FUCK ART... LET'S DANCE!!!

CD-SHOP   by     Courtney Love on MUSIC   by     MGCK Music   by    UK Copyright Advice 

  FULL MOON Compilation CD Vol I, Available from Hogs Head, Avalanche, Ripping Records & Bannermans

WELCOME TO  APRIL 2005   

MARCH 2005 began and ended with this same thought.. but it's worth hammering home:

BRING BACK COUNTERCULTURE

1 Apr 2005 Fri MGCK Music    Whatever happened to.....  hitch-hiking? and the open road?

http://www.bruceeisner.com/new_culture/current_affairs/  Very cool, very interesting and VERY telling website devoted to discussions on/literature about 'hey... whatever happened to the counterculture?'  It became the consumer culture.  Read on.  Scroll down and check out the list of archive articles.. there's mucho interesting stuff there.  Actually, too much. Too much to read and take in.  You'd need three heads and several brains.  Maybe they'll work that out in a lab somewherever, some day soon.

2/3 Apr 2005 Sat/Sun MGCK Music    Goin for a little jam...

Tonight maybe with MELA... Tomorrow Leith FM meeting at the Village:

Pirhana Poetry/GazDeath site: http://earwigmusic93-1996.moonfruit.com

5 Apr 2005 Tues MGCK Music    Kinda like the Newcastle/Aston Villa match punch-up mid-pitch:

Jam w/ MELA on Saturday night turned into a... well.. .. really..  it  BEGAN.. as. . well.. I picked up Jim and Robbie and Chris & Laurence (LGW) in a pub in the Cowgate around 6.. they'd been pub-hopping since noon, but Chris & Larry had done a gig in Paisley night before and probably hadn't shut their eyes since.  Anyway.. we got to Coloursound.. and it all just kind of went downside up.  Steve's only comment after an hour of introductive mayhem was 'they can go gatecrash someone else's rehearsal next time.'   Very stalwart and cool considering the mic almost went through the bass drum.  As to the jam itself.. the purpose was mixing my vocals with Kev's vocal and guitar.  The stress of the first hour bled into the second and when Kev said.. 'sing'.. I was just lost.  We've shared a gig before, so they know I can, but it just wasn't happening.. no firing on all six or any six at this particular meeting.. and by the time we came out the usual suspects had disappeared into the night.. to be found later at the Filmhouse on Lothian Road, where, it appeared, they'd calmed down or finally just got tired.  

LEITHFM Sunday Meeting at The Village was smooth and organised and I outlined my show proposal.  Have another idea in mind for a couple of pre-recorded hours.

Last night Pirhana Poetry.. good fun, not as political as usual, Jenny Lindsay did an incredibly emotional piece about being in love with an artist/musician/writer/POET, etc... and I felt sorry for her.  I've never made those mistakes.  They're kind of the mistakes you leave to someone else to commit, but it makes great heart-torn-to-bloody- shreds-and- kicked-to- the-curb verse.  Gaz Death did 'FEAR' and "Just Another Kitchen Party For Me", which could be a new favourite.  But the best was Jonathan Muirhead's poem entitled, 'The Only Glaswegian Dominatrix in Amsterdam.'  No time to tell the tales.

7 Apr 2005 Thurs MGCK Music    "If it has more than 3 chords it's Jazz" - Lou Reed

FULL MOON CLUB @ BANNERMANS: 9PM kick-off: Electra, Rosie Bell, The CITY, SHOCK n AWE, and POETS!!! plus singer/songwriters: Olga and some other guy... I think it will be a bit of a stroll tonight..  just want to relax and enjoy myself.   Andy G came back to me with details of Dundee DOGHOUSE gig next Friday night.  ISIS will be topping the bill.. Frontwoman and songwriter, ZARA, can belt it out.  He also wants the Chlorophorm Hookers... anybody know where they reside? they were so cooool last month at the Full Moon.

