Something strange happened the other day courtesy of this fellow and some tracks I downloaded from his site, but before I explain what you need some background.
I have a dream, if I win the lottery I am going to open a record(CD) shop and call it Seaside Rock, it will, of course, be by the seaside and it will specialize in rock music(naturally). The inside will be dark and the music will be organized in the most confusing manner possible, it will be organized by me. I will be rude and arrogant and keep a bloody big stick behind the counter, oh and I will always wear shades.
I have my own music categories that need sharing with the world but for that you will have to wait until I win the lottery or find some mental financial benefactor to support my crazy ideas.
The name comes not from the fact it is by the seaside even though that is important, but from a genre of music which I classify as seaside rock. When I say genre it is only such in my own imagination, it has nothing to do with style, sound or dress, it is more a state of mind, my mind.
The bands which I classify as seaside rock are: the Quireboys, the Almighty, Thunder, Little Angels, and Wolfsbane and (at a push) Gun; there may be others I have forgotten. These bands have little in common apart from the time frame I came across them, and even that is a tad tenuous. I thought it may be the association between them and Southend but if that was so then it should include other bands too, and some of these guys I’ve never seen let alone at Southend.
Like I said it’s a state of mind
Dogs D'amour were a band had heard of in the past, I had even considered buying records at one point but without knowing what they sounded like(we had no XFM or internet to find out, it was all word of mouth or taping) and money being short I had to pass on it. I think I missed out; they are a cracking seaside band and the first new seaside rock discovery since 1992. They have also crystallized in my mind what seaside rock is, it’s the Britishness (I nearly said Englishness then and some are Scottish), but not just the Britishness it’s the local Britishness they have.
I think given this new revelation I will have to listen carefully and find out if any other bands fit into this group, not pompous less rock just minipomp rock.
I may have to reorganize my fantasy record shop
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
The Humble T-shirt
The single most important item in the metallers wardrobe was and as far as I know still is the t-shirt(my daughter got a Green Day American Idiot t-shirt for Christmas), you may wear a shirt for special occasions, you will change jeans, leathers, spandex and god knows what else, you may wear baseball boots, docs, Para boots or clogs but you will always come back to the t-shirt.
My first heavy metal t-shirt came from a little shop in the galleries in Basildon’s Eastgate centre, we used to go in just to look at what we couldn’t afford. Sometime during the summer of ’89 I scraped together the money for a t-shirt, it probably only cost something like £5 but that was money better spent on cigarettes and newky brown. After many agonizing hours of deliberating over what print to get I decided on Stranger In A Strange Land by Iron Maiden(of course)
Yes the picture is of that very t-shirt and it must be over nearly eighteen years old(fuck me!), I cant throw it away its been with me longer than my wife, I have even worked with people younger than my t-shirt.
As you can see I still take my t-shirts quite seriously, as I type I am wearing a Pearl Jam t-shirt I bought at the gig I saw them at in 1992(I am desperate to find a replacement so I can frame this one, it’s the Alive one with the stick man design) and here’s a picture of the Little Angels t-shirt I bought when I saw them in ‘91.
My most recent tour shirt is New Model Army from 2003 and my most recent band shirt is a Ramones t-shirt that I got for my birthday last year from the kids.
I know im not the only one who keeps t-shirts well past their use by date and the person I’m referring to knows who he is, but it’s reassuring to know you are not the only nutter left behind after everybody else has grown up.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Blast from the past 1
Today I attempted to listen to three albums from ye dusty auld tape box, they were Whitesnake’s 1989 A Slip Of The Tongue, Bonfire’s 1991 Point Blank and Jon Bon Jovi’s 1990 Blaze Of Glory (a.k.a. BOG).
Being a lazy sod I started with Whitesnake and listened to side B first because I couldn’t be bothered to rewind it, I may have gone in to deep because I could only handle four tracks before I gave up, it was just so , well boring I suppose. It was one of those albums that I can never really remember listening to and now I know why, it wasn’t bad just boring, maybe it will improve with age.
Not a good start, I felt a bit guilty about not sticking the whole album out so this time I promised I would see it through, besides I can remember a time when I did listen to Point Blank, though I had no recollection of what it was like. Its difficult to put into words how the album made me feel, it definitely triggered some emotion though I don’t think its what the artists intended, it made me feel angry. Bonfire owes me 45 minutes of my life back, the bastards. It was fucking awful, not in a funny listening to a mates demo way, or awful in a camp over the top Tygertailz way, no it was lame awful. Claus Lessmann, you and me have got issues.
Blaze Of Glory was always a bit of a laughing stock, cowboy rock? Cowboy concept album? Whatever. Compared to Point Blank it was brilliant, maybe the album just needed seeing in the right context, it was a light relief, easy going and enjoyable as long as you don’t take it to seriously.
Next time I’ll take a bit more time picking who I will listen to. 
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
I was Ready
December 17th 1990, up until this point everything just seemed like preparation for what was to come. My hair was a satisfactory heavy metal length, I had the jacket, the t-shirt, the jeans, boots, belts, badges and accessories (rings, bracers etc), my ear was pierced and I was off to see Maiden play at Wembley. I felt I had reached heavy metal perfection.
