Gnu's Summer Review - Deep Breath: Upcoming Subway Sect Gigs; 7" News, Extensive Review Creeping Bent/Hot Fun In The Summertime Weekender CCA Glasgow + Loads of Videos/Pics, Iain Banks, EU Ref Results Review;Labour/Tory Leaderships,Chilcott; Stool Pigeons, The Subway Sect, Port Sulphur, The Secret Goldfish,Punk Corner, Literary Corner, Random Corner,,Aural Opium,John Cooper Clarke, VicLeka at Newcastle International Print Biennale, Tony Wilson,Asbo Derek,Björk,Landslide 1980, Sex Pistols, Hurricane Smith, Plastic Bertrand,The Four Tops & Loads More....

What on earth is going on? After recent events I really felt like

because first I was afraid, I was petrified.............completely stunned, disconsolate &

when I awoke on 24th June to discover that the UK (rather a huge swathe across England and Wales primarily) had voted to leave the EU, it just did not compute with who I thought we were and I couldn't fathom how so many had allowed the fear mongering of the duplicitous, self serving politicians to blind them to who is to blame for the poverty, housing shortages, lack of jobs, etc, are we really going down this dangerous road where economic strife = blame one group of people for all society's ills = ethnic cleansing, some politicians obviously love it, lets them off the hook but not something I thought would take hold here. Iain Banks put it a lot more lucidly than I can in his last interview before he died in 2013. 

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jun/15/iain-banks-the-final-interview
It took an act of parliament to get us in to the EU so surely it is undemocratic and unconstitutional to allow 37% of the electorate to make the decision to leave the EU on behalf of everyone else? In my area (mostly Tory/Liberal) there was an 82% turn out and 69% voted to remain.

I am heartened by the fight back (even some of the 37%ers have changed their minds), especially by the young, who  once again are being shafted by the actions of their elders. As I write, we are still EU citizens and as Scarlett O'Hara said "Tomorrow is another day", so Get Up, Stand Up For Your Rights.

UNITE AGAINST RACISM - WHO IF NOT YOU?

http://www.unitedagainstracism.org/archive/pages/info30.htm 

How about we try and engender some of that Punk spirit and zeitgeist that has been so ubiquitously celebrated in this 40th anniversary year, and make it clear that We the People are done with consistently getting the short end of the stick, otherwise nothing's changed in the last forty years and there's still NO FUTURE FOR YOU.

Vis a vis the Labour leadership, I've noticed on social media that some who voted for Jeremy Corbyn the first time around are doubting their reasoning and asking the somewhat rhetorical question 'is he Labour Leader material?' He was elected leader, with a significant majority over the other candidates standing. I admit that I found this a bit of a tricky subject myself to begin with and I was a bit deflated and disappointed by Mr Corbyn's seemingly lack lustre public support for staying in the EU, however, I have been thinking long and hard about it and have reminded myself why, along with loads of us, I voted for Mr Corbyn in the first place and will do again.

In short I was sick of Blairites and Tory Lights hijacking the Labour Party and trying to convince us that currying favour with capitalist extremists is the only way for a country to thrive in the 21st Century. I was sick of the same old, same old political spin, lies, back stabbing, broken promises, doing the dirty on us time after time, etc and I for one don't want them back. They appear to have forgotten that they were elected and are paid by us to work for us, so despite being a North London leftie Mr Corbyn still represents a positive alternative to anyone else on offer and we need someone who is rational, honest, has integrity and won't bow to pressure. Don't we still want change?

After seven years the Chilcot enquiry in to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, unsurprisingly confirmed what we all already knew, and placed the responsibility for the invasion where it belonged, primarily with Mr Blair and since 2003 we have 100s of thousands of good reasons not to trust or support a Blairite, which is not to say that the reasons for mistrusting many political figures aren't legion but the repercussions from this man's mistakes over Iraq are evident in the continuing cost to human life. It's all here: 
https://www.iraqbodycount.org/ 
http://www.iraqinquiry.org.uk/

The  Tory leadership battle - I don't give a 

 I think I'll let Asbo Derek have the last word on the subject.

