nigeyb's world of joy

Gang Of Four "Damaged Goods"

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:04:33 -0400

“Sometimes I’m thinking that I love, but I know it’s only lust…”

Complete perfection. Of course. The sleeve. Fast Product. The sound. The words. The agenda. In my head it’s a companion piece to The Mekons ‘Where Were You?’ but that’s another story for another day.

And all before I knew a damn thing about them, that moment when a band only exists in my head, with no knowledge of what was to come, how things would pan out, the inevitable disappointments. Just an unblemished future when everything seemed possible.

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye…

“The change will do you good”

Edwyn Collins, St George’s Church, Brighton - Thursday 25...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 09:24:53 -0400

Edwyn Collins, St George’s Church, Brighton - Thursday 25 April 2013 on Flickr.

A marvellous night in the company of Edwyn Collins. I’ve loved him since the earliest days of Orange Juice. He’s still wonderful. He played a great set that featured tunes from his days on Postcard, right up to this year’s album.

Simply thrilled honey.

The Last Englishman: the Life of J.L. Carr by Byron Rogers

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 08:47:56 -0400

The Last Englishman: the Life of J.L. Carr by Byron Rogers:

“He was the Last Englishman”

I first became aware of J.L. Carr having read his novel “A Month In The Country”. It is one of the best books I have ever read. It is rare that I have felt so powerfully affected by a story. In short, it’s a masterpiece, and one that I look forward to re-reading. A few days after finishing ”A Month In The Country”, I read another J.L. Carr novel “The Harpole Report” - a very different book, both in terms of style and content, but a great read. So, by now, I was very intrigued by J.L. Carr. Who was he? How did he come to write two such contrasting books? Fortunately his friend, and journalist, Byron Rogers wrote this biography of J.L. Carr that was published in 2003.

I am very grateful to Byron Rogers for such a readable and thorough account of the unusual J.L. Carr. I tend to overuse the word maverick, however can confidently label J.L. Carr as a maverick. In short he was brought up in a staunchly Methodist, and deeply religious, family in the North East of England; he was a teacher, and head teacher; was a photographer in the RAF during the war; spent time in South Dakota teaching; played amateur football; campaigned for the preservation of a disused village church; and, upon retiring, became both a writer and a publisher. That, however, is but a fraction of what defined this fascinating character. It is his intellect, idiosyncrasies, values, determination, and originality, that make this book worth reading. Not only are all his novels biographical, and therefore this biography provides helpful and illuminating insights, his is also one of the most unusual lives I can imagine - despite hiding behind a facade of profound ordinariness. J.L. Carr died on 26 February 1994, and that was, to quote Byron Rogers, “the last day of his life and the only one in which he had not been fully conscious.”

I will be reading the rest of J.L. Carr’s novels, and my enjoyment and understanding will be greatly enhanced by this splendid biography. I heartily recommend it: interesting and inspiring.

Finally, I should mention that The Quince Tree Press, J.L. Carr’s small publishing company, is still in business, and is run by J.L. Carr’s son and daughter-in-law. All J.L. Carr’s novels are available, in addition to to a range of pocket books, and J.L. Carr’s maps of English counties. I intend to foist them on my friends and relatives at Christmas and/or on their birthdays.

"Agent Zigzag" by Ben Macintyre

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:19:45 -0400

"Agent Zigzag" by Ben Macintyre:

This is the remarkable story of Second World War double agent Eddie Chapman. Along the way Eddie meets an extraordinary cast of characters. Here’s a couple of examples:

Maskelyne who was Britain’s official illusionist (and a master-illusionist at that) who came from a long line of magicians, alchemists and astronomers. In addition to his marvellous war work he also invented the coin operated toilet door.

Praetorius, one of Chapman’s Abwehr (German Secret Service) minders. A fan of English folk dancing and who adored Morris dancing. As the war was concluding, Praetorius left the Abwehr, to take up a role as dance instructor to the Wehrmacht.

There are many, many more. You couldn’t make some of this stuff up. It’s incredible.

