Had an excellent night watching The Pistols. They were great...and significantly less up their own 'exit pipe ' than the Sex Pistols Experience. A good night in a ****ing depressing and repressing time...but there's also a whole new hairstyle, courtesy of my kids. I will post more later...
There was a weird end to last night's gig. After the first song of a 2 song encore, God Save The Queen still hadn't made an appearance. The band announced that they were going to play it, but before they did.... ...there was a minutes silence, which was impeccably observed in a pub heaving with well oiled Pistols fans... All very strange, but very enjoyable. The band were excellent and really nice blokes as well.
I will always remember the Bill Grundy interview, went into work the following day where one of the blokes had put his foot through the TV in disgust He was also the bloke that went to his van and got a double barrelled shotgun and shot the radio that was playing God Save The Queen , both barrels , I have worked with a few nut jobs in my time
6 Music just played Duet with Piano by the Durutti Column, this track just stopped me in my tracks , last heard it at a friends funeral from diagnosis to death 9 days , numbing in so many ways
A woman in her 50's or 60's spat in my face as I was walking down Wembley High St in the late 70's wearing some punk threads. "You're disgusting", she informed me....which is quite the judgement, from a woman prepared to spit in a stranger's face. She was pretty good at it, too...I was ****ing covered in it.
Punk was so devisive , one week I could drink in my local , next walked in wearing a leather jacket with a few badges , a t shirt I had made myself with the Stranglers written on it in red dye and a bit of gel in my hair to spike it up and got banned , I wasn't into a lot of the punk stuff but I never went in there again until the landlord left , the new one was no bother ,the beer was still crap though
It would have been John Martyns birthday today ,I would have loved to go on a bender with him on the proviso that there is a paramedic present at all times
Please no alcohol... Last night, I was out with Yid Andy and Dave, the BFG. Andy's a publican and drinks 15-20 pints a day, every day. Dave's a former guardsman and must be 6' 10" and about the same around. Dave's the only person I know who can out drink Andy. I'm a ****ing lightweight these days, if I get near double figures, I'm in real trouble. It's now 7.30 pm and I'm still not completely sober from last night....
That band singlehandedly got me into drinking cider, Merrydown silver label was my personal favourite! Absolutely loved Pissed and Proud, still one of my favourite live LP's, never fails to put a smile on my face!
Silver label was always the right choice. Gold label was too sweet. My old man lived in Eastbourne back in the day, so Merrydown was plentiful, being made up the road in East Sussex (near Hastings, if I remember correctly). In those days it was 8.2% rocket fuel...now, it's 5% and has been overtaken by Weston's for strength and Addlestone's for flavour...Shame!
Thank you from our cider correspondent can we now have your thoughts on extra strength lagers and the best park benches to sit on and shout obscenities at passers by
If I'm being honest I'd have said snake bite, or snake bite and black was more the choice of your average punk in the 80's! Personally the only time I used to mix my drinks was if I ended up at Catacombs in Manor House and that was only because the beer was so ****ing awful! It used to be a bottle of Guinness and a bottle of cider in a pint glass. Basically a poor man's Black Velvet but after a few of those it could get quite messy! All I can say is the one song that sums that venue up in the early/mid 80's is this old Goth classic as you could guarantee it would always get an airing and plenty of "chicken dancing"!
According to Wikipedia... please log in to view this image Pint glass Commonly used ingredients One part lager/one part cider Preparation Mix in a standard pint glass equal parts lager and cider A snakebite is an alcoholic drink from the United Kingdom. Traditionally, it is made with equal parts lager and cider.[1] If a dash of blackcurrant cordial is added, it is known as a "snakebite & black" or a "diesel". Different regional recipes and names exist. It was first popularized in the UK in the 1980's. The only problem is the Pernod is missing. It was known as a Purple Nasty. The Pernod did terrible things to the look of the drink, which looked like it was off to begin with. If you threw it up (a regular occurrence), it was next to impossible to clean it off any fabric. I only knew 1 pub that would actually serve it to you on purpose (The Dog & Bull in Croydon). Most pubs wouldn't even serve a snakebite and would throw you out if you mixed one yourself. Occasionally, I'll have one...(without the Pernod and black) just to remind myself that it tasted metallic and unpleasant.
I've always had so much time for Dan Treacy and actually met him once at some pub in the mid 80's. I'd gone there to see the Hangman's Beautiful Daughters and as Dan was involved with Emily he was wandering around and I plucked up the courage to approach him. Started a conversation with him and I must've mentioned my appreciation for The June Brides because the next thing he's called to someone who promptly staggered over and it was Phil Wilson absolutely **** faced! As for Dan it's really sad what happened to him, the last I read he was in a nursing home! My favourite TVP's song from my favourite TVP's LP
