Dirt Royal - New Single "Dr Weekend (Mr Week)" - Out Now!

Brighton based band Dirt Royal have just released their brand new single "Dr Weekend (Mr Week)" on Sick Boy Records. For a young band they do somewhat surprisingly take me back to my own "youth" of the late Seventies and early-Eighties and the halcyon age of seeing those great New Wave and 2-Tone bands on Top of The Pops. In fact "Dr Weekend" really reminds me of The Chords, always my favourite amongst those "Mod Revival" bands. There are hints of The Clash and The Jam in Dirt Royal but also a touch of good old fashioned jangling Rickenbacker Power Pop too and they have even been known to tackle a bit of Ska. Come to think of it, lyrically they cover a lot of ground that The Specials did so well - teenage boredom, being broke, early pregnancies, the 9-5 hum drum world of being "factory fodder" and, as in the new single, living for the weekend to get smashed, a chance to let yourself go, only to get stuck in that same cycle again come Monday morning. 

I guess there is a touch of The Libertines about Dirt Royal, there's no doubting that bassist and vocalist Charlie does bear a passing resemblance to Pete Doherty, and whenever I have seen them play live there is that sort of chemistry between him and guitarist and co-vocalist Leon that exists with Doherty and Carl Barat – although I hope that resemblance doesn’t extend quite as far as one of them robbing the other’s flat! The B-Side "It Was You" has become one my favourite Dirt Royal tracks, it has some superb Shangri-La's style melodies, allied to some punchy guitars, you know when the Ramones used to tackle those great classic Rock 'n' Roll tracks like "Let's Dance" and "Do You Wanna Dance?". There are two bonus tracks, "The Man Who Was King" is a full throttle speedy Punk Rock blast and they slow things down for an acoustic driven "It's Not All About You".

Dirt Royal are out on tour so please check out their official web-site for more details information. You can order the new 7" vinyl single direct from Recordstore at their site here.

Jah Wobble & The Invaders of The Heart at The Half Moon Putney, Saturday October 10th

Jah Wobble's Invaders of The Heart at the Half Moon Putney

The New Oxford Dictionary of English should be done with it and just go ahead and amend their definition of "eclectic" to simply read – "Jah Wobble". It's the first word that pops into my head whenever I think of the legendary bassist and after witnessing a superb two hour set here at the Half Moon in Putney, there's no reason to think otherwise. We are taken on a mind-bending journey that cherry picks from a bewildering array of styles and genres that he has tackled throughout his career. Tonight's set is loosely based around Wobble's latest release "Redux - Anthology 1978-2015" a beautifully packaged 6 CD box set released by Cherry Red Records. I say loosely based as it would take a damn sight longer than a two hour set to completely cover all aspects of his music. For example, we don't get any Chinese Opera or Japanese Dub tonight - but what's a couple of skipped genres amongst friends? He kicks off proceedings with "Socialist" from Public Image Ltd's "Metal Box" which goes to show just how ahead of the game PiL were, as the Krautrock inspired, Drum'n'Bass precursor thunders around the Half Moon. We then get a run through of most of his new 12" vinyl “Cover Versions” album which includes the Dave Brubeck Quartet's Jazz standard "Take Five" and Harry J Allstars’ Ska classic "Liquidator". In a strange way these are surprising choices mainly due to their familiarity, I suppose it’s surprising because we are always so busy looking for the obscure. 

Jah Wobble at the Half Moon Putney

Then we get treated to Jazzy versions of some much loved theme tunes, "Midnight Cowboy", "Get Carter" and "The Sweeney" which ends with Jah telling us, "You're Nicked!". Renowned as a pioneer of World Music we then get a cross section of genre busting songs which take us on a trip across the globe. It’s a cross continental journey with its starting point of course firmly bas(s)ed in Jamaica with that heavy Dub sound. We then travel to the heart of Spaghetti Western land as evident in "New Mexican Dub" and then there are the plaintive, atmospheric Arabic strains of "Java" and "Invaders Of The Heart". Not forgetting the “hits” – “Visions Of You” and “Becoming More Like God” which are personal highlights. Both have Wobble on lead vocals and are swirling with North African, Indian and Far Eastern infused sounds. But as he has proven with his recent collaborations with Keith Levene, he's also not afraid to stay at home to revisit and shake up the past. So, tonight we get a "sophisticated" take on the classic "Public Image" which I would like to hear a recorded version of as it worked so well.

Jah Wobble's Invaders of The Heart at the Half Moon Putney

I have to say the current Invaders of The Heart band he has assembled is something special, you can hardly call them a backing band as Wobble gives them free rein to adequately show off their quite considerable  talents. Jamie Crossley is half hidden behind a computer screen and despite Wobble claiming he "didn't quite know what Jamie does" he did provide a nice undercurrent of samples and atmospheric sounds that didn't detract from what was basically a pretty stripped down outfit. Martin Chung manages to wring some simply mind-blowing sounds from his fluorescent blue Ibanez guitar; he seems to come in for a lot of good natured ribbing from Jah throughout the show, in fact only keyboard player George King seems to escape the Bassist's banter. George switched effortlessly between superb Jazz piano to some great Hammond organ sounds. But it's drummer Marc Leyton-Bennett who almost steals the show with a stunning display behind the kit. Wobble's affectionate put-downs ("I resent them their youth...!") and teasing ("Marc is the brawn and Jamie is the brains...") can't hide the fact that he seems genuinely chuffed to have the band around him. 