The most incredible thing of all is Eddie’s tale: from criminal, to British prisoner, to Nazi prisoner (both in Jersey and Paris), to Nazi agent, and then to British double agent. Eddie’s gift was his charm and his cunning. Almost universally liked, he seemed to win over even the most sceptical. This appears to be because he frequently developed real affection for the many people he met, including his Abwehr controllers. He also seemed to genuinely love the various women with whom he became entangled.

Ben Macintyre tells Chapman’s story with skill, verve, and wit, and does his subject justice. Chapman emerges as a real life, working class James Bond-type character: handsome, charming, and drawn to danger, gambling, fine food, drink, and women. He is a seething mass of contradictions, with one essential attribute, he was the perfect double agent.

If you enjoy either good biographies, or larger-than-life characters, then you’ll almost certainly enjoy this book.

King Charles, The Haunt, Brighton - 17 April 2013 on Flickr.King...

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:54:02 -0400

King Charles, The Haunt, Brighton - 17 April 2013 on Flickr.

King Charles live at The Haunt was a joyous experience. The gig was sold out, and the crowd were supportive and up for a good time. He played the majority of his splendid debut album ‘LoveBlood’ and a smattering of new tunes. A great show and a great night.

"Brideshead Revisited" by Evelyn Waugh

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:44:53 -0400

"Brideshead Revisited" by Evelyn Waugh:

An absorbing and sumptuous eulogy for the end of the golden age of the British aristocracy. Beautifully written and with so much to enjoy: faith and - in particular - Catholicism, duty, love, desire, grandeur, decay, memory, and tragedy. At its heart there is a beautiful and enchanting story. The various characters, right down to the most minor ones, are stunningly and credibly drawn - having just finished the book I feel that I have been amongst them and known them. I have read most of Evelyn Waugh’s novels and this is his finest. If you haven’t read it yet I envy you.

Carbon/Silicon “Big Surprise” Great band. Great...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:18:00 -0400

Carbon/Silicon “Big Surprise”

Great band. Great video. Great songwriter. Great song.

A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:04:16 -0400

A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr:

A gorgeous eulogy for the perfect Summer

Birkin, a damaged World War One veteran, is employed to a find and restore a mural in a village church, whilst another veteran is employed to look for a grave beyond the churchyard walls. The writer looks back 58 years later, and as an old man, on his idyllic Summer of 1920. The bitter-sweet happiness the writer describes feels fragile and ephemeral which makes the story all the more beautiful, powerful and haunting. This short book packs so much in: love, loss, social history, the way the past impinges on the present, ageing, war, nature, relationships, spirituality, religion, pain, healing, happiness, and disappointment. Beyond that, the less you know about this book the better, suffice it to say it’s a masterpiece and you should read it.

We can ask and ask but we can’t have again what once seemed ours for ever - the way things looked, that church alone in the fields, a bed on a belfry floor, a remembered voice, the touch of a hand, a loved face.

Trafalgar Street, Brighton - 20 March 2013 on Flickr.Deadly...

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:07:39 -0400

Trafalgar Street, Brighton - 20 March 2013 on Flickr.

Deadly Magic Pill…

…can I watch you shoot ‘em up?

Via Flickr:
Trafalgar Street, Brighton

Taken with iPhone / Instagram - 20 March 2013

"Super Sad True Love Story" by Gary Shteyngart

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 09:14:00 -0400

"Super Sad True Love Story" by Gary Shteyngart :

Some might say that it is wrong to invoke the names of Philip K Dick and Kurt Vonnegut, however I think Gary Shteyngart’s imagination, social satire and storytelling are right up there with those two iconic science fiction novelists. I’m also tempted to invoke the “M” word. Masterpiece. I have been engrossed by this book for the last few days - and have picked it up at every opportunity.

