Cheesy Choonsday: More Sitar Grooves

Following on from the last edition of Cheesy Choonsday, i'm bringing you two more sitar treats...

Gianpiero Reverberi is an Italian pianist and composer, and it was he that brought us Rondò Veneziano in the late 70's - remember them??! Renaissance-clobber wearing chamber orchestra, playing classical music in a rock styley (believe it or not, they are still going, and have cranked out over 70 albums!)... Back in the 60's though, Reverberi created this slice of genius, 'Sequence 36'. Not a heavy sitar driven track, but it's in the mix, and is a groovy little fella of the highest order. Reminds me of hazy smokey evenings at the Laurel Tree in Camden, circa 1994.

Gianpiero Reverberi - Sequence 36:


The second track is from Pakistani composer Sohail Rana, who in the 60's created some of the finest film soundtracks ever. This super-funky gem is called 'Soul Sitar'.



Sohail Rana - Soul Sitar:


Piley

Sparks: Hello Young Lovers - Live Review

Sparks: Hello Young Lovers, Live at the Carling Academy, Islington, London. 11th June 2008.

Before I start this review, I'd just like to say a big thank you to photographer extraordinaire Tony Bartolo. Believe it or not, Tony was the only press photographer to cover every night of 21x21 - ensuring this historic event was preserved. He has kindly allowed me to use some of his stunning photos for this review, and also for my previous Propaganda review. More about Tony and his photos in the links section at the end of this article.


Back in 2002, Sparks fans were looking forward to Ron and Russell's first album of the 21st Century… but with the best will in the world, I doubt many expected the masterpiece that was Lil’ Beethoven. The creativity of the Mael brothers never ceases to impress, but this album broke yet more new territory, and took them to an even higher level. Critics and fans alike put this, their 19th album, as their best yet. So, after more than 30 years in the business, Sparks had finally reached their peak right? Well no actually, because album number 20, 2006’s Hello Young Lovers, topped it!

I can't tell you how much I love this album, but suffice to say, eight and a half years into the 2000’s, it’s still looking like I'll have the easiest choice ever for my 'album of the decade' award. It’s just about as perfect an album as I think I'll ever find - this multilayered gem has so much in it, that it is almost impossible to 'get it' within the first few plays. This is no background music -- it's a complex album that demands your full attention for the full duration. The phrase "blown away" is severely overused (I actually heard someone at work last week claiming they had been "blown away with the new Coldplay album", now come on, is that really very likely?!), but I genuinely was with this album (and still am). I'd never heard anything quite like it and just couldn't stop playing it, even now it's impossible to just play once.

For me, Hello Young Lovers sums Sparks up perfectly – it’s intelligent, arty, funny and experimental. It's classical music and its rock, it opera, pop and it’s dance… quite often all at the same time! So here I am, waiting to see if they can possibly improve on this album, live. The stakes were high, could this gig possibly live up to all my expectations?

Ron and Russell enter to tremendous applause for this, their final night at the venue that has become their home in the last month or so. The stage is set up radically different to my last visit, due mainly to the inclusion of the jumbo video screen sitting on the stage – an addition which has become a regular feature to accompany the live shows for the more recent Sparks albums. As a consequence, the rest of the band are squeezed either side of the screen, and they perform behind a black mesh.

Straight away we're into the opening song, Dick Around. I've sung the praises of this track before, but suffice to say, live, this fabulously OTT opener is more intense than ever. The supporting band either side of the video screen are plunged into darkness, each member lit only by a single spotlight from the floor. As the band are rather cramped for room, by necessity they are all standing at different levels, and the result is very Bohemian Rhapsody looking -- which may well be deliberate... Dick Around has the feel of a 21st Century This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us, and many believe that song was a big influence on Queen when writing Bohemian Rhapsody.

Perfume sounds fresher than ever, and it’s already clear that tonight is going to be no disappointment. By the time we reach track three, The Very Next Fight, the jumbo screen has come into its own, and 'real life' Ron is taking on a 'digital' Ron for a no holds barred fight. The timing of each punch thrown is perfect, finishing with a sucker punch from live Ron that sends his 2D counterpart flying off screen! The Very Next Fight also gives the crowd their first real chance to join in, as they ‘help’ Russell out with the repetitive “open displays of affection” line!

Anti-war song (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country? is next…. Y’know, it’s a natural temptation for people to write off older artists -- as either 'past it' or living on their past, but watching Russell completely commanding the stage, as he marches up and down (accompanied by an on screen army of military Maels!), you realise he is still one of the best front men in the business. Ron straps on a Vintage electric for Rock, Rock, Rock, where he become guitar hero (for one track anyway) and cranks out a deafening heavy metal strum that would have Velvet Revolver heading for cover…indeed the on-screen stack of cartoon speakers are wobbling and bulging like something out of Tom and Jerry with every attack of the strings!

There have been some grumblings about the sound quality at some of these shows, but as the gorgeous piano sound kicks in on Metaphor, I suddenly realise that tonight, the sound (and just about everything else too!) is just perfect. Ron takes another trip to the screen to catch, and then discard, the falling words that drop as Russell sings them… “a diamond ring”, “the first day of summer”… The crowd have been very interactive throughout, but Metaphor is a fun song with lyrics just aching for a bit of audience participation, and it’s great to hear them take full advantage…

Russell: Whose up for a metaphor?
Crowd: We're up for a metaphor!
Russell: Are you chicks up for a metaphor?
Crowd: Yes, we're up for a metaphor!
Russell: Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mix them
Crowd: We, we, we won't mix them!
Russell: Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mix them
Crowd: We wouldn't dream of mixing ‘em!

Waterproof is as good a ballad as Sparks have ever written, and although it’s impossible for me to pick a favourite track, this would have to be a contender. I go all goose-pimple-ly for the entire song, as Russell gives a note-perfect performance. 20 nights in, and his voice is holding up wonderfully. The video screen provides Russell with the perfect set of backing singers for Here Kitty Kitty… four felines in their best suits!

