As my copy of 'The Eraser' still hasn't arrived from Amazon I've been trying to distract myself with other things. Work, seeing friends, and other bands...ironically what's been very successfully distracting me is Muse's brand new album 'Black Holes and Revelations'. Ironic because of all the lazy comparisons between Radiohead and Muse over the years and ironic because they're nothing like each other. I never really understood that comparison aside from the fact that Thom Yorke and Matt Bellamy both sing high and that both bands are fantastic live. The differences between them are even more obvious now, with 'Black Holes...' showing Muse's prog rock disco leanings to their full. Big meaty riffs, insanely danceable beats and beautifully layered vocals. Nicely done.
I spent 26 hours in a van over the weekend travelling to and from a gig in Morayshire, during which time I caught up on my knitting, read Time Out very thoroughly and skimmed through Mojo, a music magazine I've never really read before. I was only in it for the Thom Yorke interview really (which was excellent) but something else caught my eye. I didn't know that Courtney Love was publishing her diaries in the Autumn. Upon further research I found that MTV covered the story a while back and expanded upon the quote that stuck in my head from the Mojo piece:
"Other notes are less-than-celebratory, such as her realization that she is "a public figure unhappy with my share of the American dream. There can only be one reason for this. I am on drugs, and have the morals and mentality of a cartoon character. What did I want after all??" This is written next to a 1976 rejection letter from the New Mickey Mouse Club for "Coco Rodriguez" — a name she may have adopted while living with stepdad Frank Rodriguez. Since the show was looking for "youngsters who have exceptional singing, dancing, or musical ability, with a marked degree of performance experience," they told her she did not qualify, and as a consolation prize, gave her a picture of Mickey Mouse."
Having once been a big Courtney Love and Hole supporter I'm looking forward to reading the book. Whether or not a single event is represented truthfully will be up for debate but it can't help but be an interesting read regardless. Dirty Blonde - The Diaries of Courtney Love is available from October 20th in the UK.
There are two excellent gigs coming up this week at The Fox in Lewisham. I started playing solo gigs there at the start of the year after an invitation from 2Bob, a South London collective who constantly put on gigs there and at various other venues. On their MySpace page they describe themselves thus:
"2bob has been in existence since 2004. We book bands. We put them in touch with people so they can get their music out there. We DJ. We have parties. We live in SOUTH LONDON, though we're not averse to the north now and then. We like interesting music. We like you."
I've been back to play a few times now and was lucky enough to get to support that-band-I'm-always-banging-on-about (Popular Workshop) there in May with Miss Black America.
Thursday 13th - Blue Light District present Popular Workshop + Slowgun + Chet @ The Fox, 213 Lewisham High Street, SE13 6JZ - FREE ENTRY
Sunday 16th - 2Bob's Acoustic Sundays featuring She Makes War acoustic set (oh what a shameless plug!) and other acoustic loveliness @ The Fox, 213 Lewisham High Street, SE13 6JZ - FREE ENTRY
Also on Sunday is the Tin Pan Alley Festival, also completely freeeee. The special surprise headliner won't be announced until Thursday but they've already announced other acts including Bromheads Jacket, Vincent Vincent & The Villains, F.O. Machete, Keith, Louie, The Violets, The Holloways, Kalev, Untitled Musical Project and The Ape Drape Escape. The day is being hosted by John Kennedy of XFM and is being held in Denmark Street from 12-9pm.
"Why Denmark Street?
Denmark Street has forever been associated with music. Earning the nickname of London’s Tin Pan Alley in the 1920s when rents were cheap, attracting struggling artists, composers, and musicians. Music publishers set up their businesses here around the 1890s then recording studios in the 1960s. London's "Tin Pan Alley" is quite simply Europe’s best music street, filled with specialist music shops and thronging with people passionate about music. There’s hardly a rock and roll legend that hasn’t visited at some time. Music history has been made here; The Beatles and Jimmi Hendrix recorded in the basements... Elton John wrote the classic Your Song on the rooftops...
A niche community developed which still remains today, in the friendly atmosphere of a street with a shared enthusiasm and there’s always music wafting from basements, shop windows and balconies.
Why Shelter?
The Festival’s other main aim is to help and support local issues, like homelessness. This is a particularly prevalent problem in Central London so through raising awareness for Shelter’s Million Children Campaign we can try to stop this! Here’s how to get involved."
The bands are on from 12-9pm, giving you just enough time to helicopter yourselves in to Lewisham to see me play.
Um, yeah.
This Week's Ten:
1. Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
2. Miss World - Hole
3. Stolen Car - Carina Round - link
4. Redux - Let Our Enemies Beware - link
5. Hipshake - We Start Fires - link
6. Yellowcake - Kaki King - link
7. Sailed On - Landon Pigg
8. A Puncture - Dexy - link
9. Get Yours - Something Beginning With L - link
10. Lullaby - Jaymay - link
