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| DAILY
ALTERNATIVE MUSIC NEWS (and more) FROM ORGANART.COM |
| 5th
MARCH - SKUNK ANANSIE back... The Skin fronted melodic metal band
are born again and back for more so it would seem, two shows booked, 2nd
and 3rd of April at the Water Rats in London. Wrting new musiv and getting
ready for a "greatest hits" album and tour so it seems - www.myspace.com/skunkanansiemusic
HAWKLORDS
POSTPONED AFTER CHAINSAW INCCIDENT.... While cutting fire logs with
a chain saw on Sunday, March 1st Hawklords’ Nik Turner - who is nearly
70 years of age and one of the founder members of Hawkwind – fell and injured
his back, making it impossible for him to stand.
Nik along with Martin Griffin, Ron Tree, Alan Davey, Steve Swindells, Jerry
Richards, Adrian Shaw, Terry Ollis and Harvey Bainbridge, were supposed
to be headlining the Roundhouse this coming Sunday March 8th as the 'Hawklords'
in memory of the great graphic artist 'Barney Bubbles' who died 25 years
ago.
The Hawklords planned to perform Hawkwind's classic 'Space Ritual' – originally
designed and influenced by Barney, along with the late Robert Calvert,
a one time member of both Hawkwind and the Hawklords. Because of Nik's
injury the event has been moved to Sunday 7th June, and will be an all-standing
show. Tickets bought for 8th March will be valid for the rescheduled date.
Those who can't make the new date and require a refund should go to their
point of purchase.
5th
MARCH - NEW SUPER FURRY ALBUM.... Super Furry Animals have
announced details of their new LP. 'Dark Days/Light Years', the band's
ninth studio album, will be out on 13 Apr
NEIL
YOUNG for Isle Of Wright festival... Newport, Isle Of Wight, 12-14
Jun: Neil Young just
announced
as headliner (so, does that mean he's not headlining Glastonbury, as widely
rumoured?). www.isleofwightfestival.com
x |
 5th
MARCH - £2000 is the price new bands are expected to pay to get a
slot on the Guilfest new band unsigned band stage this year (and there
was you thinking you got on the stage because you were making the most
exciting new music they could find)
Pay
to play, the evil practice is spreading again...
JUST
READ THIS SOMEWHERE...GUILFEST are doing it again! PRICES UP AGAIN
THEN, PROMISED US (AND THE MUSICIANS UNION) THEY'D NEVER DO IT AGAIN two
years ago, increased it from 1500.00 to 1750.00 last year, up to 2000.00
this year, all to play in an empty tent somewhere on the edge of the festival
with only your mates who you emotionally blackmailed in to buying a ticket
(or more likely gave away a ticket to becasue no one would buy them) watching
"This
may have already been covered, but... I just rung the lovely people at
Guilfest to enquire about their artists submissions policy for 2009. I
got to speak to a lovely man named Mal, who asked me lots of questions.
He then told me that all unsigned bands are expected to purchase 50 day
tickets up front....at £40 each. Anyone got a spare £2000 kicking
around?"
Pay
to play, forced ticket buys, and convincing new bands who really don't
know any better that this is the only way to get anywhere is well out of
order and these promoters all know it.. Legally Guilfest are doing nothing
wrong, but morally...? They have no morals do they...
What
happened to that promise you made to me on the phone and to the Musicians
Union two years ago Tony? (Tony is your head man at GuilFest)
And
the practice is spreading in London as well, bands are reporting more and
more pay to play, forced tickets buys and such at places the Water Rats
and Purple Turtle.
Pay
to play is an evil, a morally bankrupt practice, lazy ‘promoters’ who think
nothing of exploiting the hopes and dreams of new bands by telling them
this is the only way to get anywhere in the music industry, not only is
it wrong, they’re lying to you, you DO NOT HAVE TO PAY TO PLAY to get anywhere,
you should never ever hand over money to play a show, you should never
be forced to pay a ‘deposit’ or be forced to buy tickets, any promoter
who does this isn’t going to be putting on any kind of good show that any
of us are going to turn up to, you’ll be just be playing to your mates,
the mates of the other bands will stay in the bar or leave as soon
as their and have played... everyone knows the score besides you new bands
that these scumbags are leaching off. Don’t fall for it, never ever pay
to play, just a waste of your time and money
Back
in the late 80’s it was pretty much impossible to get a gig anywhere in
London for a new band without paying to play, until a load of right-thinking
promoters, zines, labels, people like the TLF, the Musicians Union (who
these days are pretty useless we’re sorry to say) made a stand in London
and for a while anyone who tried it was treated like they had the plague.
The problem is spreading again, time for everyone to shout once more, these
things matter to bands new and old and us, the people who pay to get in
to gigs – loads more about all this on the Organ forum....FORUM
x |
 5th
MARCH - F**KED UP are playing a 'secret' low key gig thing this
Saturday in London, support from MOB RULES, MALE
BONDING and THE SCEPTRES all happening at Corsica
Studios, Unit 5, Farrell Court, Elephant Rd., SE17 - Secret low key
gig thing with the forward looking Canadian punk rock outfit headlining,
they're one of the best bands out there right now, their album was the
Organ album of the year last year... Shame it clashes with that thing in
Deptford... Psssst, keep this one under yer hat, INNER
TERRESTRIALS / BABAR LUCK BAND and loads more tbc, Restarts, Autonomads...
OKUPATIONAL HAZARD!!!!!!!!! London’s best squat venue is being evicted!
this will be the last party. It's going to be outside festie style,
best do of the year so far!!!!! 7th March at The Vic, Grove St, Deptford,
all dayer, come early... so said someone, you didn’t read it here officer...
4th
MARCH - GONG ANNOUNCE 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR - Gong are celebrating
forty years of touring by, erm, touring.. Founding member Daevid Allen
will be joined by Gong members Steve Hillage, Gilli Smyth, Mike Howlett,
Miquette Giraudy, Chris Taylor, Theo Travis and John McKenzie on the tour.
The tour will follow the release of a new album, out in September. Dates
are as follows, tickets are on sale now, press info from Noble. 19 Nov:
Bristol O2 Academy, 20 Nov: Exeter Lemon Tree, 21 Nov: Manchester Academy
2, 22 Nov: Edinburgh Picturehouse, 23 Nov: Sheffield Leadmill, 25 Nov:
Leamington Spa Assembly, 26 Nov: Cambridge Corn Exchange, 27 Nov: London
Forum, 28 Nov: Oxford Regal Theatre, 29 Nov: Brighton Corn Exchange
JARVIS
COCKER has announced a brief string of UK tour dates to coincide with
the release of his as-yet-untitled second solo album. Good. Tour dates:
10 Jun: Blackpool, Empress Ballroom, 12 Jun: Glasgow, ABC, 16 Jun: Brighton,
Dome, 17 Jun: London, Troxy
3rd
MARCH - HERZOGA and more Wrong Pop... Stoke’s Herzoga are back on
March 30th with a bag load of spiky attitude and a new single called Swetmores,
the band who’ve been championed lots around here in the past - demo reviews,
radio play, that split CD single we put out with debuts from them and To
The Bones that introduced both bands to Radio One, opened the door to world
domination and such... The new single is out on Broken
Branch Records, more of their awkwardly fluid wrongness that always
seems rather right. The band have another Radio One session coming up on
March 6th, no doubt you can find out lots more via www.myspace.com/herzogaband
IGGY
gets
all Jazz on us.... Iggy Pop has said that he's recorded a jazz LP inspired
by Michel Houellebecq's novel 'La Possibilité D'une Ile'. In a video
interview posted on Iggypop.org, he said of the album, which is called
'Preliminaires': "It's a quieter album with some jazz overtones. That's
because at one point I just got sick of listening to idiot thugs with guitars,
banging out crappy music. And I was starting to listen to a lot of New
Orleans-era Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton type of jazz".
