tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28426204025876474252024-03-14T05:47:35.599+00:00music,art,insanity,whatever...Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.comBlogger251125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-32666204511487659112014-11-07T12:32:00.001+00:002014-11-07T12:32:33.182+00:00Crazy moon, you shine like there's nothing wrong...Well I've made it to Friday it seems, a hollow victory as it was always bound to happen as regular as tick follows tock but a victory none the less. How a million Londoners manage to sit at their desks and not blow their brains out deserves nothing less than a standing round of applause. Nobody has ever dreamed of one day reaching their dream of working in an office 9-5. It is simply a means to an end surely? The end is of course so you can pay your bills off and live quite comfortably in your old age and start enjoying your life when you're pushing 70 (slowly before you finally start pushing up the daises one would imagine). From the vantage point of my back walled desk I can see a hundred other blank faces, those who probably aimed at being everything from fireman to bank robbers and everything in-between but instead decided on the life of a I.T call centre 'cold caller', named possibly from the feeling that runs through your veins after you've made about 20 and you forget what 'happy' even felt like. Yes of course I'm over exaggerating this dear reader but you didn't expect your baldy hero to lead you down the primrose path without circumnavigating a few pointless obstacles on the way did you? Oh you did? Well there's no accounting for taste m'lad as my old history teacher used to say as he mumbled on that <i>"bad egg Adolf"</i> and his own <i>"every increasingly refined golf swing"</i> (the significance between the two being lost on me and the remainder of the class although some still obediently nodded and scratched notes down with an ever faithful 3 coloured pen as if this would be a possible starter for ten).<br />
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Lets get to the point of today's Rhubarb, which is the subject of <b><i>'Lifestyle'</i></b>, it's something that has interested me wonderfully over the last few years. It first appeared as a seed that sprouted as my wardrobe bloomed from Top Man t-shirts to Charles Tyrwhitt and Samuel Windsor sale based bargains. Now a true gent wouldn't applaud himself for managing to fish out the best of the bunch from the 20% off bin but as a wise man once said <i>"buy cheap, buy twice"</i> if you can get a good quality anything for a knockdown or even out the factory window price tag then get it! Especially shoes my friends. Shoes and Beds. If you're not in one you're in the other so don't scrimp. Style is really everything. Even if you're the kind of chap to glug a few cans of incredibly cheap flat lager before the theme tune to This Morning strikes up, at least do it in a suit or selection of needlepoint Corduroy and choice of brogues and not a pair of tracksuit bottoms and thousand washed Reebok classic permanently loose tied under the tongue, it does make a difference to the postman as he greats you with the latest pizza menu. What would the neighbours think after all? The difference between 'insanity' and 'eccentricity' has always been simply the inclusion of money and style. A skint fool wearing a pair of elasticated jeans and a <b>"i'm with stupid"</b> t-shirt on the bare bones of his arse will always be insane M'lud where as a well heeled gent that has decided to start eating bricks from his scullery will always be thought of kindly as a "bit of a character" by the locals.<br />
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For now I will leave my ramblings here as it is near lunchtime and I flatly refuse to do any 'serious work' when i'm not being paid for the pleasure.<br />
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For those of you that have even an inkling that you may want to dress well as you're preparing for your latest pub crawl I would say the best books on the subject are the following:<br />
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'How to Have a Life-Style'<br />
http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Have-Life-Style-Quentin-Crisp/dp/155583406X<br />
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'THE PERFECTLY DRESSED GENTLEMAN'<br />
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfectly-Dressed-Gentleman-Robert-OByrne/dp/1907563881/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415362647&sr=1-9&keywords=gentleman<br />
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'LOW LIFE'<br />
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Low-Life-Autobiography-Jeffrey-Bernard-ebook/dp/B00KYQ3CAA/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415362684&sr=1-3&keywords=jeffrey+bernard<br />
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'DANDY IN THE UNDERWORLD'<br />
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dandy-Underworld-Sebastian-Horsley/dp/0340934085/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415362714&sr=1-1&keywords=sebastian+horsleyChris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-71107523081699350782014-10-23T12:58:00.000+01:002014-10-23T12:59:39.740+01:00Style it out...Some of you that know me will be able to confirm the fact that over the past 4-5 years I have managed (hopefully with some level of success) to transform my 'look' and actually move to the ranks of people who actually care what goes on their backs.<br />
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From the years of selecting my outfit from a wobbly pile of t-shirts, skinny jeans and cardigans/baggy jumpers (finished with the ever present knackered leather jacket) I now have a wardrobe worthy of Henry Hill in 'Goodfellas' and proudly line up my suits/blazers in varied shades like a rainbow of tweed and wool from left to right.<br />
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Books and websites have been devoured on the subject of style and appearance as well as how one should conduct themselves within polite society (or with your mates in the pub, either way),and hopefully you'll notice that with only minimal effort NOT to be a total bell-end that the rewards will be forthcoming and your circles will widen.<br />
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Here are some tips for the 30 something man about town to follow and assimilate into their own psyche.<br />
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1) <b>Manners</b>: They will never go out of fashion no matter what people say. Please's and thank yous, holding doors open, complementing someone on their appearance (whether genuinely deserving or not) is something that will always put you in good sted with friends and strangers. Also NOBODY likes to be proved wrong in front of their friends or work colleagues. Yes we all know that in <b>Mad Men</b> the lead character is named Don Draper and not <i>Dan Draper</i> but for the sake of this mildly incorrect misuse of a single vowel you can nod and listen to the point they're actually trying to make, constantly bringing up their error and audibly mocking them will not get you an invite to the next night out. Nobody has ever felt better or happier after being told that they're incorrect or wrong about something incidental by a stranger in fact this is how most fights tend to start. <br />
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2) <b>Get the right size for Gods sake</b>: Whether it be skinny jeans or a three piece suit always get the right size to the inch. I can assume we're all past the age range where "we'll grow into it" or "i'm on a diet so i'll keep that as my target size". Just get the right size that is completely comfortable and looks exactly right. <br />
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3) <b>Suits you!</b>: Wearing a suit shouldn't be something you only reserve for weddings, funerals or court cases. You should feel completely comfortable within a suit and use the confidence it brings to your benefit. Fads and fashions come and go but a well fitted suit will ALWAYS look great.<br />
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<b>TIPS</b>:<br />
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*<b>Lengths</b> (small), (regular), (long) = For a non bespoke off the peg suit jacket you'll see these options (usually colour coded) for each size. Try them all on and get the closest one to a perfect fit. The back vents of the jacket should at least cover half of your backside and with your arms by your sides palms open should reach the halfway point of your hand (no more, no less). There is nothing worse sartorially speaking than a baggy suit jacket or subsequently one that looks like a prop from <b>The Incredible Hulk</b> where you're about to pop every button and tear it to pieces if flex a muscle or check your watch. The 'proper suit jacket sleeve length'? <i>"A man’s shirt cuffs should be slightly visible from under his jacket sleeve. How far? One half inch"</i>- <b>Frank Sinatra</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTsRS9VZu0OmQgNd09B4GMSewRmdG1hRDBwCaakJnuWaOMwkxn3Q42M4tA2RTHnUPSNV9smdQystI1ppq4iXTK-XPDIIDOvY9l6dAdplbb7dvLvompxPuVLOibB8Rju62agr3Rc-Eb69a/s1600/oe60fs-gray-main1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTsRS9VZu0OmQgNd09B4GMSewRmdG1hRDBwCaakJnuWaOMwkxn3Q42M4tA2RTHnUPSNV9smdQystI1ppq4iXTK-XPDIIDOvY9l6dAdplbb7dvLvompxPuVLOibB8Rju62agr3Rc-Eb69a/s200/oe60fs-gray-main1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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*<b>Trousers</b>: Nobody is happy with their waist size but it's one thing where you'll need to (brace for pun) simply 'suck it in' and get the correct size. Again if you try and kid yourself that although the tape measure reads 40 that you're in fact a 34 if you breath in it'll just mean you'll have a massive belly hanging over the belt line like an explosion in a lard factory. Get the right size and look right. Length wise you're best of listening to Sinatra's advice of letting the trousers stop just as they break when hitting the laces. No baggy suit trousers, these aren't your Sunday tracksuit bottoms for lounging around in or a pair of baggy jeans for a Hip Hop gig. Everything needs to work together.<br />
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*<b>Belts</b>: Even if you get the correct size waistline (and I'll assume you all will now) you may fluctuate slightly back and forward now and then within the suits lifetime and require a little extra support from a belt. Always make sure your belt matches your shoes in both material and colour. You shall receive a smartly placed swift boot in the privates if I see you out with a brown belt and black shoes. Unforgivable.<br />
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*<b>Shoes</b>: Leather is always the way to go, laces or loafers are fine although those 90's style slip on shoes with square toes that look like clown shoes are most definitely not something anyone should be seen wearing again. Pointy toed shoes have definitely had their day as well I think, go classic. A rounded toe Derby, Tasselled slip on loafer or Brogue is perfect for any occasion and the accepted colours will be Black, Brown, Oxblood burgundy or light tan if in the summer and wearing a light shade of suit.<br />
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*<b>Shirts</b>: This is where personal taste comes into the picture. There are many styles of shirts, cuts, cuffs, collars available on the market and all are perfectly acceptable, from the standard straight collar to the wide collar (popular with footballers and pundits ; look at <b>Ray Wilkins</b> next time he's on Match of The Day) or even the <b>Sebastian Horsley</b> styled giant broad collar that fights for domination with the tie itself over which is the most prominent. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEZwpxBvvFvYi8wR1iNG4hTB2yRVchDDXwiXyOVcK6VOb4WJUnhP09G_6JiMu-INzt1P-wK-bjk-KqEtXusco7OX-BmWiYkfsjjuk1r2lWaNTrjGrAF-H3_sa_TZ4LTyDQzYi25xjC499/s1600/image_update_48529a5f5a625138_1342013304_9j-4aaqsk.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEZwpxBvvFvYi8wR1iNG4hTB2yRVchDDXwiXyOVcK6VOb4WJUnhP09G_6JiMu-INzt1P-wK-bjk-KqEtXusco7OX-BmWiYkfsjjuk1r2lWaNTrjGrAF-H3_sa_TZ4LTyDQzYi25xjC499/s200/image_update_48529a5f5a625138_1342013304_9j-4aaqsk.jpeg" /></a></div><br />
