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ROCKTOBER Already?????! The theme seems to be  'SPACE' 

No, that's not a Harvest Moon: Oct 3, 2005 - Christophe Bogaert captured today's annular eclipse from Belgium.  Astrologically speaking an eclipse marks the end of one thing and the beginning of a new phase.

Missed Piranha Poetry on the 3rd, but they're doing it again on Mon Nov 7

1,2, 3 Oct 05 MGCK Music  "Spent the first three days of the month..."

In sunny Leicester.  Got the DATs, stroked a dying friend and climbed a marvellous fucking hill.  What more can I say?  Fulfilment is a funny thing.

Does anybody out there know a good studio where I can transfer DAT's to CD? If you do,  Contact me please with the subject line: DATs.  Don't give me that, 'DAT's are an old format and we only use new formats...'  Some of the best music in the world is lying in sock drawers across the land recorded on 'old' formats (even VINYL!), waiting to be discovered, plundered, awoken, born again....   

EVERYthing's an 'old format' almost before you get it out of the box.  Money-wise it SUCKS keeping up with the Jones's of technology.  Having to fork out for a bunch o' new gear every time you want to record something/watch something: new software, new players, new STUFF!  What was wrong with the OLD stuff?????  The greatest music in the world was recorded on 'OLD' Stuff and sounds absolutely AMAZING; i.e. Jimi Hendrix - "Are You Experienced" recorded on two 4-trk machines. Try that in your bedroom.

Speaking of Space: Black Holes.. the Ultimate Disaster Movie: "You Can Run, but you Can't Hide!"

Oct 3, 2005 - The pull of gravity from a black hole is so strong that nothing, not even light can escape it. But that doesn't mean they can't be seen indirectly. Matter can pile up around a black hole and heat up, giving off a tremendous amount of radiation. Better techniques and instruments should bring astronomers right to the edge of the monstrous black hole at the heart of the Milky Way. A continental array of sub-millimeter telescopes is in the works that will reveal the shadow cast by a black hole on its surrounding material.

and

WHY ARE SPACE TOURISTS ALWAYS AMERICAN? 

Oct 3, 2005 - The Soyuz spacecraft carrying the crew of Expedition 12 and space tourist Greg Olsen docked with the International Space Station on Monday. The visitors were greeted by the crew of Expedition 11, who have been on board the station for nearly 6 months. Olsen will conduct several experiments on the station, and then return with the crew of Expedition 11 in about a week. [He looks a little shocked to be there.]

Always an eyeful: The Universe Today

And when we're not star-gazing we'll be up in DUNDEE stage gazing.

7 October 2005: Dundee's 'DogHouse': Electra, SAZ, Awaiting Exile and Same Differents (Free Entry dependin' on yer attitude)

   8 Oct 05 Sat MGCK Music  "At the DogHouse.."

Good gig last night in Dundee (courtesy of Dead Earnest Promotions): ELECTRA took us on a trip down her own memory lane.. must be these passes through Leicestershire that does it.  She stormed through 5 Dead Easy numbers to kick off the night;  vocally on form ; raising the rafters and levitating the rubble.  Hitting every mark, broking no opinion and taking no prisoners.  Smiles a lot and uses the mic stand like she's pole-dancing, i.e. traps you in before giving you the big lyrical slam.  Next SAME DIFFERENTS: Paula the guitarist uses a head-mic and foot pedals to trigger the drum machine and switch from electric to acoustic.  Accompanied solely by Malcolm(?) on bass playing a rock-solid line and looking good doing it.  A catalogue of smart, warm and well-crafted indie-rock-pop, delivered without hiccup or hitch.  Some smart 'Feel Good' music on a Dark Rock Night.  The crowd attendance swelled during her set.  Many friends, but yeah.. she makes the audience feel good, unlike the intimate and bruising emotional hardcore of Madame Electra who preceeded her.  Third on was SAZ.. and this band I like.. Backing singer Nicola (I call her 'The Spirit of Saz') poised at the front, like an eager sprite.. lead singer Nikki waiting, boot on monitor, to lay her vocals down.  They kick off and it's heads down see ya later, from one end of the set to the other.  No breather, no break.. just bang bang bang.. tight tight tight... guitar, bass, drums... all playing as one...  one original rock anthem after another.  Love this band.   Last act of the night.. AWAITING EXILE... my feeling was 1) the bass player is 'new' or unrehearsed.  2) The lead singer/guitarist has his heart in the right place and his soul in the tortured hells of K Cobain and Axel Rose.  The other guys could get together more often and work.  It was a little 'loose' for my liking and they did some classic G 'n R's covers etc, but improved through the set.  As it happens, they got better just as I was leaving.  So it goes.  Maybe they were superb by the end of the night.