NEW
YORK DOLLS have released details of their new album, 'Cause I Sez So',
which is out in the US on 5 May, don't know when it's out here. It's produced
by Todd Rundgren, who also produced the band's 1973 debut. Frontman David
Johan sen said in a statement: "It was amazing working with Todd again,
and I think we were able to evoke the special sound of our first album
and drag it by the hair into the present". They are also planning
to appear at SXSW.
NEIL
YOUNG UK shows and things... Neil Young will release his new album,
'Fork In The Road', on 6 Apr, with the first single from it out on 23 Mar.
He will also be heading over to the UK to play some shows in June. Hmm,
doesn't something else happen in June? Oh yeah, Glastonbury. I wonder if
the dates Neil's announced are directly before Glastonbury, which, of course,
he is rumoured to be headlining (clue: they are). Tour dates: 23 Jun: Nottingham,
Trent FM Arena 24 Jun:Aberdeen, AECC
EELS
new album... Eels will release a new album, Hombre Lobo, on June
2. The 12-song album, which will be the band's seventh full studio effort,
was recorded in band leader Mark 'E' Everett's studio in Los Angeles. It
will be the group's first new studio album release since 2005's double
LP Blinking Lights And Other Revelations.
FAITH
NO MORE for Download... the born again reformed Faith No More are now
confirmed for the Donnington festival (alongside headliners Slipknot and
Def Leppard), let us hope it isn’t their only UK date, bet it is though,
you’d have to pay us a lot of money to go anywhere that marketing fest
even with Patton and co on the bill, I do hope they’re not just back for
the money... Anvil are also playing the festival...
2nd
MARCH - MI AMI, album out today, UK dates... San Francisco trio
Mi Ami have announced plans to tour the UK and Ireland in April and May.
Today sees the two ex-Black Eyes members unleash their new creation, album
“Watersports” with their band Mi Ami. Reactions to the Touch & Go release
have so far included Dazed & Confused declaring their love, NME dubbing
Daniel Martin-McCormick’s vocals “the pure sound of sacrificial slaughter”,
a 4/5 review in Kerrang and the editor of another popular music magazine
refusing to cover them at all, stating that the album made him want to
punch himself in the face. Album of the week here at Organ last
week and played on our Resonance radio show of course. A mixed array
of reactions fitting for a band who have something truly unique to offer
then. If you’d like to check them out and make up your own mind, get yourself
along to one of the following dates: April 9th Brighton Greenhouse Effect,
10th London Lexington (Upset the Rhythm night), 30th London Macbeth, May
3rd Glasgow Optimo @ Sub Club, 4th Newcastle End Bar, 5th Liverpool Korova,
6th Cambridge The Portland, 7th Galway Roisin Dubh, 8th Belfast Menagerie,
9th Dublin Crawdaddy, 10th Cork Crane Lane Theatre - www.myspace.com/miamiamiami
or www.touchandgorecords.com
28th
FEB - THE JESUS LIZARD are to play an ATP gig at The Forum here
in London on May 11th. Hot on the heels of their ATP Fans Strike Back festival,
this will be their only other UK date and probably the only time you'll
ever get to see the re-united but only for a short time line up of the
legendary Chicago band here in the UK – www.myspace.com/eljesuslizardo |
 27th
FEB - FAITH NO MORE CONFIRM REUNION - A lot of effort goes into
promoting bands, but sometimes all you need is an off-hand comment at the
end of a press release about something else. The words "the highly anticipated
reunion tour with Faith No More in Europe this summer" were all that were
needed to spark hundreds of publications into action. Well now Faith No
More have officially confirmed that they are getting back together.
As
expected, original guitarist Jim Martin will not be involved, despite reportedly
being contacted about rejoining and expressing an interest in doing so.
Instead the band's most recent guitarist, Jon Hudson, who played on the
band's last album 'Album Of The Year', will re-join the core line-up of
Mike Patton on vocals, Billy Gould on bass, Roddy Bottum on keyboards and
Mike Bordin on drums.
In
a statement, Gould explained that since their split in 1998, no members
of the band had stayed regularly in touch with each other and none had
seriously considered the idea of getting back together, particularly as,
he said, "throughout our 17 years of existence, the mental and physical
energy required to sustain this creature was considerable and relentless".
However, he explained, a recent meeting changed their views of working
with each other: "What we've discovered is that time has afforded us enough
distance to look back on our years together through a clearer lens and
made us realize that through all the hard work, the music still sounds
good, and we are beginning to appreciate the fact that we might have actually
done something right. ... When it all worked, it worked really well, even
if the chemistry was always volatile".
The band are yet to confirm their exact plans, although Mike Patton's publicist
has, as previously reported, revealed that the band are set to play a number
of European festival dates this summer. As for anything beyond that, things
seem unclear. Gould says: "We can only hope that the experience of playing
together again will yield results erratic and unpredictable enough to live
up to the legacy of FNM. Who know where this will end or what it will bring
up... only the future knows. But we are about to find out!" (cmu)- www.fnm.com |
 26th
FEB - Psssst, keep this one under yer hat, INNER
TERRESTRIALS / BABAR LUCK BAND and loads more tbc, Restarts, Autonomads...
OKUPATIONAL HAZARD!!!!!!!!! London’s best squat venue is being evicted!
this will be the last party. It's going to be outside festie style,
best do of the year so far!!!!! 7th March at The Vic, Grove St, Deptford,
all dayer, come early... so said someone, you didn’t read it here officer...
SCHOOL
OF SEVEN BELLS and more headline shows... With their debut album, 'Alpinisms',
out this week via Full Time Hobby, School Of Seven Bells have announced
a handful of headline dates, which will bookend support slots with White
Lies and Bat For Lashes (well, the February dates have been known for a
while, the May dates are new). Headline tour dates: 26 Feb: London, Cargo
(SOLD OUT), 27 Feb: Manchester, Night & Day, 28 Feb: Bristol, Start
The Bus, 1 Mar: Brighton, Audio , 12 May: Norwich Arts Centre, 13 May:
Sheffield, Harley, 14 May: London, ULU
25th
FEB - ENTER SHIKARI make new track available free... Now this
doesn’t excite us much, but hey, live and let live, world peace, each to
their own good/bad musical taste and all that, seems the heroes to some,
though they mean nothing to us, finished their new album only yesterday.
To celebrate this they’ve made a new track from said recording session
free for you to download should you want to. Seems the track is from the
forthcoming Enter Shikari album 'Common Dreads' and you can find it by
poking around with a stick over at www.entershikari.com
– we don’t feel inclined to check that fact ourselves, what with hair needing
a wash and cats to feed, but hey, it said so in the press release and this
is a news page and it is, we’re sure, exciting news for some of you, don’t
blame us if the track isn’t there...
