Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - Berlin 30th May 2012

Setlist:
WHEN I LEAVE BERLIN/We Care Of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Badlands
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
Spirit in the Night
Hungry Heart
Trapped
Jack of All Trades
Youngstown
Johnny 99
Working on the Highway
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
SAVE MY LOVE
The River
The Rising
Lonesome Day
We Are Alive
Thunder Road
* * *
Rocky Ground
Born in the U.S.A.
Born to Run
Glory Days/Seven Nights to Rock
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

Last Jubilee Punk Festival Cancelled At the Last Moment

Note from the organizers of The Last Jubilee Festival that was to take place this coming weekend (2nd - 4th June) at Bath Racecourse.


*Dark Establishment Figures put brakes on alternative Jubilee Event.*

The spirit of 1977 has shown it’s ugly side with Bath Council putting a cancellation notice on the Last Jubilee event being held at Bath racecourse 2,3,4 June 2012.

Using spurious health & safety legislation and by delaying their decision until today (31-5-2012) has meant that their ridiculous claims and pathetic demands could not be countered in time for this event to go ahead.

The miniscule issues that the venue and the local council had could easily have been dealt with if their notice of cancellation had been delivered in time. They chose to wait until today to do this, giving the organisers no time to put right the minor issues that were raised.

It has become obvious that the venue and the local council did not want this event to go ahead, on what grounds is not clear. One of the ‘concerns’ they had was that this was a ‘Punk’ festival, and the ‘undesirable’ element that this would attract! There is no point even dignifying that with a response, except to say that The Last Jubilee had sold almost as many family tickets as individual adult tickets.

Another issue is the ‘Royal’ Bath didn’t want it’s proud name associated with an Anti-Jubilee occasion. Firstly this was in no way an anti-jubilee event, it was a celebration of the music of 1977, the *silver* jubilee year. It was entirely, and only, a music festival with no political content whatsoever.

Secondly amongst the 4 children’s charities that this event was intended to support was one who’s patron is The Princess Royal! An anti-monarchy event wouldn’t really want to be involved with a senior member of the Royal Family.

On the subject of the charities, 4 local and national children’s charities stood to benefit from donations of thousands of pounds from the organisers and attendees as well as much needed publicity and raised awareness from
the event programme and from having a presence at the event itself. That will now not happen!

The promoters and organisers of The Last Jubilee have asked for patience and understanding from the ticket holders and performers as they try and rearrange this event as soon as possible.

However it is with great regret and massive annoyance that we have to confirm that the event in it’s current form due to be held at Bath Racecourse over the Jubilee Weekend has been cancelled.

This is not over by a long way, watch this space!

“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastichallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs.There's also a negative side.”

- Hunter S. Thompson

Slaughter and The Dogs - Blackpool 1996

Here's a little blast from the past, Slaughter and the Dogs from Holidays in the Sun at Blackpool in 1996.

You Ready Now

Boston Babies

Who Are The Mystery Girls

Where Have All the Boot Boys Gone

Cranked Up Really High

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - Pinkpop Festival Holland 28th May 2012

Bruce closed the Pinkpop Festival with a 2 hour and 18 minute performance that included a couple of tour premiers (in capitals) and a couple of guests as well.

Some of the videos are not perfect sound and if and when I can find better quality ones I will replace the dodgy sounding ones.

Set list:

1. We Take Care Of Our Own
2. Wrecking Ball
3. Badlands
4. Death To My Hometown
5. My City Of Ruins
6. Spirit In the Night
7-8. Because The Night/Radio Nowhere
9. I'M ON FIRE 

10. Shackled and Drawn
11. Waitin' On A Sunny Day
12. The Promised Land
13. The River
14. The Rising
15. We Are Alive
16. Thunder Road

Encores:
17. 96 TEARS (w/Garland Jeffreys)
18-21. Born In The U.S.A/Born to Run/Hungry Heart/Dancing in the Dark
22. American Land (incomplete video)
23. Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

Rumer - Boys Don't Cry 2012

I'm not totally sure I get this. Rumer seems to come out of nowhere and has a million selling album in 'Seasons of My Soul', wins the MOJO Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2011, and chooses to follow it up with an album of cover versions! Here is a girl who people were touting as a great British songwriter and yet, an album of covers? It just doesn't make sense!


