...the nephew and neice were stuggling to write a new tune. Up pops the decrepid Uncle - " how's about revamping an old tune the way Thin Lizzy did - here's one from a Van Morrison/Chieftains album."

I've made a previous blog about about Kevin Coyne so no more here.
This concert took place in 2003 - and the DVD has just been released which contains the whole show plus Jon Fiddler and Tractor plus much more. This was the first time Kevin had played with the guys from Siren for 30 years - and they only met up again on the day.

As the Dear Santa letters and Christmas Cards are being written it got me wondering if there are any songs about mobile phones, e-mail and myspace. I'm sure there's some scope for drama in a song about modern communication but does instant messaging have the same ring as Hanging On The Telephone or Please Mr. Postman do you have a letter in your bag for me or I read a blog today oh boy. Has Telegram Sam become Mobile Mick or Carphone Carl.
Tony

The radio at work was playing The Bangles - Manic Monday and every time it plays I mentally rant at the lyric about being late and wishing "the bed was already made" - I'm sorry but most people would ignore it and get out the house.
Any other lyrics that get your goat?

A conversation with a reviewer on a National Sunday paper on what would make him listen to a CD got him to admit "Anything that says it sounds like Wilco."
My own used to be Eno - which lead to his Obscure record label, Talkingheads, Devo, Robert Wyatt, Bowie, U2, John Cale but as yet I've resisted Coldplay.
So what word does it for you when you see it in a review or on a CD?

A band I have come to love - are unsigned - have done all the gigs - done the support slots at the Liverpool Carling Academy (Ting Tings etc)and then decide to put themselves in debt to produce the best CD they can. How can they get media attention? No huge budgets to send CD's out on spec - only for them to remain unlistened to whilst record company pluggers with their direct line to Radio Producers and Editors get the space. No cash for adverts or to "help" with the costs of cover mount CD's - no drug habits or famous girlfriends that guarantee column inches. Just a realy great sounding CD - it may not be the future of Rock and Roll or cutting edge but its sounds great coming over my speakers - it would be great to hear it on the radio but it won't happen.
www.myspace.com/majorityone

Whilst checking out a friend request on myspace I was greeted with an advert that clearly the little whatchamycallits on my computer thought I needed...
Punk Dating
Meet Punk Singles Tonight. Photos, Email and Chat. Join Now.

GothDateLink.com/Punk

My computer just doesn't know me at all - despite all the time we spend together.

Tony

Some time in my distant past I read a review of Kevin Coyne's live double album In Living Black And White and something must have clicked cos off i went and bought said LP. Needle hits the first side and I hear some bizzarre mutterings, some pounding on a piano, a nursery rhyme like song about a dead head and chasing it down the street. Then suddenly the scene changes to a morgue where Coyne recalls an incident from his social worker past when he is called to identify a body of someone who has a piece of paper in his pocket with Kevin's name on it. The realisation that he could have helped this bloke if only he'd managed to get to him in time - just echoes thru the speakers.
Just when your spirits are down in comes a song about a fat girl going to commit suicide - but while your still reeling in kicks one of the greatest live bands of the time with a song John Lydon listed as a favourite - Eastbourne Ladies. An obsession was born.
Sometimes I've tried to share this obsession with others but know of no other artist who so polarises so many people. He was never a musician's musician -having one of the most basic guitar techniques you'll ever see. He was in no way pin up material and he had a voice which at times could strip paint off metal. But his body of work conatins some of the most real and thought provoking lyrics you'll ever hear and even when going thru his own breakdown he didn't shy away from recording it on album on the astonishing Bursting Bubbles.
His songs have been sung by Pere Ubu, Will Oldham, Everything But The Girl, The Nightingales, The Mekons and many others.
Coyne died in 2004 from lung failure which in his last years saw him singing aided by a breathing tube and in a wheel chair. Since that time there have been sporadic releases especially on his own Turpentine label for which he prepared some releases knowing they would be his last - including Underground.
EMI who now own the Virgin catalogue were preparing his back catalogue for rerelease this year but are now apparently only going to release Marjory Razorbalde and making the rest download only. For them here is Kevin singing one of his most cutting songs - the Teddy bear is a certain label boss who turned up at a party dressed as a bear - in the hope they will review their decision.
If you've read to the bottom of this I thank you
Tony

This time last week I was watching these 13 year olds rocking a North East gala in the peeing rain. They just loved the stage - which i hope you can tell from this rehearsal footage of Iron Maiden's Trooper- and the crowd loved them. Dark Messiah
www.myspace.com/darkmessiahuk

In the last couple of months I've come to love this new band from Liverpool - The Majority - and want to share them with the world. So here I am posting the video and asking people to say what they think but amidst all the postings here will they actually be viewed or just passed over - I hope not and I hope The Word sticks them on the next CD.
www.myspace.com/majorityone

On my way to see 5 unsigned bands in Liverpool tonight for £4 reminded me of a friend and his bargaining with touts.
When only half bothered about seeing a band he shuffles off to the venue and haggles with a tout - he'll never go over his target happy to wander off to the nearest pub. - last gig was Whitesnake/Def Leppard for £15 and no booking fee.

Any simmilar tout stories of them happy to get something for tickets they're stuck with?
Tony

There has been a growing criticism of myspace over the last few issues which I find strange from a magazine which is hearalding the new frontiers in marketing for bands- "Unsigned (read: awful) music."
I agree that at its extremes that it is a forum for nutters who think they have talent or are funny to a cynical ploy by some of the bigger record companies. However there is a middle ground of unsigned bands and established musicians using it as a means to get to existing and new audiences denied them by traditional media allied to the release dates of the major bands like Coldplay.
My own myspace page is one which I set up to see what is going on in my home town of Liverpool in this year as City Of Culture. I've come across many great bands using myspace to build contacts and fans to build up their audience. This in a city and country that sees most venues using variations on Pay To Play whereby you can only play if you can bring so many paying customers and then only get paid a percentage after that number. This is fine in your home town where word of mouth works but how are you going to shunt 60 people to London which is the figure I've seen on one "promoter's" site.(next time you go to a gig see if there is a list they're ticking off and make sure they tick the right band - or else they have a tendency to tick the main band and not the one you've gone to see).
Myspace is allowing these bands to build the numbers to an extent that they can then book their own venues and earn some cash. In this waymyspace is being used in a quite subversive way and can only be applauded and not mocked in the way you did.
Tony Donaghey
www.myspace.com/liverpoolbandsfriends
(ps my appologies to Paul Du Noyer for nicking his cover picture from his fine book)