Those
thrilling maximalists from New York known as CAPILLARY ACTION are
on their way to Europe, they hit the UK on March 18th for a show at the
Old Blue Last in London, they take themselves all over the UK and end up
back in London on April 4th before heading to mainland Europe, dates
are still being pull together, so best check out their My Space, you’ll
find some seriously progressively bendy other rock adventure there, one
of the finest bands out there right now, serious brain food... "Thrilling
maximalism that has me rubbing my hands with glee straight away. A whole
album's worth of perversely complex, er, pop... that has chunks of different
genres popping up unexpectedly like the good bits in a stew made of gourmet
leftovers." - Organ Magazine Album of the Week back sometime last year,
the review is here, head over to www.myspace.com/capillaryaction
and enjoy
FAITH
NO MORE reunion is on (again) so it seems... Is it on, is it not? Well,
apparently it is. Faith No More frontman Mike Patton's publicist has revealed
that the band will be reuniting later this year. A press release announcing
Patton's score for upcoming film 'Crank 2: High Voltage' closed with a
mention that he would be involved with "the highly anticipated reunion
tour with Faith No More in Europe this summer". According to Billboard,
Patton's spokesperson Monica Seide subsequently revealed that the band
would play a number of European festival dates this summer, although she
did not reveal which other members of the band would be involved. Rumours
hint that original guitarist Jim Martin is not on board and, as previously
reported, bassist Billy Gould denied all knowledge of a reunion when asked
about it by Kerrang! in January.
KILLING
JOKE for fans strike back... Latest additions to ATP: Fans Strike Back
are Killing Joke, The Mae Shi, School of Seven Bells, Liam Finn, This Will
Destroy You, Hush Arbors and a Pete Fowler art exhibition. More from www.atpfestival.com
24th
FEB - FIELD DAY first bands announced, MOGWAI and more...
Field Day will take place this year on Saturday 1 August from 11.30am -
10.30pm at Victoria Park, London E9. List of bands announced looks like
this: Aeroplane, Apes and Androids, Erol Alkan, Errors, Fennesz, Final
Fantasy, First Aid Kit, Four Tet, James Yorkston, Malcolm Middleton, Mogwai,
Mystery Jets, S.C.U.M, Skream, Toumani Diabate, plus many more to be announced.
More from www.fielddayfestivals.com
or www.myspace.com/fielddaylondon
SAINT
ETIENNE have announced Sheffield and London shows in May where they’ll
perform their seminal, debut album 'Foxbase Alpha' in it's entirety. SHEFFIELD
The Leadmill - Thu 14 May LONDON Bloomsbury Ballroom - Sat 16 May
x |
 23rd
FEB - THE HOT TODDIES are on the way... California all-girl indie
pop band, The Hot Toddies, are on their way over with a bag loads of sunshine,
goodness, surf, sand, 60's harmonies and charming songs that they say are
about being bad. This is their first tour to the UK and they say they're
very excited to be booked for a 10 date tour April 2-11th. They will be
playing in London, Brighton, Exeter, Portsmouth, Bristol, Liverpool, Oxford
and more. “It's a long way to travel on an independent label and we'd love
your help” they said... Here’s the dates: Thu. April 2 - Brighton,
The Latest Bar, Fri. April 3 - London, The Lexington, Sat. April 4 - Portsmouth,
Edge of the Wedge, Wedgewood Rooms, Sun. April 5 - Exeter, The Phoenix,
Mon. April 6 - Bristol, The Mother's Ruin, Tue. April 7 - Liverpool, Bar
Fresa, Wed. April 8 - Preston, Mad Ferret, Thu. April 9 - Oxford, The Cellar,
Fri. April 10 - Peterborough, The Met Lounge Sat. April 11 - TBA – go find
out for yourselves over at www.myspace.com/thehottoddies
x |
| 22nd
FEB - SPOKES, the quietly epic, rather uplifting post rock band
from Manchester have apparently signed a deal with Counter Records, Ninja
Tune's indie arm. Their first album 'People Like People Like you' is going
to be re-released on Counter at the beginning of April. The band are also
touring next month, that’s March to you and me: Fri 20th - Sneaky Pete's,
Edinburgh, 22nd - Green Room, Sheffield, 23rd - The Cluny,
Newcastle, 24th - Roadhouse, Manchester, 25th - Mad Ferret, Preston
26th – The Talbot, Wrexham, 27th - Sumo, Leicester 28th - Arts Depot (Tally
Ho! Day Fest), London, 29th – The Library, Leeds - www.myspace.com/spokessound
21st
FEB - CROSS STITCHED EYES tour dates... New Alternative Tentacles
signees Cross Stitched Eyes embark on a UK Tour at the end of March 2009.
Their debut album for Alternative Tentacles, will be called Coranach. Often
compared to Rudimentary Peni and Killing Joke, members of Cross Stitched
Eyes have also played in The Enemies, Zygote, Citizen Fish, UK Subs, and
Anger of Bacteria. "Coranach packs fourteen short but perfectly formed
songs together. Not afraid to let loose with noise damage on Substance
or get melodic with Breath of Lies, the diversity of styles on this record
shows a band at the peak of its game”. CROSS STITCHED EYES UK TOUR DATES:
March 29 - The Junction, Bristol, March 30 - Satan's Hollow, Manchester,
March 31 - The Pack House, Leeds, April 1 – Navigation, Nottingham,
April 2 - The Grosvenor, London - www.myspace.com/crossstitchedeyes
x |
 20th
FEB - MONO tour and new album.... Just in time for their 10-year
anniversary, MONO return with their fifth studio album, 'Hymn To The Immortal
Wind'. Here comes the pre release hype from the label’s PR people; “After
touring almost non-stop for five years, the band hibernated for over a
year to focus solely on writing Hymn... The result is their most thoughtful
and eclectic album to date. Written and arranged with a hopeful, romantic
narrative in mind, the songs string together like chapters in an epic love
story. The music is naturally majestic, with Mone's trademark wall of noise
crashing beautifully against the largest chamber orchestra the band has
ever enlisted. The instrumentation is vast, incorporating strings, flutes,
organ, piano, glockenspiel and tympani into their standard face melting
set-up.
Recorded to analog tape with long-time friend and producer Steve Albini,
there is an intimacy captured here that is at once beautiful and a little
terrifying. The creaking of old wooden chairs as the orchestra rocks in
their seats (both literally and figuratively), puckered lips rolling along
flutes, and even the conductor's opening cue can be heard during the hauntingly
quiet opening moments.
While Hymn. continues to mine the cinematic drama inherent in all of MONO's
music, the dynamic shifts now come more from dark-to-light instead of quiet-to-loud.
The maturity to balance these elements so masterfully has become MONO's
strongest virtue”.
