Animals & Men 'Nag Nag Nag'

Song we recorded in 2004 in Bristol with a 6 piece line up - 2 drummers - Geoff and Andy - 2 guitars - me and Phil Cass - a powerful noise but too big for any of the stages we'd be likely to play so we didnt ever play live with this set-up.

'Du Pain ou du sang'

I recently had the honour of having a piece I wrote translated into French in Heartbeat fanzine - it was interesting seeing your words in another tongue - one phrase that sounds most melodic in French is the phrase 'bread or blood' which was the slogan of the revolting Radstock colliers in 1817 - sounds better in French.

30 years ago today

Ian Curtis died. I think Animals & Men must have been the first ever band to be influenced by Joy Division. We saw their first ever gig in London at the Hope and Anchor and were right on them from the earliest releases. They were an influence right away. Below is a band that I think have been influenced by them in a good way - see what you think.

PASSION ARMÉE

So this fantastic band have split up. I can't believe it - they are so good - but I think they have left a new lp and cd as their legacy. This French band supported us and blew us away - we for the first time were seriously worried we were gonna be able to follow the support band. Come back boys!

The Fall 'Bury' live at Frome Cheese and Grain

Yes it happened - it wasn't a joke - the Fall played in Frome. FIrst gig I have ever been to at this venue which tells you something about their choice of bands and pricing policy. It's only been open about 10 years and is only a few miles down the road.

The Fall's new video 'I'm not from Bury'

Well last night's gig in Frome was stupendous. A perfect vantage point - a great set from the new lp - everything was good. Thanks to Geoff for organising and Andy for the after gig hospitality.

Piney Brown 'You Bring Out the Wolf In Me'

Is this the best song ever? (Heard on WFMU's Ichiban of course). I did one of those Facebook tests 'what is your spirit animal' with the result being the Wolf, so this resonates with me. But I have to say - give this a listen good people - if this don't make you grin and tap your toes get down the doctors quick - you might be dead!

American Folk Blues Festival 1983 feat. Louisiana Red

The Cortinas 'Defiant Pose'

I am pretty excited by the forthcoming vinyl compilation that Bristol Archive Records are bringing out soon by this long lost punk band. I used to really like them and with them being local it made it all seem like not just something that was just about London. I well remember seeing them as a 17 year old on local telly performing one of their songs - I really want to see that clip again sometime somebody - but listen to this and see if it's your bag. I think they sort of carried on an RnB groove that was placed after say Eddie and the Hot Rods but in a line so we, in Frome, kind of resonated with their sound. Maybe they should reform for a few gigs?

John and Doreen

My sister has been going through the Mitchard family photo archive and has been scanning them - some of the pics I have never seen - obviously I ain't gonna bore you with many but this is one I particularly liked as it was unknown to me and captures my parents in their 'courting' phase. (No... apparently it's their honeymoon) I love the background too.

The Fall 'Bill is Dead'

Clip from Snub TV many moons ago. In an alternate world - one that isn't ruled on the basis of injustice the Fall should have had the acclaim that Oasis got - that may seem odd but they were spot on in this era and Oasis were just fakes...but that's the trouble with this world - it's a crap version of how things should be.

Us and Dragonflies

Have you ever had a dragonfly larva? When I say 'had' I mean kept one as a pet - I had one as a kid and it ate all my tadpoles - it frightened me to death - it was like the alien in Alien - grossing me out until one morning I came down and found it sat on the side of the washing up bowl I was keeping it in as a beautiful Dragonfly. I almost forgave it.
Anyhow back in the early years of the 20th century they dug up a Dragonfly fossil in Radstock in one of the pits - it was the largest fossilised bug ever found at the time though I now think it has been surpassed. Boltonites radstockensis. Hence the choice of song for the below film.

Yellow Coat - Screamin' Jay Hawkins

This is really the final word on Yellow Coats - hope you have the yen to hear it as it might make you think twice about laughing at the man in the banana yellow overcoat. Did I tell you about the time I met Screamin' Jay? Oh I did...sorry.

