Life Art In Life

Art I love to look at: Russian mafia grave art....





Prisoner art..



you can see all, buy and find out more at Koestler Trust exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall here - at weekends female offender curators of the exhibition take guided tours - brilliant scheme

and fairground art..



I love the silky airbrushed pseudo-realistic style of fairground art - makes it all the more exciting when you are there if they have the big colourful hordings everywhere. And I love the way they use celebrity to add to the smoke and mirrors effect of the fairground. Great people-watching too I always find.

From The Back Of My Notebook

Wolftank Systems.
Stuffer.
Thonegger. We are in an industrial area.

Italy passes by at night to the sound of The Watt From Pedro Show and WWM podcasts. Inspiring. Lost in other worlds transported by people talking about tv, stuff, music, tours and people. Love it.

Stars are out, the mountains are clear. People are kind.

Hot face, lots of wood. Listening to bass. Thump on the snow. Bag doesn't fit in, everyone in ski lift ignoring the smell of puke and blaming it on the cheese that someone is taking up the mountain. I don't think so.

The police won't let us pass and I get spooked going for a wee behind a derelict mountain house. I am sure I am being watched.

Lost in the time zone, floating on the road.

Trans
Europe
Express.

(Written on a drive from one location to another at night whilst filming in Italy).

Mirror Signal Snap!

Filming in Italy but taking my own photo's at same time....

Fantastic day-glo seats at Brindisi Airport

Milano Centrale Stazione

Carpark Disco Granny

Braies Lake

Homeless In Milan Central Station

Taxi Queue Milan

Milan Central Stazione - built by Mussolini!

Men shooting the breeze in Lecce

Homeless man outside Genoa Station

A short stop - nice light

Morons Of The World Unite

I gave them the benefit of the doubt but when the lights hadn't been fixed for the third day running I thought perhaps

(a) they hadn't noticed
(b) they didn't care
(c) they like it like that

so I took a photo as I drove past - much to the utter bemusement of other drivers.

Gaga Leroy

Is it me or is there something rather JT LeRoy

about

Lady Gaga?

Things That Make You Go Agh!

Weird things make my toes curl and my buttocks clench at the same time. Two of them are: The word Emo.

Makes me think of teenagers who get all depressed, wear black and listen to terrible eeemoo music in their bedrooms that are probably also painted black.

And then there is Soho bon viveur restauranteur Aldo Zilli in those breakfast cereal ads. Is it just me or is the way he says 'Optivita' really ggggghhhh?



What makes you go aaaaghhh?

Grin Dangerous Gin

This is chef and chief sot Keith Floyd (no relation to Eddie) with his fourth wife looking ecstatically happy. What the hell have they got to be happy about? The photographer's assistant evidently has chucked a load of leaves at them and let them be shot wearing his'n'hers white leather wooden footwear and in Keith's case avec sock. I mean I ask you? And they are so beige. Kids - don't drink gin - this is what happens - you end up looking like a gurning outtake from ill-fated British soap Triangle.

Hi De Hi, Hi De No!

© http://alanandtricia.com/

Awfully sorry for yet another gap but I have a genuine reason other than sheer laziness, twittering and bloggers blogfright this time. I have been camping in Cornwall. I can hear a chorus of 'oh how lovely'. Well quite, in theory but in practice not quite exactly what I had in mind per se. I went with the 8 year old - voici le Garcon de Ginge:

and my very fine and good friend Reeecolaah (no that's not her real name but in the interest of privacy I have rhymed it with something silly):

there she is stuck in a mound of Dr Who-like heather with Garcon de Ginge.

These were our pristine and weird and INCREDIBLY BORING campsite neighbours:

Yes. If you were wondering they were actually inside the tent all battened in reading mythical fantasy novels on the only sunny day. That was after they had eaten all bran and done the washing for the day. We lasted three days out of the allotted week for the simple reason that my poor friend was almost consumed by a gale bashed tent stuck giant slug style to her face. The first night we heard loud explosive bangs and a siren coming from the sea. My friend remarked wistfully that she could hear fireworks. I corrected that it was a storm warning and actually a succession of distress flares which all made perfect sense at 01:30 when we were running around in pyjamas and wellies trying to secure the tent in a gale force 6. I still have the scars on my palms from the guy ropes lacerating my skin like razorwire. Moral: don't try and lash anything down with your bare wet hands (especially rope or cord) in a force 6 gale!

Fast forward to same night 03:30 battling with boggy ground and pegs that won't stay in as the wind has pulled them out so many times there is now no longer any purchase.

Fast forward same night 04:30 both of us soaked through staring at each other saying: I hate this. Well actually I think we said: this is SHIT!

