He is
Let’s discuss Beyonce’s latest album, shall we?
Or Pink Floyd, Jethro Full or Richard Thompson
Oldest Family Photo
Going through old family pics last night I found what I believe to be the oldest one I have as it’s just over 100 years old, circa 1922. It has my grandad as a 2 year old sitting on a tractor with his grandmother, does anyone have an older family photo?
ATM: Band Gigging in Republic Of Ireland
A musician friend, part of the Joni-covering band Hejira, posed this question on FB.
… I’m delving into the world of carnets etc for a 3 gig trip to Ireland. The official advice from the excellent Musicians’ Union pages and the London Chamber of Commerce is get a carnet, as we’re travelling in a splitter van with 7 musicians and full backline. But tales from colleagues on the road say just drive over and show the border your contracts for the gigs. How risky is this strategy in Republic of Ireland? Anyone done it recently? Thanks for your collective wisdom!
Most replies from other friends of his suggest that if you’re travelling with all your gear, instruments etc. in the vehicle with you, you probably won’t need a carnet. You’d only need a carnet if the gear etc. was in a separate truck or van. But that word “probably” leaves room for quite a bit of doubt. And some possibility of disaster. Another suggestion was to cross to NI initially and then head south, as border checks are much less strict on land crossings. Anyone here with post-Brexit experience of Irish touring or can get information from someone who has?
A composer from New York; a brilliant singer-songwriter; a voice to raise the spirits.
The 2nd part of my studio-blog about AIR Lyndhurst features Michael Kamen, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Ramin Karimloo.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH I WILL ACCOMPANY YOU TO A LIVE MUSICAL EVENT
“I don’t see her much since she started with horses”
My bike has not seen much use during our long, snowy Stockholm winter. But with all the snow and ice finally gone, I finally plucked up courage and cycled down in the sunshine to Liljeholmen today for a doctor’s visit.
One major delight was to cycle past the Enskede Riding School Stables and spend a moment or two looking at the rather splendid horses. Not only could I watch these beautiful creatures. There was also a chap bashing away at some horseshoes.
A blacksmith at work in 2024! A much-celebrated profession, still going strongish In 2024!
I wrote about it on Facebook and a pedantic pal in Hove (quite rightly so) pointed out that it is farriers not blacksmiths who do horseshoes.
I was happy to be corrected, Farriers! A profession I’d never heard of!
Back in the day, there was a blacksmith and/or a farrier in every village. But the profession is far from dead. and still crucial for riders.
One of Mrs KFD’s TV favourites is to watch the Gothenborg Horse Show and other equestrian events. I can understand the appeal but I get bored after five minutes. But I do understand how important it is » Continue Reading.
Ian Dury gone 24 years
I met him once. He was playing the part of the narrator in David Cartwright’s play Road in Bristol. I’m not a big theatre goer but that year on The South Bank Show on the end of year episode they asked the great and good in the audience what the years highlights were and so many said Road I thought I had to see it.
Ian introduced himself to everyone as they entered the Old Vic. Come my turn he shook my hand, asked how I was and hoped I would enjoy the show. I took a rather lovely young lady. Ian stepped back and looked her up and down. Then shook my hand again and said “Nice one”.
Different times and the play was probably my favourite theatre experience ever.
“First night nerves every one night stand” … they don’t write them like that any more.
Pink Floyd when they were good
Anyone who knows me will recall that I’ve been banging the drum for 1969-71 era Pink Floyd since before Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets was a thing. Indeed one of their number once scoffed at the very idea. Well, today has been a red letter day, as – while trying to piece together what was recorded for Zabriskie Point – I’ve come across two shows I’d never heard before, both remarkable in their way.
The first is from the refectory of Southampton University in May 1969. It’s the same tour that brought us the live tracks on Ummagumma but its version of Astronomy Domine is vastly different and Interstellar Overdrive is almost unrecognisable. But what makes this show interesting is that, having already played Careful With That Axe Eugene, the band launch into Beset By Creatures of the Deep, considered by most to be essentially Careful again. Mindful of this, instead of Roger Waters’s whisper-to-a scream crescendo, Dave gives us some slide guitar parts and Nick Mason drums at double speed. It’s unique and was almost certainly never played the same way again.
Then we come to Birmingham Town Hall, February 1970, when, for no apparent reason Pink Floyd decided » Continue Reading.
The Canadian Two return to Spotify
PSA…the small but perfectly formed Joni Mitchell catalogue, and the large and anything-but Neil Young catalogue are now back on Spotify in what private eye would term a ‘reverse ferret’
Basically it’s all Amazon and Apple’s fault for taking the Joe Rogan podcast and so now they are all as bad as each other we might as well take Spotify’s money as well as everyone else’s. Or have I misunderstood?