Cuffs are down to the person. Both is ideal although a french cuff that requires cufflinks is always a nice touch for special event although please go conservative with cuff-links as one slip up here can make you look like a dick very easily (pint glasses, bulldogs, racing cars etc. all look equally stupid)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZY1KaRs9Oq98F8sUFt1LGt09q7ZS8hayqmZfy_vjN3WDOJq9rVR0JrV-qF0UNJN7Br6hqITbxWne84wI7SbjSyovRXFCxnIaFUb-0Kmivs3oBPWqRzXoSLGlAb9AL6LR5b62gkdPIsQmj/s1600/horsley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZY1KaRs9Oq98F8sUFt1LGt09q7ZS8hayqmZfy_vjN3WDOJq9rVR0JrV-qF0UNJN7Br6hqITbxWne84wI7SbjSyovRXFCxnIaFUb-0Kmivs3oBPWqRzXoSLGlAb9AL6LR5b62gkdPIsQmj/s200/horsley.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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*Ties: A tie should be no thicker than the length of your finger, no kipper ties or pencil thin ones please. When it comes to material only choose 100% silk and for knots although there are a hundred variations I personally stick to the standard 4 in hand or a half windsor if the tie is slightly too long for my frame. The point of the tie should reach (but not touch) your belt line, just enough to cover your bellybutton. Anything shorter looks like you've just come home from school and are begging for a 'peanut' (google it) or too long resembles someone who prefers to be lead around on a dog leech (hey each to his own).<br />
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*<b>Pocket squares</b> : ALWAYS, it adds a personal flourish and flair and gives the appearance of someone who is completely comfortable with themselves and the fact they are wearing a suit. Again simple conservative colours are best and a straight fold is best, leave the flower arranging ones to the professionals. The reason why for me a basic and standard fold is best is at some point over the evening someone will no doubt go "is that real or a bit of cardboard" and yank it out so retrieving it and carefully yet swiftly re-folding it and placing it back with minimal effort is much better than panicking and trying to find the youtube clip you copied trying to create a 3 point arched fold.<br />
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*<b>Socks</b>: Really? Yes I'm going to help you choose your socks m'lad. Always match the trouser colour or shoe colour if feeling a little more flamboyant. I know we're British but you can't just wear black socks 365 days a year and hope for the best.<br />
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I've never been one to assist with hair both cranial or facial. Do what thou wilt but keep it clean and free from cobwebs and dandruff and for gods sake no ponytails.<br />
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Go fourth young men and multiple!<br />
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Some excellent sites:<br />
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http://www.samuel-windsor.co.uk/<br />
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http://en.monsieurlondon.com/<br />
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http://www.us.thomaspink.com/<br />
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http://www.ctshirts.co.uk/default.aspx?q=|||||||||||||||<br />
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Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-22793490934546941642014-10-21T11:20:00.001+01:002014-10-21T11:21:34.383+01:00Chews-day ramblings.Had the first twinge of my 33rd year today as I bent over to pick up my shoes. The crack of a dozen Castanets seemed to echo through my hallway and over my back passage as I stood hunched slipping on a hurriedly half polished loafer. 33 is quite an age for me. It's the oldest I've ever been and the youngest I'll ever be again but it still feels like a mugger that's appeared from the shadows in front of me and demanded my youth. Am I officially now 'out' of the circle of the young? When does middle age actually commence these days? Statistics do show that people generally live a lot longer if they've managed to side step illness and wayward drunk drivers or postcode gang stabbings but if three score and ten is the age the majority aim for Biblically speaking then i'm only 2 years away from the half way point. Jesus was 33. Hendrix didn't make it and some simply don't know when to cash in their chips with dignity. 30 itself is a milestone and new chapter in any mans life. Your twenties are a blur or at least mine were and I know for sure that if I met the 22 year old version of myself on the train I would think <i>"you're going the right way to end up a bitter old fucker my lad"</i> and hopefully he would have put his feet up on the seat and turned up the music one notch louder, after all a young man who listens to the advice of the old is generally set to repeat the mistakes of the speaker without any of the knowledge gained from the experience of error. <br />
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Here are few things I've picked up and learned along the way that are meant to amuse and are free for the taking if desired. If not then that's fine too as the band-aid and bandage business would be on course to bankruptcy if people started following warning signs.<br />
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<b>Things I've learned.</b><br />
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1) <b>Always know when to leave the party</b>. To soon is too rude but if you're tapping away on your mobile come 4am looking for <i>"numbers"</i> you know you're prolonging a dead end gathering like a Dodo on life-support.<br />
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2) <b>There are only two types of music. Good and bad</b>. Now this is a quote that's been attributed to everyone from Louis Armstrong, Ry Cooder to Duke Ellington but whoever first said it was bang on the money. Music is all about the venue, atmosphere and company. I refuse to share some music with those less worthy to appreciate it fully.<br />
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3) <b>Try your best to tell the truth. It's a hell of a lot easier to remember</b>. They say a good liar disguises the lie with detail and real imagery but when the fallacy is re-earthed out of the blue the pieces of the jigsaw will always be harder to fit on the fly, especially when dodging the effects of a hangover or a set of accusing eyes. The truth is the same today, tomorrow or next year.<br />
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4) <b>'Real' is overrated</b>. No dear listener I haven't immediately spun a coin of contradiction from my previous statement, this only relates to tall tales and drunken party reminiscence not sworn testimony. This is related to anecdotes told by yourself to amuse or amaze. It's all about the delivery. Building up to a story with a preamble of <i>"This reminds of a story I once read in an old newspaper I saw laying on a park bench in Brixton and I thought that...etc.etc"</i> has already lost the concentration of the listener who now with a cracked smile fading is quietly judging your shoes, un-matching socks or incredibly cheap sickly sweet Cologne you've chosen this week. Get to the point or at least A point. <i>"That reminds me of a time in Soho with a trio of Russian diplomats and a one armed piano player..."</i> this will always sound better even if based on legend, after all the point of a story or fun anecdote is to raise a smile from the listener and hopefully keep the attention drawn to you. You never know if you keep talking they might get another drink in.<br />
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5) <b>Even the worst drink in the world tastes fine after the third round</b>. This is a lesson I learned from imbibing a friends home made wine at a Xmas party. Upon initial inspection and tasting of the bruise coloured liquid it loudly polluted my taste-buds and ravaged my tongue like a Panzer attack of deicer and value grapes. After the conversation had darted and grown with regular top ups along the way it seemed that I'd been won over and this was in fact a cheeky little number that wouldn't be out of place at a relatively clean Italian eatery. <br />
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6) <b>Everyone looks good in a suit</b>. Now I know this can be an issue with some as they feel too formal and constrained within the confines of a pinstripe off the peg three piece but if you've actually bought the correct size or have relaxed and actually asked an assistant to measure you and chosen wisely with a jacket that fits both your shoulders, arms and doesn't hang past your open palm you'll find you've never looked better in your life. A tracksuit outside of a gym or ripped jeans outside of a casualty waiting room is never a good look for someone old enough to remember when Channel 5 was still a pipe dream.<br />
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7) <b>Complements work better than flattery</b>. They are definitely different things altogether. When someone has clearly made an effort with their hair, dress, make-up or even finally looked up some YouTube page you sent them six months ago regarding the correct way to polish ones shoes and have followed it to the letter then bring it up. It'll make them feel good, show them that their efforts have not been in vain and hasn't caused you the slightest unrest or hassle. Flattery is someone a crawling P.A's does when discussing the bosses golf swing.<br />
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8) <b>When it comes to Art, age is irrelevant</b>. Whether you're reading a book, watching a movie or listening to a Alan Lomax field recording of a teenage Muddy Waters singing and playing it is of no consequence of the age of the piece. Plenty of things happened before you were born, some that are far greater than anything to happen after and their worth isn't based on your personal time-line. Being uninformed or ignorant on a myriad of subjects isn't something to take a bow over, after all Napoléon died nearly 200 years ago...but I still know he lost.<br />
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<b><i>"I will not be a common man. I will stir the smooth sands of monotony." - Peter O'Toole</i></b><br />
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Tomorrow is promised to nobody. Now where is the fire escape. Chin-chin!<br />
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Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-37342852859811752412014-09-25T13:28:00.000+01:002014-09-25T13:28:33.566+01:00Back from the egg...Good afternoon my children!<br />
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Yes I have returned once again from the abyss of time and space and back onto your phones, screen and board psyches that crave a pointless and random point of view regarding everything from the correct way to part your hair to which Beach Boys albums to listen to this month.<br />
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I can see the last message of hope I last had to offer was back in March with the latest <b>Arctic Monkey</b>'s video. A lot has happened since that day with deaths appearing a few times too often for my liking, weddings and employment hunting coming and going like a fart in a hurricane.<br />
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So what is left to discuss? Well music will always be there of course but I can't remember the last time I was knocked out by a new single or album by anyone that wasn't sending me it free of charge with a freebie shaped carrot being hoisted in front of me to encourage a favourable review.<br />
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My latest interest has been the more grown up pursuit of mens style. No I don't mean the latest colour or shade of socks available from Paris but in fact <i>'style'</i> itself. Who has it? Who definitely doesn't? In fact those who don't wouldn't even get a mention as there is frankly far too many of them to even consider listing them from A-Z.<br />
