flying saucers.

Jim, Eugene and Chris look for Flying Saucers - Photo by Steve Worrall

Then we get new song "Life's a Bitch" and their latest single "Number 1 Boy", both songs again proving that the band can write new material that, not only does them proud but leaves us fans with the enticing prospect of a cracking new Rezillos album to look forward to. "2000AD" and "It Gets Me" crank up the fantastic atmosphere another notch and a really great new number "So Deep" sounds like it could be a classic.

Fay Fife by Paul Slattery

Of course Fay and Eugene's wonderful double act is the main focal point, but guitarist Jim Brady gets in on the act, throwing shapes and attacking his guitar with a real energy and a big grin. Drummer Angel Patterson and bassist Chris Agnew are more low key visually and let their playing do the talking - but those familiar bouncing bass runs and quick-fire drums are still a vital ingredient in The Rezillos sound. One of those classic bass-lines introduces "(My Baby Does) Good Sculptures", surely one of the best B-Sides ever, and this is followed by a manic "Bad Girl Reaction" and then it's the crowd favourite "Top Of The Pops". The Rezillos always traded in idiosyncratic cover versions such as their takes on Mersey Beat hits such as The Dave Clark Five's "Glad All Over" and Gerry & The Pacemaker's "I Like It", and tonight we get a spirited run through of "River Deep, Mountain High" by another charismatic duo, Ike & Tina Turner. The set ends with "Can't Stand My Baby" and the crowd go even wilder, shouting out the chorus, "It is uncool, Oh Yeah" Well, there's nothing uncool about The Rezillos that's for sure! That's it, the band leave the stage and I'm certainly not glad it's all over. There are enthusiastic calls for an encore and the band re-appear and blast through four more prime tracks "No", "Destination Venus", "Cold Wars" and of course there's "Somebody's Gonna Get Their Head Kicked In Tonight" which sparks off a mass outbreak of pogoing and shoving - the bouncers suddenly begin to look nervous again.

What a gig! It was even better than the last time I saw them at the Camden Underworld and I voted that as one of my best gigs of 2011. Tonight's show will certainly take some beating, the set was expertly balanced with all the excellent new songs blending in perfectly well, so the future looks bright for The Rezillos, positively Day-Glo in fact! Here are some more photos...

Eugene & Fay backstage - Photo by Paul Slattery

Fay Fife - Photo by Paul Slattery

The Rezillos - Photo by Steve Worrall

Fay and Eugene - Photo by Steve Worrall

Eugene & Spizz backstage - Photo by Paul Slattery

Above two B&W Photos by Paul Slattery

Thanks to Fay, Eugene and Jim and of course to Paul Slattery for the excellent photos, old and new. For more exclusive photos, including back-stage shots, "Like" the Retro Man Blog Facebook page here and check out the Rezillos + Spizz Photo Album.

Introducing: The Hot Hooves - Fake Modern Art

2013-05-05T12:47:00.000+01:00

The Hot Hooves at The Buffalo Bar - Photo by Paul Slattery

Photographer and regular Retro Man Blog contributor Paul Slattery went along to see the Oxford based band, The Hot Hooves, at Islington's Buffalo Bar recently following a glowing recommendation from Ian of Damaged Goods Records. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it, but according to Paul the band were great and I have been listening to their latest album "Fake Modern Art", which has been released on Rivet Gun Records, pretty much non-stop. It's a blistering collection of powerful Punk Rock that reminds me of the great Swedish band Division of Laura Lee in the way they create a wired and edgy, almost claustrophobic sound. The album has an excellent production so the songs thunder along and the guitars positively burst out of the speakers with some spiralling riffs and crunching chords. Similar to Wire and Pixies they have that knack of confounding your senses with some unexpected chord changes and melodic twists and turns. The perfect example of this would be on the stunning title track "Fake Modern Art" with its lovely backing vocal harmonies almost fighting to be heard amongst the twisting guitars, it's a work of genius.

The Hot Hooves at The Buffalo Bar - Photo by Paul Slattery

By chance I saw Hot Hooves guitarist Peter Momtchiloff playing in The Would-Be-Goods who were supporting The Monochrome Set at Bush Hall. After listening to Hot Hooves I must admit to being a bit surprised to discover Peter has also previously played in Indie-Popsters Talulah Gosh and Heavenly as sonically they are poles apart - but then again it's all about the melodies - albeit just played at slightly different volume levels!

