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Friday 29 June 2012

The Gaslight Anthem - Ed Sullivan Theater NYC 27th June 2012

The Gaslight Anthem played a set at The Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City before the show went live.


    1. Great Expectations
    2. Biloxi Parish
    3. Old White Lincoln
    4. 45
    5. Film Noir
    6. American Slang
    7. Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?
    8. Wooderson
    9. Here Comes My Man
      (first time ever played live)
    10. The '59 Sound
    11. Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
    12. The Backseat
    13. Encore:
    14. Baba O'Riley
      (The Who cover)
       

The Ultimate Wrecking Ball Tour Playlist



110 Videos lasting almost 13 Hours and includes the full show from SXSW on March 15th 2012

Thursday 28 June 2012

The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten - Coming Soon


Due out in July. Very excited about it as well.
Tracklist
1. 45
2. Handwritten
3. Here Comes My Man

4. Mulholland Drive
5. Keepsake
6. Too Much Blood
7. Howl
8. Biloxi Parish

9. Desire
10. Mae
11. National Anthem.

Check out their cover of  'House of the Rising Sun'

Wednesday 27 June 2012

How Can You Not Dance?

(photo by Eddy Taatgen)

I find it quite funny that in England (not really sure about the rest of the UK) that bars/venues that have live music are sometimes in a spot of difficulty when it comes to Sunday. 

Through Monday to Saturday they can have every kind of dancing you want (dependant of course on the type of band that is playing) but because of their License from the authorities they are able to serve Alcohol and have live music but are not allowed to have people dancing!

I actually thought that this law was over and done with until I saw a recent post from one of my friends who had visited Hull last weekend and the above picture was taken!


I can actually remember that way back at the tail end of the 70's that a venue I used to frequent in Camden Town called the Music Machine (now called KoKo and pictured above) had this same issue of restriction.
As you can see from the above flyer they were licensed Monday to Saturday and rarely did they have Sunday shows. One which I went to was a benefit show by the UK Subs in September 1979.


The bouncers at the Music Machine were mean sons of guns. Most of them wore a leather glove on one hand that had sand in it so if they hit you for any reason it actually felt a lot harder than a normal punch! And that Sunday night at the Music Machine they were out in force and ready to make sure that their restriction on the "no dancing" rule was upheld.

It's a bit tricky though having a show by a punk band and then have everybody stand still whilst the band is playing (a cue for a musical moment: The Table - 'Do the Standing Still'!)! And the minute anyone begun to dance and jump around the bouncers would swarm the dance floor and drag the poor soul outside and on the way in the corridors leading to the exit the poor dancing victim would have a few punches land on various parts of his or hers body (they had no qualms about hitting girls) before being forceably ejected!

A few people had already been tossed out by the time the UK Subs hit the stage as the punks had shown their enthusiasm for the support bands The Urge, and Lost Property (aka 4th Reich and Manufactured Romance). 

From the opening bars of C.I.D (footage from Lyceum show in 1979). the crowd erupted into what we now term as a mosh pit (it didn't have a fancy name back then!). There was pogoing, slamming, and all manner of movement. I mean, how could you not dance? 

A couple of songs into the set the bouncers set about enforcing the rule of law that there would be no dancing and I don't recall how many got thrown out but by the end of the UK Subs set there was not a lot of folks left! The carnage on the dance floor was evident once the band departed the stage and the house lights came up. There was blood on the dance floor, torn clothes, broken heels and teeth!

Despite all the violence it was a great show and I'm sure the Senior Citzens of Camden appreciated the funds that came their way as a result, even if it was blood money!




Tuesday 26 June 2012

Happy Birthday Mick Jones


Happy Birthday to Mick Jones 
born 26th June 1955

Big Audio Dynamite - E=MC2 (live on The Tube)

The Clash - Stay Free

Justice Tonight (ft Mick Jones, Pete Wylie and The Farm - Train In Vain

Rewind: The Rising Tour San Siro Milan 28th June 2003

Notes from Backstreets.com
 

"The European leg ends with a bang -- quite a few bangs, actually, as a thunderstorm soaks the San Siro Stadium -- but we're also referring to Bruce and the E Street Band wrapping up the show with "Rosalita." "Rosie" has come out only one other time on the Rising tour so far, in Sydney, Australia. As for that storm: During "Empty Sky" the sky is actually full of dark clouds; rain begins as Bruce sings "though I know the river is dry…" and during "Waitin' on a Sunny Day," Bruce and the band are indeed "workin' with the rain fallin' down." The crowd was soaked to the bone by the time of an impromptu mid-set "Who'll Stop the Rain." While the rain tapered off, lightning continued to provide an extra light show for much of the night. Also a special for Milan is the tour premiere of "Follow That Dream." Jon Landau guests on "Dancing in the Dark."
 