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It's time to move on from simply pointing a knowing finger at sub par indie bands and saying "well you're shit aren't you my little darlings?" They know they are before they even leave the rehearsal studios, it's just something to do on their gap year at university before finishing with a degree in psychology then going to work at their fathers law firm. They don't harm anyone so why should I even bother recognising them? They are the kindly aunts of the music world so best off leaving them be and concentrate on the more rewarding things in life.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAaFVrZ_p532lL-TvqMkRC056owpsqCcCzhbjYJi59ila9rzkhVfw-oFr-4Rm6wQ51Grdd77vDJoHXVKPwtekh5fePlIJciuZz5WeiBpGHZhAbzaM0l2wrGc9EmG1KynHZPkG5uOWCnKe/s1600/BvWM6vdCYAI3_i3.jpg-large.jpeg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAaFVrZ_p532lL-TvqMkRC056owpsqCcCzhbjYJi59ila9rzkhVfw-oFr-4Rm6wQ51Grdd77vDJoHXVKPwtekh5fePlIJciuZz5WeiBpGHZhAbzaM0l2wrGc9EmG1KynHZPkG5uOWCnKe/s320/BvWM6vdCYAI3_i3.jpg-large.jpeg" /></a><br />
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I will continue to post here with any reviews I decide to conjure up from the cosmos thanks to the usual amount of alcohol streaking through my bloodstream like a dog chasing a rabbit through my veins but until then good people here is the link to my twitter page where updates are as regular as Kennedy funeral.<br />
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https://twitter.com/Art_Of_The_Gent<br />
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Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-55994130509882103312014-03-03T12:02:00.001+00:002014-03-03T12:02:53.647+00:00Arctic Monkeys - Arabella (Official Video)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Nj8r3qmOoZ8" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-45129528992039762312014-02-26T13:37:00.002+00:002014-02-26T13:37:10.769+00:00OASIS 1994After the frankly underwhelming news that <b>Oasis</b> will be reissuing their debut album ‘Definitely Maybe’ on the 20 year anniversary date in all it’s Re-mastered glory it opened a floodgate of social media chat and <b>Oasis</b> bashing quotes such as “it’s ALL just copying <b>The Beatles</b>”, “it’s all rubbish”, “I preferred Northern Uproar” etc. These are the usual things that happen whenever their name is mentioned and as an <b>Oasis</b> fan it is something you just tend to ignore as the people usually parrot talking these recycled opinions weren’t there when <b>Oasis</b> hit for the first time. How could they be? They were 5 years old.<br />
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I was 13 years old in August 1994 the same month that ‘Definitely Maybe’ was released. At the time I’d been listening to a steady stream of <b>Nirvana</b> (obviously), <b>Guns N Roses</b> (who in 1991 had released x2 separate DOUBLE albums the same day with ‘Use Your Illusion 1&2” so even the casual fan had a lot to work through) , <b>Lenny Kravitz</b> (‘Are You Gonna Go My Way’ had been released only the previous year) and a bunch of non-descript Grunge bands that had been signed on the back of <b>Nirvana</b> but had half the charm and none of the hooks. Looking back at the above list the most apparent thing is that that they are all American bands as for me the early 1994 U.K scene in West London for the 13 year old music fan was pretty flat. There was the tail end of the ‘Grunge’ scene happening although with the devastating suicide of <b>Kurt Cobain</b> in the April of 94 the wind had definitely farted it’s last from the sails of that ship. I was at secondary school where music as a pastime and lifestyle was broken into a few key fractions, those who listened to Happy Hard-core/Rave music and those who listened to Rock. Hip-Hop hadn’t really broken in Ruislip at that time amongst the playground elite (which I most definitely wasn’t considered). Anyone who didn’t fit into either of these groups listened to chart music or couldn’t care less. <br />
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When ‘Definitely Maybe’ was released it seemed to do it without much fanfare on a large scale although there was a definite buzz surrounding it with people who had only discussed football and computer games the Friday previous. I had bought the album along with ‘Parklife’ by <b>Blur</b> the same day and although I cannot give an exact time I became an Oasis fan I think it was somewhere between second 1 and second 5 of the intro of ‘Rock ‘N’Roll Star’ after which I was a goner. <br />
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It sounds ridiculous now but at the time nobody since the <b>Sex Pistols</b> was playing loud rock and roll music like this. The charts were really full of bands like <b>Wet, Wet, Wet</b>, <b>Mariah Carey</b>, <b>Bryan Adams</b> and <b>Chaka Demus & Pliers</b>! The ‘real’ guitar music was all coming out of America and even that was starting to look pretty stale. Bands that used to be leather trousers and makeup were now wearing lumberjack shirts and playing pawnshop looking guitars to jump on the ‘alternative’ bandwagon. The more indie fans in the press still spoke in hushed tones about "the new <b>Stone Roses</b> album finally coming out" but as I hadn't even heard the debut at the time and couldn't care less about the follow up that had now been 5 or so years in the making.<br />
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“Why didn’t you choose <b>Blur</b>?” I hear the more sensitive of readers out there moan. Well in all honesty I did listen to ‘Parklife’ more than few times (mainly as the guitar chords were printed inside the sleeve so as a new guitarist I loved playing along) but I picked ‘Definitely Maybe’ up first and it struck such a chord within me that anything secondary was going to be a passing interest. Also <b>Blur</b> had already released 2 albums previous to ‘Parklife’, they weren’t new. They had a strong fan base and weren’t too welcoming in a bunch of newbies muscling in (especially those who still required a fake ID to get a beer). <b>Oasis</b> on the other hand still had the wrapping on them and I felt like I was getting in on the first floor. This was year zero. The first album and steady stream of singles were released one after the other and each track and more importantly the B-sides were digested accordingly. <b>Oasis</b> fans will know about the joy of their B-Sides which in a lot of cases were better than the A-sides (‘Listen Up’, ‘Acquiesce’, ‘Headshrinker’,’ Half the World Away’…etc.). Gigs were regular and fairly cheap in relation to todays hiked up prices and not only would you get to see <b>Oasis</b> but the support band would be a group such as <b>The Verve</b>, <b>Supergrass</b> or <b>The Bootleg Beatles</b>! The band was smart enough not to price their fans out of the gigs and always kept them at a level where even someone signing on the dole could walk up to a box office and buy one without any hassle. <br />
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Like all cultural trends and fads when all is said and done only the clichés and posters will remain and when people go to fancy dress parties in 20 years and ‘dress 90’s they will wear Union flag jackets and dresses while playing a selection of Brit Pop anthems and it will all seem correct and bang on the money, but like those people who bought ‘Sgt Pepper’ the day it came out the person who downloads it in 2014 will only see a fraction of the bigger picture. Unless you were there and lived it you’ll never really 100% get what it was like and how important it was. Sorry.<br />
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Is it too soon to rose tint the mid 90's? Possibly. I know that I don't ever feel the need to listen to any of the songs from this period as at the time I must have played them constantly on loop although I will admit that now and then if a lesser played track from 'Definitely Maybe' such as ‘Bring It On Down’ or 'Slide Away' gets cued up I’ll prick up my ears and feel the blood pumping again and remember how vital <b>Oasis</b> were to the music scene back in 1994 and how glad I was to have been there when it happened. <br />
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'Definitely Maybe' 20th ANNIVERSARY Edition will be reissued on May 19th and will include rare and unreleased recordings. The reissue is the first in the new 'CHASING THE SUN' series that the groups label Big Brother Records will be issuing along with the follow up 'What's the Story (Morning Glory)?' and 'Be Here Now'.<br />
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Along with the standard CD reissue there will also be a digital download version as well as a special 3 disc special edition that includes rare recordings and demos, a 12" vinyl LP featuring the bonus CD content as a free download and finally a 'DELUXE' box set which will feature the LP and CD. <br />
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<b>Oasis</b> will also re-release the single 'Supersonic' on 12" Vinyl 45 to coincide with RECORD STORE DAY 2014 (April 19th)<br />
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The bonus tracks will include:<br />
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'WHATEVER' (Single version)<br />
'LIVE FOREVER' (Acoustic Version)<br />
'SHAKERMAKER' (Demo)<br />
'HALF THE WORLD AWAY' (Demo)<br />
'STRANGE THING' (Unreleased)<br />
'SAD SONG' (Live At Manchester Academy)<br />
Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-86222217556909011372014-02-26T09:23:00.002+00:002014-02-26T09:25:17.826+00:00Oasis NEWS 26/02/14<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51HU_SkJN1xYq3_mzJY8iyJLTKaz8FCI9iLFrNPFYYuGRwNGjO1oI6yhR-crpFtdcE2xgAAkv9Zb32fn39ZxV8WREMD2pu-RXbSKgaWQe22KSwx2jlck2trjTYjVlu28KG3BdL6U3QwKX/s1600/definitely-maybe-4de93e4bbe5bc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51HU_SkJN1xYq3_mzJY8iyJLTKaz8FCI9iLFrNPFYYuGRwNGjO1oI6yhR-crpFtdcE2xgAAkv9Zb32fn39ZxV8WREMD2pu-RXbSKgaWQe22KSwx2jlck2trjTYjVlu28KG3BdL6U3QwKX/s200/definitely-maybe-4de93e4bbe5bc.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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The teasing headline was sent to the Official <b>OASIS</b> Facebook page yesterday but what could it be? Shaggy haired 90's aficionados screamed "reunion" while others more in-tune with the marketing aspect of the 20th Anniversary of the group’s debut album <i>'Definitely Maybe'</i> pointed their fingers at a reissue or re-master.<br />
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It seems the latter was the correct bet.<br />
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The 1994 classic debut <i>'Definitely Maybe'</i> will be reissued on May 19th and will include rare and unreleased recordings (if such a thing exists in the 2014 YouTube world). The reissue is the first in the new <i>'CHASING THE SUN'</i> series that the groups label <b>Big Brother Records</b> will be issuing along with the follow up <i>'What's the Story (Morning Glory)?'</i> and <i>'Be Here Now'</i>.<br />
<br />
Along with the standard CD reissue there will also be a digital download version as well as a special 3 disc special edition that includes rare recordings and demos, a 12" vinyl LP featuring the bonus CD content as a free download and fingally a 'DELUXE' box set which will feature the LP AND CD. <br />
<br />
Oasis will also re-release the single <i>'SUPERSONIC'</i> on 12" Vinyl 45 to coincide with <b>RECORD STORE DAY 2014</b> (APRIL 19TH)<br />
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The bonus tracks will include:<br />
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<i>'WHATEVER' (SINGLE)</i><br />
<i>'LIVE FOREVER' (ACOUSTIC VERSION)</i><br />
<i>'SHAKERMAKER' (DEMO)</i><br />
<i>'HALF THE WORLD AWAY' (DEMO)</i><br />
<i>'STRANGE THING' (UNRELEASED)</i><br />
<i>'SAD SONG' (LIVE AT MANCHESTER ACADEMY)</i><br />
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Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-28076232531635154292014-01-30T15:28:00.002+00:002014-01-30T15:28:17.765+00:00201430/01/14<br />
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So far the year has started with a wimper rather than a bang! Music is busy being created and recorded (one would assume) and as for now I will stay content listening to a raft of reissues that have appeared recently in my collection. These alone with the mountain of vinyl that sit taunting me every time I walk into the front room of my flat.<br />