Also on Fri 7 Oct 05 - Ebdinbrugh: The New Revolution (now called 'GIG') opened it's doors.  Be BOLSHEVIK!

DEEP SPACE: Found this yesterday on the web: I have no idea who these people are, but I love the CD Cover: It's so like my ideal image for the Electra 'WHATEVER' and the Jimmy Miller ANONANON covers.

Band of Rain.. ‘Deep Space’..  http://www.rubbishrecords.co.uk/shop/cds/deepspace.htm

Back to Friday night/Saturday morning: After the gig, drove back down to Edinburgh via Fife where I dropped off a friend near the the quaint and ancient citadel of Falkland.. oh yes.. green rolling Fife.. nice at night.. winding roads... about halfway along realised I was tired ('ustala kak covaka', as the Russkies would say) and could well use some 'High Hitler' to make it safely home.  Got in near 3-ish. watched BBC 24-hour. Nothing new on the Disaster Channel (the earthquake in Pakistan being some hours off).... same old floods from Hurricane Stan and George hasn't dropped the big one; awaiting God to give him the word.  Called JM, on watch at the opening of the NEW Revolution ('GIG' to you) rock club on Lothian Road.  He said night was great and they were back (about 8 people) at Lawrence's watching a Bill Hick's video.  A couple hours later (4:58 am to be precise) some of those people arrived here!! partying on, trying out some new guitar licks and watching the sun rise.  God is the best lighting man.  And it's only Rock N Roll, but we like it. Bring on the Revolution. (Unfortunately for some, it's accompanied this afternoon by a banging hangover.)

Sat 8 Oct:  Ebindrugh: The New Revolution continues it's open door policy w/ Rock N Roll PROMZ featuring Alan McGee

 Mon 10 Oct 05 MGCK Music  Thought for the day: "It's not that happiness is impossible, it's just for high achievers.."  quote written on a scrap of paper from Vegas trip July 2003...

A Sunday of LeithFM 5 preparations.. Discussing Launch at Ocean Terminal and RSL in December.  That's the plan.

Thurs 13 Oct: in Dundee, Altres do some weird and wonderful things at the Mills Observatory, Dundee.. yes.. music.. and natural acoustics. Electra has been invited to 'bring her voice' and contribute to the sonic event.

Fri 14 Oct 05 MGCK Music  THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE TO JOHN PEEL: 

Experimental Space: Beam me OUT THERE Scotty! Last night ALTRES @ The Mills Observatory, Balgay Hill, Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom, Planet Earth, Milky Way. This event was the ULTIMATE tribute to John Peel:  A band of musicians playing on the balcony of the Mills Observatory on the highest hill in Dundee, under a swelling moon and stars; transmitting galaxy wide.

What a night.  What a venue.  Following the 'Thistle' marked signs for 'Observatory' was like a treasure hunt.  Driving up the leaf covered tree sheltered lane... climbing upward on the winding mystery road; coming out at the summit to a full blast of psychaedelic spaced rock.  In the dark at the foot of the sandstone observatory and  scattered in groups around the park, an audience of unknown number were standing, seated, children playing: all eyes skyward checking out the universe and the ALTRES light show reflected on the dome of the Observatory and surrounding trees. Nothing prepares you for a new sensation; the combined aural experience with the incredible flipping VIEW; SPEC-TAC-U-LAR.  The moonlight and stars, bouncing their gazillion beams all the way down the hill across the Tay and beyond.  A perfect night.  ALTRES were already well into their second set and Electra joined them for the last portion of it.  An unrehearsed, boundary-less, experimental, free-flowing jam.  Superb.