I think there were four of us on that trip, Simon, Andy, Rob and myself. To be honest it was quite an uneventful night, with the exception of one little accident.
Anthrax was not at the top of any of our must see lists but we made sure we got there in time to see the whole show, these were the big boys, we didn’t want to miss anything. Our seats were to the rear left of the arena so our view was a tad limited (“is that somebody on the stage?”, “what stage?”) and the miserable marshals at the entrances would not let us take drinks into the seating area, so we necked as much JD as was coolly possible and made our (wobbly) way to the seats. Surprisingly(for me at the time) Anthrax were bloody brilliant, enough that we bought P.O.T. within the next few days, Iron Maiden played as well as they always seem to live, with Bruce Dickinson instructing us all to go buy Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter and stop Cliff Richard from taking the Christmas number one yet again (and we did it but the BBC still played Cliff as number one on top of the pops that Christmas).
A little incident brought home to me the quality of my singing voice, we’re at a heavy metal concert with thousands of smelly, beefy, long haired, unshaven metallers and their boyfriends singing along to Iron Maiden and somebody near shouts at me “shut the fuck up you can’t sing for shit” or something to that effect, well that told me.
Getting out of Wembley arena was also an experience, faced with epically long queue my friends and I decide it would be good idea to climb over the perimeter fence and take a short cut to the station. all goes well, no security yelling at us and we almost all over, I’m the last, as I reach the top I place my foot on the wire fence and swing my other leg over, the heel of my boot snags on the top and I topple over, a six foot drop straight on to my face in front of an audience of hundreds, man was I so embarrassed, not just my mates laughing at me but half the metal heads in London, I doubt if there is anyone else out there who remembers it but I do. Cut down in my moment of glory.
And my jacket did not even get scuffed.
I think there were four of us on that trip, Simon, Andy, Rob and myself. To be honest it was quite an uneventful night, with the exception of one little accident.
Anthrax was not at the top of any of our must see lists but we made sure we got there in time to see the whole show, these were the big boys, we didn’t want to miss anything. Our seats were to the rear left of the arena so our view was a tad limited (“is that somebody on the stage?”, “what stage?”) and the miserable marshals at the entrances would not let us take drinks into the seating area, so we necked as much JD as was coolly possible and made our (wobbly) way to the seats. Surprisingly(for me at the time) Anthrax were bloody brilliant, enough that we bought P.O.T. within the next few days, Iron Maiden played as well as they always seem to live, with Bruce Dickinson instructing us all to go buy Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter and stop Cliff Richard from taking the Christmas number one yet again (and we did it but the BBC still played Cliff as number one on top of the pops that Christmas).
A little incident brought home to me the quality of my singing voice, we’re at a heavy metal concert with thousands of smelly, beefy, long haired, unshaven metallers and their boyfriends singing along to Iron Maiden and somebody near shouts at me “shut the fuck up you can’t sing for shit” or something to that effect, well that told me.
Getting out of Wembley arena was also an experience, faced with epically long queue my friends and I decide it would be good idea to climb over the perimeter fence and take a short cut to the station. all goes well, no security yelling at us and we almost all over, I’m the last, as I reach the top I place my foot on the wire fence and swing my other leg over, the heel of my boot snags on the top and I topple over, a six foot drop straight on to my face in front of an audience of hundreds, man was I so embarrassed, not just my mates laughing at me but half the metal heads in London, I doubt if there is anyone else out there who remembers it but I do. Cut down in my moment of glory.
And my jacket did not even get scuffed.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Rock Stars Who Should Be Dead
ATAE and I have come up with another list (we really should not be left alone together)
ROCK STAR ..............................PLOTLESSNESS.............. DEADNESS
All of the rolling stones.................................. 8/10 ...........................9/10
Keith Richards special*................................. 9/10 ..............already dead just doesn’t know it yet
Ozzie Osborne ...............................................10/10............................ 9/10
Lou Reed ..........................................................2/10 ..........................10/10
Iggy Pop ....................................................3+1*/10 ......................6+1*/10 *for dancing
David Bowie .....................................................1/10 .............................6/10
Axyl Rose .........................................................8/10 .............................5/10
The toxic twins (aerosmith) ...........................2/10 .........................9.5/10
Mick Fleetwood .............................................9.5/10 ............................5/10
Courtney Love .............................................1-10/10 ...........make up 3/10
...........................................................................................No make up 10/10
Bez ......................................................................11/10 .........................10/10
ROCK STAR ..............................PLOTLESSNESS.............. DEADNESS
All of the rolling stones.................................. 8/10 ...........................9/10
Keith Richards special*................................. 9/10 ..............already dead just doesn’t know it yet
Ozzie Osborne ...............................................10/10............................ 9/10
Lou Reed ..........................................................2/10 ..........................10/10
Iggy Pop ....................................................3+1*/10 ......................6+1*/10 *for dancing
David Bowie .....................................................1/10 .............................6/10
Axyl Rose .........................................................8/10 .............................5/10
The toxic twins (aerosmith) ...........................2/10 .........................9.5/10
Mick Fleetwood .............................................9.5/10 ............................5/10
Courtney Love .............................................1-10/10 ...........make up 3/10
...........................................................................................No make up 10/10
Bez ......................................................................11/10 .........................10/10
Friday, September 15, 2006
o.t.
