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Showing posts with label General news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label General news. Show all posts
11/26/2009
9/24/2009
Win Jack Daniels tickets!
From The Publican:
Publican readers are in with a chance of joining in the celebrations at a gig to mark the birthday of Tennessee whiskey Jack Daniel’s.
A pair of tickets are up for grabs to the exclusive JD Birthday Set which will feature performances from former Suede singer Brett Anderson, one-time Libertine Carl Barat and Jon McClure of Reverend & The Makers.
The gig will be held at the Village Underground in London on October 8 and to be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is email your name and pub address to news@thepublican.com before Oct 2. Entrants need to be 18 and over.
The gig will be held at the Village Underground in London on October 8 and to be in with a chance of winning all you need to do is email your name and pub address to news@thepublican.com before Oct 2. Entrants need to be 18 and over.
Meanwhile, there's a longer version of the Carl Barat interview (that of the box full of dying wasps) at the JD website.
9/16/2009
Sadness
Unfortunately there's been another sad loss in the Peter/Shambles community. Our friend ProperBo, whose witty remarks at the FDB forum were often reported in these pages too, passed away two days ago. ProperBo's real name was Dale and he had been a Peter/Shambles fan for a very long time, and a regular at the gigs and afterparties. It's unbelievable that one of his last posts to the forum, in reply to someone ranting on the QOH afterparty at 126, was only sent last Sunday, one day before he died. Another great guy who's gone, in this summer already full of departures.
Goodbye, Dale. And keep rocking, wherever you are.
8/30/2009
For Jenn (AKA Coco Neon)
My frequentation of the FDW forum is so poor that I don't think I've ever spoken directly to her. But this beautiful girl who died a month ago was a huge Shambles fan and I'm sure I've cited bits from her posts about Peter or Babyshambles more than once. Writtlers who were much more in touch with her than I was and still remember her witty and funny messages are now asking Babybear to do something to remember this girl.
"As you know" Wolfman writes "we recently lost a girl who wasn't just a huge fan and a member of this forum, but a friend to many. She was restricted from attending gigs, but promoted and supported Babyshambles and Roses Kings Castles probably the most out of all of us. She made badges, lined-up a t-shirt range and has supported and contributed vastly. The thing is - the band does so so much more than any other would, and everybody here recognises that and is, I'm sure, eternally grateful. But I feel that the best way to honour Jenn would be to (insert idea here) with just a little support. Please don't think i'm taking the piss - I know it's cheeky to suggest, but it's not for my benefit or the benefit of anybody on here. Even if it was a line of dedication on the new album, that would mean so much to everybody who knew Jenn".
People are suggesting organising a gig in Cardiff (Jenn's hometown). That would be awesome. I join Wolfman and all the writtlers in this request. Babybear has seen the messages on FDW and he's just replied "Read and noted".
And now, waiting for some good news on the matter, and also to cheer everyone up, I suggest visiting Adrian's blog, updated with exciting photos and things from Moscow.
8/16/2009
Holidays
Breck Road Lovers is on holiday where the skies are blue and the sea is deep and internet is hardly available.
We'll be back next week.
6/18/2009
Telstar to premiere tomorrow
Carletto Barattolo won't participate to the event (he's coming to visit my folks - well, nearly) but if you still enjoy a good night out at the pictures, don't miss it. The following article (by Neil Smith) comes from BBC News:
"Telstar, a British-made biopic of the 1960s music producer Joe Meek, arrives in UK cinemas this week on the same day as the heavily-hyped Transformers sequel.
It is a David and Goliath battle that would no doubt appeal to Meek, a maverick talent accustomed to ploughing his own idiosyncratic furrow.
A pioneer who created musical history from a humble flat on London's Holloway Road, Joe Meek enjoyed phenomenal success with the iconic Telstar.
Performed by The Tornados, the instrumental track - named after the first active communications satellite - was a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1962 and the biggest-selling record of its time.
Meek's other successes included Johnny Remember Me, a "death ditty" for singer John Leyton, renowned for its eerie, ethereal vocals.
But he is equally well known for his lapses in judgement - he turned down the Beatles four times - and the nature of his tragic demise.
That came in February 1967 when he killed himself with the shotgun he had just used to murder his landlady, Violet Shenton.
His dramatic rise and fall form the basis of a film that could hardly be further removed from a certain effects-laden blockbuster.
Actor turned director Nick Moran admits he would rather his modestly budgeted film did not face such stiff competition.
"It wasn't planned," he tells the BBC News website. "But I don't think it matters, because it's not going to be seen by giant robot fans.
"What this film has is amazing British talent and world-dominating acting," he continues. "That's what we're good at.
"We're not good at robots. You want to see robots, go see them - the choice is yours."
The British talent of which Moran speaks spans an eclectic range of actors, comedians and music stars.
The latter include singer and guitarist Carl Barat, of the Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things, and Justin Hawkins, formerly of The Darkness.
Barat plays rock 'n' roll star Gene Vincent, while Hawkins makes a memorable impression as the late Screaming Lord Sutch.
Moran, best known for his role in Guy Ritchie's film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, says it was important to involve figures from the current music scene.
"We've tried to throw in contemporary links, and hopefully people pick up on that," he explains.
"If they don't it still stands up, but if they do it's an added bit of texture."
Actor Con O'Neill, who plays Meek in the film, sees further parallels between his character and the modern pop industry.
"Joe was the Simon Cowell of his day," he says. "He was a star maker, which is what Simon is, and he was as abrupt as he is too."
"I think Simon owes a lot to Joe," agrees Moran. "Joe was taking kids off the street, giving them a shiny suit and turning them into a pop star.
"That's something that was going on back then and couldn't be more relevant, thanks to shows like Pop Idol and The X Factor."
Having played Meek in the stage play on which Telstar is based, O'Neill knows pretty much all there is to know about this neglected British icon.
Given Meek's well-documented obsession with the occult and the afterlife, then, what does the actor think he would make of how he is portrayed?
"I think he would love the fact that a film has been made of his life," says O'Neill. "It's great it's raised interest in that era and his music.
"And I think he'd appreciate we don't dress him up as something he wasn't. We chose to show him as a complex, flawed human being."
Moran, meanwhile, is convinced that Meek, wherever he is, thinks his leading man did the late impresario justice.
"When we did the cast and crew screening, one of Joe's relatives said he was in the room," he reveals.
"He thought Con did very well, even if he was a little bit too short."
Telstar is out in the UK on 19 June".
It is a David and Goliath battle that would no doubt appeal to Meek, a maverick talent accustomed to ploughing his own idiosyncratic furrow.
A pioneer who created musical history from a humble flat on London's Holloway Road, Joe Meek enjoyed phenomenal success with the iconic Telstar.
Performed by The Tornados, the instrumental track - named after the first active communications satellite - was a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1962 and the biggest-selling record of its time.
Meek's other successes included Johnny Remember Me, a "death ditty" for singer John Leyton, renowned for its eerie, ethereal vocals.
But he is equally well known for his lapses in judgement - he turned down the Beatles four times - and the nature of his tragic demise.
That came in February 1967 when he killed himself with the shotgun he had just used to murder his landlady, Violet Shenton.
His dramatic rise and fall form the basis of a film that could hardly be further removed from a certain effects-laden blockbuster.