Nightshift Magazine, Dec '12 - Short, sharp shocks are the order of the day rather than bilious pontificating; Hot Hooves cram an irresistible amount of energy, melody, wit and cynicism into two and a bit minutes. Album opener "Youth Activator" is a well aimed pop grenade, puncturing modern age posturing and protest as the song cavorts effusively with the spirit of '77. "Uncomplicated Flow" might be a decent description of much of Hot Hooves' output - an onward rush of effortless three-chord ire and disdain with its tongue only slightly in its cheek. What sticks with you is both the strength of melody, even when the band seem to be trashing anything to hand, and a sense of youthful abandon that's rare. If only more bands would grow up so disgracefully.

Nightshift Magazine, Nov '11 - "The band kick out a few-frills buzzsaw brand of pop that fleetingly reminds you of early Teenage Fanclub or even the poppier side of Husker Du. Highlight of the album is the rambunctious "Spark Up Agenda", a full-throttle pile-up between The Ramones and Status Quo helmed by Mark E Smith, while "Midlife" and "My Telekinesis" display a withering wit that few bands can hope to emulate.

The Hot Hooves are Peter: Guitars & Vocals, Gary: Drums, Mike: Bass and Mac: Vocals & Guitars. Here's a great video for the album's opening track "Youth Activator".

Thanks to Paul Slattery & Peter. You can listen to the band at their Hot Hooves Soundcloud page.

PUNK+ Launch Party Photos by Beki Cowey: Sheila Rock book signing with Mick Jones, Paul Simonon & Don Letts

2013-05-01T11:11:00.002+01:00

Photographer Sheila Rock with Paul Simonon - Copyright Beki Cowey 2013

Photographer Beki Cowey has kindly contributed some excellent photographs from the launch party of PUNK+, the brand new book of Punk photography by Sheila Rock. I hope you enjoy these great shots...

Don Letts - Photo copyright Beki Cowey 2013

The Launch Party crowd outside Browns - Photo copyright Beki Cowey 2013

Sheila with Mick Jones - Photo copyright Beki Cowey 2013

Sheila signing copies of PUNK+ Photo copyright Beki Cowey 2013

Debbie Harry by Sheila Rock - Photo copyright Beki Cowey 2013

Mick Jones & Don Letts - Photo copyright Beki Cowey 2013

Sheila with Mick Jones - Photo copyright Beki Cowey 2013

Paul Simonon and Don Letts - Photo copyright Beki Cowey 2013

You can check out more of Beki's excellent photography at her "Beki Takes Pictures" Facebook page and also at her Tumblr Blog. Beki has previously contributed photos to the Blog of the opening night of Danny Garcia's "Rise & Fall of The Clash" movie. You can check out the feature here.

Sheila Rock - Photo copyright Beki Cowey 2013

You can read more about Sheila Rock's PUNK+ book on our previous Blog feature here.

With many thanks to Beki. All photos strictly copyright Beki Cowey 2013.

PUNK+ The Photographs of Sheila Rock: New Limited Edition Punk Rock Photo Book out now from FirstThird Books

2013-04-29T16:42:00.002+01:00

Buzzcocks by Sheila Rock

Legendary London fashion emporium Browns on South Molton Street, played host to the launch of PUNK+, an independently produced, limited edition, superb quality book that presents a fresh view of the Punk movement, through the lens of renowned photographer Sheila Rock. Browns will also be the exclusive book distributor until May 09th. Sheila Rock was party to numerous intimate moments of Punk. Her unique perspective comes through her portraits of influential acts including The Clash, The Jam, Generation X, Siouxsie & The Banshees, The Subway Sect, The Damned and the Buzzcocks. She also documented some notorious yet till now unseen events in punk history such as The Moors Murderers rehearsals.

PUNK+ chronicles both designer and street styles between 1976-9 that had such an effect on fashion, society and politics, including Vivienne Westwood’s shop SEX as well as BOY, Robot and Acme Attractions. It is a fascinating insight into one of the most influential transformations of music and celebrates the scenesters who were the punk audience, and the designers that clothed the movement. As Paul Simonon (The Clash) comments: "This book is a great photographic record of a major shift in British street fashion". Sheila’s conversations with Chrissie Hynde, Tony James, Don Letts, Jeanette Lee, Glen Matlock, Chris Salewicz, Jon Savage, Steven Severin, Paul Simonon, Jah Wobble and more, provide an illuminating commentary on the punk phenomenon. As she observes "Punk was all about changing and surviving". All books are numbered and signed and feature 199 full colour and black and white photos from Sheila Rock's personal archive. The foreward is written by Nick Logan the Editor of The Face magazine and there are captions and quotes from a host of Punk Rock luminaries including Paul Simonon, Chrissie Hynde, Jah Wobble, Don Letts, Chris Salewicz, Glen Matlock and Rob Symmons from The Subway Sect.