See Mono live: March: 20th Brighton Digital, 21st Birmingham Hare and Hound,
22nd Nottingham Rescue Rooms, 23rd Glasgow Stereo, 24th Sheffield Corporation,
25th Bristol The Croft, 26th London Scala. The album is released on March
30th - www.mono-jpn.com
19th
FEB - ISIS have announced details of their fifth album, 'Wavering
Radiant', the album will be released on 4 May via Conspiracy Records. Word
is that the epic metallers have explored some new routes on this record,
but you chin-stroking fans will still be pleased to learn that the cryptic
lyrics that are such a feature of the band's songs will be there to tie
the whole thing together, as ever.
18th
FEB - NEW BAD SEED ANNOUNCED... Ed Keupper has been announced as
the new guitarist for the Bad Seeds. He replaces Mick Harvey who, as previously
reported, recently quit the band "for a variety of personal and professional
reasons". Keupper is going to have his work cut out for him, he has just
performed a series of shows with his former band, The Saints, and has announced
a reunion show for another former band, jazz punkers The Laughing Clowns,
at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival in April, before heading out
for festival dates with Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds in June and July.
TRAIL
OF DEAD UK dates... And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead return
with their sixth album, 'The Century Of Self', their first for German label
Superball Music, on Monday. To promote it, the band have just announced
a string of UK tour dates. Speaking about the album, and the move to an
independent label, following their split from Universal/Interscope in 2007,
the band's Conrad Keely told CMU: "We finally have the artistic freedom
we've wanted, with no pressure to create radio music, no legal department
to OK our artwork, and no A&R people breathing down our necks. The
new songs are very personal. Some of them are autobiographical. We're building
on everything we've ever done, looking back on our whole career and taking
a lot inspiration from our early music. We continue to evolve the concept
and try to incorporate new ideas. And there was no point on the record
where we were trying to write songs you'd hear on commercial radio. We
know that singles are driving the market, and we don't care".
Tour
dates: 14 Apr: Portsmouth, Wedgewood Rooms, 15 Apr: Nottingham, Rescue
Rooms, 16 Apr: Manchester, Academy 3, 17 Apr: Glasgow, Oran Mor, 19 Apr:
Newcastle, Academy, 20 Apr: Birmingham, Academy, 22 Apr: Bristol, Thekla,
23 Apr: London, Electric Ballroom, 24 Apr: Oxford, Academy
SUPERSONIC
FESTIVAL details announced.... This year’s Supersonic Festival will
take place 24th - 26th July at its usual venue, The Custard Factory, Birmingham,
UK. This year’s line-up is shaping up to be the best yet, the first confirmed
act is none other than Head Of David, Justin K Broadrick’s influential
industrial metal outfit performing for the first time in 23 years! Other
acts on the bill are Zu, former Swans legend
Jarboe, psych-rock
troupe Earthless, the Flower/Corsano Duo, Genghis Tron,
Growing, Master Musicians Of Bukkake (featuring members of Sun City
Girls, Asva and Earth), 65daysofstatic, PRE, Pontiak, Venetian Snares
and we’re told many more acts are to be announced!! For more festival
info see www.capsule.org.uk
THROBBING
GRISTLE head to heaven... Post/pre punk industrialists Genesis
P-Orridge (bass, violin, vocals), Cosey Fanni Tutti (guitars, cornet),
Peter "Sleazy" Christopherson (tapes, found sounds, horns), and Chris Carter
(synthesizer) follow their first US dates in 28 years with an exclusive
UK show at Heaven. Find out if they still seethe with the desire to destroy!
Throbbing Gristle and S.C.U.M at Heaven, Central London, 21st June....
THE
TUBES announce London show... June 2nd Islington Academy, London, is
the date and the place, here’s the link - www.thetubes.com/shows.htm
This has been a short sharp news piece...
17th
FEB - IDLEWILD have announced three consecutive May shows at London
Dingwalls where they'll play all their albums across 3 nights. It all happens
between Tue 19 May and Thu 21 May
16th
FEB - UNDERGROUND RAILROAD tour and EP... Following the acclaimed
2008 album Sticks And Stones, London based Parisian trio Underground Railroad
are to release an new EP called Pick The Ghost on April 13th and are also
touring with Fight Like Apes in February and March – www.myspace.com/urailroad.
GANG
GANG DANCE cancel European tour... The 'devastated' band have had all
of their equipment destroyed in a blaze. Gang Gang Dance have been forced
to cancel their European tour after a fire destroyed all their equipment,
leaving the "devastated" band stranded in Amsterdam. After playing the
opening night of the tour at the city's Paradiso club on Friday (February
13), the band put their instruments in a lock-up, only to return the following
morning to find that an electrical fire had swept through the building.
Blogging on Myspace.com/ganggangdance
the band said hardly any of their equipment was salvageable from the blaze.
"We didn't really know the scope of how bad the fire was until we arrived
on the scene to find every piece of equipment we own scattered out in the
parking lot...melted, charred, and still smouldering," they wrote. "Most
of our gear is way beyond repair and the small amount of stuff that looks
as if it wasn't physically destroyed by the fire itself has all been doused
by the fire hoses. So we have been left with synths that are melted, a
charred guitar, cases full of wet pedals and cables, drums that are nothing
but the metal rims, amps that look as if they've been doused in tar...the
list goes on."
As well as their instruments, a number of memory sticks containing some
of Gang Gang Dance new music were also destroyed in the fire. The band
say they considered carrying on the tour with rented equipment, before
conceding that logistically it would be too difficult. Instead, they promised
to reschedule the cancelled shows. "It's all really devastating and we
wish nothing more then to be in Brussels tonight (we were super excited
about that show!) and to be able to continue on with our tour, but there
is really no way for that to happen given the circumstances. We are hoping
to come back as soon as possible and make up for all this,"
The cancelled February UK dates are/were Manchester Roadhouse (25), London
Dingwalls (26), Bristol Fleece (27), Brighton Audio (28)
VIDEO
NASTIES have announced the details of their debut album. The London
band also confirmed they will play a free residency at London's Old Blue
Last venue throughout April. The band have named the LP 'On All Fours'.
It will be released on April 13, preceded by a single, 'Jellybean', on
March 23. Video Nasties play London’s Old Blue Last on April 1, 7 and 14.
– www.myspace.com/videonasties
15th
FEB - ANEKDOTEN and mellodrama and... “Mellodrama! Dear folks! I
just wanted to recommend a new documentary by Dianna Dilworth about our
favorite instrument. Mellodrama will give you the history on the Mellotron.
Please check the trailer here.
It has been a little bit silent from the Anekdoten camp lately but believe
me we are working hard and big news are coming soon! Stay tuned! Nicklas”
-
www.myspace.com/anekdoten
x |
 12th
FEB - SONIC YOUTH have posted more information about their 16th
album, ‘The Eternal’. The album will be released on double vinyl, compact
disc, and digital album by Matador Records on June 9. Produced by John
Agnello and the band, ‘The Eternal’ not only marks Sonic Youth’s return
to the independent label sphere (titles on their own SYR label excepted)
after a long association with Geffen, but more importantly, ranks as one
of their more inspired efforts in a 28 year career.
Recorded through November and December of last year at the band’s Echo
Canyon West studio in Hoboken, NJ, ‘The Eternal’ features many firsts for
a Sonic Youth album, including a number of shared vocals between Kim, Thurston,
and Lee, and the studio debut of former Pavement/Dustdevils bassist Mark
Ibold, a member of Sonic Youth’s touring band for the past few years.
