2009/03/30

New small faces: 2 twins 2 dream!



Arthur and Juliette were born today, our beloved twins.
Arthur is a musician yet and he will release soon his first LP (The Kinks?) with his band, Arthur and the mugs.

Juliette will be a writer and will publish this summer an epistolary novel, The Juliet Letters. Elvis C is working on an imaginary soundtrack.


Welcome to the kids... ;) We'll take care.

They've listened music yet: The Lullaby für kinder, of course. ;)

2009/03/29

Purple Hearts



Both Jonathan Ross and Gary Crowley have plugged the Purple Hearts gig on their radio shows this week. With a small capacity of 290 this show, although 3 months away, is already on its way to selling out. Anybody interested in going..... get in quick.


Get your tix here!


Nice! John Hellier

__._,_.___

The Flac Serie: Music Machine, 1978.



The Music Machine Link (Flac)

The Music Machine Part Two.

Thanx to the Dime uploader (Andy, Bass, Dazzzzzzz) and once again to magic Manu!

2009/03/19

And then Paul Weller called Connett's staff..: "Really good man. Write more tunes like that and you're on to be a winner."





" Been getting some great feedback on the album, even some from Paul Weller who rang me
last weekend to say how much he rated the song "Son" in particular, as well as a couple of the others. ( I got a copy down to Black Barn thats how he heard it). Told me to tell the lads to keep cracking on and they could do well. He kindly offered them a couple of things on top, which I can't reveal just yet, but needless to say the band were delighted with the news. If anyone fancies a copy, email me for further details. Their next live gig is on Saturday 28th March at The Fiddlers Elbow in Camden. Bax (From Mono Media). So I wrote to Darron and had this interview for the blog... Enjoy and listen the record.

"Darron ticks all the right boxes, great vocalist, great songwriter
and... A nice haircut."
John Hellier.


Your first musical shock, Darron? 1) I would say probably The Style Council and dare I say it really early Wham, Wham Rap and stuff like that, well I was a kid! But Paul Weller always looked and sounded so cool to me, plus someone in school said I looked like him, made my day that did. (Check the music on myspace)

If you weren't yourself? 2) If I wasnt myself, I'd be anyone in the band, Glen, Steve, Dan,or Stu. All really cool and incredibly talanted fella's, I'm always in awe in what they can do, pound for pound we can match anyone,even the cheeky girls...


How and when did you start performing? 3) I've been at it since day one, just I hope I wasnt like one of those poxy stage school kids prancing about..lol. No I always knew that singing was my thing, dont know how, but I just did.


Vocal influences? 4) I've got so many influences, from Elvis to The Klaxons, I listen to everything, I just really love my music and get so excited when I hear something new, like I've got my own discovery, then it turns out I'm just years behind cause everyone knows about them..lol, but I've never tried to copy anyone really but I guess their all there somewhere.


Songwriting influences, what comes first, music, etc? 5) When I'm writing its never forced, it comes to me then I just go with it, no rules thank God, that would be boring, some songs come out of jams in the studio, some are more gradual.


Favourite Lyricist? 6) I love social lyricist's, Weller, Morrissey, Lennon, Marvin Gaye on 'Whats Going On' sort of stuff, but then some of the old middle of the road geezers like Bread, Glen Campell, can do it for me to , guilty pleasures I guess...


MOD, What does it mean to you ? 7) The Mod thing is a very indiviual thing, it means so many different things to different people, dare I say a way of life, but it is, look put it this way, I love my clothes and style and don't think theres an excuse to be a scruffy fucker, its the coolest way to look, but were very much from the new breed, kids of the britpop era not the revival or the 60's, but the 60's was the start of cool.


How did you meet your new band mates? 8) The current band CONNETT, are just a natural process, I never looked for this band and the guys never looked for me we just came together almost like it was fate, were all in tune with each other and we really are brothers, I'm at the helm but I'm not the leader, although because its my surname people think I am, but that doesn't take away the roles of each member, we all got our strentghs and roles to play and boy do they do it well!


How do you far do you want to take the band? 9) I really want to take this band all the way, I think we deserve it as much as anyone, if not more, we work hard, put the time in and write outstanding tunes so why not? Our manager Mark Baxter has been a driving force behind me and the band, he deserves it as much too, Epstein the second coming that man..lol



Anyhing you want to add? 10) If anyone wants the new album "Waging War on the Obvious" for a free ... contact mono_media@hotmail .com



2009/03/17

Kinks online!

Other Kinks videos are here.

I've erased two songs cause it was noisy when the three songs begin.


kinks.de interview with ex-Kinks bass player Jim Rodford

He played 18 years with the Kinks -- only Mick Avory, Ray and Dave Davies were longer serving Kinks members. Anybody who has seen the Kinks in the 80s and 90s will remember the little man playing great bass lines and singing backing vocals. After the split of the Kinks in 1996 he played for example with Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent (Zombies).

For once in a While, something really happened on French TV... The Kinks played three songs that night. Will try to grab the three. ;) Enjoy.Click on it to watch it full screen (Small symbol [_])

Bob Henrit on drums and Jim Rodford on Bass.

(Bob Henrit Interview, click here to read the complete version)
For the past few years you have been working with Ray Davies and the Kinks how did that come about?


Networking again. I’d been playing in Blues Co. a 9 piece R and B band with Jim Rodford, Mike Cotton, Root Jackson and a load of pals who came in and out as deps when someone was on the road. Jim by this time had joined the Kinks while I was playing with the remnants of Argent now called Phoenix and various other guys like Ian Mathews, Ritchie Havens, Don McLean, Charlie, Roger Daltrey, Leo Sayer, Colin Blunstone, Ringo Starr, Russ Ballard and loads of others. So, Dave Davies was making his own album and Jim rowed me in on the project which was quickly followed by a second album. Anyway I was working at the Torrington with Blues Company looked into the audience and there was Ray Davies who’d come to see what I played like. He offered me the gig and that was it. I was immediately off to America after almost two days rehearsal!

2009/03/11

Steve Marriott special offer.



Steve Marriott memorial concert, London Astoria, 2001. feat. a whole host of superstars inc.

PAUL WELLER, NOEL GALLAGHER and HUMBLE PIE.

SPECIAL OFFER:

2 HOURS FREE BONUS DVD FEAT. REHEARSALS, SOUNDCHECKS, BACKSTAGE, GIG FROM THE STAGE AND AFTERSHOW PARTY (NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ELSE) with every purchase of either the soundtrack DVD or 3 CD audio set.

One More Time For The Tosser DVD PLUS free bonus DVD £15

One More Time For The Tosser 3 CD SET (complete unedited gig) PLUS free bonus DVD £15

or both the above items with free bonus DVD £25


Paypal to jjhellier@aol.com or jjhellier@aol.com for alternate methods of payment.