Original poster for the first Roundhouse gig in 1966

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The Roundhouse

Vale Sir Arnold Wesker

Arnold Wesker R.I.P.
A sad, sad day and my condolences to Dusty, Lindsay and Danny.
I went out with Arnold's daughter Tanya (who unfortunately passed away in 2012) when I first moved down to London. A time that was the lowest ebb of my life following my mum's suicide. 
The Weskers put me up at their house in Highgate and to say that I was thoroughly fucked at that particular time of my life is a bit of an understatement but their generosity and Dusty's mighty fine cooking helped me start to try and piece my life back together again. 
Arnold was an amazingly generous man who went out of his way to point out the goodness that was in people. I had many an interesting chat about his past ranging from the battle of Cable Street to his involvement with the early days of CND (for which he served jail time). I also found the story of Centre 42 and the Roundhouse very interesting though I do remember that he didn't have much time for Alex Trocchi and his sigma project. 
Obituary
Arnold's Desert Island Discs

It will be nice to catch up with this gentleman again on Saturday

Norman Westberg and myself taken on the occasion of the last two visits of Swans to Melbourne. At top after their last gig at The Corner in 2015 and below at The East Brunswick Hotel in 2011.
Norman is playing at the Monash University Museum of Art this Saturday at 3:00 PM with support from Bonnie Mercer. The event is free.
Info
Norman Westberg - MRI

Spencer P. Jones: The Axeman's Benefit (Prince of Wales 15/4/16)

A great line up of artists playing for the benefit of the incomparable and unfortunately unwell Spencer P. Jones
Money for Spencer can be donated HERE
Spencer P Jones & The Escape Committee - Hot and Cold

Lisa Simpson plays Albert Ayler

Ad Break: Punk CD

The brain on LSD

Game Over

Fall fans 'round table

Original video info

Norman Westberg (Swans) Australian Tour (Brisbane/Melbourne/Perth April 14-17)

Direct from New York City
Info

DJ Rashad - Afterlife (Albumstream)

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Politics These Days

This Paul Ryan Video Sure Looks A Lot Like A 2016 Campaign Ad

There's an interesting comment left at the link above which goes as follows:

Its a long shot, IMO, but this is how it works
Trump loses on the first ballot, Cruz loses on the second and probably third ballot. Delegates start getting panicky and starting looking for a quick way out of the mess while the national cameras are rolling. Ryan gets presented as someone who can bridge the gap between establishment and anti establishment wings, while declaring he doesn't want the job..which clearly means he is above reproach. That argument sells with the majority of delegates and they rally behind him to give him the nomination. Ryan takes the stage and delivers a humblebrag speech that says all republicans need to unite against the evil of Hillary, aka Obama's third term, and though he is reluctant, the danger is so great that he will humbly take up the banner and lead them all into the breach.
Nobody gets EXACTLY what they want, but they settle for someone who isn't prerceived as completely loathsome by either wing..and hey, he IS bailing them out in a tight spot, even though he says he doesn't want the nomination. He said so himself, repeatedly. Some grumbling, but they mostly put it behind them and move on to the fall.
The notion that Ryan is also unbloodied by the primaires, as opposed to Trump and Cruz, will also be whispered in lots of ears.
Like I said, its a major reach, but have no doubt that Ryan has his eyes looking for just such an opening to emerge.

UPDATE:
Paul Ryan has ruled out a 2016 Presidential bid

Stanley Donwood: Panama Papers

Now
Via
Continue under the jump for five years ago

Merle Haggard: Learning To Live With Myself (A film by Gandulf Hennig)

I have decided to make my film Merle Haggard: Learning To Live With Myself available for free streaming on Youtube for a limited time for those of you who haven't seen it, or would like to see it again. Please share and spread the word.
I spent three years following Merle for this project and filmed him and his family on the road and at their home. We did a number of in-depth interviews with Merle and with his family for the film, and it wasn't always easy sailing. Besides Merle and his family we also interviewed Keith Richards, Robert Duvall, Dwight Yoakam, Marty Stuart and many other artists for the film. The film aired as part of the PBS/American Masters series in the US and on the BBC and German television in Europe but for a number of reasons it hasn't been available to the public for a while, and it is currently not available on DVD or home video.
I want to thank everybody again who worked so hard on this film with me, first and foremost my old production partner Alfred Holighaus back in Berlin, our editor Dava Whisenant, our cinematographers Roger Pistole and Matthew Dyer, our sound engineers Thomas Morrison, Matt Hamilton and Jeremy Mazza, and all the other great people who worked with us. Merle's publicist Tresa Redburn, his lawyer Anthony Kornarens and Merle's long-time road manager, Frank Mull were essential in the making of the film - I simply would not have been able to pull it off without their help and support.
Merle is gone, but his legacy will live on forever. My work on this film has defined my American experience like nothing else. It's time to make the film available for everybody now
Gandulf Hennig

Ornery

Norman Westberg (Swans) Brisbane/Melbourne/Perth (April 14-17)

Photograph: John Fell from the 'Instruments of Choice' series
Guitarist extraordinaire and all round nice guy Norman Westberg is undertaking a series of  shows in Australia starting next week. These will be the first solo shows to be played outside of the United States. 
The dates are:
Brisbane: Institute of Modern Art  7PM April 14 (Free)
Melbourne: Monash University Museum of Art 3PM April 16 (Free)
Perth: Club Zho April 17 7PM ($20/15)
Following these dates Norman will be back on Swans duty with hopefully the band rolling back into town in early 2017

From 13

From the new album MRI available now (Info)
Thank you John for the kind permission to use that wonderful photo of Norman