Get On The Beam

Unit Training Film 1

2009-09-05T16:28:00.005+01:00

I'd only known about early 80's "synthpunk" band The Units through their collaboration with Bill Nelson on their New Way To Move EP (1983). And since then I've not seen or heard anything from them... until now!

History of the Units is a recently released 21 track selection of their work. There's some cool stuff on it too. Sadly though, it won't sell many copies, and they'll remain an obscure itch on the backside of synth music history, but at least it's out there for people to stumble upon and enjoy.

Now tell me this music video isn't great! Found instructional film footage over Warm Moving Bodies...

Unit Training Film 1, Warm Moving Bodies (1980)

Carbon Credit

2009-04-13T18:44:00.007+01:00

Mick Jones and Tony James are back!
From their forthcoming album - The Carbon Bubble, here's What's Up Doc? - a nice bit of thrash, accompanied by an excellent, fresh and funny animated video.
Carbon/Silicon - What's Up Doc?
I remember seeing Carbon/Silicon preview this song live at their Carbon Casino 9 gig in Hammersmith just before Christmas. At the time, it just passed over my head as a lot of loud concert noise. However, another new song, Unbelievable Pain, stood out as being something quite special. The Carbon Bubble sounds like it could be the album of the summer.

Surfin' Dead!

2009-02-05T20:56:00.011Z

R.I.P. Lux Interior!
I'm betting he won't stay dead for long.

The Cramps - Creature From The Black Leather Lagoon

'The Ram' vs 'Maniac Miner'

2009-01-18T11:53:00.014Z

A good weekend to go to the flicks. What film to see? I had two in mind, The Wrestler - critically acclaimed and something I'd been looking forward to for a while, or the no doubt soon to be critically shat upon, remake of a really bad film, My Bloody Valentine 3D!!! Choices, choices, choices.

Friday night, and I just had time to catch a late show. Always being a bit perverse in my decision making, I decided to plump for the film that was sure to be bad, but bad in 3D!!! Despite being certain, guaranteed, trash, My Bloody Valentine 3D was sold out. I couldn't get a ticket and, slightly disappointed, went in to see The Wrestler instead.

Of course, I really wanted to see The Wrestler anyway and sat down in a near empty screen 2 with a tub of Chunky Munkey. Low budget, and shot in parts almost like a reality documentary, you get skilfully drawn into the life of fading Wrestler Randy 'The Ram' Robinson. Mickey Rourke was made for the title role. He brings the required physical and emotional character strengths and weaknesses to the screen with such perfection that it's hard to believe he's not the real thing. Equally impressive are the rest of the cast - Marisa Tomei as his aging stripper friend, and his fellow (actual) wrestlers, who provide a real sense of community in the film.

After Director Darren Aronofsky's expensive 'flop', the love it or hate it (I loved it) The Fountain, The Wrestler is on the surface a dramatic change in style. No special effects, just the blood and sweat of the ring. But it is similar in that it's a slowly paced, moving look at aging, loss and the threat of growing old alone. Give Mickey the Oscar now!

So why was the screening for My Bloody Valentine 3D full whilst just a handful of people watched The Wrestler? Why would anyone want to see a remake of one of the poorest 80's slasher movies over seeing an acclaimed award winning feature? Easy. The idea of seeing a scary 3D movie on a Friday night out is more appealing to most youngsters than watching a movie about a sad old wrestler. Going out to the movies is for me mostly about being entertained, having a laugh, enjoying a thrill, escaping from the real world. And that is why I too was drawn to My Bloody Valentine.

Saturday night. Back to the multiplex and another late show...

This time I'd managed to get my ticket for MBV in advance and was ready to take in the whole popcorn experience - well almost, have you seen the price of popcorn! £3.25 for a small bag!! Outrageous. Anyway, into the packed cinema. A good trailer for the upcoming Friday The 13th remake/re-imagining, an ad with some guy pulling a rat out of his mouth after taking fake 'Internet pills', the mandatory Orange Mobile ad and then it was time to put on the 3D glasses...

Well, what can I say? My Bloody Valentine 3D was good fun and better than I'd expected. The script and cast, including genre veteran Tom (Night of The Creeps) Atkins, were above par for an American stalk 'n' slash. And hey, what's not to like about a gas mask wearing Maniac Miner swinging his pick axe into people's heads? And into the audience too! Once you got used to it the 3D was quite impressive. I'd seen the excellent animated Monster House a couple of years ago that used this 'REAL D' 3D process, and I'm pleasantly surprised at how well it comes over in a live action film.

So who won the bout? 'The Ram' or 'The Maniac Miner'. Two totally different films. Two different experiences. The Wrestler will rightly be considered a classic piece of moving making, but MBV 3D gains points for entertainment value. The result is too close to call. A score draw. Perhaps there'll be a rematch? The Wrestler 2 vs My Bloody Valentine 2 3D! Coming soon to a theatre near you...

"Cause they can't do it, like I can"

2009-01-03T14:09:00.011Z

Well Sony may be cashing in on his forthcoming Superbowl half-time appearance with an unnecessary "Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Greatest Hits" and Bruce may end up playing at Glastonbury this year (Noooo!), but things aren't all that bad...

There'll be a new album proper in 3 weeks time, and more than likely another tour starting in the Spring. Geez, I'm still a bit feeling a bit Bruced-out and broke after seeing so many shows on the last tour - However, my enthusiasm is starting to build up again thanks to a newly surfaced, fan made, DVD release called 'The Lowlands'. Capturing 10 songs from Antwerp and Amsterdam last year, it's been nicely shot on a HD camera and dubbed with a fine audience recording. Really fun to watch - especially when Bruce and the band dig oldies like this one out of the E Street vaults...

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - I'm A Rocker
23rd June 2008, Antwerp
That's got the old 'Bruce Juice' a flowing! OK, so I'm A Rocker is from my favourite Springsteen album, but any song that mentions James Bond, Columbo, Kojak, Mission Impossible and the Batmobile has to be classic in my opinion!

The Milk Of Human Kindness

2008-12-30T21:14:00.004Z

Following last year's 'Six Strings For Sara', Bill Nelson has written and produced another new song to aid a children's Cancer charity.

The suitably tuneful 'A Million Whistling Milkmen' is available now and can be downloaded in FLAC or mp3 formats. All proceeds from the song's sale will go to the Sara's Hope Foundation.

More info @ www.billnelson.com

SHTOINK!

2008-12-27T09:36:00.014Z

BRRRAPP! Ah, that's better. 3 days of stuffing myself silly over Xmas and I can only just manage to move off of the sofa. FFFRRRAAPFT!

It's OK though as I've been sitting down enjoying my Christmas presents - An electrical box with 'Blue Rays' in it or somethin' (sounds a bit like a porno), a couple of 'hilarious' books of footy annecdotes, and a large tin of crumbling shortbread biscuits - helpfully washed down with some Mulled wine. CHOMP CHOMPLE SLURP GLUP

My best treat of all though has been...

The Completely MAD Don Martin (Mad's Greatest Artists Series)
This large, very heavy, two volume set is just gorgeous, and incredibly funny. I may have mentioned it before that, as a kid growing up, my sense of right or wrong was pretty much defined by reading Marvel Comics, and that my sense of humour was fashioned from reading MAD Magazine!

MAD had great artists and writers like Sergio Aragones, Mort Drucker and Al Jafee, but it was "MAD's MADDEST Artist" Don Martin that stood out for me. His wacky genius hit my giggle button everytime and I spent hours trying to copy his artwork and drawing his characters - their strange ears, big noses, bent feet and the gawky way they walked - his use of onomatopoetic sound effects, brilliant and bizarre.

I remember creating a short strip about an intrepid Buck Rogers style space hero called 'Otho Bludge'. Otho had to save his girlfiend 'Vera Lynn' from I don't know what. Anyway, it was rubbish and full of bad puns - my poor attempt at being Don, but it made it to my school magazine and I think a couple of people liked it. Don Martin was my inspiration but sadly I had no real talent to take it further.

Don Martin was the funniest comic book artist of his time, and part of my soul. Thanks Don. I thoroughly recommend this amazing collection of his work.

Visit The Don Martin Dictionary of Sound Effects to hear SNAP PLOOBADOOF! (Wonder Woman Releasing Her Amazon Brassiere) and others.

Oh Blimey, It's Christmas

2008-12-23T22:35:00.008Z

HHIBA! DYMMWIWA? Late nights at work and the curse of Facebook has meant that I've neglected this blog for a long time. It's not like there's been nothing happening! The Credit Crunchie, Harry Redknapp, Nelsonica, Light of Day, great gigs from The Godfathers, Carbon/Silicon and The Hold Steady, and hey Ben Folds was pretty good as well!

Time has just flown by, and now it's Christmas already. Hey kids, have you checked your Parents' wardrobe for presents yet? You never know what you might find. Just remember - Santa can be so good for you...
Frank Sidebottom - I Could Be So Good For You
20th December 2008 - The Lexington, Islington

"Irresistible and enigmatic"

2008-10-16T23:17:00.005+01:00

Back from my hols, with a new job and my PC muthafuddaboard temporarily coming back to life - I guess I've got no excuse not to continue on with this blog... So much rubbish to write, so little time and so few readers... Hell, here's a 15 second run through to bring things up to date since my last post:

Start new job. Take a well earned holiday! Jump on a plane - > Austin - "Don't Mess With Texas"/ Millions of bats/ Fantastic Fest: The Tingler!/ Estomago/ The Good The Bad And The Weird/ Austin City Limits: David Byrne/ Bobby Bare Jr (twice!)/ John Fogerty/ CSS/ Gnarls Barclay/ Beck and The Foo Fighters -> Dallas: 'JFK blown away'/ Longhorns -> NYC - Happily drunk in a Brooklyn bar watching Biden vs Palin/ Up close in Jesse Malin's intimate new Bowery club whilst his 'spoken word' + songs concert goes on and on and on for the cameras.../ -> Back to Blighty. Back to work :-(

Sigh, the clocks go back soon. Darkness and the recession are coming. Nothing much to look forward to now except Christmas... Hold on a minute, there's Nelsonica 2008 in York on November 1st - better than Christmas for Bill Nelson fans! Yay!

Bill Nelson - Mr Magnetism Himself
(1979 b-side) New video by YooToober 'Zobiemoro'

Rain, Rain Go Away...

2008-09-05T17:29:00.010+01:00

Due to starting my new job a week later than originally planned, I've decided to come up to Bowness-on-Windermere for a few days

It's been raining, grey and grim at home - an ideal time perhaps for a quick getaway to southern Europe and some guaranteed sunshine... So being here in the Lake District - the wettest place in England - may not have been the brightest of ideas? Well, just staring out over the beautiful expanse of Lake Windermere on my arrival made the 5hr drive up the M1 & M6 worthwhile.

Yesterday, due to the rainclouds, any idea I might have had about doing some high level fell walking was soon washed away. However, I did manage to wander lonely as a (rain) cloud, taking a lovely 7 mile low walk around Borrowdale, just below Derwent Water.

In the afternoon, dried out, I drove to Honister Slate Mine and went underground on a very interesting guided tour, wearing a hard hat and head torch - not a trip for claustrophobes but fun for everyone else. After coming out of the mountain I was met with sunshine and a rainbow arcing across the far hills.

Invigorated, I jumped into my car and motored down the magnificent Honister Pass, surely one of the most stunning drives in the world, and then on to the gorgeous Buttermere and Crummock Water before heading back to my B&B in Bowness.

Today it has been really wet. A constant downpour. Keep your mouth closed or drown type weather. Undaunted, I went south to Ulverston, the birthplace of Stan Laurel, to visit the Laurel and Hardy Museum - a tiny but interesting little place.

It's an old building, just 3 small rooms covered in memorabilia and containing an even smaller little cinema playing a loop of classic L&H shorts. Well worth the trip. Apparently, the eccentric museum is going to be moving soon to a larger, newly built location. This may help attract more tourists and increase souvenir sales but I feel a lot of the existing charm may be lost.

'The Network's going down...'

2008-08-29T16:14:00.011+01:00

'and my hard drive is corrupt'! Spooky how this happens just a few days after I was looking through PC World magazine at some sexy new kit.

Bollocks! Can't get my desktop to boot up... I'm impotent. Got a techie round, hopefully he'll be able to do something for £40/hr, but I doubt it. Let's see, my last backup was about a year ago... nightmare!

Backup your stuff kiddies ASAP. Now I'm back to my old dusty white box and Windows Me for the next few days...

Update: a day later and the old box died too! Coincidence? I'll just have to make the occasional post via my nokia n800 for the time being...

What a difference a day makes

2008-08-25T16:20:00.002+01:00

There I was on Saturday evening feeling really low. How could I get so depressed over the result of a football match? Arrrgh! Oh God it was bad. I needed to get away. As darkness fell I scoured the 'Internets', searching for an escape...

Sunday evening, 300 or so miles away from White Hart Pain. I was in Falmouth. Sunshine glimmering across the blue water of the natural harbour. A Cornish '99', a stroll along the beach, then Pollock & Chips washed down with a bottle of 'Doom Bar'. Sublime. Depression passed, weather fine, outlook good (until the next home game at least).