Fast forward to same night/morning 06:00 - I wake up to panicked shouts of 'Rockmother! Get up now - the tent is on my face!' I leapt up and then immediately lost balance on deflating airbed then headbutted the flysheet. Oh comedy camping capers. We finally both staggered outside to see the tent sagging badly on her side which again had lost purchase in the ground that had had a years worth of rain in 2 hours.


Next door had the same problem - we saw a lot of pyjama welly and wet hair action going on throughout the night. Basically no one slept a wink - one family abandoned their tent completely - just took the contents and left. Good move. Later that morning a few obviously seasoned campers came over to say hello and have an irritatingly jolly chat. What the bloody hell did they have to be so jolly about? They all seemed to think it was hilarious and fun that we had all camped out in the eye of a terrible storm.

This lasted for two more days at which point we:
(a) became very miserable and ratty
(b) had to gather around a coolbox with junior monopoly balanced precariously on top lit only by a tiny torch to have mammoth raucous games which garcon de ginge loved as we..
(c) drank copious amounts of wine to obliterate the ability of getting up any more at night to rectify the tent
(d) decided that people who like camping in extremis are mad and obviously like being inconvenienced and cooped up in flappy nylon for fun
(e) thought about torching the tent but himwhosnoreslikeabison would probably not be that happy so we didn't.

That's garcon de ginge Martin PArr-style getting back to nature with a seal.

But really, camping is no fun if all you can do is stagger around with hot weatherbeaten faces in damp clothes smelling of dog and have to run the risk of permanent tinnitus due to incredibly loud nylon flapping noise from wind and rain beating down like a ton of marbles onto the roof for 48hrs solid. So we moved. Sheer luck and god knows how we found a 2 bedroom pre-fab holiday home type thing in beautiful grounds including a heated swimming pool half a mile down the road. It had a hand-painted kaola bear plate on the wall in the kitchen.


It was bliss. So it was quite an adventure and despite the harrowing start we still had a great time which involved laughing quite a lot because if we hadn't we may have cried. Check out the unconscious 'art therapy' we did on the beach as part of our recovery....

Ta ta for now.

All photos © Rockmother except top photo © alanandtricia.com (yes - they are for real!!)

Should you find yourself at a loose end or bored of the radio click here for Listen With Rockmother podcasts - you love it!

Tra La La

Behold the hysterical woman. I thought I better revive my ailing blawg before you all desert me? Don't be shy.

I've been reading things a bit wrong lately which makes life far more interesting than normal. This morning I could have sworn I read a headline proclaiming: Amy Establishes Rehabilitation Unit which sent me off into a reverie of 'Oh how nice, Amy Winehouse is sooo much better she has founded a rehab centre called Blakes (probably). But no, on third look it was aaarmy. Derr. Oh well. It's the school holidays. Can you tell?

I was looking in google pictures for 'jelly brain' but all that came up was this. I am afraid he is so good I couldn't leave him out could I ?

Oh Mr Rigsby Come With Me To The Cornershop

Gracious! It HAS been a while but the old bag is back peddling more music fare for your gently cauliflowered but delicately careworn ears. Here are three good reasons why I like Cornershop:



'Who Fingered Rock and Roll' will be the first single off the greatly anticipated next album from Cornershop out on July 27th. For those of you who are big fans - Cornershop will be playing at the Jazz Cafe 26th July. Tjinder Singh and Ben Ayres really know how to write and arrange a tune - and I think this is particularly well-arranged. It has just the right amount of pomp and rock'n'roll bluster without completely overdoing it. Great summer tune and wonderful use of old council information film footage.

Moving swiftly on to 'The Roll Off Characteristics (History In The Making)':



There is a fantastic semi-Dexy's Midnight Runner's sound creeping in with the brass arrangement here and this track in particular sums up everything I have always loved about Cornershop and Tjinder Singh's Terry Hall-esque shy-sounding but not shy at all everso quivery voice.

I will leave you with Born Disco Died Heavy Metal - not many people know that Cornershop have been going for nearly twenty years and started off as a sort of metal punk band - some of which I have on some very rare vinyl EP's! Enjoy pop-pickers.



Cornershop.
Judy Sucks A Lemon For Breakfast out 27th July 2009.

I Am Mainly Wearing.....

green sunglasses in hope and support for a free Iran....

Christ Alive - It's The Romo For Real no 24 Podcast

About bloody time too despite the fact it is awfully late here at Romo Towers. Oh it's only 02:30 - don't mind me. Podcast no 24 - here it is. You can download it from my main podcast page here. Enjoy!

Kaja Whaaaaat?!