Subway Sect by Sheila Rock

USA-born, Sheila Rock has lived in London since 1970. Her photographic career took off in 1980 on The Face magazine. Sheila exhibits regularly in London and internationally. Her portrait work includes a wide range of entertainment and music glitterati, and her editorial work appears in publications from Vogue to The Sunday Times. Her work can also be found in the permanent collection of London’s National Portrait Gallery. She is currently working on a number of fine art projects. PUNK+ is her second book.

The Damned by Sheila Rock

FirstThird Books is an independent publishing company specialising in high quality music photobooks and PUNK+ is Limited to 2000 numbered and signed books, including 300 deluxe versions exclusively available through the FirstThird Books website. PUNK+ is the second in a series of limited edition titles, following the soon to be sold-out book on the legendary Indie icons Felt. This book features some excellent early Felt photographs by Retro Man Blog's Paul Slattery.

Generation X by Sheila Rock

Paul Weller by Sheila Rock

Siouxsie by Sheila Rock

All photos are copyright Sheila Rock & used with permission.

With many thanks to Lee at [stop] Press and Janet at FirstThird Books.

The Bermondsey Joyriders, The Witchdoktors & SuperMinx '70 Live at The Fighting Cocks, Kingston June 14th

2013-04-28T18:39:00.000+01:00

T.H.E. Promotions presents an evening of great British Rock 'n' Roll at The Fighting Cocks Kingston-upon-Thames on Friday June 14th, featuring...

The Bermondsey Joyriders claim all the credentials of a bonafide ‘77 super group, pooling the hard-won experience and history of three veteran Punks. Founding members Gary Lammin (vocals/guitar) and Martin Stacey (bass) cut their teeth in the Joe Strummer-produced Little Roosters and Generation X precursors Chelsea respectively, whilst recent recruit Chris Musto (drums) is a sticksman of some credentials – having previously played with Johnny Thunders, Joe Strummer and Nico, to name but a few!

The WitchDoktors play gloriously catchy Supercharged Punk Rock'n'Roll - a healthy dose of '70s Punk Rock, a good ol' full measure of trashy rock'n'roll-a-billy, a dash of '60s Psyche-Out Garage, and a bitter twist of country.

The SuperMinx '70 are all about foot-stomping Punky-Mod-Glam with catchy choruses and sloppy solo's. The sound of English cars with fins, bench seats littered with Jackie magazine and Spangles wrappers...happy days!

Doors open @ 7pm / Admission £7.00 / Tickets available from We Got Tickets

Introducing: The November Five - If You're Satisfied You Are Dead

2013-04-25T15:57:00.000+01:00

"If You’re Satisfied You Are Dead" is not just the debut album from The November Five, it’s a passionate and furious riposte to the spurious notion that we should "Keep Calm and Carry On". In an age where the good are turned bad and the blameless are demonised, these are anthems for the austerity that tackle head-on the desperate and savage times we find ourselves in. Inspired as much by the sound of your neighbours arguing at 3 o'clock in the morning, the wailing of sirens and the crashing of doors in a dawn raid as they are by their musical heroes, The November Five create a rock'n'roll noise that's made when MENSA collides headlong into ASBO. The November Five are as mad as hell and are asking the right questions. And they want you to get mad, too. Because if you’re satisfied…well, we all know the answer to that one...

