Morning

What’s the Story Morning Glory?

I Don’t Like Mondays.

Stan.

Three songs that were written by song writers not knowing what the response would be from their fans – not actually giving a monkeys perhaps – Skid Row wrote an emotional tender ditty about really not giving two hoots about the reaction of their lady friends’ appreciation of their courtship. It was a song that the local Wembley council felt was way too emotive to be played live at Wembley Stadium, fearing a sudden 70,000 people outpouring of gentle singing would be some what offensive.

The singer Sebastian Bach was so upset he felt they had to read out the letter advising them of the council’s intention to administer severe repercussions should the band play their love song and then promptly perform the said song.

To use words in the process of restricting the use of words for fear of offensive words being heard, not taking into account the 70,000 people there to hear said words is a funny old situation.

Yes not everyone likes certain language, prose, adjectives nouns and so on being used in the wrong context or indeed in an offensive manor. To be honest I couldnt give a shit.

Being able to say what you want when you want is our right as a human being – whether you feel using a level of language in front of your kids, parents, Nan etc is up to you – you will know if its the right time to say something a certain way or not.

Words in song, jest, sonnet, poem, rap, speech, performance, written, spoken, delivered, posted, tweeted, emailed, yelled, chanted, may or may not be taken as offence or personal insult. They may be misinterpreted, misunderstood, misused.

Emotion plays a huge part in how we might respond to a situation and the use of certain words to accentuate a feeling.

Before you all start saying shut up you rambling twonk, I have a point to make.

I was told once that its not in what you say its in what you do and how you do it. Words are empty without meaning ‘yes I will help you move house’ then you don’t bother ‘ I will go with you to watch Take That’ then disappear ‘If you don’t stop doing that I will stop you’  and then let them continue putting a fork in the socket.

Use words how you wish, be prepared for words to be used back at you in any manner of positivity or indeed negativity.

Just be yourself, don’t take any crap, push back, be cool, BE PUNK

Oh, Wembley Council?????? See below

http://youtu.be/eTtQQs_VRcs

RPOS x

Anyone who doesn’t get music being integral to their lives, music marking significant moments, life changing decisions. monumental shifts in their own universe or just the soundtrack to a good time, for me are a bit stoopid.

Growing up though the 80’s there were plenty of punk/rock/pop bands pushing boundaries – videos, picture discs, and plenty of those behemoths of that era who lasted and still produce to this day from Madonna to AC/DC, Metallica to Prince, plus many more.  Many of which have written and released tracks that trigger memories of good and perhaps not so good times.

One such band that captured my imagination in 1990 was a band called The Black Crowes. Made up of two brothers – singer Chris Robinson, guitarist Rich Robinson, Steve Gorman drums, Johnny Colt bass, Jeff Cease Guitar who wrote a brand of rock n’roll that grabbed me and shook me big time.

Yes, there were bands before them the influences abound – I grew up with my dad playing The Faces, The Stones etc. But these guys were my era and they were fucking immense.

So, having bought the LP, played it to death my friends and I got our tickets to Monsters Of Rock Aug 1991 – headliners were AC/DC with Metallica, Motley Crue, Queensryche (oof), The Black Crowes.

Most of my mates were Metallica nuts, so they weren’t any where as near as excited as myself that The Black Crowes were playing.  That all changed by halfway through opener Twice as Hard, the sun was shining we were properly hydrating and at the front the crowd went nuts as did we.

Blistering set, cracking vocals, big bold bluesy dirty rock ‘n roll set a very high bar and showed that day that these boys embodied a mix of american blues with english swagger and man could they play!

Queensryche was the lift music to our out pouring of love for the Crowes as we made blood promises to go see them as soon as we could.

The rest of the day/night was amazing, the Crue rocked, Metallica were hungry aggressive brilliance and topped off with a mental ball busting AC/DC set with Rosie 40ft tall billowing out behind the rock stalwarts.