Oh dear - I have been so busy being busy and saving my backside from freelance penury that I clean forgot to celebrate my blog's 5th birthday. How about a cake to celebrate? I think I'll have this one:

Goodness - what was the baker thinking of? Anyway - what I want to know is why are Kajagoogoo are getting back together? Obvious - money. But, and there is a big but WHO would want to go and see them - especially as they now look like this:

I had no idea Grayson Perry was part of the reunion line-up did you? On the subject of reunions - The Specials performed a few blinder gigs earlier this month - I recommend you cast your eye over a great review here at my mate Ister's if you want to feel like you were there as well as read some fine commentary on the very subject of 80's band reunions. Some people unfairly referred to this year's Specials reunion as 'chicken in a basket'. What with Kajagoogoo and the like of The Nolan Sisters dusting down their burnt orange polyester cameltoe outfits I find the prospect of them returning more Iceland 100 Vol-au-Vent platters for a £1 if you ask me.

I'm not too shy shy hush hush are you are - I'm off to the Kaja Forum to chat to some real fans and find out just who on earth is going to buy tickets to see them this time around. I might just browse the Kaja Shop too for some fake plaits and white espadrilles while I am at it. I hear they are big in Germany. So is David Hasselhof. Enough said.

Oh no you don't ladies! Keep back!

Spring roll platter anyone?

Let's Get Lost

A few weeks ago I caught up with Bruce Weber's Let's Get Lost (1988) documentary which is about legendary jazz artist Chet Baker. It is a beautiful and seminal biopic of someone's life through their own eyes. If you have never seen it I can highly recommend it. It is beautifully shot and edited. Weber and Baker became very close friends which adds to the candour and beauty of it all.


I have always been a huge fan of Chet's. Just the name Chet sounds cool doesn't it? Chet had it all - amazingly handsome and cool of gait, ridiculous talent for playing the trumpet, brilliant songwriter and his honeycoated voice was so original one wonders how he managed to be so perfect. He also had an legendary appetite for drugs, drink and all out self-destruction. Somehow, despite the fact he lost all his front teeth (official version: in a fight, apparently too ashamed to admit was actually through drug use) he re-adjusted his 'embouchure' and had to learn to play with dentures. For many trumpet players in this position their career would be over or at the very least their technique/sound changed - Chet's never faltered. He was a perfectionist.


Chet's version of My Funny Valentine is epic. My best and sadly departed friend Abbie secretly arranged for a band to play it for me once in a crabshack in US - absolutely brilliant. Despite his his crazy fucked up life he remained true to his sound, his instrument and his work. An enigmatic, clever and tragic man. A beautiful man.

This is Chet in 1987 (a year before he died) performing My Funny Valentine in Tokyo. I really do recommend you watch and listen to it to the end as Chet hated it when people talked all the way through. He really did like hearing the audience listen and so they should. Ironically it wasn't the drugs that killed him. He fell from his apartment window in Amsterdam in 1988.



Shivers, goosebumps, tears. A remarkable man.

The Clement Freud Memorial Blogmeet

Date: Fri 17 April 2009
Time: 19:00 >
Venue: The French House (a pub that only serves halves as Billy so rightly pointed out)


Well I did meet the beautiful and radiant Miss Slaminsky at Amy Winehouse's other home The Hawley Arms in Camden first where I manically tweeted "Pixie Geldof's in da house and she is dead posh in her cycling shorts and big boots". Couldn't help myself sorry. Yaaaawnn.


Then we hot-footed it off (still talking ten to the dozen like proper girls do when they get together) to blogmeetarama en Soho. There we hooked up with him, her and him. Oh we had such a lovely time despite the rain and all being kissed by a happy grateful homeless man who came up and rather honestly claimed he needed money for booze. At which point Billy piped up saying "oh at least he didn't say heroin' at which point Mr Footman said to the man "oh I would have had to give you a fiver if you had asked me for that!". The man was very pleased with his cull of money and went out of his way to say thank you by kissing each and every one of us on the cheek. I think he admired our honesty too in a way. It sort of made my chin go a bit itchy though but probably because I am prone to a winning combination of over-imagination and sensitive skin. Amidst waxing lyrical over Derek Griffiths and Tim's (or was it Llewtrah's?) relationship to Brian Cant (brothers wife's sister's husband I think) conversation turned to the late Clement Freud. Tim told this joke - one of Clement's finest. So for those of you that weren't there and in the absence of my inability to whip up a blogmeet manifesto mainly because there is a very good one here I therefore furnish you with 'that' joke:



Bye bye Clement. Bye bye JG Ballard too. Hurray for meetings of blog.

Did You want Marmite With That?

Sorry. This post isn't about how nice or revolting Marmite is - it is about the power of the underground restaurant ladies and gentlemen although there is a marmite connection that will become clear shortly. Being the thoroughly modern techMiss that I am (not very) I have been spending a bit of time over here lately. It's quite amazing what one can achieve in 140 characters or less - and it is quite amazing who you bump into via friends of real life friends and what you can learn about/do. Somehow, I can't quite work out how I became a follower/followee of Ms Marmite Lover but thank god I did. Ms Marmite Lover is an innovative and clever writer, astrologer, blogger and cook who conceived and runs The Underground Restaurant. I can hear a chorus of 'what's that'?