More than three chords and a few sour notes on Last night @7am the next morning: "When I say 'SIT' ye sit! When I say 'CUM' ye cum, ye Bam!"  From Jonathan Muirhead's 'The Only Glaswegian Dominatrix in Amsterdam' -: The spoken word saved us from what would have been a 'funny' Full Moon.. not in the funny sense.. just kinda dead vibe.. you get these dead nights.. dead audience.. dead eyes.  Bands just sittin' it out, waiting to go on and take their turn, gearing up for their own show, not into anything else.  Bands and their followers are the worst audience, unless their from Dundee.  Dundee audiences are the best (apart from audiences in the West, by that I mean Salt Lake City, Vegas, LA, San Francisco and Seattle).  And what's wrong with that guy from Shock 'N Awe...  I guess, as my boyfriend suggested, 'he must never get laid' or spends all his time, as his own song suggests, "dancin' with myself".   Right hand must get tired.  But I liked the balaclavas and the new drummer from Liverpool was tight and hot.  No pun intended even though the lead singer did say "We're feminists.. We've sucked cock!" Equal opportunity punks.  I wonder if he gets 'the-dick-sucking-makes-my-jaw-ache blues' too.

Anyway.. this night was only livened by the above mentioned Jonathan Muirhead and one of my new favourites: Richard Allen (yet another lightning-witted Liverpudlian).  Oh he of the 'Cliff Richard is the Anti-Christ!' rhyme.  Jim bought him and Jenny Lindsay a pint and Richard gave us two of his poetical collections, one entitled "John Lennon Never Lived in Our House' and the other "Rhythm of The Night".  Back at home, Jim read to me from the tomes in 'scouse'.   Hysterically funny and yes, thank you Richard, the best part of the last 12 hours is owed to you. (Richard Allen & Jenny Lindsay (maybe even Jonathan Muirhead) and others will be plying their trade: BIG WORD @ THE TRON, Edinburgh, Thurs 14 April.)

FRIDAY 8 APRIL NEW MOON IN ARIES (no, it's not a music club, just astrology): This is the New Moon to let go of constriction and relearn how to go with the flow. We are so busy controlling our lives that we forget to recognize and value synchronicity and serendipity. Learn to let go and trust that everything is as it should be. It makes for a more peaceful and contented life. Though few of us like to admit it, the truth is that security is an illusion because everything is in a constant state of change.  

SAT 9th APRIL @ Bannerman's, Cowgate, Edinburgh: LAST GREAT WILDERNESS & SANS TRAUMA + Dead Fly Buchowski (did I spell that right?)

10 Apr 2005 Sun MGCK Music    "why not dress up as a wood louse instead?"!

Complaints, complaints... All I ever get is complaints..  people who want me to LIE.. to say they're GREAT all of the time!  Sorry, it's not gonna happen.  Look,  I'm SHIT 70% of the time.. so how the heck are you going to be GREAT all of the time??  I speak with straight not forked nor ass-licking tongue and try my very best not to be vicious, even when they're gaggin' for it. (wellllll... sometimes.   I couldn't control myself with that 'Snag & Mullet Open Mic' thing last month.  But that WAS the depths.  Squid shit drifting to the bottom of the Mariannus Trench...

Anyway.... My suggestions to 'some' bands to keep their shows lively: dress up as wood beetles (plastic carapaces and mandibles would do) and slap each other's bare bottoms with wet lettuce between numbers.  That'll keep it fresh and invite audience participation.  (PS, don't lose the balaclavas.. I really like that bit.)

Sans Trauma and Last Great Wilderness last night @ Bannermans: worth the door money, every time.

14 Apr 2005 Thurs MGCK Music    ..Ok.. so DON'T boycott the joint!

Notes on a previous piece: There's two sides to the 'Opposite the Right Bank' story now.. so I must delete my previous message.  The afore-mentioned 'Jamie'  has kinda cleared his name and reputation on this one.. so we won't bang the gong about it.  My 'little bird' said it was the worst treatment they've ever received at any gig at any times in their lives and as I said, they were a band with a deal , a famous manager and another name not that long ago.  BUT, Jamie has stated numerous reasons for the misunderstanding.. all of which sound good to someone who wasn't there.. Shall we call Johnny Cochrane back from the grave to defend this one?  As it is, I'll let 'Jamie' off.  Maybe he had PMS on the night.

