Music is one of passions and I have been an avid collector for the last 15 years. It all started with Punk, well Post-Punk to be precise, I first got into music in a real sense at the age of 14 which was 1977. My first recollection of playing a record was my dad’s James Brown album which I guess for a white teenager living in the countryside was quite funky. Leaving home at 16 and then going to Art School in London a couple of years later only meant one thing – rebellion (in a safe way) and as my college was situated on the Kings Road it was a convenient place to observe the end of Punk, although it was still visible in terms of fashion. My music taste at this point was somewhat confused but I did like anarchistic stuff like The Pop Group, The Slits, CRASS as well as Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones, Bauhaus…I guess verging into Goth, god I remember those tight black jeans…ouch. Anyway it wasn’t long before I joined the overcoat brigade and morosely listened to Joy Division and Factory records in general, this was peppered by occasional industrial sounds via Clock DVA, Test Department and Throbbing Gristle….hair was short, clothing a bit military, quite scary really…
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Prentious, poetic, poignant, ferocious and just damn funky. The Pop Group were my favourite band in the early eighties…holding up a mirror to the nightmare of Thatchers’ Britain.
Great video of the 3 Mustaphas 3 in their prime from 1988 Channel 4. They were definitely ahead of their time if you see how popular Balkan indie folk is now. Forward in all directions!
Absolutely brilliant night had with old pal Kev in Brixton skanking away to The Specials in our old stomping ground. Even managed a few pints in the Coach and Horses beforehand to boot. The crowd was terracelike and rowdy which added to the atmosphere. They did all the classics and performed and looked better than I expected (edgy and sharp) – even better that the gig I went to in the early 80′s where the gig was interrupted due to the hooligan element. Of course there was no Jerry Dammers but Terry Hall did a great job despite his coughing. Neville Staples jumped about a fair bit and Roddy Radiation still looks like a gangly Rockabilly. The night was a classic.
Isaac Hayes is sadly dead. A great man and inspiration he helped to establish the tough yet sensual stance many of todays rappers use to gain mainstream appeal. His breaks were over used by diverse artists including Portishead and the powerful image of him and his gold jewellry will stay with me forever. Isaac will be missed.
Last.fm are offering a visual representation of your profile data here very nice, here is my own…also another good site to check for last.fm add-ons and toys is http://build.last.fm/
For those who do not know, Durutti Column are an ex-Factory label band from Manchester (or Salford maybe) who have produced some wonderful songs spanning a 30 year period, they still play live gigs and release albums which is impressive. They seem to have a timeless quality and have stuck to their guns. When I say they it’s really more of a ‘he’ as Vini Reilly the front man is more of a solo artist surrounded by occasional players. In terms of guitar playing Vini has a unique style combining classical, spanish and contemporary sparse rhythms…the result is often melancholic but always with a wistful edge. I believe the Durutti Column should be treasured as one of the original English post-punk innovators who still exist and continue to output great material.
The below video clip is a rare video with Vini looking very much like a mod, although with strange nail varnish. This song ‘Never Known’ is one of their most beautiful tracks and worth a listen.
Saw Control (the biography of Joy Division) and thought it was pretty good for this genre of film – rosy tinted view of iconic band etc…all acting and set designs were pretty convincing. I would definitely take a look at this.
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