The Underground Restaurant explores the thoroughly modern and fantastic phenomenon of turning your living room into a restaurant every week and serving a wonderful bespoke supper for a very reasonable £20-£25 a head (they also do concessions). The procedure is all very exciting and mysterious as are the teen goth/beautiful rockabilly staff and an after-pudding chat with Ms Marmite herself. Most of the produce is organic and all of it is vegetarian. No don't turn your nose up - see irresistable sample menu below for more detail. What I like about this apart from the obvious food part is that all of this operates on trust. Trust to open your house to complete strangers and cook for them. Brilliant and something that is much needed in this ugly age of mistrust and selfishness. A proper night out with an added 'new media' skew on it if you like.


Here is this week's menu:

Kir Royale

My marinated olives

Thai fish cakes with a sweet and sour coriander and cucumber dipping sauce

Focaccia from the Aga

Stilton and butternut squash risotto aided by Marghe

Mache (lambs leaf) salad with quails eggs and mustard dressing

Chocolate simnel cake

Baby Easter eggs

Coffee

You can check out the main Ms Marmite food blog here for further details, pictorial 'how to' guides and wonderful mouthwatering recipes. Interested? You can book here.

The Underground Restaurant are also now running The Underground Cooking Class in conjunction with other specialist boutique chefs such as Roberto Cortez where you can learn how to make magic frozen caviar with blue curacao amongst other things - see here for wonderful step-by- step guide on Ms Marmite's food blog.

I am off to purchase my ticket without further ado.

PS: Oh and they do the occasional proper tea as well - delicious!

(all photo's kind permission and (c) of Ms Marmite Lover/The Underground Restaurant)

Bowie's In Spaaaace

For all you Bowie fans out there - it's fab, it's Friday and it's Flight Of the Conchords wiiiiiiiith......
Bowies' In Space (Do You Want To Borrow My Jumper Bowie?)



Ta ra for now peeps x

Roger Mellie Is Alive and Well

Well almost. The continuing saga of Jadedeathgate which once again has been uber-exacerbated by the Daily Scrote (no I won't link to the Daily Mail because they are offal on the bottom of my shoe - find them yourself) has reached an unprecedented high in the slavishly cheap reporting of her passing. Here is an example of 'a touching tribute picked out especially by husband Jack Tweed today':


Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? No I think I'll compare you to a teabag darling. The card reads like a Viz Top Tip - who on earth wrote this? And it's huge and looks like it has been made out of pink icing. Has the world gone mad? I think Jade Goody's death is both tragic and frightening. I think she has done a great thing raising awareness for cervical cancer and has shown exceptional bravery in the face of her shockingly premature demise but that is what happens when you are dying - it gets ridiculously busy and there is no one as forthright or humblingly brave as a dying person. It sounds odd but when I looked after my terminally ill friend I felt both numb and privileged. Numb in the sense it all seemed so unreal and you could do nothing but accept the unrelentingly gruelling situation which was very tough on the psyche at times. Privileged in the sense that it was extraordinary to witness such strength in the face of knowing and feeling there is very little time left - the moment is crystal clear at all times, the moment is there like a big hand in front of your face. I bow to Jade's honesty in allowing the press/tv to follow this process but I can't help feeling it all turned a bit 'Team Jade'. Is this the acceptable face of reporting now? Is there anything we don't need to know anymore? I find that invasive and sad. I think it also creates a 'them' and 'us' divide in society. Not that healthy really.

DHSS and all that

Yes - one in ten school-leavers are now unemployed. Perhaps this song needs to be re-released? Unfortunately it may lead to more UB40 songs being re-released which would not be good. I think this was the only song they did that was any good. An anthem for the Thatcher and now post-Blair generation.

Salmon Crochet

Here is another secret snap a la Roche Mere.

Crochet? On the bus? I pity the recipient of this cardigan or blanket I really do. She was absolutely engrossed as she deftly wound the unfortunate salmon twine and had headphones on. I wonder what she was listening to? Someone on twitter suggested Nitin Sawhney - chortle fnar!

Karmarama

It has been an auspicious week after the found wallet was returned to it's rightful owner (see previous post).

Saturday - got an e mail saying that we have been shortlisted for another development scheme run by UK Film Council/Tribeca Film Festival. They only take two prod/dir teams a year. We do the conference call today. Let's hope we get through but to be shortlisted alone is pretty good news. If we get it - we go to LA in April to pitch the film to more than 20 'execs'. Cool.

Monday - can't pay any any bills - various production companies owe us and are not paying and very overdue - we worry all day

Tuesday - get a call from a company did work for last year - they were calling to apologise that they have sent last 4 payments to wrong sort code - they owe us £2500.00 !!! We are now no longer panic-stricken and can pay bills.