The band’s current extracurricular activities are as always, quite varied.
The Kunsthalle in Dusseldorf, Germany is now hosting the touring museum
exhibition SONIC YOUTH ETC.: SENSATIONAL FIX, which focuses on the band’s
multidisciplinary work since the band’s formation in 1981, including their
collaborations with visual artists, filmmakers, designers and musicians.
Kim Gordon launches a clothing line, Mirror/Dash, at Urban Outfitters on
February 16, and is showing at The Armory Show in NYC March 5-8. Lee Ranaldo,
with co-conspirator Leah Singer, just opened installations at the Konsthall
in Stockholm and the CNEAI in Paris, and he has a piece in the travelling
exhibition “Bad Moon Rising 3”, currently at Boots Contemporary Art Space
in St. Louis. A Beck/Sonic Youth split 7” is being released by Matador
on April 18 for Record Store Day. And the band recently collaborated with
the Merce Cunningham Dance Company (along with former Led Zeppelin bassist
John Paul Jones and mixed-media sound composer Takehisa Kosugi) on a work
celebrating, and being performed for, Cunningham’s 90th birthday on April
16 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Upcoming SY shows include April gigs in Austria and Germany (including
the closing of SENSATIONAL FIX in Dusseldorf) and May 16 at the No Fun
Festival in Brooklyn. The will be touring throughout the summer in support
of ‘The Eternal’.
Of ‘The Eternal’, Matador’s Gerard Cosloy says, “We’ve not had a record
in our recent history that’s been the subject of nearly as much speculation
and anticipation. Suffice to say we’re pretty amazed at the way the band
delivered something this neoteric while still sounding like, well, themselves.
Less of a reinvention and perhaps more to do with a particularly awesome
dozen songs.”
Matador will shortly announce a Buy Early Get Now scheme for the album
with some very interesting bonus material. Sonic Youth at the moment are:
Steve Shelley, Lee Ranaldo, Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Mark Ibold.
The album track listing reads like this: 1. Sacred Trickster, 2. Anti-Orgasm,
3. Leaky Lifeboat (for Gregory Corso), 4. Antenna, 5. What We Know, 6.
Calming The Snake, 7. Poison Arrow, 8. Malibu Gas Station, 9. Thunderclap
For Bobby Pyn, 10. No Way, 11. Walkin Blue, 12. Massage The History. Read
Sonic Youth's blog via their My Space page - www.myspace.com/sonicyouth
11th
FEB - GREEN DAY have revealed that their forthcoming eighth studio
album will be called '21st Century Breakdown' and will be released in May.
|
 10th
FEB - VESSELS April UK tour announced.... April 2 Mad Ferret, PRESTON
(with Charlies Hero & Telekinetic) 3 The Portland Arms, CAMBRIDGE (with
Sennen) [TLOBF Split Show!], 4 Brudenell Social Club, LEEDS, 7 Captain’s
Rest, GLASGOW (with Fire On The Horizon), 8 The End, NEWCASTLE 9 Sneaky
Pete’s, EDINBURGH, 12 Oakford Social Club, READING, 22 Buffalo Bar, LONDON
(with The FM Flash & Eat Lights, Become Lights), 23 Buffalo Bar, CARDIFF,
24 The Canteen, BARROW IN FURNESS, 25 Royal Oak, Chorlton, MANCHESTER,
27 The Albert, BRIGHTON, 29 W. Yorkshire Playhouse - Fuseleeds 09 Festival,
LEEDS (supporting David Gedge of The Wedding Present) “It would be very
cool to see you! We'll have new tunes, and maybe something else special
on the merch desk as well...” - www.myspace.com/vesselsband
TrioVD
London show – The Vortex has announced the first London headline show “from
this
incendiary Leeds-based trio of uber-skilled guitarist Chris Sharkey, whirling
drum monster Chris Bussey and wild sax/vocalist Chris de Bezenac. Mixing
up mad metronomic grooves, warped riffs and white hot energy TVD take giant
steps forward in creating a UK answer to NYC's influential Downtown scene.
Tipping things over the edge with screaming sampled vocals and wild creativity
this band is a must-see live” Catch them at The Vortex in Dalston on 17th
Feb – www.myspace.com/triovd
CARTER
USM are set to play their first four albums live in order. The shows
– entitled 'The Drum Machine Years' – will see the quartet of record performed
over two nights. '1992: The Love Album' and 'Post Historic Monsters' will
be played at the London Forum on November 13, while '101 Damnations' and
'30 Something' get an airing at Brixton Academy on November 14.
"We
really enjoyed playing the re-union gigs," said frontman Jim Bob. "They
were fantastic, life-affirming celebrations, and turned out to be some
of the best ever Carter shows. We decided that if we did it again it had
to be something different, for both the audience and for us. Performing
our first four albums in full, first track to last is something we've never
done. We might even chuck in a cheeky Take That style costume change.".
Guitarist Fruitbat added: "We will be playing songs that we have never
played live before, and I am really looking forward to that challenge.
"We are really thrilled to not only be playing our 11th show at The Academy,
but it will be wonderful to return to The Forum, where we also played some
classic gigs. These sets should be marathons, so I'm going to get in training.
I think the audience should too, as we are all going to need to be fit
for this!"
9th
FEB - DEVO are to play the Forum, Kentish Town, London NW5, tickets
are on sale now at a hefty 30 quid, are you getting the feeling these promoters
and bands are getting a little too greedy and taking our loyalty for granted?
Wednesday 6th May, more details from www.atpfestival.com
ATP Concerts also present YANN TIERSEN on Thursday 14th May at
The Electric Ballroom, Camden Town NW1 Tickets £15.00
x |
 6th
FEB - AMANDA PALMER VIDEO BANNED FOR HAVING A POINT... Several UK
TV channels have refused to air the video for Dresden Dolls front-woman
Amanda Palmer's new solo single, 'Oasis', on the grounds that it "makes
light of rape, religion and abortion". NME TV, Scuzz, Kerrang!, MTV, Q,
The Box and a numb er of other stations reportedly placed a ban on the
song, completely missing the point Palmer is trying to make with it. Seems
radio stations are taking the same stance.
Palmer wrote on her blog: "It isn't a simple issue, obviously. But the
fundamentals seem clear to me. I sat down one day in or around 2002 and
wrote a tongue-in-cheek, ironic up-tempo pop song. A song about a girl
who got drunk, was date raped, and had an abortion. She sings about these
things lightly and joyfully and says that she doesn't care that these things
have happened to her because Oasis, (her favourite band) has sent her an
autographed photo in the mail. And to make things even better (!!), her
bitchy friend Melissa, who told the whole school about the abortion, is
really jealous. If you cannot sense the irony in this song, you're about
two intelligence points above a kumquat".
She goes on to suggest that perhaps the song would be better received if
she played it in a minor key and cried while performing it, adding:
"The song isn't even so much about those topics, it's about denial, it's
about a girl who can't find it in herself to take her situation seriously.
That girl exists, everywhere. You probably know her. You've probably met
her. You might be her". She did try the minor key version at the Electric
Ballroom last Wednesday.