Setlist: The Promised Land/The Rising/Lonesome Day/My Love Will Not Let You Down/Darkness on the Edge of Town/Empty Sky/The River/Waitin' on a Sunny Day/Who'll Stop the Rain/Growin' Up/Worlds Apart/Badlands/Out in the Street/Mary's Place/ Follow That Dream/Thunder Road/Into the Fire/No Surrender
First Encore: Bobby Jean/Ramrod/Born to Run
Second Encore: My City of Ruins/Land of Hope and Dreams/Dancing in the Dark/Rosalita




Part Four*

* Is actually from June 8th Show also in Italy

Monday 25 June 2012

U2 and The BBC show Sky Arts How to Broadcast a Festival Headliner


Sky Arts could learn so much from the BBC about how they go about broadcasting a festival and in particular the headling acts. I've already posted the Bruce Springsteen set shown on the BBC from 2009 and now it's the turn of U2. Once again almost an hour and a half was shown from their set. 

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - Isle of Wight 24th June 2012

It is quite doubtful if there wil be any links for this show. I will keep my eyes open just incase something turns up but I'm not holding my breath!

Sky Arts were pitiful in their coverage of the Festival headliners and only showed Four songs by Bruce after getting us all excited by telling us that Bruce's set was coming up. You can imagine the disappointment then when we got only four songs from his 2hr 50min set!

Setlist:
Badlands
No Surrender
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
Spirit in the Night
Lonesome Day
Jack of All Trades
Atlantic City
Because the Night
Working on the Highway
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The River
The Rising
Out in the Street
Land of Hope and Dreams
* * *
We Are Alive
Born in the U.S.A.
Born to Run
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Twist and Shout

Saturday 23 June 2012

Bruce and the BBC show Sky Arts how to broadcast a Headliner

 Sky Arts this weekend are "live" at the Isle of Wight Festival and last night they had six hours where they continually spoke of Tom Petty being the headling act and they had him on live! Sadly that was not the case at all. They showed 5 or 6 songs lasting about 28mins.

Pearl Jam Saturday night - 3 songs.

Bruce Springsteen Sunday night 4 songs!


So here is a little lesson from the BBC in how to broadcast a headlining act at a major music festival.


Bruce Springsteen - Glastonbury

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - Manchester 22nd June 2012

 I'll be on the look out today for links from last night's show in Manchester. Not many around at the moment but that's understandable with it being so early in the day. Links are in yellow.

Setlist:
Badlands
No Surrender
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
Spirit in the Night
E Street Shuffle
Jack of All Trades
Atlantic City
Prove It All Night (with '78 intro)
Two Hearts
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
Darlington County
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Save My Love
The Promise (solo piano)
The River
The Rising
Out in the Street
Land of Hope and Dreams
* * *
We Are Alive
Thunder Road
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Cadillac Ranch
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Twist and Shout 

Friday 22 June 2012

Happy Birthday Derek Forbes

Don't You Forget About Me - Simple Minds

London Calling/White Riot - Los Mondo Bongo

Chelsea Girl - ex-Simple Minds

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - Sunderland 21st June

Last night's setlist 
(thanks to Mark D. Huntington)

Monday 18 June 2012

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - Madrid 17th June 2012

The booty-shakin', earth-quakin', love-makin', record-breakin' E Street Band! Tonight in Madrid, they played their longest show ever, at three hours and 48 minutes. Southside Johnny was there to help raise that bar, guesting on "Talk to Me" and the closing "Twist and Shout." And as we hoped, the live world premiere, from The Promise, of "Spanish Eyes."

There's a few links around at the moment but I'll keep my eyes open for more to be added later. 


with Southside Johnny

Sunday 17 June 2012

Father's Day 2012

My Father's House - Bruce Springsteen (November 16th 1990 Los Angeles)

Whenever I hear this song it always makes me think of my own Dad. Like Bruce I had some hard times with my Dad growing up and for many years I really struggled to make any sense of our "relationship". I would not pretend that all was totally fixed before he passed away because that would be a lie, but we did begin mending some fences when I got married back in 1992, and though not perfect by any sense of the imagination it was a start.


When he had a stroke and was rushed to hospital I made the long journey down from Glasgow to London to visit him and although he could not speak I had a feeling from his eyes that he was pleased to see me. After he died I thought that there were a thousand things I never said to him, and that's always the problem when a relationship has known great strain, there's always a thousand things and more you want to say to each other but somehow feel unable to.