Spooner
Article on BBC website about Sharleen Spiteri making an album with Spooner Oldham at Muscle Shoals. I’ve got 2 related stories: 1. About 10 years ago we visited the Eden Project on a very wet day. Waiting for the bus to go back to the car park I chatted to the American couple waiting with us. I asked them where they were from and they insisted I wouldn’t have heard of the place. It was Muscle Shoals and they had lived there about 25 years. They had no idea of its musical connections!!!! 2. Went to see Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham in Bristol. My partner went outside for a smoke and met Mrs Oldham doing the same thing. Had a long conversation. Mrs Oldham is a chiropractor and says she spends all her time telling Spooner to sit up straight. Anyone else got any pointless stories related to Muscle Shoals?
Carl Palmer – Fanfare For The Common Man
What does it sound like?:
This new box set comprising 3 cds, a bluray, and a book looks back at the career of the sole surviving member of ELP, encompassing his work with that band alongside other outfits he has worked with such as Atomic Rooster and Asia. The first two cds are actually a slightly rejigged version of the 2001 compilation ‘Do You Wanna Play Carl’. Kicking off with the unused Works Vol 1 piece Concerto For Percussion, ultimately dropped in favour of a number of shorter pieces, the selections focus on music that Palmer feels best showcases his contributions to the band rather than necessarily their best combined work as a unit. Annoyingly, two other unreleased pieces have been dropped for this release to accommodate a section of Karn Evil 9, which seems a shame. The second cd focuses on his work in other contexts, covering a whole gamut of artists from Arthur Brown and Atomic Rooster through to Mike Oldfield and the mega selling Asia years. It also touches on his work with his own band, PM, and the ELP offshoot 3, which also featured Keith Emerson but no Greg Lake, the latter being replaced by » Continue Reading.
North Korea TV Censors Alan Titchmarsh’s Trousers
North Korea’s state television channel has censored a BBC gardening programme – by blurring out presenter Alan Titchmarsh’s trousers.
“It’s taken me to reach the age of 74 to be regarded in the same sort of breath as Elvis Presley, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart. You know wearing trousers that are generally considered by those of us of a sensitive disposition to be rather too tight … I’ve never seen myself as a dangerous subversive imperialist I’m generally regarded as rather cosy and pretty harmless so actually it’s given me a bit of street cred really hasn’t it.”
Give it a rest Pete.
I see that Pete Townsend out of The Who has been opining about his terrible life in having to tour with that band from the sixties again. According to Wikipedia The Who have put twelve albums in the last fifty years – approximately the output of The HJH over their first six years, The Kinks in nine, and Frank Zappa in five. Is it just me, or does anyone else think he might be a bit more “Christ, that’s a good return for my output” or should someone whose last decent song was in 1981 might want to pipe down a bit?
“And then he wrapped his wings around me…” Stockholm has a new Queen of Harps: Mary Lattimore
When she was 8 years old, harpist Mary Lattimore, who played at the Fasching Jazz Club on Sunday evening, entered a Sesame Street competition. Her mum sent in a drawing she had done and to Mary’s joy and astonishment she won. She told us that she hasn’t won anything since.
The prize was 8 tickets to the Sesame Street live show which was playing at the small town where she lived in North Carolina. And best of all was a visit backstage to meet the stars. One moment from that visit has stayed with her ever since was meeting Big Bird and the ginormous hug he gave her. One small girl wrapped up in two enormous yellow wings.
That memory has become her happy place. Somewhere she can retreat when life is too dark and brutal.
It was the inspiration for the exquisite instrumental, And he wrapped his wings around me, which she played after telling us the story behind it. She was alone on stage sitting behind the enormous harp that she’d borrowed from a Stockholm musician called Anna. Using an effects pedal, she would loop her playing, constructing great spider’s webs made up of exquisite arpeggios. » Continue Reading.
Artists tinker compilations
Thrilled by the possibility of punning a previous thread, I wonder if there is any mileage in calling for examples of successful acts who stretched their talent beyond their familiar genre?
Could you list* songs by mainstream acts that aren’t bad, but just don’t fit the expected mould – like the track in the first comment below. ————— *Of course you could – you’re salivating at the chance.
Artist stinker compilations
A propos the Van Morrison shoeing today, it struck me that contributors recommending a CD length’s list of an artist or band’s worst might be an interesting experiment. Sharpen those pens.
Van Morrison – When Did He Jump The Shark?
In the context of recent posts about The Beatles and Neil Young (and sort of Pink Floyd), let’s give this old Afterword chestnut another canter around the paddock before it’s sent to the glue factory!
Simply complete the following sentence in your own words on a postcard and pop it in the postbox! No address necessary!
“I think Van Morrison lost the plot after …”
ATM: Home Recording
Hello, hive mind.
I would like – largely for my own enjoyment – to play around with creating some electonic-y music.
What I’m looking for is software that will allow me to add sounds recorded elsewhere – probably on a phone to begin with, so low tech. Could be bits of instrumental, found sounds, spoken word etc.
