September song

This month begins with the news that GLM - the band formed by ex-Lurkers Pete Stride, Nigel Moore and Pete 'Manic Esso' Haynes - have released a new single (well you can download it for free from their website, I think that's how things work these days?) For what my opinion is worth 'The Future Is Calling' is probably their best work to date, sounding more like The Lurkers of old rather than their recent 'Chemical Landslide' album. And if that wasn't enough the band has a new Facebook page which you can find here - it looks as though things are going well for Ickenham's finest... 

After last weekend's gig frenzy things have backed off a bit this week, with 'three-gigs-in-three-days-with-three-different-bands'; actually they haven't really backed off that much have they? Good!

Big Al Reed And The Blistering Buicks played at The Dolphin in Uxbridge on Friday evening; the show got off to a late start due to the Chelsea match being on the television but the band certainly got straight into the swing of things and gave an energetic performance in front of a small but enthusiastic audience. I'm going to miss some gigs with the band over the next few weeks as I'm off gigging with Ruts D.C. (more about that in a minute) so my good friend Pete Kerr will be depping for me - he joined us for a few songs at this show and it sounded to me as though he'll make a very good job of things. A good gig all round.

Saturday saw Balcony Shirts designer and t-shirt printer Dave get married to Kate in The Four Seasons Room at Uxbridge Register Office. I was trying to remember when I last went to a wedding at this venue - I'm pretty sure that I haven't been to one there this century (!) and I'm absolutely sure that I hadn't been to one like this before, with Dave in his punk rock finery, both bride and groom sporting splendid haircuts courtesy of Horsepower Hairdressing and Dave's brother Mick wearing what might best be described as a 'tuxedo onesie' (it looked something like this and had to be seen to be believed!) among the many highlights. Their reception was held the same evening at The Old Vinyl Factory in Hayes, an extraordinary venue on the site of the EMI record factory. Musical entertainment came from myself and my old mate Matt - between us we came up with a varied selection of material performed on two acoustic guitars and with Matt in fine voice throughout. The unusual nature of proceedings was underlined by the fact that there was coffee, curry and cupcakes but no alcoholic drinks - I'm sure I haven't been to a  reception like that before either!

It was back to Colnbrook on Sunday afternoon for an Upper Cut gig at Ye Olde George Inn. We've played some good shows here over the last few months but this was probably the best so far, with our three sets seeing much dancing and jollity from the assembled throng (no shortage of of alcoholic drinks here!) and a chap in the audience offering us money to play another set. When our drummer Roger declined saying that he had to be elsewhere I couldn't resist asking him if he really had to get away or if he just didn't fancy playing any more - he replied that he did have to leave but that he'd also put so much into the show that he felt that he physically couldn't play any more. I knew how he felt - and believe me, that's a great way to feel at the end of a show.

And to finish the weekend off I went to the jam night at The Three Wishes in Edgware last night. Myself and the afore-mentioned Pete and Big Al played 'My Babe' and 'Born To Run' to the general approval of all concerned, and I was very pleased to be invited to play 'It Hurts Me Too' and 'Natural Born Bugie' with Danny the bass player and some very young and talented chaps and chapesses. All good stuff, and indeed good fun.

This coming weekend sees Ruts D.C. play shows in Preston and Newcastle - there are gigs for the band over the next four weekends, and full details are on the band's website. And if that wasn't enough I'm making an appearance on Music Scene Investigation this Sunday evening - provided of course that I get back from Newcastle in time...

Turn on, Tune in, Drop out...

The occasional ongoing obituary column continues with the death of Poly Styrene. I remember hearing 'Oh Bondage Up Yours!' by X-Ray Spex for the first time - it sounded like it had come from another World and instantly became another record that divided the school playground at lunchtime and contributed to the ongoing momentum that punk rock was by then enjoying. I preferred 'The Day The World Turned Dayglo' myself, and 'Identity' was a great song, and 'Germ Free Adolescents' was a terrific album especially 'Let's Submerge'... let's face it, she was great wasn't she? Another sad loss.

And Steve Marriott died 20 years ago last week - can it really be that long ago? I remember him playing with The Packet Of Three at The Red Lion in Brentford (click here for a clip of the band around the same time, along with links to many other fine clips of the man) where his voice was so powerful that the room hardly seemed big enough to contain it. I saw him in the bar afterwards and he was tiny - how on Earth did a voice that size come from such a small man? The Upper Cut played the old Small Faces classic 'All Or Nothing' for him at last Friday's Rickmansworth gig (we didn't bother the next night!) and a couple of people came over afterwards with some nice comments which was great.

Closer to home I spoke to Esso from The Lurkers yesterday who gave me the very sad news that his brother Dave has died. I had some good times with Dave over the years at gigs, in the pubs of Ickenham, and lately in Balcony Shirts where he bought himself a 'What A Difference A Dave Makes' t-shirt amid much merriment from us both. He was a massive fan of '60's pop music and I had many long conversations with him about the likes of The Move and The Kinks on many occasions. He was a great bloke, and I'll miss him.

And if things weren't bad enough there's a Royal Wedding on Friday, although discerning folk will of course be ignoring it and instead tuning into The Source FM between 1 and 3 p.m. to hear the first broadcast from my old Blue Five buddy Voltarol. You can listen online here - I suspect there will be more than a little Brazilian music involved, although the man himself has such wide tastes that he could play almost anything... hmm... I wonder if he'll play X-Ray Spex, Steve Marriott or The Lurkers if I ask him nicely?

Commercial time

People keep telling me that I could/should 'monetise' this blog i.e. earn a bit of money by selling advertising space on it; in some ways it's a nice idea (it does take quite a bit of time to do and I'd theoretically get 'paid' for writing it) but overall I've decided it's better to remain independent (for want of a better term, although I have started adding labels to the posts now that I've realised what they're there for!) and rather self-indulgently continue to occasionally mention things that I think are worth checking out.

So- time for a couple of adverts!

Back in the 1980's The Price often found ourselves on the same bill as The Neurotics- that's if we weren't in the audience- and one of the shows we supported them at has just been made available as a download here; it's a fabulous performance recorded at Brunel University in April 1987 and is highly recommended if you're a fan of the band. And it's my fault that it exists at all, as I was the person who asked the soundman to record the show (yeah I know it's bootlegging- but when you hear it, you'll thank me for it!) Great stuff, and a reminder of what a fabulous live band they were; they're reuniting next month to play a tribute show in memory for Steven Wells (details here) which should be well worth catching, but in the meantime get the download- you won't be disappointed...

And talking of The Price- if you've bought yourself one of our splendid new t-shirts (you haven't? Shame on you!) then I'm sure you've thought to yourself 'I wonder where they got these made'. Well wonder no longer, as Balcony Shirts have just opened a shop in Windsor Street in Uxbridge. Stocking everything from trapper hats to desert boots, and having a new 'British towns & cities' t-shirt in honour of Ickenham which includes the slogan 'the pump don't work 'cos the vandals took the handles' (yes!) they're hoping to have a section devoted to t-shirts and CD's from local bands- so if you haven't got your Price t-shirt yet, you may well be able to get it there soon. Hurrah!