There's No Such Thing As Aliens is hauntingly stunning, and the two creepy figures with the big hands directly behind Russell add to the eerie feel of this song. The show has flown by, and incredibly it’s already the final track, the frantic madness that is As I Sit To Play The Organ At The Notre Dame Cathedral. Complete with maniacal church organ and the scariest hallelujah chorus you're ever likely to hear! At one point, Ron takes to playing a cartoon organ on the jumbo screen! It looks incredible, and makes yellow submarine look quite sensible in comparison!

The applause at the end of this performance goes on longer than I think I've ever witnessed at any gig – it must be close on ten full minutes. The band look almost embarrassed as they stand there with no signs of it stopping. There is genuine emotion on display, as all the band members hug each other as though they’d just completed a marathon (which in musical terms, over the last 4 weeks they have!). Although there is one more night of 21x21 to come (the very first performance of their brand-new album at Shepherd's Bush in two days time), there is a feel of completion tonight. These first 20 nights were the past, from now on it’s the future.

The encore tonight, unlike most of the previous nights, has nothing to do with the album performed. Profile, is one of their best ever b-sides (the flip of 1975’s Get In The Swing), and the crowd go crazy for it!

An incredible night, which leaves me completely stunned… yet the cherry for tonight's cake was still to be served. A fortuitous ‘bump’ into a friend of a friend, means I end up in the after show party, and within minutes, I’m standing 2 feet away from Ron and Russell. Surely no better opportunity to finally meet my heroes? Well, no, not really. They are happily winding down after the performance, and it's not really that kind of environment. Over in the corner we spot ex-Sparks bass player Ian Hampton, seconds later Ron and Russell spot him to. It's obviously been a long-time and there are genuine shows of affection all round as the three are reunited. It's my last memory of the evening, and what an appropriate one. This whole mammoth feat -- performing 21 albums in 21 nights -- was all about reacquainting ourselves with old friends, both musical and human…job well and truly done.


SPARKS RELATED LINKS:

Tony Bartolo is the only photographer in the world who took profesional photos every night of the whole 21x21 event. He has some very exciting projects under way, and you will soon be able to purchase some of his incredible work from the Sparks Spectacular. Be sure to keep watching his website - Snazmusic - for full details. Tony currently has a competition running to win a signed Sparks album cover... so be sure to check his site out here

See my review of the Propaganda show here complete with more exclusive photos from Tony Bartolo.

Download or listen to the full 22 minute interview that Sparks gave Simon Mayo to promote 21x21 here

See my Introducing Sparks article here, containing exclusive comments from Ron and Russell Mael!

My exclusive interview with ex-Sparks member Martin Gordon is here and here

My interview with indie popsters Silvery is here, and there's plenty of Sparks related chat!

Visit the official Sparks websitee here

Visit the official Sparks MySpace Page here


Piley

Cheesy Choonsday: Mathar

I kicked this semi-regular feature off a couple of weeks ago over on Planet Mondo, where as guest blogger, I posted 3 Cheesy nuggets by Peters and Lee, James Last and Henry Mancini... follow the link above if you missed 'em.


This week, Mathar. Not particularly rare to find, but you'll struggle to find a better piece of sitar big beat psychedelia than this!


Dave Pike was a jazz musician in the 50's and early 60's. In the late 60's he formed the Dave Pike Set and experimented with a more funky jazz sound, incorporating experimental sounds. The 1969 LP "Noisy Silence - Gentle Noise" featured the Sitar led track Mathar, which some 25 years later became a massive club favourite in the early BritPop\Cheesy Listening era. In 1994 the track was re-recorded by Indian Vibes (which was actually Paul Weller in disguise). Oddly, his version is now a much rarer item than the original.

They are both here for you to enjoy, get ya dancin shoes on....

Dave Pike Set:


Indian Vibes:



Piley

Magic Ship: Maiden Voyage

Climb on Board the Magic Ship - Destination Americana!

I was delighted to receive Magic Ships' debut CD ‘Love Tel Motel’ last week - regular readers will already know them as fellow blogger Axe Victims' band. Over on his site, we’ve seen this project go from a twinkle (or maybe a ‘twang’) in Axes’ eye, through to final fruition with the album release and accompanying gig to launch it last weekend. The regular blog updates certainly added to the whole appeal for me, and gave a great insight into the labour of love that goes into getting a project like this off the ground… Over the months I’ve heard the demos, read about the rehearsals and recording sessions, viewed various potential designs for the artwork, and been privy to all the trials and tribulations the guys have been through on the way. So to see the final product drop through the letterbox was rather satisfying even for me… imagine how Axe and his (magic) shipmates must be feeling??!

Ok, so I’ve already appreciated all the hard work and effort that went into getting the CD off the ground, but how does the finished article fair? Pretty damn well actually! And it’s just about lived in the CD player ever since I got it!

It’s obvious from the outset that these guys know their stuff, they are experienced musicians with an in-depth knowledge of music. As they storm through this blistering, riff laden, 10 track album there are nods to everyone from the Stones and the Faces to the Byrds and Neil Young. From the Black Crows to Oasis and even the Fratellis. Vocally, Axe evokes comparisons with Mark Lanegan, Joe Cocker and Leon Russell.

But don’t go thinking this is some pseudo sound-a-like album, Magic Ship are much smarter than that. There is a restrained light touch on all the influences… a dash of Lynyrd Skynyrd, a drop of Tom Petty, a sprinkling of Primal Scream… What comes out is 100% Magic Ship.

So if you’re looking for a bona fide rocker to see you through the (long?! hot?!) summer, Magic Ship could be just the band for you – Gawd bless ‘er, and all who sail in her!