Catch the Asbos on Saturday 16th July for Brexshit at The Prince Albert Brighton: https://www.facebook.com/events/743025299134576/ 

SUMMERTIME!

River Ribble 27/06/2016 by Gnu

  

Vic tells David Jegou for Addict Culture why he chose the above as his ideal summer song - http://addict-culture.com/la-bande-son-ideale-de-lete-selon-vic-godard-des-subway-sect/

 

  'HOT FUN IN THE SUMMERTIME' CREEPING BENT WEEKENDER 25TH/26TH JUNE CCA Glasgow

Night 1 - Sounds in the Suburbs Presents The Secret Goldfish, The Stool Pigeons & Spinning Coin
Night 2 - Glasgow Jazz Festival Presents Club Left with Vic Godard & The Subway Sect, The Jazzateers and Mairi Fenella. 

Luvverley weekend, two nights of outrageously good music courtesy of the Creeping Bent Organisation, Sounds in the Suburbs and Glasgow Jazz Festival and the CCA, THANK YOU and a particular BIG UP to Ben Kamp, sound engineer par excellence at the CCA. Loads of fun with friends, old and new, thanks to Murray for recording and filming, and impossible to pick a favourite out of the two nights, The Stool Pigeons, Douglas MacIntyre, Malcolm Ross, Mick Slaven and Mr 'it's all in the nuance' Russell Burn (or as I call him, Mr Groove) and my synchopated groovsters The Subway Sect's Chris Bostock, Rob Marche, Sean McLusky and the lovely Pete Saunders, fitting like a glove on keys, played absolute blinders (photograph of Vic at the CCA, above left, by Pete). I got my own private shows in the sound checks and filmed lots. EIGHT videos here from the two nights, sound check and live for your delight and delectation - Born to Lose, Be My Wife, Candyskin, Caribbean Blue, Moving bed, Just In Time, T.R.O.U.B.L.E and Be Your Age. 

Blog Exclusive video #1 - 'What Goes On' filmed at The SP's sound check at the CCA, comes in at the second verse.

Possibly my favourite photograph of the weekend by Gavin Fraser, Vic & Robski havin' a laugh on stage with The Subway Sect at CCA 26/06/2016  

The Secret Goldfish were fab, particularly loved their 'Somewhere in the World' segueing in to 'Holiday Hymn' with Amelia MacIntyre and James Kirk, looking forward to hearing Murray Ramone's recordings, in the meantime...   

Blog exclusive CBO/HFITST video #2 'Nice on the Ice' The Subway Sect sound check 26th June, Vic 'tunefully talking', fantastic rhythm.

Mairi Fenella was a revelation, beautiful voice, catch her live if you can, would love to hear her sing with a big band.

Keep your eyes and ears open for Spinning Coin, Stephen Pastel's latest signing to his Geographic (Domino) label. They opened on Night 1 and very swiftly drew the large crowd gathering in the bar in to the room, their single 'Albany' going down a storm.

Jazzateers by Gnu Glasgow Jazz Festival CCA 26/06/2016

Loved the Jazzateers set, definitely the Cool in Cool Bop and Swing, I didn't get to see them when Vic was their special guest with The Jazz Independents the last time they played at the Glasgow Jazz Festival in 2013 (Stereo, so on merch in the hallway), this time I didn't want to miss any of their set so sorry I didn't video, nabbed this one from 2013.  

I'll leave it with Gavin Fraser and his sumptuous, scopious pictorial review of two memorably fabulous lover-licious nights at the CCA Glasgow, with soundtrack "Hanging Lo With The Hi Waisters" by Gareth Sager. Clever Mr Fraser. 

Port Sulphur
While in Glasgow Vic recorded his part of 'The Lane' a collaboration with Port Sulphur and Davy Henderson and it is sounding as yummy as you might imagine. It will be included on Port Sulphur's debut LP 'Paranoic Critical'.
http://creepingbent.bandcamp.com/album/port-sulphur-aberdeen-angus 
What I didn't know until HFITHS was that Amelia MacIntyre is on Fast Boys and Factory Girls.