Weds - my lovely friend Anna gives me a brand new (and much needed) mattress to say thank you for me helping her move house and doing DIY. I didn't expect a present - I did it because she is a single mum and my friend!

Today - come back from dropping the feisty small ginger squidget off at school and notice that there is a wine box on the doorstep. Two incredibly sumptious bottles of wine and a card saying: Dear Rockmother, thank you for being such a good samaritan. It genuinely made my bottom lip tremble and I got a little teary as I really didn't expect a present or to be called a good samaritan. Sniff sniff. Just off to blow my nose and wonder over the joy of good deeds.

The World In A Wallet

I did a very good deed last Wednesday and it nearly didn't happen. It wouldn't have happened had I not been so indecisive and changed my usual route home which is what I did by changing trains at the very last minute. Waiting on the opposite platform for an alternative train I watched one come and go. As the doors closed I heard the hefty thwack of a wallet hit the platform. I rushed forward and realised that one of the couple who I could see rammed up against the now closed doors must have dropped it. I knocked on the doors of the train waving the wallet to get the couple's attention. They completely ignored me and turned their backs laughing together - then the train jerked forward. I stepped back a bit anxious as to what to do. I looked around and no one seemed to have even noticed this little non-exchange so I just stood there with this big thick man's wallet throbbing like a heavy heart in my hand. I stuffed it in my bag under a book in case it should get lost again and decided to hand it in to the station police once I got to the other end. But of course - there were no police at the other end and I suddenly had the feeling should I be bothered to hand it in at a local police station it would probably end up languishing in a drawer never to be returned.

I took it home and had a proper look through it. No cash, a few cards, family photo's (some very old), driver's licence and a ticket for the Chelsea vs Juventus game which was starting in 30 mins! It then became apparent that the owner of the wallet wasn't even from London but Belfast and was probably at that point standing bewildered at the turnstile! I had another rifle through it and found a hotel key. To cut a long story short - I called the main number as the key only had the word Radisson printed on it. I got put through to a lovely Irishman called Terry in Dublin (Radisson HQ apparently) who was very excited about the prospect that a customer was going to be reunited with their wallet. From that point on it all got a bit silly. For a start we located Mr Lost Wallet via the last 4 digits on his last remaining credit card. Terry in his amazement and excitement it transpires took my mobile number down minus a digit. He then spent the next two hours trying different configurations of my mobile number and finally by fluke got hold of me. When he did he was almost exploding with joy and told me I was a saint and deserved a big present - ohh I thought - a week's break at a Radisson of my choosing? A feature in the Radisson Monthly Newsletter? He then gave me Mr Lost Wallet's wife's mobile number although he said she may call me. He finished off by telling me that I was on his wavelength and there weren't enough people like us in the world. I couldn't agree more and I sort of wanted to give him a big telephone hug too.

Next...briiing briiiing....it's Mrs Mr Lost Wallet absolutely over the moon about the wallet. We went through an inventory of what was in the wallet, how I found it, how she has 10 daughters and if I get an odd message on facebook then it was them and Terry trying to find me and how her other daughter had won a competition recently - an all expenses paid trip for 2 to see the Chelsea game in London that night. Luckily, luckily because the lost wallet contained a ticket that was a prize they still managed to get into the game so all was not lost. Then she told me if I was ever in Belfast that I must visit (and I am the kind of person that would too). I asked her where in Belfast they were - ha - only the same road that my bloody cousins live in. Too too weird. At that point, we both had a communal telephone slurp of wine and chink of glasses as we shared the joy of it all. An hour later Mr Lost Wallet himself turned up to claim his wallet back. I invited him in as I went to get it. He said thank you, you'll be hearing from us and scuttled out into a minicab where his other smiling daughter waved from the back seat - and that was it. Do you know I think he said thank you but I can't be sure. I think he was a bit shy despite the fact he had ten daughters. Ten daughters. No wonder there wasn't any cash in the wallet.

Wife On the Edge

I took a secret photo on the tube last week. A lady reading crapmag Take A Break - she was totally engrossed in the Wife On The Edge article. I think the passenger next to her noticed me - although I didn't notice him at the time.

I love the contrast in aware/unawareness between the two passengers.

Things That Make You Go Eeouwch!

Oh dear has it been that long? I've been busy. Busy fighting my creative demons and creating you see. Actually I've been really busy on twatbook and twitter too if truth be known! I joined Twitter bloody ages ago - even before Stephen Fry who is the Lord Emperor of all that is Twittle. He even made me his friend after I commented on one of his twittles or twits or tweets or whatever they are called so I must say I am truly twittily honoured. There is something quite radically comforting and useful having to microblog in 140 characters or less. You can follow me at twitter if you so desire - I'm @rockmother not surprisingly. Don't all rush at once!

