It was 20 years ago today (3:06PM)

It is 20 years today since 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield

'BBC' audio archive & slideshow here.
Full story here.

Report of the memorial service at Anfield from the 'BBC' here.
Mike Bracken on the ongoing fight for recognition of what really happened from 'The Guardian' here.
The Hillsborough Justice Campaign here.

The former editor of The Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie, has reportedly claimed that the newspaper's allegations about Liverpool supporters at Hillsborough was "the truth". The Sun famously claimed that Liverpool fans had caused the tragedy (which resulted in the loss of 96 lives) by drunkenly storming the gates, and also alleged that fans urinated on the bodies of the dead and pickpocketed them.
Then-editor MacKenzie made a grovelling apology the next day, but The Sun is still boycotted by many Liverpool fans because of those horrendous accusations. The paper then issued a formal apology in 2004, saying they were "truly sorry" for making "the most terrible mistake in history." However, in a stunning display of insensitivity, MacKenzie has now apparently told a business lunch in Newcastle that he was forced to apologise by owner Rupert Murdoch and he still stands by his allegations.
"I went on the World at One the next day and apologised. I only did that because Rupert Murdoch told me to," he said, according to the Liverpool Echo. "I wasn't sorry then and I'm not sorry now because we told the truth. There was a surge of Liverpool fans who had been drinking and that is what caused the disaster." All The Sun's allegations were disproved by the Justice Taylor inquiry into the tragedy.

There is only one word for this man but I won't print it here.

The youngest person to die that day was Steven Gerrard's 10 year old cousin.

Playing For Change - Stand By Me

http://playingforchange.com - From the award-winning documentary, "Playing For Change: Peace Through Music", comes the first of many "songs around the world".

Nothing to say...

PLEASE JUST GO & WATCH

THIS.

Magnificent!

(Thanx again to the 'hangover helper'.)

Lars von Trier - Antichrist (trailer)

Bowie and Bill: The Interview

Material - Don't Lose Control (12"Mix)

Recently the A side was posted here.
Out of the ether here is the 'B' side.

The Beat - I Confess

Great interview with Dave Wakeling from 'Popdose' here.

The 10 most played songs in the UK

1. Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale

2. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

3. Everly Brothers - All I Have To Do Is Dream

4. Wet Wet Wet - Love Is All Around

5. Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You

6. Robbie Williams - Angels

7. Elvis Presley - All Shook Up

8. Abba - Dancing Queen

9. Perry Como - Magic Moments

10. Bing Crosby - White Christmas

These are the most played songs in public places over the last 75 years according to the 'BBC' here.

Apart from the Everly Brothers I HATE every last one of the songs on the list!
For a list of the biggest selling artists of all time go here.

Bukkakeski

This is a Russian ad for MILK!!?
From 'AnimalNY' here.

Phil Spector guilty of murder

Phil Spector arriving at court to hear the verdict.

Full story from 'The Guardian' here and the 'BBC' here.

Coloured crayons as pixel art

The art of Christan Faur here.
Via 'drawn' here.

Don't you wish that YOU had been there?

Four nights of the best the post punk world had to offer in 1979 in the bowels of the London YMCA in Tottenham Court Road. Never had been there for a gig before nor again. It was a great place to watch bands though.
The unannounced band on the first night was Echo and the Bunnymen, still with 'Echo' (their drum machine). It was one of the first gigs that they and The Teardrop Explodes had played in London. I got given a mixing desk tape of both band's performance, very unfortunately long since gone.
Joy Division? Well another powerful performance, they truly were an amazing live band and while the records are brilliant, live it was something else, obviously without any of Martin Hannett's studio trickery.
Rema Rema were enjoyable, with Marco Pirroni on guitar and I fell in love with Max the drummer (who later released the single 'I Confess' as Dorothy on Industrial Records).
Cabaret Voltaire's performance can be heard on their 'Live At The YMCA' album. Though to be honest it doesn't give justice to their sound as it was recorded on a boogie box.
What can you say about Throbbing Gristle? Well again the performance has been released (as part of the TG24 box set) but unfortunately it omits the dubbed/fucked up version of the Village People's 'YMCA' that led into their performance and featured some amusing dance poses by Genesis.
Of the other bands that played Scritti Politti were as usual superb, so different to the entity that they became, this was spikey/angular music influenced by the spaces of dub. Lastly Mark Perry from the Good Missionaries really pissed me off by smashing his guitar at the end of their set. 'We Destroy All Rock'nRoll'? Nah, just an empty cliche Mark!
The promoters 'Final Solution' (!) went on to become the promoters of choice in London for that whole post punk crew and as I sold tickets from record shops that I worked at it meant that I could get into all the gigs free!
The NME/Rough Trade cassette C81, described by Simon Reynolds as 'post punk's swan song' can be found at my other blog here.