The November Five's first two singles, "Closure" and "Awake in a Daze", received international radio support from stations as varied as BBC 6 Music, Xfm, Radio 1, LA’s KROQ and others across Europe and South America. "If You’re Satisfied You Are Dead" delivers on their promise. The album was co-produced by The November Five and Brian O’Shaughnessy whose previous production credits include Go-Kart Mozart, Primal Scream and My Bloody Valentine and it has been praised by Shindig magazine, The Quietus and Vive Le Rock amongst others. For a debut, it's a thoroughly satisfactory album, brilliantly constructed from start to finish. The songs are lean with a great use of space and atmosphere, allowing singer Joe Cribbins' voice to shine. There's some mightily impressive guitar work too, sometimes simple yet always effective, there's no unnecessary excess. The band clearly understand dynamics and know how to reign it in with a Post-Punk approach of, say Wire or Mission of Burma. The variety on offer is also impressive, if you were to pick a track at random it would probably not be representative of the album as a whole, although the band do have a strong identity and sound. For example the first track "Here We Come" is a spacious atmospheric number that recalls early Echo & The Bunnymen, but then they can rock out like Radio Birdman. "Good To Be Alive" has Joe crooning like Iggy Pop on "Risky" over a slow jazzy drum beat whilst "Good Cop Bad Cop" reminds me of the highly underrated Radio 4 with it's call and response vocals over some great funky bass and drums. "Control" is a powerful number with a nice Pixies chord change and the album ends on the mellow "Reach Out" with a nice synth undercurrent and some lovely chiming guitar work. It's a great finish to an excellent album.

The November Five are:

Joe Cribbin – Vox and Bass
Chris Maciejewski – Guitars and Keyboards
Julian Marszalek – Guitars and Vox
George Phillips – Drums and Percussion

You can check out more information on The November Five at their official Facebook. We also played a track from the album in Episode 7 of Retrosonic Podcast, go on, have a listen...

With thanks to Julian Marszalek.

Introducing: The Hypnotic Eye - Fuzzed-up "Slightydelic" Garage Rock

2013-04-23T17:05:00.002+01:00

The Hypnotic Eye are a South London based Flower-Punk band who play abrupt, "slightlydelic" Garage Rock. They are due to release their debut album "The Optical Sound of The Hypnotic Eye" very soon, and if their excellent singles are anything to go by, it will be one hell of a record! Actually, there will be a Hypnotic Eye onslaught in the near future, as they are already in the process of recording their second album, live in the studio, with the band claiming "It's a lot more raw and darker in places and it's going to be in your face and louder". The band also love their vinyl, both their singles have been released on this format and I managed to get hold of a copy of their Record Store Day exclusive 7" down at London's best record store, Casbah Records in Greenwich. It's a split single featuring Mod Freak-beat legends (and Marc Bolan's first band...) John's Children, who perform "Cornflake Zoo" on one side with The Hypnotic Eye contributing a cover of the John's Children classic "Smashed! Blocked!" on the flip-side. Limited to 300 copies, the split 45 was released by Downtown Sound for Record Store Day 2013 and is distributed by Cargo Records. It also boasts fantastic cartoon cover art by Marty Street at Cartoon Workshop.

The band's debut single "Marianne" featured guest appearances by Rhys and Joe from The Horrors and the B-Side was a cover of The Omens track "Searchin'". Latest single "Satisfied" is a masterpiece of fuzzed up Garage Rock and the record also features another excellent cover version, this time The Human Expression's "Readin' Your Will". I'm really looking forward to catching the band live and hearing both their albums and will be sure to report back about them.

Here's the video to the excellent "Satisfied"...enjoy!

We played a Hypnotic Eye track on our latest episode of Retrosonic Podcast, listen here.

To keep up to date on all band news, the debut album release date, tour dates and how to get hold of their previous singles, check out The Hypnotic Eye official web-site. With thanks to Matt.

Introducing: Sid Sings - a Deliciously Dark and Dirty Blues Explosion...

2013-04-22T09:25:00.000+01:00

Making their first appearance on the Blog, I'd like to welcome Sid Sings, a great band who I've only just discovered through singer Nikki Brook's radio show, where she recently had The Fallen Leaves in as special guests. I got hold of their excellent album "Notes From Underground" and equally good E.P. "Make Me Howl", which both came thoroughly recommended, and I've been hooked. The E.P. features one of hell of a stand-out track in "Caught In Black", where Nikki sings the verses in French before it explodes into a chorus to die for. It's one of my tunes of 2013 so far and a must to add to the playlist for our next episode of Retrosonic Podcast. Anyway, I got in touch with the band to find out a bit more...

Sid Sings are "a deliciously dark and dirty Blues-explosion for the True Blood generation"...
One vocal, one guitar and pounding drums is all Sid Sings need to create their raw Alternative Blues sound that has lead critics to describe them as "...a female Robert Plant fronting The Black Keys". Known for their full-on live show, they have headlined many London venues including The Blues Kitchen, The Barfly and The Borderline and have also shared the stage with The Jim Jones Revue, Hugo Race and The Fatalists, Mama Roisin, Yat Kha, Nine Below Zero, Eli Paperboy Reed, Johnnie Bassett and Ten Years After. They have even supported Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler as From The Jam at The Forum in Kentish Town.

