Two nights down and I can officially state that I'm struggling. My health's a bit **** at the moment. The Haemochromatosis is showing me conditions that I'd never heard of... ...I mean, WTF is Bursitis? I've got it in my knees, hips and elbows, together with ongoing dehydation, despite drinking water constantly. Last night was a lot of fun, but "**** me!", that venue had sweat running down the walls. People were leaving early because they couldn't take it anymore. Mrs B had to go and sit outside for 5 minutes at the end. Highlight has to be The Witchdoktors. At the other end of the spectrum was Spizz doing karaoke for the best part of an hour - Jeeez! I know the second support did what my father was seemingly unable to do...and pulled out at the last minute, BUT **** ME!!! Tonight is the biggy. Alice Cooper and The Meffs, sandwiching Glen Matlock (hmmmm!). I love Glen, but he sings as flat as me! The rest of the gigs have had The Meffs and Primal Scream, so I'm feeling ever so slightly like I'm missing out. Oh well, onwards....onwards! Next weekend, back-to-back Undertones gigs. Camden and Southampton...after a funeral...at least I'm not doing the eulogy this time!
FFS, you do give your body a hard time!! Seriously though, take care of yourself. Although, I would say that keeping positive is often the best of medicines - and your lifestyle activities are definitely high on the positivity scale!!
So, Alice Cooper... ...uncharted territory for yours truly. A 'show', rather than a gig. Brilliantly conceived and delivered. I've been to scores of West End Musicals and, as a fan of The Damned, the dramatic ain't a problem. So, the sets and selling of the songs were great. The main problem...? Three lead guitarists wailing away in 80's 'Hair Metal' fashion. My ears were bleeding more than anything depicted on stage. Alice was GREAT! The whole band were, too. Just a couple less guitarists...? Please? The 10 year old me was overjoyed to see the show closer, 'School's Out'. We used to sing it in the playground. We were stood in the gangway at the back of the theatre. We tried one side, but for some unknown reason, the other side had a better 'feel', although a pretty identical view. I found out why after The Meffs had finished. The chap next to me, in his 70's , was wearing a Meffs hoodie. Aha! thinks Brian, Mrs B's off somewhere, I must chat to this person... ...it turns out that he's Lewis's (the drummer) dad and with him are Lily's (singer/guitarist) mum and sister. So, I'm jawing away about this and that with the family, when Lily turns up, having been chatting with...Mrs B for about 10 minutes, just out of eyeshot. So , cutting it short. we're invited round for Christmas dinner... Oh, and Glen Matlock's singing was better last night and for 10 seconds, he stood next to me...and then promptly ****ed off again. I was going to thank him for the gigs with Frank Carter, but it'll keep. Mrs B got some great pics, which I'll post up later.
I first saw Alice Cooper when Schools Out hit the charts , Wembley and the warm up was Roxy Music who were booed off stage at one point but they came back on to finish the set
No such treatment last night. Both The Meffs and Glen Matlock's band were very well received. I'm betting the audience demographic was a bit different, too! We represented the younger end of things... We both got 'hit on' by a journo/photographer combo, who were waiting to do a piece on The Meffs. The female journo was VERY taken with Mrs B and the male photographer the same with me. There's life in the old, arhtritic dog yet!
Happy 48th birthday to the first British Punk single. Very soon after release, a 14 year old Brian, and his cousin made their way to Bonaparte Records ... please log in to view this image with their pennies burning holes in their pockets and exchanged them for this... please log in to view this image please log in to view this image ...and life hasn't been the same since. It's the love of a lifetime.
Sacrilege Alert!! On Saturday I am planning to attend a biannual Record Fair in Cork...as a vendor...of my vinyl collection of nearly 200 LP's, 100 singles and an assortment of 20 concert programmes and music literature (biographies/ sheet music). All spanning a period of 1967-1992, nearly all in mint condition in clear plastic sleeves. Although I regularly play more recent heavy vinyl albums, these older ones seldom get an airing, so gathering dust on shelves. BUT... There are no 'White Album' €500k items, although the possible €2-3k will come in handy if they all go. But this still feels like I'm selling my soul, or at least further distancing myself from my past. Thoughts please? I'm thinking of retaining a handful of the most significant (to me), get them framed and up on the wall. Thanks!
Yesterday was my mother's funeral and Mrs B read... "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven, ...A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;" It was originally written (allegedly) by King Solomon, then adapted by Pete Seger...and so on. It's sage advice. My kids don't fancy being left a load of records and memorabilia for which they have no idea of the value. So, I'll be doing something similar in the months and years ahead. It'sthe right thing to do. IMHO...You have the memories. Take the money. Make more memories. Enjoy!
Yesterday passed off very well, thanks. My family aren't good at behaving...learned at the knee of my mother... ...but, yesterday, it all went fine...up until the miniister started to get excited at the sight of Mrs B in her 'widow's weaves'. I caught him checking out her derriere as she replaced him at the lectern. I missed him attempting to schmooze her at the wake...but my girls and their cousins briefed me later. Isn't there a commandment about coveting...?