Bonus audio:
Joy Division Live at the YMCA 2 August 1979.
"Intro-Dead Souls-Disorder-Wilderness-Auto Suggestion-Transmission-Day of the Lords-She's Lost Control-Shadowplay-Atrocity Exhibition-Insight-Outro"

Dot Allison - Morning Sun (Live)

If anyone has the Death of Vegas remix of 'Message Personnel' could they get in touch.

A Certain Ratio - Shack Up

Girlz With Gunz # 30

Dianna Rigg

Stoner

Fiscal 'teabagging' indeed!

For those unaware what the term 'teabagging' means.
Click here.

God's Army! What became of Luther & Johnny Htoo?

A frightening yet fascinating 17 minute film 'Twin Crusade' shot in 2000, can be watched
here.

Where are they now?
Luther Htoo and his twin brother Johnny were the boy leaders of God's Army, a Karen militant group in Burma. Only nine years old at the time they founded the group, the boys would eventually surrender to Thai authorities in 2001 after the Burmese army had all but destroyed the operational strength of their outfit.
Much of the publicity surrounding the God's Army was a product of its young leadership. The group became famous after a picture (see right) of the two brothers was published in newspapers around the world. Luther is widely regarded as more vocal and gregarious then his twin, but it is possible that this information was simply extrapolated from this famous image.
According to sources within the tribe, in 1997 a local pastor (the Karen believe in a blend of Christianity and animism) brought the two boys to a military commander, saying they had been touched by God and they could bring salvation to the Karen who had been fighting against the Burmese government for nearly 50 years. The story continues that the two brothers then led a successful military operation against the Burmese army, despite overwhelming odds.
The story of the brother's prowess soon spread to the rest of the tribe, and men flocked to join the God's Army from other Karen militant outfits. Rumors spread that the boys had magical powers and were immune to bullets. At peak strength, the boys reportedly commanded 500 militants.
Despite this, the God's Army soon found itself the target of a renewed Burmese crackdown, and by 2001, the boys' supporters had been whittled down to about 20 fighters. Exhausted, the two brothers crossed the Thai-Burmese border and surrendered to Thai authorities in late January of that year. Johnny and Luther were 13 years old at the time.
The Thai government re-settled Johnny and Luther in a Karen refugee camp where they were re-united with their mother. Despite efforts to bring the Htoo's to the United States, the family continues to reside in this camp.
In July 2006, Johnny reportedly left the camp to return to Burma where he promptly surrendered to Burmese authorities. It is unknown why Johnny left the camp, and by all accounts, Luther remains in Thailand.
Some have speculated that Johnny and Luther were nothing more then figureheads for the God's Army. Thai military officials have commented that the boys were a front for older militants in an effort to raise morale and attract fighters. While this theory certainly seems plausible, and a great deal of information surrounding the Htoo brothers is clearly myth, Johnny and Luther are still widely considered the youngest military commanders in history.

(WikiAnswers)

Happy birthday Moira!!!

Not bad...after missing your last 30 birthdays, I am a day ahead of you now too and therefore behind!!!
Hey there is always next year!
Have a wee toetap on me.
Love
X
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The Threshold HouseBoys Choir - A Time of Happening

Filmed at the GinJae (vegetarian) Festival held in Bangkok Thailand.
This was Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson's first musical venture since the untimely death of his Coil partner John Balance.

This video is incredibly hypnotic and is the first part of the Threshold HouseBoys Choir CD/DVD release 'Form Grows Rampant'.
All voices are from indigenous sources, completely re-styled, re-tuned and re-arranged.
The sound & vision on this release work perfectly together.
Would you expect anything else from someone who was part of the Hipgnosis design group for so long?

