If you don't know yet where to go on Halloween this year, I recommend this Punk Music Festival, organized by the imperturbable Alana Amram. It's been a lot of fun the last two years. All the cool imposter bands play only three to four songs and dress up as the famous originals. And it's only a dollar, dressed up or not. Now, that's the right spirit, driving on the left side of slow down the Halloween highway...Don Pedro's at 90 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11206.
This is the new video of C. Gibbs with the band he will be touring Switzerland with the next two weeks. On Cello, Keys and Bass we have the unique Frank Heer, on drums the female incarnation of Ringo Star's better brother, Kristin Mueller.
Rarely are tours of Rockbands truly anticipated in Switzerland. Musicians just pass thru, and folks go and see them, since they have enuff money in their pockets over there. Either the stars come for a show or two, on their way through Europe to Asia (expensive tickkets). Or they live there for a while as singer-songwriter-model daters for a while because the country is simply so amazing (buy the guy a beer). Not so Mr Christian Gibbs. Over the course of a couple of well-received small, but excellent managed and executed tours, C. Gibbs has built himself a strong and ardent following in Switzerland. The upcoming 15 gig tour through every corner of the country, which starts tomorrow in Basel, might just help him to take Europe like Crowded House did in '90 or Pink Floyd in '69. Switzerland, this is probably the last time zou see this guy for little money and up close, dont miss your chance - we hear some of the shows are almost sold out already,
For all of you in Switzerland who speak german and haven't heard about c. Gibbs, here's Frank's short update for newcomers:
Und nun noch etwas Rock-Trivia für Neuaufsteiger: C. GIBBS erprobte bei Foetus, Modern English und Cpt. Sensible das Bühnen-Handwerk, bei den Morning Glories brüllte er sich den Bourbon aus der Seele und mit Lucinda Black Bear entdeckte er die wohlorchestrierte Langsamkeit. Auf seiner aktuellen Tournee bedient sich der New Yorker aus seinem tiefen Repertoir von Songs am Randes des Abgrunds.
Show dates: 29.10. Kuppel, Basel 30.10. Gare de Lyon, Wil 31.10. Dampfschiff, Brugg 01.11. Café Kairo, Bern 03.11. Helsinki Klub, Zürich* 05.11. LeBourg, Lausanne 06.11. TapTab, Schaffhausen 07.11. Mariaberg, Rorschach 08.11. Café Kairo, Bern 09.11. Club Stereo, Nürnberg, D 10.11. Centre Fries, Fribourg 13.11. Chrämerhuus, Langenthal 14.11. Helsinki Klub, Zürich* 15.11. Gaswerk, Winterthur
You have a week left to send your best wishes to Mr. Phil Daniels. You might not remember him, but he played Jimmy in the Who's movie "Quadrophenia", gave his signature Cockney slang to Blur's hit "Parklife" and was just recently kicked from a British celebrities dancing TV show. But that's not why Daniels is high on our list of icons of British culture. In 1980 (can you believe that's almost 30 years ago?) Phil Daniels + the Cross released an Album called "To King Cross Main Line & Suburban" which is pure gold. If you can get your hands on a copy, we guarantee your satisfaction.
In blue: Lewis, Newman and Spigel, in black and white: Robert Gray (formerly Gotobed) at Irving Plaza Some of you may like the crunching pulsing Wire of the late Eighties, I prefer the first three albums. Of course, I respect a band's right to move on and not look back, developing its own brand. But why, when you have hits like "Outdoor Miner", "Marooned" or "I am the Fly" at hand, not show us who actually the heroes of New Wave are, just here and there? Okay, I'm a nostalgic sucker and yeah, Wire gave us "The 15th" (famous here because of the Fischerspooner cover version), "Lowdown" and "12XU" in a one minute hi-speed version, but where are the glorious harmonies and choruses of the early compositions? Their new record "Object 47" has some interesting new material, but with an indistinct booming bass and harsh guitars, a lot of it was lost on the audience. Colin Newman and Graham Lewis, formerly famous for not giving a toss, at times seemed to try just a little too hard, instead of facing the music with a wink and a smile. I'll go again, of course. I should have known better? And with a nod to Enkel 154: Made it to Wire, as you can see, but missed one of these rare Residents shows. From what I heard it must have been great. Are you reporting about the Bunny Boy, too?
The Feelies at Bowery Ballroom So Bruce and Rock & Co. cancelled on me and my fellow New Yorkers - From the Jam for no obvious reasons cancelled most of their U.S. tour, just to announce gigs in Vienna, Austria, a few days later. Hm. Didn't they say they want to have a new record out by the new year, anyway? Maybe Paul Weller has some songs he can spare? Enough already, now for one of the greatest reunions ever: The Feelies played two well packed shows at the Bowery Ballroom in the original line-up, Bill Million rejoining the gang for the first time in 15 years. And boy, were they good! My friends and I saw them decades ago in Zurich and were blown away, but honestly, i think this was even better. Glenn Mercer is by now one of the best and most precise guitar players i have ever seen, Million is the glue that bindes the band together. Looks like only the two drummers ever smile - the strings work and sing like a manic machine, strumming and pumping ahead, spinning melancholy and melody. Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo in the front lines with an open mouth. A frenetic audience, but where were you Brooklyn hipsters? These are the masters you could learn so much from!