Aagh - take the scary lady with her record-breaking talons away - away I tell you! Despite the fact Lee Redmond has been rather admirably been growing her nails for 24 years at a combined length of just over 28 foot they are (in my opinion) disgusting! They make my toes curl - in the same way droopy hairy ears do. And as for varicose veins - I have been known to publicly retch on catching sight of some poor unfortunate's knotted calves. Ironically, Lee the nail lady from Salt Lake City (weirdo Mormon capital of the world) who looks like a cross between an alien and Bill Bailey has just lost her extra-long nails in a terrible car accident. I wonder if she will grow them again? How on earth has she managed to function all these years with nails that long? I would go to youtube as I am sure there is footage of her at home showing us how but someone else can do that and report back please.

On a lighter note - hurray - a new rockmockumentary is coming out soon - arise Anvil! Yes - real life Spinal Tap takes to the road in the form of long-forgotten and very loud Canadian rock band Anvil. You can watch the trailer here:



And if you are still reading and haven't had enough click here for Times article on a guide to 100 best blogs - cue feverish searching. How many on the list have got book deals I wonder?

Yarp! Ciao!

My Life According To Spotify This Week.....

Mike Watt – Burnin' For You
Mike Watt – Drove Up From Pedro
Mike Watt – IX
Electric Sandwich – China
Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes
Soft Machine – When I Don't Want You -
Original Soft Machine – Nettle Bed
Chromeo – Fancy Footwork
Chromeo – Bonafied Lovin' (Tough Guys)
Josh wink-higher state of cons – 01 josh wink-higher state of c
Smog – I Was a Stranger
Smog – To Be of Use
Smog – It's Rough
Smog – All Your Women Things
The Mamas & The Papas – I Can't Wait
Mr. Fingers – Can You Feel It
Sampson Moore – House Beat Box
Kraftwerk – Pocket Calculator
Kraftwerk – Die Roboter
Kraftwerk – The Telephone Call
Gary Numan – Are Friends Electric
Gary Numan – Are 'Friends' Electric (Live)
The Mamas & The Papas – California Dreamin'
The Mamas & The Papas – Monday, Monday
The Mamas & The Papas – Dancing in the Street
The Mamas & The Papas – Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Gold Lion (Diplo remix)
Marlena Shaw – California Soul (Diplo/Mad DeCent remix)
David Bowie – Heroes (Single Version)
David Bowie – Let's Dance (Single Version)
David Bowie – Young American
David Bowie – The Jean Genie
David Bowie – China Girl
David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes (Single Version)
David Bowie – Fame
David Bowie – Fashion (Single Version)
David Bowie – Golden Years (Single Version)
David Bowie – Ashes to Ashes
David Bowie – Beauty And The Beast
David Bowie – Heroes
David Bowie – Let's Dance
David Bowie – TVC15
The Stooges – 1969
Iggy Pop – 1969 (Live)
The Stooges – 1970
The Stooges – Down On The Street
The Stooges – Gimme Danger
Iggy Pop – I Got a Right!
The Stooges – I Need Somebody
Iggy Pop – I Wanna Be Your Dog
Iggy Pop – I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live)
The Stooges – Little Doll
Iggy Pop – Little Electric Chair
MC5 – Looking At You
The Stooges – Loose
The Stooges – My Idea of Fun
Iggy Pop – My Idea Of Fun (Live)
The Stooges – No Fun
The Stooges – Search and Destroy
The Stooges – Studio Dialogue
The Stooges – Trollin'
Money Mark – Push the Button
Money Mark – Too Like You
Money Mark – Monkey Dot
Money Mark – Tomorrow Will Be Like Today
Money Mark – Poor Shakes
Money Mark – Bossa Nova 101
Money Mark – Rock in the Rain
Money Mark – Crowns
Money Mark – All the People
Money Mark – Underneath It All
Money Mark – I Don't Play Piano
Money Mark – Destroyer
Money Mark – Hand in Your Head
Money Mark – Trust Money
Mark – Maybe I'm Dead
Money Mark – Dha Teen Ta
Money Mark – Powerhouse
Money Mark – Harmonics of Life
Money Mark – Stuck At The Airport
Money Mark – Color Of Your Blues
Money Mark – Pick Up The Pieces
Money Mark – Summer Blue
Money Mark – Pretend To Sleep
Money Mark – My Loss, Your Gain
Money Mark – Everyday I Die A Little
Money Mark – Radiate Nothing
Money Mark – Black Butterfly
Money Mark – Nice To Me
Money Mark – Eyes That Ring
Money Mark – Brand New By Tomorrow
Money Mark – Take Me Where The Flowers Grow
Money Mark – Love's Theme
Mike Watt – Sexual Military Dynamics
Mike Watt – E-Ticket Ride
Mike Watt – Big Train
Mike Watt – Against the '70s
Mike Watt – Piss-Bottle Man
Mike Watt – Chinese Firedrill
Mike Watt – Intense Song for Madonna to Sing
Mike Watt – Tuff Gnarl
Mike Watt – Max and Wells
Mike Watt – Forever - One Reporter's Opinion
Mike Watt – Song for Igor
Mike Watt – Tell 'Em, Boy!
Mike Watt – Sidemouse Advice
Mike Watt – Heartbeat