They have also appeared at various Festivals including Guilfest, Gold Coast Ocean festival, Nozstock, Avant Garde Blues Festival in Italy and Cognac Blues Passions Festival in France where they were named band of the day and stars of the "Nu–Blues". The local press described their performance as "mind blowing".

The title track from Sid Sings' E.P. "Make Me Howl", was recently named "Best on the Net" by Tom Robinson on his BBC Radio 6 show. The band comprise vocalist Nikki Brooks and guitarist Sandy Michie as the core duo, but are sometimes joined by drummer Dan in larger venues. They have recently come back from France supporting "Ten Years After" and played for the first time in Paris at a great little venue called La Feline.

“With the help of sultry Nikki the band is going from strength to strength, bringing together their own sound punctuated by Nikki’s teasing and sexy voice and interpretation. Not only are they talented musicians but they are also great songwriters as demonstrated by the twelve songs they wrote for this album, taking inspiration from the likes of Robert Johnson, Seasick Steve, White Stripes and The Sex Pistols. Here you have a hotter Blues Rock, adding spice to the current delights in the Blues Kitchen" - Blues Matters Magazine

"Dead good and dead sexy" - Unpeeled Magazine

"Mixing PJ Harvey's archness with Debbie Harry's sultry caress. Shining a bright light into the typical murk of swamp blues and revealing its cross-over potential into mainstream pop"

- Whisperin'an'Hollerin' website.

Here's a great video for "Death Rattle Boogie" from the album "Notes From Underground".

Nikki also hosts her own Alternative Blues radio show on Resonance 104.4fm called "House Rent Boogie". She was asked to do her own show after Sid Sings were guests on Resonance a couple of years back. Nikki gets Bands to do a live set and then asks them to bring in songs from their childhood that inspired and influenced them. Her playlist can range from someone traditional like Mud Morganfield, but then branch out into Garage Rock, hence her recent session with Retro Man Blog favourites, The Fallen Leaves. Nikki also has her own "House Rent Boogie" Blog to go along with the show, so please check it out for news and reports and photos from the sessions.

Sid Sings will support the great Killer B's at The Half Moon in Putney on Thursday May 09th, and I hope to get down to the show to do a review. Check out the band's official Sid Sings web-site for further news, gig dates and where to buy the album "Notes From Undergound" and the "Make Me Howl" E.P.

A Musical Celebration of Jeff Munday's Birthday: Featuring The Fallen Leaves, The Past Tense, The Legendary Groovymen and The SuperMinx '70

2013-04-19T08:29:00.000+01:00

Jeff Munday "guesting" with The Fallen Leaves - Photo by Steve Worrall

DJ and dapper Man-about-town, "Chelsea Jeff" Munday, celebrated his birthday in style last week at the William Morris in South Wimbledon with a great line-up of bands that bore close resemblance to the last Retro Man Blog Night at the Half Moon in Putney. The evening kicked off with The Past Tense, who played their danceable little garage pop nuggets to perfection. Drummer Warren Samuels and bassist Ken Halsey are getting a reputation as the best rhythm section on the circuit, and tonight Warren had the crowd's mouths agape at one particular point in proceedings with some tremendous drumming. They ended on the Quadrophenia tribute "Jimmy's Love Song" from their excellent debut album "Take Three" and singer and guitarist Andy Norrie-Rolfe performed a perfect Pete Townshend leap to round it all off, captured here by Paul Slattery...

Andy takes off! The Past Tense by Paul Slattery

Next up were The Legendary Groovymen, who are one of those perfect party bands, with their mix of catchy originals and a choice selection of cover versions including songs from The Jam, The Strangeloves and a cheery "You Need Wheels" by local heroes The Merton Parkas.

The Legendary Groovymen - Photo by Paul Slattery

It was my first time to see The SuperMinx '70 and they were a pleasant surprise - off stage I'd always seen singer and guitarist Paul Osborn dressed to the nines, perfectly suited and booted, so I was expecting their sound to be more of the Mod persuasion. However, the band are refreshingly different - on stage Paul was more casual - wearing a Mott The Hoople T-Shirt that gives a slight clue to their sound. They play brash South London street-tough tunes nicely augmented by Sax and Trumpet. There's hints of the rougher bovver-boot end of British Glam Rock such as The Hollywood Brats and Jook. If you've ever heard the early demos of the Sex Pistols where Glen Matlock plays his melodic bass lines then you might get an idea where SuperMinx are coming from. Paul's a great singer and his lyrics are also original and amusing. Unfortunately, the band have not yet been in the studio, but I am eagerly awaiting their first recordings and look forward to seeing the band again.