The wonderful thing about ALTRES: they ARE out there.. genuinely out there and seeking to go further.  Electra's vocals complemented the concept and made a brief but welcome introduction to what could be a new and beautiful sonic relationship.  If only all gigs were like this.

Post event, the 'Astronomer' showed us 'round... we climbed the ladder to peer through the telescope aimed presently at the curved surface of the moon.. craters as large as the palm of your hand in crystal clear relief.  He explained that the one with the smaller central crater inside it, was about 60 miles across.  Just had to ask, "..ever seen a UFO??" ......  In the shop downstairs, bought postcards from places I may never visit: The Sun, Saturn, Neptune.. Alpha Centori...  If I send them will the recipients think I've been there?  Space... so close.. yet so far out.  

To come closer visit THE UNIVERSE TODAY or build a space ship or meditate or drop some acid or something.

for more info about where we seem to be in the galaxy, i.e. EARTH: http://en.mimi.hu/astronomy/earth.html

Fri 14 Oct @ The Subway, Edinburgh: Back Down to Earth w/ Shock n Awe & Paul Research

(Re: Shock n Awe: Sorry I missed you guys last night at the Subway...it was one of those afternoons that turned into one of those evenings that quickly became one of those nights somewhere else.)

Continuing the theme of some shock and occasional awe: Muldoon (that thing sticking up in the photo is NOT his willy) sent me the snapshot of his newest conquest: D*n*s* Y*k*m*t* - a Japanese heiress (a lá P*r*s H*lt*n) from Brazil who's just taken him on a whirlwind seduction to the Greek Isles and Turkey for a couple of months.  Don't you wish you were an old man with a good line in bullsh*t. (Come on... it's a dirty job, but you know you'd do it for the chance to see a 'whirling dervish'.)  {photos courtesy Muldoon Elder]

Sat 15 Oct @ Bannermans, Edinburgh: Last Great Wilderness

A most remarkable thing happened to me in the last week.  I rediscovered THE WHO: 'Who's Next' (my personal favourite), 'Tommy', Live At Leeds', 'Quadrophenia', 'Who Are You?'.. the genius of Pete Townsend, the incredible vocals of Roger Daltry and Keith Moon's manic drumming.. not to forget (may he also rest in peace) the exalted bass playing of John Entwistle.. I used to know the guy who sold him his s*lph*te.  No wonder his ticker packed it in?

[Someone remind me: got to review TWO CD's.. SINDOLOR's 'LET'S TAKE A RIDE' and JEGGSY DODD, 'WAKE UP AND SMELL THE OFFY!'] Ahhh.. I have a solution.. let Maurits do it.

Thurs 20 Oct 05 MGCK Music  Thought for the day:

"You can only try to cage the tiger."  Old Chinese Proverb

Or corner the slithering accountant.  Back in the real world of royalties owed and creative accountancy and sleight of hand where servicing debts is involved.

Got an email from JESUS ENTERPRISE people in Dundee.. telling me of yet another local 'talent central'  site: www.petpiranha.com 

TONIGHT discovered a 'new' studio.  Well.. 'new' to me...  but it's been around a while.  PIERHOUSE in Granton.  Peter Haigh has the goods: equipment, know-how.. and stays SO FAR outta yer face while you're working.  It's a very chilled environment.  So easy to just get things done and I can say .. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED..  DEAD EASY DAT's transferred and a few other gems.. the TRANSMIT THIS tracks and also some REDMAN.  Feel like I struck gold or found someone's still ticking diamond Rolex chucked into the gutter.  

Fri 21 Oct: LEITH FM SOCIAL MEET - Dockers Club 8Pm-1AM: Yes.. December RSL is going ahead.. will be sending out an all points bulletin for your new music any day now.

Fri 21 Oct @ Bannermans, Edinburgh: Sans Trauma

Sat 22 Oct @GIG: Mary Ann Hobbs (Radio One DJ) w/ the VERY, The This the That.