Broken Hearts Tessellate Tonight

2008-08-22T01:37:00.012+01:00

Well, last night to be precise - Tokyo Police Club entertained a young crowd at ULU, London, on the last UK show of their current tour.

It's been a year since MustyMC and I saw them play in the hot and sweaty confines of the Camden Barfly. I can remember thinking then that 'these guys are going to be big'! Well I guess they are getting there slowly - a good first album proper and ULU is a step up size wise, but last night it was hardly close to full and the crowd were a bit lacklustre. Maybe it was just down to it being summer and not term time. Calling the youth of today - TPC need more students!

I see that they are going to be supporting Geek-fathers Weezer on tour later in the year, hopefully that will help raise their profile. Cheer it on.
Oh, give us your vote
Give us your vote
If you know what's good for you

Your English Is Good/Nature Of The Experiment/Cheer It On
tokyopoliceclub.com

Is there anybody alive out there?

2008-08-21T02:17:00.005+01:00

No just Zombies...

"In the future, a man returns home from war only to discover that his town is now dead, in more ways than one. Fortunately, he finds comfort both in some undead monsters, and a very, very special album."

Written, edited & directed by Daniel Fox and Terence Krey. Nice job. It's better than the official Radio Nowhere video! Plus it has the Gonk!

Sequestered in Rough Trade

2008-08-18T22:58:00.025+01:00

Tonight I caught The Hold Steady giving a free in-store performance at Rough Trade East, in the old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London.

As they began to play I was up against the right hand speaker - whoa!
It was painfully loud. Rather than stand there with my hands over my ears, I gave up what I'd thought was a prime position and moved round to the side. I was slightly behind the action with a restricted view, but I could enjoy the songs without my ears bleeding and my brain vibrating against my skull...

The band ran through a short sharp 11 song set to promote their new critically acclaimed album Stay Positive. For some reason I've not found the album to be the immediate knockout that Boys and Girls in America was. Up until tonight it has been slow to grow on me. However, hearing the new stuff live does make all the difference, and now I'm really looking forward to seeing The Hold Steady's next proper show in London @ The Roundhouse on October 8th. 'We Gotta Stay Positive'!

I managed to grab a tad (pun intended) of video with my little Sony, one of the quieter moments - it's just a shame I was on the wrong side for Tad's excellent guitar solo!

Lord, I'm Discouraged - The Hold Steady

Stuck Between Stations (end clip) - The Hold Steady
Setlist: Constructive Summer/Stuck Between Stations/Magazines/
Yeah Sapphire/One for the Cutters/Lord, I'm Discouraged/
Sequestered in Memphis/Navy Sheets/Joke About Jamaica/
Stay Positive/Slapped Actress

www.theholdsteady.com

Today is the day

2008-08-18T10:18:00.000+01:00

Everything That Happens Will Happen Today...

Getting The Hump

2008-08-11T23:39:00.007+01:00

Boston. Sunday morning, Aug 3rd 2008.

I skipped breakfast and boarded the 8:30am Whale Watch boat heading out of the harbour towards the Stellwagen Bank marine sanctuary. I'd say that around 90% of my fellow passengers were from Korean and Japanese tour groups. It was a very smooth ride but one or two people were unfortunately staring into their sick bags right from the start.

I'd made this trip twice before on previous visits to Boston. The first time back in '99 was an amazing revelation - there were whales everywhere - numerous humpbacks, minkies and dolphins, splashing and jumping all around the boat. The second time, a few years later, was however a bit of a damp squib in comparison, with maybe 3 whales obscured in light fog. I mean it was OK, but I knew that with a bit of luck this third trip might be better...

And sure enough, it was. When the boat reached Stellwagen Bank it was like entering humpback town. It's hard to say how many there were, but I think we saw perhaps 10-15 different humps breaking the surface. I managed to take a bit of video with my little sony - it's OK, just a couple of minutes captured from the whole event, but it inadequately represents the size and grace of these majestic creatures. Squashing the video resolution down into YouTube distances you from the experience even more. You really have to the whales in high definition real life.

It was a good 3 hour trip. As my fellow passengers enthusiastically took photographs, it occurred to me that maybe a few of them might be thinking about what they wanted to eat for lunch. I always find that being out at sea makes me hungry too, and as we headed back to Boston I was looking forward to some fish and chips and a nice cold beer.

The Meaning of Life?

2008-08-08T12:15:00.008+01:00

Two new Carbon/Silicon tracks (featuring Gary Kemp) are available now as free downloads: Maybe that's the Meaning of Life and The Inconvenience of Truth. Get your mpfrees here

How the frack do you get to Foxboro?

2008-08-06T17:07:00.026+01:00

Aug 1-3 Boston
Boston locals are a strange mix of sports fans and eggheads. Just walking about town, people pass by shouting out 'Go Red Sox!' to complete strangers, and if you sit down in a restaurant or café you'll probably hear the group on the next table talking theoretical mathematics or quantum physics.

Friday: I arrived in Boston from NYC by Greyhound bus and flopped onto my bed at the very nice Royal Sonesta hotel right on the Charles River. I needed to quickly figure out how I was going to get to the Bruce Springsteen concert the next day. The problem was that it was at the Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, about 40 or so miles away from downtown Boston, and there was no means of getting there by public transport. I guess it's a bit like trying to get from London to a concert in Milton Keynes with no car, trains or buses.

When I bought the ticket I knew that the stadium had a station next to it for 'event trains' i.e. there was a train service for events at Gillette Stadium. As I was to find out, with no help from the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority), the event train was not being provided for this concert!! Nightmare! Everyone going would have to travel by car - 50,000+ people is probably 20,000 cars, and at $40 to park the Stadium's going to make a hell of a lot of money!

I was stressed out. The nearest train and bus services were miles away and not running after the show's end. I was quoted $120+ each way for a taxi (if I could get one) and around $170 an hour for a 'car service'. I guess if I'd had my driving license with me I could have hired a car and paid the parking, but it wasn't an option. So, I decided to see if I could get a ride with a fellow fan who was going to be driving there from Boston. I posted my request to a Springsteen message board and crossed my fingers. At this stage I was seriously considering just eating my ticket and not attempting to get to Foxboro at all. Thankfully someone came through with an offer of a lift (thanks Howie!) and I could relax and enjoy my evening.

Saturday: Having previously arranged my transport for the night, I was able to take an interesting 90 minute boat trip up the Charles River that focused on its locks and bridges. It's always great to watch a bridge open, especially ones like this giant monster or the swing bridges around Manhattan. The rusting metal, the weight, the giant gears grinding. It seemed to me like a kind of Victorian steampunk.

Now on to the evening's entertainment. The striking open-ended design of Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, is weird but very pleasing on the eye. As we arrived the heavens opened. Torrential rain fell and lightning bolts crashed down all around us. Whoa! Everyone was cleared from the pitch as the tropical storm passed overhead. I was thinking about the next day's headline - '50,000 fans fried in stadium strike!'. Fortunately the severe weather soon died down and the concert could go ahead, albeit an hour late. Another curfew busting post midnight finish was on the cards.

At 9:20pm Bruce and the band started to race through another marathon set that was to include a sign requested Little Latin Lupe Lu, a passionate Tunnel of Love, the inevitable Who'll Stop The Rain and a very rare appearance of that almost forgotten Born In the USA single I'm Goin' Down. It was great fun.

By all accounts it was a good show. I enjoyed it, but this time, standing to the side of the stage rather than in front of it, watching the screens and the crowd, I found myself a little detached from the performance. Sadly, I've not got any great video or pictures of the event - just this crap phone photo looking towards the back of the stadium during Glory Days...

Setlist (courtesy of Backstreets): Summertime Blues/Tenth Avenue Freeze-out/Radio Nowhere/Lonesome Day/The Promised Land/Spirit in the Night/Tunnel of Love/Little Latin Lupe Lu/Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?/Hungry Heart/Who'll Stop the Rain/Youngstown/Murder Incorporated/She's the One/Livin' in the Future/Mary's Place/The Rising/Last to Die/Long Walk Home/Badlands. Encore: I'm Goin' Down/Jungleland/Born to Run/Glory Days/Dancing in the Dark/American Land/Rosalita (Come Out Tonight).
Boston Globe Review

Sunday: My last day of this short trip. I was up early to catch a Whale Watch boat from the harbour - more of which in a later post.

Then, after one of the best plates of Cod and Chips ever, it was just a case of heading for Logan airport and my flight home via Newark. Of course it wasn't that simple, another thunderstorm hit the east coast and that meant I couldn't meet my connecting overnight flight back to Gatwick. Nightmare! So, powerless, I reserved a spot on a flight out the next day and started to look for a hotel room... Then for the second time that weekend someone pulled through for me - a nice lady at Continental managed to squeeze me onto an American Airlines direct flight back to Heathrow; 'grab your bags and run'! Result!

Ain't no cure for the Summertime Bruce

2008-08-03T18:12:00.047+01:00

I'm now shaking off the jet lag from a short jaunt across the pond; just 3 days in New York and then 3 in Boston. My aim was to take a break from the pain of job hunting and rejuvenate myself with a couple of E Street Band concerts. It was a trip that would add more pointers to my insanity. 'Broooce'!

July 29-31 New York/New Jersey
Not the best of months to be a tourist in NYC. The streets of Manhattan were sweltering. Underground it was worse. Down on the sauna-like subway platforms it felt like I was following a trail left by Arne Saknussemm. Welcome relief from the stifling heat was however provided in the cool air conditioned trains.

Tuesday: After arriving and installing myself in a nice cheap-ish hotel on the upper east side, I headed out across Central Park, past frisbee catching dogs and the humans and turtles alike sunbathing down at the lake.

I'd come to New York to see Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band play but I'd not got a ticket. Doh! So, moving around town I was stopping off at Star*ucks watering holes and using their Wi-Fi hotspots to try and score a ticket via the net. No joy! There were hundreds of tickets available online, but only at vastly over inflated prices from arseholes on eB*y and Stubh*b. W@nkers!

Wednesday: Frustrated, I decided to relax a little, just slip back into tourist mode and enjoy the city. I took the subway down to Brooklyn Heights and made what's now become my traditional walk back over Brooklyn Bridge. My usual DVD, CD buying frenzy then took over before I sat back with a 'small' soda the size of a dustbin, and enjoyed the fun and stunning visual beauty of Hellboy II: The Golden Army.

Thursday: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band were going to be playing a third night @ Giants Stadium, on their New Jersey home turf. The concert was sold out and I had no ticket... My best hope was to try the drop line at the stadium and see if there might be a return. I arrived at 10am and became the 7th person in the queue. I was in for a long long wait out in the 90 degree heat with no guarantee of getting into the show.

By late afternoon the queue had grown to several hundred people, all hoping that they might get lucky and be part off the 55,000 capacity audience. The sun blazed down, and shade was at a premium. Sunburn and heat exhaustion were becoming a problem. As I stood there on the concrete by the stadium fence, fans with tickets were arriving in their thousands, setting up tailgating parties in the vast parking lot. They had music blaring out and were enjoying their barbecues and cold beer. I was wilting. Water, beer everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

Event staff numerically wristbanded us in queue order and we were told that chances of getting a ticket were not good, and if any were available they would not be given out until just before the show start at around 8pm. So what's a few more hours to wait eh? In for a penny in for a pound. As it turned out the show start was delayed to around 9:30pm due to a major traffic incident involving a propane gas container, and this meant that the ticket office didn't start releasing tickets until around 9pm! All my fingers and toes were crossed.

Fortunately, I ended up with a great seat on the floor. I was in line with the back of the General Admission standing area ('The Pit') where I could see Jesse Malin and 3 of the Seeger Sessions Band 10 yards to my right, packed in like sardines. The lights dimmed. A colliape played The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze as the E Street Band took to the stage, and then Max Weinberg started hitting the drums...

Summertime Blues - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
31st July 2008, Giants Stadium, Meadowlands, New Jersey
It was of course a fantastic show - a Jersey special. At 30 songs, 3 and a quarter hours long, it finished at around 12:45am and tested the physical endurance of the crowd. After queuing in the hot sun for over 10 hours I was absolutely knackered. I must have been nuts. My feet were aching and I was fit to drop just 12 songs in, but Broooce and the energy of the crowd kept me going until the end. I've now seen 3 shows at Giants and each time the atmosphere in the old stadium has been tremendous. Song highlights for me included Blinded By The Light, a sweet Pretty Flamingo, Incident On 57th Street prompted by a sign requesting it 'For Your Old Bald Fans', and the ever powerful Because The Night which had Nils Lofgren embellishing his stunning spinning guitar solo with a John Otway-like forward roll!

Setlist (courtesy of Backstreets): Summertime Blues/Tenth Avenue Freeze-out/Radio Nowhere/Prove It All Night/Two Hearts/The Promised Land/Spirit in the Night/Light of Day/Brilliant Disguise/Pretty Flamingo/Blinded by the Light/Cadillac Ranch/Candy's Room/Night/Because the Night/She's the One/Livin' in the Future/Mary's Place/Incident on 57th Street/The Rising/Last to Die/Long Walk Home/Badlands. Encore: Jungleland/Born to Run/Bobby Jean/Dancing in the Dark/American Land/Jersey Girl/Rosalita (Come Out Tonight). Star-Ledger review.