Not quite following the theme but I don’t care, I have just bottled my first batch of home brew wine (its white, I picked up the wrong box). It’s drinkable straight off and it’s either quite strong or highly toxic, either way it’s effective.
True to form I have bodged everything, from buying the wrong kit to not being able to get the right bottles, my kitchen looks like a bootlegger’s backroom. I could only buy beer bottles and had to use whatever was lying around, eight bottles of prime….err…..ok so I haven’t named it yet, I was thinking maybe Johnny’ swine. Any suggestions?
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Did Nirvana change the world?
I’m currently reading a biography of Nirvana called (funnily enough) Nirvana by Jeremy Dean. I have already come to the conclusion the author is somewhat a twat but we’ll leave that subject for the time being. I’m up to 1992 and it poses this question: did Nirvana change the world?
1992 changed a lot for me, or I changed a lot in 1992, it seems I got a lot of stuff out of the way that year, my music tastes changed(slightly) the first incarnation of the band was created, I met my future wife, moved out, got arrested and the rest is my business so you can sod off.
We entered the year to the sounds of Metallica’s black album and Nirvana’s Nevermind, both classic and superb albums, the first gig I saw that year was Pearl Jam in a pub in Southend, the Manic Street Preachers released Generation Terrorists (only descent album in my opinion), I also discovered the Pixies, New Model Army, Levellers, Fields Of The Nephilim, Sisters Of Mercy, the Ramones and the Sex Pistols. It was a busy year. I also discovered the joys of …err …mm.
Live I also saw G’n’R supported by Faith No More(or was that the year before?)who were joined by Brian May on stage, Leatherface at the Marquee (arrested for fare evasion on the way to the gig), Lush supported by none other than Pulp (we heckled Jarvis of stage, it was another three years before we could appreciate him, well he did have a silly beard at the time) but the gig that really changed it all was New Model Army’s secret gig at the New Cross Venue.
It wasn’t apparent at the time but it started a love affair that is still on going, they are the only band I can say I have all their studio albums, have seen them four times, can stick it out in the mosh pit for the whole gig (despite being well into my thirties), have more than one t-shirt and at some point vandalized my leather jacket for them. All my children are named after Justin and I have changed my name to Army in honour of them (ok that bits a lie, my wife named them all after U2 albums). They really do rock, and they still come across as true to their message now as they did when I first discovered them, which is something special.
So 1992 changed my world but was that Nirvana? Or was it just the world changing anyway? There is no doubt about the influence Nevermind has had on music, tracks like Smells Like Teen Spirit and Come As You Are can still fill any dance floor, but so will Enter Sandman. Pearl Jam's Ten was in my opinion just as good but had a much lesser impact.
This needs a more in-depth debate methinks.
1992 changed a lot for me, or I changed a lot in 1992, it seems I got a lot of stuff out of the way that year, my music tastes changed(slightly) the first incarnation of the band was created, I met my future wife, moved out, got arrested and the rest is my business so you can sod off.
We entered the year to the sounds of Metallica’s black album and Nirvana’s Nevermind, both classic and superb albums, the first gig I saw that year was Pearl Jam in a pub in Southend, the Manic Street Preachers released Generation Terrorists (only descent album in my opinion), I also discovered the Pixies, New Model Army, Levellers, Fields Of The Nephilim, Sisters Of Mercy, the Ramones and the Sex Pistols. It was a busy year. I also discovered the joys of …err …mm.
Live I also saw G’n’R supported by Faith No More(or was that the year before?)who were joined by Brian May on stage, Leatherface at the Marquee (arrested for fare evasion on the way to the gig), Lush supported by none other than Pulp (we heckled Jarvis of stage, it was another three years before we could appreciate him, well he did have a silly beard at the time) but the gig that really changed it all was New Model Army’s secret gig at the New Cross Venue.
It wasn’t apparent at the time but it started a love affair that is still on going, they are the only band I can say I have all their studio albums, have seen them four times, can stick it out in the mosh pit for the whole gig (despite being well into my thirties), have more than one t-shirt and at some point vandalized my leather jacket for them. All my children are named after Justin and I have changed my name to Army in honour of them (ok that bits a lie, my wife named them all after U2 albums). They really do rock, and they still come across as true to their message now as they did when I first discovered them, which is something special.
So 1992 changed my world but was that Nirvana? Or was it just the world changing anyway? There is no doubt about the influence Nevermind has had on music, tracks like Smells Like Teen Spirit and Come As You Are can still fill any dance floor, but so will Enter Sandman. Pearl Jam's Ten was in my opinion just as good but had a much lesser impact.
This needs a more in-depth debate methinks.
the late discussions(i)
Today at work ATAE and I were discussing the relationship between Faith No More and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, it seemed at the time they were the beginnings of a whole new metal genre, I remember the label Funk Metal being thrown about at some point in the early nineties but this didn’t seem to stick.