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Rest assured dear reader as soon as I feel I have something worth your while reading and digesting you'll be the first to know.<br />
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If one plays good music, people don’t listen and if one plays bad music people don’t talk.<br />
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Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-6847927171669802872014-01-02T10:10:00.000+00:002014-01-02T10:10:09.596+00:002014 - and so it begins...02/01/14<br />
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The first day back at work, the usual shower, the usual train journey, the usual copy of the inky wet Metro free newspaper from the train station to help focus my pre 9am eyes.<br />
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Miley Cyrus. I know...that’s soooo 2013, but apparently she has started early and now gone all "bi-sexual"...well that'll help flog a few more copies of the latest track she's pushing...Didn't do any harm for Katy Perry after all. It all appears so desperate you can't help but just roll your eyes like some stroppy teenager getting a lecture from your parents discussing your 10pm curfew. This story has been done over and over through the years and like all the heroin addicted rock stars there is only ever 2 outcomes. With Miss Cyrus I think the path is already planned and pencilled in her diary for the next few years to correspond with her albums, video music award shows and live gigs. As I button my Mystic Meg cape of magic I predict the following steps in her career over the next 12 months.<br />
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*<b>January</b> - "I'm Bi-Sexual, I LOVE girls...phwooorh I can't get enuff of them"<br />
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<b>February</b> - "I have a sex tape, but it's under lock and key"<br />
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<b>March</b> - "I don't want to be marginalised as just a sex object, I'm really smart" (Possibly a Piers Morgan interview)<br />
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<b>April</b> - "I've found the man of my dreams (he's a bad boy!), but my Dad hates him...I think I'm pregnant"<br />
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<b>May</b> - "My engagement with Al-Qaeda general called off as our schedules clash too much"<br />
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<b>June</b> - "I wouldn't call myself religious, more spiritual"<br />
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<b>July</b> - "Yes, I've taken some Scientology courses, they really helped me"<br />
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<b>August</b> - "I'm travelling to India to explore the country, religion, people and to watch 'Slumdog Millionaire' in an open air cinema.<br />
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<b>September</b> - "It wasn't a suicide bid but just a cry for help and accidental overdose"<br />
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<b>October</b> - "I've found Jesus again, my dad is over the moon"<br />
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<b>November</b> - "Me and my Dad have recorded a gospel album"<br />
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<b>December</b> - "I have no comment on the recent tax issues I've had and if found guilty of fraud will give all the money back"<br />
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<b>2015 - New Judge on UK X-Factor named.</b>*<br />
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*= may be fictitious.<br />
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Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-37413685975864532232013-11-29T14:38:00.002+00:002013-11-29T14:38:47.027+00:00TRACKS OF 2013 - THE LIST IS FINALLY HERE!I'm sorry my faithful subjects I have been neglecting you of late but rest assured that I am back to offer you my own take on the yearly rundown of music between January - Dec 2013. Yes I have aimed to get as many different bands, acts and genres into the list but I think we all know by now what I like and what I don't so why bother going through the pretence that I was digging Polynesian nose flute music right?<br />
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In no particular order (other than strict alphabetical you understand, this is not the place for anarchy!)<br />
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<i>TOP 20 TRACKS OF 2013<b></b></i> (in my ever so non humble opinion)<br />
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<b>ADAM GREEN & BINKI SHAPIRO</b> - <i>JUST TO MAKE ME FEEL GOOD</i><br />
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<b>ANNA CALVI</b> - <i>SING TO ME</i> <br />
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<b>ARCTIC MONKEYS</b> - <i>DO I WANNA KNOW?</i><br />
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<b>BABYSHAMBLES</b> - <i>FARMER'S DAUGHTER</i><br />
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<b>BOB DYLAN</b> - <i>WENT TO SEE THE GYPSY</i> (1969-1970 ALERT!)*REISSUE*<br />
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<b>CHARLES BRADLEY</b> - <i>STRICTLY RESERVED FOR YOU</i> <br />
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<b>DAFT PUNK</b> - <i>GET LUCKY</i> <br />
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<b>DAVID BOWIE</b> - <i>WHERE ARE WE NOW</i><br />
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<b>DEAP VALLY</b> - <i>GONNA MAKE MY OWN MONEY</i><br />
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<b>IC1S</b> - <i>GROWING UP GOING DOWN</i><br />
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<b>JACCO GARDNER</b> - <i>CLEAR THE AIR</i><br />
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<b>KAYNE WEST</b> - <i>BOUND 2</i> <br />
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<b>SEX JAMS</b> - <i>I CALL MYSELF A ROCKET</i> <br />
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<b>TAME IMPALA</b> - <i>FEELS LIKE WE ONLY GO BACKWARDS </i>(2012 ALERT! BUT I JUST HEARD IT SO IT'S 'NEW')<br />
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<b>THE PHOENIX FOUNDATION</b> - <i>THE CAPTAIN</i><br />
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<b>THE RIDES</b> - <i>SEARCH AND DESTROY</i><br />
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<b>THE STROKES</b> - <i>CHANCES</i> <br />
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<b>THE STRYPES</b> - <i>MYSTERY MAN</i> <br />
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<b>THE VEX</b> - <i>MARTYR</i> <br />
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<b>YEAH YEAH YEAHS</b> - <i>SACRILEGE</i> <br />
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o.k iTUNES/SPOTIFY at the ready? 3-2-1 GO!!<br />
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Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-78318775882449195702013-10-29T14:35:00.001+00:002013-10-29T14:35:12.092+00:00Lou Reed - A Paper Gravestone<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDEwUzshue-qKqbZGyxbcT3mA6eCCXGhsL0UKpn8qSliF5yRglvwarTRkdHujDtYhRLpi7cu8vlosKJhjQH_PtGYW7s224VHl3I68lJqx1xFwVOTqw1DxRqMtm3S4K2Aie1OhrtCZSyhk/s1600/imageslou.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLDEwUzshue-qKqbZGyxbcT3mA6eCCXGhsL0UKpn8qSliF5yRglvwarTRkdHujDtYhRLpi7cu8vlosKJhjQH_PtGYW7s224VHl3I68lJqx1xFwVOTqw1DxRqMtm3S4K2Aie1OhrtCZSyhk/s320/imageslou.jpg" /></a><br />
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It’s 2:35pm on Tuesday 29th October and I’m going to guess a <b>Lou Reed</b> filled <i>NME</i> is being hurried together as we speak. Lou Reed died on the 27th and the offices of every music magazine and blog have been in overdrive ever since. The final piece will hit the stands either tomorrow as planned or possibly next week (if they are going the whole hog and making it a special!). I envisage an edition crammed full of tiny paragraphs and regurgitated stories about the <b>Andy Warhol</b> and <b>Edie Sedgwick</b> links as well as talk of <i>“the dark side of the summer of love”</i> and the <i>“grisly underbelly of subterranean New York City in the sixties”</i> and will no doubt have a plethora of ‘todays stars’ giving their 2 cents about their own personal favourite tracks. <br />
<br />
None of course will be so bold as to choose well known classic solo-era hits or <b>Velvet Underground</b> songs such as <i>‘Venus In Furs’</i> or <i>‘I’m Waiting for The Man’</i> or dare I say <i>‘Walk on The Wild Side’</i> (number 16 with a bullet) as by doing this the individual would risk letting his cool mask slip and give the reader the impression that as the rhythm guitarist for such a hotly tipped band of the moment that they didn’t have an unshakeable encyclopaedic knowledge of the whole history of music at their disposal.<br />
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I will guess that tracks such as <i>‘Billy’</i>, <i>‘She’s My Best Friend’</i> , <i>‘Trouble with Classicists’</i> as well as the whole mess of <i>‘Metal Machine Music’ </i>will be trotted out like they were putting together a <b>Motown</b> compilation and those left to choose great, great songs such as <i>‘Sweet Jane’</i>, <i>‘Who Loves The Sun?’</i>, <i>‘Heroin’</i> or <i>‘White Light/White Heat’</i> will instead chose the versions from live albums like <i>‘Live at Max’s Kansas City’</i>.<br />
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When did it all become so complicated?<br />
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R.I.P Lou.<br />
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Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-35253682446034809272013-10-28T00:29:00.001+00:002013-10-28T00:29:36.417+00:00THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - I Heard Her Call My Name<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/SJgA-q6nHHI" width="459"></iframe><br />
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R.I.P <b>Lou Reed</b><br />
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1942 - 2013<br />
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Songwriter, Guitarist, Singer, Poet, Artist<br />
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<br />Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-77703775796049099512013-10-23T14:55:00.000+01:002013-10-23T16:27:29.746+01:00NME'S 500 GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME...<br />
<br />
23/10/13<br />
<br />
I understand why <i>‘The Queen is Dead’</i> made number 1 spot in the NME’s <b>‘THE 500 greatest albums of all time’</b> List, I really do. <b>Morrissey</b> autobiography has just been released and they are pushing some well financed publicity behind it. It’s the book of the moment for most and everyone is digging out <b>The Smiths</b> back catalogues as their own personal soundtrack as they flick through each page. I get it. I understand. I just cannot agree at all.<br />
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I can picture the hoards of screaming hipsters pointing their bony fingers at me with howls of <i>“go home old man”</i> and 9-10 times they would be right and entitled to do so, but when a magazine like NME includes the line <i>'...of all time'</i> then you are (whether you like it or not) including every generation in the argument. The list is a joke. It has been compiled from multiple people clearly within the NME office and it’s obvious to most which people have chosen which. Random Jazz and Easy Listening albums are crowbarred next to indie titles released last week before being pipped to the post by the standard selection of classic rock LPs and follow up albums best forgotten by formally great artists (in an attempt to show the reader how in depth their music knowledge goes).<br />
<br />
Some of the choices are laughable (<b>Big Black’s </b> <i>‘Atomizer’ </i>clearly punts <b>Elvis</b>’s debut, <b>The Clash’s </b> <i>‘Combat Rock’ </i>and even <b>The Killers</b> <i>‘Hot Fuss’</i> out the park right? The latter which gets lorded about as some kind of game changer and modern day classic of the past 10 years within the pages of the same magazine but today only scrapes in at number 495 now…oh those fickle fuckers eh?<br />
