Holidays! And a... Football Survey to play!

Reading, listening music, sleeping, twinning (??)... Be back soon with new things, interviews, etc.

I'm not that much into football, I have to admit it BUT it's so amazing in England, let's play! Will go to a Premier League Football match to feel that so special atmosphere... Football and music have been associated many times. Ooh Aah Cantona?

The other Changingman?

Efe Me Website

According to this spanish website (thanx a lot, Jose), Unreleased recording and Alternate versions of Rod The Mod's sessions will be available in September with a version of ... The Changingman. I guess it's from the session of "When we were the new boys", when Rod covered Cigarettes and Alcohol, Rocks (Primal scream) and Ooh la la. A pretty nice LP. I'm really a fan of the first Rod Stewart. Respect, anyway, whatever people say, for the Faces' extraordinaire singer and the man who really helped Ronnie Lane.

Have to do it... When you got such a gift by the mail man...

Dedicated to Simon Cooper! 'f course. ;)

Small Town Pleasures! The Japanese edition of The Small Faces.

Small Town Pleasures

Courtesy of the NICE! Commenter. ;) Georgie Hirezola.

Athens, 14 th July (and the french revolution began!)

The Badge's Single. The story.

Fellow Splinter and founder of The Badge Jeff Slate has sent in a rough mix of the band's upcoming single, the cracking "Row Along." You can hear it streaming here on the blog exclusively. Jeff will also be appearing at two George Harrison tribute shows dubbed “For George” at Liverpool’s St. George Hall on Saturday, August 1, 2009. While in Liverpool Jeff is going to make return appearances to Billy Butler’s Friday, July 31st, afternoon BBC Merseyside show as well as on renown Beatles historian and BBC presenter Spencer Leigh’s Saturday evening program on August 1st.

Jeff’s going to be busy... His appearance on Spencer Leigh’s show will come in between the afternoon and evening performances at the Harrison tribute. Jeff will also be treating London to two acoustic shows. He will appear at Islington’s Hope & Anchor (207 Upper Street, Islington) at 8:30 pm on Thursday, July 30th, followed by a secret, closing-time show that same night at an intimate venue to be announced shortly.

The "For George" performances are set for 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm on August 1, 2009, the 38th anniversary of Harrison’s trailblazing Concerts for Bangladesh, the first large-scale musical event dedicated to charity awareness, which took place in 1971. Proceeds from the show will benefit Harrison’s Material World Charitable Foundation. The show takes place alongside an exhibition of photographs and memorabilia dedicated to the former Beatle.

Jeff at the Cavern.

Along with Jeff, musicians from around the world will be appearing at the two concerts, including Italian tribute band Sir Frankie Crisp and the Friars, George Formby tribute artist Ray Bernard, George’s friend, and fellow disciple of Ravi Shankar, Gaurav Mazumdar (who will play a special composition on sitar written especially for the concert).Tickets for both performances are available via We Got Tickets and at The Beatles Shop on Matthew Street in Liverpool. For more information on the “For George” concerts please contact info@forgeorge.co.uk, visit www.thebadge.com or visit Jeff or The Badge on Facebook.

Mods...Radio Broadcast.

Mods With Phil Daniels (Courtesy of Simon Cooper)

Scooter courtesy of Gerald Bradley, "personal scooters' adviser" (with Euan!)

Twisted Wheel Jane's blog!

Twisted Wheel Jane's blog

Everything you want to know about the power trio!

The Specials Live. Free Sunday Times edition.

Specials Promo Live LP.

As you know it yet, I'm not so keen to publish legal material but this Sunday times edition was free and not availble in store. The Specials want to be back in the (rat) race! Thanx to my good friend Simon who has been kind enough to send it to me from England. By the way, Glato 1994 has been provided by Jean Christophe, again.Check The 30 th anniversary tour dates. Have a thought for Jerry Dammers! Look at this very excellent and funny video. Can't embed it here, follow the link.

The Special Aka / Girlfriend

McCa in New York, the other Roof Top's gig! Courtesy of Miss Lizzy (again!)

Benicassim, Weller and Marvin Gaye.