It must have been quite a small or short lived movement, the only participants being the afore mentioned bands plus Primus and Extreme (uurgh) and maybe Living Colour.
I much preferred Faith No More back then, and primus would come second, I never thought the Chilli Peppers would become as big as they have or produce such fantastic albums, my only complaint with Stadium Arcadium is that its so bloody long, why not cut out half the songs and release a super album then follow it up with sessions or additional material album like the Missions Grains Of Sand collection.
It must have been quite a small or short lived movement, the only participants being the afore mentioned bands plus Primus and Extreme (uurgh) and maybe Living Colour.
I much preferred Faith No More back then, and primus would come second, I never thought the Chilli Peppers would become as big as they have or produce such fantastic albums, my only complaint with Stadium Arcadium is that its so bloody long, why not cut out half the songs and release a super album then follow it up with sessions or additional material album like the Missions Grains Of Sand collection.
rock genres
In honour of those about to rock we have thought of some new styles to run along side the multitude of other incomprehensible sub genres of rock.
Sports Goth- Evanescence (gothic yet young and funky)
Wrong name rock- Incubus (sounds gothic, doesn’t sound gothic)
Seaside rock- see previous posts
Faker rock- rock by pop artists e.g. Robbie Williams & Mel C a.k.a. cunt rock not to be confused with flange rock
Simple rock- rock for non-rock fans e.g. Nickelback
Flange rock- L7, Hole, The Nymphs (anti-cock rock)
Forgotten rock- Krokus? Magnum?
Role Play Rock- Scorpion, Maiden, Neil Diamond a.k.a. geek metal
Training rock- Avril Lavigne, Sum 41
Pre School rock- Mcfly, Busted
Moaner Metal- H.I.M. (looks good, nice packaging mournful dirge)
with help form Andy "the ageing emo"
Sports Goth- Evanescence (gothic yet young and funky)
Wrong name rock- Incubus (sounds gothic, doesn’t sound gothic)
Seaside rock- see previous posts
Faker rock- rock by pop artists e.g. Robbie Williams & Mel C a.k.a. cunt rock not to be confused with flange rock
Simple rock- rock for non-rock fans e.g. Nickelback
Flange rock- L7, Hole, The Nymphs (anti-cock rock)
Forgotten rock- Krokus? Magnum?
Role Play Rock- Scorpion, Maiden, Neil Diamond a.k.a. geek metal
Training rock- Avril Lavigne, Sum 41
Pre School rock- Mcfly, Busted
Moaner Metal- H.I.M. (looks good, nice packaging mournful dirge)
with help form Andy "the ageing emo"
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Disaster
My tape with Quireboys A Little Bit Of What You Fancy and Wolfsbane’s Down Fall All The Good Guys got chewed up last night, now I remember why I abandoned tapes. I have Quireboys on vinyl but my record player is in a cupboard dismantled somewhere and the CD with Wolfsbane is in storage at my mother in-laws house while I move. Bollocks.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
kerrang
Where would heavy metal be without its guardian and chronicler KERRANG?
There were other magazines but most of them have passed away into history or obscurity, Kerrang even outlasted Melody Maker. This magazine helped shape and influence a generation, and now its twisted manipulations infect another.
Today my daughter bought her first copy of Kerrang.
I am so proud.
There were other magazines but most of them have passed away into history or obscurity, Kerrang even outlasted Melody Maker. This magazine helped shape and influence a generation, and now its twisted manipulations infect another.
Today my daughter bought her first copy of Kerrang.
I am so proud.
Look What I've Found
This is a flyer for the round acre christmas rock fest in 1989. I can't remember what the gig was like but I know I had my new Helloween t-shirt on at the time. Strange what you remember.
Video show
Ain't youtube great!
Wolfsbane-manhunt
Anthrax-got the time
Sisters of Mercy-temple of love(1992),ALICE
fields of the nephilim - moonchild
New Model Army-here comes the war(live) I'm in the moshpit somewhere in this one
Guns'n'Roses-knocking on heavens door
Rammstein-ich will(live)
Metallica-one
Bruce Dickinson-tattooed millionaire
Wolfsbane-manhunt
Anthrax-got the time
Sisters of Mercy-temple of love(1992),ALICE
fields of the nephilim - moonchild
New Model Army-here comes the war(live) I'm in the moshpit somewhere in this one
Guns'n'Roses-knocking on heavens door
Rammstein-ich will(live)
Metallica-one
Bruce Dickinson-tattooed millionaire
Sunday, September 10, 2006
The Pink Toothbrush
The pink toothbrush is, or was, a place of pilgrimage for any metaller, punk, goth, whatever that lived in that part of Essex. It’s ideally located bloody miles away, has no public transport links to where I lived, or live for that matter.
The place is famed for its sticky carpet and dark interior, the dark interior is typical to most alternative clubs but the floor has to be walked over to be believed, people have been trapped there for days while trying to prize themselves free.
The club claims to be the longest running alternative club in the country, it was originally called Crocs, complete with live crocs in a tank until they died from nicotine overdoses and manic depression.