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The most annoying choices are those that are just included to give the impression that the writer has such a massive and varied record collection that they honestly prefer albums such as the extremely half arsed and 2 star at best <i>‘Holland’</i> by <b>The Beach Boys</b> over <b>Brian Wilson’s </b>own <i>‘SMiLE’</i>, or the totally out of place random <b>Billie Holiday</b> inclusion <i>‘Lady In Satin’</i> which tends to pop up in these lists not because of it’s material or finished production but because of it’s penultimate release status before she finally popped her clogs. The list reads like 5 people just sat down and named every album they could think of and then randomly made a list of them. The top 10 are exactly as you’d expect from such a list. Especially as even NME realise to NOT put <b>The Strokes</b> debut <i>‘This is It’</i> anywhere out of the TOP 5 would result in their <b>TOPSHOP</b> gold card being shredded in front of them.<br />
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"ABC'S 'The Lexicon of Love' over JAMES BROWN LIVE AT THE APOLLO!! HAHAHA"<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Beatles</b> managed to get 2 albums (<i>'The White Album'</i> & <i>'Revolver'</i>) in the top 20 although it was touch and go against such classics as <b>PJ Harvey’s </b> <i>‘Let England Shake’ </i>and <b>Public Enemy’s </b> <i>‘It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back’</i> snapping at their Chelsea booted heels. Those Glastonbury Headliners <b>The Rolling Stones</b> clearly need to learn a trick or two from <b>My Bloody Valentine</b> as the latters <i>‘Loveless’ </i>puts the poor old Stones into their place and is clearly much greater than their own magnum opus <i>‘Exile on Main Street’</i> (which isn’t as good as <i>‘Parklife’</i> either…I’m amazed they lasted 50 years with those kind of stats.<br />
<br />
There are some howlers and <i>“whothefuckarethey?”</i>’ options in there as well (<b>Boards of Canada</b>…anyone?) Although the main bug bear is the ones that make you grab your head and scream to the heavens <i>“how the hell can <b>Kraftwerk’s</b> ‘The Man Machine’ be better than <b>Bob Dylan's</b> ‘Blonde on Blonde’, ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ and ‘Bringing it All Back Home’??? </i>.<br />
<br />
As it says in <b>The Bible</b> <i>“Opinions are like assholes, everyone’s got one and most of em’ stink”</i> . The people responsible for this ridiculous attempt and eclecticism need flogging and worst of all for them…ignoring.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-Sb5KjRHmu5LsAWI3xx-np0ohwSmqnhBOT4uDSZG0tDiwmzoLbMe9Nz32PJpQoTCOcfZFCLtHffmUH5BhqbyHVVDRSVZgKUleWqJUgvbgtKjvFTjTDy3fv6uvJ7ZpFn0dPXFEVF0uR8b/s1600/Jimi+Hendrix+with+Electric+Ladyland+LP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-Sb5KjRHmu5LsAWI3xx-np0ohwSmqnhBOT4uDSZG0tDiwmzoLbMe9Nz32PJpQoTCOcfZFCLtHffmUH5BhqbyHVVDRSVZgKUleWqJUgvbgtKjvFTjTDy3fv6uvJ7ZpFn0dPXFEVF0uR8b/s200/Jimi+Hendrix+with+Electric+Ladyland+LP.jpg" /></a></div><br />
"NUMBER 103!! NOT AS GREAT AS THE STREETS 'A GRAND DON'T COME FOR FREE'? *CHEWS ALBUM*<br />
<br />
<br />
TOP 20<br />
<br />
20. <i>Ok Computer</i> - Radiohead<br />
19. <i>Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not</i> - Arctic Monkeys<br />
18. <i>Loveless</i> - My Bloody Valentine<br />
17. <i>It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back </i>- Public Enemy<br />
16. <i>Closer</i> - Joy Division<br />
15. <i>Let England Shake</i> - PJ Harvey<br />
14. <i>Low </i>- David Bowie<br />
13. <i>Funeral</i> - Arcade Fire<br />
12. <i>Horses</i> - Patti Smith<br />
11. <i>Nevermind</i> - Nirvana<br />
10. <i>Definitely Maybe</i> - Oasis<br />
09. <i>The White Album</i> - The Beatles<br />
08. <i>Doolittle</i> - Pixies<br />
07. <i>The Stone Roses</i> - The Stone Roses<br />
06. <i>Different Class</i> - Pulp<br />
05. <i>The Velvet Underground & Nico</i> - The Velvet Underground<br />
04. <i>This is It</i> - The Strokes<br />
03. <i>Hunky Dory</i> - David Bowie<br />
02. <i>Revolver</i> - The Beatles<br />
01. <i>The Queen is Dead</i> - The Smiths<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>NME'S</b><br />
<i>The 500 GREATEST ALBUMS OF ALL TIME</i> is available at all good newsagents now!<br />
(on a totally unrelated note Tesco's toilet paper is ALSO on sale)Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-34515633174077986782013-10-21T12:13:00.002+01:002013-10-21T12:13:27.342+01:00IC1S SEBRIGHT ARMS LAUNCH PARTY 16/10/13On the eve of their newest release <i>‘Beautiful Ugly’</i> (out on <b>Two Sisters Records</b>); <b>IC1S</b> took the stage at Bethnal Green’s uber trendy <i>Sebright Arms</i> to give their fans an eyeball to eyeball intimate performance to both promote the single as well as thanking their fans for their continuing support in 2013.<br />
<br />
This year has been a big year for the group as they’ve successfully juggled recording their upcoming debut album as well as releasing 3 singles, 1 EP and performing multiple gigs, acoustic sets and line up changes. The gig was also a ideal chance to see the band in a smaller venue before they embark on their upcoming promotional Japanese tour and support slot gigs with <b>The Family Rain</b> at the end of the year. <br />
<br />
The set was familiar sticking to fan favourites such as <i>‘Levitate’</i>, <i>‘Not Perfect’</i>, <i>‘Growing Up, Going Down’</i>, <i>‘Beautiful Ugly’</i>, <i>‘Whack Jack’ </i>and a new song <i>‘I’m At It Again’</i> which showed that the <b>IC1S</b> sound is evolving and growing as they move forward as a band. This was the first time I’d seen new bassist, backing vocalist and former <b>sMALL FAVOURS</b> frontman <b>Leon Dee</b> since his inclusion within the group and I believe that his input can only be beneficial as his own playing style and vocal harmonies bring a new level of sophistication to the music which on occasion felt limited in these areas in the past. <b>IC1S</b> look primed and ready to go out of the trap and hit the music scene hard in 2014. Catch em’ while you can.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>SET LIST:</b><br />
<br />
<i>1. Levitate<br />
2. Not Perfect<br />
3. Billy Silk<br />
4. I’m At It Again (new song)<br />
5. Beautiful Ugly<br />
6. Growing Up, Going Down<br />
7. Never Together<br />
8. Whack Jack</i><br />
<br />
<b>ENCORE:</b> <br />
<br />
<i>9. Never The Now</i><br />
<br />
<br />
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<i>'Beautiful Ugly'</i> is now available via <b>Two Sisters Records</b> via their site, amazon and iTUNES.<br />
http://shop.twosistersrecords.co.uk/product/ic1s-beautiful-ugly-7-vinyl-cd-and-free-download<br />
<br />
<br />
http://www.ic1sband.com/<br />
https://twitter.com/IC1s<br />
http://twosistersrecords.co.uk/<br />
Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-50187442310424631332013-10-09T12:32:00.000+01:002013-10-09T12:52:03.289+01:00I'll give you a months notice...In light of the recent news that <b>Daniel Maiden-Wood</b> (drums,bass & backing vocals) for <b>Anna Calvi</b> has decided to leave the group on the eve of Calvi’s 2nd album <i>‘One Breath’</i> being released, my thoughts have turned to other musicians who have decided to leave groups on the verge of international stardom and instead deciding to work on ‘other projects’ or revert back to playing with unknown musicians in Camden pubs for a fiver each. The limelight and 24/7 stardom isn’t for everyone but achieving your dreams and ambitions only to walk away when it’s in touching distance is another all together. Good luck on your journey young lion you played a blinder!<br />
<br />
Here are some others.<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>Mick Taylor</b><br />
<br />
<b>Mick Taylor</b> replaced the soon to be deceased guitarist <b>Brian Jones</b> in <b>The Rolling Stones</b> in 1969 and was there during the height of their fame and album successes playing and contributing greatly on albums such as <i>‘Let It Bleed’</i>, <i>‘Sticky Fingers’</i>, <i>‘Exile on Main St.’</i>, <i>‘Goats Head Soup’</i> and finally <i>‘It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll’</i> before deciding to pack up his Les Paul and walk out without a real explanation to the rest of the group (to be replaced by <b>Ronnie Wood</b>). It has been questioned since that he wasn’t given proper (if any) writing credits on some of the groups tracks and that this was the main reason to him leaving while he has mentioned since that during this period for the group drugs were far too much a problem and temptation for him and the only way he felt he could survive and not lose his family and everything he’d worked hard for since his teens in the process would be to cut all ties and move away all together. <br />
<br />
Taylor re-joined the group on their 2013 tour and their <i>Glastonbury</i> headline set.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRBe5iSZfkNEi3_nfCMhOC0gx8-8yRhlYC-ZJnHxzMkMGQWw6T1j4e_Dq4mtUi7N1fmEtKQrRMjR1z-XkLDY4mToUKjsnfiYyBkXfwVQKzZLwmxwxYFqrxdIURq2Xj7JNWvxkL4UxUrij/s1600/Jimi_Hendrix_&_Noel_Redding.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRBe5iSZfkNEi3_nfCMhOC0gx8-8yRhlYC-ZJnHxzMkMGQWw6T1j4e_Dq4mtUi7N1fmEtKQrRMjR1z-XkLDY4mToUKjsnfiYyBkXfwVQKzZLwmxwxYFqrxdIURq2Xj7JNWvxkL4UxUrij/s200/Jimi_Hendrix_&_Noel_Redding.png" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Noel Redding</b><br />
<br />
It was no secret that when <b>Noel Redding</b> auditioned for the newly forming <b>Jimi Hendrix Experience</b> he thought he was trying out for the guitar spot within the band as he proclaimed he was <i>“the best guitarist in Kent!”. </i>Anyone who has heard the group or the guitar playing of <b>Jimi Hendrix</b> will know this was a failed dream before he had even plugged in as it would be comparable to turning up with your football boots on and asking to replace <b>Cristiano Ronaldo</b> as a striker because you <i>“always scored at school at lunchtime 5-a-side”. </i>Redding was given the roll of bassist in the group and the anger and resentment seemed to grow as the group succeeded further and further and the spotlight was aimed directly at Hendrix. Redding finally left the group in 1969 after forming his own group <b>Fat Mattress </b>(with very little success) and was replaced by <b>Billy Cox</b>.<br />
<br />
Noel Redding died in 2003<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLcchXbTvxZPhhWeWLx-6HQwwHgJAfmCc8DiOo15cWxtUQPmoQQCejBk5sY5r-aEJAYkhkOPscp3z4dKA2HK1QAJZGztWyuGeuYauKOsQg0dSqVmrf2FWSXNsQnu79gzt8dXGJN0Q9ofQ/s1600/the-rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLcchXbTvxZPhhWeWLx-6HQwwHgJAfmCc8DiOo15cWxtUQPmoQQCejBk5sY5r-aEJAYkhkOPscp3z4dKA2HK1QAJZGztWyuGeuYauKOsQg0dSqVmrf2FWSXNsQnu79gzt8dXGJN0Q9ofQ/s200/the-rain.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Paul <i>‘Bonehead’</i> Arthurs</b> AND <b>Paul <i>‘Guigsy’</i> McGuigan</b><br />
<br />
<i>“Who leaves a group like <b>Oasis</b> when they don’t have to?</i>” These were the words leader and Chief <b>Noel Gallagher</b> spoke after tendering the resignations from guitarist and bassist. Both had been with the group from the very start and had performed worldwide and recorded on some of the biggest selling British albums of all time including <i>'Definitely Maybe'</i>,<i>'Whats the Story? (Morning Glory)'</i> and <i>'Be Here Now'</i>. But it wasn’t enough it seems. Talk of flying inflated egos, drink and drug abuse within the group and just overall tiredness from the grind of being in the biggest group of their generation took it’s toll and both decided enough was enough and packed up and left in 1999 before the bands 4th album <i>‘Standing on The Shoulder of Giants’ </i>was released. The albums subsequently were successful and critically well received although the heart of the group seemed to flicker and the group finally broke up after numerous drummer changes in 2009. For some the band was at it’s best when the line up looked just like the audience they played to. By the time the group folded their no longer looked like Manchester lads living their teenage dreams but a fully fledged Rock N Roll machine with matching stylised haircuts and mod clothing lines. The first 3 albums they looked like the chancers they were and the fans loved them all the better for it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFVgGk22VhoqcfDAyrwzmDzwXviEL6PWpL-oKaB6oxp2pWF41c1s9rHmZqiPH-N18hTp856PtMGThbkP_pp5EfoCRUiEnqzFcsHRRX-5mftqX9OLsrZGPq8yVoeA3KyNaZc6KVjXe3ooH/s1600/85004716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFVgGk22VhoqcfDAyrwzmDzwXviEL6PWpL-oKaB6oxp2pWF41c1s9rHmZqiPH-N18hTp856PtMGThbkP_pp5EfoCRUiEnqzFcsHRRX-5mftqX9OLsrZGPq8yVoeA3KyNaZc6KVjXe3ooH/s200/85004716.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<b>Eric Clapton</b><br />