The SuperMinx '70 - Photo by Paul Slattery

The Fallen Leaves close the show with their usual brilliant set, I've already waxed lyrical about The Leaves so many times on the Blog, but they really are the best band out there playing now. Tonight they wow the crowd with their Punk Rock for Gentlemen! Jeff Munday gets the ultimate birthday present, he gets to join in on backing vocals on "Trouble"...money can't buy a gift like that!

The Fallen Leaves - Photo by Steve Worrall

In the audience were spotted members of The Aadvarks, The Onlookers and The Transients and Ray Gange, star of the Clash's "Rude Boy" movie, was also there. So, a great night of music in celebration of Jeff Munday's birthday, brilliantly organised by Paul Osborn, Paul Philips and Tony Holton. Cheers Jeff! Here are a few more photos from the evening.

The Past Tense - Photo by Steve Worrall

The Legendary Groovymen - Photo by Steve Worrall

The SuperMinx '70 - Photo by Steve Worrall

Rob Green of The Fallen Leaves - Photo by Steve Worrall

Bill Lewington & Matthew Karas of The Fallen Leaves - by Steve Worrall

Rob Green of The Fallen Leaves - by Steve Worrall

Rob Symmons of The Fallen Leaves - by Steve Worrall

Birthday Boy Jeff Munday with Rock Photographer Paul Slattery - by Steve Worrall

Thanks and "hello" to all the bands, Jeff, Paul Osborn, Paul Philips, Tony Holton, Paul Slattery, Andy Norrie-Rolfe, Les, Albert, Emer, Adam, Ray Gange and Mark Leech.

Elephant Stone: New Album "Elephant Stone" Out Now!

2013-04-13T10:36:00.001+01:00

Elephant Stone - Photo courtesy Crash Avenue Management

Montreal's Elephant Stone have just released their second album entitled "Elephant Stone" and it's already vying with The Fallen Leaves' excellent "If Only We'd Known" as my favourite album of the year so far. Elephant Stone were formed in 2009 by sitarist/bassist Rishi Dhir following the break-up of the highly rated High Dials. As one of the most sought out sitar players in the Psychedelic music scene, he has recorded and toured with The Black Angels, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Horrors, The Soundtrack of Our Lives and many more. In 2009, the band released their debut album, "The Seven Seas". Brilliantly melding Rishi’s obsession with the perfect pop song and the trippiest raga, "The Seven Seas", was warmly embraced by the global Indie/Psych scene and short-listed for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize. 2010 saw the release of "The Glass Box E.P.", a 5-song suite of inspired Power-Pop and Psychedelia, a supporting slot on the Brian Jonestown Massacre’s North American tour, European/UK tours with sold-out dates in London and Berlin, and festival appearances at Iceland Airwaves, Osheaga and SXSW.

Now 2013 sees them back with a stunning multi-layered album that just grows mightier with each listen. First track "Setting Sun" is a strong opener, built around an insistent guitar riff it sets the tone perfectly for what is in store. "Heavy Moon", the new single, is underpinned by squalling backwards guitar and the main tune is carried by the bass and vocals. It has the discordant feel of "154" era Wire, where they kind of make you work a bit, forcing you dig around in the layers and red-herrings of feedback to find your reward. "Masters Of War" is an uptempo rocking number, with the guitar motif riding beautifully over swelling keyboards with shades of early R.E.M. in places. Elephant Stone, although often touted as a Psychedelic band, have far more eclectic influences than the usual Sixties sounds that may originally spring to mind. Of course, Rishi's use of the sitar and more traditional Indian music adds a thoroughly unique aspect to their sound, but they also encompass British Beat bands, The Zombies, and on occasion (as their choice of band name suggests...) Brit-pop and the so called "Shoe-gazing" scene of Ride and My Bloody Valentine. Then we have "Hold Onto Yr Soul" which shows another side, where Teenage Fanclub and Big Star spring to mind. "A Silent Moment" starts off with a Brian Jonestown Massacre style atmosphere which then melds beautifully into Indian chanting and tabla. It's a mantra, it could flow for ever but with this album, the band have decided to stick to a more concise format, and each song is cut back, nothing outstays its welcome. "Looking Thru Baby Blue" is a beautiful song, with a magical chorus and great guitar riff, it's one of the highlights of the album. If it was released as a single I think it would be regarded as an equal to Edwyn Collins' "Girl Like You" as a left-field pop gem.