Much has been made about the quality of her voice (she has been likened to Karen Carpenter!), and I don't deny that it sounds good, but I can't get over why her record label (Atlantic) has given the green light for this album. Surely to take advantage of the "hype" surrounding her songwriting abilities would have been the best course of action by her label but instead they have gone the "safe route".


So what about the songs she has covered for the project? With a title 'Boys Don't Cry' I half expected that she had covered The Cure's superb 1979 track, but she hasn't! She has turned her attention to male singers and songwriters from the 1970's and what a motely crew they are: Jimmy Webb, Hall and Oates, Ronnie Lane, Townes Van Zandt, and a couple of  puzzling ones like Clifford T. Ward and Gilbert O'Sullivan! 


P.F.Sloan by Jimmy Webb opens the album and it's not too bad at all. In fact it's not a bad album if you like your music quiet! You see that's the thing it's not a bad album, but I don't see an album like this as a real follow up to such a massive debut album. I would expect it from someone who maybe doesn't have an ounce of talent, but not Rumer (who is bursting with it). I know that sounds very petty but that's the way I see it.

The Guardian newspaper said this, "She's clearly in no emotional shape yet to craft a proper sequel to her terrific debut" and the BBC said, "The object of the project was, she says, to make a record that described the solace and anguish she’s experienced since achieving success and fame." If she told the BBC that then that sounds like the right "emotional shape" to craft an album of new music rather than fall on this safety net of covers!

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - Cologne 27th May 2012

 Setlist:
No Surrender
Two Hearts
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
The Ties That Bind
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
Spirit in the Night
The E Street Shuffle (audio only)
Jack of All Trades
Atlantic City
HONKY TONK WOMAN/Darlington County

She's the One
Working on the Highway
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
Apollo Medley
The River
The Rising
Radio Nowhere
We Are Alive
Land of Hope and Dreams
* * *
Born in the U.S.A.
Born to Run/Hungry Heart
SEVEN NIGHTS TO ROCK
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball - Frankfurt 25th May

Setlist:
Badlands
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Out in the Street
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
Spirit in the Night
The E Street Shuffle
Jack of All Trades
Youngstown
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Johnny 99
Working on the Highway/Shackled and Drawn/Waitin' on a Sunny Day
SUMMERTIME BLUES/The Promised Land
The River
The Rising/Lonesome Day
We Are Alive
Thunder Road
* * *
Rocky Ground
Born in the U.S.A./Born to Run
CADILLAC RANCH
SHERRY DARLING
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

Video for Born in the USA and final Six Songs of the Set

Slade in Flame 1975

Watch the Movie Slade in Flame Here!

Never Too Young to Rock The Movie 1975

Never Too Young To Rock Movie Click Here To Watch

The Damned - The Academy Dublin May 25th 2012

Some tracks from The Damned's show in Dublin last night.

• 1. Wait For the Black Out
  2. Lively Arts
  3. Silly Kids Games
  4. I Just Can't Be Happy Today
  5. New Rose
  6. The Limit Club
  7. Shadow of Love
  8. Stretcher Case
  9. Under the Floor Again
  10. Love Song
  11. Neat Neat Neat
  12. Plan 9 Channel 7
  13. History of the World (Part 1)
  14. Eloise
  15. Fan Club
  16. Ignite
  17. Curtain Call
  18. Anti Pope
  19. Alone Again Or
  20. Happy Talk/Smash It Up, Part 2

Happy Birthday Paul Weller

Happy Birthday to the Modfather Paul Weller 

54 today!

The Jam Live in Paris 1981

1 David Watts 

2 Private Hell 

3 Butterfly Collector 

4 Different Now 

5 When You're Young 

6 Eton Rifles

Bruce Springsteen - Rocky Ground Video

 

Currently Reading

Currently in the reading pile are:

Not a biography of Springsteen but more like one man's soundtrack4life based around 14 songs of the New Jersey legend.

I liked the title of this here book and so got it off of Amazon. Looks like it might be a good read about the joys of punk rock.

