Dreadlock Holiday

 Still sounds fresh...

 

And accoustic...

Fuji Finepix F30

 

 

Fuji Finepix F30

6 Megapixels

Date of Manufacture : 2006

All photos taken 2024.

US Affairs Far, Far Away

 

Bad Manners

Bad Manners way back when..

I saw them at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton around 1981. Difficult to call it a gig, or a concert. More of a raucous theatre performance. Loved it. 

Still going today, very popular live, they could fill a gig every night of the year if they toured that often. 

Today....

Doug Trendle ( Buster Bloodvessel ) is the one original member. The others are several long time members, and a rotating, regular cast of freelance musicians. Bassist Lee Thompson, 2nd from right,  has been with the band for 14 years. Adrian Cox, tenor sax, in red shoes the far side of Buster, has also been the tour manager and promoter for the band for 10+ years. Here when not on tour with Bad Manners....

Huge Car Insurance Increases

My car insurance came up for renewal. The quote was almost 50% higher. Fortunately, by scouring the comparison sites, I managed to renew at almost no increase. 

The insurance companies blame the big increases on the Red Sea crisis. Apparently, the insurances come from China and it costs more to transport them round South Africa.

The Model - Remixed

Came across this, seems appropriate for the new world of AI now upon us. Kraftwerk released the original in 1980. Yes, I bought the single almost immediately.  

I love this version too. Some hefty '90's elements in there.

Bethlehem on Christmas Day : 20,000 Dead - The Hypocrisy of The West

 

Nirvana / Marine Girls

 

 

 

Marine Girls was an English band that comprised Tracey Thorn, Alice Fox and Jane Fox. Thorn later became famous as part of the duo Everything But The Girl.

In 1994, eleven years after the Marine Girls split up, Thorn was appearing on Later with Jools Holland. Also on the TV show that night, with her own band, was Courtney Love, the widow of Kurt Cobain. Just before the cameras started rolling Love looked across to Thorn's stage, put down her guitar and strode across the empty central area. "Hey", she said, "you're Tracey from the Marine Girls! Kurt and I were both huge fans of your band". Thorn managed to mumble something polite in return, before Love strode back and the show continued.

At the time Thorn wasn't sure that she entirely believed her. Later, though, she discovered that an old friend had travelled to Oregon, formed a band, and then signed to the same record label that ultimately signed Nirvana. He had played the Marine Girls album Beach Party to Kurt and Courtney. 

Years later, in 2002, Kurt Cobain's journals were published. The album Beach Party is listed as one of Nirvana's Top 50 albums, along with the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and Public Enemy. 

From that album...

 

 And from the album 'Lazy Ways'...

Place In The Sun (1983).

Pub & Cinema : Canon T70

The T70 of 1985 was Canon's first foray into the digital world of SLR's cameras with microprocessors.

 

Odeon Cinema, Weston super Mare. June 2023.

[ Tch.., I forgot to ask the developer to scan the above, so this is an Iphone photo of the original ]

Kodak Colorplus 200

1980's Angular design, I love it. 

Leaf & Flower : Casio Exilim EX-P700

 July 2023.

3072 x 2304 Fine

ISO 160    F4.0   1/40 sec

3072 x 2304 Fine

ISO 160    F2.8     1/100 sec

 

Casio Exilim EX-P700   (2004)

  

Kevin Ayers ..... Galen Ayers .... Paul Simonon

 Kevin Ayers, from 1970, a tribute to Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd.

 

 'May I' (1972).... ( Mike Oldfield, pre 'Tubular Bells', on bass ). 

 

Daughter, Galen Ayers with Paul Simonon ... 2023

Organ by 1960's Farfisa, dug out from his collection of instruments by Damon Albarn. Albarn played occasional melodica on the album.

Only Love Can Break Your Heart

As a student in 1971, I bought Neil Young's album After The Gold Rush.  And later, the cassette tape. The album disappeared along the way, and the cassette lay in the depths of my forgotten about.

One of the tracks was this.... 

 

Fast forward 20 years to 1991. At the wheel of my car, sat in heavy traffic in Wimbledon, South London..., rain pouring down as I headed for home in Hampshire after a day's work. Then this came on the radio. Such a brilliant version of Neil Young's song.  Completely transformed my day. Still love it. 

When you were young

And on your own
How did it feel to be alone?
I was always thinking of games
That I was playing
Trying to make the best of my time

 

  

 

PS. The player of the melodica is Debsey Wykes, who 40+ years ago was a member of a band called Dolly Mixture. Round about then they did a tour as support to Bad Manners. I was really into ska, and 2-Tone back then, and made sure to obtain a ticket when Bad Manners played at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton.  Dolly Mixture, as support, were on stage first, and it soon became obvious that there was a bit of a problem. They were attired in Doc Martens boots, as were the skinheads up front, just under the stage. And there was lots of gobbing, the skins spitting at the band. 

Eventually, after quite a while of putting up with this shit, the band stopped playing, and one of them stepped forward and said either the spitting ceased, or they'd walk.   The spitting ceased. 

Anyway, a little while later, Dolly Mixture did backing vocals on the No 1 hit.. " Happy Talk ".....

 

Stereotypes That Are True

How are you feeling ? 

Americans: Awesome! 

Mainland Europeans: Good. 

Scots: Not bad. 

Scandinavians: I'm well, thank you. Although you seem to have gained weight since we last met, and are still with that awful girlfriend.

Ikebe Shakedown - Road Song

Los Bitchos - Pista / Good To Go

 

 

 

Nouvelle Vague - Guns of Brixton

 The Clash song, covered by Nouvelle Vague.

 

Summer in England ..... [ Modern Edition ]

 

The Surfrajettes - Diamond Head

On bass.., Via Mardot ( aka Olivia Mainville ) subbing for regular bassist Sarah Butler.

The Specials - Stereotype

Long ago I worked in Dublin.  While there I went to see Madness perform at the Olympic Ballroom. The band were high in the UK charts, previously with My Girl, and then Night Boat to Cairo.  To say that they and the audience were fueled up that night is an understatement.  Best gig of my life. 

I did eventually see most of the other bands of 2-Tone, and ska, but not the Specials.

Here's their performance of Stereotype from about that time. I'd love to have been there. 

.

.

The Surfrajettes - I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night...., + Cha Cha Heels

Well. 

What a fresh, and distinctive version of the song originally done by the Electric Prunes. 

Briliant.

 

 

And the Surfrajettes' own composition.., Cha Cha Heels...