JUKEBOX 7"s PLAYLIST - FRIDAY 13th JUNE 2014

Miles and Reggie (photo Hannah Svensson Macleod)

There’s always a degree of trepidation when DJing in a venue for the first time - especially when inflicting records on a largely unsuspecting public on London’s infamous Murder Mile in Clapton – but last night’s instalment of Long John McNally’s Jukebox 7”s at Biddle Bros was a cracker. Great pop-art style bar, friendly staff and locals, and a parrot named Reggie who was obviously no fan of Lulu as he swooped down on the decks to take the needle off the record when she was on. Oh yeah, and free beer all night for the DJs: Long John, Miles Macleod and myself. Not sure the owners quite realised how many pints of Staropramen the three of us could knock back in five hours. Here, through an alcoholic haze, is what I played…

Big Maybelle – 96 Tears (1967)

Aretha Franklin – The Weight (1969)

Ronnie Lane – How Come (1973)

The Chilterns – Roadside Memorials (2013)

The Lemonheads – It’s About Time (1993)

The Impressions – Rhythm (2013)

Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators – If This Ain’t Love (2007)

Barbara Lewis – I Remember The Feeling (1966)

Wilko Johnson & Roger Daltrey – Going Back Home (2014)

The Jim Jones Revue – 7 Times Around The Sun (2012)

Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers – Chinese Rocks (1977)

Manic Street Preachers – Motown Junk (1991)

Shrag – Rabbit Kids (2010)

Buzzcocks – Promises (1978)

Thee Mighty Caesars – Cowboys Are Square (1990)

Sex Pistols – Holidays In The Sun (1977)

John Lee Hooker – Money (1966)

Freddy King – Now I’ve Got A Woman (1964)

Billy Harner – Homicide Dresser (1967)

Spencer Davis Group – I’m A Man (1967)

Rufus Thomas – Turn Your Damper Down (1969)

The Lovely Eggs – Food (2012)

The Divine Comedy – Something For The Weekend (1996)

Gene – Sick, Sober and Sorry (1994)

The Byrds – Feel A Whole Lot Better (1965)

Dorian Gray – Move On (1968)

Little Leon Payne – Hard Row To Hoe (1966)

The Kinks – Waterloo Sunset (1967)

The Temptations – Ain’t Too Proud To Beg (1966)

Frank Beverley & The Butlers – If That’s What You Wanted (1967)

Edwin Starr – Stop Her On Sight (1966)

Aztec Camera – Oblivious (1983)

Pulp – Lipgloss (1993)

Suede – Metal Mickey (1992)

The Kinks – She’s Got Everything (1968)

Shadows Of Knight – Shake (1969)

The Stranglers – No More Heroes (1977)

Bob Dylan – Subterranean Homesick Blues (1965)

The Damned – Neat Neat Neat (1977)

Curtis Mayfield – Move On Up (1970)

Four Tops – Something About You (1965)

The Who – Pictures Of Lily (1967)

Five Thirty – Abstain (1990)

The Jam – Heatwave (1979)

The Impressions – Can’t Satisfy (1966)

The Marvelettes – I’ll Keep Holding On (1965)

The Style Council – Money-Go-Round (1983)

Marvin Gaye – Can I Get A Witness (1963)

Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames – Green Onions (1964)

Billy Fury – Nothin’ Shakin’ (1964)

13^th Floor Elevators – You’re Gonna Miss Me (1966)

Inspiral Carpets featuring Mark E. Smith – I Want You (1994)

Blur – Chemical World (1993)

Small Faces – Rollin’ Over (1968)

The Creation – Making Time (1966)

Them – Baby Please Don’t Go (1964)

James Brown – Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag (1965)

Dave & Ansil Collins - Double Barrel (1970)

Biddle Bros is at 88 Lower Clapton Road, E5

SPIRAL OUT by U.V. RAY (2013)

“We are all trapped inside the shell of ourselves. That’s how it is, and I don’t care if anyone else disagrees with me because that simply indicates that they are wrong and I am right. It’s all about voids. Voids in the universe. Voids within ourselves.” – Spiral Out by u.v. ray

Mark Karzoso in u.v. ray’s latest novella (that’s a 100 page paperback to you and I) fills the void with drink, drugs and sex. Through ray’s writing it’s easy to see why. They offer, if not an escape, then at the least occasional relief and a protective cocoon. Which is fine until Karzoso kills a man.