We told you about it in February and we tell you again: Go see Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler with their new band, simply called From the Jam. They play fired-up, precise versions of the tunes that made the Jam famous back in the late Seventies and sound as fresh (and probably better) than when Paul Weller was with them. Foxton and Buckler replaced the Modfather with two guitars, and Russell Hastings does a good job, not imitating Weller but never veering too far away from the original performance. The video should put any fears that you will not be getting the real thing at rest! From the Jam are at the Blender Thyeatre in Manhattan on Friday, Sept 26th.
A little older, but looking good - Mercer (2nd from left) and Million (2nd from right) reunited with the original line-up. The band that had the first "New Wave!" sticker on its debut album is back, 30 years later and after a 15 year break: this weekend, the Feelies are in town, Saturday at Williamsburg Hall of Music, Sunday at the Bowery Ballroom. In case you haven't heard of this extraordinary and most influential group (cited by Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo among others), we recommend you go to both shows to get a grasp on how to combine pop, punk and melancholy. If you know them, we know you'll go to both shows anyway. See you there!
There's live shows worth blogging out there, sure! It's just that my computer gets so hot after all the typing, I need to get away from it, from time to time, say to Fire Island to inspect the ticks situation and play Kadima. Or to the catskills to swim in forbidden lakes and inspect suspicious alien activities in hundred year old cellars. And then, my trusty help and videographer Schmiani just went and got married and all, and now she ain't blogging now more.
Still, we managed to see some great shows. First off, the taking off of Falcon at Rehab, after their much reviewed EP hit the stores. As you can see in the sidebar, we recommend you both the live as well as the packaged version. The photo is by Geoff Northrop, you give him shit for playing around with those nasty Adobe fonts.
Then, we caught the revitalized Overlord at the Cake Shop and were given the excellent new single "My Mechanical Heart". George tells me that they will release a new track at every show till the new CD is complete - a nice idea of concept rock in a digitally confusing age. Third, Sword was the word, again at Rehab, which is the coolest place in Manhattan these days anyway, if you still have to go to (or live on) the money infested island. The new quartet with the amazing bass/drums duo of Kristin Mueller and Jessica Hallman harmonized beautifully with the eccentric fantasies of Anton Sword and Kristofer Widholm and give the sword a new bite. Now, tell these stories, Antony!
Last not least we saw the also reinvigorated riot grrrls from Full Tank at hip hip Coco 66 and were positively surprised with new additions Joe Jameson and Ness Newcastle on drums respectively bass, who trim the ladies' bubbliness into a tight punky unit. Now we strongly suggest Simone changes her last name to Smirnov and Halona to Heineken. Gail Grappa, meanwhile should have a drink with Ennio Moriccone.
But now I'm off to Glasslands, another show I forgot to mention on the liver calendar, the Walking Hellos, just to find out what Heather has been up to and talk to hear about my plan for an new NGO that fights for animals' rights to their names. So go, Falcon, the Overlord may grant you a Full Tank, so you escape a ton of Swords.
Here is a hilarious review from The Phoenix of Fa's show in Boston. He insists he doesn't "toss back his hair" (it's the headphones, silly.) And he's genuinely upset about the Yanni comparison! We like the "Higbrow Sound Collage" and the plaintchant dirges. We looked for a picture of Yanni staring down the acropolis in his white suit, but then leave it up to you to compare the synthi sinfonist with the mashmaster Fa:
Reporter Matt Parish has his take on the events and writes: "Some guests shuffled back through a closet door to the small special-exhibition gallery for a look at Luisa Rabbia’s new video piece, a wall-sized montage of Mrs. Gardner’s photos from China spliced with rippling water and animated plant roots growing from beige landscapes like a Windows 95 screensaver. The small klatch sipped and listened to critic Mario Diacono parse the playfully trippy work with parlor-game nonchalance. DJ Fa Ventilato stood in the courtyard garden mixing plainchant dirges with harps and ritualistic drum loops, tossing back his long hair, the Ronnie James Dio of highbrow sound collage. A young graphic designer and her social-worker friend gazed past him to the fountain. “We should do shrooms in here and run away from the fish that would fly out of that thing,” she said. Another guest wondered aloud how soon everything would turn into Eyes Wide Shut. Ventilato ended his set and raised his bottle up like Yanni staring down the Acropolis, which was in the general direction of the coat check. No secret-society masks appeared, but the night still managed to tweak reality into a few exotic kinks."
Forget TV, give it to YouTube and a guy called JBtheManchesterMod to give us the first complete historic overview of the works of Paul Weller and the Jam. Here, in a good hour you can watch six ten minute pieces about Weller and his songs, commented in a nicely understated way by PW himself, but also giving Foxton, former wife DC Lee and Paul's father and manager John deserved screen time, as well as Style Council collaborator Mick Talbot and Steve White. The Pistols had their film(s), the Clash their visual hommages, now here's the Jam. Enjoy!
Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 And now, go out and buy Paul Weller's new CDE 22 Dreams - it might take a while for it to fell home at your place at first, but it will stay with you forever. And if you're in New York, I'll see you probably on the ominous 9/11 at the Highline Ballroom. Here's for the Modfather's rehabilitation!
This gig will go down in my New York memories as entirely enjoyable, in company of great friends and minds, musically and visually magnificent experience. I'm exaggerating? You weren't in our shoes! The sound's fake, of course - it's from Steve's trusty mini digi stick, during the one and only rehearsal. We're only getting started. Leane took all of these - and even more - amazing photographs. The Empire State Building appears courtesy of NYC.
The animal named bands come out to play again, and not the least of them: First, the Falcon really takes off with getting a big nod not only in NY Time Out, with above classic understated photo of the band, the stylish Mr. Bongers far left, as ever. Check out the TONY story here. Then read the Village Voice article, jump to the one from radio NPR, on to the one in ther Daily Herald and if you didnt realize that the guys are about to make it, read it in Chartnet. Then ask the guys about that strange Jared story yourself, we're sworn to silence.
Then our favorite teddy LUCINDA BLACK BEAR (minus Mike) will be playing a downsized acoustic set in an outside garden in Brooklyn this Thursday. Christian, at the moment playing the Boradway show Passing Strange to the film cameras of Spike lee, tells us it's the first ever party hosted by LIVE FEED and takes place at Bar Reis, 375 5th Ave at 6th St., Park Slope. According to him, there will be indeterminate chaos brought to you by the cast of Black Eye Fixer. Plus Dancing! Booze! Garden Flirtations! (what happens in the garden stays in the garden?) Come help them celebrate the concrete condo tidal wave that's taking Brooklyn by storm! $10 cover (to benefit the renegade theatrical tactics of the one-and-only LiveFeed). C. Gibbs and Lucinda Black Bear will play Joe's Pub August 6th before heading West on a US tour from until September 2nd, then head to Europe in October. And finally and occasion to post the beautiful video for the Bear's "You got it blue" video:
Swiss National Day is the 1st of August, but here in New York we celebrate it early, so that most of us sweaty Swiss can get a plane on time for the real thing back home. The Swiss Benevolent Society who organize this event have found a great spot: The roof garden on top of the high rise building 230 Fifth Avenue. It's ten dollars to get in, but you will be rewarded with a great view, nice people, swiss food, and music: There's a live rock band, called Radon Love, and a DJ. With Jan and Bernd being out of town, I found fantastic friends to help me out for my part as "THE MANY MATTERS" - we play three songs by the greatest Swiss songwriter ever, Mr. Mani Matter. Since I was told that these songs don't work with my horrible St. Gallen accent, I translated them into English, where, being in NYC the accent don't matter much. The superb band, also dishing out a few 80ies Pop Songs in Cowpunk versions, is also known as The Greatest Hits with the wonderful Kerry Kennedy on vocals and guitar, the inimitable Quentin Jennings on vocals and all sorts of string instruments, NYs top ten bassman Christian Bongers, not to speak of the american Brassens, Pierre de Gaillande of Melomane and Steve Schiltz of Longwave. We had a blast rehearsing, and hope it comes across just as well as intended... Come help us out and sing along! It starts at 12 noon, Radon Love are on at 2pm, there's some short speeches and stuff, we're on after 3.30pm.
So, Jarvis Cocker, leader of Brit-Pop's Pulp, came to town for two nights, first at the Williamsburg Hall of Music, next at Terminal 5, the new big space in midtown west. After seeing him last time at Webster Hall, it was clear that it will probably not be as cool as Pulp in 99 at the Hammerstein Ballroom, but Jarvis is an excellent showman and quite a British gentleman, too. With his long speeches and spastic dances, he's the kind of manly intellectual every girl wants to cuddle with, but then again, the wiry frame and the rock moves exude just as much sex as the (not so young) Mick Jagger. And then he lectures about the white man and the Blues. And then he says, there's only three things to write songs about: Sex, Death and Cars. And then he rants about American politics. And then everybody loves him. And then, him and his band look and sound just like The Rolling Stones. But beware: He has at least one new hit at hand: "Big Stuff" will be coming, oh yeah.
He's Irish, but he's been living in Melbourne for about as long as I've been in New York: Old friend Andy White played a short notice gig last night at the Living Room and showed in a short 45 minute set that he hasn't lost his knack for melodic songwriting and witty lyrics. The highlight came when he unpacked his tiny 12-string "Aubergine" and per effect box added nice guitar loops to his acoustic strumming. Andy's new CD "Garageband" will be out in the U.S. in the next few weeks. He says it's a rock record and after giving it a first listening, we say he's right! Review to follow on this blog!
Daniels and his partner on Strictly Come Dancing
In blue: Lewis, Newman and Spigel, in black and white: Robert Gray (formerly Gotobed) at Irving Plaza
The Feelies at Bowery Ballroom
Full Tank at Cooco 66 by Tobias Klutke
Falcon at Rehab by Geoff Northtrop