The novel blends satire with a moving portrait of two lonely people (Lenny and Eunice) who, against all the odds, discover mutual love. Their love story starts in Rome and concludes in New York. The setting is the near future. A future where the US dollar is plummeting, China is threatening to stop providing the US with financial support, and most people work in either finance or media. People constantly stream information about each other on their “apparati” (a very, very smart ‘smart phone’) and no one reads books. It’s a future where current social trends (social media, a preoccupation with youth, online pornography etc.) have reached their zenith and inform all aspects of daily life. Friends meet in a bar and live stream in the manner of a chat show host, crowbarring in mentions for their sponsors, whilst elsewhere everyone inputs “hotness” ratings for those around them via their “apparati”.

This dark and prescient evocation of an all too plausible future would be sufficient to make this a very readable novel however Shteyngart manages some great writing too. The tale is told through Lenny’s self-absorbed diary entries and Eunice’s honest, simple, immediate - but still insightful - social media exchanges. Two very contrasting - but very distinctive - narrative voices. Here’s Lenny describing Eunice’s abused mother: “She was pretty, the features economical, the eyes evenly spaced, the nose strong and straight, but seeing her reminded me of approaching a reassembled piece of Greek or Roman pottery. You had to draw out the beauty and elegance of the design, but your eyes kept returning to the seams and the cracks filled with some dark cohesive substance, the missing handles and random pockmarks.” Masterly.

There is so much richness and detail to enjoy in this book. Shteyngart manages to make all kinds of amusing, chilling and interesting observations about: this dystopian future; Lenny and Eunice’s emotional journey; early 21st century Western culture; and the human condition. It’s a compelling, moving, and remarkable book.

English writer Patrick Hamilton

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:12:39 -0400

English writer Patrick Hamilton:

This set contains photos taken at the Patrick Hamilton installation at the University of Brighton in May 2012 - and a few other Patrick Hamilton related photos.

If you never discovered the genius of Patrick Hamilton you should put that right as soon as you can.

Rick Redbeard (supported by Fake Major), Komedia, Brighton, 18 March 2013

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:02:06 -0400

Rick Redbeard (supported by Fake Major), Komedia, Brighton, 18 March 2013:

A very enjoyable evening in the company of Rick Redbeard aka Rick Anthony aka the singer from The Phantom Band. I love the Phantom Band, and whilst Rick’s solo work is a world away from the diverse sonic sounds of the Phantoms it is still great - a really pleasing form of pared down, melancholy, spartan Scottish folk. The Komedia studio bar was full and the audience all seemed very appreciative.

Support came from Fake Major who are a fabulous folky duo from Glasgow, both with fine voices, and quietly impressive soul filled tunes.

God bless The Kinks

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:58:17 -0400

God bless The Kinks:

The last words of this book, “After what they’ve been through to build it, they need someone to say: God bless The Kinks.” The perfect end to an absorbing and entertaining story.

I love The Kinks and yet have barely scratched the surface in terms of their back catalogue. A comprehensive singles collection of the hits from the 1960s and 1970s, Village Green, Muswell Hillbillies, Arthur and that’s about it. Needless to say with a recording career that lasted well into the 1990s there plenty more to discover. This book has really inspired me to do just that.

The Kinks must be contenders for The Most Dysfunctional Pop Group Ever award. The Gallagher brothers (Oasis) could learn a few tricks from Ray and Dave Davies. A fully qualified psychiatrist would struggle to analyse the behaviour detailed in this book. When Ray Davies says “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” he’s completely serious. One story from the book gives an insight into the Davies brothers relationship: when Dave turned 50 Ray threw a party for him. As Dave was about to cut his birthday cake, Ray jumped on the table with the cake, gave a quick speech about himself, and then trampled all over the cake. Despite this sort of gesture their story is also interspersed with acts of mutual support and, somehow between them and the rest of the group, they created one of the most remarkable and enduring bodies of work. Music that, as Nick Hasted observes at the outset, evoked 1930s glamour as much as more obvious pop and rock tropes.

There are so many great insights in this book. Here’s a few examples:

* The extraordinary highs and lows that the band, and each member, endured throughout their long and eventful career. Over 40 years The Kinks left a trail of irate ex-partners, and band members driven to despair, madness and violence.