So, after hiatus after hiatus from the Crowes – line up changes – brothers arguing/loving (they toured the US with a band from England as their support who also had two brothers as the core, singer and guitarist Oasis) they have finally called it quits. No I am not the first to announce it.

Just wanted to express my love for this band, seeing them several times in the UK and US they have been there for parties, girlfriends, holidays, parties, the arrival of kids and more parties .

We all have bands/songs that trigger good times and sound track parts of our lives The Black Crowes is a major one of mine and to know that right now they are no more is gutting.

Still have their music, my memories and future memories to make – does knowing there is no new music from The Crowes to come make it twice as hard?

Who/What are the songs/bands that soundtrack your life? Thing is no matter what you can never lose them

Appreciate your Onions!

Love it………..

http://youtu.be/XQJY2DumfvA?t=1m24s

RPOS x

WEDNESDAY AM AND ITS FREEEEZING!

Or its not depending on your perspective of freezing and of course, where you live.

Is it freezing on the slopes in France? If you are buck naked, yes, if you are fully kitted out in the typical ski/snow boarding garb, then probably not.

Where the hell am I going with this? I’m not sure, just rambling you fool I hear you cry!

It’s about opinions or as my 5yr old says ‘onions’.

Noel Gallagher is never one to be backward in coming forward and he is now gobbing off about Ed Sheeran, how the state of the music industry is so middle class that the likes of a ginger bloke and his guitar can sell out Wembley Stadium 3 nights in a row.

He has a point, not that ginger blokes with a guitar shouldn’t be selling out Wembley, but it’s middle class kids/adults funding the demand. Ed is safe, like the White Ladders bloke, Phil Collins, Mickey Bubbles. Good performers, talented performers, but where is the punk? Where is the fuck you balls out have some of that you fuckers I’ll play what I want join the revolution or piss off brigade?

Over the last 20-30 years the shock rock has been slowly killed off, the Brits was once an institution for fuck ups, terrible presenters, great performances, piss takers pissed up. Now? It’s that idiot Corden leading a tele prompting ‘slick’ and professional presentation. Oh no! Adele stuck her finger up at the suits! The only rock ‘n roll danger in years.

Where has it all gone wrong? Is it so ‘brand’ cool it’s no longer cool? Is it the fault of social media that you can be here and gone in seconds? No. It’s not. Social Media provides a great platform for everyone to have an opinion (ahem like moi) but it should be used to enhance a band/film generate a swell of demand and unity.

The problem is years ago if you heard about a band, you could only hear them on the radio or go into a record store and search them out. Read about them in the papers and then maybe get off your arse and actually check them out! This created a loyal army of fans plus inspired future rockers like Noel Gallagher/Ian Brown/Dave Grohl/David Bowie and so on.

Everything is on tap, you can digest and throw away information as easily as breathing. You missed a tv show – you tube it. You want to hear the latest music thing – go on spotify/itunes have a free listen before you buy.

The record industry is missing a trick, go old school, build a mystique about an artist that doesn’t give a fuck, facilitate their growing army of fans by making them have to earn it. Don’t release on social media unless its massively cryptic about small venue gigs, release stories about them in the red tops only, get them to buy into the no social media act. Get them on tv at some point get them to swear, get them banned – GO OLD SCHOOL ROCK!

I bet you that the bigger following and demand for the band the industry/commercial suits will be falling over themselves to get involved but they will be way down the queue behind the army of fans who will fee like they own the band and will decide their fate who they want to listen to and when.

Release everything on vinyl only, force the fans to have to hunt the music down – make it matter, music matters.

What are your onions?

RPOS x

So,

In a time where every where you turn there is another rock/pop classic stripped down to soft piano or acoustic strum whilst an angelic street urchinesque voice floats, almost without effort in a nice ‘isn’t it cool to reimagine these old tunes and make them modern day’ – I think to myself, where the fuck is the next energy coming from?