Sleazy is probably packing his bags at his compound in Thailand at this present time to go and 'wreck some civilisation' in America as Throbbing Gristle are about to perform there for the first time since 1981.

Boy am I jealous of the people going this time around, though I was lucky enough to have witnessed numerous performances by TG in London in the seventies and (very) early eighties.

(Use the search engine to the right as there is more TG scattered throughout this blog!)

Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine*

This painting 'Christ of the St. John of the Cross' by Salvador Dali hangs in

Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow.
It was bought in 1951 for £8,200 although Dali initially asked the Glasgow Corporation for £12,000 for the painting. Unusually, Dali also signed away the copyright of the image.
The purchase proved controversial coming as it did just seven years after the end of the Second World War, with many suggesting the funds would be better spent elsewhere.
The Spanish government is said to have recently offered £80 million for the painting, an offer allegedly turned down.
In 1961 a visitor to the museum threw a brick at the painting seriously damaging it. His reason being that he objected to the fact that the viewer is looking down on Christ.
Kelvingrove Gallery is now the most popular free visitor attraction in Scotland and the 14th most popular major gallery in the world.

Growing up in Glasgow I used to wag, sorry (been in Australia so long) skive school (a lot) and take myself off to the gallery and I could (and did) spend hours just looking at this picture.
I really am not a fan of the majority of Dali's paintings but there is something about this picture that intrigues me.
When/If I ever work out what it is - I shall let you know I promise.

* Patti Smith

Brion Gysin's illustrations for 'Time' by William S. Burroughs (1965)

William S. Burroughs created his own version of Time magazine in 1965.
It included a cover taken from the authentic 'Time' (November 30, 1962) which was then collaged over by Burroughs with a reproduction of a drawing, four drawings by Brion Gysin and twenty-six pages of typescript comprised of cut up texts and various photographs serving as news items.
Time was bootlegged in 1972 by Roy Pennington as an 'Urgency Press Rip Off'.
According to Maynard & Miles, Pennington published this bootleg edition for sale at the Bickershaw Festival.

Note: There is a copy for sale at present here for $350 (US)

My late friend Mike Hart (from Compendium Bookshop in Camden Town London) had a copy of this as well as Burrough's
'Mayfair Academy Series More or Less' (also published by 'Urgency Press Rip Off').
I hope that after Mike passed away his amazing collection of books and records found a good home (tho' if his son Stephen is anything like his Father, they will be in safe hands).
Back in the 70's in London I had actually managed to collect most of the original issues of 'Mayfair' from the couple of years or so that contained Burrough's column.
Most (but not all) of them were collected in such anthologies as 'Port of Saints' & 'Exterminator!'

If there is anyone out there who has a copy of either of these and wouldn't mind photo-copying or scanning the contents...well I would be eternally grateful!

Full story & scans of 'Time' available at 'Reality Studio' here.

Paris nocturne

'Hyper-Photo'

Kanye's blog response to 'South Park'

"SOUTH PARK MURDERED ME LAST NIGHT AND IT'S PRETTY FUNNY. IT HURTS MY FEELINGS BUT WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM SOUTH PARK! I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY EGO THOUGH. HAVING THE CRAZY EGO IS PLAYED OUT AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE AND CAREER. I USE TO USE IT TO BUILD UP MY ESTEEM WHEN NOBODY BELIEVED IN ME. NOW THAT PEOPLE DO BELIEVE AND SUPPORT MY MUSIC AND PRODUCTS THE BEST RESPONSE IS THANK YOU INSTEAD OF "I TOLD YOU SO!!!" IT'S COOL TO TALK SHIT WHEN YOU'RE RAPPING BUT NOT IN REAL LIFE. WHEN YOU MEET LITTLE WAYNE IN PERSON HE'S THE NICEST GUY FOR EXAMPLE. I JUST WANNA BE A DOPER PERSON WHICH STARTS WITH ME NOT ALWAYS TELLING PEOPLE HOW DOPE I THINK I AM. I NEED TO JUST GET PAST MYSELF. DROP THE BRAVADO AND JUST MAKE DOPE PRODUCT. EVERYTHING IS NOT THAT SERIOUS. AS LONG AS PEOPLE THINK I ACT LIKE A BITCH THIS TYPE OF SHIT WILL HAPPEN TO ME. I GOT A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF ME TO MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE I'M NOT ACTUALLY A HUGE DOUCHE BUT I'M UP FOR THE CHALLENGE. I'M SURE THE WRITERS AT SOUTH PARK ARE REALLY NICE PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DRAW MY CREW. THAT WAS PRETTY FUNNY ALSO!! I'M SURE THERE'S GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN THIS... THAT'S HOW YOU KNOW IT'S ME!"
(here)

The Black Angels - You On The Run

As featured in 'The Limits of Control'.

