The Membranes

The Cricklewood Hotel, is it still there? probably the place was built like a castle, built to last. Anyways we were excited cos everyones favorite blackpoolians The Membranes were going to play a show in our back yard at ye olde Cricklewwod hotel...super!!! You gotta understand however that C'wood was really Kilburn North and that pub was a Guiness swilling -card carrying - nest of republican sympathy, they had an IRA collection box on the downstairs bar ferchrissakes.....so why not book Skrewdriver to play with the Membranes?  'Stroke of friggin Genius - Works for me!!!The Skrewdriver fans, as expected, fulfilled every stereotype of the not-so master race but luckily didnt perceive John Robb and his boys as a threat and the visitors got through their set (nervously and rapidly ) without incident : and , as always they were superb.

This vid (not of the cricklewood gig Im afraid) is from a top notch copy of the commercially available (back then) Jettisoundz release...

Tree and me hung around for the main feature. Aparently half the band didnt turn up but luckily (!) one of the audience (who didnt appear to have a neck) knew the words to Skrewdrivers hit:  "White Power" and they happily played that, like 4 or 5 times.
In a completely unrelated incident the pesky IRA bombed a road bridge just north of this pub , big bomb, much damage but it famously didnt even wake me up...... I got my hearing aid soon after.

Jesus Lizard

David Yow

One day I will find the original of this photo (this is from a photo copy) its Mr Yow at Reading festival 1993 or 4, I wasnt that near to the front and he got a long way before the mike cable ran/got pulled out...dont under estimate the luck of getting an in-focus picture of an airbourne psychopath with an old school SLR...from underneath.

Might be due to over exposure , but I have to say I feel the same way about Jesus Lizard as I do about Shellac: yep great, yep cool, yep do the job, yep yep...but...they aint no Scratch Acid ( or Big Black).

The Video is another from the Hunter Compo, filmed  at the Underworld Camden. We were probly there (Note to Keith: check diary) and and if so Cindy (mother of my children) would have been up front perilously close when the inevitable wardrobe malfunction occurred. That guy was simply unable to keep his dick locked up for a whole set..

Shellac

So I got off pretty lightly the only time I tried to heckle Shellac, Mr Albini was sporting the new "faux hawk" at the ULU and I called out "Oh No! - hes got a Joe Strummer haircut" he just pretended not to understand responding with "yes it is a jolly super haircut" in what was presumably meant to be an english accent and then moved on to a more worthy adversary.....

This is "spoke" the last track from Phoenix festival: its so good : a scream fest descending into chaos as Steve and Bob fight for a go on the drums at the end.

 

And this "song of the mineral" from the Garage.....

These clips are from a bootleg I bought (probly from Camden Market) quality on the Phoenix fest gig is pretty good, the other from the garage less so.

Godflesh

Godflesh: Justin Broadrick

In hindsight putting Bastard Kestrel on the Godflesh tour was a bit odd:  Intense, metal loving dopeheads do not mix well with irritating oi fans on whizz. We were informed after the first gig that we were not welcome to ride in the van after all, and continued the tour by train.

The tour was supporting the release of their Streetcleaner LP : the guys still had a drum machine and had only just aquired the second guitarist. They sounded absolutely colossal , I didnt even know you could get steel guitar picks till I saw JB's and the squalling shrieks he gouged from that poor guitar were terrifying.

This video is a from a bit later on at the Underworld (spot the pillar in stage centre) and apparently there be Mick Harris from Napalm Death on drums. Theres photos around from the other side of stage but I couldnt spot Hunter filming in them.

Headbutt

Headbutt: Elvina, Simon, Jym, Keith, Chris, Ashley.

Headbutt started out as a completely unlistenable post-Bastard Kestrel solo/studio project and mutated to a rotating lineup of all star noiseniks including rejects from Sperm Wails, Silverfish, Loop Guru and err what ever Stef was famous for...all the while retaining that trademark unlistenability.

This is the legendary Falcon video , remastered and optimised for viewing on a phone or a elevator  ..from the "Hunter" Compilation.
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I just want to know who takes shopping trolleys to gigs anyway? Asking for trouble really.

Nirvana

Go On - Google the line up to Reading Festval 1991...they dont book  em like that anymore.....


We got a lift from Big Rog yhat year I think, What Im sure of is that we got to Catherines flat in good time cos we knew she would need to crimp her hair (2 hours on a good day or 4 if "medicated") however after a good period of fussing around she muttered something about clean clothes and disappeared to the freakin LAUNDERETTE for 2 hours...so we missed the Babes AND Silverfish.... 
Im not a great Nirvana fan but I understand they are popular in some parts... I remember being transfixed for a few moments by the bass players outfit (Purple Tee, High waisted Red jeans) before wandering off to find a drink and get ready for Chapterhouse....

Video is from the "Hunter" Compilation, and the best bit is the "OMG Im standing next to Kim Gordon watching Nirvana play Teen Spirit " moment half way through!!!!

Slaughter and the Dogs

We used to write letters to bands when they put a contact address on their singles (ie "add them as friends"?) , if you were lucky you got one back with maybe a sticker or a badge or something. These guys sent me back an awesome big=cool 2" badge, and a photo, they told me I was a member of their fanclub and to expect lots of cool stuff,  I never heard from 'em again but I like to think Im still a member of the fanclub.
Unfortunately the photo had their names on it and I could never really feel as strongly about them after I learned the drummer called himself "the mad moppet", the importance of a bit of mystique guys......
Okay I broke the rules, this is from a  record not a tape but, this is my blog , I make the rules ok.  Yeh Im the boss! I really tried to rip the whole LP but it is so FUCKING BAD, that I couldnt do it.
Im afraid now to play the singles that made me love these guys, what if its just those rosey glasses again? what if they were a crappy scouse rock band with no redeeming qualities? (as this record would emphatically demonstrate) .

Do they play "Cranked up really high"? no.
Do they play "Dame to Blame" ? no.
Do they play "Bitch" ? no
they play "Sister" freaking "Ray"......

its only redeeming quality is the "rapport" built with an obviously hostile crowd, that ends with the classic "my guitar is strong" retort.

 "Where Have All The Boot Boys Gone "
Slaughter and the Dogs