Rishi at The Lexington, London by Steve Worrall

Then the Sitar finally makes a welcome, starring appearance on the swirling "Sally Goes Round The Sun" but the great thing about Rishi is his versatility with the sitar. It's not all traditional Raga styles, as here he uses the instrument in a short 2 two minute blast of instrumental perfection. "Love The Sinner, Hate The Sin" was previously released as a single, and it quickly established itself as one of my tracks of 2012. A faultless piece of harmonic psych-pop bursting with melody and heart-tugging lead guitar. The swaggering "The Sea Of Your Mind" is more of a coming together of Elephant Stone's musical philosophy as you get it all in eight and a half minutes of blissful music. Here the guitars battle with the sitar and the traditional rhythms mesh with the rock drums to create a wonderful maelstrom of textures. The album closes with "The Sacred Sound" with it's slightly treated vocals and string arrangement calming things down to provide a warm and thoroughly satisfying end to a quite remarkable, uplifting record.

2013 will see the band tour the world, spreading their Psychedelified-Hindie-Rock mantra, spending most of April on a tour of the US and Canada with The Black Angels, check out the band's official Elephant Stone web-site for full details on venues and dates.

Elephant Stone is:

Rishi Dhir: Vocals, Bass & Sitar

Gabriel Lambert: Guitar & Backing Vox

Stephen Venkatarangam: Keyboards, Bass, Sitar & Backing Vox

Miles Dupire: Drums

You can read a review of the band's last London show on the Blog here. Check out more information on the band at their management company Crash Avenue or at the band's official web-site. We also play a track from the new album on the latest Episode of Retrosonic Podcast, you can listen to or download for free direct from the Retrosonic Soundcloud site.

Thanks to Jeffrey at Crash Avenue and Rishi.

Retrosonic Podcast Episode 7: "Because I'm in love with Cathy McGowan"

2013-04-11T10:40:00.001+01:00

Welcome to Episode 7 of Retrosonic Podcast. Steve from Retro Man Blog and Ad from The Jetsonics play a selection of Punk Rock, Soul, Garage Rock, Psychedelia, Mod and weird stuff...Generation X praise Rock 'n' Roll, Denim bury it...The Stranglers old versus new, there's classic New York sleaze from Wayne County & The Electric Chairs, Heavy Mod from The Loop and some groove from the Soul President. Hear a Stiff Records classic by Graham Parker and The Rumour and discover the Slightlydelic Garage Rock of The Hypnotic Eye. There's Southend's finest in the highly rated Eight Rounds Rapid and Wilko at Koko. Plus there's Hindi-Rock raga from Elephant Stone, the atmospheric guitar sound of The November Five and sausage based mayhem from King Salami & The Cumberland 3...And yes, we do manage to squeeze in our now traditional Graham Day track, this time a soulful slice of genius from The Prisoners. All this plus the usual waffle, reminiscing and news about the Hipsville Weekender and the "Locations" Art Exhibition featuring Gaye Black (Advert), David Apps from Artificial Designs and Lynne Blackburn and Ian Bailey from Hippo Screenprinters.

If you liked the bands and are interested in any events featured in the news section then please kindly take the time to click on the highlighted links and check out their web-sites to investigate further...Many Thanks! Steve & Ad.

Don't forget all previous Retrosonic Podcast Episodes are still available and as well as the regular shows there are various Special Editions featuring interviews with a wide range of personalities. The Fallen Leaves "Simple Songs for Complex People" a story in two parts, is a must for any music lover. TV Smith from The Adverts treats us to an exclusive live acoustic session, Mattias Bärjed takes us on a journey from the Nymphet Noodlers to The Soundtrack of Our Lives, his successful movie and TV soundtrack work to his brand new band Free Fall. We have some demo versions and unreleased tracks from Mattias Hellberg's forthcoming album, JC Carroll from The Members takes us on a little Punk Rock trip and there are exclusive unreleased solo songs from Ian Person from The Soundtrack of Our Lives. There are also special reports on various music related topics such as the Swedish music scene which includes interviews with Ann-Sofie from Spiders, Bruce from MUG Music store and Wayne Lundqvist-Ford from the Gothenburg based Ice Cream Man Blog. There are looks into the contemporary Mod scene, Paul Slattery's adventures in Rock and Roll Photography and much more...