Jah Wobble's Invaders of The Heart at the Half Moon Putney

He chats to them as much as to us in the crowd "This is from the Jah Wobble early period Chungy..." and "This is from the Jah Wobble 80's period, Marc you would have looked good back then, in make up and eye-liner". Then he deadpans "Oh no, I'm referring to myself in the third person now..!" The one-liners come thick and fast, he turns to his guitarist "The problem with the music business Chungy is there are too many name-droppers.” Then he turns to us. “Anyway, here's a track I wrote with Holger and Jaki from Can...!" At one point all the banter does back-fire on him though, there’s a bit of an embarrassing moment when he is bigging up the bass as an instrument. "You see, the bass is the Lion of the Jungle, whereas the guitar is more of your meerkat". The bass decided not to work. Cue a bit of an awkward shuffle, a change of instrument and a sly grin from the meerkat in the band! Then it is back to business. The sound man is asked to do a bit of live mixing and then implored to turn the bass up until it hurts. "You have your insurance, don't come crying to me afterwards". The set draws to a close with “Poptones” closely followed by a pounding, extended version of "Fodderstompf" and we all join in singing along, "We Only Wanted To Be Loved..." Wobble coerces Chungy into joining him in an impressive aerobics routine which included star jumps, marching on the spot and finally he machine guns the band and crowd with his bass. There was no encore, but to top that, even with this band, would have been nigh on impossible.

Jah Wobble at the Half Moon Putney

For more information on upcoming tour dates and all the latest news please check out the Jah Wobble official web-site or Facebook page. The "Redux - Anthology 1978-2015" box set is available to buy from Cherry Red Records here. For more photos of the gig please head on over to the Retro Man Blog Facebook page and hit “Like” if you are not already following.

Jah Wobble's Invaders of The Heart at the Half Moon Putney

Nina Persson & Martin Hederos at Ystad Teater, Sweden, Thursday September 18th

Nina Persson & Martin Hederos at Ystad Teatern

It’s a treat to be here in the Ystad Teater and not just because it was a nice bonus to be able to tick off another "Wallander" filming location. Dating back to 1894 the theatre is ornate but not too over the top and its capacity of just around 350 people exudes a warm and intimate feel, perfect for tonight’s performance. The concept of the show is somewhat similar to Sparks superb stripped-back “Two Hands, One Mouth” tour, with just Nina Persson singing accompanied by Martin Hederos (The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Tonbruket, Nymphet Noodlers etc.) on keyboards. The pair are introduced by genial theatre manager Thomas Lantz, who also runs the town’s prestigious yearly Ystad Jazz festival. Nina and Martin take to the stage which is set with heavy black drapes and a back-drop featuring a forest scene with warm candlelight illuminating the darkness with an intimacy that really suits the music to follow. At first I am a bit concerned about Nina’s voice as she whispers an introduction and as I don’t speak Swedish I can’t figure out if she is suffering with a cold or sore throat. Martin hits the keys of the grand piano, there is a brief false start and I really hope Nina is OK to sing tonight. But when they get started with “Heavy Metal", a beautiful ballad taken from Nina’s new solo album “Animal Heart” my early worries about her voice are soon dispelled. Despite a noticeable huskiness at first, she then goes on to put in a quite remarkable performance, proving that she has grown into one of the best female vocalists around today. Martin then crosses the stage to take his place at what I guess is a Pump organ or a large harmonium, its church organ like sound highlight the gospel roots of Connie Converse's achingly beautiful "How Sad, How Lovely". 

Nina Persson & Martin Hederos at Ystad Teatern

Next up is "Lead Me Into The Night" from my favourite Cardigans album "Long Gone Before Daylight". I always felt that this album was a turning point for the band as it was a marked progression from the slightly twee Indie Pop of "First Band on The Moon" and the rawer "Gran Turismo" to a warmer, more orchestral sound. Unfortunately, my lack of Swedish language skills means that I can't follow the between song chat but judging by the polite laughter around me people seem to be enjoying the interaction very much. However, despite being in the dark as far as her comments are concerned, I certainly warm to Nina's delightful smile which breaks out at the end of each song as the applause rings out. Martin plays some quite breath-taking piano throughout the set tonight. It’s more of an embellished style than the Erik Satie minimalism of the similar acoustic set-up with his ex-Nymphet Noodlers band-mate Mattias Hellberg. The first set draws heavily on an eclectic selection of cover versions including Rufus Wainwright's "Going To a Town" with its biting refrain "I'm so tired of America…" Martin is then on the move again, crossing the stage to take his place at the electric organ he stabs out some harsh ringing notes over a sinister humming undercurrent. This evolves into a version of Robert Wyatt's "Free Will and Testament" highlighting his more Avant Garde side which becomes even more apparent on the surprising choice of Sparks “Angst In My Pants”. Surprising, mainly as they didn’t go for one of the Mael brothers more orchestral numbers but instead plumped for the discordant, clattering drum machine driven original "Angst In My Pants". Songs by Leonard Cohen and Kate & Anna McGarrigle follow and the first set draws to a close with "The Crowning" from Nina's side project A Camp with its "We're gonna party like its 1699..." refrain. 