There are only so many chords, notes, melodies but as with anything it’s how we use them to get our message across. Be it a call to arms, telling of a story, shout of frustration, teenage kicks, struggle with life, sticking it to the man – you need to have an energy a passion a drive. Whether you rap, dance, rock, shoe gaze, twerk at least give it something, something anyone with an ounce of guts can get it, latch onto it and without knowing it join a mass swelling army of fans across all barriers.

Where am I going with this?

Two reasons. Two bands. Two torch bearers with the potential to blow the middle of the road industry away and start a new wave of bands/musicians to challenge everything and do things their way. The Rock ‘n Roll way.

I give you The Dirty Youth and Marmozets……..

Two bands full of life full of energy full of talent plus big balls sound. Both have charismatic singers who rage their range of vocals over a tight back drop of kicking rhythm and driving melodies.

Both bands are the same but quite different, I urge you to follow these links – get into them, support them help grab back the music from the corporate mishmash of boredom. Support them in showing the budding rockers/rappers/twerkers/dancers that be your own thing, do your own thing.

The Dirty Youth

Marmozets

Rise up.

RPOS x

AFTERNOON PEOPLE

It is most definitely not festival season as yet, but already companies are gearing up for the relentless onslaught of the festival craziness of the spring/summer months.

Back in the day we had Monsters of Rock, Glastonbury, Reading, Cambridge Folk, but now there is a festival for just about anything apparently.

We are now in the era of lets put a festival on, slam a load of performers together – get a pop act and a load of jugglers, sponsor stands, make sure the chips are a tenner a punnet, plus make it uber family friendly.

With a little research and a few conversations with the more experienced festival muso it is astounding how many festivals through the 60s 70s 80s were free – it was more about the gathering of like minded people from all walks of life, challenging the mainstream not so much about the glorification of x-factor contestants and wannabes.

Yes we can’t just keep giving things away man, but nor can we be taking libertees man. The ticket prices, the plastic pseudo rockers/punks/raggas, the vip soft chair and massage gang, the 10 min set and no naughty words police have nearly reached a point where fans and bands alike are starting to feel disconnected.

However, with the digital age and all the massive pros with it, the bands struggle to make real contact with their fans – no gate folds, 12″ remix, free poster, limited edition picture disc!! Where you had a tangible physical connection with lyric sheets, crazy art work, the crackle of the first track you could almost imagine the band off their bonces making the music, the art work and the amazing lyrics!

Playing live is the only way most bands and their fans can connect, they also can actually make some money, to continue their musical lives and continue to contribute to ours.

Vinyl is making a come back, the thrill of flicking through the A’s B’s etc looking for the Japanese import, or even discovering a new band/sound just by loving the mental art work on on the sleeve. This is something now not only being re-discovered by collectors of old but also being discovered by the cd generation.

The pride in rebuilding or extending your vinyl collection, seeing bands new and old live is one of the best things about music. It is always changing, evolving, re-energising, gaining new fans of all generations.

So why not strip the festival back, forget the corporate crap, make it about the music, the bands making money, the fans getting value for money and them all connecting again.

Vinyl is a slow burner and may not possibly ever reach the heights of previous decades but the festivals are where it is at for bands and fans, so lets hope the readings/leeds/latitiudes/downloads/glastonburys think on and at least remember who the festivals are for bands and fans.

Rock on and Live Forever

RPOS xFESTIV

Greetings!

To this new everyday pile of old guff written by many contributors of the why don’t you go and do something less boring instead generation. The era of three tv channels, no remotes, a wind up Evil Knievel and where a Snickers was a Marathon!

This isn’t going to be some endless harping on about the 70s 80s 90s etc, just a comment on modern life, pop culture, news and nowt about religion (unless you are a Jedi of course).

So topics will range from  Music, Sport, TV, Movies, Art. There will be some chaos of course, some wind ups, proper punk attitude and of course all suggestions are more than welcome and will be discarded as quickly as they are received!

Competitions will be run with actual prizes – no need for SAE………

Share our posts, tweet us @rarepairoS

Live Forever…….

RPO x