We here at Organ, well just me (Sean O) actually, had the pleasure of waking
up Amanda yesterday (it was the afternoon, she was expecting me), it had
just been a long night, and spending the afternoon in the book-filled flat
in Camden that she was staying in. We’ll have the interview up on line
here at organart.com this weekend... There's the rather rare CD we got
her to sign, go win it here
See
the video here
PJ
HARVEY will headline Camp Bestival this year..... Mercury Rev, Bon
Iver, Roots Manuva, Candi Staton, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, The Cuban
Brothers, Wild Beasts and Ebony Bones will all al so appear at the second
year of the Bestival spin off, which will take place at Lulworth Castle
again, this time from 24-26 July - www.campbestival.net
x |
5th
FEB - ANARCHISTWOOD and THEY CAME FROM THE STARS free this
Friday.... The free gig details are at the foot of this bit. First,
here’s what the Anarchistwood/Punkvert team said about last weekend’s event,
“What a Saturday - it was superb in terms of music and attendees - a tribe
of lovely people with a huge range of ages, backgrounds and musical tastes
were scooped into the Ex Gratia melting pot and entertained with music
from The Usual Suspects (aka Darth Vader's Chocolate Starfish), Rude Mechanicals,
The Electric Brains, Anarchistwood and Handsum Pete. Further speciality
du maison included the luscious Bella Blue, nimble fingered Max Quirk and
PRNWhore and the lightening tingles of KodeK VJ as well as a bunch of clowining
about orchestrated by the devious Dirty Honky.
People sashayed out after being exposed to several new ballgrounds and
after all that balls, cross fertilisation and excitement we are gagging
to do another party... We were so happy with the event we are planning
to put another one on in the same venue in late spring - our hosts - Dave
and Tina at Inn on the Green are extremely good eggs so cheers to them
and their staff. Whoop Whoop!
It is rumoured that one of our guests will be Ten City Nation and
we are hoping to ask another local London act that we have been hugely
impressed with recently - keep em peeled for details!
Other happy news is that our download 'Don’t BullShit the Artists' has
now been re-instated on the archive after it fell off (due to Candi poking
at it!) so you can get it here again (for those of you who just got a pretty
cover - sorry) www.punkvert.tv/anarchistwood
And more happy news is that Anarchistwood get a surprise last minute
gig at 93ft East, Brick Lane, London this Friday for Ben Osborne's Slipped
Disco/Wobble night - starts 7pm and is absolutely free - come and have
some fun with us and Severino, Horsemeat Disco, Noise Of Art, They Came
From the Stars I Saw Them and check out their new guitarist. Hopefully
he's be as nicely broke in as our new drumming swamp creature Rockin Gerry
- what a boon! - www.punkvert.tv -
Happy snowdays to all you UK-ers!
MOTORHEAD
no sleep again, but... This just in “Lemmy and co roll into Hammersmith
with their distinct rock sound and their metal anthems. A must have live
experience”. Seems Motorhead are playing their now what is their annual
November Hammersmith Apollo show, this year on Sat 28th Nov. Thirty quid
plus booking fee the press release, unashamedly declares, thirty quid!
Are we Lemmy’s personal pension plan now? We’ll go of course because they’re
Motorhead and we need that shot, but hey, aren’t these bands starting the
take the piss? We’re loyal when it comes to bands like Motorhead because
they matter but then again, maybe this is one step too far? Are these
old bands like Hawklords (30 quid at the Roundhouse) using us just a little
here, don't like the taste it leaves, ever get the feeling we're being
cheated or laughed at or something... |
 LUX
INTERIOR has died.... We just had this in from Anarchistwood: “Sad
news this morning via the Priscillas theirspace blog. Our ghoul grandaddy
of grizzly grunts has passed over... Lux Interior died on 4th feb from
a heart condition. I don't usually get that upset when rockers die,
as making it to old age when yr shoving shit loads of gear into yr body
is a feat in itself. i have a special place for The Cramps, though.
They were the first band i saw live. Birmingham 1986, Date Eith Elvis
tour. I bought a reissue of that LP on Saturday. Spooky. My supposed
'wild child' mate wasn't allowed to come with us cause his parents saw
their performance on the tube. arf! you had to be 14 to get into the venue
and I was shit scared...surely they'll spot that i'm a few months
off that. Funny. When they came on stage and everyone stood up, we
couldn't see, so we stood on our chairs. The security came over and told
us to get down. Being the barely teens we where, we explained our problem.
The security guy then proceeded to take us down to the front of the venue
where we got a most wonderful view of everything sleazy. That gig kinda
cemented a big dirty imprint on my brain. Our thoughts go out to his wife,
Poison Ivy. He picked her up hitch hiking in the mid-70s. rock n f**king
roll”.
Lux was 62, he died in hospital in California from a previously existing
heart condition. We at Organ add our thoughts.
x |
 3rd
FEB - MILK AND HONEY BAND new album and RING and ZAG
and things of great interest to us and you... “How are you doing? Probably
not of great interest to you but there's a new album by the Milk And Honey
Band coming out later this month... Still on Andy Partridge's APE label..
I'll stick my neck out and say I think you'll like Maryfaith Autumn.
Meanwhile there have been rumblings afoot for a while of re-masterings
of various old faves which have been locked in a cupboard to which I have
the key.... namely the two official ring albums - O De Dun Dun and
Nervous
Recreation.. plus Sawtooth Gripmaster by Zag And The Coloured
Beads... These will, at last, see the light of day this year... Lots of
love, Bob x”
Bob is Bob from Milk And Honey Band, Levitation, Ring and such, and he
is right, we do like Maryfaith Autumn lots, he was wrong about it
not being of great interest though - www.myspace.com/themilkandhoneyband
x |
 3rd
FEB - THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED.... February 3 was "the day the music died",
3rd of February marks the anniversary of the plane crash which claimed
the life of possibly the main influence on the early days of rock
music, recording, writing and the whole idea of how rock should be made.
Fifty tears ago today Buddy Holly died, fifty years ago today was
the day the music died (according to Don McLean in his song 'American Pie').
The rock 'n' roll pioneer was killed when the small plane he was travelling
in - along with Ritchie Valens, and J. P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson
- was brought down in bad weather near Clear Lake in Iowa. Buddy Holly
was just 22 years old when he died, but had already made an unforgettable
impression on the then new music called rock 'n' roll, he went on to influence
several generations of artists, the idea of a four piece tock band line
up was pioneered by Buddy, the Beatles would not have been The Beatles
without their biggest influence - Paul McCartney: "At least the first 40
songs we wrote were Buddy Holly-influenced.", he was massive in terms the
idea of multi tracking in studios, on how the Rolling Stones were to sound,
on using orchestras with rock bands, experimenting and breaking the formula,
Buddy Holly was the first and still is one of the nest... We couldn't let
today pass without a small mention
END
OF LEVEL BOSS and STINKING LIZAVETA have some UK dates as part
of a rather large European tour. The UK leg of the tour happens in
March and looks like this: 15/03 Tyne Bar, Newcastle, 16/03 - The GRV,
Edinburgh, 17/03 - Bloc Bar, Glasgow, 18/03 - The Windmill, Brixton, London
- More from End of's webpages - www.eolb.com
x |
2nd
FEB - THE STUPIDS and HARD ONS and shows and new material
and... UK Hardcore pioneers THE STUPIDS have announced their first
new recordings and first tour in over 20 years at the end of March, teaming
up with old touring buddies and Aussie punk legends THE HARD ONS.