Mike Watt – Maggot Brain
Mike Watt – Coincidence Is Either Hit or Miss
Brian Auger – In And Out
KC and The Sunshine Band – Give It Up
KC and The Sunshine Band – Please Don't Go
KC and The Sunshine Band – (Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty
KC and The Sunshine Band – I Get Lifted
KC and The Sunshine Band – Space Cadet
KC and The Sunshine Band – Black Water Gold
KC and The Sunshine Band – Fire In Your Eyes
KC and The Sunshine Band – Funky '75
The S.O.S. Band – Just Be Good to Me (album version)
Eagles Of Death Metal – I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)
Eagles Of Death Metal – Wannabe In L.A
White Denim – Let's Talk About It
White Denim – Shake Shake Shake
White Denim – Sitting
White Denim – I Can Tell
White Denim – Heart From Us All
White Denim – Mess Your Hair Up
White Denim – All You Really Have To Do
White Denim – Don't Look That Way At It
White Denim – Darksided Computer Mouth
White Denim – IEIEI
White Denim – WDA
White Denim – Transparency
White Denim – You Can't Say
White Denim – Migration Wind
White Denim – All Truckers Roll
The Specials – A Message to You Rudy
The Specials – Concrete Jungle
The Specials – Do the Dog
The Specials – The Skinhead Symphony (Medley) (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Blank Expression
The Specials – Pressure Drop
The Specials – Monkey Man
The Specials – Gangsters (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Friday Night, Saturday Morning
The Specials – Too Much Too Young (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Too Much Too Young
The Specials – Rat Race The Specials – Rat Race (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Monkey Man (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Concrete Jungle (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Ghost Town The Specials – Little Bitch
The Specials – Man at C & A
Rico – Nite Klub
The Specials – Stupid Marriage
The Specials – Ghost Town (Extended Version)
En Vogue – Hold On
Mantronix – Got To Have Your Love (Radio Edit)
Mantronix – Who Is It? [Club Mix]
Mantronix – I Get Lifted
Mantronix – Hardcore Hip Hop
Slick Rick – The Show Live (feat. Doug E. Fresh)
Shanice – I Love Your Smile
N.E.R.D. – Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom)
N.E.R.D. – Spaz
N.E.R.D. – Yeah You
N.E.R.D. – You Know What
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheel Of Steel
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – White Lines
Grandmaster Flash – Step Off Megamix
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat. Melle Mel & Duke Bootee – The Message
The Sugarhill Gang – 8th Wonder
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – She's Fresh
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – It's a Shame
Grandmaster & Melle Mel & The Furious Five – Pump Me Up
The Sugarhill Gang – Livin' In The Fast Lane
Coldcut – Last Night A Cliché Saved My Life
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)
Cipher Complete – Bring Hip Hop Back
LL Cool J – My Rhyme Ain't Done
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee – Dollar Bill
Pop Levi – Dollar Bill Rock
Public Enemy – Public Enemy No. 1
Public Enemy – Bring the Noise
Public Enemy – Don't Believe the Hype
Anthrax – Bring the Noise (feat. Public Enemy)
Public Enemy – Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
Public Enemy – Rebel Without a Pause
Public Enemy – Fight the Power
Public Enemy – Shut 'em Down
Ice Cube – $100 Dollar Bill Ya'll
Public Enemy – Caught, Can We Get a Witness?
Stereo MC's – On 33
Stereo MC's – Use It
Stereo MC's – Gee Street
Stereo MC's – Neighbourhood
Stereo MC's – Part 2
Stereo MC's – Bring It On
Stereo MC's – Outta Touch
Stereo MC's – Back to the Future
Stereo MC's – Ground Level
Stereo MC's – Everything
Stereo MC's – Sketch
Stereo MC's – Fade Away
Stereo MC's – All Night Long
Stereo MC's – Playing With Fire
Stereo MC's – Pressure
Stereo MC's – Chicken Shake
Stereo MC's – Creation
Stereo MC's – The End
Stereo MC's – I'm a Believer
Stereo MC's – Scene of the Crime
Stereo MC's – Declaration
Stereo MC's – Watcha Gonna Do?
Stereo MC's – Two Horse Town
Stereo MC's – Ain't Got Nobody
Stereo MC's – Goin' Back to the Wild
The Damned – Smash It Up (Live)
The Damned – Love Song (Demo)
The Damned – I Just Can’t Be Happy Today (Demo)
The Damned – Nasty
The Damned – Do The Blitz
The Damned – Stab Your Back (Live ‘77)
The Damned – You Know (Live ‘77)
The Damned – Idiot Box (Live ‘77)
The Damned – Stranger On The Town (Live ‘82)
The Damned – Smash It Up (Bonus Track)
Visage – Fade to Grey
The Associates – Party Fears Two
The Associates – Boys Keep Swinging
Visage – Damned Don't Cry
Junior Senior – Move Your Feet (Kurtis Mantronik club mix)

Free your mind. Spotify yourself.