YESTERDAY:... my first visit to Chamber Studios, Granton.. what a f*cking beautiful place.  Great mics.. great space.. great sound possibilities.. Thanks Stephen.

TONIGHT:  Thurs 14 Apr: BIG WORD @ The Tron.. see the above mentioned Jenny Lindsay, Richard Allen and others spin their magic with their mouths!

ON RADIO ONE @ 11pm: Rob Da Bank (touted as 'the new John Peel') will be hosting pre-recorded LIVE 'Jeggsy Dodds' session.  Jeggsy Dodds is the currently VERY hot Mersey-side wordsmith.  Our pal Rob wrote the music and our pal Andy Gibson plays guitar.. listen in.

TOMORROW: Goin' to the Dogs!! Fri 15th Apr @ Dundee's DOGHOUSE:  ISIS, Electra, Rosie Bell and Rachel....

16/17 Apr 2005 Sat/Sun MGCK Music    .. Not 'jute and jam' any more..

I'll talk about the CD's that have been received for the LEITHFM broadcast after I've talked about DUNDEE!

I can't say enough about Friday night at The Doghouse or Friday night in Dundee.  I am so impressed!  For someone who's been in the town only once (and that was 20 years ago), it struck me as regenerated, reconstructed, renewed.. just a new city in many senses.  Easy thoroughfares, easy access straight up the M90/to A90 and you're in the city centre. (If you've landed here from some US ethernet outpost, I'm not meaning Dundee, Maryland, Montana or Georgia,  but Dundee north of Fife, north of Edinburgh.. just Dundee NORTH!)  Beautiful views across the Tay, clean, no traffic (Edinburgh is choked with ridiculous one-person-per-car traffic); Dundee just looked good all the way around.  And The DOGHOUSE.. I expected a grungy little pit of a dive with a tiny stage at the back or the front or maybe over the bar.  The Doghouse is a good-sized 3-storey building on the corner of Brown Street and Hawkhill Road.  You walk into a massive bar with ceiling 2 floors up and wonder where the band goes, there's so many places for it to fit and there's a separate pool room at one end.  They guide you through another door into a good-sized space with stage and big PA set-up, which has a wall of sliding doors that open out into the bar when the gig starts.  In other words you could easily get a few hundred people in there.

The gig itself was sprinkled with promising Dundee talent (the town is a hotspot of talent at the moment) I'm sorry I've got no photos, but first on was Rachel Anderson.. a very pretty petite hippy-chick singer/songwriter who mesmerised us with her stage assurance and great sweet-rough-edged voice as she sang a couple of tricky, intricate and involving numbers about being young and (you guessed it) in love.  But something about the lyrics was not particularly 'young' 'starry-eyed' and/or in love except...  it's difficult to describe how she wrapped the bandage round and round the wound and came out young, starry-eyed and in love anyway.  Someone should pick her up fast.  She should have a small starting deal to get her going: an album and a little tour of towns further south.  I mean, how many people kick off their flip-flops - while seated - to play their songs better?

She was followed by Rosie Bell, whom I brought up with me to share my slot. I don't like doing long sets, so invited Rosie to split it 50/50.  Her set was equally mesmerising to the band of young dudes next to me, one of whom said, 'she's like a Marianne Faithful'..  She was well-received for her word-craft and the smoky cabaret atmosphere she created.  