Following on from the reissues of their entire back catalogue last year,
STUPIDS have reformed and returned to the recording studio for the first
time since 1987's Indie No1 Chart album "Jesus Meets the Stupids" to record
some brand new material - the first of which, a three track single called
"FEEL THE SUCK" is released on 7" single and download by Boss Tuneage on
March 23rd. A new album is to follow shortly after.
In support of the single release, STUPIDS (featuring original members Tommy
Stupid (Drums/Vocals) and Marty Tuff (Guitar) alongside new member Rossi
O'Schmitt (Bass) ) head out on their first UK tour since 1988, appearing
at Southampton Talking Heads (March 26th), Bristol Bierkeller (March 27th),
Kingston Fighting Cocks (March 28th), London Camden Underworld (March
29th) and Brighton Prince Albert (March 30th). The shows at Kingston, London
and Brighton also see the band teaming up with THE HARD ONS.
THE
HARD ONS celebrate their 25th Anniversary in 2009, and to coincide with
this achievement are embarking on a six week European tour throughout March
and April backed up with a best-of album "SUCK AND SWALLOW : 25 YEARS 25
SONGS" , also released on CD and download by Boss Tuneage on March 30th.
"SUCK AND SWALLOW.." features 25 songs from the bands entire history ,
from first single "Surfin On My Face" through to "Everyone Seems To Be
Out To Get You" a brand new track recorded exclusively for the album.
In addition to the shows with THE STUPIDS in Kingston, London and Brighton,
HARD ONS also appear at Kettering Sawyers (March 26th) and Mansfield Town
Mill (March 27th). – www.bosstuneage.com
/ www.myspace.com/ukthestupids
/ www.myspace.com/hardonsband
1st
FEB - BONNIE ‘PRINCE’ BILLY London show... Word is that “Southbank
Centre welcomes Bonnie 'Prince' Billy for a rare London gig, featuring
songs from his new album Beware!” - Monday 20th April so it seems...
GHOSTFACE
KILLAH has announced details of a three-date UK tour. The Wu Tang Clan
member will play gigs in London, Manchester and Bristol in May. The rapper's
most recent solo album, 'The Big Doe Rehab', was released in 2007. Ghostface
Killah will play: London Scala (May 6), Bristol Academy (9), Manchester
University (10)
|
 31st
JAN - YOUNG WIDOWS London venue change.... The Young Widows London
date of their tour on 24th February, has moved “due to sound limitations
at The Lexington, we have had to move this show to The Fly, 36-38 New Oxford
Street, WC1. Tickets are £5 in advance or £6 on the door” said
the promoters. Here come the full list of dates: Feb 18 @ The Angel,
Brighton, Feb 19 @ Tiger Lounge, Manchester, Feb 20 @ Captains Rest, Glasgow,
Feb 21 @ Cockpit, Leeds, Feb 22 @ Corporation, Sheffield, Feb 23 @ The
Croft,
Bristol, Feb 24 @ The Fly, New Oxford St, London... And here’s the
album review we ran with Organ 272 back in
September last year, catch tracks on our ORGAN radio show on London's finest
Resonance
104.4FM, go find out more over at www.myspace.com/youngwidows.
Don't
be forgetting that RUDE MECHANICALS, ANARCHISTWOOD gig tonight,
should be good, real London underground creativity, bands and attitude
just a little different. London’s Anarchistwood have gone and been and
added a stand up heart-beater of a drummer called Rocking Gerry to their
line up and made their fuzzy scuzzy tribal punk/prank sound even more scuzzy
and tribal. The first fruit is a new track called Don’t Bulshit The Artist
that can be downloaded free via www.punkvert.tv/anarchistwood
- you can catch the new line up on 31st January at the Inn On The Green
in Ladbrook Grove, West London where they’re joined for a Punkvert night
by RUDE MECHANICALS, THE ELECTRIC BRAINS, HANDSUM PETE, BELLA BLUE
and all kinds of people and art and boxes and . The night is the second
Specialisation Is For Insects launch night and yes, proper London underground
creativity, the way it always was when creativity and unity was the way...
Rude Mechanicals are a band to see right now, we're promise a night of
caberet, performance and fine music, no mention of toe sucking or body
fluids this time though, you really do need to go and see them, be careful
though, some say Handsum Pete is London's GG Allin, See Rude Mechanicals
here - www.myspace.com/flyingcaberet
x |
| 30th
JAN - CHRIS CORNELL announces another London show... After his London
Scala show sold out in an hour, Chris Cornell has confirmed a London Shepherds
Bush Empire date due to phenomenal public demand, the show is at the Shepherds
Bush Empire on Monday 2nd March... Tickets have gone on sale today...
WINO,
the live debut... As a last-minute announcement... the Wino (band) will
be making its debut live performance at the 9:30 club in Washington DC
on Sat. February 7th! Jean Paul Gaster (Clutch) on drums, John Blank (Rezin)
on bass, and of course the man, Scott “Wino” Weinrich on guitar and vocals.
King Giant & Salome will provide support. If you're in the area, be
sure not to miss this very rare live appearance! Yeah, I know not a UK
thing, but hey, worth a mention, and there seems to be more of you fine
readercreatures in the US than the UK anyway, if you want to know more
then here you go - www.myspace.com/winoschopper
or www.southernlord.com
KASABIAN
BACK
BID TO SAVE LEICESTER VENUE - More venues going under, and Kasabian have
leant their support to a venue in their home town of Leicester, The Charlotte,
which has also gone into administration and could close any day now. Local
music fans have set up a petition calling for the venue to be rescued,
though I'm not sure who they are petitioning, the King of Leicester maybe.
Anyway, Kasabian singer Tom Meighan says the band will adds it name to
any campaign to save the venue, telling a local newspaper: "If we can help,
we will. At the end of the day, it's a legendary venue".
HERZOGA
in session at Radio One.... “stood astride 2009 like a Wrongpop colossus,
Herzoga have recently been holed up in Maida Vale studios recording sizzling
tracks for Radio 1's Huw Stephen's show. The Welsh wonder is set to play
a few of them from 9 o'clock on Wednesday 4th Feb, and again at midnight
- tune in and educate ya ears.....” Said Matt, Mark, Stephen... The Stoke
band also tell us Swetmores will be their next single and that the single
will be released on Broken Branch records on 30th march. Then its another
tour in April, all systems go! You can catch the band at The Brown Jug
in Newcastle Under Lyme with TRIBAL BRIDES OF THE AMAZON on Feb 11th and
then a We Like Danger night in Stoke with ACTION BEAT, OX SCAPULA and DONVITO
at The White Star – www.myspace.com/herzogaband
No
FAITH
NO MORE reunion... Contrary to rumours, which, as we previously reported,
were firmly denied by bassist Billy Gould last month, Faith No More will
not be reforming this year. However, frontman Mike Patton will performing
at this year's Coachella festival with beatboxer Rahzel. The duo
have been working on an album together, which is yet to see an official
release. They have previously worked together on tracks for Patton's 'Peeping
Tom' album and Björk's 'Medulla' album.
|
29th JAN - British singer/songwriter JOHN MARTYN has died aged 60.