Nina Persson at Ystad Teatern

The second set starts off with a familiar piano motif from Martin, it's "Tonight" a song he composed for The Soundtrack of Our Lives and whereas over the years he had the six foot something kaftan clad and bearded Ebbot Lundberg standing there next to him singing it, tonight it's the delicate form of Nina perched on a stool. It really sends a shiver down the spine to hear her sing such a beautiful song and I was deeply honoured to get a birthday dedication, a moment that will live long in the memory! Yet more unusual covers are tackled including "Real Life" by Joan As Policewoman, a great Bluesy "Old Fashioned Morphine" and a superb duet of "Sand" with Nina as Nancy Sinatra and Martin chipping in on the Lee Hazlewood lines. "Don’t Blame Your Daughter (Diamonds)" from The Cardigans last album "Super Extra Gravity" is another stunning jewel in the set, I love this track and to hear it performed tonight was really something special. Martin then gets a violin and plays it like a guitar, picking out the slow ominous riff to PJ Harvey's "Teclo". A nice Bossa Nova sung in Swedish segues into The Cardigans “Lovefool” which is probably the most recognisable moment of the night and we also get treated to "Junk of The Hearts" and "You're The Storm". However, the lack of any of the other more familiar “hits” was never an issue tonight, the choice of material was spot on. It was illuminating that the self-penned numbers stood out as personal highlights even amongst tracks by such song-writing luminaries as Wyatt and Cohen. It makes me think that Nina and The Cardigans deserve a far more serious appreciation and recognition of their talents in the U.K. As the encore ends the audience rise to their feet, Thomas appears on stage and presents the duo with large floral bouquets and Nina and Martin bask in a warm, enthusiastic and well deserved standing ovation. 

Nina Persson & Martin Hederos at Ystad Teatern

Nina Persson has been busy playing some solo shows dates in Sweden to promote “Animal Heart” with a backing band that includes Ian, Kalle and Fredrik of The Soundtrack of Our Lives. She has even played a couple of festival shows with The Cardigans, although there still doesn’t seem to be much news on a more permanent reunion just yet. Martin is busy with Tonbruket and many and varied collaborations as usual. You can read a review of Martin's gig with Ane Brun and Tonbruket at the Kentish Town Forum in London here. Check out Retrosonic Podcast for our interview “specials” with Ebbot, Ian, Fredrik and Mattias from The Soundtrack of Our Lives and other episodes which feature various Swedish bands and TSOOL related acts. With sincere thanks to Thomas, Martin and Nina. For more photos of the evening please head on over to the Retro Man Blog Facebook page and hit “Like”, if you are not already following, to access the photo album. 

Les Grys-Grys, The Baron Four and The Teamsters at Weirdsville, Fiddler's Elbow Camden

The Baron Four at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

It's always difficult to review Weirdsville club nights, and I mean that in the best possible way. It's just that there are some gigs when it is nice to go along, relax and not worry about taking photos, notes and videos all the time. Kind of defeats the object of doing a music Blog I know, and of course I want to promote the bands and all that, but sometimes you just want to go with the flow and enjoy the acts to the full, and I certainly did that tonight. I did start off with the best intentions however as I had never seen The Teamsters or The Baron Four play live before and I was really looking forward to seeing both. I knew what to expect from Les Grys-Grys as I had seen them play a quite stunning set at Hipsville Weekender back in May. That night I had to compare them to the full-on visual and sonic assault of my favourite ever live act The Soundtrack of Our Lives. 

The Teamsters at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

The Teamsters at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

The night started off with The Teamsters, the London based band fronted by singer-songwriter-guitarist Tom Wing. Retrosonic Podcast listeners will know that I have already played the band and I am a big fan of their excellent self-titled debut album and "Play Along With The Teamsters" E.P. both of which are well worth getting hold of. Tonight Tom and Bassist Daniel Fell are joined by the legendary Bruce Brand of The Milkshakes, The Len Bright Combo, The Pop Rivets, Suzi Chunk and Groovy Uncle, Thee Headcoats etc etc etc...Oh, and The Masonics of course...! Bruce is filling in on a part time basis but on tonight's showing it would be great if they could make it a more permanent appointment. Tom apologizes that tonight's set includes a fair smattering of slower numbers, but he doesn't need to, it all sounds great. There's a lot of new songs too, well I'm guessing they are new as I don't recognise many, and I'm hoping that means there is a new album on the horizon.

The Baron Four at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

The Baron Four at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

Next up is The Baron Four, who have been raved about and recommended to me for a while from various people with impeccable taste in music. The band were formed following the sad circumstances that led to the end of the respected Garage Rock band Thee Vicars, I'd heard about this from a friend and although I knew the name I hadn't really got into them. Following all the raving and after getting a copy of their superb new 7" single "Walking Out" on State Records, I was really looking forward to seeing The Baron Four. I guessed they would be good but I didn't realise just how good! They came bursting out of the blocks, and proceeded to run through most of the faultless debut album "Out Of The Wild Come...The Baron Four" with a couple of choice covers thrown in such as Bo Diddley's "I Can Tell" and The Swinging Blue Jeans "You're No Good". In fact these two songs shine a light on The Baron Four's sound - there's the raw and primal riffing of early R'n'B coupled with bouncing Merseybeat pop and its chiming guitars and catchy backing vocals. 