Boris: skateboards

Details here.

Boris: graphics

These graphics are affectionate pastiches of the Virgin Records logo (circa the mid seventies) designed by Roger Dean and of Nick Drake's classic 1970 album 'Bryter Layter' for the cover of 'Akuma no Uta'.

The original inspirations:

'The Limits of Control' soundtrack details

The soundtrack to the new Jim Jarmusch film 'The Limits of Control' will feature the following sounds:

01. Intro - Bad Rabbit*
02. Fuzzy Reactor - Boris with Michio Kurihara
03. Saeta - La Macarena
04. Sea Green Sea - Bad Rabbit
05. Feedbacker (TLOC Edit) - Boris
06. Por Compasión: Malaguenas - Manuel el Sevillano
07. Farewell - Boris
08. N.L.T. - Sunn O))) & Boris
09. El Que Se Tenga Por Grande - Carmen Linares
10. Dawn - Bad Rabbit
11. You On The Run - The Black Angels
12. Omens and Portents 1: The Driver (TLOC Edit) – Earth and Bill Frisell
13. El Que Se Tenga Por Grande - Talegón de Córdoba & Jorge Rodriguez Padilla
14. Blood Swamp (TLOC Edit) - Sunn O))) & Boris
15. Schubert 2. Adagio [String Quintet in C, D.956] (TLOC Edit) - Ensemble Villa Musica
16. Daft Punk Is Playing At My House - LCD Soundsystem
17. " " (TLOC Edit) - Boris

*Bad Rabbit is actually Jim Jarmusch's new band and they will also soon be releasing an EP thru' iTunes

"I have a file of the music that I think is appropriate atmospherically for each film, and that has inspired me even before shooting. I pick the music, so there's no music supervisor per se...When I was writing 'The Limits of Control,' I was already imagining using some things from Boris and Sunn O))), and Earth and The Black Angels. I made [director of photography] Chris Doyle CDs so he could listen to Boris; you could categorize Boris as a psychedelic/noise/metal band, but they're just so original."
- Jim Jarmusch

'Brooklyn Vegan'.

Boris - Statement

For HerrB.

Message:

Thank you.

Translation: "Welcome to our country Mr. President, I am an idiot!"

Turkish TV news anchor dons 'blackface' to report on Obama's visit.
(Thanx again to the 'hangover-helper'.)

Don't forget to send a postcard

One of my favourite destinations on the blogosphere is shutting up shop for a couple of weeks as the 'fucoid' explores the Carpathians.
Have fun, "bon-voyage" and stay safe.
PS: I suspect (hope) that your package will be awaiting you on your return.
(Just been a bit of a delay as my burner has decided to pack in!)

Always trust a policeman?

A video sheds new light on the death of Ian Tomlinson, a 47 year old newspaper seller who had been on his way home from work when he was confronted by lines of riot police near the Bank of England at the recent G.20 protest in London. The film (here) reveals that as he walks, with his hands in his pockets, he does not speak to the police or offer any resistance. A phalanx of officers, some with dogs and some in riot gear, are close behind him and try to urge him forward. A Metropolitan police officer appears to strike him with a baton, hitting him from behind on his upper thigh. Moments later, the same policeman rushes forward and, using both hands, pushes Tomlinson in the back and sends him flying to the ground, where he remonstrates with police who stand back, leaving bystanders to help him to his feet.The man who shot the footage, a fund manager from New York who was in London on business, said: "The primary reason for me coming forward is that it was clear the family were not getting any answers."

Story from 'The Guardian' here.

(Thanx to the 'hangover-helper' for pointing me in this direction.)

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