Actor turned director Nick Moran admits he would rather his modestly budgeted film did not face such stiff competition.
"It wasn't planned," he tells the BBC News website. "But I don't think it matters, because it's not going to be seen by giant robot fans.
"What this film has is amazing British talent and world-dominating acting," he continues. "That's what we're good at.
"We're not good at robots. You want to see robots, go see them - the choice is yours."
The British talent of which Moran speaks spans an eclectic range of actors, comedians and music stars.
The latter include singer and guitarist Carl Barat, of the Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things, and Justin Hawkins, formerly of The Darkness.
Barat plays rock 'n' roll star Gene Vincent, while Hawkins makes a memorable impression as the late Screaming Lord Sutch.
Moran, best known for his role in Guy Ritchie's film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, says it was important to involve figures from the current music scene.
"We've tried to throw in contemporary links, and hopefully people pick up on that," he explains.
"If they don't it still stands up, but if they do it's an added bit of texture."
Actor Con O'Neill, who plays Meek in the film, sees further parallels between his character and the modern pop industry.
"Joe was the Simon Cowell of his day," he says. "He was a star maker, which is what Simon is, and he was as abrupt as he is too."
"I think Simon owes a lot to Joe," agrees Moran. "Joe was taking kids off the street, giving them a shiny suit and turning them into a pop star.
"That's something that was going on back then and couldn't be more relevant, thanks to shows like Pop Idol and The X Factor."
Having played Meek in the stage play on which Telstar is based, O'Neill knows pretty much all there is to know about this neglected British icon.
Given Meek's well-documented obsession with the occult and the afterlife, then, what does the actor think he would make of how he is portrayed?
"I think he would love the fact that a film has been made of his life," says O'Neill. "It's great it's raised interest in that era and his music.
"And I think he'd appreciate we don't dress him up as something he wasn't. We chose to show him as a complex, flawed human being."
Moran, meanwhile, is convinced that Meek, wherever he is, thinks his leading man did the late impresario justice.
"When we did the cast and crew screening, one of Joe's relatives said he was in the room," he reveals.
"He thought Con did very well, even if he was a little bit too short."
Telstar is out in the UK on 19 June".
3/07/2009
Don't forget to fight RACISM
Always.
There's a nice little message from Babybear on FDW today:
Hello folks, a couple of small but significant things to let you guys know about. We have just cemented a new deal with Teenage Cancer Trust today. This means that everyone who comes to our gigs pays.Now I know that sounds normal but what I mean is ..... everyone. From now on guest list places are no longer free for bigger shows and money goes straight to Teenage Cancer Trust https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/ collected by The Cato Trust http://www.catotrust.com/ in the memory of our friend Dan Squires who sadly passed away last year. Also, I'd like you to be nice if you see someone outside the flyering for TCT / Cato and if they have a bucket .... well time to get rid of that loose change that's been bothering you.Next up .... we are working as closely as we can with Love Music Hate Racism and they'll have activists and stalls at as many events we are involved with as we can. As most of you know we've supported this organisation for some time and Drew is highly active in the organisation. We do try and do as much as we can for this organisation so I hope it filters down and you guys get active too. We may be preaching to the converted to a certain extent here as most of you guys seem to abhor racism as much as the band and management but these guys will be able to keep you updated with the latest news in the fight against racism / fascism. So make sure you stop by and say hello to them and hear what they have to say in the millisecond it takes before a bouncer moves you on for blocking the stairs etc ....
bb
Speaking of which, LMHR has announced the venue for the 2009 Carnival:
"We are delighted to announce that LMHR's national 2009 Carnival will take in Stoke-on-Trent's Britannia Stadium, on Saturday 30th May. The 30,000-capacity event, organised in partnership with Premier League football club Stoke City and Stoke City Council, will be officially launched at the stadium on Saturday 21st March before the club's match with Middlesbrough - with tickets going on sale the same day. The LMHR Carnival 2009 website, with more details of the event including this year's exciting line-up, local transport information and much more goes live in the next two weeks - watch this space for more news".
Of course we'll be waiting anxiously for the exciting line-up!
Today The Independent gives away Mongrel's album and has an interesting article about this band. I was a bit puzzled after reading the NME review (4/10) but, as a funky music addict, I think I can say that I like it. I know, it's not original. I know, it's all already said and done. So? When talking about grooves does it really matter? No, of course. Up the Mongrel.
2/13/2009
The Sanremo Horror
She's friends with Santana, you know...
Me, I love horrors. Starting from pure masterpieces (The Shining, The Cabinet of Dr, Caligari, The Night of the Living Dead) going through recent average commercial products (The Ring, The Blair Witch Project) and finishing with gory and splatterish B-movies. I love them all. BUT what's been going on in the last weeks at the Sanremo Festival tops everything I've seen and loved so far. Hey, I thought that was a Libertines site, what's the Sanremo Festival got to do with it? Let me carry on, And let me explain first what this Festival is to people who've never heard about it (and I expect there are many). Do you have in mind something like the Eurovision Song Contest? Nah, that's what Sanremo looked like ages ago. Now it's all different. The contest is still there but nobody cares about it. What people want from this Festival (that airs on prime time TV for 5 days in a row, believe me) is: a) seeing half-naked chicks; b) watching semi-forgotten comedians, actors, politicians, dancers, singers, nothing-doers, people famous for being famous, ex Big Brother or X-Factor contestants, ex football players, ex clowns, ex famous people's ex lovers, ex priests and ex nuns and even aspiring suicides (I thought there was one many years ago), all this mixed in a huge pot of bad taste, crap music and endless bore. This year's edition of the Festival starts next Tuesday and ends four days later (Saturday). So, what happened this year? The organizers chose to make "artists" perform in duets. And there's this Italian singer who should be about 160 years old, and goes under the nickname "Patty Pravo" (of course it's fake, but I have no idea what her real name is) and had her first moment of celebrity when my mother used to go to elementary schools, well, this woman decided that she was going to duet with... Pete Doherty. And of course she informed the Italian press about her choice. "He's a bit of a crazy kid" she said "and he told me he'd rather play on his own. But I'm sure I can convince him". The press went mad: "Druggie Doherty to rock Sanremo!", "Ill famed rocker on Sanremo's stage!", "Junkie Pete and Patty together!", "Kate Moss's ex lover will shock everyone!".
Pity that poor Peter didn't have a single fucking remote idea about all this. I asked Babybear if there was any truth. Adrian said "It's only a rumour, there's nothing confirmed". A few weeks passed, and nothing new surfaced, and the rumour remained rumour. Until two days ago, when the 165 year old singer was forced to admit that no, actually Peter was not going to sing with her at the Festival. "He's a very unstable man" she said "and when people are too unstable things may go the wrong way. I don't want to take risks, he might smash his guitar on the floor or hurt people in the audience. And actually I chose quality over quantity (Peter is quantity?) and decided to have people who made music history play with me" (she went on naming two people nobody's ever heard of) "I asked my great friend Carlos Santana but he was busy". Word to demented press: "Patty Pravo dumps Doherty", "Patty does not want druggie Peter anymore", "Poor Pete will have to watch the Festival at home!" (????), "The Pope is always right" (catholic press), "Berlusconi is a fascist dictator" (left wing press).