The club puts on heavier rockier stuff on Fridays and more indie pop stuff on the Saturday and sometimes live bands on Thursdays. The bands that have played there read like a who’s who of alternative music however the only band I’ve seen play there is Carter USM in '97.
It’s a shame that I can rarely get to the Brush and when I can its always on the Saturday, the place has changed little over the fourteen years of so that I’ve been going, even with an eight year gap between visits, the paintings have changed and the prices of drinks are no longer on the walls in chalk, the carpet no longer looks like a carpet but its still just as sticky, and the kebab shop outside is sodding shut when you kick out.
Some friends and I went last night, its starting to make me feel old.
Pearl Jam
02/03/92 - The Esplanade Club: Southend, England [70m]
attendance: 300
set: Wash, Once, Even Flow, State of Love and Trust, Alive, Black, Why Go, Jeremy, (Outshined)/Leash, jam, Porch
encore: chant, Release, Breath
notes: PJ's first European show was unannounced and unadvertised. After 'State,' someone asks for 'Hunger Strike' and Ed asks, "Mr. Cornell, are you here? If Chris is here, we'll play it." Instead, Stone plays the opening to 'Black,' but Ed stops him saying they need to play another first and they go onto 'Alive.' Ed notes how he finds it "weird" that people in Europe know the lyrics. After 'Jeremy,' Ed says, "Let's play a little Soundgarden," and a few 'Outshined' riffs are played. The jam after 'Leash' is based on the 'Dirty Frank' tune. Coming back for an encore, Ed gets a little chant going with the crowd, followed by 'Release,' (strangely) played for the first time as an encore. Before finishing with 'Breath,' Ed tells everyone, "Hey, we're gonna do a TV show tomorrow and it might even be live. Is there anyone we should tell to fuck off? We might as well just do it right here."
I was there. What else can you say? It was the most astounding gig I had been to, for a band I had never heard of (except the recommendation of a friend) to blow me away. The sound filled the venue like something physically tangible, its almost indescribable, I think I nearly broke my nose in the mosh pit but that has happened more than once, it was like being stoned without being stoned, the crowd in front of the stage just merged into a single beast. I even bought a t-shirt (which I still have though it is about to die) and I’m a tight bastard.
I bought the single the following week, then the album the next, all as soon as they were released. I ended up buying all the singles from TEN. There is a bootleg of the show in circulation and I would dearly love to get a copy.
Pearl Jam's follow Vs up left me cold, they became another band I dropped from my shopping list. Last year however I did catch up and brought my collection up to date, I still think that TEN is still the best they have done, in fact I would put it in my top 20 albums of all time.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Beatallica
These guys are excellent, and you can download all the tracks for free. Its a fusion of Beatles and Metallica, its funny and cool. Thanks to timeblog.net
Iron Maiden
I had to wait to do this one, it just would not seem right that I should write it without buying and listening to the new album.
The first heavy metal album I was given was Number Of The Beast, the first album I bought was Somewhere In Time, the second was Piece Of Mind and the first t-shirt I wore was Stranger In A Strange Land. They were also the first “big” band I saw live. Says something doesn’t it.
Iron Maiden is the staple of all heavy metal, the be all and end all. It doesn’t matter if you like them or not there is no denying their huge influence, you say to someone heavy metal and they will say “what, like Iron Maiden?”
I think my mum was hoping it was just a phase I was going through when I first played Number Of The Beast at home, “what’s that?” “Iron Maiden” I replied defiantly “oh”. “Oh”? what do you mean “oh”? Its Iron Maiden woman, are you not worried I’m slipping down the slippery slope of Satanism? Do you not worry about my poor corrupted soul? DO YOU NOT CARE? Like most sensible god fearing folk my mum didn’t buy into the whole “heavy metal is evil” thing, despite being a conservative, I was quite disappointed really, my first bit of rebellion and it didn’t even get a reaction.
My dad wasn’t much better.
I loved Maiden to bits, to me it was the definition of heavy metal, everything else was just to fill in the gaps. I finally saw them play at Wembley Arena in December 1990 supported by Anthrax, for some reason they rapidly lost their appeal after that, by the time they released Fear Of The Dark I was not interested, I bought the single Be Quick Or Be Dead but that was it. Even though I was not listening to them I was pissed when I found out they had replaced Bruce Dickinson with Blaze Bailey but that I’ve already discussed.
My interest was briefly reignited in 2000 when some mates (of JD on wardrobe fame) had a spare ticket to go see them at Earls Court, I felt a little out of place this time but they still rocked, I listened to the new album and for a while I was back in there.
About 18 months ago I realized I had nothing on CD so I bought Eddie The Great thinking this would keep me Maiden happy, it was not so, I then bought Number Of The Beast on CD and at that point decided that each time HMV has a sale I will have to replace something on CD. I have ten albums by Maiden but most are on vinyl or cassette.
Well I have listened through the new album now and it was pretty cool.
A Matter Of Life And Death gets 9/10 for metalness and 10/10 for Maideness
update: I think I have worked out what killed Maiden for me back in 1990, it was Bring your daughter to the slaughter. What a fucking appalling song, almost as bad as holy smoke, it’s a pity because there were some good songs on that album.