Thanx once again to Carlõs Loran.

Weller in Glasto, 1994. The last boot before holidays. (dedicated to Dizzy Lizzy!)

According to Dodger, a magic boot ...

Link

Steve Pilgrim's new album.

Steve's Myspace

The Mumper by Mark Baxter and Paolo Hewitt. Best short movie, elefest 2008

Mark is also Connett's manager.

The Book, from Mono Media Store

New Photos on Paul Weller News!

When he's so on fire after 5 minutes... The gig is great!

Bruges' gig review: the wild blue surprise!

Simon Cooper's pics.

Check The Marc Zalman's photos (was just behind you Marc!) on Paul Weller News!

To be completely honest, I Wans't expecting much of that gig. When I've seen Paul played in Belgium, it's never been the real Weller... Don't know why...2001, he was beginning the acoustic solo tour. It's a great memory because we spoke ten minutes, he signed me some photos, let me go to the soundcheck, etc... But the gig was pretty average... Average for Weller means a good gig but not the complete fire from the top to the roof... Everyone knows it can't be magic every night. 2004 was the Studio 150 tour in the royal circus of Brussels. A good gig, not a great one... And in 2008, he wrote "shithole" on the set list instead of Brussels. So I began to think he has a real problem with Belgium... Paris 1998, Bournemouth 2008 and Amsterdam 2008 were really great gigs... And to be complete, he played in the Cornwall the day before the festival and I thought he played only to be ok with a deal. He cancelled last year for that festival and I thought there was an agreement with the organizers.

But... going to Bruges with Gentleman Simon, a real cool cat and top toff, and with my ever Weller's friend, JC, you could imagine worst: And Bruges is such a nice city, it worths the travel anyway and we had good times from the moment Simon came here to the middle of the night! JC was there and then the "fun boy three" day began... We are friends and we talked so many times together, it wasn't really a discovery. We can say and think everything about the internet and sometimes it's very crappy but honest... How could I met Jean Christophe and Simon? I met them by the Splinters list, the blog, etc. Exactly like Magical Lady Wigzy lor Niels last year and we have here a very special thought for her and all the people we met by the Splinters' list. I have to thank them, I'm a bit grumpy sometimes about the "no thank" attitude but I have to be grateful too. I've met many many nice people! When you're french, it's not so easy to go to a Weller's gig even if you're as much motivated as us. He doesn't play anymore in Paris! We're the Weller's wasteland...

We had a bit of fun to find the festival place and Simon can tell you how it's good to stroll along the Bruges' street four or five times! The weather was pretty cool and we had no rain till the end of the gig! A minute later, the rain began to fall! Do you think he can stop the rain?

Aroun 10 PM, we were back in the festival place, very far from the stage and a bit anxious... There was a very important crowd for a local band named "Novastar". Very nice band if you're fourteen... At the end of the gig, miracle, we had no difficulties to go very near of the stage. And the show began! The roadies' work is absolutely amazing (no soundcheck in festival) and the lady's in charge for Paul is very efficient. We also had the maximum pleasure to see the delicious silhouette of ****** the so delicate and tasty bodyguard who needed all life long to learn five words "Fuck off, leave him alone"! He's been very rude and brutal with true fans who didn't want to disturb Paul Weller at all. Things can be asked in a polite way, don't you think? It's so easy to act like this when you look like an old wrestler. I can't understand that kind of behaviour and many of us had bad experience with him. It has to be said. He's not cool, he's not nice, he's rude and rough. He can do the same job with another style but I'm not sure he can only write the word. Insults are so easy.

Then, around midnight, Paul and band came on stage. He was absolutely elegant and classy, great hair cut (I know it's very important in the Weller's topics!) and obviously decided to do a real show. And man, I regret today all the things I've said about Weller and Belgium. He's been tough and brilliant and he gave anything he can in an hour and half! He was the real Weller, a bit angry, completely in his music even if he decided to have a break to smoke a complete ciggy while the other members tried some strange experiences on a very long version of the middle's song gig. But he went back for 45 minutes of wellership, the best Weller. You know when he's nervous, and when he comes to the front of the stage to challenge the audience. Weller gave thousands of gig but he's not completely safe yet and he always want to win the battle. He even asked Stevie Cradock to ask the crowd if the gig was good! It's not exactly the british audience and he wasn't self secured at all. He's been many minutes behind the piano, a bit hidden, playing Bright Star and You do something to me. The set list was pretty classic and a festival one... No new songs were played but even the classics, than Simon knows by heart from the beginning to the end, has been played with authentic passion, grace and fire.