All the links you need:

Magic Ships' Official Website
Axe Victims' Blog
Buy Love Tel Motel from Stone Island Records

Piley

Richard Cheese

Firstly, an extra warm welcome to any new visitors, who have wandered over due to my ‘guest spot’ over on Planet Mondo. Thanks for dropping by! Have fun clickin’ around and I hope you’ll pop back from time to time…


I love the way you stumble across new music. Lately the iPod has become a real boon for this, as people now walkabout with room-fulls of music in their back pocket. A while back, I was heading off to a meeting in London, and bumped into an old friend on the train. Both music fiends, we spent the whole journey connected to each other's earphones, linked only with sentences like "check this out" "have you heard these" "I can't get enough of this" etc etc. And it was this chance meeting that introduced me to Richard Cheese, whose complete back catalogue I now own.

Richard Cheese’s slant is genius, Sinatra-fied versions of punk, metal, rap and indie toons! Ah! I hear you cry, we’ve seen all this before with Paul Anka... But Mr C actually predates Anka’s cover albums by a few years, and has been releasing his brand of lounge classics since 2000. To be fair, Paul Anka is playing it pretty straight with his CDs anyway. He’s chosen sensible-ish songs with sensible-ish lyrics. Had you not known the originals, you'd probably be happy to take them as Anka originals (my father for example loves Anka’s covers albums, but is unlikely to know the Van Halen, Pet Shop Boys, Oasis originals).

With tongue firmly in cheek, Richard Cheese makes a beeline for songs with quirky, odd and downright rude lyrics, making the whole experience much livelier… oh, and much much funnier! Martini Metalica anyone?! How about some Swingin’ Snoop Dog or maybe a Chili Pepper Cocktail??! These songs are ‘laugh-out-loud’ funny, yet at the same time, you can't help but be impressed at the quality of the arrangements, production and the musicians involved (who, by a remarkable coincidence are Bobby Ricotta, Gordon Brie and Buddy Goulda!). After six albums of bizarre covers, the latest release by Dick (yes I know, Dick Cheese…) is a CD choc-full of TV themes.

I urge you to investigate the Dickster, or at the very least check out the three samples I’ve added below…. It was tough to narrow it down to 3, but in the end I went for a shot of ‘Slipknot at the Sands’ (I mean, anyone, who can make a Slipknot song sound good, MUST be a musical genius right??!), and a slice of ‘ring-a-ding’ Radiohead. All finished off with my personal favourite, a dash of Dead Kennedys.. Las Vegas style!

Enjoy!

People = Shit (Slipknot):



Creep (Radiohead):



Holiday in Cambodia (Dead Kennedys):


Oh and don’t forget to check out Richard’s website, where you can buy all his CDs and only the finest quality merchandise!

If these toons have given you the taste for more cheesy morsels, why not pop over to Planet Mondo, where as guest blogger, i've just posted 3 forgotten nuggets!

Piley

Destination Mondo Land

I’ll be nipping over to Planet Mondo tomorrow as guest blogger, where I’m being let loose at the controls for this weeks edition of the legendary 'Funky Friday' feature. Joining me for the journey will be three mature slices of cheesy listening -- all taken from my personal collection, and Caerphilly (sorry!) converted from vinyl to MP3 for your delectation. Do please pop over and have a listen…

My appearance on Planet Mondo heralds the start of a new regular feature here at Start The Revolution Without Me, which I’m calling 'Cheesy Choonsday'. I'll be diggin’ deep into the vaults at Piley Towers, to bring you a gourmet cheese-fest, as I unearth lost gems from the 60s and 70s. All the tracks will come from LPs that I've picked up at charity shops and car boot sales over the years, the vast majority of which have almost certainly never been released on CD. Download ‘em week by week and by Christmas we’ll have you looking like an extra from Randall and Hopkirk or Jason King!

See you over at Planet Mondo!!

Piley

Sparks - The Simon Mayo Interview

Last week, Sparks gave a 22 minute interview to Simon Mayo on Radio 5, to promote their new album "Exotic Creatures of the Deep", and their 21x21 shows in London. I know a lot of people have been searching for it, and it's now gone from the 'listen again' feature. I managed to get an MP3 of it at the time, so for a limited time only, here is the full interview:



And while you're enjoying the interview, why not have a read of my reviews of the recent 21x21 shows. The Propaganda review is here, and the Hello Young Lovers review is here.

Piley

Sparks: Propaganda - Live Review

Sparks: Propaganda, Live at the Carling Academy, Islington, 20th May 2008.

Many thanks to photographer Tony Bartolo for allowing me to use some of his stunning photos for this review, and also for my Hello young Lovers review. More about Tony and his photos in the links section at the end of this article.


You've got to take your hats off to em.. no matter if you're a fan or not, the idea that Sparks came up with this year was simply astonishing…

They formed back in the late 60s as Halfnelson, and since then have put out 20 albums -- and just about every one of them is great too, in fact album number 20 (‘Hello Young Lovers’) is possibly my favourite album of theirs to date. Album 21 ‘Exotic Creatures of the Night’ was released on Monday, and to celebrate its arrival, Sparks announced a 21 night residency in London… yup you guessed it, all 21 albums, in order!

I know the 'album concert' is not a particularly new concept, but I can't think of anyone who’s taken it to such mammoth proportions as this. I can't even begin to imagine the logistical nightmare of attempting it -- I mean, with encores you're looking at over 250 tracks to rehearse. A feat even for the Mael brothers, but spare a thought for the brave backing band signed up for these shows, learning the lot from scratch!

When these shows were announced a few months back, I felt like a kid in a sweet shop as I looked longingly at the dates (and the lure of the 'Charlie and the chocolate factory’-esqe Golden Ticket, was truly tempting), but alas, I could only stretch to a couple of gobstoppers, so had to choose very carefully. Tonight was the first of my picks, Propaganda, and I was obviously in good company, as this was one of the first nights to sell out. I've been a fan of Sparks for about 30 years, and this album is the one I've come back to the most during that time – every single track is perfection, the production is fantastic, and it still sounds fresh as a daisy.