The first heavy metal album I was given was Number Of The Beast, the first album I bought was Somewhere In Time, the second was Piece Of Mind and the first t-shirt I wore was Stranger In A Strange Land. They were also the first “big” band I saw live. Says something doesn’t it.
Iron Maiden is the staple of all heavy metal, the be all and end all. It doesn’t matter if you like them or not there is no denying their huge influence, you say to someone heavy metal and they will say “what, like Iron Maiden?”
I think my mum was hoping it was just a phase I was going through when I first played Number Of The Beast at home, “what’s that?” “Iron Maiden” I replied defiantly “oh”. “Oh”? what do you mean “oh”? Its Iron Maiden woman, are you not worried I’m slipping down the slippery slope of Satanism? Do you not worry about my poor corrupted soul? DO YOU NOT CARE? Like most sensible god fearing folk my mum didn’t buy into the whole “heavy metal is evil” thing, despite being a conservative, I was quite disappointed really, my first bit of rebellion and it didn’t even get a reaction.
My dad wasn’t much better.
I loved Maiden to bits, to me it was the definition of heavy metal, everything else was just to fill in the gaps. I finally saw them play at Wembley Arena in December 1990 supported by Anthrax, for some reason they rapidly lost their appeal after that, by the time they released Fear Of The Dark I was not interested, I bought the single Be Quick Or Be Dead but that was it. Even though I was not listening to them I was pissed when I found out they had replaced Bruce Dickinson with Blaze Bailey but that I’ve already discussed.
My interest was briefly reignited in 2000 when some mates (of JD on wardrobe fame) had a spare ticket to go see them at Earls Court, I felt a little out of place this time but they still rocked, I listened to the new album and for a while I was back in there.
About 18 months ago I realized I had nothing on CD so I bought Eddie The Great thinking this would keep me Maiden happy, it was not so, I then bought Number Of The Beast on CD and at that point decided that each time HMV has a sale I will have to replace something on CD. I have ten albums by Maiden but most are on vinyl or cassette.
Well I have listened through the new album now and it was pretty cool.
A Matter Of Life And Death gets 9/10 for metalness and 10/10 for Maideness
update: I think I have worked out what killed Maiden for me back in 1990, it was Bring your daughter to the slaughter. What a fucking appalling song, almost as bad as holy smoke, it’s a pity because there were some good songs on that album.
Little Angels
The Little Angels eluded me twice before I got to see them, once I have already described and I think the second time was also at the cliffs but I can’t be sure. Rick and I finally got to see them play at Hammersmith Odeon as it was called then, we bought the tickets on the day and were told they only had restricted view tickets, seeing as we had travelled all the way into London to see the guys we took them and went to the pub for a bit, after the doors opened we had a rather pleasant surprise, yes the seats did have a slightly restricted view but THEY WERE IN THE FRONT FUCKING ROW, how cool was that. Not only did we get to be at the front the show was filmed for their Big Bad Video, yes I did buy it and yes you can see us, I was the only twat in bloody Hammersmith with a white t-shir
t on (what was I thinking).I recently found the tour shirt tucked away in a carrier bag, and guess what, it was white(ish)
Another band I was gutted to see split, I owned the first two albums and never got round to buying the third, I had Don’t Prey For Me on cassette which died a horrible chewy death in my brother personal stereo, and Young Gods is on vinyl. Something else to add to the wish list.
I read members of the band went on to do some good stuff, like Skunk Anansie and also things that should be punishable with death like managing Boyzone and Ronan Keating. Toby Jepson is now doing solo stuff so I may look out for him if he ever plays locally.
I think this band concludes those that I term as seaside rock.
The Almighty
I was introduced to the Almighty (the band not God) in 1991 when I saw them play at the Cliffs, I bought the ticket without having a clue what they sounded like and none of my friends knew them either. We did get a taste before the gig when their video was shown on the Friday rock show on itv, I don’t remember what the show was called though it was hosted by some bloke called Masher or Krusher or something suitably “ROCK”.
Live they were fantastic, even without knowing most of their set; they came across a bit like Motorhead lite, still quite heavy but easier to follow. A couple of days later I bought Soul Destruction which was the Almighty’s second album, and I loved it, its another that I went back to about a year ago, and last week I purchased Wild and Wonderful which is a compilation of stuff up to ’94, they do a fantastic cover of the Sex Pistol’s Bodies and Keep On Rocking In The Free World is always brilliant no matter who does it. Again I lost track of the Almighty as my tastes changed around ’92-‘93
It was only very recently that I discovered Ricky Warwick (check out his cover of Running Free)the lead singer had been a bassist for New Model Army, if I had known that back in 1992 then I would probably followed them through to today. New Model Army is something of a mild obsession with me but I’ll cover that later.
P.S. the support at the gig was Junkyard (its shite)
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Thunder
I can’t remember exactly when or where I discovered Thunder though it had to be in 1989, probably on a video of Headbangers Ball which a neighbour of Simon passed us every now and then. I loved the album Backstreet Symphony, every track, it seems quite light and cheesy now but I still listen to it on occasion. Even my brother and at least one of my sisters still love the album.
