Back home to confirmation of the rumour I hinted at a while ago. New drummer, Will Taylor, has departed the band... to be replaced by... ...Rat's back, baby! ****ING AMAZING!
So, The Damned in New York... ..let the superlatives begin! The boys have been on top form since the reunion shows but the 2 shows we caught were a level up again! All involved were on fire and clearly enjoying the **** out of it! Maybe the impending departure of the much admired and increasingly loved, Mr Taylor, drove things...maybe Dave's new hair added something...or maybe the location? Anyway, we and a mate, who are all in the 100+ club, were agreed that it was up there with the best of nights in the last 40 years. Prior to Cap' and Paul's departures in '83, things were at their peak...but since then, this was as good as it gets. We landed Dave's set list from Brooklynn and Seano, the roadie, got us some plectrums in NY...and a few t shirts to add to the collection . I'll send some pics to those who might be interested. On top of all of the above, we saw 'Some Like it Hot' on Broadway, caught up with some mates and partied (soberly in my case) until the wee small hours...and on my return, I found out that I've been accepted for the newest of new prostate cancer treatments, nanoblading. They burn the cancer out, using a super heated wire. It's a day procedure and I'll be up and about in days...with the walnut still in situ... . The blood letting is starting to show results and my Tigger-like bounce is starting to return- we averaged 10 miles walking per day for 4 days and got to all the sights and places that we planned to. A blindingly good week. Life is good...
Super heated wires sound an absolute joy , best of luck mate and I hope little Brian and the twins pull through ok And there was me concerned about a new tooth crown next week
The specialist told me that that in this procedure..."We go in through your anus..." ..."What do you mean, we? Isn't one of you enough?" Not a sausage. Surgeons have zero sense of humour...
Watford Gap services are going to be bulldozed to make way for a "super travel hub" my claim to fame is sitting down with the band James in the early hours of a Sunday , I had seen them in the hippodrome that night, some time in 1985 , nice bunch of blokes
As Green Day announce gigs costing £93, you can get a pass to all of these, for less... please log in to view this image Happy New Year! The payback for being an old git, is that I get free transport there and back. If I'm still on the wagon, they might as well pay me to attend the lot!!!...(which I fully intend to do!)
He could do a lot worse. They aren't 53rd & 3rd, but when I've seen them, they've been great. Whilst mentioning 53rd & 3rd, a story from this summer's Rebellion comes to mind...we hung around to talk to Charlie Harper, after his accoustic solo set. Richie (Joey Ramone) wanted to tell him that Pete, a bassist for both bands, had passed away. Charlie was very gracious about Pete and the band. The 2 bands had been on the same bill on a few occasions. He said that, unlike some, Richie had really "nailed" saying "1-2-3-4" at the start of each song.... I nearly lost control of what's left of my prostate. The main support, Guitar Gangsters, are a very good band and worth catching on their own. I shall see Luke there.
Last year's Porcupine Tree tour is out shortly on Blu-ray and vinyl. This track has leaked out and if all like this then it was worth the wait! Even if you don't like prog/metal this is worth a watch if only to see drummer Gavin Harrison in full flow!
There are two Ramonas - a US and a British version. Both are very good. The UK band were a tribute act, but have written their own songs in more recent times.
On a separate note, The Misfits are always worth a mention With the gothic/horror themes, a US version of The Damned perhaps @"Thanks for that Brian" ?
The Misfits are huge in the States, which is somewhat galling, as they're decidedly inferior to The Damned, both musically and in lyrical content. The original singer, Danzig, left in the early 80's and on a number of occasions the remaining band members have attempted to recruit Mr Vanian. Dave's never succumbed to join them...and quite right too. I've never been a fan of much of their output, preferring Alice Cooper/The Cramps for their gothic content and the Dead Kennedys/Black Flag for hardcore/thrash punk. Like Ramones, they do a bundle on merch, mainly from people who have no idea who they are
The Misfits also benefited enormously from Metallica's Garage Days/Inc. albums. They covered Die, Die My Darling and a mixture of Last Caress/Green Hell. It introduced them to a new audience and brought them plenty of publicity.