Ron and Russell Mael took to the stage just after 9 p.m., accompanied by a very young looking set of backing musicians… all sporting a uniform of black, topped off with a propaganda album cover T-shirt. We start off with the 30 seconds of acappella that is the title track 'Propaganda', which seamlessly blasts into 'At Home At Work At Play'… and we’re off! The first thing that hits you is just how energetic front man Russell remains, as he spins, swirls and treads every inch of the stage. What really pleases me is that it soon becomes apparent that this show is going to be a faithful reproduction of the album. I remember seeing Alice Cooper live in the 80s, ‘Schools Out’ was 15 minutes long, ‘Elected’ was 20 minutes long, the songs were no longer the tunes I knew, and it ruined it. But tonight, all the tracks are reassuringly familiar. There's maybe a slightly rockier feel to the guitar sound -- almost as though Slash had joined Sparks for the night! But other than that, it’s a time machine back to 1974.

I've been listening to this album for the vast majority of my life, yet tonight I see a different aspect to it, that I've never seen (or at least appreciated) before. I've never particularly considered it an anthemic album, yet tonight, hearing the crowd chant along with just about every track, I suddenly realised this is perfect pop, that lends itself beautifully to audience participation! We rattle through the album, and during the penultimate track 'Who Don't Like Kids', Ron Mael, who has kept his trademark stony face throughout, can contain himself no longer! And he takes centre stage to display the ‘Ron Rumba’, complete with fixed cheesy grin! He stops as suddenly as he began, looks all sheepish and then apologises profusely to the audience “it’ll never happen again" he promises… (well not till tomorrow night at least!). This is a great example of the humour of Sparks -- speak to the casual music fan, and they’ll describe Sparks as morose or painfully serious, yet they couldn't be more wrong. Read their lyrics, see them live, hear them interviewed, these are very funny guys!

'Bon Voyage' was always an appropriate track to finish the album, but it seems even more appropriate to finish the gig with, and the sea of waving and swaying arms make it the ideal curtain closer. After much persuasion, they reappear for an encore of ‘Lost and Found’ - b-side of ‘Amateur Hour’ and strictly speaking, more appropriate to last nights show!, but it’s a cracking song and nobody seems to be complaining!

All in all a great night, I’m not sure the sound was quite all it could have been – it was shocking in some parts of the room as I wandered round for a better view – but you couldn’t fault Ron and Russell, who put in as good a performance as I’ve ever seen them give… as Russell said this evening “only 17 left”!

Here's an audience video of that encore 'Lost and Found':



SPARKS RELATED LINKS:

Tony Bartolo is the only photographer in the world who took profesional photos of the whole 21x21 event. He has some very exciting projects under way, and you will soon be able to purchase some of his incredible work from the Sparks Spectacular. Be sure to keep watching his website - Snazmusic - for full details. Tony currently has a competition running to win a signed Sparks album cover... so be sure to check his site out here

If you enjoyed this review, why not check out my review of the Hello Young Lovers show here.

See my Introducing Sparks article here, containing exclusive comments from Ron and Russell Mael!

While you're here, don't miss my EXCLUSIVE, extensive interview with ex-Sparks member Martin Gordon, and he had plenty of interesting Sparks stories to tell! Part 1 is here and part 2 is here

See my interview with upcoming indie popsters Silvery here, where we had a long chat about all manner of Sparks related things!

To celebrate these shows and the new album, fellow Sparks fan Klitzfrug has put a fantastic 'goodie bag' of rare Sparks albums to download on his blog - no less than TEN albums in fact! Get over to his blog fetusveneris now, they won't be there forever! link to fetusveneris here

Piley

Marc Almond - Lavender

In my recent review of Marc live at Wilton's Music Hall, I mentioned the song Lavender, which at the show, was accompanied by a very striking slideshow, depicting a number of celebs and non-celebs alike, who in the past;

a) hid their sexuality for fear of losing their popularity (or just for fear); or

b) came out, and paid the consequences.

I've found that very slideshow, along with a demo version of Lavender. Have a look, and listen to the lyrics, it's pretty moving stuff.... oh, and note the two pictures of a young Marc that pop up in it too!

Lavender


Piley

Ghost World

One of my all-time favourite comic book stories is Ghost World by Daniel Clowes. Initially it was serialised in his own independent comic book 'Eightball', where it took almost 4 years (June 93 – March 97) and eight issues to tell the tale of Enid Coleslaw (the anoraks among you may be interested to note that Enid Coleslaw is an anagram of Daniel Clowes!) and her best friend Rebecca Doppelmeyer. Eventually it was pieced together as a graphic novel in the late 90s, where it found a much wider audience. This story is such a rare treat, and one I find I have to 'top up' on at regular intervals -- you know, like you have to do with those most favourite films…..

Although Dan Clowes writes and draws all his own stories, the real art of this piece is how the hell this middle-aged man managed to nail the thoughts and characterisations of these two teenagers so well! The dialogue is spot-on, and the relationship between the girls and their ‘friends’ is agonisingly real. Everyone goes through that awkward 'no longer a kid, not yet an adult' phase, and I guess that's why this book is so easy to relate to. It's one of those stories where, on the face of it, little happens, yet dig a little deeper and it's pretty much the whole of life, wrapped up in eighty odd pages.