Today EMI Music Italy, the label distributing Babyshambles records in Italy, decided they'd had enough and released a note: "Pete Doherty has never been contacted by Sanremo Festival to appear at the event, and he's never been invited by Miss Patty Pravo for a possible collaboration. Miss Pravo didn't choose any quality over quantity because she's never even tried to get in touch with him. Doherty is currently very busy promoting his upcoming solo album Grace/Wasteland and has never had any remote intention to appear at the Sanremo Festival".
That's the whole story. I think any other comments are unnecessary. We'll be waiting for you Peter, when you decide to tour Italy to promote your beautiful album. All that crap will be forgotten, of course.
1/30/2009
Politics starts at home
Interesting article on Instigate Debate today on The Independent:
Friday, 30 January 2009
A Friday night gathering in Worrall, a small suburb on a hill overlooking Sheffield, and the assembled guests are chatting away happily, quaffing wine and reaching for the occasional crudité. But this low-key gathering of friends is about to be radically transformed with the arrival of two of Britain's leading musicians, making good on a promise that, they hope, could, in turn, help revolutionise the spirit of political debate among this country's music-listening classes.
Jon McClure, lead singer of Reverend and the Makers, has made the short drive across his home city for the latest in a series of guerrilla gigs that he has been staging in people's front rooms, kitchens and gardens as part of his crusade to inject what he sees as a much-needed sense of radicalism into the nation's young.
The strikingly tall, Mohican-sporting frontman, who that day has learned his band is to support Oasis this summer, is tonight accompanied by friend and fellow agitprop enthusiast Drew McConnell, bass guitarist from indie band Babyshambles.
After a quick beer, a crafty smoke in the garden and a round of smalltalk with their delighted hosts, McClure and McConnell let rip with a set of intense and impassioned acoustic performances right there in the kitchen of this suburban home."I never doubted he would come," says Kate Senter, a 27-year-old marketing executive and loyal Reverend and the Makers fan who is "made up" at sharing her homemade humus dips with her favourite singer. "But it is all about making inaccessible people accessible, and that is the spirit of Instigate Debate."
For those who have yet to have heard of Instigate Debate, welcome to a unique experiment in the ongoing and, some cynics might say, thankless task of persuading music fans to engage with some of the great issues of the day.
Drawing on the power of the internet, McClure is urging ordinary people to break down the barriers between rich and poor, powerful and powerless, by striking up a political discourse with a celebrity, whether they be in the world of music, fashion, the media and, of course, politics.
At the heart of McClure's scheme is a prize – a gig such as tonight's – played for you and your friends in the comfort of your own home. That is, of course, only if you have the bottle to confront a passing luminary with a few tricky questions. Recommended posers designed to cut through the usual banalities include: "Do we need a change in our laws so any one person cannot own so much of our media? Or: "Is it inevitable that we will bomb Iran and how much say do you think you'll be given in that decision? But it does not stop there. To qualify for this unforgettable night in, ersatz Paxmans are required to film the answers on their mobile phones and then upload the footage to the internet at www.instigate debate.com for others to share.
Senter is enjoying her reward after she collared local MP and leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg and asked him about immigration. McClure believes that Clegg's participation has now thrown down the gauntlet to the two other party leaders who are both preparing to be "instigated", albeit at a time and place of their choosing.
But McClure and McConnell are not working alone. They have the backing of former Libertine Carl Barat of Dirty Pretty Things and Tom Clarke of The Enemy, while pop mogul Alan McGee has also lent support.
And a browse through the Instigate website or YouTube reveals newsreader Jon Snow discussing the advantages of a bicycling monarchy, Sadie Frost on the virtues of citizenship rather than subjecthood, and Alexa Chung holding forth on the dilemma facing ethical fashionistas who find they can't live without Topshop.
But McClure acknowledges that turning the youth of today on to politics is an uphill struggle. "It suits the Government's purpose to keep people stupid," he says. "That is why, when a new Prime Minister is elected, the first person they go to see is not the Queen but Rupert Murdoch."
McClure is both loquacious and impassioned, a veteran of the Love Music Hate Racism movement, and he has been in the vanguard of the campaign against the controversial Form 696 (which demands that venue licensees must provide police with a bewildering array of detail about musicians playing and their potential audience or face possible imprisonment).
Having earned the name The Reverend for his habit of airing his strident views, McClure is rock royalty in Sheffield. He used to share a flat with Alex Turner and his brother Chris was the smoking man on the cover of Arctic Monkeys' debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. But his ambitions extend beyond the confines of the Steel City, and he now plans to make an album, with his new dub/hip-hop project Mongrel, with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.
But it is the economic crisis closer to home and its potential to bring about radical change that is getting him particularly excited. "The next three years are going to be the most tumultuous in history. It is going to be incredible," he predicts with undisguised relish at the prospect of the coming storm.
Yet the level of ignorance is startling, he says. "Some people don't even seem to know they actually have a constituency MP and that they can just go up and ask them a question."
As for the digital-age music-business, McClure appears uncharacteristically downbeat. "There is a small amount of musicians who are prepared to take a stance but most are just into making money and fame and fans are just not into politics at all.
"The average music fan has just been fed a load of bullshit for the last 25 years. A lot of people thought I was some kind of nutter going on about the things that I do but now the world is doing the work for me and they think I'm some kind of visionary," he laughs.
McClure hopes that Instigate will take on a life of its own without him – there is already interest in Spain, Mexico and the United States. "It is not about any one person doing it, it is about trying to get everyone to have an opinion," he says. However, McClure has little time for veteran campaigning rock behemoths such as Bono who, he believes, are only too happy to clamber on board with the political establishment. "It baffles me that so many people don't have anything to say about dropping phosphorous on kids and who don't want to get involved when it's not a cuddly issue."
"We had a fantastic time," said Senter after rocking out to an eclectic set list that took in bravura performances of the Reverend track "Hidden Persuaders", "Kilimangiro" by Babyshambles and a generous raiding of the Bob Marley and Beatles back catalogues. "My friends absolutely loved it. All the pictures are whizzing round Facebook now. Everyone was completely gobsmacked," she added.
Here's another snippet from Jon and Drew's private gig: the lovely Drew plays Beg Steal or Borrow.
www.instigatedebate.com
It is a novel way of encouraging music fans to engage with politics. Collar an MP, party leader or newsreader, and you get a gig played in your home by leading indie stars. Jonathan Brown reports from a sofa in Sheffield.
Friday, 30 January 2009
A Friday night gathering in Worrall, a small suburb on a hill overlooking Sheffield, and the assembled guests are chatting away happily, quaffing wine and reaching for the occasional crudité. But this low-key gathering of friends is about to be radically transformed with the arrival of two of Britain's leading musicians, making good on a promise that, they hope, could, in turn, help revolutionise the spirit of political debate among this country's music-listening classes.
Jon McClure, lead singer of Reverend and the Makers, has made the short drive across his home city for the latest in a series of guerrilla gigs that he has been staging in people's front rooms, kitchens and gardens as part of his crusade to inject what he sees as a much-needed sense of radicalism into the nation's young.
The strikingly tall, Mohican-sporting frontman, who that day has learned his band is to support Oasis this summer, is tonight accompanied by friend and fellow agitprop enthusiast Drew McConnell, bass guitarist from indie band Babyshambles.