Joe of The Baron Four at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

The Baron Four at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

The Baron Four have some great songs - there are so many highlights from tonight's set with the double whammy of "Be My Girl" and the Cavern Club freak-out of "She Said Yeah" in particular sticking in my head. However it was the next song "Wild Angel" that really blew the roof off the Fiddlers Elbow and the gig suddenly shifted up a few gears. You could sense this was the turning point as the crowd really responded, the temperature also went up a fair few degrees and I was chuffed that I managed to capture the song on video. I didn't recognise it, and was disappointed that it didn't feature on any of their recordings. I later found out it was an obscure cover of a old James Bond & The Agents track, and I really hope the band consider recording a version of it. 

Troy & Mole of The Baron Four at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

The Baron Four at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

When they slammed into "Walking Out", that was it, any chance of writing a lucid and complete review went out the window it was just too good. "Yes I Do" was the final nail in the Blogging coffin as the superb lead guitar work of Troy Lowin-Green, alternating between fuzzed up chords and almost Surf style riffs, really hit home. The band were all great visually - Troy pointing his guitar out into the crowd, rhythm guitarist Joe Eakins is a live-wire, he seems to spend more time out in the audience playing than on the stage. A bottle of vodka gets passed around the band and the front row, one of the monitors goes flying, it's bloody great. Front-man Mike Whittaker is one of a rare breed, a lead singer who plays bass and makes it look cool, a difficult thing to carry off! 

Mike of The Baron Four at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

Mole of The Baron Four at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

When he's not singing he's on his knees bashing hell of his bass one minute then scraping the fret-board against the mic stand the next. Then we get to drummer Mole, who I have raved about enough here on the Blog already with his performances in the new re-jigged line-up of The Galileo 7. Resplendent in fez and huge white rimmed sunglasses he is worth the entrance price alone, a non-stop blur of flailing drumsticks, a veritable Keith Moon of the contemporary Garage Rock scene! He also adds some top notch backing vocal harmonies along with Joe that elevate the songs to another level. So now I can join the already converted and preach the greatness of The Baron Four!

Les Grys-Grys at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

So by the time Les Grys-Grys came on I had definitely deserted my post and despite sneaking a few snaps here and there, all thoughts of doing a feature had gone. The band are just unbelievably good live, and rather like TSOOL, each band member has a distinct character and it's all mesmerising to watch. Their supercharged and authentic take on the Sixties Blues and R'n'B sounds of Richmond, Twickenham, Eel Pie Island merged with their love of The Flamin' Groovies is a joy to behold, and for a young band from Montpellier that's no mean feat. It's a relentless groove that doesn't let up on the energy for one minute, it's simply stunning. I was totally absorbed so I will hand over the quill and ink pot to Megan to sum it up better than I can at this point..."Instant review - If Les Grys-Grys are playing anywhere near you just go. No excuses. Go!" Thank you Megan. If you want to read more about Les Grys-Grys then please check out the feature on their appearance at Hipsville in the Blog archive here, which also includes some great pics by the Rock Photographer Paul Slattery.

Les Grys-Grys at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

The next Weirdsville is on Saturday September 26th, and features Ye Nuns supported by two great French bands The Missing Souls and Les Kitschenette's. This is the day after our Retro Man Blog Night at the Half Moon Putney, where Les Kitschenette's will also be appearing along with The Len Price 3 and The Galileo 7. So, please come along to both and make a wild weekend of it...!

Les Grys-Grys at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

Les Grys-Grys guitars at Weirdsville - Photo copyright Retro Man Blog

Thanks to Mr A, Alex, Mole, Megan and Hugh from The Beatpack. For more photos of the gig then please head on over to the Retro Man Blog Facebook page and if you are not already following, hit "Like" for access to the photo album. There are also videos up on the Retro Man Blog YouTube channel, including lots of stuff from previous Weirdsville and Hipsville gigs. Here's a little taster of The Baron Four performing "Wild Angel". Enjoy!

The Jam "About The Young Idea" & "Golden Faces 1977-80" Exhibitions plus Rick Buckler "That's Entertainment: My Life In The Jam" Autobiography

Recently, it’s been a good time to be a fan of The Jam, what with two major London exhibitions about the band and the publication of Rick Buckler’s "That's Entertainment: My Life In The Jam", surprisingly the very first official autobiography from any ex-member since "The Jam, Our Story" which was co-written by Rick, Bruce and Alex Ogg. The superb exhibition at Somerset House, "The Jam: About the Young Idea", curated by Tory Turk, Russell Reader, DJ and long-time fan Gary Crowley, music memorabilia collector Den Davis and Paul Weller’s sister Nicky (who used to run The Jam’s fan-club), has just had its stay extended to September 27th. I must say that this has to be the most impressive exhibition of any band’s memorabilia I have ever seen, and I doubt even the most difficult-to-please die-hard Jam fan will leave here disappointed. After all, it is the first time that such a comprehensive collection of personal items from all three members of the band, have been displayed together. The Jam are one of very few bands that, despite achieving huge commercial success, still managed to retain their artistic integrity and popularity amongst their impressively devoted hard-core fan base. Eighteen Top 40 Hits and four U.K. Number 1 Singles and yet they were, and are to this very day, still cool; how many bands can claim such a similar legacy?  