Those who recall this interview last year will remember u.v. ray isn’t one to sugarcoat or tread softly; his words delivered like powerful blows of hammer on anvil. Spiral Out is less a work of outsider fiction and more a state of the nation address. It’s not a pretty sight and not only because it’s set in late 1980s Birmingham inhabited by Birdland. Karzoso is no respecter of political correctness. He’ll say what’s on his mind, speak his truth. It’s a brutal, horrible, meaningless world out there with the only genuine truth being that we all die.   

In lesser hands this could be awful angst-ridden drivel but ray’s writing saves it. He’s poetic without being showy. Each sentence is tough and unbreakable but keenly observed and snatches of gallows’ humour peek through. More than that, ray is believable and bloody enjoyable. I read Spiral Out once then turned back to page one to tumble out of control again - from the safety of my armchair.  

Spiral Out by u.v. ray is published by Murder Slim Press. Limited to 200 copies.

THE JIM JONES REVUE - THE LAST HURRAH

The Jim Jones Revue live at The Vintage Festival, 2011

On Sunday I received a call to review The Jim Jones Revue for The Blues magazine. I didn’t need asking twice. On every occasion I’ve seen them – about ten times so far  – I’ve come away thinking they’re the greatest live band in the world. Certainly the best I’ve been fortunate enough to witness. They're near perfect as a rock and roll band: loud, energetic, born performers, no weak members and they look like a gang. They’re a model of what a band should be. Kids - look, listen and learn. Not every song is a killer but the lesser ones still knock seven shades of shit of anyone else’s thanks to their delivery. It’s a bit of cliché now but imagine a honky Little Richard fronting the MC5 and you’re half way there.

Anyway, Sunday night was no exception. It was a low-key nothing to promote night in a small venue (new Blues Kitchen in Shoreditch) but I stood there jaw slightly agog and came away excited once again and began raving to anyone who’d listen. This continued into the Monday when I posted on Facebook about how much I loved The Jim Jones Revue and if they ever needed a tambourine player, I’m their man. It was then I was informed they’re splitting up. They can’t be, I saw them last time, they were brilliant. But they are.

The band’s statement gave no reason, saying only “The Jim Jones Revue will cease playing live and recording in October 2014”. Let the speculation begin. One tiny crumb of consolation is they’re embarking on a Last Hurrah European tour culminating in a show at Forum in London on Saturday 4^th October. That is gonna be one hell of a night.

For tour dates and tickets see The Jim Jones Revue.   

SUBBACULTURE - ISSUE 2

“In my final years at school in the early eighties it seemed everyone was a – something. A Mod, a rocker, a teddy boy, a rockabilly, a rudeboy, a break dancer, a punk, a participant in any one of a number of street revivals”. The further we get from that period the most fascinating it becomes and it’s what informs one of my favourite websites, the nicely nostalgic yet inspiring Subbaculture, and its spin-off fanzine.

Neatly designed and intelligently written, issue two includes – amongst other things - the birth of Acid Jazz; the film Faces In The Crowd centred on the Glasgow Mod Weekender; Skins and the Melbourne Sharpie scene (who knew what Sharpies were?); early 80’s indie; and a smart appraisal of the first years of the Style Council and Paul Weller's "pure Mod thinking" which contains this memorable passage: “The word pretentious began to be bandied around to describe the Style Council. In response Weller simply shrugged his shoulders, draped a sorbet coloured piece of fine knitwear around them and began singing in French”.

Subbaculture Issue 2, 36 x A5 pages, limited to 200 copies. £3 including P&P from Subbaculture.

MODERNIST REVIVAL by JONATHAN MORTIMER (2014)

This is an odd one. Published by Café Royal Books, Modernist Revival is a series of black and white photographs by Jonathan Mortimer with no accompanying text. No names, no years, no places.

It’s only because I recognise many friends and places I’m able to tell you most were taken in Gijon in Spain, the Isle of Wight and Brighton. Putting a year on them is more difficult as although I was probably there that period is now a hazy mush but I’d say circa 1998. A few of the photos are interesting to see what the Mod Scene looked like at that (undisclosed) time but most are fairly routine and unremarkable snaps. The cover image is particularly terrifying and a bizarre choice.