Shagged, I got back to my hotel at 3am, took a cold shower to cool down and then crashed out, grabbing a welcome few hours of sleep before getting the bus to 'Bosstown' on Friday morning...

Welcome to the Selva

2008-07-24T06:51:00.015+01:00

It has taken me some time. It's been over three years now since my holiday in Peru but I've still not got around to completing the editing of my camcorder footage. For some reason, other than my condor moment, I can't seem to face up to the job. The horror, the horror...

So there I was, in the Peruvian edge of the Amazon basin, a place of great natural beauty. Three days in the marvellous Tambopata reserve, walking jungle trails and exploring Sandoval Lake by boat. Colourful birds were flying across the rainforest canopy, monkeys were searching for food in the trees and piranha were swimming close to the surface of the water. In the distance you could hear the sound of Giant Otters, squealing like children playing ...

After a 10 days of travelling across the Andes visiting Incan sites and Peruvian cities, great though that was, I was really looking forward to this short rainforest stay making an exciting end to my trip. Well it was certainly an experience. Unfortunately, a couple of days before arriving in Tambopata, despite being extremely cautious about what I was eating and drinking, I picked up a stomach bug in Cusco. It was something that no amount of Imodium could deal with! I won't go into the awful details but I was feeling pretty queasy and anxious on our flight from Cusco to Puerto Maldonado, the boat ride to Tambopata and then the long hot muddy hike to our jungle lodge. Thankfully I made it without any er.. mishaps. However, looking out over the serene Sandoval Lake, its water calm and motionless, the bottom fell out of my world! ¿Donde está el baño?

Ugh. Perhaps I should move this story on before it becomes too bogged down with my tales of the toilet. I'm not at all religious but I did find myself praying that the lodge wouldn't run out of loo paper. Oh dear, I was feeling drained, and I couldn't spend too much time away from my room. As a result I couldn't enjoy the planned nature walks and boat trips as much as I should have.

So anyway, enough of my troubles, here's the video I've cobbled together of some of the lovely sights and sounds of Tambopata. Sadly, due to my dance with the devil, I wasn't able to shoot much or take and any good pictures. It's a memento that only tells half of the story...

April 2005, Lago Sandoval, Tambopata Reserve, Peru
I should have been on the boat that goes past towards the end. My travelling companions were setting off to look for the Giant Otters, leaving me and my turbulent tummy behind. In those three days I think I just managed to eat about 6 tasteless biscuits and a handful of rice. I was a weak as a kitten and dreading the long flight home to London. Amazingly though, as if by magic, my life was saved in the food court of Lima airport. Starving, I could have gone for a little roast Guinea Pig, but no I chose a McDonalds! Just 10 minutes after eating a Cheeseburger and fries I was feeling much better. Thank you God!

Having the trots towards the end of my time in Peru did taint my holiday experience a bit, but it was still a great trip, and besides I managed to lose half a stone which was a bonus. Recommended for nature lovers and weight watchers alike.

My dream of perfect beauty

2008-07-10T11:15:00.010+01:00

'Mirrors should reflect a little before throwing back images'
- Jean Cocteau

It's a quote that I often say to myself after waking up in the morning and taking a look in the bathroom mirror. Uggh, not a pretty sight. I can't help the fact that, as a child, I fell out of the ugly tree and hit several branches on the way down. Beauty is supposedly perceived in the eye of the beholder - when I look in the mirror all I can see is someone who looks like Rondo Hatton.

Perhaps though I can be helped? Trinny and Susannah could give me a style makeover, and Gok Wan could make me look good naked! I could get my eyelids lifted or have a botox injection. A little touch up and a little paint and I could be a thing of beauty, a joy forever. Albeit a fake one.

Bill Nelson - When Your Dream Of Perfect Beauty Comes True
Being a fan of Bill Nelson's music I stumbled upon the above unofficially made video. I've no idea where the original film is from but the chosen instrumental track fits it well. When Your Dream Of Perfect Beauty Comes True is from Bill's excellent 1982 album The Love That Whirls (Diary Of A Thinking Heart) - my joint favourite album of all time.

Born On The 4th Of July

2008-07-04T23:56:00.011+01:00

From tonight's show in Gothenburg, here's the show opener: Performed for the first time on the Magic tour, a stadium-shaking Born In The USA

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Ullevi Stadion, Göteborg, July 4th 2008
Damn, wish I'd been in Sweden today rather than pacing up and down here waiting to hear the result of a job interview. Still waiting {Sigh}.

Happy Independence Day to everyone in the States.

Careful... this plate is really hot

2008-06-28T10:28:00.009+01:00

Coming soon, the makers of the outrageous Pervert! will be delivering their latest payload...
Sex Galaxy - the world's first ever Green movie.

Film Threat Review - Prepare for blast off!

The best part of breaking up...

2008-06-27T12:04:00.016+01:00

Are you looking a bit tired and drawn in the mirror lately? Is your hair falling out faster than normal? Are you wondering where that strange smell is coming from? Not seen any friends or neighbours for a few weeks?

I can feel your pain. Just don't start to worry unless you're finding yourself strangely attracted to your postman and have the desire to eat his insides and suck on his delicious brain.

Ever thought about having eye laser surgery but are too worried about what might go wrong? What happens if you squeal and move about when your eyelid is clamped tightly back and the burning starts?

Ever, like Gary Numan, been 'in a car crash, or was it the war?' and have 'never been quite the same'?

Ever watched countless horror movies and felt like being your own Dick Smith, Tom Savini or KNB?

Ever fancied being a Fangoria centerfold?
('My blood runs cold')

Try this Zombie Makeover.

Dem Bones

2008-06-18T14:21:00.022+01:00

Yesterday evening I was walking along the South Bank of the Thames enjoying the sunshine, when all of a sudden I came across a crowd near Gabriel's Wharf surrounding a burnt out car and a Fire Engine. Several police officers and white suited forensic types with face masks were standing behind the cordoned off area. What was going on? What were all those big lights doing there? And film cameras?

Ah! Wait a minute... It was David Boreanaz, Emily Deschanel and crew, shooting a scene for a UK based episode of the American TV crime series Bones.

I shall look forward to seeing it screened next year with the subtitle, 'London, England' and I'll be counting how many times a red bus is shown driving past :-)

Wales, we'll be back

2008-06-18T11:05:00.009+01:00

Saturday 14th June, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.
"Helo Cymru". It was the first time Bruce Springsteen had ever played a show in Wales, and acknowledging this he opened with the rarely played rocker From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come), a song he'd donated to Welshman Dave Edmunds way back in 1981. Not a bad start to another magnificent, energetic, emotional stadium performance.

The wristbands allowing access to the front 'pit' standing area were given out early at around 1pm which meant I could have a nice relaxed afternoon down at Mermaid Quay, drinking a cold cider in the hot sun, and filling myself up with a Harry Ramsden's take out. At 6:30pm, feeling refreshed after a quick snooze back at my hotel, I entered the concert venue and took up a good position a few yards back from the stage barrier. I've got to say that the Millennium Stadium is great, much nicer than the soulless new Wembley, it's nice and compact with the stands hugging the pitch - if you are going to see a stadium show in the UK then this is the place to go.

With the vintage of the E Street Band, the no doubt exhausting touring schedule and potential health issues related to their age as a backdrop, there was a point during Clarence Clemons' long and marvellous Jungleland sax solo when my eyes welled up. I was realising that this might be the last time I'd see it performed live. The atmosphere in Cardiff seemed highly charged at that point.

All good things must come to an end I guess, but who knows?, maybe not! As the show finished, for the first time on this tour Bruce said 'We'll be back', more specifically 'Wales, we'll be back'. I hope so, it's a trip worth repeating.

Setlist: From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)/Tenth Avenue Freeze-out/Radio Nowhere/No Surrender/Lonesome Day/The Promised Land/Blinded By the Light/Magic/Atlantic City/The River/Gypsy Biker/Darlington County/Because the Night/She's the One/Livin' in the Future/Mary's Place/Working on the Highway/Devil's Arcade/The Rising/Last to Die/Long Walk Home/Badlands
Encore: Jungleland/Thunder Road/Born to Run/Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)/American Land

Western Mail Review

Maybe It's The Future

2008-06-16T15:19:00.005+01:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, set the dials on your time machine for November 1st 2008 - Nelsonica 08.

Before then, out now - two new instrumental albums have just materialised; Silvertone Fountains and Illuminated At Dusk are available at Bill Nelson's Online store

www.billnelson.com

Blood In The Water

2008-06-05T21:05:00.012+01:00

I've just been contacted by someone via last.fm telling me that a band called Pivot will be joining YMO on Sunday 15th June at the Meltdown Festival, South Bank Centre, London.

Scratching my head, I was thinking 'who?', so I decided to investigate a little...

Check out this brilliantly freaky video - it's great and Pivot sound pretty good too! It should be a good night.

Pivot - In The Blood

For more info about Pivot goto pivotpivot.net

Emirates House Party

2008-06-01T00:41:00.022+01:00

Bruce Springsteen And The E Street Band. Friday 30th and Saturday 31st of May 2008, Emirates Stadium, London. Arse**l's new home hosted its first set of concerts, much to the annoyance of the local residents. With lots of talk about a worried Islington council enforcing noise and curfew restrictions, I was a bit concerned that Bruce would be reduced to performing a short acoustic set!

I shouldn't have worried. Friday night was an immense rock 'n' roll experience - "Nobody's played here before? We gotta test that structure tonight!". An incredible selection of 28 songs, opening with a storming Tenth Avenue Freeze-out and including an intense 'Darkness' 3 pack of Candy's Room, Prove It All Night and Because The Night with Nils Lofgren spinning like a top on his closing blistering guitar solo. After which, without pause, Bruce swung into a series of uplifting singalong crowd pleasers, and then finally quietening things down with a rare and reflective Point Blank before building up again through tales of redemption to a barnstorming encore.

Setlist: Tenth Avenue Freeze-out/Radio Nowhere/The Ties That Bind/Lonesome Day/The Promised Land/Magic/Atlantic City/Reason to Believe/Candy's Room/Prove it all Night/Because the Night/Working on the Highway/Cadillac Ranch/Livin' in the Future/Mary's Place/Waitin' on a Sunny Day/Point Blank/Devil's Arcade/The Rising/Last to Die/Long Walk Home/Badlands
Encore: Thunder Road/Born to Run/Glory Days/Rosalita/Dancing in the Dark/American Land

Observer Review Guardian Review

Phew! Saturday night. Could Bruce and the band match or top the show from the night before? No, not quite, but it was great nonetheless. The strict 10:30pm curfew meant a few less songs, however there were 12 different choices from what was played on Friday. Old classics like Sandy and Growin' Up resurfaced, and Downbound Train and I'm On Fire made their tour debuts.

Mary's Place (end clip)
Changes to the set on the fly, whilst good, affected the flow of the show a bit and at times it came across a bit disjointed compared to Friday. But hey, a total of 40 different songs over the two nights is pretty incredible. For me, Saturday's highlights were the performances of the Born To Run heavyweights, Backstreets and Jungleland, holding the stadium audience in awe.

Girls In Their Summer Clothes (end clip)
Setlist: Out in the Street/No Surrender/Darkness on the Edge of Town/Gypsy Biker/Radio Nowhere/4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)/Growin' Up/Downbound Train/I'm on Fire/Because the Night/She's the One/Livin' in the Future/Mary's Place/The Promised Land/Backstreets/The Rising/Last to Die/Long Walk Home/Badlands
Encore: Girls in Their Summer Clothes/Jungleland/Born to Run/Tenth Avenue Freeze-out/American Land

Next stop for the E Street juggernaut, Cardiff Millennium Stadium in two weeks time. Looking forward to it already :-)

Dublin, Springsteen and St Kevin, sláinte

2008-05-27T18:23:00.036+01:00

Another fine weekend away. On Saturday I flew over to a sunny but breezy Dublin, escaping the rain back home.

I arrived in the city centre at midday and trolled around the Temple Bar area, looking for a quiet place for a refreshing drink. The pub bouncers were already in place, flexing their chests as the first of the hen and stag party groups were beginning to swarm. I decided to head for somewhere quieter, found a place near my hotel, and sank a Guinness. That's unusual for me - normally a drop of the black stuff makes me go 'Yeeuugh!' and I have to have something else instead. But when in Ireland, I guess... I've got nothing against Guinness in principle; the occasional bottle fortified my old gran through her old age, but I've seen the effect of too much on others and it ain't a pretty sight!

Everything in moderation is the key, like not going to all three of the Springsteen concerts in Dublin that were kicking off the 2008 European stadium tour! By arriving on Saturday I purposely skipped the first two shows on Thursday and Friday, building up my anticipation for the third on Sunday - more than likely the 'Last Dance' the E Street Band will play in the City.

So, what can I say about the show on Sunday night? EPIC.