This one also came from Amazon today and I'm a little disappointed because I thought it was going to be a kind of big book that explored the life of Johnny in some depth. As it is not that I'm a bit hesistant reading it. I flicked through it and it seems to have some great pictures but there's not an awful lot of text. I guess he wrote his book like he played his guitar fast and short!

Three of Dr Thompson's mighty anthologies within the the covers of one book (The Great Shark Hunt, Generation of Swine and Songs of the Doomed), I have actually read them in the past but it was an absolute bargin from Fopp in the West End of Glasgow so I couldn't resist (£4 by the way!).
 

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - European Leg Part 01

All of the links for these shows are only available until 24th June 2012 so get them whilst they are hot!

Sevilla 13th May 2012

15th May 2012 Las Palmas

17th May 2012 Barcelona Night One

 

18th May 2012 Barcelona Night 2

The Temper Trap

This band are very new to my ears. Apparently they've been around a few years (formed in Melbourne, Australia 2005) and thus far released an EP in 2006 and their debut album 'Conditions' in 2009 (which got into the UK album charts peaking at number 26). They also received a Brit Nomination last year for Best International Breakthrough Artist.


Tomorrow, here in the UK their brand new album 'The Temper Trap' is released (5th June in the USA/Canada) and having heard it I'm most impressed. 'Need Your Love' is their latest single (released back in April).


Checkout a live performance of 'Sweet Dispostion' from their debut album here.

For Tour Details checkout their website

Blue Is The Colour

C'MON THE BLUES!

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - 18th May Barcelona

Setlist:
Night
The Ties That Bind
We Take Care of Our Own
Two Hearts
Wrecking Ball
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
Spirit in the Night
The E Street Shuffle
Jack of All Trades
Trapped
Downbound Train
Because the Night
Working on the Highway
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Racing in the Street
The Rising
We Are Alive
Badlands
Ramrod
* * *
Rocky Ground
Born in the U.S.A.
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

Links will be added when they become available.

Happy Birthday to Pete Townshend

Happy Birthday 

to 

Pete Townshend

Joey Ramone and The Ramones

Just in case I forget tomorrow with all the excitement of the Champions League Final (C'mon you Blues!), the 19th May is the birthday of Joey Ramone.

The new album 'Ya Know' is released at the end of the month (Pre-ordered mine today).

And to add to all The Ramones thoughts for the day. They are on the front cover of the NME this week. Sweet.

Happy Birthday Joey and continue to Rest in Peace!

Rock 'n' Roll Is The Answer

Ian Curtis Remembered

Has it really been 32 years since the death of Ian Curtis? Where does the time go?

Photo © Peter Anderson

She's Lost Contol

Transmission

Here's a real treat. Joy Division 

Live at The Lyceum, London 29th February 1980

Soundcheck:
01. Heart And Soul 0:00
02. Incubation 5:10
03. Komakino 8:23
04. Isolation (Instrumental) 12:53
05. Isolation 15:37

Gig:
06. Incubation 18:38
07. Wilderness 22:12
08. Twenty Four Hours 25:15
09. The Eternal 29:50
10. Heart And Soul 36:21
11. Love Will Tear Us Apart 41:17
12. Isolation 44:34
13. Komakino 47:57
14. She's Lost Control 52:24
15. These Days 57:44
16. Atrocity Exhibition 1:01:55

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - 17th May Barcelona

Setlist:
Badlands
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
No Surrender
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
Out in the Street
Talk to Me
Jack of All Trades
Youngstown
Murder Incorporated
Johnny 99
YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH)
She's the One
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
The River
Prove It All Night (with '78 intro)
HUNGRY HEART
The Rising
We Are Alive
Thunder Road
* * *
Rocky Ground
Born in the U.S.A.
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark/Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

Links will be added as they become available.

Donna Summer 1948-2012 RIP

 It was reported today that Donna Summer passed away at the age of 63 after a battle with cancer.

Summer began releasing singles back in 1971 but it wouldn't be until 1975 that she would hit the big time with 'Love To Love You Baby'. But that success didn't really last (a hit in 1976 with 'I Feel Love' but her next hits would be between 1978-79 when she had seven top 5 hits - including three number ones: 'MacArthur Park', 'Bad Girls' and 'No More Tears (Enough is Enough)' with Barbara Streisand.