After a quick beer, a crafty smoke in the garden and a round of smalltalk with their delighted hosts, McClure and McConnell let rip with a set of intense and impassioned acoustic performances right there in the kitchen of this suburban home."I never doubted he would come," says Kate Senter, a 27-year-old marketing executive and loyal Reverend and the Makers fan who is "made up" at sharing her homemade humus dips with her favourite singer. "But it is all about making inaccessible people accessible, and that is the spirit of Instigate Debate."
For those who have yet to have heard of Instigate Debate, welcome to a unique experiment in the ongoing and, some cynics might say, thankless task of persuading music fans to engage with some of the great issues of the day.
Drawing on the power of the internet, McClure is urging ordinary people to break down the barriers between rich and poor, powerful and powerless, by striking up a political discourse with a celebrity, whether they be in the world of music, fashion, the media and, of course, politics.
At the heart of McClure's scheme is a prize – a gig such as tonight's – played for you and your friends in the comfort of your own home. That is, of course, only if you have the bottle to confront a passing luminary with a few tricky questions. Recommended posers designed to cut through the usual banalities include: "Do we need a change in our laws so any one person cannot own so much of our media? Or: "Is it inevitable that we will bomb Iran and how much say do you think you'll be given in that decision? But it does not stop there. To qualify for this unforgettable night in, ersatz Paxmans are required to film the answers on their mobile phones and then upload the footage to the internet at www.instigate debate.com for others to share.
Senter is enjoying her reward after she collared local MP and leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg and asked him about immigration. McClure believes that Clegg's participation has now thrown down the gauntlet to the two other party leaders who are both preparing to be "instigated", albeit at a time and place of their choosing.
But McClure and McConnell are not working alone. They have the backing of former Libertine Carl Barat of Dirty Pretty Things and Tom Clarke of The Enemy, while pop mogul Alan McGee has also lent support.
And a browse through the Instigate website or YouTube reveals newsreader Jon Snow discussing the advantages of a bicycling monarchy, Sadie Frost on the virtues of citizenship rather than subjecthood, and Alexa Chung holding forth on the dilemma facing ethical fashionistas who find they can't live without Topshop.
But McClure acknowledges that turning the youth of today on to politics is an uphill struggle. "It suits the Government's purpose to keep people stupid," he says. "That is why, when a new Prime Minister is elected, the first person they go to see is not the Queen but Rupert Murdoch."
McClure is both loquacious and impassioned, a veteran of the Love Music Hate Racism movement, and he has been in the vanguard of the campaign against the controversial Form 696 (which demands that venue licensees must provide police with a bewildering array of detail about musicians playing and their potential audience or face possible imprisonment).
Having earned the name The Reverend for his habit of airing his strident views, McClure is rock royalty in Sheffield. He used to share a flat with Alex Turner and his brother Chris was the smoking man on the cover of Arctic Monkeys' debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. But his ambitions extend beyond the confines of the Steel City, and he now plans to make an album, with his new dub/hip-hop project Mongrel, with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.
But it is the economic crisis closer to home and its potential to bring about radical change that is getting him particularly excited. "The next three years are going to be the most tumultuous in history. It is going to be incredible," he predicts with undisguised relish at the prospect of the coming storm.
Yet the level of ignorance is startling, he says. "Some people don't even seem to know they actually have a constituency MP and that they can just go up and ask them a question."
As for the digital-age music-business, McClure appears uncharacteristically downbeat. "There is a small amount of musicians who are prepared to take a stance but most are just into making money and fame and fans are just not into politics at all.
"The average music fan has just been fed a load of bullshit for the last 25 years. A lot of people thought I was some kind of nutter going on about the things that I do but now the world is doing the work for me and they think I'm some kind of visionary," he laughs.
McClure hopes that Instigate will take on a life of its own without him – there is already interest in Spain, Mexico and the United States. "It is not about any one person doing it, it is about trying to get everyone to have an opinion," he says. However, McClure has little time for veteran campaigning rock behemoths such as Bono who, he believes, are only too happy to clamber on board with the political establishment. "It baffles me that so many people don't have anything to say about dropping phosphorous on kids and who don't want to get involved when it's not a cuddly issue."
"We had a fantastic time," said Senter after rocking out to an eclectic set list that took in bravura performances of the Reverend track "Hidden Persuaders", "Kilimangiro" by Babyshambles and a generous raiding of the Bob Marley and Beatles back catalogues. "My friends absolutely loved it. All the pictures are whizzing round Facebook now. Everyone was completely gobsmacked," she added.
Here's another snippet from Jon and Drew's private gig: the lovely Drew plays Beg Steal or Borrow.
www.instigatedebate.com
1/26/2009
NME Awards nominations - just in
Best British Band supported by Shockwaves
Bloc Party
The Last Shadow Puppets
Muse
Oasis
Radiohead
Best International Band supported by 4music
Crystal Castles
The Killers
Kings Of Leon
MGMT
Vampire Weekend
Best Solo Artist
Ladyhawke
Laura Marling
Lightspeed Champion
Jay-Z
Pete Doherty
Best New Band supported by Bench
Glasvegas
Late Of The Pier
MGMT
Vampire Weekend
White Lies
Best Live Band supported by Red Stripe
The Killers
Kings Of Leon
Muse
Oasis
Radiohead
Best Album supported by HMV
Bloc Party – 'Intimacy'
Glasvegas – 'Glasvegas'
The Killers – 'Day & Age'
Kings Of Leon – 'Only By The Night'
Oasis – 'Dig Out Your Soul'
Best Track supported by NME Radio
Kings Of Leon – 'Sex On Fire'
The Last Shadow Puppets – 'The Age Of The Understatement'
MGMT – 'Time To Pretend'
The Ting Tings – 'That's Not My Name'
Vampire Weekend – 'A-Punk'
Best Video supported by NME TV
The Last Shadow Puppets – 'My Mistakes Were Made For You'
Late Of The Pier – 'Heartbreak'
Oasis – 'The Shock Of The Lightning'
Radiohead – 'House Of Cards'
Vampire Weekend – 'A-Punk'
Best Live Event
Glastonbury
Isle Of Wight
Reading and Leeds
T In The Park
V Festival
Best TV Show
Gavin & Stacey
The IT Crowd
The Mighty Boosh
Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Skins