An amazing set of 26 songs, a joyously lubricated crowd and a staggering performance by Bruce and the band that left everyone physically and emotionally exhausted. I'm beginning to think that the 58 year old guy could, as rumored, actually be super-human.
Setlist (courtesy of Backstreets):
No Surrender/Radio Nowhere/The Ties That Bind/Spirit in the Night/Gypsy Biker/Atlantic City/Reason to Believe/4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)/Growin' Up/Because the Night/She's the One/Livin' in the Future/Mary's Place/The Promised Land/Racing in the Street/The Rising/Last to Die/Long Walk Home/Badlands
Encore: Tenth Avenue Freeze-out/Born to Run/Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)/Dancing in the Dark/American Land/Ramrod/Glory Days

Screen Photo by 'roidrage'

I awoke early on Monday, feeling shattered, my back, arms and legs aching from the night before. Thankfully I was going to spend the day being driven around on a tour of Wicklow. It was another day of good weather. The Wicklow hills looked beautiful in the bright sunshine.

After briefly having to stop off at a Woollen Mill souvenir shop, designed to 'fleece' American tourists, our bus headed to Glendalough ('The valley of two lakes'), the magical setting of a monastic site founded by St Kevin in the 6th century.

Despite the presence of daytrippers, Glendalough is an amazingly peaceful place. I found the mixture of Celtic pagan and Christian religious symbolism around its ancient cathedral and cemetery to be very interesting.

Is it just me, or was there some kind of subversive, subconscious, sexual message being given out by the monks that once lived there?

'GO FOLK YOURSELF' London

2008-05-16T02:59:00.017+01:00

Last night, May 15th - live from the University of London Union, supporting Jesse Malin, let's hear it for the stripped down acoustic Marah sound of Dave Bielanko and Christine Smith...

Can't Take It With You

Round Eye Blues
After the short Marah set, Christine did a quick 'costume change' offstage and then reappeared to accompany Jesse for the main event. A great show - even the big lug security guy at the side of the stage was getting into it and clapping along.

Jesse played a lot of his crowd pleasing favourites like Brooklyn, Solitaire, Wendy and Broken Radio, and he also performed some choice covers - including Harry Nilsson's Everybody's Talkin', Neil Young's Helpless and Lou Reed's Walk On The Wild Side (with Dave B joining in on acoustic). Oh and yes, I almost forgot, there was a cracking version of the Lords of the New Church's Russian Roulette with special guest Brian James (The Damned, LOTNC) on guitar! A really enjoyable night.

Update: I wasn't going to post this video as I accidently set the resolution so low that Jesse ended up being the size of an ant (stay away from alcohol kids)! But hold steady, it's not too bad...

You Can Make Him Like You (The Hold Steady)

p.s. Thanks to Dave for reducing the T-shirts to a fiver - very handy for some additional warmth whilst walking home at a chilly 1AM (now that the week of British Summer is over).

marah-usa.com
jessemalin.com

Dover Soul

2008-05-11T13:07:00.015+01:00

"I've got many rivers to cross
But I can't seem to find my way over
Wandering I am lost
As I travel along the white cliffs of Dover"

I'm sure that Jimmy Cliff was singing about being lost emotionally and spiritually rather than being physically lost walking along the Saxon Way north of Dover harbour. Land to the left, English Channel to the right - it's easy!

Taking advantage of the current sunshine, I drove down through Kent to visit Dover, a place where I've only been previously to catch a Ferry to France or Belgium. On Friday, whilst people were relaxing on the town's pebbly beach, I was busy exploring Dover Castle and its 'Secret' war time tunnels. And yesterday I took in some fresh air, walking along the lovely National Trust managed coastline. Beautiful weather, nice views, plenty of invigorating exercise - all good for the body, mind and soul.

Moon Aged Daydream

2008-05-08T16:36:00.009+01:00

As a young kid my bedroom wallpaper used to have colourful drawings of Astronauts, Spaceships and Space Stations on it. Back then I thought that this would be an exciting future that I could participate in. Sadly, the progress of manned space exploration hasn't been as fast as most people had hoped. The last time man was on the Moon was in December 1972! Over 35 years ago!!! We should be holidaying on Mars already!

This lunchtime on BBC News24 there was a report about the European Space Agency inviting applications for Astronaut jobs. Being unemployed right now, my mind went ping - this could be a dream come true... OK let's see, they require people aged 27 to 37 with science degrees. Doh! I'm too old. And too thick!

Feeling slightly useless in that I'd never be able to live out my Buck Rogers fantasy, I was soon cheered up by reading in The Register that there could be another way to get myself into space. Sort of. NASA are currently inviting people to enroll their names onto a chip that will be embedded in the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), the first mission in NASA's planned return to the moon. 'LRO will launch in late 2008 with the objectives to finding safe landing sites, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment and test new technology.' Cool, I'll be on it! 5-4-3-2-1 ...

NASA LRO webpage

Avenger Assemble !!!

2008-05-03T09:50:00.011+01:00

Growing up as an avid Marvel comics reader (and member of FOOM) I'd never have thought that there would ever be an Iron Man movie. Why so? Well, the movie-making computer and camera technology required to make a man fly about in an Iron rocket suit just didn't exist, and let's face it Iron Man/Tony Stark was kinda boring compared to Captain America, Thor, Spidey, Hawkeye and the Hulk.

So what of the new movie? I Loved it. Director Jon Favreau and his team of writers and technicians have done a wonderful job distilling decades of Iron Man comic history into a sharp two hour origin story. It's got to be the ultimate 'Boys Toys' movie: Fast Cars, Humvees, Tanks, Fighter Jets, Missiles, astonishing computer gadgets and a rocket powered flying suit (or three)! The sort of stuff that would give Jeremy Clarkson wet dreams.

The cast is well chosen. Robert Downey Jr is perfect as Tony Stark, the heavy drinking, womanising, playboy genius weapons inventor who gains a conscience. And he's ably supported by Gwyneth Paltrow as his smart PA, 'Pepper' Potts. Strong acting aside, the film wouldn't have worked without a good realisation of the title character. The technical design of the evolving Iron Man suits is well thought out. Favreau and his writers skillfully weave a mix of science and science fiction to make the impossible believable.

To sum up, the film is 90% great; If I'm being picky I say it could have done with a better villain (e.g. The Mandarin) and it tails off a bit towards the end with the 'I've got a bigger suit and a deeper voice than you' battle. But forget these minor weaknesses - Iron Man is very good blockbusting entertainment, and I suspect the inevitable sequel will be very good Hulkbusting entertainment! Oh, and yes, this Marvel movie has the best Stan Lee cameo yet! 'Make Mine Marvel'.

p.s. For Avengers geeks: Don't, like I did, leave until after the end credits. Doh!

Get fit for YMO

2008-04-25T15:38:00.010+01:00

YMO will be making a rare appearance in London on June 15th as part of this year's Meltdown festival.

I'm guessing that we'll see the more relaxed, chilled out 'Human Audio Sponge' incarnation of (L to R) Haruomi Hosono, Yukihiro Takahashi and Ryuichi Sakamoto's Yellow Magic. But, who knows? I'd better start working out just in case...

YMO - Taiso (1982)

R.I.P. Phantom Dan

2008-04-18T22:42:00.007+01:00

January 23, 1950 - April 17th, 2008
The Danny Federici Melanoma Fund
I was saddened to learn today of Danny Federici's passing due to skin cancer. This evening I've been playing my favourite Springsteen album, The River, consciously feeling Danny play every swirl of Organ and Glockenspiel chime - an integral part of that wonderful E Street sound.

I guess I must have seen him perform over 40 times with the E Street Band, and each time was a joy. Cheers Dan.

His last appearance was on March 20th, 2008:

Danny returns to the stage to rave reviews.

Indianapolis, Indiana

by Jason Federici

While my Dad was going through treatment on March 19th in NY, he was visited by Bruce and later Max, who, through a lot of talking, bribing, and begging (and finally the kicker -- Becky Weinburg, who came from NJ by boat that night) to persuade him to play, he agreed to do the show in Indy. The next thing we knew, we where picked up by a limo from Sloan-Kettering, joined by my dad's wife, Maya, Dr. Chapman and Virgina Murphy and we proceeded down FDR highway to an awaiting helicopter that whisked us away to Newark airport in about 8 minutes (a good time by all, except maybe Dr. Chapman who was gripping the arm rests like a baseball bat). Before we knew it, we were in the jet with the boys. Danny was greeted with a lot of hugs and smiles, to say the least. An hour and a half later, we pulled into Conseco arena. When my father stepped on stage the crowd started chanting "Danny! Danny! Danny!". You could physically feel the "Magic" in the air (excuse the pun). My father proceeded to do what he does best - rock out! He played with such a natural ease. The feeling of the evening was electric. The visible bond between the fellas was so special to watch. Nils spent most of the night next to him, Clarence kept turning around to give him props during the night, and Bruce was so visibly happy to have him there. I couldn't stop smiling all night. After the exciting encore, he left the stage, went straight to the car, then to the plane, and was fast asleep in NY by 2am. It really was like a dream. In the morning, over coffee, we looked at each other and realized the magnitude of the night. It was a great day! My father has always been such an inspiration to me, I can only imagine what an inspiration he is to others.

Sandy (4th July Asbury Park) - March 20th 2008, Indianapolis

Photo: Guy Aceto/Backstreets

Rage Against The Joad

2008-04-15T12:40:00.006+01:00

I've always had a love/hate relationship with Bruce Springsteen's Ghost Of Tom Joad album; There are some great songs on it, but musically it's so stark and bare that it's hard to listen to and, quite frankly, depressing.

I remember being quite surprised when I heard that Tom Morello's Rage Against The Machine had covered the title track. I can't say that I really enjoyed their version, to me it seemed too noisy and lacking in subtlety, but the fact that RATM had done it was interesting - and, as it's turned out, it has proven to be an old desert signpost to what happened when Springsteen's Magic Tour stopped off in Calfornia last week. For two nights in Anaheim, Tom Morello joined Bruce on stage for a gob smacking new take on the song. The guitar solo by Morello at the end is just mind-blowing...

The Ghost Of Tom Joad
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band with Tom Morello
April 8th 2008, Anaheim, California

It's always nice to see a guest or two singalong with Bruce. Last night in Houston Alejandro Escovedo sang his new song Always a Friend and then fellow Texan Joe Ely joined in the fun with one of his oldies, All Just to Get to You.

See Backstreets.com or brucespringsteen.net for more info.
Alejandro Escovedo - Always a Friend (Quicktime Video 30MB)

Нежный вампир

2008-04-13T15:32:00.004+01:00

Time for some very obscure Bill Nelson... From 1996, here's the video he made for a spooky song called Tender Vampire by Russian band Nautilus Pompilius.

Bill acted as producer and played most of the instruments on the album from which Tender Vampire came. As far as I know it was never released outside of Russia, so hearing this song now is a nice treat for a Nelson completist/anorak like myself.

www.billnelson.com

Calling All Geeks

2008-04-08T14:59:00.005+01:00

The Sci-Fi-London Festival is back in town soon, running from April 30th to May the 4th (be with you). Of course it's not just for geeks. Nerds can go too. Oh, c'mon admit it, everyone has a bit of geeky nerd in them.

As always there's some interesting stuff going on - including the bizarre looking Dai-Nipponjin and Your Friendly Neighborhood Hero!

What The Frak...

2008-04-04T11:48:00.003+01:00

...is going on with US TV? Lost is back in dribs and drabs, Jericho has been cancelled (again) and 24 is in limbo. Yeah, I know there was the writers strike but geez! It's been a year since the last cliffhanging episode of Battlestar Galactica for fraks sake!

Robot Chicken - "Battlestar Galactica vs. The FCC"
Hold on a second, thank the gods - the new 4th and final season of BSG starts tonight! Supposedly, by the end, the mystery of Earth and who the final Cylon is will be explained and all the dangling plot threads nicely tied together. Is Starbuck a toaster? Will Lee Adama become fat boy again without explanation? Is Baltar Jesus in disguise? Will the Admiral and the President finally get it on?

Exciting eh? Now if only I could remember what the frak happened 'previously on Battlestar Galactica' (Seasons 1-3 recapped in 8 minutes!).

Her Beauty Is Raw & Wild

2008-04-02T10:10:00.005+01:00

Coming soon a new Jonathan Richman album and European Tour!

Jump to Jojoblog for the latest album and tour info.

Passin' Through This Wilderness...

2008-04-01T13:06:00.015+01:00

From Dingwalls in Camden on Monday night, here are a couple of clips of Marah in action. As always (due to a punishing European tour schedule) the band seemed knackered before they'd even started, but after a slow start the show started to cook nicely. The songs that were played from the new Angels Of Destruction! album came over well, especially Can't Take It With You and the storming Wilderness.

Marah - East
As you can see, my little camera's autofocus was struggling a bit with the Dingwalls lighting but the result isn't too bad.

The band really kicked ass towards the end, finishing up with (if I can remember correctly) Point Breeze, Wilderness, The Closer and (that old standard) New York, New York.

Marah - Wilderness
With some cool drunken dancing going on in front of me, I ran out of space on my memory card! - so the funky end jam and Christine Smith's ace keyboard solo finale weren't captured. Doh! Gonna need a bigger card.

www.marah-usa.com
www.myspace.com/marahusa

Reborn again... and again

2008-03-27T15:30:00.010Z

Like a Phoenix from the ashes of their self-destruction, Marah are back in the UK next week. Dave, Serge and Christine (love those boots!) are joined by a new drummer and new bass player, performing gigs in London (Dingwalls, March 31st), Newcastle (Cluny, April 1st) and Nottingham (Rock City Basement, April 2nd).