So many goodies courtesy of the Creeping Bent Organisation, cheers Douglas! http://www.creepingbent.net/


Punk Corner

Vic Godard & Subway Sect live line ups 1976 to the present, updated with latest additions: http://vicgodardandsubwaysect.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page_21.html

Look out for a punk piece Vic's done for Article Magazine, next issue (not No 7): http://www.article-magazine.com/

Been watching the erudite Tony Wilson So It Goes repeats on Sky Arts narrated by that very clever wordsmith John Cooper Clarke.

 

Also watched a fairly dire doc about Sid Vicious, revolving around his relationship with Nancy Spungen and his death, didn't like the 'let's blame Nancy' vibe at all. How about blaming the person who knowingly brought the much purer gear over from London for him than what he had been using in NY. You'll have to search if you want to watch it, also Sky Arts. 

 NME 1977 - Jane Suck review of Sect/Slits at the Music Machine "...Subway Sect nauseated me. Visually they are about as entertaining as a flypaper; musically they're as much fun as sitting inside a cement mixer with cotton wool in your mouth." 
http://www.vicgodard.co.uk/NME_1977.HTML  

Punk or wot? 'Buckle Up And Join In Lad' 1996 by The Long Decline comprising Leigh Goorney, Mark Perry, Vic, Luciana Panbocch, Rob Trainor-Hereda, Paul Baker, Annie Stubbs & Andy Gwatkin.

Punk Personified - Nobody's Scared - Vic, Mark Braby, Ian Holford & Kevin Younger giving it some at The Wheatsheaf Oxford 2015, filmed by Caryne P.

Re-watched Punk Britannia 1976-78, Mark Perry very entertaining and droll, Vic also suggests beheading someone in this episode. http://bbc.in/1FXBxNj

Read about Punk Fiction at Brit Grit noir maestro Paul D Brazill's All Due Respect blog:
https://pauldbrazill.com/2016/07/11/punk-fiction-at-all-due-respect/ 

This looks a tempting combination - Paris & the Velvet Underground New York Extravaganza exhibition at Philharmonie de Paris, on until 21st August. http://philharmoniedeparis.fr/en/velvet-underground/home 

 

Blog Exclusive video #3 and appropriately enough it's The Stool Pigeons doing a stonkingly good cover of Rock and Roll live at HFITS Creeping Bent Weekender at the CCA Glasgow 26/06/2016.

Art Corner 

Newcastle International Print Biennale 2016
Celebrations all round that two of Vic and A M Leka's prints from VicLeka have been chosen to be exhibited at this year's prestigious International Print Biennale in Newcastle 17th September to the end of October. 
http://www.internationalprintbiennale.org.uk/about.html

A reminder of the Vicleka exhibition in Belgrade last year with 'VicLeka The Movie' -

Read about the VicLeka collaboration and original exhibition here: http://vicgodardandsubwaysect.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page_93.html 

Fingers still crossed for the VicLeka exhibition coming to London either at the end of this year or beginning of 2017, to be shown at Sean McLusky's new pad. 

Places of Interest Project
Places Of Interest will open at the Zürcher Theater Spektakel on Au­gust 20th 2016 and straight after the audio-recordings and paintings, including Vic's, will be travelling with Phil Hayes to Paris to be part of a special weekend at the Centre Culturel Suisse (beginning of September). This global artistic collaboration cur­rently connects Shep­herds Bush, Beirut, Madrid, New­port Wales, Min­neapo­lis, NYC, Ker­ala, In­dia, Fin­land, Chile with contributions including Aaron Lands­man, Vic Go­dard, Ant Hamp­ton, Bouchra Ouizguen, Naoko Tsu­ru­dome, Maria jerez, Jon Lang­ford,Sankar Vekateswaran, Char­bel Har­ber, Shadi Noy­ani, Alf Hof­stet­ter, Sabine Wewer, Yves Nuss­baum, George Rush, Nada Gam­bier, Moulay Youssef Elka­h­fai, Amir Reza Koohes­tani, Eisa Joc­son, Kristina Hor­vat Blaži­nović ...and more.http://www.thefirstcut.ch/en/projects/places-of-interest/   

Watch Out the 21st Century Boys are Back!