Best Film
The Dark Knight
Juno
Quantum Of Solace
Twilight
Wall-E Best
Dancefloor Filler
Bloc Party – 'Mercury'
Crystal Castles – 'Courtship Dating'
Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris – 'Dance Wiv Me'
Friendly Fires – 'Paris'
Late Of The Pier – 'Bathroom Gurgle'
Best DVD
Arctic Monkeys – 'At The Apollo'
Foo Fighters – 'Live At Wembley Stadium'
Kaiser Chiefs – 'Live At Elland Road'
Muse – 'HAARP'
The Rolling Stones – 'Shine A Light'
Hero Of The Year
Alex Turner
Barack Obama
Brandon Flowers
Noel Fielding
Noel Gallagher
Villain Of The Year
Amy Winehouse
George Bush
Gordon Brown
John McCain
Pete Doherty
Best Dressed
Alex Turner
Alexa Chung
Brandon Flowers
Noel Fielding
Noel Gallagher
Worst Dressed
Amy Winehouse
Brandon Flowers
Johnny Borrell
Katy Perry
Pete Doherty
Worst Album
Britney Spears – 'Circus'
Coldplay – 'Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends'
Jonas Brothers – 'A Little Bit Longer'
Razorlight – 'Slipway Fires'
Scouting For Girls – 'Scouting For Girls'
Worst Band
Fall Out Boy
Jonas Brothers
Oasis
Scouting for Girls
Tokio Hotel
Sexiest Male
Carl Barat
Keith Murray
Matt Bellamy
Miles Kane
Pete Doherty
Sexiest Female
Alison Mosshart
Hayley Williams
Kate Jackson
Lykke Li
Stephanie Dosen
Best Website
Bebo
Facebook
Last FM
MySpace
YouTube
Best Venue
Brixton Academy
Manchester Apollo
London Astoria
Glasgow Barrowlands
London O2 Arena
Best Album Artwork
The Cure – '4:13 Dream'
Guillemots – 'Red'
The Killers – 'Day & Age'
Muse – 'HAARP'
We Are Scientists – 'Brain Thrust Mastery'
Best Band Blog
Foals
Lightspeed Champion
Little Boots
Noel Gallagher/Oasis
Radiohead
Bloc Party
The Last Shadow Puppets
Muse
Oasis
Radiohead
Best International Band supported by 4music
Crystal Castles
The Killers
Kings Of Leon
MGMT
Vampire Weekend
Best Solo Artist
Ladyhawke
Laura Marling
Lightspeed Champion
Jay-Z
Pete Doherty
Best New Band supported by Bench
Glasvegas
Late Of The Pier
MGMT
Vampire Weekend
White Lies
Best Live Band supported by Red Stripe
The Killers
Kings Of Leon
Muse
Oasis
Radiohead
Best Album supported by HMV
Bloc Party – 'Intimacy'
Glasvegas – 'Glasvegas'
The Killers – 'Day & Age'
Kings Of Leon – 'Only By The Night'
Oasis – 'Dig Out Your Soul'
Best Track supported by NME Radio
Kings Of Leon – 'Sex On Fire'
The Last Shadow Puppets – 'The Age Of The Understatement'
MGMT – 'Time To Pretend'
The Ting Tings – 'That's Not My Name'
Vampire Weekend – 'A-Punk'
Best Video supported by NME TV
The Last Shadow Puppets – 'My Mistakes Were Made For You'
Late Of The Pier – 'Heartbreak'
Oasis – 'The Shock Of The Lightning'
Radiohead – 'House Of Cards'
Vampire Weekend – 'A-Punk'
Best Live Event
Glastonbury
Isle Of Wight
Reading and Leeds
T In The Park
V Festival
Best TV Show
Gavin & Stacey
The IT Crowd
The Mighty Boosh
Never Mind The Buzzcocks
Skins
Best Film
The Dark Knight
Juno
Quantum Of Solace
Twilight
Wall-E Best
Dancefloor Filler
Bloc Party – 'Mercury'
Crystal Castles – 'Courtship Dating'
Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris – 'Dance Wiv Me'
Friendly Fires – 'Paris'
Late Of The Pier – 'Bathroom Gurgle'
Best DVD
Arctic Monkeys – 'At The Apollo'
Foo Fighters – 'Live At Wembley Stadium'
Kaiser Chiefs – 'Live At Elland Road'
Muse – 'HAARP'
The Rolling Stones – 'Shine A Light'
Hero Of The Year
Alex Turner
Barack Obama
Brandon Flowers
Noel Fielding
Noel Gallagher
Villain Of The Year
Amy Winehouse
George Bush
Gordon Brown
John McCain
Pete Doherty
Best Dressed
Alex Turner
Alexa Chung
Brandon Flowers
Noel Fielding
Noel Gallagher
Worst Dressed
Amy Winehouse
Brandon Flowers
Johnny Borrell
Katy Perry
Pete Doherty
Worst Album
Britney Spears – 'Circus'
Coldplay – 'Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends'
Jonas Brothers – 'A Little Bit Longer'
Razorlight – 'Slipway Fires'
Scouting For Girls – 'Scouting For Girls'
Worst Band
Fall Out Boy
Jonas Brothers
Oasis
Scouting for Girls
Tokio Hotel
Sexiest Male
Carl Barat
Keith Murray
Matt Bellamy
Miles Kane
Pete Doherty
Sexiest Female
Alison Mosshart
Hayley Williams
Kate Jackson
Lykke Li
Stephanie Dosen
Best Website
Bebo
Last FM
MySpace
YouTube
Best Venue
Brixton Academy
Manchester Apollo
London Astoria
Glasgow Barrowlands
London O2 Arena
Best Album Artwork
The Cure – '4:13 Dream'
Guillemots – 'Red'
The Killers – 'Day & Age'
Muse – 'HAARP'
We Are Scientists – 'Brain Thrust Mastery'
Best Band Blog
Foals
Lightspeed Champion
Little Boots
Noel Gallagher/Oasis
Radiohead
12/13/2008
Something about the Round Chapel event
Photo by AnjaliThe best report comes from our friend Alice (here). Apart from Dirty Pretty Things, the other musicians involved were Billy Bragg, Jon McClure, Kieran Leonard, Mick Jones and Drew. We also have some very beautiful photos of the event, from Anjali, Parfait Amour (you fancy Drusillo too, dontcha?) and David Wala. I couldn't find any articles in the press. Of course, X Factor looks much more appealing...
12/05/2008
Little men what now?
It’s been quite an eventful year for our heroes. New songs, lots of gigs, side projects, collaborations, so many exciting things to talk about. But also many downers, break ups, fights, law trouble, illness and discontent. But once again, has it ever been any different with Peter and Carl?
No, of course.
As 2008 is quickly wrapping up, let’s have a look at the state of the nation.
Peter, the Handsome Devil
In 2008, Peter has endured a pleasant sojourn in HRH’s gaol, some missed gigs and some missed trains (just to remind everyone who He is!), some redtops assaults, some fights with the most detestable elements of his fanbase, and also with his entourage. But the guerrilla gigs (sort of) have come back with a vengeance and Peter’s improvised appearances in the most unlikely places (and at the most unlikely hours!) have probably represented the highlights of this year. Products? None, if you don’t count a handful of bizarre homemade videos, and the much anticipated solo album, which is still… under construction. All in all, it’s not been a bad year for Bilo. The last photos show him in a goodish form, and 2009 looks like a promising time.
Carlos, the Boy With The Thorn in His Side
In 2008, Carl Barat has endured the breakup of his band, another more private breakup, two hospitalizations, an impressive weight loss, dubious reviews and a tremendous commercial flop. Talk about a crap year… Products? “Romance at Short Notice” (CD), “Tired of England” (single) and “Telstar” (movie). Highs? The Glastonbury “solo” adventure. Lows? All the rest. They say your art gets better when your life goes downhill. If that’s true (and I tend to believe it is), in 2009 Carl will be releasing his masterpiece. Alone, of course. Or…
The Others
No, not the (amazing) Nicole Kidman movie. The others are:
Drusillo McConnell. The old Deer Eyes is as active as ever. On political and musical front. His band Helsinki played some gigs for LMHR and other anti BNP organizations, and his new band Mongrel is on the rise. Plus, another project is looming, The Bottletop Band (with Carl), and of course his daytime job with Babyshambles is still dominant. He’s also shagged Antonia Campbell Hughes and written tunes for BBC shows! Can you ask for more?