I'll be going along to the London show, so expect a few of my trademark blurry photos to appear on this blog soon after.

www.marah-usa.com
www.myspace.com/marahusa

When The Machines Rock

2008-03-16T13:41:00.028Z

Last night I went to the IndigO2, London to see Gary Numan on his nostalgic 'Replicas 2008 tour'. Replicas by Tubeway Army, released 1979, was one of my favourite albums at the time and still is exciting to listen to. So it was a treat for me to see Gary run through the whole album, b-sides and all of the other tracks recorded during the album sessions.

Pre-show the Slug & Lettuce bar in the dome was full of fans, lots of black; black hair, black fingernails, black eye makeup. They were mostly scary looking Gothic Gary types, although I did see one old numanoid looking a bit tubby in a tight black 'Telekon' Jacket (with those neat red stripes). Well done that man.

The venue and sound were very good, with a tight band performance and a nice clear vocal from Mr N.

I have to say I'm not a fan of the metal crunchy heavy guitar sound of recent years, and at times I felt it spoilt a few of the songs, especially 'Down In The Park' which could have had a subtler arrangement. A minor quibble. It was a great gig.

Three decades on, the sci-fi dystopian world of Replicas came alive in Greenwich last night. The highlights for me were We Have A Technical, The Machman, It Must Have Been Years, You are In My Vision and We Are So Fragile.

The show was filmed for a future DVD release. Here's hoping that one day there will be a 'Pleasure Principal' tour. NuWorld

Blue Cross Boss

2008-03-07T17:40:00.016Z

Last night, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band @ the Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY.

As if by magic, my phone camera captures appropriate blur and colour! A great evening; A top notch set of songs that included Night, Jackson Cage, Loose Ends and the unexpected return of Rosalita (which induced mass hysteria in an already excited crowd).
My thanks to 'Torino 88' for the ticket, the fun folk in the pit and those I met in the bar afterwards. Have fun in Buffalo guys!

Sadly I now have to make the long trip home to Blighty, snowstorm permitting!

Full concert review, photos and setlist over @ backstreets

Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) - video by sharpend69

Baby it's cold outside

2008-03-06T02:29:00.001Z

Wednesday night in Rochester, NY. Flying in this afternoon by a little prop plane was fun. Looking down l could see a host of coloured wooden houses standing out against a lovely white blanket of snow. Then the turbulence hit and we wobbled down to land on an icy looking runway. Scary stuff!!!

It's freezing here. I'm sure there are some nice areas nearby, but Downtown is pretty deserted and grim, so I'm getting an early night. My hotel seems to be catering for a convention of teenage Christian do-gooders - they are all smiling all the time, it's very creepy... Thursday, weather permitting, I hope to take a walk along the Genesee River before meeting up with my Italian contact who, fingers crossed, will have a spare Springsteen ticket for me. Hmmm, I'd better cross my toes as well...

[Ooo, I've just noticed that this is my 500th post on this blog! To celebrate this milestone of insignificance I will giveaway a free, brand new, Helen Love CD to the first person who can tell me 1) the total number of Springsteen shows I will have seen (ever) by time I leave Rochester on Friday, and 2) the name of the first album I bought by Bill Nelson]

Springtime In New York (almost)

2008-03-05T14:08:00.006Z

As I prepare to catch a plane upstate to Rochester I've just got time to type up a few notes on my last few days in the 'Big Apple'...

Let's see, I've been walking about a lot, bought too many DVDs and eaten way too much pulled pork (pigged out?). I spent a long day at the excellent American Museum of Natural History and Rose Center for Earth and Space. Fantastic Dinosaurs and courageous Astronauts sourcing the dreams of boys of all ages. Sitting under the giant dome of the Hayden Planetarium I felt small and insignificant. Robert Redford's voice boomed down from the heavens telling me that 'Cosmic Collisions are a good thing', whether they be at the sub-atomic or galactic scale. Our galaxy (the Milky Way) is apparently heading for a smash up with Andromeda that will last for billions of years! News at eleven.

What else have I been up to? I caught a couple of movies; Michel Gondry's heart-warming and funny 'Be Kind Rewind', and George A. Romero's disappointing 'Diary of the Dead'. Well, bits of DotD were pretty good but it was mostly ho-hum, with some poor cast performances compared with those in George's previous 'Dead' films. The acid-brain Zombie was cool though.

Finally... last night I saw Jonathan Richman performing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. A sold out venue, a good atmosphere and great sound. Tommy Larkins providing accompaniment on the drums. It had been a mild day in the city, around 55-60F, and I'd noticed that, weirdly, there was still the odd pile of snow hanging around from last week... so it was neat when Jojo made the same observation in an extended version of 'Springtime In New York', a song that unsurprisingly went down well with the locals. Jonathan was more relaxed than I've ever seen him before and it looked like he was really enjoying the show. Bizarrely though, after a fun set, he left everyone with a slow, moving song about his mother dying in a care home! Jaws could be heard dropping throughout the hall... When he'd finished the last note Jonathan told us that this tale should'nt be thought of as something sad but rather as a beautiful thing. If only we could all view the world through Jojo's eyes.
More @ jojoblog

Heaven is a place on Earth

2008-03-02T14:41:00.012Z

Whadd'ya gonna do? I had a fun day yesterday that took in trips to heaven on Earth, and a New Jersey strip joint. Maybe they are the same place?

Let me start with the Garden State, the place where New York City dumps its rubbish, the home of the Statue of Liberty, Francis Albert Sinatra, Broooce and Tony, Carmela, Silvio, Chrissi and Paulie Walnuts! Yes, as you might have guessed, I went on The Sopranos tour!

At the start, on boarding our coach in midtown Manhattan, we were told that we could meet someone from the series just 2 cars back down the street...

Sure enough there was Vito Spatafore (actor Joe Gannascoli) selling autographed photos and t-shirts out of the trunk of his car - it was cool to see him and kind of appropriate that he was flogging dodgy looking gear.

The tour proper lasted 4 hours, driving around industrial north New Jersey, checking out some of the locations featured the series. The guide, who had been an extra/stand-in in 13 episodes, was very good and kept everyone entertained with filming anecdotes and Sopranos trivia. Did you know that over the 6 seasons of the show that 66 people and 6 animals had been whacked?!

After visiting Holsten's, the diner in which the last scene of the last episode was shot, we stopped at the legendary Gentlemen's club the 'Bada Bing' ('Satin Dolls' in real life) to sit at the bar, have a beer and appreciate the skills of a couple of the pole dancers. Sadly, unlike in the series, a State law means that the girls aren't allowed to perform topless in an establishment that sells alcohol! Boo!

So from an afternoon in the swamps of New Jersey to a night of heaven on Earth - XANADU on Broadway! Xanadu, starring Olivia Newton John and an aging Gene Kelly is of course considered to be one of the worst films of all time. ONJ plays a Greek muse who comes down from Mount Olympus to help a young LA dude achieve his ultimate artistic dream by setting up a roller disco and calling it Xanadu! A classy 80's concept. The film quite rightly tanked, but it had a saving grace - a great soundtrack featuring ONJ, ELO and The Tubes.

Xanadu has now been magically reborn as a comedy musical. It plays up the ridiculousness and camp cheesiness of the original fim, adding a couple more ELO songs (Evil Woman and Strange Magic), more glitter balls and legwarmers! The result is great fun, and for a brief few minutes at the end, the audience realises that heaven could really be a roller disco.

'A Chelsea suicide with no apparent motive'

2008-03-01T13:58:00.002Z

I've been going a little stir crazy recently waiting to hear the result of a job interview, so I decided to take a trip. Doing my bit for global warming, I've flown over to New York and l'm now settled in at the infamous Hotel Chelsea. The hotel has an interesting history, Dylan wrote some songs here, Arthur C Clarke wrote '2001' and William Burroughs completed 'Naked Lunch'. Oh, and Sid murdered Nancy. It's an old, shabby looking place, mostly brown corridors, gloomy and pretty depressing - but it has character! So far l'm glad I'm staying here rather than at a boring 'chain' tourist or 'business' hotel. My room is quite large, there's the odd squeal and hiss from the heating system but that's OK. I just need to get used to the sickly yellow painted walls which could edge me into insanity over the next few days.

So what's my plan for today? Hmm, let's see... Brunch followed by a trip to New Jersey to visit 'Da Bing!'.

Bacon Sandwich. Hmmm... Bacon

2008-02-28T11:02:00.015Z

Yeah, Kevin Bacon that is. Why is Kevin Bacon so popular? Well, firstly he's a very good, versatile actor and secondly I think people see in his performances a recognisable 'everyman' that they can associate with and feel empathy for. Last weekend I had the pleasure of sitting down and watching two of his recent films on DVD, the entertaining Death Sentence and the gripping The Woodsman...

Death Sentence (2007). Talented Saw Director James Wan is a busy man, last year he also wrote and directed the fun Ventriloquist Doll/Ghosthouse movie Dead Silence and managed to fit in his production duties on the Saw sequels.

For Death Sentence he has revamped the old Death Wish vigilante story for today's popcorn audience. Kevin Bacon plays Nick Hume, a hard working business and family man. Mr everyman. One night his life is ripped apart when one of his sons is killed by a gang holding up a gas station. Of course the scumbag who pulled the trigger doesn't get the justice that is deserved and a distraught Nick decides to take revenge.

From this point on the violence and threat to his wife and remaining son escalates. Death Sentence is a very violent film, which I don't have a problem with, but maybe the exciting action sequences go a little too far towards the end of the film, becoming cartoonish and unrealistic. Director Wan adds some fun but fairly unsubtle nods to other movies, the most obvious being Taxi Driver, and I'm sure there's a taste of the Blade Runner cat and mouse building chase and a big dose of John Woo in the final scene set in the chapel of an abandoned mental hospital.

Kevin Bacon gives a good performance, such that it blows away Charles Bronson's character in the original Death Wish. There's one unfortunate, overly sentimental, scene though where Nick (head bloodied and heavily bandaged) blubs his feelings to his comatose son (who can't hear him). It made me laugh and I don't think it was meant to. I don't think it was Kevin's acting that was at fault but rather a bad choice by the writer and director. There was no need for it. Sometimes less is more. Despite this brief blip I'd recommend Death Sentence for fans of violent revenge action flicks.

The Woodsman (2004) is a totally different viewing experience. Bacon plays a convicted paedophile, Walter, who is released after 12 years in prison and tries to settle back into society.

Walter moves into an apartment across the street from a school and is tormented by the temptation he sees outside his window. He gets a simple factory job and lives in fear of his past being discovered. He manages to form a relationship with fellow worker Vickie (Kyra Sedgwick) that provides some comfort, but can Walter cope with the shame and stress he feels or will he succumb to his distasteful desires and offend again?

A Detective (Mos Def) who is keeping tabs on him thinks the latter, however Vickie believes that Walter has the strength within to lead a normal life. One day Walter follows a young schoolgirl to local park and starts to talk to her...

Given the subject matter, it must have been hard to get this movie made. It was a brave move by Bacon to take on the role of a child molester, but it pays off. His performance is riveting. Such is the intensity and sensitivity that you feel both sympathy and abhorrence towards his character. The Woodsman is at times uncomfortable to watch. It is a challenging but ultimately rewarding experience.

Lillywhite and Blue (Audere Est Facere II)

2008-02-24T20:38:00.016Z

Carling League Cup Final, Wembley Stadium

Juande Ramos - A sign of things to come

Berbatov cooly takes the penalty, the crowd goes nuts. 1-1. Game on!

Final Score: Chelski 1 - Tottenham Hotspur 2 (AET)
BBC Match Report

City of Immigrants

2008-02-18T12:08:00.005Z

Tonight I'll be going along to see Steve Earle play @ The Roundhouse, Camden, London. What can I say about Steve? One of the greatest songwriters ever. Loved his music from Guitar Town all the way through to his latest album Washington Square Serenade. At times he's had a few bumpy rides, and the odd 'week of living dangerously', but he has always persevered and made it through with a musical (and social) integrity that few can match.

It should be a good show. I wonder if he'll play this old favourite for his 'North End girl'?

Johnny Come Lately (excerpt)

I'm an American, boys, and I've come a long way
I was born and bred in the USA
So listen up close, I've got something to say
Boys, I'm buying this round
Well it took a little while but we're in this fight
And we ain't going home 'til we've done what's right
We're gonna drink Camden Town dry tonight
If I have to spend my last pound

When I first got to London it was pourin' down rain
Met a little girl in the field canteen
Painted her name on the nose of my plane
Six more missions I'm gone
Well I asked if I could stay and she said that I might
Then the warden came around yelling "turn out the lights"
Death rainin' out of the London night
We made love 'til dawn

From the old to the new, here's City Of Immigrants from the excellent Washington Square Serenade...