Photo copyright Retro Man Blog 2015

In part this was probably down to Paul Weller's sudden and surprising decision to split the band at the height of their success. They have remained frozen in time at what might well have been their peak. We’ll never know if they could have gone on to scale even greater heights. The next album might have flopped; the band may have imploded or just slowly fizzled out in a disappointing run of lacklustre gigs and releases. Either way Paul Weller wasn’t willing to risk tarnishing the legacy of this great band and in calling it a day in a rather abrupt, and some might say callous way, he did at least ensure that their awesome reputation remained intact. To be honest, I was hoping to discover more about Weller’s sudden and unexpected decision and its effect on his loyal and long-serving band-mates in Rick Buckler's new Omnibus Press autobiography "That's Entertainment".

Unfortunately, anyone expecting an answer is going to be disappointed. It's well documented that the decision probably came as much as a shock to Bruce and Rick as it did to the band's fans. Rick cannot shed much light on Paul's real motives apart from those already published at the time. OK he might have wanted a clean slate, to get away from the confines of a band but to end it with such finality; to cut out Rick and Bruce from his life personally, as well as musically, still seems harsh and unnecessary. After all, in The Jam, Weller was respected and acknowledged as the main song-writer, often lauded as one of England’s finest, and Rick and Bruce were, on the surface at least, the perfect band-mates. They were musically competent loyal and long-time school friends with their own individual styles and input that enabled the band to grow and progress yet never threatened to encroach on or restrict Weller’s role as the main man. I am a big believer in chemistry amongst bands and it's always a shame when court cases about song-writing and publishing raise their ugly heads. I mean Rick and Bruce were without a doubt integral to The Jam's sound, who's to say they would have made it without them? Adrian Thrills wrote in the sleeve notes to "The Jam at The BBC" about this when he visited the band in the studio while they were recording "Going Underground", that the "process was very much a group effort with Rick and Bruce shaping the song's texture as much as Paul". Plus with Paul taking a more rhythmic approach to guitar, rather like one of his influences Wilko Johnson, The Jam's sound was often built around Bruce's excellent bass lines and Rick's economical but effective military style quick-fire drumming. 

Photo copyright Retro Man Blog 2015

Are you trying to tell me Rick and Bruce’s contributions to "Funeral Pyre" weren’t a worthy input into the song's success? Bruce's melodic backing vocals and stage presence were also a vital ingredient - so it is always a pity to have things split down to whose contribution was more important. At no point in the book does Rick let on that there were any serious personal issues between the three of them. In fact the lingering feeling after finishing the book is that Rick seems to be hedging his bets. It’s almost as though deep down he is hoping for that reunion, if not a full-on Jam one then at the very least a personal acknowledgement from his old school friend. The book is at it’s best when Rick drops his guard, particularly in a somewhat moving section where he explains the aftermath of the band’s split, the shock of suddenly being unemployed and the sad and hurtful snubs he received from Weller. At one point during a gig on their farewell tour he finds himself looking at his set-list and realising that it will be the last time he will play these great songs. 

Photo copyright Retro Man Blog 2015

However, there's no mention at all of the court case to recoup unpaid royalties nor is there any criticism of John Weller for his handling of the band’s business accounts, something that was cited in the court case. There’s also nothing about the rumours that he left From The Jam because Bruce and Paul made up and he was still left in the cold. He doesn’t want to dish any dirt, an admirable trait I suppose. It could be construed as refreshing that he wants to keep his counsel but I guess deep down we all like the odd bit of salacious Rock 'n' Roll gossip and back-biting now and then, but you won't get that here. You kind of want Rick to be spitting in anger at Weller’s treatment of him, at the fact that despite those four Number 1 singles he ends up working as a drum roadie and restoring furniture to make a living but Rick has apparently drawn a line under it all. Rick comes over as I had always imagined him, a decent down to earth bloke who you could have a pint with, someone who has a real love and pride of the Jam's legacy and the importance it had on the band's fans. “That’s Entertainment” might not offer much in the way of on-the-road excess but it is certainly a must-read for any Jam fan, particularly for the insight on the band’s early years. It has been co-written by Ian Snowball who was also involved in the Medway Punk book "The Kids Are All Square" and both him and Rick have been touring the U.K. giving talks and Q&A sessions at various venues so please check out their Facebook page for news on future appearances near you.