The band is completely ok now. There's really a difference with the last spring tour. Andy Lewis is completely in the band and if it's not a great showman because he's very nice and modest and doesn't want to brag, he's a solid part of the sound. Steve Pilgrim is not Steve White, he knows it and doesn't try at all to play in the same style. Stevie Cradock is really the other side of Weller's guitar style, they're very instinctive and they know who has to play that part or another one... Crofty (his new nickname?) is a top guy, he's very nice and so happy to play with the man. And he's definitely a mod!

So, we really had magical hours! to say the truth, we're so wrapped in music we can't live another way and I won't miss another possibility to go to another belgium gig! After the gig, we talked under a smooth rain of our new projects: going to a Birmingham city fc's match on december the 12 nd and to the great Ray Davies' gig the same day... before... the Weller's spring tour and the new LP! life goes on! Then we went back home, Like naughty school boys.

A day off to go to Belgium with Simon and JC. Weller in Bruges!

Minnewater Park, the Cactus Festival Place.

The Deep MO at The BBC

Bassist Yolanda Charles is lead singer/songwriter for the band The Deep M.O. Funk is ever present in the band's sound, but with an edge of Hip-Hop and RnB thrown in the create an individual sound. With Miles Bould on drums and the rockier edge of Scott Firth and John Robertson on Guitars, the quartet are complimented by Robert Mitchell's Jazz inflected keyboards, giving an exciting combination of influences that is The Deep M.O (******* description).

The Deep M.O Featuring Dee C Lee

So Dee is joining our band as guest featured artist, gonna do some shows in London to begin with, then get out into Great green Britain and beyond. Sorting out the logistics of 1st big (ish) London date Horns the works....won't be til after Summer probably. Debut gig is 3rd July a low key support for some very nice people to get our feet wet with the whole thing. Dee has an exceptional FUNK sound to her voice and we're writing more tunes for her to perform with the band, as well as doing tracks from the Deep M.O E.P and some Mamayo tunes too. Recording a single probably "It's not Over" In July/Aug. Very excited, cool vibes all 'round.

Myspace (and Demo with Dee C Lee)

Dee C Lee and the Deep. Yolanda Charles on Bass. (Courtesy of Mark S.)

With the very excellent Yolanda Charles on Bass!

The dreams of (Lindsay's) child(ren)

Anyhow, back to my recent experience in having my faith in my fellow man rekindled. I also took my two boys to Weller in Cannock, what a gig, what a night, brilliant, they loved it. Especially as toward the end of the gig i took them nearer to the front and gradually edged our way as close as we could. My youngest got on my shoulders, just as Weller cranked into That's Entertainment and then he pointed at my boy with a big smile on his face, i swear there was peace and love in the air, man it brought a tear to my eye. Anyhow, a couple of days later i'm surfing Weller on You Tube, and to my amazment, there are videos posted showing this joyous moment (you'd only know it's my boy if you know where to look and if you know what the back of his head looks like !). My son is the one in the green top (you can see its green at the start) and he stays on my shoulders all the way through as we are bopping up and down... no wonder my legs were aching the next day !

Keep The Faith

Lindsay

Kinks documentary on the way (courtesy of Brighton Mike).

The Kinks are to be the subject of a new documentary directed by Julien Temple.

Temple, the man behind such music doc classics as The Filth and the Fury and Joe Strummer: The Truth Is Unwritten, directed several of the Kinks' '80s videos - Come Dancing, Don't Forget To Dance and State of Confusion among them.

The project has been in development since 2007 and has a working title of Kingdom Come. A release date is yet to be confirmed.