Steve Earle - City Of Immigrants
(Featuring Brazilian 'neo-folk' band Forro in the Dark)www.steveearle.com

St Valentine's Day Massacre

2008-02-14T11:31:00.010Z

For everyone that's ever fallen in love (with someone they shouldn't have): Playing tonight @ The Forum, Kentish Town - In their original line-up - The Godfathers

The Godfathers - Love Is Dead (1988)
Well, it's not a great promo video, but it reminds me of some great gigs back then and the pop-art style 'Love Is Dead' T-Shirt that I wore to show the world my heartache :-(

Be My Valentine

2008-02-14T11:03:00.007Z

I've been developing a quite friendly relationship with my postman recently. Practically every day he wakes me up by ringing my buzzer and delivering a package. Did I get anything today of all days? Nope. No cards, no presents, no flowers. Not a sausage.

Bruce Springsteen - Valentine's Day (solo piano)
Columbus, Ohio, 31st July 2005 (Bootleg recording)
Courtesy of YouTuber TWallie{sigh} There's always next year.

There's something Phishy going on?

2008-02-09T10:28:00.000Z

I changed my Internet Security software suite this week. I've been using McAfee for a few years, with only a few minor problems, but, to my annoyance, they have recently charged me for a new year's worth of 'protection' without even asking!

So, I decided to jump ship and go with the latest, well reviewed, Kaspersky security software. After several days of struggling to 'train' my new guardian into remembering what to allow to run on my PC, I've found that the last update causes my blog to be considered a Phishing site!! When I try to get to this very page the following popup window appears, accompanied by a ear-splitting Scrreeeching sound!

It looks like all Google Blogger Blogspot sites are currently being seen like this by Kaspersky users all over the world. Bloody hell! I guess the good news is that it's not just me. They'd better fix this soon or I'll be jumping back to McAfee.

Let me apologise on Kaspersky's behalf to anyone getting the above Phishing Attack message when visiting this blog. Grrr.

21st Century Girl

2008-02-07T21:35:00.001Z

Last month on BBC Four there was a pretty depressing series debating the merits of popular music in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's. Which of the these decades had the best music? Discuss! A panel of music industry 'experts' had to decide, based on presentations and arguments put forward to them, the winning decade. Of course the 1970's won with its wide musical scope, ranging from Rock to Disco and from Prog to Punk. Hell, it was an easy win and that was without anyone even having to mention ELO!

So which decade was the least popular? Yes, you've guessed it - the 90's! Britpop, Grunge and the loss of a sense of fun and entertainment. Chris Evans and Shed Seven failed to save the UK music scene.

Now it's 2008 and what have we got to show for it? The Feeling and Scouting For Girls? Good grief! Who can save us from the UK music scene?Cue: the new album from Helen Love!

Helen's world is one of a permanent Saturday nite disco, with punk boys and pop girls dancing to the Ramones and finding love under a glitterball. It was like that 10 years ago and today it's still the same! Some music critics may sneer that she hasn't moved on, but as Helen says It's My Club And I'll Play What I Want. And quite right too. I know what I'm getting when listening to a Helen Love album: timeless pure pop-your-bubblegum fun. A shot in the arm, a sugar fix, and the sunshine of summer days bathing my living room through the speakers. Hey Ho. Let's Go!

The new album features the singles Debbie Loves Joey, It's My Club and Junkshop Discotheque. Another standout track is First Boyfriend - a treat for everyone like me who remembers how cool Kryptonics were! Listen to Staying In and more!

www.helenlove.com

Are You Ready Girls?

2008-02-02T12:36:00.000Z

The Priscillas - All My Friends Are Zombies
February 1st 2008, Dirty Water Club, London

www.thepriscillas.co.uk

Exercise is good for you

2008-01-29T15:26:00.000Z

Just got back from fighting the onset of obesity in the gym of my local Sports Centre. Sweating off the KJoules and getting my blood pumping. Anyway, whilst I was there, pounding away on a treadmill, I saw something out of the corner of my eye that reminded me of this video...

Frank Black - Your Mouth Into Mine
Hear tracks from the new mini LP SVN FNGRS over @ blackfrancis.net
I only started going to the gym in the new year but I can feel the benefit already. I can't see my abs yet but I can feel them in there somewhere! More reps needed. More crunching required.

This fitness lark is quite a battle though, and I'd say it was more of a mental challenge than a physical one. It's not the exercise that's tough, it's what lies waiting outside; Just as you exit the gym you enter a snack area, piled up to the ceiling with scrumptious looking cakes, donuts and chocolate bars and thirst quenching sugar drinks. And then, as you leave the Sports Centre building, you are surrounded by a Thai restaurant, a Steak House, an All-U-Can-Eat Chinese and a pub. They are all very tempting, and the more exercise you take the hungrier you get! So far I've only succumbed to the pub, but I suspect it won't be long until my brave resistance fails completely and I submit to the heavenly smell of cooking beef and pork. Hmmmmm pork.

Time for me to lay down and take a rest.

No Laughing Matter

2008-01-24T16:14:00.000Z

Audere est Facere

2008-01-22T22:30:00.000Z

Yes. Woohoo. Yes. Yes Yes! Yeeeehaahhh! YES YES YES!!!!! WOOOHOOO!!! He he he...
Yes! Oh God YES! Yes Sir! Oh YES!!!!!
Yee-essss! YES! YES! YES!

Who'll ease the sadness?

2008-01-22T15:32:00.000Z

Who's gonna quiet the pain? Broooce that's who!

Another good, fan made (not for profit), Magic Tour bootleg DVD is surfacing as I type. Kudos to everyone involved. Watching it gives me a caffeine-free boost. Here's one of my favourite songs from The River album...

The Ties That Bind - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
28th November 2007, Datchforum, Milano, Italy
(a tailschao Max/Marisa and White Owl production)

Mr Millionaire

2008-01-20T15:08:00.000Z

Well almost. At the moment there have been 995,082 views of the videos I've uploaded to YouTube, and by the end of the day this counter will have ticked over the million mark. Sounds good eh?

Well, let's just put it into perspective - a young teenage girl in mid-west USA could easily get 3,000,000 views by posting a video of herself 'singing' a lousy out of tune cover of a Mariah Carey song or one where she sticks a pencil up her own nose (Don't do this at home kids. Performances like this can be very dangerous and shouldn't be attempted by anyone who is even remotely sane). So there you go, a million is worth next to nothing in the interweb world.

It would be nice if I could get a small fraction of those viewers to visit this blog though. I know I tend to post not very interesting bollocks here but it provides a service of sorts. I was hoping to somehow reach out to people with similar tastes in music, movies and madness, but sadly this blog has turned out to be just a brief stopping off point for people looking for pictures of Billie Piper (naked) and Lenny The Tramp - not together I must add, although I'm sure that that would prove to be a very popular attraction.

Oh well. I guess I must continue on undaunted.

Angels Of Destruction?

2008-01-15T12:13:00.000Z

Rumors are that since making this TV appearance last week to promote their newly released album and tour, Marah may have exploded or imploded!

Marah - Angels Of Destruction!

Have the Angels of Destruction got them beat?
Official Marah webpage

What's the difference between a duck?

2008-01-14T01:05:00.000Z

One of its legs is both the same. With the spread of Bird Flu to the UK, it's useful to have this knowledge. Ducks, Turkeys and now Swans have all fallen fowl(!) to the deadly avian virus. I was shocked to hear last week that 3 birds had been discovered dead at Abbotsbury Swannery in Dorset. The Mute Swans were struck down with the virulent H5N1 strain of the flu (If only they could have called out then someone might have been able to help them [groan]).

The Swannery, near Chesil Beach, is a popular tourist attraction. I went there last April, it's an interesting place to visit and the sight of hundreds of swans together is quite amazing. Fingers crossed, this will prove to be just an isolated outbreak, and a cull of the local bird population won't be needed. BBC News story

The news of this latest bird flu case will hopefully wake people up to the potential danger ahead. It's no longer just a bunch of death row Turkeys being infected; Tonight I watched the Robot Chicken Season 2 DVD set and saw this...

Ask yourself a question: 'Do I feel lucky?'

2008-01-08T16:23:00.000Z

Well, do ya, punk? Bet on seeing Carbon/Silicon play during their Friday night residency at the Inn On the Green, Ladbroke Grove over the next 6 weeks. Just a tenner on the door, no advance tickets. Gamble on getting in!

Carbon/Silicon webpage

Old Time Tickin' Away

2008-01-07T10:23:00.000Z

Am I Half A Boy And Half A Man or an Old Man Down The Road?

Fruit of the Vine

2008-01-04T19:36:00.000Z

Want to read something really, er... creepy? OK, check out Scott Smith's excellent 'The Ruins'.

The Ruins is a story about a group of students who are on holiday in Cancun. They decide to take a break from the lazy hours on the beach and visit an archaeological dig in the jungle. Local Mayan Indians try and deter them from going, but the tourists continue on up to the mysterious ruins unaware of the terror and hell that awaits...
It's Smith's second novel. His first bestseller, the quite brilliant 'A Simple Plan', was published 13 years previously! Hopefully we won't have to wait so long until the next one.

The Ruins is a cracking read, full of tension and dread. Pepper the story with gross-out body horror scenes that David Cronenberg might approve of and you have a book that's hard to put down. Cleverly, the book has no chapters, so when you are reading there's no place to take a natural break and you have to keep on to the next harrowing moment, and then the next...

To quote Stephen King: 'does for Mexican vacations what Jaws did for New England beaches in 1975'. The Ruins website

Now, not long after I finished the book I discovered that it was being made into a film, due for release in April. My initial thought about this was 'oh dear, this could just be another trashy bunch of kids in peril movie' - I hope this isn't the case and it turns out to be better than the teen horror genre norm. The good news is that Scott Smith has written the screenplay; He received an Oscar nomination for his film adaptation of A Simple Plan, so this is a good sign for his vine infested Ruins... Just watching the trailer though I can see a fairly major character change from the book to the film - I can't imagine why this was necessary, fingers crossed that it works.

Victory V's (for medicinal purposes only)

2008-01-01T12:55:00.000Z

Wishing you a Happy Happy Joy Joy New Year! Eaten too much over the past week or so? More than a little hungover? Dreading going back to work? Hoping for a better year than the last one?

Here's some old ultra Kawaii J-Pop to lift the spirits...

Morning Musume - Go Girl! Koi No Victory
Ahhh... I'm feeling better already. A sugar pill. Pink medicine. These girls should really be made available on the NHS.

Christmas at last!

2007-12-20T14:14:00.000Z

It's taken me awhile to get in the mood but now, thanks to the E Street Band, I'm into the Christmas spirit. I popped over to chilly Belfast last Saturday. Brrrrrr, 'twas a cold day, but it was fairly bright and thankfully it wasn't raining like last year. Warmed up by a hot Hog Roast roll from the Christmas market I went along to the show at the Odyssey Arena. A great venue and a tremendous concert. Gerry Adams, in a prime seat, seemed to enjoy it. Nils Lofgren nearly took off from the stage during his scorching guitar solo during 'Because The Night' and it was nice to see and hear 'Santa Claus' as a send off into the Northern Irish night. My thanks to James McC for the after show tour of Belfast pubs! I'll have to go back sometime when it's warmer! Telegraph, Belfast Telegraph and Irish Independent reviews.

Last night the tour made its last stop in 2007, at the ginormous O2 Arena, London. Another great show. Only around 400 fans were let into the 'pit' area in front of the stage - the organisers could have easily have catered for another 200 and still have had plenty of room. With so much space around me I felt a bit self conscious doing my gangly pogo 'dancing'. I spotted Badly Drawn Boy in a VIP seat to my left, he sat down throughout the whole show, but he was nodding his woolly head. Apparently Stephen Merchant was there (of course), and allegedly Rob Brydon, Bette Middler, an unknown number of Manic Street Preachers and Jim Rosenthal(!) were in the crowd too. I'm already looking forward to the band returning in May of next year. Guardian, Times and This is London reviews.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
December 19th 2007, London O2 Arena
A great set of photos from the O2 by 'Seeger Tour' here. Update: and here's a nice compilation of clips shot from behind the stage, courtesy of 'ramrodwillem'.

Another Machine Gun Stump Movie!

2007-12-18T22:08:00.000Z

Kawaii. Thanks to 'Road' for pointing my mouse in the direction of this trailer for The Machine Girl, a Japanese Schoolgirl revenge flick that is due to be released sometime in 2008. It looks like it's makers certainly know the right exploitation film buttons to press as it features Yakuzas! Ninjas! Gushing Blood! Chainsaws! A Drill Bra! And a Schoolgirl heroine sporting a massive 'Gatling' gun on her amputated arm stump! Yey, she might make Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead) and Rose McGowan (Planet Terror) very proud.

Warning: Don't watch if you are easily offended by gory fake violence...

Nice, but can the finished film live up to this bonkers trailer? I doubt it, but I'm looking forward to finding out.

Evil Clown Attacks!

2007-12-16T23:41:00.000Z

Let's get this straight from the start, I can honestly say that I've never taken any illegal drugs... Time now for a brief report on Frank Sidebottom's Puppet Pantorama @ The Bull & Gate... Frank was joined on stage in his musical extravaganza by various puppet friends - including Little Frank, Little Denise (headless), Tracy Island Puppet (duetting on Zoo Scrapbook), Darth Vader without shoes puppet, Lab Rat and many many more! It was all totally bonkers! The highlight of the night for me was when the one and only SpongeBob SquarePants came out and enthusiastically joined in on an ace cover of Sheena is a Punk Rocker! Oh yes he did, he really did.