The Sweet Adam. The Ficek has had a great year too! He’s ventured outside his cocoon (i.e. Babyshambles) and started his project “Roses Kings Castles”, playing numerous gigs inside and outside UK. He’s even planning some dates in US! Products? An album, "Roses, Kings, Castles", and 3 singles. The last one, “Horses” has just been released. The NME slagged it off. Do we care? No! We love Adamski!
Mik Whitnall. How was his 2008? Ahem nearly as crap as Carl’s. A court hearing is waiting for him in a few days, and he’s lost his temper once too many. He’s also had some trouble in his private life, and maybe hanging with Miss Amy was not a good move at all, Mikster. We wanna see you back on form, OK?
GAAAAARRRRRRRYYYY!!! The nicest man alive might have lost his daytime job but he’s still as jolly as ever. Maybe the greatest link between the post-Libertines gang and the fans, he’s done his best to communicate his feelings to the disgruntled buffs after DPT’s demise, even popping up at the band’s official forum numerous times, trying to listen to everyone’s opinion and keeping his cool. A parallel career in the record spinning department provided some pleasant nights around the country, and will probably constitute his dominant activity in the next year. Unless…
Didz Hammond. DPT’s bass player has managed to put on a brave face in front of the band’s collapse, and he’s kept his discontent under control. It must not have been easy. He saved the day with many appearances as a DJ (with Carlos or alone) and it seems he knows how to make people dance off their bloody feet! He’ll probably keep doing that in 2009 as well, unless a Cooper Temple Clause reunion is on the cards, which would not be bad at all.
Anthony “Stan” Rossomando. Ach. Coming third in the crap year chart. The handsome axeman missed some gigs, was unable to control his temper at DPT’s breakdown, he also suffered trouble in his private household and sought solace in various delightful substances. He also had his mobile nicked, poor love! The songs penned by him (Chinese Dogs and Faultlines) were good but could do nothing to avoid the record’s commercial debacle. He’s probably going to do some production work in the new year, but we’d like to see him on a stage again every now and then.
John Hassall! He’s done well, hasn’t he? The record was not a great success but the single was on a high rotation on MTV2, and the gigs had a good reception. He’s also played with Drew lately and popped up to see DPT a few times. We didn’t forget you Johnny…
Libertines-wish. Has it disappeared? No, it’s stronger than ever, sometimes verging on Libertines-craving. Carl and Peter has seen each other quite often but most on a private level. Many dedications to each other from the stage happened. Some mournful calls in the press did not pass unnoticed. A very small impromptu reunion occurred in September. A recently missed Parisian chance is still making us nervous. But we have patience, you know, Bilo and Biggles? You’ve suffered jail, illness and breakups? Ha. We’ve suffered the Libertines absence for another year.
No, of course.
As 2008 is quickly wrapping up, let’s have a look at the state of the nation.
Peter, the Handsome Devil
In 2008, Peter has endured a pleasant sojourn in HRH’s gaol, some missed gigs and some missed trains (just to remind everyone who He is!), some redtops assaults, some fights with the most detestable elements of his fanbase, and also with his entourage. But the guerrilla gigs (sort of) have come back with a vengeance and Peter’s improvised appearances in the most unlikely places (and at the most unlikely hours!) have probably represented the highlights of this year. Products? None, if you don’t count a handful of bizarre homemade videos, and the much anticipated solo album, which is still… under construction. All in all, it’s not been a bad year for Bilo. The last photos show him in a goodish form, and 2009 looks like a promising time.
Carlos, the Boy With The Thorn in His Side
In 2008, Carl Barat has endured the breakup of his band, another more private breakup, two hospitalizations, an impressive weight loss, dubious reviews and a tremendous commercial flop. Talk about a crap year… Products? “Romance at Short Notice” (CD), “Tired of England” (single) and “Telstar” (movie). Highs? The Glastonbury “solo” adventure. Lows? All the rest. They say your art gets better when your life goes downhill. If that’s true (and I tend to believe it is), in 2009 Carl will be releasing his masterpiece. Alone, of course. Or…
The Others
No, not the (amazing) Nicole Kidman movie. The others are:
Drusillo McConnell. The old Deer Eyes is as active as ever. On political and musical front. His band Helsinki played some gigs for LMHR and other anti BNP organizations, and his new band Mongrel is on the rise. Plus, another project is looming, The Bottletop Band (with Carl), and of course his daytime job with Babyshambles is still dominant. He’s also shagged Antonia Campbell Hughes and written tunes for BBC shows! Can you ask for more?
The Sweet Adam. The Ficek has had a great year too! He’s ventured outside his cocoon (i.e. Babyshambles) and started his project “Roses Kings Castles”, playing numerous gigs inside and outside UK. He’s even planning some dates in US! Products? An album, "Roses, Kings, Castles", and 3 singles. The last one, “Horses” has just been released. The NME slagged it off. Do we care? No! We love Adamski!
Mik Whitnall. How was his 2008? Ahem nearly as crap as Carl’s. A court hearing is waiting for him in a few days, and he’s lost his temper once too many. He’s also had some trouble in his private life, and maybe hanging with Miss Amy was not a good move at all, Mikster. We wanna see you back on form, OK?
GAAAAARRRRRRRYYYY!!! The nicest man alive might have lost his daytime job but he’s still as jolly as ever. Maybe the greatest link between the post-Libertines gang and the fans, he’s done his best to communicate his feelings to the disgruntled buffs after DPT’s demise, even popping up at the band’s official forum numerous times, trying to listen to everyone’s opinion and keeping his cool. A parallel career in the record spinning department provided some pleasant nights around the country, and will probably constitute his dominant activity in the next year. Unless…
Didz Hammond. DPT’s bass player has managed to put on a brave face in front of the band’s collapse, and he’s kept his discontent under control. It must not have been easy. He saved the day with many appearances as a DJ (with Carlos or alone) and it seems he knows how to make people dance off their bloody feet! He’ll probably keep doing that in 2009 as well, unless a Cooper Temple Clause reunion is on the cards, which would not be bad at all.
Anthony “Stan” Rossomando. Ach. Coming third in the crap year chart. The handsome axeman missed some gigs, was unable to control his temper at DPT’s breakdown, he also suffered trouble in his private household and sought solace in various delightful substances. He also had his mobile nicked, poor love! The songs penned by him (Chinese Dogs and Faultlines) were good but could do nothing to avoid the record’s commercial debacle. He’s probably going to do some production work in the new year, but we’d like to see him on a stage again every now and then.
John Hassall! He’s done well, hasn’t he? The record was not a great success but the single was on a high rotation on MTV2, and the gigs had a good reception. He’s also played with Drew lately and popped up to see DPT a few times. We didn’t forget you Johnny…
Libertines-wish. Has it disappeared? No, it’s stronger than ever, sometimes verging on Libertines-craving. Carl and Peter has seen each other quite often but most on a private level. Many dedications to each other from the stage happened. Some mournful calls in the press did not pass unnoticed. A very small impromptu reunion occurred in September. A recently missed Parisian chance is still making us nervous. But we have patience, you know, Bilo and Biggles? You’ve suffered jail, illness and breakups? Ha. We’ve suffered the Libertines absence for another year.