Anyway, today is Father's Day and he came to mind, so I want to put this song up today just so it is on record that I took a moment to remember him today.

Friday 15 June 2012

Happy Birthday Noddy Holder

 HAPPY BIRTHDAY 
TO 
NODDY HOLDER

One of the finest frontmen in Rock and Roll in my opnion.

Thursday 14 June 2012

Jelly


Jelly - Say Hello


Jelly - Car Crash Movie


Jelly - Get Out of Jail (1st Demo)

Meet the Jelly's
Steve Bray - Lead Vocals
Mickey Howard - Guitar
Vera Wild - Bass
Martin Drees - Drums

(all photos kindly borrowed from Jelly's FB page!)

Tuesday 12 June 2012

Great Punk Singles Pt02



Soppy love songs are not something you associate with Punk but there were a few bands who wrote them (only ones by Buzzcocks came anywhere near to being as good as this one though). This is one of my favourite singles (easily Top Ten).


The Members - Offshore Banking Business/Solitary Confinement (Virgin 1979)


I picked this one not so much for the A-Side but for the B-side. 'Solitary Confinement' had originally been released as a single by Stiff Records but the remake for this single I think is the superior version.


It always reminds me of my teenage years, about breaking away from home and going on the adventure of a lifetime in the big bad world.


The Saints - This Perfect Day (Harvest 1977)


Australia was not really a place you expected a punk band to hail from but The Saints upped sticks and moved to the UK in order to unleash their brand of music. Their first single, 'I'm Stranded' is a classic but this one (their third single) is just priceless. They even managed to get on Top of the Pops with this!


The Last Words - Animal World (Rough Trade 1979)


A band from Sydney who moved to London in 1979 and ended up releasing a few singles and an album in 1980. 'Animal World' was originally released in Australia in 1977 (it had a different b-side to Rough Trade version, 'Wondering Why'), and then again in 1978 (b-side Every Schoolboy's Dream plays first!) and it's a little different to the version released in '79 by Rough Trade.


Malcom Baxter on vocals was a guy I met at a UK Subs show in 1979 and hung out with him a few times up at his squat in West Hampstead (not too far from The Moonlight Club).

Great Punk Singles pt01

Okay, so the Jubilee may have past and many shows and magazines have reported on Punk 35 years on from 1977, but the music remains. Some of it sounds as exciting today as it did when I first bought it back my days as a Teenage Punk.


So the next few blogs I'm going to share some of that great music and it's artwork and maybe say a few words about each track. The link to hear the song will be in the title above each picture cover.





I was 15 years old when the Suburban Studs released this, their second single and it basically summed up what I and all my mates were thinking at the time. School was the last place we wanted to be and we regularly bunked off and took the bus up to the city (London) or to the Kings Road in Chelsea. Education didn't really matter, after all if your only hope was to get a factory job or end up on the dole it served no purpose.


For me, this is the best Punk single ever! I know a lot of folks would scream and shout and say, "what about The Pistols 'Anarchy' or The Damned's 'New Rose'?" I have no issue with those songs but it's my list and whatever my favourite is, it's my favourite!
The Clash were one of the bands that managed to blend a little bit of Reggae with their music and I loved Reggae music. My eldest sister's boyfriend had a huge collection of great Reggae music and listening to the likes of Culture, Tappa Zukie, The Mighty Diamonds, Dillinger etc was pretty normal behaviour.


They came from Newcastle and put out quite a few good singles ( 'Don't Dictate', 'Firing Squad' and 'Life's A Gamble'). Their debut album, 'Moving Targets' is still one of my favourite albums from those times. This was their fourth single. I always thought it was a shame that they were such an overlooked band. With Siouxsie getting all the headlines Pauline Murray went quite unnoticed by the masses. They were a great live band and today they are still out playing and even releasing new music.


One of the first D.I.Y. records to come out of the punk movement. A brilliant EP by one of Manchester's finest. Their lead vocalist, Howard Devoto left not long after it was released and he went on to form Magazine whilst Pete Shelly took over on lead vocals and led the band to having a few hits. I always raise a smile whenever I hear 'Boredom' from this becasue that one string guitar solo is so comical.


Their single 'Ambition' is often the one that gets the limelight but this one in my mind is the better one. They were out on the 'White Riot Tour' with The Clash back in 1977 and all these years later Vic Goddard is still making music and playing live shows (and works as a Postman!).


I always recall the poster for the tour they did with The Damned
Such a great single as well, again often forgotten about due to the success of 'Gary Gilmore's Eyes'.