<br />
<b>Eric Clapton</b> started his professional career as the moody guitarist for the blues band <b>The Yardbirds</b> in 1963 and his ‘legend’ of the fastest gun in town was created during this period. Un satisfied with the musical direction the group was heading in with their more pop orientated material such as the hit single <i>‘For Your Love’</i> Clapton left the group to join <b>John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers</b> in 1965 (he was replaced by <b>Jeff Beck</b>). <br />
<br />
After the success of the Bluesbreakers <i>‘Beano’</i> album on which he played he left once again in 1966 to create <b>Cream</b> with bassist <b>Jack Bruce</b> and Drummer <b>Ginger Baker</b>. He later broke the group up in 1968 to create <b>Blind Faith</b> who lasted a single album before folding in 1969. He finally went solo. Eric Clapton the <b>Kevin Keegan</b> of musicians, great guitarist with one foot out the door at all times.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Brian Jonestown Massacre</b><br />
<br />
The grandaddy of line ups and members jumping ship. Currently the only surviving member from the start is founder, songwriter, producer, lead vocalist and guitarist <b>Anton Newcombe</b>. There have been over 30 other members to come and go since the group was formed in the early 1990's. <br />
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Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-2346477901057064702013-10-07T17:03:00.001+01:002013-10-07T17:03:26.587+01:00PIXIES - ANDRO QUEEN<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/10lyWR25_nQ" width="459"></iframe><br />Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-79561909380722880272013-10-01T10:15:00.000+01:002013-10-01T10:18:23.967+01:00David Bowie TOP 100 Books...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAGx8hJ59PksDiuXJn8J_Kwro7du77rYO1dbHTKU_XNY2lLRIzTBHhnv3qQ_9fIkZbYZTybuhefIQ9nuMNzJD-zwoFg9BWUDjlvsD3oKihK7W2R_3WmcXeizVx8Uh6uesM0Sh6lvp-3IU/s1600/bowiereadingaboutkeaton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixAGx8hJ59PksDiuXJn8J_Kwro7du77rYO1dbHTKU_XNY2lLRIzTBHhnv3qQ_9fIkZbYZTybuhefIQ9nuMNzJD-zwoFg9BWUDjlvsD3oKihK7W2R_3WmcXeizVx8Uh6uesM0Sh6lvp-3IU/s400/bowiereadingaboutkeaton.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Want to read like Bowie? No this isn't the latest effort from <b>Maroon 5</b> but in fact the actual list of books that the <i>Thin White Duke</i> <b>David Bowie</b> has released to the internet...<br />
<br />
Time to dust of the those library cards and expand your minds.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>David Bowie's Top 100 Must Read Books:</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>The Age of American Unreason</i>, Susan Jacoby, 2008 <br />
<br />
<i>The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao</i>, Junot Diaz, 2007 <br />
<br />
<i>The Coast of Utopia</i> (trilogy), Tom Stoppard, 2007 <br />
<br />
<i>Teenage: The Creation of Youth 1875-1945</i>, Jon Savage, 2007 <br />
<br />
<i>Fingersmith</i>, Sarah Waters, 2002 <br />
<br />
<i>The Trial of Henry Kissinger</i>, Christopher Hitchens, 2001 <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder</i>, Lawrence Weschler, 1997 <br />
<br />
<i>A People’s Tragedy: The Russian Revolution 1890-1924</i>, Orlando Figes, 1997 <br />
<br />
<i>The Insult</i>, Rupert Thomson, 1996 <br />
<br />
<i>Wonder Boys</i>, Michael Chabon, 1995 <br />
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<i>The Bird Artist</i>, Howard Norman, 1994 <br />
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<i>Kafka Was The Rage: A Greenwich Village Memoir</i>, Anatole Broyard, 1993<br />
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<i>Beyond the Brillo Box: The Visual Arts in Post-Historical Perspective</i>, Arthur C. Danto, 1992 <br />
<br />
<i>Sexual Personae: Art and Decadence from Nefertiti to Emily Dickinson</i>, Camille Paglia, 1990<br />
<br />
<i>David Bomberg</i>, Richard Cork, 1988 <br />
<br />
<i>Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom</i>, Peter Guralnick, 1986 <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bsrEFZyxroNQZryGU0rhZqtwAPPg2BZtJdGhOlJpgPROC4RfKmulZVEHmDxWjTis6YRf6ugOUK0ACrGWk66kfB-K3q2Ea1RUyOcQBNvWUra-gmrlmwpwHgrh7DEKc8mAFSKtA1xjCib0/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5bsrEFZyxroNQZryGU0rhZqtwAPPg2BZtJdGhOlJpgPROC4RfKmulZVEHmDxWjTis6YRf6ugOUK0ACrGWk66kfB-K3q2Ea1RUyOcQBNvWUra-gmrlmwpwHgrh7DEKc8mAFSKtA1xjCib0/s200/untitled.png" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<i>The Songlines</i>, Bruce Chatwin, 1986 <br />
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<i>Hawksmoor</i>, Peter Ackroyd, 1985 <br />
<br />
<i>Nowhere To Run: The Story of Soul Music</i>, Gerri Hirshey, 1984 <br />
<br />
<i>Nights at the Circus</i>, Angela Carter, 1984 <br />
<br />
<i>Money</i>, Martin Amis, 1984<br />
<br />
<i>White Noise</i>, Don DeLillo, 1984 <br />
<br />
<i>Flaubert’s Parrot</i>, Julian Barnes, 1984 <br />
<br />
<i>The Life and Times of Little Richard</i>, Charles White, 1984 <br />
<br />
<i>A People’s History of the United States</i>, Howard Zinn, 1980 <br />
<br />
<i>A Confederacy of Dunces</i>, John Kennedy Toole, 1980 <br />
<br />
<i>Interviews with Francis Bacon</i>, David Sylvester, 1980 <br />
<br />
<i>Darkness at Noon</i>, Arthur Koestler, 1980 <br />
<br />
<i>Earthly Powers</i>, Anthony Burgess, 1980 <br />
<br />
<i>Raw</i> (a ‘graphix magazine’) 1980-91 <br />
<br />
<i>Viz</i> (magazine) 1979 – <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYrIoOaivIK4o5cHgolRdCuUyDAc_qAygBZZ0z9czRjh0yFU6_n_wQRPDVj8Qc4wOb5z3pziE2wqoddEJLYU54OgdTVoF5G4D6f4WIQpjP7bdQvwjBCkbgD489Rw0RApEMPvZ6CEMW-gd/s1600/6YtPu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYrIoOaivIK4o5cHgolRdCuUyDAc_qAygBZZ0z9czRjh0yFU6_n_wQRPDVj8Qc4wOb5z3pziE2wqoddEJLYU54OgdTVoF5G4D6f4WIQpjP7bdQvwjBCkbgD489Rw0RApEMPvZ6CEMW-gd/s200/6YtPu.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<i>The Gnostic Gospels</i>, Elaine Pagels, 1979 <br />
<br />
<i>Metropolitan Life</i>, Fran Lebowitz, 1978 <br />
<br />
<i>In Between the Sheets</i>, Ian McEwan, 1978 <br />
<br />
<i>Writers at Work: The Paris Review Interviews</i>, ed. Malcolm Cowley, 1977 <br />
<br />
<i>The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind</i>, Julian Jaynes, 1976<br />
<br />
<i>Tales of Beatnik Glory</i>, Ed Saunders, 1975<br />
<br />
<i>Mystery Train</i>, Greil Marcus, 1975 <br />
<br />
<i>Selected Poems</i>, Frank O’Hara, 1974 <br />
<br />
<i>Before the Deluge: A Portrait of Berlin in the 1920s</i>, Otto Friedrich, 1972 <br />
<br />
<i>In Bluebeard’s Castle : Some Notes Towards the Re-definition of Culture</i>, George Steiner, 1971 <br />
<br />
<i>Octobriana and the Russian Underground</i>, Peter Sadecky, 1971 <br />
<br />
<i>The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll</i>, Charlie Gillete, 1970 <br />
<br />
<i>The Quest For Christa T</i>, Christa Wolf, 1968 <br />
<br />
<i>Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom: The Golden Age of Rock</i>, Nik Cohn, 1968 <br />
<br />
<i>The Master and Margarita</i>, Mikhail Bulgakov, 1967 <br />
<br />
<i>Journey into the Whirlwind</i>, Eugenia Ginzburg, 1967 <br />
<br />
<i>Last Exit to Brooklyn</i>, Hubert Selby Jr. , 1966 <br />
<br />
<i>In Cold Blood</i>, Truman Capote, 1965 <br />
<br />
<i>City of Night</i>, John Rechy, 1965 <br />
<br />
<i>Herzog</i>, Saul Bellow, 1964 <br />
<br />
<i>Puckoon</i>, Spike Milligan, 1963 <br />
<br />
<i>The American Way of Death</i>, Jessica Mitford, 1963 <br />
<br />
<i>The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With The Sea</i>, Yukio Mishima, 1963 <br />
<br />
<i>The Fire Next Time</i>, James Baldwin, 1963 <br />
<br />
<i>A Clockwork Orange</i>, Anthony Burgess, 1962 <br />
<br />
<i>Inside the Whale and Other Essays</i>, George Orwell, 1962 <br />
<br />
<i>The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie</i>, Muriel Spark, 1961 <br />
<br />
<i>Private Eye</i> (magazine) 1961 – <br />
<br />
<i>On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious</i>, Douglas Harding, 1961 <br />
<br />
<i>Silence: Lectures and Writing</i>, John Cage, 1961 <br />
<br />
<i>Strange People</i>, Frank Edwards, 1961 <br />
<br />
<i>The Divided Self</i>, R. D. Laing, 1960 <br />
<br />
<i>All The Emperor’s Horses</i>, David Kidd,1960 <br />
<br />
<i>Billy Liar</i>, Keith Waterhouse, 1959 <br />
<br />
<i>The Leopard</i>, Giuseppe Di Lampedusa, 1958 <br />
<br />
<i>On The Road</i>, Jack Kerouac, 1957 <br />
<br />
<i>The Hidden Persuaders</i>, Vance Packard, 1957 <br />
<br />
<i>Room at the Top</i>, John Braine, 1957 <br />
<br />
<i>A Grave for a Dolphin</i>, Alberto Denti di Pirajno, 1956 <br />
<br />
<i>The Outsider</i>, Colin Wilson, 1956 <br />
<br />
<i>Lolita</i>, Vladimir Nabokov, 1955 <br />
<br />
<i>Nineteen Eighty-Four</i>, George Orwell, 1949 <br />
<br />
<i>The Street</i>, Ann Petry, 1946 <br />
<br />
<i>Black Boy</i>, Richard Wright, 1945<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-24949699869531226472013-09-30T18:55:00.001+01:002013-09-30T18:55:44.573+01:00IC1s - Beautiful Ugly (Official Video)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GeN0FrxJbaA" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
The new single <i>'BEAUTIFUL UGLY'</i>by <b>IC1S</b> out on the 14th October on <b>TWO SISTERS RECORDS</b>...<br />
<br />
http://www.ic1sband.com/<br />
https://www.facebook.com/IC1sband<br />
http://twosistersrecords.co.uk/<br />
twitter: @2sistersrecords<br />
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<br />Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-22070401373755963182013-09-25T12:19:00.003+01:002013-09-25T12:19:51.858+01:00Animal Farm Many of you out there (and indeed sitting right here writing this) have played in bands far and wide across the London pub circuit trying to scrape together a few quid for beers as well as promoting your group to a usually ever diminishing audience. You would have found out soon enough the hard truths of a gigging band along with the tools of the trade required to deal with angry sound guys (they're all angry) as well as meeting a variety of dishonest promoters looking to rob you blind and convince you that the prestige of playing in a half empty backroom in Camden is reward enough instead of readies in your back pocket.<br />
<br />
<b>Animal Farm</b> are a brand new promotions agency looking to turn things on their heads and offer a new template that will share the profits between the bands and the promoters more fairly and in a way that will benefit all involved.<br />
<br />
Below is a quick Q&A with <i>Ben Widdall </i>on behalf of <b>Animal Farm</b>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Q) Describe your new company</b><br />
<br />
<i>A) The Animal Farm Tours started off as a boutique booking agency within the artist development company/label The Animal Farm by myself and Tom Green in January 2012. For the beginning we started booking shows for a small handful of bands for their releases and eventually built it to a point where we were booking national tours and gigs for 20+ bands. Over the summer I decided I wanted to get more involved in live gigs so I now run the monthly label gig nights called <b>"The Hog Roast"</b> (currently at <b>The Spice Of Life</b> in Soho). The plan now is to keep running regular London shows to get some notice in the promoting world and slowly move across the UK so we can eventually run nights all over for our touring bands.</i><br />
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<b>Q) What engrained problems do you hope to change with your new company i.e. profit shares, more exposure for bands etc.</b><br />
<br />
<i>A) Over the years we have heard a lot of horror stories. I myself have been victim to them when I used to play in bands as well. I am not going to name and shame but anyone who gigs in the big cities know who I'm talking about! As we all know we have gone through a financial crisis and with this have seen a lot of venues and promoters offer door split deals. What most companies do is say to a band they have to sell 20-30 tickets before they start to make any money back (even then it is maybe £1-2 per ticket after etc). Now we know why people do this, to cover their costs and make profit, that is just a standard business model but this does leave the bands in the dark.<br />