Sat/Sun 22/23 Oct 05 MGCK Music  Stealing time

While the movers and shakers were all out moving and shaking.  I was locked in a room l-i-s-t-e-n-i-n-g.  Sometimes you've got to spend some time l-i-s-t-e-n-i-n-g.  Ligging is nice and can maybe make you a little connection here a little glue there, but l-i-s-t-e-n-i-n-g is a vital part of your life as an artist.  So... steal some time for yourself and l-i-s-t-e-n. 

About Mary Ann Hobbs (Radio One) set at GIG.. my ears and eyes in the GIG VIP lounge report it was a relatively pleasant evening and Mary Ann was inundated with promo materials (CD's etc) from local 'artists' who descended on the event like locusts.  Poor lady must need an articulated lorry to get it all back home.  This is what happens when you're in a key position to help.  You get inundated.  And, yes Guilty as Charged for inundating.. MGCK Music gave her 4 CD's of various artist material to peruse.

Got a BLOG for you.  Sally Potter, Writer and Director, on the road with her new film 'YES'.. even musicians, ESPECIALLY MUSICIANS, will learn something from her experience, observations, delights and disappointments: http://www.yesthemovie.com/yes_diary i.e. : "The time has come, it would seem, to say ‘no’ to more invitations to yet more festivals, however tempting, however necessary my presence at them seems to be for the life of YES. An independent film has to be fought for, defended, protected; there is no massive machinery of publicity to announce it to the world; no television spots, no billboards, no trumpets blaring and spotlights blazing. In a word, there is no money. So one compensates for the lack of a promotional infrastructure based on cash with one’s time and energy, with one’s presence and commitment (unpaid, of course). It feels like being a warrior, though the war that is being fought is not always a clear one. A war for a film? Surely not. Perhaps for a principle? Certainly for space in a sphere governed by business, the market, by profit, where the value of a film is measured not by its intangible workings in the intimate arena of the imaginary, but by its box-office takings. A sphere where a film, (a script, a book, a painting, a song) becomes a ‘property’, one in which the maker may not retain any rights of ownership, not even the right to her or his name after that small but potent word ‘copyright’."

For those interested in Film visit and join SHOOTING PEOPLE.. Membership for SHOOTING PEOPLE NEW YORK and SHOOTING PEOPLE LONDON available on the website.  (PS- you get invited to all the best parties!!!)

Wed 26 Oct @ Cabaret Voltaire, Edinbrugh: Miss Black America, Sans Trauma, iDou (used ta be 'Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine) and Data Panic?? Whatever

Thurs 27 Oct 05 MGCK Music  Cabaret Voltaire have a superb sound system

and last night was a full-on range of rock fare.  SANS TRAUMA, now in the studio recording on the other guy's dime (always a good sign) have completely conquered their sound.  Full phat.  Still favourite track, 'Give In To Win'. Re MISS BLACK AMERICA?  What can I tell you? 5 White Guys.  Look like 'Suede' to me.. but then again.. it's all there.. but I'm not sure I haven't seen it somewhere before.. but still liked it enough to buy two 2-track EP's.  Support the art or there won't be none goin' 'round.  CARTER THE UNSTOPPABLE SEX MACHINE.. now reborn again as 'iDOU'  were cute, funny, descriptive and tight.. but their piece de resistance was a cover of Billy Idol's 'White Wedding'.  My advice: DON'T PLAY A COVER that's similar to but BETTER THAN Any of your Own Songs you Play in Your Own Set!!!  It kind of puts things in the wrong perspective.

"WHAT IS IT???" You ask in wonder.  Why.. it's  a 'SUPERMASSIVE' Black Hole!!  (A bit like my head feels this morning.) 45 million light years away in the southern constellation of Fornax!  My question: 

'Is that far enough?'  