I'd like to be able to say that 'as an artist', I had an 'anonymous' entry into the Dundee scene; that I could cut out my own turf with a new unexpectant audience, but I can't.  The day before my arrival, I'd been given this incredibly promising write-up in the Dundee Courier 'ROCKTALK' section.  A write-up I felt I had to live up to, which, ultimately, I didn't.   Also, Brian Hutton put up a web-message devoted to telling people of my sultry and semi-exotic charms: http://p204.ezboard.com/fhotelwombfrm29.showMessage?topicID=916.topic - so I was in a better-prove-it! kind of situation, which I, unfortunately could not pull out of my ass on the night.   It didn't help when the backing track for the end of 'Beg', all of 'Jonny Cash' and 'I Wd Run' got screwed inside the machine and all I had left was the ex-Ian Jones partnered heavy number 'Fire On Ice' and the loungey/darkwave 'stream of consciousness' 'That Boy', which I delivered less than enthusiastically.. By then I'd lost any shreds of my composure and began to despair.. just a bank of lights and me alone up there expecting more sound trouble any second.. ANYWAY>>> to my surprise, 'That Boy' passed by without a hitch and got the Dundee dancers up and dancing and I tagged 'Kitty Kitty' on at the end and gave it my 'Fuck It All! all.  Finished on a relatively higher note.  For me, a shit debut, but these things happen.  You can't have it all your way all the time. [Later I found the following paragraph on the above website.  Made me feel it wasn't all a waste of time: 

""Electra gave a great performance which in some ways was lightened by a couple of technical hitches. She was looking lonely way up there above the candlelit tables and it kind of broke the ice a bit with the audience and allowed her to show a lot of confidence and command; recovering from a string of glitches is difficult for those who take themselves too seriously and she didn't flap at all. Is there such a thing as hexuality, 'cause that woman casts it with true glamour .""  Whoever the writer is.. I wanna kiss him!]

Next up ISIS, who (from the off) took the stage like a SWAT team taking a house in Idaho filled with anti-Bush militia.  They brokered no prisoners and I was stunned by their blinding groove (Cath on drums.. I still don't know that bass-player's name!).  From song one to song last they hammered us with a perfect rhythm and Zara's rock-raw voice.  She has a vocal ability to just blow her chords from the beginning to the end; needs no quiet numbers to rest.. she has a completely individual and personal 'sound' and once again, I wondered, 'Why doesn't this band have a deal?'  I can maybe understand it when the band is good, but very alternative and/or wacky, but with ISIS, they are so entirely consumable and yet original.  Rosie leaned over and said to me, "I could see them at T-in-the-Park getting the whole crowd jumping." They had everyone up and dancing at The Doghouse on Friday night.  To contact ISIS, please contact Andy G at the DEAD EARNEST website. One of the two bands I've seen in the last year and a half that should definitely have a deal.  The others being, of course, LGW and MELA (who have a kind of a deal now).

So, If you've got a band.. get your ass up to Dundee and do a gig.  Great gig places with enthusiastic audiences.  Another reason for bands to head North: This adorable girl came up to me after the gig, telling me the quality of my voice and music shocked her.  Her 'perfect girl for any guy' look shocked me.  If I ran a dating service.. she'd be the one I'd put at the top of the list.  An ex grave-digger: I kid you not  - did her degree in Horticulture, ended up digging and tending graves for the Dundee Council, said it was the most fun she's ever had working with all those guys in that sombre place with the graveyard humour, now works in a garden centre; looks like a Texas University cheer-leader.. I mean, really pretty, tall, bubbly blond and big healthy chest on her. Loved the music.. loved us.. if you're a guy and you want to find a good woman.. get yourself to Dundee NOW!  Sorry I don't know her name, but she says she's going to the next ISIS supported by ALTRES gig at the Doghouse Thursday 28th April.  You can't miss her.  She's the one who looks like an American.

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To the LEITH FM CD arrivals: Actually.. not yet.. first to other news:

Jim's been on the road Saturday, today and tomorrow doing the pre-promotion for the 'El Presidente' tour in Scotland.  Last night was Perth. Tonight Aberdeen, Tomorrow Inverness.. Glasgow and Edinburgh to follow.  Apparently, the word up from London is these are the newest hot push. They've got a massive record deal a little tour and a new album called '100 MPH'.  Check it out when it comes to a neighbourhood near you.