11/23/2008
Sunday news
- Adrian and a few other writtlers are organizing a protest gig against form 696 (see my post from yesterday). If you are seriosuly insterested in collaborating go here.
- Positive review of DPT's Amsterdam gig (in Dutch. I'm sparing you the babelfish mess).
- The Ficek has updated his blog. Good to hear about Pat. It seems the two (Adam and Pat, that is) are planning to arrange something together at Chrissie.
- A very busy Christmas ahead indeed!
- Pity that I absolutely loathe Christmas.
11/22/2008
Something very sinister
Babybear posts to FDB about something disturbing:
"The police in most (if not all) London boroughs have put together a form to be filled in by licencees thinking of promoting a live event. Various details must be filled in to allow the police to get a handle on what type of event it is and what type of crowd it will attract. All very Big Brother .... are they then going to decide whether a concert should take place based on their criteria ..... Take a moment to look at the form and some of the questions asked ....
Details must be given of ....
Music style to be played / performed (e.g. Bashment, R’n’B, Garage) How hip of the cops ....
Is there a particular ethnic group attending? If ‘Yes’, please state group: That one's a doozy ....
Please list below ALL ARTISTES, THE ACTS / SOUND SYSTEMS / OTHER PROMOTERS performing. (DJs. MCs, etc. – show full name and aliases, address, date of birth, contact numbers.) Please use a separate sheet if necessary.
Fuck me that's a good 'un .... Is it just me or can anyone else see a distinct pattern here .... A lot of these questions seem directed specifically at events which the police I imagine would seem to appeal to a black audience. Some more good news is that if it's a 'success' in London the licensing officer down YOUR local nick may decide to do it too. Here's the form in all it's glory. www.met.police.uk/events/forms/form_696.pdf There's a facebook group just ben started in protest. May I suggest joining and showing support against this ridiculous piece of (at best) bureaucracy. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42439007135 When I was a wee promoter in a Camden Town dive I wouldn't for the life of me have imagined something so ridiculous. Very often you'd be booking bands last minute if one couldn't make it. Mixing genres live and dj'ing. This is flawed, unworkable and worse still, it has a distinct hint of the authorities wishing to be made aware specifically of events which would attract black music fans or fans of MOBO. Here's another article which you may find interesting, http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/how-form-696-could-pull-the-plug-on-the-capitals-music-scene-1028240.html Distinctly worrying stuff which should be fought by all right minded music fans. Rant over. bb."
I guess things like this are happening too often around Europe right now. Something should be done.
10/30/2008
So it's official: he quits.
From NME.com:
Alan McGee, who founded the Creation record label, signed Oasis and went on to manage bands including The Libertines and The Charlatans, has said he has quit the music business.McGee told BBC 6music that although he was through with running record labels and managing bands, he would continue to put on club nights. He explained that his decision to step away was based on his view that the industry is not run by music lovers."It was on my Facebook, my status said, 'Glad I'm not a manager any more, I really recommend it,'" he said. "But all I've really done is retired from managing bands after 25 years."He added: "I stopped doing the record company about a year or two ago because I think they're pointless things, like dinosaurs or trams or something. I'm still completely into new music and I'm still doing things with new bands, as in my clubs and stuff like that. I'm still going to be kicking about. "I think I'm a man of the times, kind of like Tony Wilson, really. We don't really have a place in the music industry anymore because we actually like music. "I think the pre-requisite for being in the music industry is not liking music and playing the corporate game, agreeing with your boss."
9/03/2008
New Glastonbury movie to premiere next week
Carlos at Glastos Carl Barat and The Reverend both feature in the film.
From NME.com:
A new Glastonbury movie is set to premiere in Brighton on Monday (September 8) at the Joogleberry Playhouse. 'Glastonbury Left Field 2008 – The Movie' documents the action from the festival's trade union-powered tent, Left Field, now the festival's biggest covered stage. The film features live footage from artists including British Sea Power, The Automatic, Carl Barat, Reverend And The Makers, Alabama 3 and Billy Bragg alongside footage of the field's campaigning activity.Causes supported by the stage include Rock Against Racism, Miscarriages Of Justice, Anti Slavery International and Jail Guitar Doors. Monday's premiere will feature a DJ performance from legendary Clash collaborator Don Letts, as well as, according to organisers, some surprise live sets from acts who supported this year's Left Field.
8/22/2008
Just a quickie...
... before heading to Reading.
Reading - Friday August 22
Dizzee Rascal 12.30
Anti Flag 1.30
MGMT 2.00
Blood Red Shoes 3.00
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly 3.30
The Wombats 4.00
Does It Offend You, Yeah? 4.45
Teenagers 6.15 TBC
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip 6.45
Reading - Saturday August 23
Foals 1.00
We Are Scientists 1.30
Kids In Glass Houses 2.25
Bullet For My Valentine 3.10
Seasick Steve 3.45
Black Kids 4.30
Santogold 5.15
Dirty Pretty Things 6.00
Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong 7.00
Manic Street Preachers 8.00
Reading - Sunday August 24
Hadouken! 1.30
Lightspeed Champion 2.00
The Cribs 2.45
Cage The Elephant 4.00
Adam Green 4.30
Glasvegas 5.15
Simian Mobile Disco 6.00 TBC
Crystal Castles 7.00
Leeds - Friday August 22
Hadouken! 1.30
Lightspeed Champion 2.00
Cage The Elephant 4.00
Adam Green 4.30
Glasveags 5.15
Simian Mobile Disco 6.00 TBC
Leeds - Saturday August 23
Dizzee Rascal 12.30
The Teenagers 1.00
Antiflag 1.30
MGMT 2.00
Blood Red Shoes 3.00
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly 3.30
The Wombats 4.00
Does It Offfend You, Yeah? 4.45
Vampire Weekend 5.30
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip 6.30
Leeds - Sunday August 24
Foals 1.00
We Are Scientists 1.30
Kids In Glass Houses 2.15
Bullet For My Valentine 3.00
Seasick Steve 3.45
Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong 4.15
Santogold 5.15
Dirty Pretty Things 6.00
Manic Street Preachers 8.00
NB: all times and names are subject to change. See posters outside the signing tents at both sites for the latest information.
Later from Reading!
For people who love their fave musicians' autographs and piccies:
The NME Signing Tent is set to return at this weekend's Reading And Leeds Festivals (August 22-24). Below are the times that bands will be signing autographs on both sites, though be warned - there can be big queues, so get there early.