The Godfathers - Live at Guildford G-Live

2013-04-09T13:36:00.001+01:00

The Godfathers - Photo by Steve Worrall

The Godfathers are back with a bang! The brand new album "Jukebox Fury" is stuffed full of top tunes and riffs and positively bristles with all their classic trademarks; Peter Coyne's sneering delivery and world-weary cynicism, the stinging guitar riffs and powerhouse rhythm section, it's all here. Original Sid Presley Experience guitarist Del Bartle is back with his old colleagues, the Coyne brothers again and contributes some mighty fine songs to the album. Live he covers what was always a twin-guitar assault on his own, and although the band are lacking a bit of the Dollimore/Gibson-era stage visuals, musically Del covers remarkably well.

Peter Coyne - Photo by Steve Worrall

The band have been supporting long time pals The Stranglers on their lengthy "Feel It Live" Tour and this, along with overseas dates earlier this year, has seen the band tighten up considerably since the last time I saw them back at the Valentine's Day Massacre gig in February last year. Tonight, the band are allowed a generous 40 minute set despite being the support act, and they take full advantage, playing a perfectly balanced set of old classics and tracks from the new album. Peter goads the audience into letting loose, winding up the attentive but quiet crowd until they relax and join in the singing on some of the more familiar numbers. And there are a lot of familiar numbers to enjoy, kicking off with a three song blast from the past "She Gives Me Love", the first single to be taken from "More Songs About Love & Hate" and then two numbers from their faultless second album "Birth, School, Work, Death", the storming "'Cause I Said So", and "If I Only Had Time", two of my favourite Godfather's tracks.

The Godfathers - Photo by Steve Worrall

Next up is "I Can't Sleep Tonight" from the new album, a melodic bubble-gum Punk song which Peter introduces as their tribute to the Ramones. Then it's "Back Into The Future", the first of the new album tracks that originally saw the light of day way back in 2011. It's built around a Stooges-heavy guitar riff from Del, and Peter Coyne snarls every line with relish, twisting every syllable up and spitting them out with pure venom. It's a fantastic track, that proves that time has not dulled their South London gangster-chic aggression in the slightest. One of their best ever singles "Love Is Dead" is followed by "If I Only Could" from the new album, which should be earmarked for a future single, no mistake. We then get a real treat with "Public Enemy No. 1" the instrumental classic from The Sid Presley Experience. It takes me right back to those dark days of the mid to late '80's, that musical wasteland where only The Sid Presley Experience and later The Godfathers, were keeping that raw Rock 'n' Roll spirit alive for me.

The Godfathers - Photo by Steve Worrall

The band have always grabbed their influences, embraced them and then given them a mighty slap round the head, and tonight their cover of Lennon's "Cold Turkey" is just immense. Another new song from "Jukebox Fury" is next entitled "Primitive Man", which has brilliantly witty lyrics and a stick-in-your-head-for-days chorus. "Walking Talking Johnny Cash Blues" with it's Dr. Feelgood Wilko Johnson style choppy rhythm, gets a fair few more people dancing along and it's into another Sid Presley song. The familiar military drum beat heralds probably The Presley's finest moment "Hup 2-3-4", which they once performed live on the much-missed TV show The Tube. Then it's the only track from their debut "Hit By Hit", but what a track it is, "I Want Everything" is The Godfather's at their very best, and it perks the crowd up for the last song, the anthemic "Birth, School, Work, Death", a brilliant way to close the show.

Chris Coyne - Photo by Steve Worrall

Credit to The Stranglers for letting The Godfathers support them, many less able bands might have been quaking in their boots to have to follow such an impressive set. Anyway, please make sure you check out the brilliant new album "Jukebox Fury", it is a stunning record and after a few patchy releases such as "Unreal World", the "Orange" album and "Afterlife", The Godfathers are now back where we came in, with a bang! You can read the review of The Godfathers 2012 Valentine's Day Massacre gig along with some excellent and exclusive Paul Slattery photographs, by checking out the earlier Blog feature here.

Del Bartle - Photo by Steve Worrall

Peter Coyne - Photo by Steve Worrall

The Godfathers - Photo by Steve Worrall

We also picked our favourite Godfathers track in the very first Pilot Episode of Retrosonic Podcast, find out which one we went for here...although, please bear in mind this is the Pilot, our very first attempt at a Podcast, so it is a bit rough top say the least...