NOW To the CD Arrivals: of which there's been a serious number (my condolences to the postman) of all genres.. there's even some accordion music in there.. I might give that a little spin for the hell of it.  Jim's been opening them when I'm not looking and giving me his take.  I write notes on the packages they came in; SO FAR I am impressed with not a lot, but the following individuals stand out from the pack (not in alphabetical order): Lee Graham: track 1.  Underbelly:  'not bad, tracks 3 & 4 best'.  The Sengen: 'already quantified as upper edge of good-to-very-good and reviewed on Listening To page'.  FREEVIEW: 'favourite so far.. good -to really good to GREAT!  Nirvana-esque'.   Impossible Songs: 'love the CD presentation, listen for that reason alone.. found ONE really good song 'Dancing'. THE LEAGUE: 'from Muir of Ord, sound very young AC/DC -esque,  Play Track 2: worst lead guitar ever but heart's in the right place and can't beat the hook: 'A Hard Night's Work'. no website.. just a phone number."  SHOCK AND AWE: 'DEFIN-ATE-LY play a couple of these 'one minute songs'.  Love the look of the CD's.  The attitude, the titles, "For Promotional Abuse Only" and "The Banana Peel Sessions".  The blurb on the back by Bobby Awe has sold me completely: 

 ""Someone asked me if I thought I could get away with having a song that had a title that was the same as the chorus and no verses.  I said 'YES'.  People get hung up on padding songs out to try and improve them and end up ruining the simplicity.  If you've said everything you need to say in the first verse, it's better to repeat it than to write a poor second verse!""  Thank you Bobby Awe. I AGREE! (as long as the song is one minute long!)

I gave them a rough ride for their sexually transmitted frustrations on the Full Moon night above, but they've won my heart with their 'fuck-it-for-fun' stance.  I'm a sucker for humour in music.  Frank Zappa where are you??????

Re the Rest: There's loads of CD's left to listen to.  The JANES look good.  WEIRD 'One More Solo' has intrigued me  BUT, we've gone through and put to one side (i.e. a box) many which I will not mention here..  The saminess of a lot of stuff kills you and bad production values (of which I myself am raucously guilty.. not really caring as long as they can hear me).  If this is what happens in record label offices around the land, you KNOW you're not gonna get heard.  There's a tidal wave of stuff that has no redeeming feature.  No individuality.  No spark, no specialness.. nothing.  Too much easy access to recording gear and home produced demos (I stand guilty as charged).  Then again.. maybe someone else would like it.  But my first and foremost suggestion: get your stuff well-recorded or recorded precisely the way you want to hear it.  Sometimes that means live and edgy.. and think about what it's going to look like when they open the package.  This is not a publishing house.  We are not listening for song-craft that another artist could sing.  We're looking for something that is unique in itself.  Can stand alone.  OK?  So read the blurb below.

CALLING ALL ROCKS  METALS INDIS & ALTERNATIVES: Receiving LOTS of music from bands for the LEITHFM slot.  If you want to have your music played when LEITH FM kicks off on 21st May... email: mgck@mgck.co.uk  with the subject line: For LeithFM.  THE BOTTOM LINE: Heavier metals, harder rocks, nu metals, old-metals, mad-metal, closet-metal (those people who really are hardcore but don't think it will sell so they pretend to be nice musicians and song-writers to get a deal - I forgive you.  I've done that too) pedal-to-the-metal, Indi with a little metal on the side and decidedly Alternative preferred.. plus all that 'mad avant garde shit' i.e. MYELECTRICLOVEAFFAIR...  I'm not into commercial sounding pop-rock or niceties and I probably won't play many singer-songwriter type of things (unless you are REALLY ALTERNATIVE and/or POLITICAL - then you're in) and.. although I love to dance.. it's not that kinda show.  So.. if you fall into any of the desired categories and you've got a CD, contact us mgck@mgck.co.uk. 

LAST GREAT WILDERNESS, SANS TRAUMA, RIESER, MY ELECTRIC LOVE AFFAIR, THE SENGEN, GRAYSTAR, ALTRES, HENNISI, ISIS (if I can get a studio recording), TRANSAUDIO, LEE GRAHAM, KREL and that Accordion music guy are already definites for play.