I’d like to be able to: take sounds and loop them so that they repeat. easily drop bits in to specific parts ideally distort the sounds in various ways build up layers of sound make different layers more/less prominent
Any recommendations for software that can do the above (and is simple enough for a novice to use)?
Thanks in advance.
Neil Young – Where should I draw the line?
I have been given many, many boxes of CDs (I do love it when friends and colleagues “go digital”, as I’m the beneficiary of their old physical product). One box contains a near full catalogue of Neil Young. Now, I already own some of these but now have a perfect opportunity to fill the gaps. But … when does Shakey become “completists only” rather than “must have”? I’m drawing the line at 1995s Mirror Ball, and 1997s (live) Year Of The Horse.
So what delights am I missing if I set this line in the sand?
Tired of paying through the nose for gigs? Give the theatre a go!
Just back from a quick three-day break in London during which I saw
One gig (the Who at the RAH @ £140)
Two films (Zone of Interest and Monster for a total of £23)
One exhibition (Romans in Britain for £24)
and
Three theatre shows (two evening and one matinee) for a total of £164 (£24 for A Mirror, £38 for The Motive and the Cue, and Picture of Dorian Gray for £100).
Anyone else here a theatre fan?
It’s getting to the point where grabbing a last-minute ticket to a play is a whole lot cheaper than shelling out for a gig sometimes a year in advance.
While the PODG ticket was pricey, the whole shebang – Sarah Snook playing 26 different roles unbind interacting with numerous screens and camera operators – was way more spectacular than some gigs I’ve recently seen for the same kind of money.
Nico
The latest issues of Mojo and Uncut both feature reviews of the re-issued Nico albums, ‘The Marble Index’ and ‘Desert Shore’, declaring the former to be her masterpiece.
I was introduced to Nico’s work at University by a friend who was an Eno fanatic and collected anything he was associated with, and played me ‘The End’ as I was familiar with The Doors and The Velvet Underground. As an impressionable 19 year old, I loved it! And sought out anything else she had issued.
However, at that time ‘The Marble Index’ was out of print, so I didn’t hear I until much later, by which time it didn’t have the same impact as the other 3 of her first 4 albums. So – is it a masterpiece? I can’t really judge, as I still prefer the others, having played them repeatedly in my student house.
I can never understand why ‘Chelsea Girls’ attracts such lukewarm praise. I love it – it is a beautiful record with some excellent songs, well suited to that voice. Am I it’s only fan?!
Are The Smile the new Oasis?
I’ve seen two posts on FB this morning complaining about audience chatter at two different gigs by The Smile.
“Team outing to see The Smile tonight at Alexander Palace, what a night, so good. Question: why do people go to gigs to talk all the way through them? I just don’t get it. Still brilliant though.”
And, from the linked Birmingham Mail article “I saw The Smile at O2 Academy – they were amazing but one group of fans nearly ruined the night. Despite annoying gig-goers who couldn’t shut up, The Smile delivered a superb 90 minute set”. Set your ad-blockers to stun if you really want to read more.
Are all big gigs like this now, or do The Smile just attract the kind of beer-swilling gobshites who used to attend Oasis gigs in my youth?
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/saw-smile-o2-academy-were-28871048
Mr Blue Sky VIP Experience
“Jeff Lynne’s” ELO are to make a final tour, whether this will last about a decade like Elton’s is as yet unknown. I checked the on sale yesterday for Toronto, all the best seats are either designated as “Platinum” which is complete nonsense, just legalised scalping or you can buy one of 3 packages like the aforementioned one.
Here’s what the Mr Blue Sky package gives you:
One reserved ticket in rows 6-15 on the floor Access to the Jeff Lynne’s ELO lounge including: – Green screen photo booth experience – Light appetizers and dessert bar – (2) drink tickets per person for beer, wine, and soft drinks – Photo opportunity in front of the VIP backdrop to commemorate you evening * Specially designed merchandise – exclusive to VIP packages Commemorative laminate and branded lanyard Priority entry for crowd free merchandise shopping
*No artist interaction with this package
So a decent seat but not the best, 2 drinks(!), and the catering doesn’t even include a main meal. The cost $993!! The “Over and Out” package (first 5 rows) is $1400
I can kind of understand people buying VIP packages to meet the artist, but who on earth would pay » Continue Reading.
Mark Knopflers Guitar Heroes
Okay – I know that this charity single got a bit of a kicking when it was previewed on here a few months ago, but anyway….
They have just released the “official video” on YouTube that’s basically an animation that shows who is playing during the song. Some are obvious, but some surprised me. Whether or not you agree with charity singles, like Mark Knopfler, etc etc, its still a fun exercise to to a spot the various guitarists on here.
But, even better,,,,,,,
At 5:45 (right after Duane Eddy) who should pop up – none other than “Twang”
@twang – having a couple of your albums, I know you are pretty good, but I must say, I’m impressed you managed to get this gig 😉
Video in first comment.