High school friends Enid and Rebecca are two alienated and very opinionated girls, who know exactly what they don't like -- of course, like most teens, they are less sure what they do like, as the realisation of a directionless future hits them (ring any bells?!). The girls live in an un-named town, but you almost certainly live in it too (or at least very near it)… All the life has been sucked out, and all the character buildings, and things that used to personalise it and make it unique are being torn down, replaced with cinema complexes, theme diners and shopping malls. The girls seem to despair at the loss of their towns identity, and to me, this suggests where the stories title comes from - although Clowes has never really explained it, saying only that he once saw some graffiti on a wall containing the words. Enid and Rebecca’s dream had always been to quit school and achieve adulthood, yet when it finally comes, it slowly tears their friendship apart. The ending is left up to the reader to decide, but many believe there are enough signs in the last few pages to show that Enid commits suicide… I however like to go for the thought that Enid has gone in search of a new town that still has its soul.

It’s a thought provoking read – with a lot to say about throw-away society and the decay of our surroundings.

The first whiff I caught of Ghost World being made into a film was sometime in the late 90’s, and I was mortified. Hollywood doesn't have a good track record of adapting comic books at the best of times, let alone subtle, underground titles like this. I had visions of it being rewritten as an ‘American Pie’ style teen flick… ugh. On its release in 2001, I somehow managed to find a cinema in Essex actually showing it (admittedly only for one day), so my partner and I nervously attended the first showing. But against all the odds, one of my top three comic books became one of my top three films! The film (starring Thora Birch as Enid and an at the time little known Scarlett Johansson as Rebecca) faithfully reproduced the book, and the additional storylines (all written by Clowes) added to and complemented the original perfectly - particularly the decision to expand the ‘Seymour’ character, played to painful perfection by Steve Buscemi – in fact it was nominated for an Academy Award for the ‘Best Adapted Screenplay’.

Lately I’ve seen the DVD kicking around in HMV at the crazy price of £3… which really is too cheap for this little gem. If you see it around at that price snap it up, you won’t regret it. However, do yourself a favour and make sure you read the book 1st.

I've managed to track down the original trailer for the film, which gives a good flavour of this underrated quirky flick:






Piley

Marc Almond - Live Review

Marc Almond Live at Wilton's Music Hall, 3rd May 2008

Marc Almond is almost certainly the artist I've seen live the most. I have never kept count, but I'd guess it must be 60 or 70 times, maybe more… and every single one of those shows has been totally unique (and I almost guarantee that every one had a different set list - including the times I've seen him on consecutive nights). I doubt there are many artists who keep it fresh and interesting enough to warrant attendance that many times, yet after 25 years of seeing him live, Marc still remains the one ticket I look forward to more than any other.

When he had that near fatal motorbike crash back in 2004 (leaving him with a broken skull, broken shoulder, fractured ribs, perforated ear drum and collapsed lung), the outlook was bleak, and the best people were looking at was that he might just live. Ever performing again was out of the question – in fact whilst in a coma, he was at one point just hours away from a tracheostomy. Yet after dozens of operations and much rehabilitation, miraculously Marc returned to the stage last year, with his highly successful and emotional shows at Wilton's Music Hall. He followed these with some special ‘bigger venue’ shows to celebrate his 50th birthday.

This year though it was back to Willton's, for another sold-out run. Marc is a great one for sniffing out interesting venues to play in, and this must be the best yet. The last surviving grand music hall in the world, Wilton’s was a host to all manor of entertainment from the 1850s onwards, long before the event of the ‘old time music hall’ shows, for which it is most famously known. In its day, Wilton's used to cram 1500 people inside, an incredible thought, especially when you consider that today it has a licence to hold just 300! The venue is a pure delight – it’s faded glory and the crumbly decay of its décor are the perfect setting for Almond's songs of unrequited love, prostitution, seedy sex and the like.

Wilton's is a million miles away from the corporate hell of venues such as the O2 arena, Wembley, Hammersmith etc etc, with their sponsors, uniformed security, plastic burgers, plastic glasses and grumpy staff. Wilton’s is a step back in time in every sense…. the staff are very friendly and helpful, there appears to be no security at all, the bar is makeshift and the food is home-made Tapas! Marc has a real affinity with places such as this, and seems genuinely passionate about trying to help preserve these venues. As he wrote in the programme notes:

“Every day I see aspects of London's rich and wonderful history disappearing, lost for ever. When they go we lose a part of ourselves. Of course, we shouldn't live in the past, cities are amorphous and ever-changing but London is in danger of becoming a city of Glass and concrete, a temporary city. London is arguably the greatest city in the world with the greatest history and should protect its old and special places where people can feel a connection with the past. This gives the city a soul and therefore enriches our souls. The music halls such as Wilton’s are an important part of London's theatrical tradition and it pleases me that many of today's performers, tired of the more soulless corporate venues, are looking for alternative settings for their music. More modern venues have their place as state-of-the-art that are right for particular types of shows and performers and give a choice to audiences. They mustn't however, become the only choice.”

The venues tend to set the scene for Marc’s set lists, if it’s a bigger ‘stand up’ show, then you are likely to get more up-tempo songs, and maybe even a bit of Soft Cell thrown in, but when somewhere as intimate and atmospheric as Wilton’s is on the menu, you know you are in for a real treat. Marc always puts a lot of thought into his selection of songs, and his delve into the back catalogue for this show was no exception, bringing us a great selection of material from throughout his career. As always there was a smattering of some unrecorded gems -- and if the past is anything to go by, many will remain that way, making these events extra special.

Entwined within his own material is Marc's passion for the work of others, from Russian folk songs to Charles Aznavour and Jacques Brel, from Richard Thompson to 1920's Music Hall (which has been brought into the set specifically for tonight's venue). He has a remarkable talent for taking these songs, injecting them with passion, intensity and reverence, and making them his own. The guy could sing nursery rhymes and I'd be welling up by the end!

The audience too completely understand the reverence of shows such as this. During the song 'Cosmic Boxer' he slowly walks around the auditorium, adding yet more intensity to the high drama of the song. Up close to their hero not a single person makes a grab for him, not one flash of a camera, not a single word uttered -- all you can hear is the quiet accompaniment of the band as Marc slowly and solemnly marches around the venue as though he were following a funeral parade. High art stuff, treated with the utmost respect.