Sat 29 Oct @ GIG, Enidburgh: Paranoid Monkeys, Miyagi,  et al (definitely in attendance for this)

Sun 30 Oct 05 MGCK Music  It's STILL ROCKtober and speaking of 'Space':

GREAT gig last night at 'GIG' on Edinburgh's Lothian Road.  THE PARANOID MONKEYS came, saw, conquered then dropped by our table for a chat after their exceptionally spacey yet groovingly consistent set: giving our group (*we had some 'REAL' music business in attendance) their newly mixed CD.  On the inner sleeve-liner they quote our review of their first CD: ""a band who are sincerely intense, compelling and original soundsmith's of THOUGHTFUL sonically grooving material...Rare as rocking horse sh*t...""  See them before they go BIG and you never get to see them again as they spin off around the globe like some touring comet.

So, yeah... Great set, but even more important: GREAT SETTING!  There could be no better 'showcase' venue for a major CD launch-night or lucky-to-play-there unsigned band in the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh than GIG.  Glasgow has numerous great venues, but Edinburgh has been lacking a good-sized venue for mid-level and new touring bands in the heart of the town.  GIG has crowd capacity; the public spaces are well-defined, the sound is SUPERB, the vibe is lovely; it's cool, it's groovy and it reminds me of the WARFIELD THEATRE on Market Street in San Francisco.  What they need are some WARFIELD sized mid-level touring bands to come through and make use of this astonishing venue asset.  I think they're working on those line-ups as we speak.

Re Jim: DJ Jim Gellatly's (BEAT 106FM) between sets 'set' improved as the night progressed and he chucked in that loveliest of late 80's LA ROCK CORE tracks, GUN's n ROSES 'Welcome to The Jungle'.. the track which broke them BIG and still takes some beating from up and coming bands.  Sorry, I never mentioned MIYAGI, but we've seen them play numerous times.  They've shared gig nights with ELECTRA and other Unoffishal Page favourites.  About a year and a half ago there seemed to be fewer of them, now there's too many of them.. it looks or sounds like there may be 8 musicians on the stage at any one time; each with his finger on his own fader.  The 'manager guy' with us made the comment, 'perfect drummer for drum students.. plays all the beats no one can dance to.'  That pretty much sums it up.  Their material chops and changes moods and beats and just when you might be getting into some of it, it veers off into an almost Jesus Loves You Christian-vibed southern thang.. without the consummate blue grass instrumental skills.  Then it's back to Crosby, Stills & Nash (sans YOUNG!) again.  Not my cup of tea, but a couple of flat-shoed down-homey ladies were giving it a go on the dance floor.  No high-heels please, we're Miyagi.

Anyway.. it's Sunday and the clocks have gone back.. You've GAINED an extra hour of life! Use it well.

NEXT FRIDAY 4 NOV @GIG: 3 Unoffishal Page Favourites hit the same stage: MY ELECTRIC LOVE AFFAIR, LAST GREAT WILDERNESS & TRANSAUDIO

Be there or be square.. just don't get fat doing it.

PHOTO REMINDER FOR THE MONTH'S END: nothing like handsome men pulling themselves around the place.  (this could be YOU!)

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AND in NOVEMBER:

Fri 4 NOV @GIG:  MY ELECTRIC LOVE AFFAIR, LAST GREAT WILDERNESS & TRANSAUDIO

Mon 7 Nov @ Bannermans: ISLE OF ME (Lee Graham) and BLACK MEDICINE

same night just down the road at the Holyrood Tavern:

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

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If you're looking for last month's things: i.e. (I can't remember what they were now??!) OH yeah.. JEGGSY DODD, George Galloway, Hurrican Katrina, The Music Nazi speaks re: Shite Bands, DANDY WARHOL'S new Album 'Odditorium', 'High Hitler', THe Twelfth Night Collection and STARVATION BOX, go to Last month's blog: September 05

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SPACE: The FINAL FRONTIER! Always an eyeful: The Universe Today

Sites worth a visit and support are: http://www.adbusters.org and Be an 'Antipreneur' - anti-corporate - self-motivated activist: http://adbusters.org/metas/politico/antipreneur/

http://www.indymedia.org.uk

*****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  (note: this site seems to have been closed down.. probably by some legal suit from Clearchannel themselves.

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