Last one for the moment is:

Hearing 'Blitzkrieg Bop' on John Peel for the first time back in 1976 changed it all for me. The Ramones sadly have always been thought of as cartoonish, which I think is totally wrong. They put out some amazing singles in the early days of Punk, none more so than this one.

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - Trieste, Italy 11th June 2012

A 29-song set to close out this stelllar three-show Italian run, featuring sign requests for "Downbound Train" and "Rosalita" a rare "Murder Incorporated" and guest Elliott Murphy for "Born to Run". Only a few links so far but I'll keep monitoring You Tube today to see what turns up. Some of the links are just audio.

 

Friday 8 June 2012

Sugar Reissues


I have to admit that 'Copper Blue' is one album that has never been off my radar since it's release 20 years ago. It's actually hard to believe that it is actually that old because to my ears it doesn't sound dated at all. I consider the album to be so good that it has never been out of my Top Ten Favourite Albums of All Time.

The news that all three Sugar albums are to be released as Deluxe Editions is excellent and here's the tracklist for 'Copper Blue'

Disc 1

  1. The Act We Act
  2. A Good Idea
  3. Changes
  4. Helpless
  5. Hoover Dam
  6. The Slim
  7. If I Can't Change Your Mind
  8. Fortune Teller
  9. Slick
  10. Man On The Moon
  11. Needle Hits E (B-side of "Helpless" in US or "Changes" in UK)
  12. If I Can't Change Your Mind (Solo Mix) (B-side of "Helpless" in US or "Changes" in UK)
  13. Try Again (B-side of "Helpless" in US or "Changes" in UK)
  14. Clownmaster (B-side of "If I Can't Change Your Mind")
  15. If I Can't Change Your Mind (BBC radio session)
  16. Hoover Dam (BBC radio session)
  17. Try Again (BBC radio session)
  18. Clownmaster (BBC radio session)
Disc 2
Live At The Cabaret Metro, Chicago, Illinois, 22nd July 1992
  1. The Act We Act
  2. A Good Idea
  3. Changes
  4. Running Out Of Time
  5. Helpless (B-side of "A Good Idea" except in UK)
  6. If I Can't Change Your Mind
  7. Where Diamonds Are Halos (B-side of "A Good Idea")
  8. Hoover Dam (B-side of "If I Can't Change Your Mind")
  9. Beer Commercial
  10. Slick (B-side of "A Good Idea")
  11. Anyone (B-side of "If I Can't Change Your Mind")
  12. Clownmaster
  13. Tilted
  14. Armenia City In The Sky (B-side of "A Good Idea")
  15. JC Auto (B-side of "JC Auto")
  16. The Slim
  17. Dum Dum Boys
  18. Man On The Moon 
Disc3 DVD


  1. Helpless (Promo video)
  2. Changes (Promo video)
  3. If I Can't Change Your Mind (Promo video)
  4. Helpless (Live On The Late Show UK)
  5. Interview (MTV UK)
  6. Interview (MTV US 120 Minutes)
Disc 1 (CD):
"BEASTER"
1. Come Around/2. Tilted.
3. Judas Cradle.
4. JC Auto.
5. Feeling Better.
6. Walking Away.

Disc 2 (DVD):
"PROMO VIDEO"
1. Tilted

"LIVE AT FINSBURY PARK 13TH JUNE 1993"
2. The Act We Act
3. A Good Idea
4. Changes
5. Beer Commercial 


Disc: 1
1. Gift
2. Company Book
3. Your Favorite Thing
4. What You Want It To Be
5. Gee Angel
6. Panama City Motel
7. Can't Help You Anymore
8. Granny Cool
9. Believe What You're Saying
10. Explode And Make Up
11. Mind Is An Island
12. Frustration
13. Going Home
14. In The Eyes Of My Friends
15. And You Tell Me
16. Believe What You're Saying [Campfire Mix]
Disc: 2
1. Gift
2. Company Book
3. Hoover Dam
4. After All The Roads Have Led To Nowhere
5. Where Diamonds Are Halos
6. Slick
7. Going Home
8. Running Out Of Time
9. Frustration
10. Changes
11. Can't Help You Any More
12. Helpless
13. If I Can't Change Your Mind
14. In The Eyes Of My Friends
15. Clownmaster
16. Gee Angel
17. Explode And Make Up
18. The Slim
Disc: 3 DVD
1. Your Favourite Thing
2. Believe What You're Saying
3. Gee Angel
4. MTV Sugar Feature
5. Bob Mould and Lou Barlow: Believe What You're Saying (live on MTV 120 Minutes)



Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour San Siro Milan 7th June 2012

Three Hours and Forty Minutes, 33 songs. Bruce lets it rip Italian style!



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