One of the few songs to return from last years shows is Lavender. An emotional song about the trials and tribulations of being gay in less enlightened times. This time the song is given yet more poignancy as the slideshow behind Almond flashes up images of tortured stars forced to live a lie for fear of ruining their careers...

When returning from a gig, I normally start digging out a few CDs, to keep the buzz of the show going, but with Marc is not so easy. I've got a very comprehensive collection of his work, yet somehow after returning from one of his shows, nothing quite fits the bill. His knack for reinventing/reinterpreting his own songs means the ones you own are completely different versions to the one’s you're now craving, and many of the new songs and covers you've just heard have never been recorded. He's one artist who could get away with releasing pretty much every live show on CD, and it's no wonder that there is such an interest in bootleg recordings of these events, as fans clamour for what is sometimes his only rendition of certain songs.

I hope that these Wilton's shows are becoming an annual tradition, as there really is no one better to keep the spirit of this special venue alive.

EXTRAS

Marc's Stardom Road album made my 'Best of 2007' list, you can read my review here

Visit Wilton's on the Web and find out more about this amazing piece of history

Visit the Official Marc Almond Website here

The below audience video is actually from one of last years shows at Wilton's, Marc performing one of his best (yet still unreleased!) recent songs, the aforementioned Lavender:


Piley

Eartha Kitt... Purr' fect

It was great to see Eartha Kitt back on our TV screens at the weekend, performing live on Jools Holland’s show. At the age of 81 she appeared very sprightly, and in considerably better nick than yours truly!

Like most people around my age, I guess the first time I really became aware of her was as Catwoman in the 70’s reruns of Batman. My father informed me at the time that she was a singer, but I don't think I heard any of her songs until the early 80’s. Unfortunately, her 80’s output was not a true reflection of her work -- as this was the time of a bizarre effort to reinvent Ms Kitt as a disco/Hi NRG act! Almost 60 at the time, I doubt she was particularly comfortable about being marketed as the next Divine, Hazel Dean or Dead or Alive, but she gave it her best shot and even had a couple of hit singles on the trendy Hi-NRG label Record Shack (‘Where Is My Man’ and ‘I Love Men’). There was even an odd collaboration with Bronski Beat (Cha Cha Heels) a little while later…man, the 80s has a lot to answer for…

I knew Eartha had been a big influence on some of the artists I enjoyed, particularly Marc Almond, so I picked up a greatest hits, which on the face of it, seem to do the trick… and that was it for 10 years or so! Then a few years back, while driving to Dorset on holiday late one Friday night, we found ourselves struggling for something to listen to. The CD player was broken, and there was nothing on the radio (how come radio is so bad on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings anyway?!). In desperation we went with BBC Radio 2 and their cheese-fest ‘Friday Night Is Music Night’! This was followed by a documentary on Eartha Kitt, which was nothing short of riveting. What a life this lady has led..

Born in South Carolina in 1927, and abandoned soon after, she was brought up by neighbours, who at the age of six had her cleaning, cooking, gardening, cotton picking, tending cows and many other chores. A chance meeting with a dancer (who had stopped Kitt to ask for directions!) Led her to auditioning for a dance school, and by the age of 16 she was touring the world with them. Sheer determination saw her branch and out to become a singer in the late 1940s. She was dogged by racism throughout the 40s, 50s and 60s, and unbelievably, even her first record label (RCA) tried to scupper her career by making her release the song 'Uska Dara’ as a single. In true Mel Brooks ‘Producers’ style, they were convinced this song, sung completely in Turkish, would be a surefire flop, giving them an ideal excuse to fire her from the label. Delightfully the single was a surprise hit, and RCA were forced to see out their contract.

Unlike the tedious WAGs, models and dullards who just seemed to be famous for being famous, for whom releasing an autobiography is a yearly affair, Eartha Kitt is one of the few who actually warrants the three autobiographies she has written. I have them all, and can highly recommend them if you can track them down.

Anyway I digress, back to that radio show… Interspersed with her story and interview, a number of lesser-known tracks were played (lesser known to me that is! All that really means is they weren't on that greatest hits CD I bought!). These tracks were simply stunning, and much more interesting than many of the 'safer' tracks chosen for the best of album. Even to me in the 21st century, these songs sounded exotic and worldly -- what must they had seemed like 50 years ago? How incredibly exciting these songs must have sounded back then, in comparison with her contempories such as Doris Day, Connie Francis and Rosemary Clooney.

I decided that I must pick up some of her albums, but much like my attempt to catch up on Barry Ryan, nothing was available. Just like Ryan, you get pages of CDs when you search, but they are all different ‘Best Ofs’ and ‘Greatest Hits’, containing pretty much the same tracks.

Over Christmas I read a couple of reviews in the Sunday supplements praising the CD release of Eartha’s second album ‘That Bad Eartha’ (still no sign of her first album though!). A quick scoot round the web informed me that in the USA, this release also had her third album ‘Down To Eartha’ squeezed on, so no prizes for guessing which version I went for!

On its arrival I played little else, completely mesmerised by the cosmopolitan feel, with songs sung in English, French, Turkish and Swahili. Both albums sound remarkably fresh, the arrangements are beautiful and there is an exotic, over the top feel throughout. Add to this her genuinely unique vocal sound, and it is easy to see just how Marc Almond must have been influenced by her work.

Still performing at the age of 81 (how I would have loved to go to one of her shows in London last week, but the £95 price tag rather put the kybosh on that one), Eartha Kitt is one of the last true larger-than-life legends. Yet criminally, unlike many of her counterparts, her place as an immortal music legend is far from sealed. With so little of her material available to buy, there must be a real danger that in 10 or 20 years time, she could be all but forgotten as an important singer, largely responsibly for changing the attitudes of record companies and buyers alike back in less enlightened times... I sincerely hope I am proved wrong.