* The band’s extraordinary penchant for self-sabotage, a recurring theme is how the band manage to consistently shoot themselves in the foot at the most commercially inopportune moments - and all this despite one of the all time greatest songwriters in their midst.

* On ‘You Really Got Me’ and that iconic riff…”The completion of Dave’s primitive experiments was the fusing of the radically different brothers in a moment’s creative union, as the song’s lightning hit. Everything that was special about them began to breathe then. Ray’s art found its voice through his brother’s wild freedom.”

* The extent to which “The Village Green Preservation Society” album was equivalent to career suicide. And that the band had pretty much stopped playing live by this time.

* That Ray Davies produced Tom Robinson’s first band Cafe Society - and then, when discussing it with Nick Hasted, Ray radically rewrote the history to make himself appear far more significant and influential.

* The madly ambitious vaudeville shows the band staged in support of some of their 1970s concept albums.

If you have any interest in pop music, popular culture, the band, or you just like reading biographies, then this book will provide you with much to enjoy.

Steve Mason - Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:45:50 -0400

Steve Mason - Monkey Minds In The Devil's Time:

This is great, bordering - in parts - on genius.

A kaleidoscopic mixture of indie, pop, gospel, funk, country, folk, dub, spoken word, hip hop and samples (I love samples) including some Portuguese F1 commentary about Senna. It is one of the best things he has done since the early Beta Band stuff. Highly recommended.

Ian Hunter, Ropetackle Centre, Shoreham, Sussex, England - Wednesday 13 March 2013

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:27:42 -0400

Ian Hunter, Ropetackle Centre, Shoreham, Sussex, England - Wednesday 13 March 2013:

I meticulously prepared for this gig. Partly inspired by the show, and partly inspired by BBC4, I watched my DVD of “The Ballad Of Mott The Hoople” (forty minutes longer than the version shown on BBC4 last week) which was a Xmas gift, and I gave last year’s “When I’m President” album a few listens. I’m not sure why I’d not got the album earlier as I’ve bought the last three solo releases around the time they were released. Anyway, the album is another corker that maintains Ian’s current rich vein of form, and the documentary is excellent (as are all the DVD extras). I was too young to be following Mott round the country (as Mick Jones of The Clash, and Kris Needs, did) but I did buy all their classic 70s singles as an awe struck 12-13 year old and have enjoyed Ian Hunter’s post-Mott solo career. He’s a remarkably consistent songwriter and a true star.

For this visit he was without the Rant Band, and instead was playing as part of an acoustic trio along with bassist Dave Rowe and guitarist Andy York. He was excellent. The acoustic arrangements suited the songs really well and Ian was as committed and passionate as ever. Personal highlights included “Just The Way You Look Tonight”, “All Of The Good Ones”, “Once Bitten Twice Shy”, “When I’m President”, “Sweet Jane”, “Roll Away The Stone”, and - of course - “All The Young Dudes”. How a 73 year old stays so full of vitality is a mystery? Perhaps it’s the sips of white wine and great rock n roll music? A great night. Come back soon.

Absolutely loving the new Bowie album. Chockablock with great...

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:57:00 -0400

Absolutely loving the new Bowie album. Chockablock with great tunes, however I keep coming back to “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)”. What a song. Pop perfection that makes me wish I was still young enough to cavort down at the indie disco, because - let me tell you - this would (and does) get me grooving like the grooviest of the groovers. If you are still of an age where you can bust a few moves (as I believe the young ‘uns would say) then you owe it to all of us to get out there and do just that. Repeatedly. Remember kids, the stars are out tonight….