<br />
What we plan to do is to follow the same model but in a much more band friendly way as we are a company who believes the music comes before the business. Obviously we do not want to loose money, that is a given, but we also want to give the bands a chance to make some money on the road and give them a chance to work together with us at making a successful show. All profits get split equally between us and the bands. This is straight away better than any door split promoter I have come across for sure as everyone makes equal amount of profit.<br />
<br />
Alongside this great deal we are trying to be more involved in terms of promotion. We will target all local radio, publications, blogs, listing sites, papers, twitter feeds, facebook groups etc to try and get coverage and work side by side with the bands at coming up with a targeted social media strategy. If everyone is equally as involved than it becomes OUR night (bands and The Animal Farm) which gives everyone more incentive to make it successful.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAVOxa85mJR85Yq2unCPMatYyiLcsYbJN7sOYPDe5psc14TXluDdSX4iY1l8i1QTEB7h9WjyrIKzMxjXRLsBhBB0rOAp4aq06HMHj-vJUp3BjMtqDOKa5jpgy0hQ76pA5EwJNrBTlKk8X/s1600/logo+thumbnail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAVOxa85mJR85Yq2unCPMatYyiLcsYbJN7sOYPDe5psc14TXluDdSX4iY1l8i1QTEB7h9WjyrIKzMxjXRLsBhBB0rOAp4aq06HMHj-vJUp3BjMtqDOKa5jpgy0hQ76pA5EwJNrBTlKk8X/s320/logo+thumbnail.jpg" /></a></div> <br />
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<b>Q) Will there be a specific genre of music the new company will promote or are you open to all kinds?</b><br />
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<i>A) As a company The Animal Farm are open to genres all over the board. We work with folk artists, solo singer songwriters, indie bands, hard rock bands, electro/dance bands, pop rock bands etc. We tend to stay away from rap and r'n'b as we just simply have no knowledge or experience in that field. But who knows, there's always time to learn!</i><br />
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<b>Q) How exactly will it work? Do you have a select number of venues that you’ll work with and act as the middle men for or will you deal with the bands/artists directly?</b><br />
<br />
<i>A) So basically we are having 2 test shows, one in London and one in Hull, both on hard nights (Wednesday & Sunday) to test the waters and find out what works/doesn't work organisational wise. We will then start running more regular shows in London to start spreading the company name and get a bit more awareness. In the new year we have got quite a few tour plans so we will run a few shows on each tour ourselves in different cities and slowly grow to eventually running full tours our selves all over the UK for bands. We will hire the venue, book the bands, organise the night etc. Who knows maybe even a festival or similar event in the pipeline?</i><br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>Q) What do you think are the main things wrong with the current model of promoting bands and paying them for their efforts?</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>A) This is a tricky question. You see as we book bands all the time we hear all the different deals and everything the promoters have to say about paying bands: "We simply don't have the budget", "It's a charity event", "It's a free entry event", the list is endless. You get promoters, who I have come across myself being in bands previously, who will pay bands a small percentage of tickets sold after they get 20 people through the door. Door splits are the most common way of doing nights now as 1. we are in a bad financial time, 2. it makes the bands actually work for the show and do something to get people through the door and 3. having the ticket retainer makes sure that costs are covered. Although it's only good if you make it a low ticket retainer so that you are just covering costs and not purely making money, that should be split with the bands!<br />
<br />
The other side of the argument is that due to their being soo many bands out there in the country now, we are just inundated with bands left right and centre, and most of them are not very good. Most of these bands are very lazy, they will tell a friend or two on their Facebook they are playing a show and then just turn up on the night, not having discussed anything to do with equipment so just expect to use everyones stuff and play to an empty room expecting to be a pre-made crowd...the world doesn't work like that I'm afraid boyos. You have to work hard every day personally contacting everyone, targeting people n twitter and other social media who like bands that you think are cool, so possibly they would be interested in you. Go busking in your local town, get street teams etc, but that is a different conversation!<br />
<br />
At the end of the day a band needs to be paid for the efforts they have put in. As a promoter, you need to be paid for the effort you have put in. If you are a promoter like we are trying to be, then A LOT of time and effort has gone into it, so you should be paid too. As long as the costs are covered, everyone should make equal money. That is what we are trying to do, make it so everyone splits any profits equally!</i><br />
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<b>Q) What’s coming up next?</b><br />
<br />
<i>A) So next up we have our monthly label club night "The Hog Roast" in Soho at The Spice Of Life on Saturday 28th September. Some really cool bands in an awesome location. Our two test nights will be at The Dalston Victoria Pub in London on Wednesday 9th October and at The Adelphi Club in Hull on Sunday 6th October. Those nights are featuring brilliant local bands plus our band Base 11 who are out on tour then.</i><br />
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<b>Q) What do you hope for the future?</b><br />
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<i>A) For the future I hope for our company to be responsible for the big great shows that stick in your memory as your greatest moments. We want to put on awesome bands who put on amazing shows all over the nation.</i><br />
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<b>Q) Where can someone find out more about the company?</b><br />
<br />
<i>A) You can find out more about The Animal Farm by checking out our website at www.theanimalfarm.co.uk, looking us up on Facebook or just send us an email and ask!</i><br />
<br />
Website -- www.theanimalfarm.co.uk<br />
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Facebook -- https://www.facebook.com/theanimalfarmmusic<br />
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Video -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_T-MQU5L1I<br />
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Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-38500805250938948522013-09-03T08:50:00.000+01:002013-09-03T08:50:57.786+01:00Babyshambles - Sequel To The Prequel- ALBUM REVIEW<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielYnsOitE7AcnjkZ8RNL8Eol8-xJzqGV1znZthqYJxCBzgskLAaZjhGSETObq3j2h-YyAYqbaaFZocIxpynWVYskKXb7Uxah43ZfpG4gZibgCRVSvGYohajx7aZZCiexr502Cmz05f19G/s1600/BABYSHAMBLES+-+Sequel+To+The+Prequel.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielYnsOitE7AcnjkZ8RNL8Eol8-xJzqGV1znZthqYJxCBzgskLAaZjhGSETObq3j2h-YyAYqbaaFZocIxpynWVYskKXb7Uxah43ZfpG4gZibgCRVSvGYohajx7aZZCiexr502Cmz05f19G/s320/BABYSHAMBLES+-+Sequel+To+The+Prequel.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>BABYSHAMBLES</b><br />
<br />
<i>SEQUEL TO THE PREQUEL</i><br />
<br />
Parlophone Records.<br />
<br />
<b>Babyshambles</b> have always divided opinion both in the press and amongst music fans. Some have seen them simply as <b>Pete Doherty’s</b> drug buddies playing in a group with him whilst his ‘proper’ band <b>The Libertines</b> barred him from the good ship Albion due to his self destructive drug habits. A gaggle of chancers looking to gain a bit of fame and publicity on the back of the bespoke suited walking car crash that can be Doherty. For others though Babyshambles have always been the perfect foil for Doherty’s more personal and sometimes ramshackle creations who have managed to steady the ship while Pete chased and circled his wayward muse with equal success and failure on both their debut <i>‘Down In Albion’</i> and the sometimes overlooked follow up release <i>‘Shotter’s Nation’</i>. <br />
<br />
Album number 3 <i>‘Sequel To The Prequel’</i> is a stone cold sure fire winner! There are not just a few decent songs and a single hidden within the grooves, there are reams of great songs and musically everyone is firing on all cylinders. From the opener <i>‘The Fireman’</i> (with it’s <b>Buzzcocks</b> fuel and driving drums!) to the mesmerising <i>‘Farmers Daughter’</i> which in my opinion has some of the best vocals from Peter since <i>‘Breck Rd. Lover’</i>. The first single to be released from the album is <i>‘Nothing Comes to Nothing’</i> with it’s tight, catchy arrangement and dare I say ‘POP’ sing along chorus which has managed to move from ‘new’ track to ‘indie classic’ within the week of it’s release. And for those of you that felt the same way after hearing <i>‘Delivery’</i> for the first time fear not they haven’t just plucked the strongest song first in a ruse to sell a few more albums this track is just a sign of things to come. Each track on <i>‘Sequel to The Prequel’</i> stands alone from the others and has been treated with equal love as a potential favourite that could have easily been the 1st single with matched success.<br />
<br />
What separates this album from the others available is how complete each song sounds. Each track sounds free of slack or half finishes lyrics that have been forced due to time constraints or record label impatience. The band changes pace throughout the album with rockers, acoustic tracks (the excellent violin led <i>‘Picture me in a Hospital’</i> ) and even flashes of Reggae and dub intertwined. The track ‘Doctor No’ which on paper sounds like it could’ve been the unwanted missing link to <i>‘Pentonville’</i> (probably the most skipped over track in the <b>Babyshambles</b> cannon) from the debut and <i>‘I Wish’</i> from <i>‘The Blinding’</i> EP, easily fits here due to the tight performance from the band who keep the beat steady and grooving while the band offer up some pretty group harmonies a long, long way from the out of tune lost vocals of the album version of <i>‘Killamangiro’</i>. Not everything is a piece of fried gold mind you, the track <i>‘New Pair’</i> sounds unrealised and confusing even for the other members of the group who don’t seem to know where even they’re going next musically after each verse. <i>‘Maybeline’</i> is bound to be a future live favourite for the fans although in the sphere of this album it is the closest track to approach the mantle of ‘filler’ and sometimes creeps a bit too close to a Babyshambles by numbers song. The song that has been raising the most eyebrows in the music press has been <i>‘Penguins’</i> (the first song Doherty wrote for the album), a simple hymn describing his love for Penguins at the zoo, although like most of his previous output both in song writing and poetry judging a book by it’s cover can be a mistake and I’m sure fans will be dissecting it’s hidden meanings online for many moons to come. The song does have some of Pete’s most simplistic lyrics ever written although sometimes simpler means purer and to think that everything Doherty creates must be a stream of consciousness William Blake-esque poetic gem needs to be moved to one side. It’s beautiful and heartfelt piece no matter the content.<br />
<br />
The true heroes of the album in my opinion have to be Bassist, <b>Drew McConnell</b> who the group has been quoted in the press as saying was responsible for influencing and exciting the other members to get back together and attempt to make this album (he also contributes to the song writing throughout). The other is Producer, <b>Stephen Street</b> who has managed to create a strong album that will be palatable to both casual passing fans and diehards without losing any of the <b>Babyshambles</b> grit or soul that they are known for. His work on the good time track ‘Fall from Grace’ (a possible nod the <b>The Pogues</b>?) as well as the whammy bar incendiary wig out <i>‘Minefield’</i> which ends the album perfectly shows that he was looking to make their best album as much as they were.<br />
