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Brief encounters... Some pints of a cider then a dictaphone at Pop Of The Tops in October. Four amazing nights. Hoped the bands enjoy the experiment as much as the audience - grab a few words and find out!
Not so much an intrepid reporter as an inebriated over grown child with a new toy, McNaughty, feels the noize then grabs the boys (like Slade said you had to), for Hear! Here!. (For proper interviews, keep an eye out for the documentary on the underground pop explosion that will be doing the rounds from early next year) but in the meantime, a word or two from Kinesis, Art Brut, My Red Cell and Corporation:Blend.
Tuesday 14th October... Hear! Here! spots Corporation:Blend they have not long come off stage and are being interviewed by rock’n’roll film makers, Digital Sneakers.
When C:B are done, I grab them as they go back in the club, for a quick comment:-
Dexy: “Better mike stands next time!!!” (the stage gear couldn’t take the pace and energy, guest DJs King Adora spent the set putting them back up as Dexy’s jumps and shapes knocked them back down!).
Rob: (who plays his guitar ferociously and has to gaffer tape the side of his hand to save growing anwound) “Some blood, so that means it was good. Passable”.
Brad: “Tired”.
Andy” “Fuckin’ ace!”.
A couple of weeks after this show, Corporation:Blend (with new drummer, Ash) find themselves on the bill supporting King Adora and The Glitterati (one of em worked at the same pub up the road that Andy did) in Birmingham and London. They play brilliantly, win fans, sell CDs, sign autographs (including some pants and boobs, blimey, it’s like being a rock star or something!). Well C:B are stars, but not famous ones. They ain’t even had a single out yet...
My Red Cell are sat together outdoors cooling down with the romantic beauty that is not New Cross Road as their backdrop.
Lovely friendly lads they are, I’m not together enough to ask Ginger, Adam, Russell and Phil to speak one at a time. They don’t mind though.
Hear! Here!: Thanks for coming down our end to play.
“Nice venue”,
“Good looking girls”,
“You ought to see where we live, arse end of nowhere”,
“we can play anywhere”,
“We’d play in our bedrooms if we had to”,
“We play with ourselves”,
“Cheers”,
“Wicked”.
Really wanted them to come back, a couple of weeks later they did, Ludes too. On the second (car battered!) leg of the New World Disorder tour a week after picking up single of the week in NME. Way to go!
I’m going into the venue again for a refill, when the man himself, Eddie Argos of Art Brut is coming out for a breather. They really are working for peace you know. Oh, and type Art Brut into a search engine, I like learning stuff!
Hear! Here! “As our best candidate for next prime minister...” (he has one of the most infectious laffs you will hear outside of a toy shop, and I end up laffing too... but eventually remember what I was saying in the end) “...what do you think rock and roll can do for the future of human kind?”
Eddie “If it sorts itself out, it can be amazing.
It’s the most powerful thing. Like, all bands in there, they’ve got it together. Now if they get all on the right path. A bit left. Then all fine.
I want lots of bands to act and perform and make some sense and it will be amazing. I don’t think I’m equipped enough to sort everything out. There’s somebody somewhere that’s gonna come and see bands and have it on the nose and understand”.
I don’t know what went past on the road just then, this is the main road from the Kent Coast to Central London but when it had revved off. I hear Eddie say “...men in bands just wanna pose and, like, look cool! I want more people to tell the truth”. We then have to stop for a bit cos he thinks I’m disagreeing but I’ve just got too much eyeliner on and the wind has got in there. He knows the feeling though. Phew.
He continues. “If Arnold Shwarznegger is in charge of the fifth biggest economy in the world. Why can’t it be Jim Bob from Carter, or Fruitbat. Or Jack White Stripe or somebody. Oh I don’t know. Somebody left, and intelligent. I want left in politics back. Billy Bragg’s a genius”.
Hear! Here! “...Nearly as good as Chris T-T”
Eddie : “Chris T-T is my favourite thing at the moment”
and then I fall over or something and the tape turns itself off. We probably had a really good chat outside then some alcohol and dancing inside.
Oh well.
Incidentally, Carter Unstoppable Sex Machine... The Only Living Boy In New Cross... it was a twilight zone moment. Corporation:Blend know Eddie from Bournemouth anyway so it was funny that we all keep meeting in New Cross. Eddie was star DJ at the launch of The New Cross (Angular Records compilation launch party) at the end of November - back at Pop Of The Tops again, hooray. He had the best tunes, and in alphabetical order too. Art? Punk? Rock? What? You need to listen.to/artbrut really...
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A week later I have cornered our 21st century punk heroes, Kinesis, in the little box office/cloakroom bit of the club where I work at the club. They are off to rock CMJ in New York in a few days. The four of them just drove all the way down from Bolton, after rehearsals, to DJ at a little hang out people from Camden find almost abroad. I thought they were staying in London that night but no, they are driving al the way back after. None of that poncing about with these lads. Fuck we are honoured that they’d take the time. It's a long drive so don't wanna keep them but well, it’s gotta be asked... Hear! Here! New York or New Cross?
Neil, Conor, Michael and Tom: “New Cross, New Cross all the way!”
Hear! Here! “You’re bound to say that ‘cos I might smack you otherwise”
Conor: “No really, New Cross. I’m slightly surprised ‘cos we have the same level of unfashionable mullets up by us"! So there you have it, Hoxton eat your hair out! Hear! Here! Thank you very much for coming. Kinesis: "Thanks for having us". Kinesis we love you. They disappear into the black night and the long drive home.
Alternative Rock Idol live, click here for the full report or just the update's last page as it does go on a bit...
and here is a sort of postcard of the event - aah, wish it was on all over again.
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