David Bowie - The Stars (Are Out Tonight) (by DavidBowieVEVO)

Andy Kershaw 'No Off Switch'

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 05:41:00 -0400

Andy Kershaw 'No Off Switch':

Andy Kershaw ‘No Off Switch’

A good friend of mine recommended this book to me and I devoured all 408 pages in a matter of three days. Despite not being much of a fan I really enjoyed reading this biography. Essentially the book covers:

- Andy’s childhood

- His time at Leeds University which was devoted to working in Ents, failing his degree and finally booking all the bands

- Being a roadie and driver for Billy Bragg

- Presenting the Old Grey Whistle Test (and Live Aid)

- Being a Radio 1 DJ

- Fearlessly working as an occasional travel and war correspondent in some of the most dangerous places on earth

- Breaking up with his wife and children

- Suffering a breakdown, alcohol abuse and being on the run from the police

- Recovery and re-establishing himself

It’s a great read and Andy’s passion and uncompromising opinions fill every page. For all his strong views, he comes across as one of the good guys with an incredible array of entertaining and interesting stories to recount. If you have any interest in music, the media, social history, travel, relationships, politics and foreign affairs then I’m confident you’ll enjoy this book.

Robyn Hitchcock, Komedia, Brighton, England - Tuesday 5 March 2013

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 06:11:00 -0400

Robyn Hitchcock, Komedia, Brighton, England - Tuesday 5 March 2013:

A supremely enjoyable evening with the legendary Robyn Hitchcock. The usual mix of surreal and witty between song banter, whimsical and wonderful songs, and a rapt audience. I could have watched him for hours - sadly an hour and a quarter flew by and then he was off, leaving a happy crowd enthusing about how bloody brilliant he is…yep, a superb lyricist and world-class tunesmith aligned to sublime psychedelic song-craft. Long may he reign over us.

www.robynhitchcock.com

Melody's Echo Chamber (supported by Fear of Men) @ The Haunt, Brighton, Sussex, England on Sunday 3rd March 2013

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 06:05:00 -0400

Melody's Echo Chamber (supported by Fear of Men) @ The Haunt, Brighton, Sussex, England on Sunday 3rd March 2013:

Melody’s Echo Chamber is the name given to the work of Paris-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Melody Prochet. The Melody’s Echo Chamber album is a wonderful thing that deals in a pleasing hybrid of kraut, space-rock, dream-pop, electronica and a few other random genre labels, think wild-eyed psychedelia held together by motorik rhythms and you’re probably still not there. Anyway the album, great as it is, did not full prepare for their spectacular magnificence live. Very, very good - that’s all there is to it.

Fear Of Men were the capable support. Sounds like they have a few good tunes in their locker. Pleasing if a tad unexceptional - but that could come given time and experience. Ones to watch.

"Craven House" by Patrick Hamilton

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 08:06:00 -0500

"Craven House" by Patrick Hamilton:

This book is a joy. Yes, Hangover Square and The Slaves Of Solitude are Patrick Hamilton’s masterpieces however this book is every bit as enjoyable. Playful, jaunty, and very sentimental, it is interesting to read Hamilton in a more positive mood - before the cynicism and darkness really took hold.

Craven House was the first major novel by Patrick Hamilton and was published in 1926, and captures that moment when, following World War 1, the certainties of the Edwardian way of life eroded until English society was changed for ever. Hamilton’s own family experienced their own slow, inexorable slide down the social scale throughout Patrick Hamilton’s childhood.

The Craven House of the title is a boarding house in west London, similar to the one Hamilton’s own family lived in at Chiswick. The setting allows Hamilton to explore the shifting, uncertain world of the English boarding house. The characters that populate this house are lovingly chronicled with horrified fascination. On the surface each is well mannered and genteel. Scratch the surface and there is much more going on. As with other books by this wonderful writer, his acute powers of observation enrich all the characters with little phrases and idiosyncrasies that are clearly drawn from real life and so authentically evoke a sense of time and place, and are all described in Hamilton’s gloriously atmospheric prose.

There is barely disguised tension between the occupants of Craven House, in addition to an intergenerational conflict being slowly fought between the young people and their elders. Like a slow pressure cooker, the tale slowly and inexorably builds to a memorable conclusion over the fifteen years that the story takes place (1911-1926). Patrick Hamilton was a master and this book, whilst not regarded as one of his more significant works, is funny, absurd, poignant, and downright wonderful.