Reading - Friday August 22
Dizzee Rascal 12.30
Anti Flag 1.30
MGMT 2.00
Blood Red Shoes 3.00
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly 3.30
The Wombats 4.00
Does It Offend You, Yeah? 4.45
Teenagers 6.15 TBC
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip 6.45
Reading - Saturday August 23
Foals 1.00
We Are Scientists 1.30
Kids In Glass Houses 2.25
Bullet For My Valentine 3.10
Seasick Steve 3.45
Black Kids 4.30
Santogold 5.15
Dirty Pretty Things 6.00
Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong 7.00
Manic Street Preachers 8.00
Reading - Sunday August 24
Hadouken! 1.30
Lightspeed Champion 2.00
The Cribs 2.45
Cage The Elephant 4.00
Adam Green 4.30
Glasvegas 5.15
Simian Mobile Disco 6.00 TBC
Crystal Castles 7.00
Leeds - Friday August 22
Hadouken! 1.30
Lightspeed Champion 2.00
Cage The Elephant 4.00
Adam Green 4.30
Glasveags 5.15
Simian Mobile Disco 6.00 TBC
Leeds - Saturday August 23
Dizzee Rascal 12.30
The Teenagers 1.00
Antiflag 1.30
MGMT 2.00
Blood Red Shoes 3.00
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly 3.30
The Wombats 4.00
Does It Offfend You, Yeah? 4.45
Vampire Weekend 5.30
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip 6.30
Leeds - Sunday August 24
Foals 1.00
We Are Scientists 1.30
Kids In Glass Houses 2.15
Bullet For My Valentine 3.00
Seasick Steve 3.45
Joe Lean And The Jing Jang Jong 4.15
Santogold 5.15
Dirty Pretty Things 6.00
Manic Street Preachers 8.00
NB: all times and names are subject to change. See posters outside the signing tents at both sites for the latest information.
Peter's surprise gig at the Jazz After Dark on Wednesday night has made the tabloids. Joined by the sweet Adam, Peter played two hours worth of material which pulled songs from both The Libertines and Babyshambles catalogue, plus a few Johnny Cash and Beatles covers. See Twist and Shout here.
8/15/2008
Handbags and glad rags
Sorry, the headline has got nothing to do with what I'm going to say but actually I love that song a lot!
Anyway...
Last night Helsinki played at the Dingwalls for the Hawley Arms fundraiser. Pity that the press today is only focusing on Amy Winehouse's misadventures. The only interesting article I've found is this, from BBC News. "What a good night" sums up Insearchoftheperfectwave from FDW (great name!) "Helsinki were amazing, Drew was lovely and Noel (Fielding) was funny".
Speaking of the tabloidization of British culture, this initiative involving Drew and Carlos and reported by NME.com might sound interesting:
"A new website aiming to reignite political and social debate and tone down the tabloidisation of British culture has won the support of a host of musicians. Dirty Pretty Things' Carl Barat, Babyshambles' Drew McConnell, Kaiser Chiefs' Ricky Wilson and John McClure from Reverend And The Makers have all given their support to Instigate Debate, which launches at V Festival this weekend (August 16/17). The concept of Instigate Debate revolves around a competition - with a particularly unique prize on offer that will see some of Britain's best musicians, including Barat and McClure, performing a unique, one-off gig in the winner's living room. To be in with a chance of winning, organisers are asking people to submit a self-filmed video themselves with a public figure talking about something other than tabloid gossip or self-promotion. "We are asking people not to ask public figures for autographs or film them surreptitiously with their mobile phones," Instigate Debate said in a statement to NME.COM. "But to ask them if they can film, then ask socio/political questions, rather than next album/merchandise/love life stuff." Several bands at this weekend's V Festival are set to publicly announce their support for the project. Instigatedebate.com is set to go live on August 16, and will feature the likes of Barat, McClure, McConnell, Wilson, Alan McGee, Suggs, Jon Snow and George Galloway waxing lyrical about everything from foreign policy to whether money has changed them as people".
All this looks promising enough but I'm also a bit doubtful as to whether it may work or not. I can't help but see flashes of an army of screaming frinkers clutching their weapons (i.e. mobiles) in their hands while struggling with each other in finding the most interesting "socio-political question" to ask poor Carl and Drew so that they can have the two hunks playing together in their bedroom. This would even surpass the most infamous Libertines reunion dream one might have. Well, I don't want to crush your hopes, Carl and Drew, but forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical.
7/22/2008
Small tips from the NME
I'm glad Peter wasn't burgled at all (or that he made up with the burglar and decided to deny the offence).
Nice interview with Drew at Benicassim (here).
The Mercury Prize shortlist is out: Shotters Nation is out too!
Anyway, if anybody's interested:
Adele - '19'
British Sea Power - 'Do You Like Rock Music?'
Burial - 'Untrue'
Elbow - 'The Seldom Seen Kid'
Estelle - 'Shine'
The Last Shadow Puppets - 'The Age..'
Laura Marling - 'Alas I Cannot Swim'
Neon Neon - 'Stainless Style'
Portico Quartet - 'Knee-Deep In The North Sea'
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – 'Raising Sand'
Radiohead - 'In Rainbows'
Rachel Unthank & The Winterset – 'The Bairns'
Nice interview with Drew at Benicassim (here).
The Mercury Prize shortlist is out: Shotters Nation is out too!
Anyway, if anybody's interested:
Adele - '19'
British Sea Power - 'Do You Like Rock Music?'
Burial - 'Untrue'
Elbow - 'The Seldom Seen Kid'
Estelle - 'Shine'
The Last Shadow Puppets - 'The Age..'
Laura Marling - 'Alas I Cannot Swim'
Neon Neon - 'Stainless Style'
Portico Quartet - 'Knee-Deep In The North Sea'
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – 'Raising Sand'
Radiohead - 'In Rainbows'
Rachel Unthank & The Winterset – 'The Bairns'
7/11/2008
A few tips
TONIGHT:
Dirty Pretty Things are this week's featured artist on XFM's Live from Leicester Square session which airs between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Friday, 11th July. Click here to be in with a chance of being in attendance. For more info on the show and to listen online, go to http://www.xfm.co.uk/
Later, Carl and Didz Hammond are expected to spin a few records at Dangerous Disco, Islington Carling Academy, together with Silvery, Revenue & Saliorette (LIVE), New Slang DJs, Devil Made Me Do It. Admission £ 8 (over 18 only).
Babyshambles are playing at Musiclac Festival, Aix-les-bains, France, from 10.40 to 11.40 pm (CET).
I would like to advertize another gig for early shambles nostalgics (i.e. me and other 5 people): Big Dave, the band of former Shambles axeman Patrick Walden, is playing tonight at Catch 22, Kingsland Road, London, from 8 pm, WITH LITTL'ANS. The gig is free.
TOMORROW:
July 12th it's Royal Albert Hall night. From 7.30 pm, Pete Doherty solo gig with many guests. JUST BE THERE.
NEXT WEEK:
July 15th: Babyshambles playing Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, Miles Davis Hall, 8.30 pm (CET).
July 18th: Babyshambles playing Festival Internacional de Benicassim (80 km from Valencia), Escenario Verde, 9 pm (CET).
And then I think I should advertize this other night although it doesn't strictly involve neither Peter neither Carl, but still it's for Teenage Cancer Trust and so it slightly does... anyway:
This coming Thursday night July 17th and at the hour of 7 O Clock: We are proud to present a rock n roll cabaret in aid of a very good cause Trekstock - A show in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust We have in no particular order of appearence: Mighty Boosh DJ Set - Coco Summer - The New York Fund - Kieran Leonard and The Goodknights - And Very Special Guests (mandatory!!!). Tickets will go on sale today at 3pm. Tickets from www.ticketweb.co.uk Search for event Trekstock to buy tickets Advance tickets only Doors 7pm Showtime 8pm sharp.
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