Listen to Uska Dara from 'That Bad Eartha' here:


Listen to 'The Heel' from 'Down to Eartha' here (Marc Almond did a cover of this track some 30 years later):


Here is Eartha performing I Want To Be Evil (also from That Bad Eartha):



And finally, Eartha performing 'Aint Misbehavin' with Jools Holland last week:


Piley

Killing Me Softly...

I’ve thought long and hard about this post, but I'm going with it anyway! I just hope my bloggin’ licence isn’t revoked as a consequence… I mean, exactly where do you start with a review of a murderers music career anyway?!

Charles Manson’s first recordings were made in 1967 -- 2 years before the atrocities he and his 'family' carried out. At the age of 33, he'd already spent more than half of his life in juvenile detention centres and prisons (mainly on charges of burglary), but it was whilst he was incarcerated in the United States Penitentiary at McNeil Island between 1960 and 67, that Alvin "Creepy" Karpis (a former member of Ma Barker's gang) taught Manson to play guitar.

On his release in March 67, Manson set his mind on ‘going straight’ and becoming a musician, and travelled to San Francisco to do just that. Soon he had the interest of Beach Boy Dennis Wilson and producer Terry Melcher (the son of Doris Day), who set up a recording session for Manson to make some demos. He recorded more demos in 68 (again with Wilson), but there was little interest in his material, and Manson soon became disillusioned with the whole idea. Bizarrely, it is the snub from the music industry that is actually cited as a possible motive for the Tate\LaBianca murders (8th and 9th Aug 69), revenge on the entertainment industry as a whole, for not furthering his musical career.

All of his demos from the 60s have been reissued numerous times (most famously the 68 session was released as Lie: The Love & Terror Cult in 1970, to finance his murder trial), but after his life imprisonment sentence in 1971 you’d think that would be the end of it. Yet believe it or not, Manson’s recording career took an even more sinister twist (if that's possible!) after this point, as incredibly, over the last 37 years, he has continued to release numerous albums of prison recordings ‘from the inside’ (the most recent in 2005)…. Even Amazon are known to carry a few of his albums, and some of his rare releases command big money on eBay.

There is (rightly) some unease about listening to these recordings -- and almost certainly some double standards too… would I be interested in hearing the musical talents of Ian Huntley or Myra Hindley perhaps? A resounding NO, yet if you can get over the main hurdle that you're listening to a murderer (a rather large hurdle granted!), his 60’s material is surprisingly good. Like a warped Dylan, he sings acoustic psychedelic/blues/folk songs with a real (albeit deranged) passion, with comparisons to anything from a young Willie Nelson or Hank Williams to Arlo Guthrie, Don McLean or even Art Garfunkel… yes really!. He actually has quite a good voice, his lyrics are heartfelt and his guitar playing is impressive. Yes, hours of subversive fun await you, playing it to all your unsuspecting elderly relatives, asking them to “guess the singer”!

The man and the crimes he carried out have all been judged, and I have nothing but contempt for them... but is it possible for his music to be judged seperatly?? Can you dispise the man yet enjoy the music? If only those albums really were a young Willie Nelson, I’d be guilt free!! As it is my only crumb of consolation comes from the fact that I’m only really interested in the 60’s recordings, and they were at least recorded prior to him becoming a viscous mass murderer!!

It’s also interesting to note just how many artists have covered Manson’s material over the years, The Lemonheads, Red Cross, Beach Boys, Guns n Roses, The Brian Jonestown Masacre and Marilyn Manson have all recorded his songs over the years... I wonder who the royalties go to??!

If you're curious, but don't feel it’s right that Manson (or anyone else for that matter) should profit from the sales of his albums, I can offer you the nearest you're likely to get to a 'guilt free' listen. A fellow Blogspot blogger has set up 'Manson Music', where you can download almost every album for free (including all the 67 and 68 demos).

Manson Music Blog


A much lighter post next time... promise!


Piley

The Psychedelic Soul of Charlie Salvidge

I'm investigating new music all the time, but sometimes you do wonder if everything is starting to become a bit mediocre… or worse, perhaps you're losing the knack for spotting something a bit special. Then, right on cue, something like this turns up, the ‘ol Spidey sense immediately starts tingling and confirms that your quality control switch was set just right all along!

A chance conversation a couple of weeks back put me on to Charlie and his work. I got in touch with him, he sent me his demo CD and I was immediately impressed. Listening to his demos, you know he's done his homework, and has an incredible understanding of music. We've all heard artists that are so influenced by something or someone, that they just end up sounding like a poor imitation. Charlie (22) has risen above all that though, he's soaked up classic 60s material (from the likes of the Beach Boys, the Pretty Things, the Strawberry Alarm Clock, the Nazz, 13th Floor Elevators and much much more) dissected it, digested it and come up with something new. This is no Austin Powers style 'tongue in cheek' pastiche, this is serious stuff which on one hand manages to sound new and fresh, yet is also reminiscent of so many of Charlie's influences. Imagine the Byrds with Hendrix on guitar, or the 'Head' era Monkees jamming with a 60’s Status Quo.

Of the nine tracks on his demo CD, only two have the polished finish of the studio (complete with authentic 60s production values), yet it matters little. The remaining seven (all recorded on his home PC) have a raw charm, and the quality of his material shines through. I was keen to find out more about Charlie, and he kindly filled in some blanks for me….

What instruments do you play?
Mainly guitar, a bit of bass, some elementary keyboard and a sprinkling of drums.