Thunder was another of those bands I missed because I had to baby sit when they played at the Cliffs in Southend, that must have been sometime in 1990.
When Thunder released Laughing On Judgement Day in ’92 I rushed out to buy it without actually listening to it first, I was seriously disappointed. The disappointment is not something I can justify now, it may have been my taste had simply changed or it may have just been a crap album but whatever the reason I never followed them again.
The band are still going and by the looks of it have been very busy, I will have to check it out some time but not today, or tomorrow come to that.
Still like the first album though.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
my first gigs
It was Monday 27th of November 1989, some how we had heard that Little Angels were going to play in the Maritime bar at the Cliffs in Westcliffe. To Simon and I this was our rite of passage, we’d seen it on TV and watched the videos but this was it, we were going into the real world of heavy metal, and to top it all we had seen Little Angels on MTV’s Headbangers ball.
I don’t remember too much about the night, we had just enough money for the train fare and the door, some cigarettes and a bit for drinks. We were totally out of place; we bought coke in a pint glass (looks like Guinness) and waited for the band as the place filled up with some pretty scary looking characters. Some bloke gets up on stage to a scattering of cheers (jeers) from the occupants of the bar (not enough to call them a crowd) and told us that Little Angels would not be playing but the support would be Red Dogs. Gutted. I have no idea what the band was like, it was 17 years ago and my first experience of live music and my first experience of VOLUME. I saw moshing up close for the first time, fuck me what have I got into? I was blown away, next time I was gonna get in there.
Monday 4th of December my diary says,
Went to cliffs pavilion to see Horse London a heavy metal band but they did not turn up, but their support group Mistress played. Wasn’t much head banging but some idiots did some slam dancing, still the group was better than Red Dogs who played last week.
As you can see I had become an expert over the space of a week, and those idiots I so bravely cussed in my diary were a couple of punks, at least this time we plucked up the courage to order beer at the bar. I must have joined in this time because the entry for the next day said,
Woke up with bad neck, bad back, bad attitude and bad breath. Went to college, came back. Pissed off.
It didn’t get much better
I saw Mistress (the correct spelling) alongside After Dark and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers at the Round Acre in Basildon on the 23rd of December and did it all properly this time, moshed and mashed.
It was about this time that my mum suddenly got a social life and it happened to be on a Monday, 11th December 1989 to be precise. Oh the bitterness, it still rankles.
I don’t remember too much about the night, we had just enough money for the train fare and the door, some cigarettes and a bit for drinks. We were totally out of place; we bought coke in a pint glass (looks like Guinness) and waited for the band as the place filled up with some pretty scary looking characters. Some bloke gets up on stage to a scattering of cheers (jeers) from the occupants of the bar (not enough to call them a crowd) and told us that Little Angels would not be playing but the support would be Red Dogs. Gutted. I have no idea what the band was like, it was 17 years ago and my first experience of live music and my first experience of VOLUME. I saw moshing up close for the first time, fuck me what have I got into? I was blown away, next time I was gonna get in there.
Monday 4th of December my diary says,
Went to cliffs pavilion to see Horse London a heavy metal band but they did not turn up, but their support group Mistress played. Wasn’t much head banging but some idiots did some slam dancing, still the group was better than Red Dogs who played last week.
As you can see I had become an expert over the space of a week, and those idiots I so bravely cussed in my diary were a couple of punks, at least this time we plucked up the courage to order beer at the bar. I must have joined in this time because the entry for the next day said,
Woke up with bad neck, bad back, bad attitude and bad breath. Went to college, came back. Pissed off.
It didn’t get much better
I saw Mistress (the correct spelling) alongside After Dark and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers at the Round Acre in Basildon on the 23rd of December and did it all properly this time, moshed and mashed.
It was about this time that my mum suddenly got a social life and it happened to be on a Monday, 11th December 1989 to be precise. Oh the bitterness, it still rankles.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Leather
It was the uniform and armour of any self respecting metalhead, you could wear denim up to a point but eventually you had to buy a leather jacket.
I bought my first leather in 1990, up until that point I’d worn a white cotton jacket with an iron maiden print on the back, I looked more punk than metal. I left college in 1990 with little more than what I’d started, given up on being an intellectual and decided (actually pressured by my mum) to get a job. The first job I did (not counting summer jobs) was working as a kitchen porter for the night shift with my cousin, it was only for two weeks but the pay was fantastic, I did not earn that much again until 1997 maybe even latter. The first thing I did with the money, after mum took a chunk for keeping me, was go into Basildon and get me that leather. It was one of those typical metaller’s jackets that everybody had at the time, black, tasselled, and so many pockets I don’t think I ever managed to use them all at the same time. I also had enough money left over to buy a ticket to Iron Maidens concert at Wembley arena later that year. And then I got drunk.