<br />
<i>‘Sequel To The Prequel’</i> is the album that was always promised and whilst glimmers of classic status have often appeared in Babyshambles live performances they have finally delivered on all sides. The next time someone corners you in the Barfly to ask why the hell you should care about some <i>“washed up junkie like <b>Pete Doherty</b>”</i> simply palm a copy of this album into their confused and gormless hand, this is the third act and amazingly it may have a happy ending after all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>‘Sequel to The Prequel’</i> is released on the 2nd September On <b>Parlophone Records Ltd.</b><br />
<br />
http://www.babyshambles.net/<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
many thanks to Jack Delaney and Adrian Hunter<br />
<br />
Originally printed via ARTROCKER TVChris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-56174851346542293172013-08-13T14:35:00.004+01:002013-08-13T14:35:44.978+01:00The ravings of a madman...<br />
If you're looking for something to read at lunch.<br />
<br />
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<br />
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E4KDCDE<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3ybmXS21dL3a0PF7r9nvCFFThL0zBoNPLUYw2QUwdJjHrR98VNw3vcpJ6Jajc8uN5qgZyfP_1EZY34UeUwrpXgXBfbMKFA4diqQIjebE_4xxXmNZV9XDeOwQHZlGEIdx1dETWmLZ_OUh/s1600/cover_jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3ybmXS21dL3a0PF7r9nvCFFThL0zBoNPLUYw2QUwdJjHrR98VNw3vcpJ6Jajc8uN5qgZyfP_1EZY34UeUwrpXgXBfbMKFA4diqQIjebE_4xxXmNZV9XDeOwQHZlGEIdx1dETWmLZ_OUh/s400/cover_jpg.jpg" /></a></div>Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-88742546306308760122013-07-29T09:10:00.001+01:002013-07-29T09:10:32.094+01:00Sex Jams - I Call Myself A Rocket NEW Video<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6moOE5HkdGw" width="480"></iframe><br />
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<div class="yiv4900836353MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375085128037_3328">
<b id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375085128037_3339"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375085128037_3338" style="font-family: "Arial Narrow", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">VIDEO</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Artist: <strong>Sex Jams</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Song: <em>I call myself a Rocket</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Director: Johannes Staudenbauer</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375085128037_3337" style="font-family: "Arial Narrow", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Label: Siluh Records (LC <span class="yiv4900836353st">15356)</span></span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375085128037_3335" style="font-family: "Arial Narrow", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;">Tack taken from the album <em>“Trouble, Honey”</em> releases March 1<sup id="yui_3_7_2_1_1375085128037_3336">st</sup> 2013 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial Narrow", "sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><strong>SEX JAMS</strong> new video! It’s a 2 minute 70ies exploitation-sci-fi-secret-service-thriller with everything from Sabotage’esque trenchcoat dudes to the indispensable time portals. Introducing their latest album <em>“Trouble, Honey”</em> the band has been touring Europe from London to Belgrade and from Warsaw to Barcelona, where they played the infamous PRIMAVERA Sound Festival in May.</span></div>
Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-55942285024981368232013-07-22T10:35:00.001+01:002013-07-22T10:35:54.995+01:00Beady Eye - Shine A Light<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-oJC5dynPy4" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
NEW Video for <strong>Beady Eye</strong> <em>'Shine A Light'</em>.<br />
<br />
<em>'Shine A Light'</em> will be released on 18th August as a double A-side with <em>'World's Not Set In Stone'</em>Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-62327301016721617172013-07-17T20:32:00.001+01:002013-07-17T20:32:40.322+01:00Kings Of Leon - Supersoaker <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/64a15jJqFDk" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
New <b>Kings of Leon</b> track 'Supersoaker'. Premiered tonight (Wednesday 17th July) on BBC Radio 1 Zane Lowe's show.<br />
<br />A welcome return to form and a great lead single from the upcoming 'Mechanical Bull' Album following on September 24th (via RCA Records)<br />
<br />
<br />Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2842620402587647425.post-3997277640816226232013-07-17T11:59:00.001+01:002013-07-17T16:33:20.068+01:00Bob Dylan's The Bootleg Series Vol. 10 Another Self Portrait (1969 - 1971)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GFdgwMhWcV4" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
<em>'Self Portrait'</em> was always regarded as the album that showed Dylan's everyman fallibility. It was the album that he said was constructed as a weapon to help him slip away from the 'spokesman for a generation' tag that had been placed upon him. The critics ravaged it un-mercilessly with even ardent Bob Dylan fan <strong>Greil Marcus</strong> stating <em>"What is this shit?"</em> in his 1970 Rolling Stone review of the album.<br />
<br />
<strong>Bob Dylan</strong> has said since that he made an album that nobody could possibly like. In later years when discussing the album and the times it was recorded in Dylan said <em>"Well, it wouldn't have held up as a single album, then it really would've been bad, you know?. I mean, if you're gonna put a lot of crap on it, you might as well load it up!"</em><br />
<br />
Don't listen to all the critics, give it a listen and make your own mind up. It's not his greatest work by any stretch of the imagination but there are definite high points sprinkled throughout.<em> 'Copper Kettle'</em>, <em>'The Days of 49'</em>,<em> 'All the Tired Horses'</em>, <em>'Alberta #1'</em> and<em> 'Living The Blues'</em> all have found a home in his cannon of classics where as songs such as his cover versions of <em>'Let it Be Me'</em>,<em> 'The Boxer'</em> and the god awful version of his own <em>'Like A Rolling Stone'</em> should be locked in a concrete safe and dropped to the bottom of the Atlantic.<br />
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This new release has managed to compile many,many unreleased versions of the songs that were recorded at the <em>'Self Portrait'</em> sessions as well as during the follow up <em>'New Morning'</em> (35 rarities in total recorded between 1969-1971). There will be 3 versions available on August 27th the first a standard 2CD+soft cover booklet, the next up is the 'Deluxe version' which includes 3LPs, 2 CD's and a 12x12" booklet included. Finally for the more obsessive fan there is the super dupa fan dabby dozy version which includes 4 CD'S, 2 hardcover books (including photos and liner notes) all housed in a hardover slip case at a snip of £63.99GBP.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIxN5U-mBbDPSGh6vBTflDfw-EApEcJ8MDti-SmMFkWUvuq7oM3POe0Qv9c64N3GIsTsIOUy3VQ5WfmCfZufSgj9uRsdTiplLy4UsY1F73AwS0hKeKFbntb1auUTaVtFDBDjyviHBMoNb/s1600/untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIxN5U-mBbDPSGh6vBTflDfw-EApEcJ8MDti-SmMFkWUvuq7oM3POe0Qv9c64N3GIsTsIOUy3VQ5WfmCfZufSgj9uRsdTiplLy4UsY1F73AwS0hKeKFbntb1auUTaVtFDBDjyviHBMoNb/s1600/untitled.png" /></a></div><br />
Complete track listing for The Bootleg Series, Vol. 10 - Another Self Portrait (1969-1971)<br />
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CD 1<br />
<br />
1. "Went to See the Gypsy" (demo) <br />
2 "In Search of Little Sadie" (without overdubs, Self Portrait)<br />
3. "Pretty Saro" (unreleased, Self Portrait)<br />
4. "Alberta #3" (alternate version, Self Portrait)<br />
5. "Spanish Is the Loving Tongue" (unreleased, Self Portrait)<br />
6. "Annie's Going to Sing Her Song" (unreleased, Self Portrait)<br />
7. "Time Passes Slowly #1" (alternate version, New Morning)<br />
8. "Only a Hobo" (unreleased, Greatest Hits II)<br />
9. "Minstrel Boy" (unreleased, The Basement Tapes)<br />
10. "I Threw It All Away" (alternate version, Nashville Skyline)<br />
11. "Railroad Bill" (unreleased, Self Portrait)<br />
12. "Thirsty Boots" (unreleased, Self Portrait)<br />
13. "This Evening So Soon" (unreleased, Self Portrait)<br />
14. "These Hands" (unreleased, Self Portrait)<br />
15. "Little Sadie" (without overdubs, Self Portrait)<br />
16. "House Carpenter" (unreleased, Self Portrait)<br />
17. "All the Tired Horses" (without overdubs, Self Portrait)<br />
<br />
CD 2<br />
1. "If Not For You" (alternate version, New Morning)<br />
2. "Wallflower" (alternate version, 1971)<br />
3. "Wigwam" (original version without overdubs, Self Portrait)<br />
4. "Days of '49" (original version without overdubs, Self Portrait)<br />
5. "Working on a Guru" (unreleased, New Morning)<br />
6. "Country Pie" (alternate version, Nashville Skyline)<br />
7. "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" (Live With the Band, Isle Of Wight 1969)<br />
8. "Highway 61 Revisited" (Live With the Band, Isle Of Wight 1969)<br />
9. "Copper Kettle" (without overdubs, Self Portrait)<br />
10. "Bring Me a Little Water" (unreleased, New Morning)<br />
11. "Sign on the Window" (with orchestral overdubs, New Morning)<br />
12. "Tattle O'Day" (unreleased, Self Portrait)<br />
13. "If Dogs Run Free" (alternate version, New Morning)<br />
14. "New Morning" (with horn section overdubs, New Morning)<br />
15. "Went to See the Gypsy" (alternate version, New Morning)<br />
16. "Belle Isle" (without overdubs, Self Portrait)<br />
17. "Time Passes Slowly #2" (alternate version, New Morning)<br />
18. "When I Paint My Masterpiece" (demo)<br />
<br />
Bob Dylan & the Band at Isle of Wight - August 31st, 1969<br />
1. "She Belongs to Me"<br />
2. "I Threw It All Away"<br />
3. "Maggie's Farm"<br />
4. "Wild Mountain Thyme"<br />
5. "It Ain't Me, Babe"<br />
6. "To Ramona"/"Mr. Tambourine Man"<br />
7. "I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine"<br />
8. "Lay Lady Lay"<br />
9. "Highway 61 Revisited"<br />
10. "One Too Many Mornings"<br />
11. "I Pity the Poor Immigrant"<br />
12. "Like a Rolling Stone"<br />
13. "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight"<br />
14. "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)"<br />
15. "Minstrel Boy"<br />
16. "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"<br />
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<br />
<br />
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/bob-dylan-revisits-self-portrait-on-next-edition-of-bootleg-series-20130716#ixzz2ZJjjIdTV <br />
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook<br />
<br />
<br />
Available on pre-order via AMAZON (see below)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-hidden-keywords=B00DW5IM9Q|B00DY951RQ|B00DY951TO&utm_content=nllink-2a003052-Amazon&utm_medium=email&cid=nl%3A704658431&utm_source=uscolumbia-bobdylan&utm_campaign=email-uscolumbia-bobdylan-20130716-nl704658431&tag=smarturl-20">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-hidden-keywords=B00DW5IM9Q|B00DY951RQ|B00DY951TO&utm_content=nllink-2a003052-Amazon&utm_medium=email&cid=nl%3A704658431&utm_source=uscolumbia-bobdylan&utm_campaign=email-uscolumbia-bobdylan-20130716-nl704658431&tag=smarturl-20</a><br />
<br />
and Bob Dylan's Official site<br />
<a href="http://www.myplaydirect.com/bobdylan?cid=nl%3A704658431&utm_medium=email&utm_source=uscolumbia-bobdylan&utm_campaign=email-uscolumbia-bobdylan-20130716-nl704658431&utm_content=nllink-2a003053-Tempest%20Exclusive%20Offers%20-%20large%20text">http://www.myplaydirect.com/bobdylan?cid=nl%3A704658431&utm_medium=email&utm_source=uscolumbia-bobdylan&utm_campaign=email-uscolumbia-bobdylan-20130716-nl704658431&utm_content=nllink-2a003053-Tempest%20Exclusive%20Offers%20-%20large%20text</a>Chris Lancasterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13921950266956542758noreply@blogger.com0