Listening to your songs, you’ve obviously got a great knowledge of music. What first go you into that 60’s psychedelic sound?
I grew up listening to my Dad's record collection, which consisted mainly of ex Radio Bristol singles he'd 'borrowed' from his work. It was really only the obvious things like Strawberry Fields & Pictures Of Matchstick Men that made an early impression on me. I was so naive I didn't realise there were any other groups who'd done songs in a psychedelic vein until we went on a school trip to Stratford On Avon. The Shakespeare play we saw was pretty dull but on that trip I bought an Uncut magazine which had a free CD with things like Tomorrow's 'My White Bicycle' and Dantalian's Chariot's 'The Madman Running Through The Fields'. I got it home, had a listen & thought 'Blimey!'

You list dozens of influences, but if you had to choose, who has influenced you the most and why?
It's always an easy choice to say the Beatles but for me I think it's true. They're really the only band who ever had a consistently high standard of work, my favourites are all the great B sides & album tracks that often get overlooked; I'll Cry Instead, Rain, If I Needed Someone... the less poppy ones which are perhaps a tad more experimental. It's only been in the last 2 years that I've been scratching the surface of the wealth of rare 60s & 70s stuff that's out there - discovering crazy underground stuff and bands who never quite made it big at the time like Pandemonium, July, Wimple Winch, Mike Stuart Span - They were all so ahead of their time and I always wonder what sort of people originally went out and bought their singles. At the time they were all just pop groups that would release one flopper of a single on Deram or something, make no money and go back to working on a building site. Perhaps it's only now that we can fully appreciate their inventiveness in the current musical climate.

How do you approach song writing? Is it a tune 1st or some words? How do you work?
It varies, often I'll be drifting off to sleep at night and get a tune in my head, it's weird sometimes because I can actually hear a complete sound - the band playing and everything, so I'll get up and find the chords or the line and record it quickly. Then when I'm writing a new tune and it needs another bit, I can listen back to the bits I've come up with and slot one into the song if it fits. The other way it happens is when I hear some amazing track and think "I'll write one like that!" I try not to rip things off but I think there are a few songs of mine that are obviously inspired by about 4 separate classics.

How many songs have you written to date?
I'd say about 10 really good ones, another 15 half decent ones, and many others lying around unfinished. Sometimes you get a great idea, write a few verses & think, 'hmm, this is crap actually' then it just lies dormant awaiting the day it can be re-vamped, or turned into a paper aeroplane.

You’ve recorded demos of 9 tracks, two of them you did in a studio, how did that go?
The studio tracks I actually recorded in my mate Dave's garage in Gloucester, which was handy as I only had to pay him £20 a time. He's got all the studio gear up in his room with a multicore cable running downstairs through the hallway and into the garage. The acoustics in there obviously aren't typical of most studios but all the eggboxes, bikes and washing machines give the sound some interesting characteristics. Actually we put an extra mic on top of the washing machine in the hallway for the drum break in 'Change In You' and I think it sounds pretty good! I wanted to experiment a bit more - a lot of bands in the sixties for example might have only used two mics on the drums, one for the bass & one for the snare, and sometimes you can get a better effect that way. One of the challenges was to try and make the tracks sound authentic and I think we achieved the desired effect despite doing it all on computer.

How many of the instruments did you play on those tracks?
I'm pretty sure I played everything apart from the bass on Harris Tweed and the flute solo on Change In You, both played expertly by Dave Poyser. We used his family piano & a battered old Philips Philicordia organ too!

What can you tell me about the tracks Harris Tweed and Change In You?
I wrote them both in late 2006, Harris Tweed is about the old dilemma of looking a state but having to leave the house to go to work, then being looked down upon by the upper classes and 'straights' of this world - but ultimately not really caring anyway. I suppose the tune itself is 'Hey Joe' inspired, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. So many people have said to me how they can't believe it's a modern track. One of my friends was saying when he first heard it he was looking it up on the internet to see if it was an old unknown psych song from the sixties! Listening to it now I can see what he means, I just tried to make the production sound authentic, ADT* on the vocals, phasing on the drums etc.

*ADT - Artificial Double Tracking, a method used in recording studios in the sixties whereby the output signal from one tape machine is fed back in with a slight delay to create the illusion of two separate vocal tracks.

Change In You is a homage to that sunny West Coast Byrds sound, but some people say it sounds Lennon-ish too. It's just another of them 'girl trouble' sort of numbers. I had about 5 acetate 45s of it cut with a cover of the In Crowd's 'Blow Up' on the B side.

Do you have a live set up?
At the moment I'm getting a band together with Uygar Sen (guitar) and Jake Gladman (bass), they're both top musicians and great guys to hang out with, we don't have a permanent drummer at the moment so we've just been rehearsing and going through songs, tightening them up and so forth. As soon as we get a drummer and feel we're ready, we're going to start the gigging & recording. We already have had a lot of promising praise and a lot of mates who are in established bands on the scene seem eager to hear what we can do.

So what’s in the pipeline for you?
I don't want to reveal too much but look out for a limited edition Harris Tweed 7" very soon...

Where do you see yourself in a years time?
With a bit of luck, with a recording contract and making a bit of money. Should that not happen I just want to hang around the periphery of the London music scene and edge my way into the industry to work in some capacity.

Top 5 albums you’d take to a desert Island?
I'd have to say I couldn't live without Sgt. Pepper, David Bowie's Hunky Dory, The Piper at The Gates of Dawn, The Magic Rocking Horse and the first Nazz album - an album I rarely listen to because it makes me frustrated of it's perfection. But I've thought about this before and all the records would melt anyway. I think I'd rather just take a piano and teach myself Debussy's Claire-De-Lune over a prolonged period of time.

So there you go, I think Charlie Salvidge is a really exciting prospect, but why not check him out for yourself, as he’s kindly allowed me to post two of his songs right here. Do yourself a favour and give em a go, and if you're one of the growing band of subscribers to Start The Revolution Without Me, do please pop over to the site for a listen, I’d hate you to miss out!


HARRIS TWEED:



CHANGE IN YOU:


Visit Charlie's MySpace page here

Thanks to Charlie for the interview.

Piley