Radstock in the snow

Are you ready for snow nostalgia? This is from earlier this year in our 'hood. Sue filmed it and I am the toothless idiot in the yellow coat. My Dad gave it to me so don't laugh. Very much a d-i-y project with our band Animals and Men song 'Dragonfly' as the soundtrack. Not that you see Dragonflies at that time of year.

Louisiana Red at the Thunderbolt Bristol

Thursday 13 May
Blues Legend LOUISIANA RED & Michael Messer
One of the last great surviving bluesmen, Louisiana Red was born in Alabama in 1932. His mother died a week after his birth and his father was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan. Louisiana Red not only plays the Blues, he lives it through his guitar and his singing. Strongly influenced by Muddy Waters, Lightnin‘ Hopkins and Arthur Crudup, he has long ago found his own voice, his own style, his own form of expression. In a career spanning over half a century, Louisiana Red has played with just about every major bluesman you can name. In 1983 he won the W.C. Handy Award for ’Best Traditional Blues Artist’. Michael Messer is recognised as one of the world’s leading slide guitarists and blues innovators. One prominent critic described him as `an unavoidable force in modern blues` £10Adv from Bristol Ticket Shop Tel 0117 9299008 www.bristolticketshop.co.uk £12 on the door

Women of the Red Army tribute

Great montage of images of women soldiers of the Red Army in WW2 made as part of the Victory Day celebrations. Interesting that the Soviets were the only nation in WW2 that used women warriors in all combat roles, from pilots to tank crews - you name it - and they were the ones that won! (Space here left for a patronising comment by us men)

The Escape 'Murder' 1982

This is a blast from the past - from Bristol Archive Records - we (the Terraplanes when we had 2 drummers and singers) actually supported this band once - at the Bridgwater Arts Centre - around this time. Dave Massey reviewed it.

Interview with Cavan (Kev) Saunders

Here at Bristol Archive Records. CPS is playing the Piano Bar Frome on July 29th. Should be good.
If you are wondering what the set will be about here's what he says
My vocal style has been compared with Lou Reed , Jim Morrison and Johnny Cash.
Musically the song styles take in Folk, Alt Country,and Rhythm and Blues.
Some have likened what I do to Blue eyed soul/New wave artists such as Elvis Costello and Graham Parker. I play a set that mixes mostly original compositions with,cover versions of songs by people such
as Fred Neil, and Jerry Jeff Walker.

I am looking forward to it already

Your Future Our Clutter - The Fall

I don't get excited much these days (it's my age) but I am really looking forward to seeing the best rock and roll band in Britain in Frome on Saturday. It seems really weird the Fall playing Frome - it's like some alternate world where good bands play locally. It's not right. This looks like the set opener - see ya there?

Paul Robeson 'Anthem of the Soviet Union'

I love it when a couple of threads on this blog come together - and this is an example. My Dad is a big Paul Robeson fan and his political activism only made him even more of a hero to my old man. Robeson even made a film about the South Wales mining community The Proud Valley (no clips on Youtube sadly). I think his courage and intelligence deserves more respect - check this from his wiki

Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an internationally renowned American bass-baritone concert singer, actor of film and stage, All-American and professional athlete, writer, multi-lingual orator, scholar and lawyer who was also noted for his wide-ranging social justice activism. A forerunner of the civil rights movement, Robeson was a trade unionist, peace activist, Phi Beta Kappa Society laureate, and a recipient of the Spingarn Medal and Stalin Peace Prize. Robeson achieved worldwide fame during his life for his artistic accomplishments, and his outspoken, radical beliefs which largely clashed with the Jim Crow climate of the pre-civil rights United States. He became a prime target of the right during the McCarthyist era.^[1][2][3][4] Despite his being one of the most internationally famous cultural figures of the 20th century, persecution by the US government and media virtually erased Robeson from mainstream US culture and subsequent interpretations of US history, including civil rights and black history.^[3]