Photo copyright Retro Man Blog 2015

Anyway, back to the Somerset House exhibition and on arrival, you are greeted by large colourful screen-prints featuring some well known slogans from lyrics such as "And What You Give Is What You Get!" and "To Be Someone Must Be a Wonderful Thing" and then there is a wall covered in gig fly-posters. You then enter a dark room which has a full stage set up as if ready for a performance, with Rick’s white Premier drum-kit with his large custom tom-toms, full back-line with a bass and guitar resting on stands. In fact there is a way the exhibition could have been better - Paul, Rick and Bruce could be there on the stage to greet you with a song or two! No such luck, instead there is a large video wall on a backdrop behind the drums showing a live performance of the band in their prime. Then you move into the main exhibition and you are confronted by a bewildering display of material donated from the band and their families very own personal archives spread over 6 or 7 different rooms each concentrating on a particular period in the band’s history.

Photo copyright Retro Man Blog 2015

So we get some very personal displays from the early and mid 70’s such as the ten year old Paul Weller's school reports, where he only manages to score a C in Music, exercise books covered with slogans, logos, doodles of bands and cartoons of "Paul the Mod". Then the early years of the band forming at Sheerwater County Secondary School in Woking including amusing pics of the four piece Jam with guitarist Steve Brookes, their long centre-parted hair, flares and kipper ties and set lists of the time showing a huge catalogue of popular cover versions such as "Proud Mary", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Be Bob A Lula" and "Long Tall Sally". There’s a nice section dedicated to Paul’s late father John who managed the band right to the time they disbanded and a family Dansette with a selection of 7” vinyl singles from their record collection. The exhibition then moves on to the period where Paul gets influenced by the burgeoning London Punk scene and they ditch the flares and tighten up, throwing out many cover versions and introducing original Weller songs into the set.

Photo copyright Retro Man Blog 2015

Deciding on a smart black and white look at odds with the rest of the Punk fashion they streamline everything – from the drainpipe trousers to slimming down to a three-piece line-up. So we have a tiled wall spray-painted with the logo, actual “Burtons” suits and bowling shoes and outtake photos of the debut album cover. There are early press cuttings including a yellowed and frayed NME interview from 1977 where a contrary Paul claims they are going to vote Conservative in the next election. Paul's Rickenbacker with a sticker of The Boys, Bruce's black Fender Precision and Rickenbacker basses. The Roy Lichtenstein "Whaam!" Rickenbacker guitar and one with the Punkishly nihilistic "I Am Nobody" crudely scratched into the sunburst body. There are stage outfits, jumpers with Mod targets and boating blazers all familiar from various promo videos and TV appearances.

Photo copyright Retro Man Blog 2015

One piece that stood out was a copy of The Eton College Chronicle magazine where Paul is interviewed by a well informed Eton pupil about the lyrics of "Eton Rifles" and Paul appears worried in case they are all angry about the song at the College. "No”, says the interviewer “they are buying the single in droves!" and he goes on to praise Paul’s lyrics, despite the singer admitting he’d never even visited Eton, apparently he did capture the daily routine of the college pretty well as the interviewer admitted that "Beer, Tea, Slough, Rugby and rain stopping play are all part of life at Eton College". There are album and single sleeves displayed in chronological order as well as a selection of backstage tour laminates and button badges. All around the exhibition rooms, every spare bit of space is covered in gig posters and photographs, there really isn't anything you can think of that isn't included. As I mentioned at the start, the exhibition has been extended to September 27th due to public demand, and I would certainly recommend making the effort to go along.

Photo copyright Retro Man Blog 2015

I also popped along to the always excellent Snap Gallery in the rather posh and ornate surroundings of Piccadilly Arcade as they were hosting "Golden Faces: Photographs of The Jam 1977-80" by Martyn Goddard, alongside "The Kinks, Photographs and Artefacts" exhibition at the same time. Unfortunately this exhibition has now ended but a selection of Goddard's photographs also appear in the Somerset House summer 2015 exhibition "The Jam: About The Young Idea", and in his new book "Growing Up…With The Jam" which you can buy at Somerset House.

Some of Martyn Goddard's prints at Snap Gallery

Here's a bit of blurb: Martyn Goddard’s images played a key part in defining The Jam’s image on record sleeves. He shot the cover for their first album, "In the City", and continued to work with them creating images that would appear on the sleeves of many of their singles: "All Around The World", "The Modern World", "News of the World", "David Watts", "Down In The Tube At Midnight", and "Strange Town". His final project with the band was to shoot the images that would appear on the cover of their fifth studio album, "Sound Affects", in 1980. In addition to his sleeve assignments, Goddard photographed the band in the studio for press and promotion purposes.

Photo copyright Retro Man Blog 2015

For tickets and information on the exhibition visit the Somerset House web-site here. To buy copies of Rick's autobiography and other merchandise please check out Strangetown.net. For more photographs of both exhibitions please head on over to the Retro Man Blog Facebook page and hit "Like", if you are not already following, for access to the exclusive photo albums.

THE JACKETS: New Album "Shadows of Sound" & Video Campaign Announced

THE JACKETS have just announced details of their third record "Shadows Of Sound" which features eleven brand new original tracks recorded by Jorge Explosion at Estudios Circo Perrotti studio. The album will be released on Voodoo Rhythm Records later this year but if you can't wait, the LP and/or CD are included in the perks on offer when you donate to help the band produce their new video "Keep Yourself Alive". Check out this link to the Indiegogo pledge campaign to find out how you can get involved. The band's next U.K. appearance will be at The Trip Out Festival in Bedford on September 6th. THE JACKETS are one of the best live bands we have seen in years, check out a feature on their superb Weirdsville show with photos and links to videos in the Blog Archive here.