Modernist Revival, 28 x A5 pages (some blank), limited to 150 copies. £5 plus P&P from Cafe Royal Books.

PUSH - ISSUE 11

The latest edition of Joe England’s energetic literary zine comes up with the goods again with another bumper issue. I like the widening of content these days with the usual underground fiction (yes, don’t fret, Michael Keenaghan is still here)  and poetry supplemented  by artwork, an interview with Keith Levene of Public Image Limited and a vivid account of the recent East London Renaissance evening which launched Joseph Ridgwell's latest book. Yours truly is featured in that piece (“legendary cool hipster,” no less) where I’m implicated in a debate about the ownership of a funky bra with holes in. I’m saying no more, you’ll have to buy it.

Steve Finbow’s trial as a kid for Brentford FC compensates for having to read a poem about snooker.

PUSH Issue 11, 60 x A5 pages, limited edition. £3 includes P&P from Joe England Books. 

TIMEBOX SETLIST - SATURDAY 24th MAY 2014

Last weekend was a Bank Holiday and after a rainy afternoon scooter rideout organised by the New Untouchables and Bar Italia Scooter Club there was the Timebox all-dayer at the Strongrooms in Shoreditch.  I was otherwise engaged at Wembley (did I mention QPR’s last minute winner? Oh man, you shoulda seen it…) but made it for the evening and played a couple of sets.

The original plan was to mix it up with a mixture of R&B and soul plus some beat and garage tunes but Alex (billed as "from The Embrooks" even though that was such a loooong time ago) was DJing either side of me and had the “white” side excellently covered, so I stuck predominately with the “black” side. Was a mixed crowd (this was Saturday night Shoreditch remember) but they got stuck in and from about eleven the dancefloor stayed packed. Made the second set a doddle and a pleasure (although I stuck to tried and tested floorfillers) and the earlier first set - when still filling up - allowed for more diverse choices including a couple of singles I’d picked up recently after being introduced to them via The Sidewinder Club in Islington. I’d never played Johnny Young’s “Slam Hammer” in a club before and as much as the dirty harmonica is wonderfully over the top, hearing it as such loud volume shredded the ear drums of many; won’t be doing that again, sorry Johnny.

The Dippers – Goin’ Ape (Diplomacy)

Lester Young – Wobble Time (Chase)

Afro Blues Quintet Plus One – La La La La La (Mira)

Eddie Holland – Baby Shake (Motown)

Hindal Butts – In The Pocket (M-S)

Cecil Garrett – Bearcat (Calla)

Tommy Ridgley – I Want Some Money Baby (Johen)

Brian Auger & The Trinity – Tiger (Marmalade)

The Action – Never Ever (Parlophone)

Mouse & The Traps – Cryin’ Inside (President)

Earl Stanley – Fish Eyes (Pitassy)

Johnny Wyatt – Any Kind Of Love (Challenge)

Pete Mayes – Peace (Ovide)

Young Jessie – You Were Meant For Me (Mercury)

The Hammond Brothers – Thirty Miles Of Railroad Track (Amber)

Slim Harpo – Little Queen Bee (Excello)

Johnny Young – Slam Hammer (Arhoolie)

Lowell Fulsom – Love Grows Cold (Checker)

BB King – Beautician Blues (Kent)

Big Daddy Rogers – I’m A Big Man (Midas)

Young Jessie – Big Chief (Mercury)

Chubby Checker – Karate Monkey (Parkway)

The Gardenias – What’s The Matter With Me (Fairline)

Lloyd Price – The Chicken And The Bop (KRC)

JB Lenoir – She Don’t Know (Checker)

Charles Sheffield – It’s Your Voodoo Working (Excello)

Mike Pedecin – Burnt Toast And Black Coffee (Federal)

Grover Pruitt – Little Girl (Salem)

Curtis Lee – Is She In Your Town (Mira)

Lonnie Lester – You Can’t Go (Nu-Tone)

Kim Weston – Helpless (Gordy)

Barbara Randolph – I Got A Feeling (Soul)

Isley Brothers – This Old Heart Of Mine (Tamla Motown)

Marv Johnson – Come On And Stop (United Artitsts)

Leo Price Band – Hey Now Baby (Up-Down)