 

Somewhere in the World with Vic, Mark Braby, Dave Morgan and Kevin Younger

 

 September 17th - Junkyard Festival Magazzino sul Po Turin - you won't be surprised to find out we're looking forward to our visit to Torino! Vic & Subway Sect, Les Crotales, No One Man Band, John Rugman & The Spirits and DJ sets from Santa Maria de la Psichedelia and DJ Gore, it's going to be UN’OCCASIONE IMPERDIBILE!

https://www.facebook.com/junkyardfestivaldue/?fref=ts 

Turin is one of two Italian cities who have recently elected female mayors from the anti establishment Five Star protest party, Chiara Appendino defeated a Democratic Party candidate in the second round of voting and in Rome Virginia Raggi won 67% of the vote. Up The Revolution!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36458501 

September 23rd - XiriaPOP Carballo Galicia Spain, our kind of festival, small and perfectly formed with Vic and Subway Sect, The Well Green, Brand New Sinclairs,The Hellbuckers & more. Check for updates here: 
https://www.facebook.com/XiriaPop/?fref=ts

Launch Weekender

October 13th - Going to be another Dandy night at Gullivers Manchester with Vic Godard & Subway Sect plus Special GuestsTBC.
Advance tickets available locally at Gullivers:
http://gulliversnq.info/
and Piccadilly Records 53 Oldham Street
http://www.piccadillyrecords.com/counter/index.php:
also on line at: https://billetto.co.uk/en/events/vic-godard-subway-sect-1e31f4

October 14th - Children of Godard Presents what promises to be another memorable COG night with Vic & Subway Sect, Band of Holy Joy and Quarterlight plus special guest MC/DJ. Back at The Cumberland Newcastle, great B+B as well as great music venue. Advance tickets available locally from Beatdown, Reflex and RPM and on line at: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/351221 

October 15th - Gnu Inc (me!) Presents a special Sect/SOBs Special at the Wee Red Bar Edinburgh. Advance tickets from Ripping Records: http://www.rippingrecords.com/tickets.php?id=5457
Tickets Scotland: http://tickets-scotland.com/events.html?event_method=viewevent&event_id=1271cf68-2caa-11e6-b2cc-22000b75ede9

Finale Weekend

 November 25th - Bernie Connors Birthday #2 at Buyers Club Liverpool! Info to follow. 
https://www.facebook.com/bernie.connor.1?fref=ts 

 26th November - Sounds in the Suburbs time with a Sect SOBs Special at Stereo Glasgow. Advance tickets from Alan: soundsinthesuburbs@hotmail.co.uk
and Tickets Scotland: http://tickets-scotland.com/vic00  
This year Sounds in the Suburbs are celebrating 10 years of putting on great music. Check out what else Alan has in store: https://www.facebook.com/soundsin.thesuburbs?fref=ts

Details and ticket links here:
http://www.vicgodard.co.uk/vic_godard_live.html 

December 9th - Gnu Inc (me again!) Presents Vic Godard & The Subway Sect Plus Special Guests plus added aural opium by DJ Sue. Look out for updates. 

Random Corner

Anyone else come across a squirrel with a penchant for Lavatera?  

Iceland - the best thing about the UEFA European Championship 2016

Had a go at cleaning this up a bit, Vic and a one off Subway Sect line up, Paul Myers, Bob Ward, Rob Green and the Turkish man (Bernie discovered him playing at a wedding and conscripted him), cover 'Landslide' Music Machine 1980.

The photographs of Vic (above and left) were taken by Mickey Foote at St Pancras & Kings Cross on a day out with Bernie (nobody can say he didn't push the boat out when it came to photo shoots). The skinheads were Chelsea fans on their way back from Derby, Bernie and Michael Foote had just started photographing me on a platform at St Pancras when their train came in and they swarmed over to say hello. 

Below - Vic & The Bitter Springs in Kalmar Sweden (200?) for a festival. I've only just noticed that the two girls behind Vic on the left have spotted the camera and are posing. On the right at their digs at the festival are: left to right Dan Ashkenazy, Simon Rivers, Vic, you can just about see him tucked behind Paul 'Wizard' Baker, Paul McGrath and Phil Martin.   