One of my favourite songs of hers was written for her by Bruce Springsteen. The story goes that Bruce was asked to write a song for Donna Summer and Jon Landau after hearing the demo of the song persauded Bruce to keep the song - the song was 'Cover Me'. So Bruce kept it and it ended up on 'Born in the USA'. True to his word he wrote another song for Donna Summer and him and Roy Bittan also played on the version that was released. A duet version of the song has never seen the light of day. Springsteen has apparently never played the song live in concert (though it was rehearsed for the Tunnel of Love Express Tour). One wonders if Bruce on hearing the news of the death of Donna Summer might finally play the song live in concert (he is at the moment on the European Leg of The Wrecking Ball Tour).

Fan Mix of Protection-Bruce and Donna

REST IN PEACE

Bruce Springsteen - The Wrecking Ball Tour 15th May 2012 Canary Islands

Links will be added when they become available (at the moment there are only a number of very short clips and no full songs). First show on The Wrecking Ball Tour to drop 'Rocky Ground' from the encores. Four tour debuts two from 'The River' and two from 'Born in the U.S.A.'

Setlist for Estadio de Gran Canaria:
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
Badlands
No Surrender
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
Out in the Street
Jack of All Trades
Seeds
Prove It All Night
TWO HEARTS
WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Apollo Medley
THE RIVER
The Rising
Lonesome Day
We Are Alive
Land of Hope and Dreams
* * *
BORN IN THE U.S.A.
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - Seville, Spain May 13th 2012

Links will be added when they become available. Apologies for the sound quality on some of the links, nothing much we can do about it. Hope it doesn't spoil the enjoyment. 

Bruce opened the European leg of The Wrecking Ball Tour in Spain and played over three hours. Only one tour debut tonight, 'I'm Going Down' from 'Born in the USA' .

The day before (12th) Bruce and the band ran through a semi-public soundcheck:

 Setlist:
We Take Care of Our Own
Death to My Hometown
Rocky Ground (with Michelle Moore)
Thunder Road
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
I'm Goin' Down
The Promise
Shackled and Drawn
The Way You Do the Things You Do
We Are Alive

 Soundcheck video here

 

Setlist for the 13th May:
Badlands
We Take Care of Our Own
Wrecking Ball
The Ties That Bind
Death to My Hometown
My City of Ruins
Trapped
Out in the Street
Jack of All Trades
Candy's Room/She's the One
Darlington County
Shackled and Drawn
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
The Promised Land
Apollo Medley
Because the Night
The Rising
Lonesome Day
We Are Alive
Land of Hope and Dreams
* * *
Rocky Ground (with Michelle Moore)
I'M GOING DOWN
Born to Run/Dancing in the Dark/Bobby Jean
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out

Donald 'Duck' Dunn RIP 13th May 2012

“Today I lost my best friend, the World has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live,” said Steve Cropper.

  “I tried the guitar but it had two strings too many. It was just too complicated, man! Plus, I grew up with Steve Cropper. There were so many good guitar players another one wasn’t needed. What was needed was a bass.” - Donald 'Duck' Dunn

A true legend that appeared on so many of the great Stax tracks back in the 1960's and a man who was still playing shows up to his death (he had performed two shows in Tokyo) and at the age of 70 became the second of those Stax House legends to pass within the last two months (Andrew Love, tenor sax, passed away on 12th April).

Willie Nelson - Heroes 2012

Just when you think you've heard every suprising collaboration something comes along that totally blows you out of the water! Such is the nature of the latest Willie Nelson album, 'Heroes' well actually one track and it features Snoop Dogg!

Roll Me Up and Smoke When I Die

It's not like they haven't collaborated before. Last year The Dogg released Doggumentory and it included the track 'Superman' with Nelson on vocals.