The news about the musician, who received an OBE in the last new year's
honours list, was announced today (January 29) on Martyn's official website,
Johnmartyn.com.
The cause of his death was not revealed, with a short message reading:
"With heavy heart and an unbearable sense of loss we must announce that
John died this morning."
Surrey-born Martyn was born in 1948 and released 20 studio albums throughout
his career. He became known for his folk/blues guitar style, and released
his first album, London Conversation, in 1968, later in his career releasing
the acclaimed 'Solid Air' album in 1973. The title track was a tribute
to his friend, cult musician Nick Drake. Sad news indeed....
BERMAN
DISBANDS SILVER JEWS TO FIGHT DAD - The frontman of cult indie band
Silver Jews, David Berman, has announced that he has split up the band,
which he originally formed with Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich of
Pavement in 1989, canceling all forthcoming tour dates, so that he can
devote his time to telling the world how much he hates his dad.
This is not just teenage rebellion (not least because Berman is 42). His
father is Washington-based lobbyist Richard Berman, described by US TV
documentary series '60 Minutes' as "Dr Evil", and who has fought against
consumer, animal welfare and environmental groups in the interests of his
clients in the food, alcohol and tobacco markets.
Writing on the Silver Jews message board, Berman Jr said: "Now that the
Joos are over I can tell you my gravest secret. Worse than suicide, worse
than crack addiction: My father. You might be surprised to know he is famous,
for terrible reasons. My father is a despicable man. My father is a sort
of human molester. An exploiter. A scoundrel. A world historical motherfucking
son of a bitch (sorry Grandma)". He continued: "A couple of years ago I
demanded he stop his work. Close down his company or I would sever our
relationship. He refused. He has just gotten worse. More evil. More powerful.
We've been 'estranged' for over three years. ... He props up fast food/soda/factory
farming/childhood obesity and diabetes/drunk driving/second hand smoke.
He attacks animal lovers, ecologists, civil action attorneys, scientists,
dieticians, doctors, teachers. His clients include everyone from the makers
of Agent Orange to the Tanning Salon Owners of America. He helped ensure
the minimum wage did not move a penny from 1997-2007!"
Speaking about his decision to change his career, the musician said: "This
winter I decided that the SJs were too small of a force to ever come close
to undoing a millionth of all the harm he has caused. To you and everyone
you know. Literally, if you eat food or have a job, he is reaching you.
... Previously I thought, through songs and poems and drawings I could
find and build a refuge away from his world. But there is the matter of
justice. ... The desire for it actually burns. It hurts. There needs to
be something more. I'll see what that might be". You can read more about
Richard Berman via www.bermanexposed.org
Former
Stone Roses guitarist JOHN SQUIRE launched a new exhibition of his
art in London last night (January 28). The show takes place at the Front
Room Galler* at the St Martins Hotel in Covent Garden, and is entitled
Heavy Metal Semantics. Speaking to the NME, Squire explained the show is
made up from his very latest work. "There's a few from this year and the
rest were done the tail end of last year," he said. "I've been working
with lead, which is a heavy metal, and words which are open to interpretation
as to their meaning. I'm still a big kid at heart, I like playing with
things. I was playing with cardboard boxes, and I was fascinated by the
shape of them when they're opened up and turned back into card. I like
working with different materials, and I had access to steel and lead."
Squire added that the show marks the beginning of a busy year as an artist,
with several more shows planned for 2009. "I've got a big show in Oldham
and one in Austria and one at the end of the year in Tokyo," he said. "The
Oldham show is in a major public gallery, so it's a lot of work. It's the
biggest show I've done." Heavy Metal runs until February 18. - www.johnsquire.com
LYNYRD
SKYNYRD keyboardist Billy Powell died early yesterday morning (January
28) at his home in Orange Park, Florida. Powell, who had a history of heart
problems, called 911 emergency at about 12:55 am because he was having
trouble breathing. When rescue crews arrived they tried to perform CPR
but were unsuccessful in reviving the 56-year-old, reports the Associated
Press. The cause of death has not yet been determined, but a heart attack
is suspected.
Powell was one of the original members of the legendary Southern rock band
who originally emerged in the 70’s and made their mark with classics like
Freebird and Sweet Home Alabama. He was also one of the few survivors of
a 1977 plane crash that took the lives of Lynyrd Skynyrd's lead singer,
Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and vocalist Cassie Gaines as well
as the members of the band's road crew. www.lynyrdskynyrd.com
NEW
SMASHING
PUMPKINS SONG TO APPEAR ON SUPERBOWL AD.... The Smashing Pumpkins
sued EMI last year when the major allowed Pepsi to include some of their
music in its big MP3 giveaway campaign which was, if I remember rightly,
launched during the mega-TV viewing bonanza that is the Super Bowl. I seem
to also remember the band's lawsuit said that the association with Pepsi,
which they hadn't approved, damaged their "artistic integrity". Which is
true, if you want artistic integrity you should never work with teeth rotting
fizzy drinks, integritous artists do deals with world polluting, oil guzzling
car firms. A brand new Smashing Pumpkins song called 'FOL' will soundtrack
a new ad from Hyundai during this weekend's big game. Can't wait. (CMU)
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JAN - Another GATHERING OF THE THOUSANDS is set to take place, organised
by Colin from Conflict, this time it is set to be an all night festival
(7pm to 7am) on bank holiday Friday 10th April and will happen at the Coronet
Theatre, Elephant and Castle, London. Bands confirmed so far include CONFLICT,
RUBELLA BALLET, THE DEATH STARS, ROMEO MUST DIE, EXISTENCE OF MANKIND,
PIG IRON, THE GRIT, BLITZKRIEG, DIRTY LOVE with lots more said to be
confirmed...
MOGWAI
for
Field Day... Mogwai are set to headline this year's Field Day festival
in London. Four Tet, James Yorkston, Apes And Androids, Malcolm Middleton,
Fennesz, Errors and DJ Skream have also been confirmed for the event. Field
Day will take place on August 1 at Victoria Park in east London. - www.fielddayfestivals.com
MARMADUKE
DUKE dates.... Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neill and Sucipierro's JP
Reid have announced a tour in support of their 'Kid Gloves' single (due
March). See them here: February 28 - Edinburgh Bongo Club, March 1 - Manchester
Deaf Institute, 2 - Birmingham Rainbow, 4 – London Heaven, 5 - Leeds Brudenell
Social Club, 6 - Glasgow School of Art
BOB
MOULD new album... The former Husker Du frontman will release
his latest solo effort, 'Life And Times, on April 7 in the US.
KATHERINE
BLAKE and NICK MARSH Show, Stoke Newington, London, Sun, Feb 1st, here’s
what she said: “Hello Everyone! Happy NewYear! Nick Marsh and I have started
recording our duets album, consisting mainly of original material with
a few covers. We have a gig coming up where we will be playing some of
this material as well as songs from both of our solo albums. The venue
is called The Pangea Project and it is opposite Morrisons, 72 Stamford
Hill, Stoke Newington, London N16. On stage about half 8. Entry £3
Hope to see you there XX - www.myspace.com/katharineblake
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