Now any self respecting metaller from that time will tell you that the fucked look is best, it seems that today’s metallers go for a pristine black sort of look with everything looking all new and shiny, but the shops are now full of the “distressed” look so I suppose its still a step away from the mainstream. My jacket was used and abused faithfully for two solid stomping heavy metal years, it was beered on, it was vomited on, it was bled on, slept on, stood on, rained, snowed, hailed and bloody sunned on, moshed in, fallen over in, climbed over things in, stood around moodily in, I partied in it and got dumped in it but that jacket refused to look used, it had to go. I think it was October 1992 when I finally had enough. I went and bought a new (want old look, buy new - I know it doesn’t make sense) leather jacket from a place in lakeside shopping centre, I wanted something different so it was untasselled and a tighter fit that the old one (I had come under the influence of an old (32) punk whom I’d met through work), and so clad in my shiny new leather I went off to the pub to meet one of my mates (said punk).
Now funny thing was said punk was going through a bit of a nasty divorce and his missus had cut the arms of his old leather, to replace it he went to the same shop as I had about half an hour later and, like me, wanted something different to what he’d had (it was a tight fit and white, don’t ask why).
We sat in the pub looking at each others jackets, both identical apart from the size, justified our purchases and the set to drinking, by the end of the evening we had some how decided that we didn’t quite like the fit of our new(identical) jackets and swapped them after which we were perfectly happy with them. I’ve still got mine.
So new jacket new beginning? It was beered on, it was vomited on, it was bled on, slept on, stood on, rained, snowed, hailed and bloody sunned on, moshed in, fallen over in, climbed over things in, stood around moodily in, I partied in it and got dumped, several times, gigged in, festivalled in, chomped by horses, babies, dogs, I was kicked out of pubs in it, it was used as a sick bag and a blanket, the cat slept in it, moved house in it, and then again and again, and this jacket also refused to look used, I dumped it in a cupboard in 1995 just after I shaved my hair off (it just didn’t look right). The jacket has only seen daylight twice since then; when I saw Carter USM at the Pink Toothbrush and at a barbeque so a friend and I could reminisce. It looks knackered now but that’s due to sitting at the bottom of a cupboard for 11 years.
I bought my first leather in 1990, up until that point I’d worn a white cotton jacket with an iron maiden print on the back, I looked more punk than metal. I left college in 1990 with little more than what I’d started, given up on being an intellectual and decided (actually pressured by my mum) to get a job. The first job I did (not counting summer jobs) was working as a kitchen porter for the night shift with my cousin, it was only for two weeks but the pay was fantastic, I did not earn that much again until 1997 maybe even latter. The first thing I did with the money, after mum took a chunk for keeping me, was go into Basildon and get me that leather. It was one of those typical metaller’s jackets that everybody had at the time, black, tasselled, and so many pockets I don’t think I ever managed to use them all at the same time. I also had enough money left over to buy a ticket to Iron Maidens concert at Wembley arena later that year. And then I got drunk.
Now any self respecting metaller from that time will tell you that the fucked look is best, it seems that today’s metallers go for a pristine black sort of look with everything looking all new and shiny, but the shops are now full of the “distressed” look so I suppose its still a step away from the mainstream. My jacket was used and abused faithfully for two solid stomping heavy metal years, it was beered on, it was vomited on, it was bled on, slept on, stood on, rained, snowed, hailed and bloody sunned on, moshed in, fallen over in, climbed over things in, stood around moodily in, I partied in it and got dumped in it but that jacket refused to look used, it had to go. I think it was October 1992 when I finally had enough. I went and bought a new (want old look, buy new - I know it doesn’t make sense) leather jacket from a place in lakeside shopping centre, I wanted something different so it was untasselled and a tighter fit that the old one (I had come under the influence of an old (32) punk whom I’d met through work), and so clad in my shiny new leather I went off to the pub to meet one of my mates (said punk).
Now funny thing was said punk was going through a bit of a nasty divorce and his missus had cut the arms of his old leather, to replace it he went to the same shop as I had about half an hour later and, like me, wanted something different to what he’d had (it was a tight fit and white, don’t ask why).
We sat in the pub looking at each others jackets, both identical apart from the size, justified our purchases and the set to drinking, by the end of the evening we had some how decided that we didn’t quite like the fit of our new(identical) jackets and swapped them after which we were perfectly happy with them. I’ve still got mine.
So new jacket new beginning? It was beered on, it was vomited on, it was bled on, slept on, stood on, rained, snowed, hailed and bloody sunned on, moshed in, fallen over in, climbed over things in, stood around moodily in, I partied in it and got dumped, several times, gigged in, festivalled in, chomped by horses, babies, dogs, I was kicked out of pubs in it, it was used as a sick bag and a blanket, the cat slept in it, moved house in it, and then again and again, and this jacket also refused to look used, I dumped it in a cupboard in 1995 just after I shaved my hair off (it just didn’t look right). The jacket has only seen daylight twice since then; when I saw Carter USM at the Pink Toothbrush and at a barbeque so a friend and I could reminisce. It looks knackered now but that’s due to sitting at the bottom of a cupboard for 11 years.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Just come across this in the local Tesco, a new energy drink called relentless, looks like the most gothic energy drink ever.
I didn’t buy one, that would be giving in to packaging.
I didn’t buy one, that would be giving in to packaging.
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