SpongeBob is a Punk Rocker
Arrgh, I forgot to mention that Evil Clown was there too! And he was Crowd Surfing! And kicking me in the head with his big shoes in the process! "Oh no he didn't" - Oh yes he did, he really did, actually.

Evil Clown goes Surfin'

Freddie Mercury with Little Frank as Brian May

Hit The North
www.franksworld.co.uk

Pantorama !!!

2007-12-10T13:55:00.000Z

Yes, this coming Friday December 14th, Frank Sidebottom is back in London for Christmas @ The Bull And Gate, Kentish Town! Francis will be performing his special Xmas Pantorama, backed by a band featuring members of Scritti Politti(?) - And look out for special guest appearances from Little Frank and Little Denise!

www.franksworld.co.uk

Her Brains They Rattle..

2007-12-07T19:54:00.000Z

Woohoo! A nice boot has just appeared of a Magic Tour show that I saw in Philadelphia a couple of months ago (see earlier post). Here's Thundercrack from the DVD - if you look closely enough you'll probably spot my bald patch bobbing up and down near the front :-)

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Thundercrack
Philadelphia, Wachovia Center, October 6th 2007
(Video: NYC Bitch Committee, nicely dubbed with CC audio thanks to 'tailschao')

Love that 2 guitar, fiddle and sax break in the middle! Next week I'll be off to catch their show in Belfast. If I manage to survive the cold wind and rain I'll report back...

Contemplation...

2007-12-04T19:13:00.000Z

I don't know what's worse, sitting here all bunged up, suffering from 'Man Flu' or the thought of Bruce Springsteen playing at the Emirates Stadium next May (tickets already on pre-sale to Arse*@| members!)? Sigh. I will of course end up going, despite the venue being the home of the Gooners. Seeing Bruce and the E Street Band so close to home, on what may be their last tour together, is something I can't miss.

Still, here's something to make me feel better, a shot in the arm courtesy of Bill Nelson over in sunny Dreamsville...

You can now download two new tracks for FREE - the first is Contemplation (2007), a great re-recording of a classic Nelson song that originally appeared as a lo-fi demo/session track on the BBC Radio 1 'Kid Jenson' show in the early eighties. The song was subsequently re-worked and became a 10 minute epic that was released on the Getting The Holy Ghost Across album in 1986. The new 2007 incarnation of Contemplation was designed initially as a backing track guide for the song's performance at Nelsonica 07 last month, however Bill has now made it available as a full studio version with added guitars and vocal. For free! And as if that wasn't cool enough, there's also...

The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment - An interesting experiment involving an artist and his fans! Bill has set to music a 69 line 'found' poem, with each random, unconnected, line contributed by a different Dreamsville forum member*. When I first heard about this a few months ago I thought that it would end up being a load of incoherent pretentious claptrap, with fans providing awful lines of poetry that would make a spotty 14 year old blush. Well I've got to say that the end result of the experiment is actually pretty neat, thanks to Bill sprinkling his magic music dust over the often bizarre collection of words and phrases. Bill recites the 'poem' over an amazingly atmospheric musical piece, it's like a transmission across space and time. The Dreamsville Poetry Experiment has spawned a strange and dissonant baby. * (Personally, I like line 38 the best ;-))

As mentioned above, both tracks are FREE! Download page

Angels of Islington

2007-11-29T01:04:00.000Z

From just a few hours ago, Marah @ The Carling Academy, Islington, London... careful with that microphone stand guys!

Walt Whitman Bridge (end excerpt)

New album Angels of Destruction! out on January 8th.
Listen to it now in a high quality stream and pre-order here.

Update: Guardian review

www.marah-usa.com

Six Strings For Sara

2007-11-22T14:26:00.000Z

From the Bill Nelson forum:

"A new charity called 'The Sara's Hope Foundation' has been set up by Ged Hoburn and his family. It was set up in the memory of their daughter, Sara, who tragically lost her battle with colon cancer in 2001 at the age of 16. Inspired by Sara's strength, warmth and positivity, her family and close friends are raising funds to build and run a holiday retreat in the sun for children facing similar battles and emotions.

From November 26th, an exclusive instrumental track written and recorded by Bill Nelson entitled 'Six Strings For Sara' will be available for download."

Update 2nd Jan 2008: You can buy the track NOW from musiczeit. The cost of the download is just £4.99 for mp3 format or £5.99 for flac format. ALL the proceeds go to the Sara's Hope Foundation.

'The pier lights our carnival life forever'

2007-11-21T16:17:00.000Z

Best wishes to 'Phantom' Dan Federici in his fight against melanoma. Here's to a speedy return to E Street.

4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ. 19th September 1978
Melanoma Research Foundation

Bedford Light Of Day

2007-11-19T01:10:00.000Z

A few snaps from last night. A very good night out, well worth the drive through the sleet to get to Bedford. The venue seemed pretty much packed. All the performers were great. Highlights for me were Willie Nile covering the Ramones' 'I Wanna Be Sedated' and Marah's 'The Dishwasher's Dream'. Badly Drawn Boy (Damon Gough) covered 'Thunder Road' and Joe D'Urso did a nice version of 'The River'. Serge (who incidentally plays a mean kazoo) told a very funny shaggy dog story about having dinner with Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa and Nils Lofgren, and talking about BDB with Bruce... I won't go into the detail as it might spoil the joke for others should Marah ever appear on stage with Damon again.
From L to R: Badly Drawn Boy (Damon Gough), Joe D'Urso, Willie Nile and Marah (Christine Smith, Dave & Serge Bielanko)

Damon, Joe, Dave & Serge

BDB

Marah (acoustic trio version)

Twist and Shout finale

The Dishwasher's Dream (excerpt)
Marah (featuring Serge and his pint of Fosters)
Two pairs of tickets were raffled for the upcoming Springsteen O2 concert. Well done to all the performers, everyone else involved in setting up the show and to the audience for helping out such a great cause. www.lightofday.org

I'm Just Around The Corner To The Light Of Day

2007-11-14T17:28:00.000Z

Stockholm, Rotterdam, Barcelona, Rome and now Bedford! This Sunday the Light Of Day Europe tour makes its final stop in the UK.

Badly Drawn Boy, Willie Nile, Marah (acoustic) and Joe D'Urso will all be strapping on their guitars and performing to raise awareness of the fight against Parkinson's Disease.

Sunday November 18, 7.30pm start
The Harpur Suite
Harpur Street
Bedford, MK40 1LE

Tickets: £20.00 in advance and are available from www.entshed.com. See www.lightofday.org for more info.

'Some Things Just Don't Change'

2007-11-08T16:25:00.000Z

It's nice to always have something or someone you can rely on. Tomorrow night Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes are playing at the Shepherds Bush Empire, London. Let's see, how many times have I seen Southside play over the years? I'm so old I can't remember, it must be close to 20 or so... the thing is, every show is great, it's like meeting up with a good old friend once a year. Long may the Jukes keep going!

Ok, I'm getting in the mood now... Another piece of rare Southside video from 1978 - a classic good time Sam Cooke song, performed here to the max with guests Bruce Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt and Roy Bittan.

Havin' A Party - Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes
Wait, there's more... From the Official website, a great free mp3 download of Hearts of Stone that mixes Johnny's classic 1978 vocal with Springsteen's original version (which wasn't released from the vaults until 1998!). To my ears, having known the separate versions for years, this made up virtual duet sounds a bit weird, but it's interesting in a 'what if' kind of way.

Update (9pm): It's spooky! A DVD of one of my favourite 80's movies Adventures In Baby Sitting turned up in my postbox today. That's not weird since I'd ordered it and was expecting it, but the funny thing is I've just remembered that Southside and the band are in it - they play themselves in a nightclub scene. I'll watch it before I go to bed tonight. The film stars the lovely Elizabeth Shue as the babysitter of the title, and amidst all of the action and comedy the male teen lead forms a crush on her. Sigh, I remember feeling the same way when I first saw it all those years ago. Oh, yes, and 'Thor' the Mighty God of Thunder is in it as well! Does entertainment ever come any better than this?

Hey Jesse your so fine... Hey Jesse

2007-11-07T01:44:00.000Z

Jesse Malin was back playing in London last night, this time at the Islington Academy. Jesse and his band gave another great performance. I'd say it was even better than the ULU gig they did in May; The highlights for me were a terrific 'Brooklyn', 'Wendy' and a cover of The Clash's 'Death or Glory'. Here's one of the quieter moments amongst all the kickass noise...

Jesse Malin - Solitaire
6th November, Islington Academy, London
And here's a clip of 'Death or Glory'. It's halfway through the song, Jesse has brought the music down and got the audience to sit on the floor around him. I've had to brighten the picture a bit since this took place out of the reach of the stage lights, but you can get an idea of what was going on...

Jesse Malin - Death or Glory
www.jessemalin.com

Tramps Like Us

2007-11-06T12:27:00.000Z

Many famous people have lived at one time or another in my 'hood... John Keats, Boris Karloff, Amy Whino and the new Bionic Woman to name but a few. Now though Enfield's most famous resident is... Lenny The Tramp!

Lenny in ironic mode, standing outside Barclays Bank, Enfield
- the location of the World's first ATM (Photo: J Spranklen)
Lenny, who currently 'lives in a bus stop', has become an internet phenomenon that almost rivals the popularity of Billie Piper's baps. And 'viral Lenny' is still growing like a rolling snowball. The 'Lenny The Tramp Appreciation Society' group on Facebook has over 4500 members - double the size of the biggest Kylie Minogue fan group! I guess the question to ask is - looks and fashion sense aside, can Lenny compare with Kylie as a popstar?

BBC News article and video.

Hang On To Your Hats!

2007-11-01T11:35:00.000Z

It's November already! The clocks have gone back, and the gloomy days and long cold nights of winter are nearly upon us. Wait a minute... it's not time to hibernate yet. There's something alight in the darkness. A loud life-affirming noise is heading towards us from across the ocean. Throw away those anti-depressants*, and get yourself ready for Marah's imminent UK Tour.

Photo by Hanna Toresson
“Marah blow the roof off with their barely contained energy. It’s street music, soul music, music to walk off a skyscraper to…you’re left with your hair standing on end, shaken up, exhilarated, that hole in your heart temporarily fixed, which is all you can ask of great rock ‘n’ roll. And God knows, this is great rock ‘n’ roll.”
Uncut Magazine

That sounds about right. See you at the Islington Academy, London on November 28th. For more band news visit www.marah-usa.com

(* always consult your Doctor first!)

Dangerous Stranger

2007-10-26T20:01:00.000+01:00

Tomorrow I'll be in York for the 7th annual official Bill Nelson fan convention - the appropriately named Nelsonica 07 ('Secret Club For Members Only').

I first got into Bill's music when I bought Quit Dreaming And Get On The Beam in 1981. It turned out that I was a late starter, he had already released seven studio albums by then - five of which were with his band Be Bop Deluxe. I had a lot to catch up on.

Here's a rare video clip from 1978 - a live performance of a track from Drastic Plastic, the last (and my favourite) Be Bop Deluxe album. At this point Bill had moved away from his earlier glam and prog rock leanings. He was now driving his retro Sci-Fi tram into angular 'New Wave' territory. Bill was challenging his longtime fan base for whom he'd been a 'guitar-hero'. The fabulous noodley guitar solos had gone! Well almost, here he sneaks a nice one in at the end...

Be Bop Deluxe - Dangerous Stranger
BBC Sight And Sound Concert 1978
Video courtesy of 'Pentalogarhythm'

It's making you a prisoner

2007-10-26T01:50:00.000+01:00

It might take a few years but one day there be a nice widescreen DVD out there of Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970). I love that movie! How can I describe how great it is? Probably not very well, so let me leave it to an expert - the ever enthusiastic John Landis...

A growing collection of cool trailers for great (and not so great) films can be found over at Trailers From Hell. What makes this collection special is that, with each trailer, you can listen to an entertaining and insightful commentary from a talented genre filmmaker, such as Joe Dante, Larry Cohen and the aforementioned John Landis. Hey, relative newbie Edgar Wright is there too!

We Love Martin Jol

2007-10-25T22:07:00.001+01:00

Trade Test Transmission

2007-10-24T11:59:00.000+01:00

Yeah it's true - we might have the choice of 57 digital channels but late night TV is really poor. Ceefax used to be more entertaining than what we have now. Are you old enough to remember when TV channels would shutdown rather than just show repeated news or bronzed muscle-bound shiny white-toothed Americans selling impractical exercise equipment?

Back in the 70s, the BBC used to closedown at night and during a fair bit of the day as well. In closedown they'd just transmit the BBC test card. Watching the card was worse than watching paint dry. However, I don't see why they can't bring it back - folks who would rather watch a programme late at night could 'interact' by pressing their red remote button.

Commercial channels could show their test cards and still have adverts every 10 minutes or so like they do now. I don't think viewing figures would go down. I mean Channel 4 are already halfway there when they show 'live' coverage of the Big Brother contestants asleep in the early hours of the morning - Did anything move on the screen in the last 15 minutes? No, so why not save money and just show a test card instead?