Look what Simon and The Springs are up to in Brighton on 23rd July!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1583296095295674/ 

Rehearsing for my Tommy Cooper tribute act, dim & distant past.

Let me tell you a story....

 

Vic first met up with Vincent Arquillière
in 2005 to do an interview with him for Pop News, the photograph on the right was taken by Vincent. http://www.popnews.com/popnews/vicgodarditw

Who's this cheeky chappy? 
And what's he up to in Brighton at the end of the month?
https://www.facebook.com/events/956080587839242/ 

Home Frit' Home - Musée de la Frite à Bruxelles - I love the idea of a museum dedicated to the history of the Belgian fry, plus it's an art gallery and you can stay there:
http://www.homefrithome.com/?lang=en

That works for me.

Literary Corner

Hot on the heels of his latest collection of dark tales 'The Last Laugh' comes 'Cold London Blues(!)', the latest noir offering from Paul D Brazil. A killer priest, a Hollywood film star and a gangster are the stars of this très noir Brit Grit "comedy of errors". Out 14th July, available to order now. 
https://pauldbrazill.com/ 
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/paul-d-brazill/cold-london-blues.htm 

 It was surreal reading 'The Last Laugh' the first story in Mr Brazil's short story collection The Last Laugh, felt a bit like I'd fallen down a rabbit hole, the main characters being Messrs Godard and Napper! Published by All Due Respect.
http://allduerespectbooks.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30066718-the-last-laugh

Coming Soon - Completing the trilogy that began with 'A Moment Worth Waiting For', followed by 'You Know My Name: The Lovers, The Dreamers, and Bobby Scott', comes Kevin Pearce's 'A Cracked Jewel Case', I am sure, based on it's forerunners that this will be another informative, enlightening and hugely entertaining literary musical mystery tour, the starting point this time is 1990s pop. What can we expect this time round? I'll let Mr Pearce tell you in his own words.
"A dog-eared digipak and a cracked jewel case. Here’s to those who never knew their place. Sometimes distance offers new perspectives. Revealing clues to the pop detectives.Pick out fragments of what was happening. Put them together to create new patterns. Depth charge bass and broken beats. Wildflowers growing in the streets. Shadows dance all across the wall. A lovers melody for when you fall. Did you ever hear the dub mix? Old games transformed by brand new tricks. Buying back sounds rashly sold. Bringing in names from the cold. Revelations hiding in plain sight. Dusty corners needing some new light (G: a 'handsome beloved' (get it?) told me 'Sansend' gets a look in!)
Can't wait! https://www.facebook.com/kevin.pearce.7?fref=ts
http://yrheartout.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/a-moment-worth-waiting-for.html

Aural Opium Corner 

Tune and listen to DJ Sue every Monday 6-8pm (UTC/GMT) on Shoreditch Radio: http://www.shoreditchradio.co.uk/broadcast-schedule/ or catch up here:

Check DJ Sue's FB page for where she is djing:

https://www.facebook.com/sue.grant.1422?fref=ts

I can tell you where she will be on 9th December, Gnu Inc Presents at The Water Rats Kings Cross!  

An unusual view of Hastings by Gnu

Ray, Angel and the crew on the Stereo 2 Sound System show on Radio Premiá de Mar have broken up for the summer holidays, back in September. Last show and past programmes here:

http://stereo2soundsystem.blogspot.co.uk/2016_06_01_archive.html

The Bedazzled Radio Hour with Spike Priggen on WGXC 90.7 FM

Listen here: https://wavefarm.org/wgxc

Check for listen again/download links to past shows here: 

https://www.facebook.com/TheBedazzledRadioHour/ 

Alan Powell's latest down in the basement podcast, an hour of the best 50/60/70s soul, funk, R&B and fuzzed up rock and roll or you can listen to his radio show with much the same vibe is every Wednesday 6-8pm on en5 Radio.

http://alanpowell.podomatic.com/ 

http://www.en5radio.com/

A very sad farewell to Rita and Don, the last of the Woodcocks.

Sybil, Rita, Dods & Don

Signing off and beaming out Peace, Love and Understanding (doing my best anyway), just imagine if it caught on and trended? Oh Babe, What Would You Say?