Let's hand things over to the band themselves for a special report from their underground bunker.

For more information on THE JACKETS please check out their official web-site.

The Flamin' Groovies in Paris & Blois, France by Rock Photographer Paul Slattery

The Flamin' Groovies by Paul Slattery

My association with The Flamin’ Groovies goes back more than forty years now to the summer of ’72 when I first heard “Teenage Head” blasting out of this pair of massive speakers at a garden party in Cape Cod. I went out and bought the album (which I still have) and became a huge Groovies fan. I picked up bits and pieces of recorded material over the next few years. I got hold of Skydog’s “Grease” EP with the amazing version of “Let me Rock” recorded in Cyril Jordan’s front room in 1973, and then the “Slow Death” EP recorded at Rockfield with Dave Edmunds the same year. But I wouldn’t meet the band until 1976 when they were back at Rockfield with Edmunds recording their first full length LP “Shake Some Action”. Well I couldn’t believe my luck because as a young rock photographer I chanced up at Rockfield on January 1st 1978 and met my long – time heroes for the first time and photographed a lot of their spring tour that year promoting their next album “Now”. 

Victor and Cyril photographed by Paul Slattery

George & Chris photographed by Paul Slattery

I thought this would be the start of a long relationship with the band which it has subsequently turned out to be – what I didn’t know at the time is that I wouldn’t see them play a gig after that ’78 tour for 35 years!  Finally seeing them play a storming gig at the Scala in London was like a dream for me, the songs I had in my mind all those years finally played live again. Well I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity of seeing them play again so last month I spent a few days in France with the band on their European tour and had the Rock and Roll time of my life! Blois is a Loire Chateau town in the middle of an excellent wine area which produces the original Sauvignon Blanc, you don’t immediately think Rock and Roll, but the Maison Begon just on the edge of town is a fantastic venue promoted by local friends. Joe Peckman singer and guitarist of support band The Sharpers is trying to convince me over a glass or two of the local Cheverny that Blois is more Rock than you might imagine which proves to be the case when they come out on stage and on fire with “Rockabilly Tavern” and then straight into the superb “Doctor, Doctor” from their latest album “Number 4”. Steeped in Pub–Rock for more than twenty years, this is a really great band, Joe belts out the vocals backed up by a solid Xavier L. on drums and a very lively Simon J on bass. 

The Sharpers photographed by Paul Slattery

The Sharpers photographed by Paul Slattery

The intensity just increases with “Alligator Moona”, “King Super Rock” and “Django Meets Big Bill” also from the latest album and the crowd rise to support their local heroes with the superb “Mister Green”. What a great show! I hope this lot can get their Gallic backsides over to the U.K. in the not too distant future and show the Brits how to play Pub –Rock because they do it right. I can’t wait to see them again. You can get a copy of The Sharpers new album, which is entitled “Number Four” and check them out at their official web-site here or visit their official Facebook page.

The Sharpers photographed by Paul Slattery

I run into Groovies' drummer Victor Penalosa first and he tells me over more cold Cheverny that the European gigs and crowds to date have been superb, and being a native Spanish speaker himself he felt right at home in Spain. The rest of the band arrive later, tired after a 400 mile drive from their gig in Montpellier (supported by the superb Les Grys Grys) the previous night but mad keen to play this wonderful venue. Backstage there’s a balcony overlooked by a warm setting sun, a superb place to chill out before the gig. Cyril, Chris and George are in fine spirits and tell me it’s been great to finally get back on the road in Europe and they're playing tighter and better than ever. The Byrds’ “Feel a Whole Lot Better” is a Groovies standard now but what a song to begin with, Cyril plays those jangly bits to perfection with his finger nails, on the same Dan Armstrong plexiglass guitar that’s on the front cover of “Teenage Head”.  Then it’s into the melodic “You Tore Me Down” and “I Can’t Hide” with superb harmonies from Cyril and Chris, West Coast Pop at its best. 

Cyril Jordan & Chris Wilson photographed by Paul Slattery

Victor Penalosa of The Flamin' Groovies photographed by Paul Slattery

The pair of them get into duelling guitars at the end of the song and what looks like a crowd who are probably not all died-in-the–wool Groovies fans are starting to get appreciative and lively. “Please Please Girl” is another great harmonic song with Cyril’s guitar now sounding just a touch heavier, starting to show those flourishes that mark him as one of the great guitarists and Chris’s lead vocals soar to new heights on “Yes I Am” – the gig is really beginning to warm up now and the crowd are really starting to love it. Talking of heavy guitars, that Dan Armstrong weighs a ton! But this is a rock and roll band of the first order and “Tallahassee Lassie”, “St. Louis Blues”, and “Don’t You Lie To Me” show the crowd just what rock and roll is all about, then George, apart from bouncing all over the stage with his superb bass lines gets the vocals on “Married Woman” which is  an amazing number anchored by Victor’s fine drumming and giving Cyril and Chris all the time in the world to get guitar sparring which they do outrageously and brilliantly! 