Wierdest story so far this month: A woman lost part of her finger to a leopard she kept at home in Novato, California.  In the Emergency Room, they told her they could not re-attach the finger part she'd obviously pried from the leopard's mouth.  Last she saw of the finger it was in a plastic bag on the table by the bed where the surgeon had been looking at her.  A few days later a finger tip shows up in a bowl of chilli at Denny's.  The woman reads the story and calls the police to ask to identify the finger and see if it's hers.  It turns out to be the wrong length to be hers.  Apparently nobody asked any questions pertinent to me! i.e, the story seems to take it for granted that your leopard might bite your finger off and/or a finger part might show up in a bowl of chilli at Denny's.  So this leads me to: CALIFORNIA ON MY MIND: US-bound very soon... none of my acquaintances keep a leopard, so, fingers crossed, I will return with all my digits intact.

22 Apr 2005 Fri MGCK Music    .. ...if the name 'dickhead' fits.. wear it...

Just a note here about the nature of people:  You can think you're doing them a favour and they always come back either wanting more or view it as a weakness and try to bite you on the ass.  I thought I was doing all those people who sent music for the radio show a good turn by letting them know I'd received their CD's.  As an artist, you live in anticipation when you send off material and even just a little note is all it takes.  Apparently, one or two individuals didn't think it was enough that I'd typed a couple hundred email addresses.  They wanted to be notified BEFORE the show if I was going to play their music so they could figure out whether or not to bother listening in.  Well.. just give me the name of your band and you won't have to worry about listening in, at all, ever.

NB: For those of you who fear you may be out of broadcast range in June here's a solution.  Get in your car and drive to Academy Street, Edinburgh.. double park anywhere along the street and put your radio on 87.7FM.  The benefits outweigh the cost of petrol and the cost to the environment in that 1) you may actually hear your music being played and 2) you may get to meet other musicians who are parked there.  It's not the most ecologically sound solution, but in the short term.. workable.

In another league: Got an email yesterday from The Skullies in Georgia.  They found their review on the Listening_to page and said,  'yeah.. that's about right.'   Confident lads. They're sending new music for the LeithFM broadcast, which Stewart tells me now will begin on 1 June. 

End Apr 2005 MGCK Music    .. ..."Goin' to California...."

Ocean Beach here we come.  But before I go: this Thursday 28 April @ The DOGHOUSE, Dundee: ALTRES, ISIS and STOOR kick up a fuss.  Be there and bye til later....

Always an eyeful: The Universe Today

In April: 

MELA's  new 7" release 18th April: "Infinite Mass / (So) I'm Alone"  on Static Caravan  

UNDERBELLY play Caledonian BackPackers Sat 23 April.. I think.. have to look again.

ALTRES, ISIS, and STOOR @ the DOGHOUSE, Dundee Thurs 28th April

IN MAY: Saturday 14th MY ELECTRIC LOVE AFFAIR, Cafe Royale, Edinburgh

BE THERE...... or BE SOMEWHERE ELSE! But BE COUNTERCULTURAL!!!!!!!! If you don't know how.. take lessons.

Looking for a keyboard player.  Anybody out there?  Anybody home? If you are technically skilled, Inventive and un-tied to aspirations to 'sound like', please apply.

I've increased the junk mail filter, so, if you send me an email with the words 'slut', 'fuck' or 'tunafish' in the subject line, I probably won't get it. 

*****Want to do a good thing?!  Send an email to letters@radiosix.com with the subject line VOTE and in the body of the text just write: Song: Jonny Cash, Artist: Electra, then your name and address and press SEND.  

as always www.clearchannelsucks.org

If you're looking for more COUNTER-CULTURE, My Electric Love Affair, the 'WHAT KIND OF DOG ARE YOU' game, Full Moon Club, ALTRES, ISIS, and/or CHLOROPHORM HOOKERS then GO to Last month's blog: March 05

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