Visit Channel M for another example of a test card.

Sonic Screwdriver

2007-10-23T16:33:00.000+01:00

A few nights back I was tired and thumbing my remote. Cycling through the Freeview channels late at night is a mind numbing experience:

{click} Some programme with sign language {click} advert {click} advert {click} Rip off premium rate Quiz {click} advert {click} 'Live' Poker {click} 'I can't believe how crap Nuts TV is' {click} +1 {click} +1 {click} advert... and then {click} Good grief! It's a naked Billie Piper being shagged by a guy! And now she's put a condom on her finger and now she's putting it up his... ughh!

Yes, kiddies favourite, Bille Piper was playing a 'high class' prostitute in ITV's seedy drama Belle Du Jour. I guess you've got to admire the former teen pop star and Dr Who assistant for having the nerve to take on the role. I can't say I enjoyed watching it. I just sat there with my mouth open until it had finished. It wasn't clear to me what the intention of the show was - An erotic drama? A comment on the trials of being a prostitute? Or both? Well I didn't find it sexy, but maybe it wasn't supposed to be. It was a bit like watching a car crash... awful but you just can't look away.

Thanks to MustyMC, my internet Nude Celebrity correspondent, for pointing me in the direction of Billie Piper's Playboy photo.

Eats shoots and leaves

2007-10-22T13:05:00.000+01:00

or Funky Kung Fu Pandas Go Shopping

Puffy AmiYumi are back with a new album, Honeycreeper. It features Boom Boom Beat and songs from their latest CD single: Oriental Diamond and Kuchibiru Motion (Lip Motion).

The video for Kuchibiru Motion (song written and produced by Yellow Monkey's Kazuya Yoshii) has the girls lounging around on a bed, sexily dressed in fishnet stockings and a leopard print top. They are eating fruit. Once they have finished the strawberries it's time for them to sit on the toilet and put on makeup... sounds like it could be good eh? Well I'm not going to post it here.

Much more interesting is the video for Oriental Diamond. As Puffy PVs go it's quite low budget and simple, but it's still got their bizarre and original touch. Here Ami and Yumi appear to be visiting China, wearing Panda headgear and waving Bamboo shoots! Watch as they get involved in a bit of Kung Fu action and then shop! It's all good for Japanese-Chinese relations. This is a ridiculously catchy tune, driven by frantic drums and speeding guitars. Add on top some glockenspiel and a Chinese gong and it's damn near perfect pop.

Puffy AmiYumi - Oriental Diamond
More info from puffyamiyumiworld

Heaven Help Us All

2007-10-21T21:20:00.000+01:00

So what's your favourite film about Old Nick, Beelzebub, Satan... The Devil? Is it Rosemary's Baby, The Omen, The Devil Rides Out, Prince Of Darkness or even Exorcist II? - Films that can strike terror deep into the heart of any God fearing or, more correctly, Devil fearing man.

Personally, as creepy as they are, none of the above gave me the willies as much as when I first saw THE DEVIL'S RAIN (1975) - a film I've not watched for years. I was young and impressionable back then and a lot less cynical. The Devil's Rain left its mark on me with its outrageous climax. It's one of those memorable old films that I'd love to see again, however I'm nervous at the prospect - not because I'd find the film too scary to watch but because I might end up discovering that the film is not as great as I remember it to be.

One day I'll track down a DVD of The Devil's Rain. I'm sure it will come across as a load of old low budget codswallop, but hey it's got William Shatner and Ernest Borgnine in it, plus real life Satanist Anton LaVey who is not only a technical advisor for the film but also plays himself - The High Priest Of The Church of Satan! What's not to like?

Here's the terrific trailer - it shows you pretty much all the the film's juicy bits! 'A melting Hell on Earth'. 'Heaven help us all when the Devil's Rain' (ouch!). Great stuff!

Headline news

2007-10-16T18:18:00.000+01:00

When I listen to news headlines on the radio and TV I often get confused. In the good old days newscasters used to pause between headline announcements. Now, in a bid to make the news sound more exciting, it seems that everything is presented much faster and with a sense of urgency. As a result I keep hearing headlines running into each other. It all becomes very strange. Here are some examples from today...

Erotic art traces history of sex
Satanist guilty of vicar killing
'Maggots' found in school dinners
UK pub lunch price soars to £20
Sir Menzies tells of 'irritation'

Roller Skating Child

2007-10-15T12:52:00.000+01:00

Whilst in New York I took a look to see if there was anything worth catching on (or off) Broadway. To my pleasant surprise I saw an advert for a stage musical version of Xanadu! Yes, that awful ONJ roller disco movie... whose only saving grace was its brilliant soundtrack. This deliberately cheesy and funny revamp has been getting rave reviews. If I'd had more time I would have tried to get a ticket. Hey, wait a minute didn't I suggest back in December 2005 that Xanadu should be turned into a stage musical? Yes I did!

Another show that sounds like it'll be worth seeing is Mel Brooks' musical version of his classic movie Young Frankenstein! It's currently previewing. Something to remember to look out for the next time I'm in the Big Apple. "It's Alive... It's Alive!"

“The Bronx is up and the Battery’s down”

2007-10-14T17:55:00.000+01:00

I'm back home now after my 'Magic' trip to North East Coast, USA. Time to quickly recap here what I got up to in my last few days in NYC...

Monday: (Columbus Day) After a morning lazing around in the sun in Central Park I popped into the MoMA - A good collection of the usual modern art suspects like Klee, Mondrian, Rothko, Magritte and Warhol, and hey, that Picasso guy could actually paint! Blade Runner in the evening (see previous post).

Tuesday: Tramped around the East Village and Bowery (a once scummy area, but now being redeveloped into trendy and expensive condos - much to the alarm of its residents). Bought a load of DVDs (see below) from the excellent Kim's Video store in St Marks Place.

Wednesday: In the morning I walked over the Brooklyn Bridge and took a stroll around leafy Brooklyn Heights. After lunch I walked back to Manhattan and did a little clothes shopping (love the Pound to Dollar conversion rate!). In the evening I took a bus to the Meadowlands, New Jersey, to see Springsteen and the E Streeters play show #5 of their tour. Another good show, although with a seat at the right rear of the stage I was often distracted by looking out at the audience (video clip)

Thursday: You know, that awful last day when you have to kill time before travelling out to the airport for your night flight home. Well, I recommend a trip out to the Bronx Zoo. As Zoo's go, the Bronx has one of the best, and it includes an excellent Gorilla enclosure - so good I didn't want to leave!

So now, sadly, I'm back home. A pile of clothes to wash, a pile of bills to pay, a pile of CDs to listen to (Bruce Springsteen - Magic, Steve Earle - Washington Square Serenade, John Fogerty - Revival and Todd Rundgren - The Definitive Rock Collection) and a pile of DVDs to watch (Robot Chicken Season 2, From Beyond, Planet Terror, Argento's The Stendahl Syndrome and the 3 film Creature From The Black Lagoon Legacy Box set). Back to my version of reality.

More Human Than Human

2007-10-09T15:39:00.000+01:00

New York, NY. My favourite movie of all time has just got better.

Last night I went to see Blade Runner - The Final Cut, now showing in a limited engagement at the lovely old Ziegfield movie theatre on 54th street. With this new fantastic restored digital 'print' the film looks and sounds better now than it did when I first saw the original version, at a Starburst magazine preview, in London a ¼ of a century ago. It's a thing of beauty, an amazing work of art from director Ridley Scott.

Blade Runner's most obvious technical flaws have been fixed in this new 'Final Cut' - including reshooting the scene of Zhora's death, which used to feature a stunt double that looked nothing like actress Joanna Cassidy, and the scene where the white dove flies off into the (now dark) sky.

All nicely done, but I noticed something annoying - a 'George Lucas-like' revision of dialogue has snuck in when Replicant Roy Batty meets his maker Tyrell. I'm not sure if the 'I want life' line was changed in this cut or the previous 'Director's cut' but it no longer has the same impact that it used to have in the original theatrical cut. This is minor quibble that can be forgiven due to the tremendous restoration of the film as a whole.

If you get a chance then you really should try and catch this 'Final Cut' on the big screen rather than wait for its forthcoming DVD release.

Philadelphia Special

2007-10-07T14:47:00.000+01:00

Yesterday in Philly... I made a slow start and took a train to the suburb of Manayunk. It's a nice place for lunch; There's a smart main street lined with restaurants, bars and trinket shops, and a pleasant canal towpath walk for some exercise.

I had to head back into the city by 3 though in order to get my General Admission lottery wristband for the Springsteen show in the evening. I got band number 808 out of 1000, thankfully the draw was favourable and I made it into the pit.

Wow, what a show! My 65th in the last 22 years and this one was up in the premier league. Watching the 2 guitar/sax/violin jam on Thundercrack from just a few yards away was tremendous. Photo by Tim Gray (more).

It's now Sunday morning and I'm still on a high as I prepare for my Greyhound bus leg to NYC.
______
Update: Thanks to 'cricket' on BTX here's a nice pic taken from behind the stage. Hey, I can see myself in the crowd. Look, there I am!

The Streets of

2007-10-05T19:24:00.000+01:00

Philadelphia, PA.

Yesterday... After a brief visit to the Natural Sciences museum to view a few dinosaur bones, I decided to see how far I could get from the city center walking out along the Schuylkill River through Fairmount Park. After about two miles I began to wilt in the 85 degrees F (in the shade) heat. Phew, what a scorcher!

I'm sure that if I'd continued further then eventually I would have escaped the sound of the nearby freeway that follows the river from the heart of the city. It was a hot and noisy experience, oh for some shade and the peace and quiet of nature.

In the evening I went to see the new David Cronenberg movie, Eastern Promises. Cronenberg delivers this London based Russian mafia drama with a matter of factness, a detached non-flashy style. The London portrayed in the film is pretty grim and could easily be mistaken for old Soviet Eastern Europe. Initially I found the accents funny to listen to, including that of Naomi Watt's English nurse, but as you are drawn into the seedy gangster world you soon get used to them. Viggo Mortenson is great as the Russian gang's driver/Mr Fixit; Want to dispose of a body? He's your man. Viggo, as intense as ever, sure shows some acting balls in this role! I don't think I'll be visiting a Finsbury Bath House anytime soon! Eastern Promises is a good film but are all Russians really as nuts as this?

Today I'm chilling out in a Java Café off of South Street. Dudes sit here all day, taking advantage of the Café's free web access. They are coding their websites whilst slurping iced coffee. Not a bad way to work. No office rental either.

Tonight it's Magic tour show #2. I'm not expecting any changes from the 1st show but it'll be a blast.
______

Update #1: I forgot to mention that it's Larry Fine's birthday today. This evening, to mark the occasion, I stuffed myself with a delicious 'Three Stooges' burger at the restaurant that now stands on the his site of birth.

Update #2: Concert review

An All American Breakfast

2007-10-03T14:45:00.000+01:00

Hartford, Connecticut - 'Insurance Capital of the World'. Here I sit in front of a large feast: 2 eggs SSU, bacon, fried potatoes, toast, a pot of coffee and an OJ. A good way to recover from the night before and to prepare for the day to come.

Last night The E Street Band opened their new tour here. A good solid start and a very enthusiastic crowd. Finally, Bruce has reclaimed 'Reason To Believe' from The Beat Farmers! Review.

It's time now for me to settle my bill and head for the train station. Next stop there's a Cheesesteak with my name on it.

Network's goin' down

2007-09-30T18:18:00.000+01:00

Friday evening. So there I was in the bar on the 5th floor at Waterstones bookshop, Piccadilly. I'd just had a tricky job interview and I needed somewhere to sit down, calm my nerves and relax with a beer. I thought I'd pick the Waterstones '5th view' bar as I'd seen that they had free Wi-Fi access and I was itching to play with my cool new n800 Internet Tablet. So I took a seat and ordered a Kirin and a big slice of apple tart to go with it. I tried connecting to the network with the password I had been given. No joy. Hmmm. My refreshments came and the waitress then told me that "the internet isn't working"... Doh! I'd wish I'd known that before making my £7.50 order! Never mind, the tart was very nice.

Today. I encountered more technocrapola. This time it was on the Virgin Atlantic website when I 'checked in' online for my flight to JFK tomorrow. The check-in process was fine but I couldn't print my boarding pass due to a problem on the system. As requested by an on-screen error message I tried again later, and again later. No joy. Eventually I decided to ring their website help desk - 'Our team is looking at the problem. You can print your pass at the airport tomorrow.' OK. I will, if the machine at the airport works properly.

These are just two trivial examples of how people's lives are affected by supposedly integrated bits of modern technology going wrong. It happens all the time. Computers and networks crash. It's a good job that critical systems like aircraft fly-by-wire and missile defence control can't go down like this...

Anyway what am I grumbling about? I'm flying off to American airspace for a holiday in NYC!

Jump a little lighter

2007-09-23T15:15:00.000+01:00

Only 8 days 'til I fly across the pond to catch the first few shows of the Magic tour - can't wait. Whilst I'm looking forward to hearing all the new songs, it's going to be hard not to feel a little nostalgic when seeing the E Street Band. I hope they ask this old beauty out for a date...

Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Toronto July 26th 1984Happy Birthday to Mr S.