Dexys Midnight Runners - Shepherds Bush Empire 8th May 2012

Billy Bragg - Reaching To The Converted 1999

	Tracklist
	"Shirley" (Billy Bragg) "Sulk" (Words by Billy Bragg, Music by Billy Bragg & Cara Tivey) "Accident Waiting to Happen" (Red Star Version) (Billy Bragg) "The Boy Done Good" (Words by Billy Bragg, Music by Johnny Marr) "Heart Like a Wheel" (Anna McGarrigle) "Bad Penny" (Billy Bragg) "Ontario, Quebec and Me" (Billy Bragg) "Walk Away Renee" (Version) (Music by Mike Lookofsky, Toby Sansome, Bob Calilli, Monologue: Billy Bragg) "Rule Nor Reason" (Billy Bragg) "Days Like These" (UK Version) (Billy Bragg) "Think Again" (Dick Gaughan) "Scholarship Is the Enemy of Romance" (Billy Bragg) "Wishing the Days Away" (Ballad Version) (Billy Bragg) "The Tatler" (Ry Cooder, Russ Titleman) "Jeane" (Stephen Morrissey & Johnny Marr) "She's Leaving Home" (John Lennon & Paul McCartney) "I Don't Need This Pressure Ron" (Billy Bragg)
	Probably my favourite collection of Billy Bragg tunes: B-sides, A-Sides, Cover Versions and even an unreleased version of a tune or two.
	No particular reason for posting it other than the fact I was listening to and thought it would be nice to share some of these great tunes.
	The album was released in August 1999 inbetween the Mermaid Avenue releases and reached a respectable number 41 in the UK Charts.
	Click on song titles to go to a video for the song (apologies for not having complete links, some songs are not on You Tube).

Damon Albarn - Dr Dee 2012

Not really sure what make of this! An Opera! The man who gave us 'Parklife', 'Song 2' and other wonderful ditties has turned his hand to Opera! An Opera about a 16th Century Scientist and Magician Dr John Dee.

It's nice to see a musician developing (and Damon Albarn has been doing that for most of his career) but it's a bit of a mystery putting out an album like this. Maybe I'm not cultured enough to appreciate it. The music press of course is going slightly gaga about it (but then some would say when have they ever been the purveyour of good musical taste when they tout a band like Coldplay as being something special!). For me (yes my view, not anyone elses) it's not really something I could listen to more than once. It all sounds a little dull in places and just a bit pretentious.

Alabama Shakes - Boys and Girls 2012

 'Hold On' from Later with Jools Holland

'Be Mine' from Later with Jools Holland

So, I only heard about these yesterday (Saturday 5th May) when one of my buddies posted a video on his brother's FB page and that one video blew me out the water!

Who are this band? They sound so old yet I discover they have only been around a couple of years. Can I just say that lead vocalist Brittany Howard has one of the most amazing voices I've heard in ages? At times on the debut album 'Girls and Boys' she reminded me a little of Janis Joplin, especially when she does that rocky, gravely growl.

Noticed that they are on tour here in the UK (Ireland tonight) and that the shows are sold out. Too right! What great music that deserves to be heard and danced to by many.

I love discovering new bands, new music, that has a vibe that takes me back but still actually sounds very fresh - Alabama Shakes threw me for a loop because they really are that good. Their album is added to the list of possible Album of the Year.

Adam Yauch 1964- 2012 RIP

Statement on The Beastie Boys Website:

"It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam "MCA" Yauch, founding member of Beastie Boys ... passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer."

To read the rest of the statement CLICK HERE

Watch the MAKE SOME NOISE VIDEO HERE

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball Tour - 2nd May 2012 Newark NJ

The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey is the final show of the first leg of The Wrecking Ball Tour.

Links will be added when they become available.

Bishop Danced had not been played since 1973 and The Weight was a request for the late Levon Helm. 

Setlist

No Surrender

We Take Care of Our Own

Wrecking Ball

Badlands

Death to My Hometown

My City of Ruins

BISHOP DANCED 

IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY 

Jack of All Trades

Candy's Room

She's the One

Shackled and Drawn

Waitin' on a Sunny Day

The Promised Land
Talk To Me

Apollo Medley

The Rising

Lonesome Day

We Are Alive

Land of Hope and Dreams 
***********

THE WEIGHT

Rocky Ground

Born to Run

Dancing in the Dark

Rosalita

Tenth Avenue Freeze Out

Five Leadership Tips From Bruce (Forbes Article)

John Peel Record Collection Goes Live Today

John Peel's Record Collection goes live today. Check out this blog for details of how it's going to happen.

Go Here to The Space