The Flamin' Groovies photographed by Paul Slattery

George Alexander of The Flamin' Groovies photographed by Paul Slattery

I’m having trouble taking photos down the front now, there’s no pit and the crowd are dancing all over me, so I have to dance with them AND take photos, but for me being down the front of a Groovies’ gig is probably the only place I want to be right now, and the atmosphere is electric  as the band crank into three of their greatest songs to finish the show “Between The Lines” , “Slow Death”, and “Shake Some Action” which makes the crowd go crazy. It’s like those thirty years of not playing together have made no difference, this band has such a great desire to play, and they play utterly unselfishly. Victor and George anchor the whole thing and give Cyril and Chris the space to show off their truly exceptional guitar work. They come back to great cheers and encore with the menacing “Teenage Head” and a simply great “Let me Rock”. What a gig, I’m knackered but elated and the drinks flow backstage, what a great night. I party long and late with Sharpers, the Groovies are beat and retire early but they are all smiling from ear to ear. 

The Flamin' Groovies photographed by Paul Slattery

Chris Wilson of The Flamin' Groovies photographed by Paul Slattery

The next night I’m in Paris at Le Trabendo on the outskirts of the city in the Parc De La Villette with Mona Soyoc, the legendary chanteuse and guitarist of French “Coldwave” band Kas Product. She’s just played a gig in a prison in Nancy that afternoon and raced to get to Paris in time for the Groovies gig. Kas Product have recently re-released a remastered “Try Out”, their first album from 1982 and if you have never heard it you should do as it is quite extraordinary. I really can’t better Mick Mercer’s piece about their first two albums: “the gorgeously provocative duo of Mona Soyoc and Spatsz who released a couple of singles on their own punk label, then signed to RCA which seemed a remarkably odd union, but which produced two blindingly brilliant albums, 'Try Out' and 'Bypass' that found the haunting, mad vocals hemmed in by and stretched out over the alternately boiling/icy keyboards, and the shattering chatter of arching/dive bombing guitar and stabbing electronic rhythms.” Mona and Spatsz will be back in the studio doing some new recording this summer, I can’t wait to have a listen to their new stuff and I certainly can’t wait to get back to France. I’ve known Mona for thirty years and there’s one of my photos on the cover of Kas Product’s 1989 album “Black & Noir”.

The Flamin' Groovies photographed by Paul Slattery

The Flamin' Groovies photographed by Paul Slattery

I invited Mona along to the The Flamin' Groovies gig, but it’s not really a happy sight in the tiny cramped shoebox of a dressing room full of the band’s stuff. The promoter has still to find them somewhere decent to stay and they are not happy. I don’t like this place quite frankly; there are loads of classic old venues in Paris they should have played one of them. If the surroundings aren’t really what the doctor ordered the crowd certainly are because right from the word go they know all the songs and jump around like a bunch of punks. It’s the same set list from the previous night in Blois, and I have to hide in this tiny space between the edge of the stage and George’s monitor but it’s a hell of a place to be quite honestly! If it was intense at the end of the gig in Blois it’s at least that intense at the start of this gig and the band just use all of their experience, suck up the vibe from the crowd and spit it back in spades. All I want to do is take photos and let the songs drift through me, those great songs which I’ve listened to for thirty or forty years. I’m in my rock and roll heaven right here, as close to the band as you can possible be and in that privileged no mans land between band and crowd. The crowd go potty after “Married Woman” and  the band just open right up, Victor’s drum flourishes just get better, and George, Chris and Cyril get together in a threesome, during “Between The Lines”  and the guitar interplay on “Shake Some Action” is mind-blowing.  

The Flamin' Groovies photographed by Paul Slattery

Mona Soyoc of Kas Product with Cyril Jordan photographed by Paul Slattery

This gig is a rock and roll masterclass. What a privilege to be here. “Let me Rock” is simply a storming end to a brilliant gig. Mona and I share a few drinks with the band after the gig and I take a photo of Mona and Cyril, the French American guitar duo! It’s au revoir to The Groovies, they are tired and happy and they've finally got somewhere decent to stay. I hope the next gig will be in the not too distant future. I’ve still not had my quotient of Flamin' Groovies gigs over the last 35 years and need to get some more under the belt. In the meantime the band have been in Joel Jaffe’s superb Studio D in Sausalito recording some new songs. Cyril tells me that they have finally cut a finished version of “Let Me Rock”, I really cannot wait to hear it – I’ve been listening to that tinny (albeit great) Skydog version for FORTY years! - Paul Slattery July 2015

The Flamin' Groovies photographed by Paul Slattery

With many thanks to Paul Slattery for the excellent feature and photographs. You can hear Paul talking about his experiences with the Groovies in our brand new Retrosonic Podcast Episode 19 which also includes songs by The Flamin’ Groovies, The Sharpers and Kas Product amongst others.

For more of Paul’s photos of The Flamin' Groovies from the 1970’s right up to their reunion please check out the Flamin’ Groovies label in the Retro Man Blog Archive. Please head on over to our Retro Man Blog Facebook page and hit “like” for access to our gig photography archive. We also have a very special Retrosonic Podcast edition with Chris Wilson, where he talks us through his long and varied career and picks out some of his favourite songs.

For up-to-date news on The Flamin' Groovies please check out their official facebook page here.