Severe Bloggers Health Warning!

Yes - it's that time of year again when I get all grumpy and have to transpose the numbers so people still think I am in my 30's instead of my early 40's! Getting old unglamourously and with great rudeness all round. No cake this year - just a roast and prosecco and lots of it! Perhaps I might one day end up looking like this which will be penance for being so badly behaved in earlier life!

I don't think so!

Anyway, on a far more serious note: beware of blogging from bed (which I do quite a lot) as you may end up looking like this!

Stop it! Stop snacking on blogs! Get out of bed and stop it! No you can't have any won ton soup!

Yes. I am DEFINATELY going to hell!

Barometer a la Pete Tong

(Out of respect I felt I had to leave Ron up for a decent amount of time - at least until the funeral had passed - which it now has). And so....

Each quarter I receive an e mail from a property auctioneer. I must have subscribed ages ago in a fit of pre-bust property nosiness. Anyway - this latest list I thought was a rather interesting and sombre barometric reminder of what is going on out there.

Our February sale once again contains a range of commercial investment properties located throughout the UK, including :-
An unbroken modern City centre parade in Bradford part let to the local authority, Starbucks & J D Wetherspoon
8 Bank investments let to either HSBC Bank Plc, Nationwide, Barclays or Nationwide.
5 well let supermarket investments trading as Iceland
10 public house investments with surety from Punch Taverns
A well located Department Store Investment let to Debenhams in Kings Lynn
A restaurant investment let to Café Rouge in Ruislip Other investments let to Superdrug, Co-op, Clinton Cards, William Hill and BSM

Evidently it's all going a bit 'Pete Tong'....

Personally I would rather buy the Withnail cottage (if I had any spare cash - which I don't!):

A snip apparently at £145,000 GBP. More details here.

Still depressed? Listen to my podcasts - bound to cheer you up (no I haven't done a new one yet but am working on it!)

Ta ta. xx

Ron Asheton - A Humble Tribute

Ron Asheton has died. He was founder member and guitarist of The Stooges. The news of his death has been a great shock to many people - not just because he was such a great musician and a legend in his own right but also because he was a unique and most gentle individual. I count myself blessed to have met and chatted with him briefly late last summer. I'm not normally shy about meeting well known people I have such creative respect for but when you have taken so long to secure your most favourite band ever for your baby anti-format music show you can suddenly get a little hesitant. The momentous Iggy and the Stooges performed a set with a grindy groove worthy of an express train running over your head for forty minutes flat. It was hard not to leap up and whirl around or even want to rip your clothes off and flail about on the floor like a mad thing which for some reason listening to The Stooges always makes me kind of want to do. After the set I took a deep breath and went into the dressing room to say thank you. I was anxious to see that they had enjoyed it as the start was a little haphazard on our tv-land side. We hadn't finished lighting and in true Stooges style we all scrambled to attention at Ron's first and ever so punctual chord - crrrwaaaaahhhhh - wake up everybody! I also had trouble with a set that was meant to be closed - friends of the previous bands roadies and their mates/mother/assorted pets suddenly turned up lining at least one wall all gawping - some even filming - such disrespect. I wasn't going to be the one to ask The Stooges if they would mind stopping and start again in five minutes time once I had cleared the set of rabble. Not quite the done thing really. Anyway, afterwards I swallowed that breath and walked into the dressing room. I introduced myself and I have to say I have never met such a truly polite and grateful group of men. Ron went out of his way to introduce himself, find out more about the show and thank me. He was so kind and enthusiastic about what we were doing. So Ron I now thank you again for being the very heartbeat and backbone of something so special over the years with your Asheton sound. Prior to that day I have been lucky to see Iggy and The Stooges perform live twice in the last two years - once at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the Meltdown Festival where the venue was so small and the gig was so rocking I swear I have not been the same since and lastly at Clapham in 2008. I have always been struck with Ron's oddly graceful and static stance when performing - his delicate wrists and hands whirring so precisely over the frets of his guitar, one foot always forward of the other, his camo jacket and soft baby skin. It was a humbling and most gracious pleasure to meet you Ron. A unique and kind man of such undeniable talent and character. You have gone too soon. Big hugs for the journey and all the people you have left behind. My thoughts are with all of you - especially the band and tech crew who have lost a best friend and a true brother. Ron's light shines bright and very very loud. A happy jewel of a man from Ann Arbor, Michigan who finally got to enjoy the success he so most definately deserved.