Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?

'Boy' George jailed for 15 months.
Story from the 'BBC' here.

William S. Burroughs - Ah Pook Is Here

Calling New Zealand!!!

Grant McD - I have lost the link to yr live journal, can you send it to me and what is this I hear about tripping and ripping a policewoman's top off?
(Actually I have just found it but would like to hear the story...)

ABC3D

Citizen Cope - Let The Drummer Kick

Graphic City

Korea reportedly names successor to Kim Jong Il

Story from 'One Free Korea' here.
More posters here.

Fleet Foxes Live in The Hague NL 21 November 2008

You can download the entire show and soundcheck at 'Aquarium Drunkard' here.

Israeli planes hit UN complex in Gaza

Story from 'The International Herald Tribune' here.

This is still fucking ridiculous!

In other developments from the 'BBC' here:

* The UK Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch-Brown says the British government "utterly" condemns the attack on the UN headquarters in Gaza. Fierce criticism also came from the French foreign ministry
* Two hospitals in Gaza City are hit by shellfire: the al-Quds hospital in Tel al-Hawa neighbourhood, scene of heavy fighting, and a Red Crescent hospital, the UK Red Cross says
* The Shurouq tower block in Gaza City, which houses the offices of the Reuters news agency and several other media organisations, is hit by an explosion, injuring a journalist for the Abu Dhabi television channel
* Leaders of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council are to meet in Saudi Arabia to discuss the crisis. The Saudi monarch, King Abdullah, said the meeting was convened because of what he called Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people
* A boat carrying medical supplies to Gaza is surrounded by Israeli warships in international waters off Lebanon's southern coast and forced to return to Cyprus, according to charity Free Gaza
* Palestinian deaths in the Gaza Strip reach 1,028 according to Gaza medical sources. Nearly a third of the dead are said to be children.

The Prisoner - opening titles

Patrick McGoohan RIP

Story from 'CBS' here.

CNN's Rick Sanchez VS 'Joe the war-correspondent'

How to hallucinate with ping-pong balls and a radio

Via 'Boingboing' here.

Iggy Pop 'Swiftcover' commercial

Ryan Adams to disband Cardinals

Ryan Adams posted the news on his blog yesterday that he would be disbanding The Cardinals at the end of March.

Too darn hot!!!

It was supposed to reach 39 degrees today but the cool change is just starting to come through now at 12:45PM - YES!
As my son No. 2 put it "even my sweat is sweating" and that may have got the last of the toxins out of my system from the last few days!!!

Best Amazon review ever!!!

Customer Review

3,776 of 3,821 people found the following review helpful: The Secret saved my life!, December 4, 2007 Ari Brouillette Please allow me to share with you how "The Secret" changed my life and in a very real and substantive way allowed me to overcome a severe crisis in my personal life. It is well known that the premise of "The Secret" is the science of attracting the things in life that you desire and need and in removing from your life those things that you don't want. Before finding this book, I knew nothing of these principles, the process of positive visualization, and had actually engaged in reckless behaviors to the point of endangering my own life and wellbeing. At age 36, I found myself in a medium security prison serving 3-5 years for destruction of government property and public intoxication. This was stiff punishment for drunkenly defecating in a mailbox but as the judge pointed out, this was my third conviction for the exact same crime. I obviously had an alcohol problem and a deep and intense disrespect for the postal system, but even more importantly I was ignoring the very fabric of our metaphysical reality and inviting destructive influences into my life. My fourth day in prison was the first day that I was allowed in general population and while in the recreation yard I was approached by a prisoner named Marcus who calmly informed me that as a new prisoner I had been purchased by him for three packs of Winston cigarettes and 8 ounces of Pruno (prison wine). Marcus elaborated further that I could expect to be raped by him on a daily basis and that I had pretty eyes. Needless to say, I was deeply shocked that my life had sunk to this level. Although I've never been homophobic I was discovering that I was very rape phobic and dismayed by my overall personal street value of roughly $15. I returned to my cell and sat very quietly, searching myself for answers on how I could improve my life and distance myself from harmful outside influences. At that point, in what I consider to be a miraculous moment, my cell mate Jim Norton informed me that he knew about the Marcus situation and that he had something that could solve my problems. He handed me a copy of "The Secret". Normally I wouldn't have turned to a self help book to resolve such a severe and immediate threat but I literally didn't have any other available alternatives. I immediately opened the book and began to read. The first few chapters deal with the essence of something called the "Law of Attraction" in which a primal universal force is available to us and can be harnessed for the betterment of our lives. The theoretical nature of the first few chapters wasn't exactly putting me at peace. In fact, I had never meditated and had great difficulty with closing out the chaotic noises of the prison and visualizing the positive changes that I so dearly needed. It was when I reached Chapter 6 "The Secret to Relationships" that I realized how this book could help me distance myself from Marcus and his negative intentions. Starting with chapter six there was a cavity carved into the book and in that cavity was a prison shiv. This particular shiv was a toothbrush with a handle that had been repeatedly melted and ground into a razor sharp point. The next day in the exercise yard I carried "The Secret" with me and when Marcus approached me I opened the book and stabbed him in the neck. The next eight weeks in solitary confinement provided ample time to practice positive visualization and the 16 hours per day of absolute darkness made visualization about the only thing that I actually could do. I'm not sure that everybody's life will be changed in such a dramatic way by this book but I'm very thankful to have found it and will continue to recommend it heartily.

Spiritualized - ATP 10/01/09

Feedback

I know that people are finding this blog.
What do you think?
Any feedback is welcome.
Comments.
Suggestions.

Let me know: monastreet(at)gmail(dot)com

If you like what you find spread the word!

Still life with hat and what was a double JD!

Gira's hat

Èirinn gu bràth

(Photo of Erin at Michael Gira tonight by TimN)
Please excuse the (Scots) pun but as I said to you tonight, grace me with an invite and I shall be there in February!

(WHY DON'T MORE PEOPLE DRAW AT CONCERTS, IT WOULD CERTAINLY STOP THEM FROM TALKING!!!)

Some of us need our beauty sleep!

(Photo:TimN)
Okay that is it for a while. (Just got back from Michael Gira (above) at the Toff.) Please check back over the next couple of days and there will be more photos from the last five days as well as other things(!?!) I promise you will not regret it (but now...this 'gurl' needs her beauty sleep!!!)

Nick Cave - ATP 10/01/09

"I hope you are having a good time, I am, we are as well. Seeing some of the best stuff in the world"

"...thank you for coming, it's a commitment coming up the fucking mountain. I wouldn't have done it."

"...we can't play that one. It's not that good. Some weird rhymes. I was high at the time. Strangely"

(Photos:TimN)

Dirty Three - ATP 9/01/09

Warren Ellis (Dirty Three) - ATP 9/01/09

“...you put your shoes on your hands, and your hat on your feet.. and you’re not even getting any from your old lady… and everything is just fucked.”

Michael Gira - ATP 10/01/09

Following on from Michael Gira's very powerful solo performance at the ATP Festival up at Mount Buller yesterday (photos by TimN) I am really looking forward to catching the whole show tomorrow night at The Toff.

The Grinderman

Nick Cave (Grinderman) - Mt. Buller ATP 9/01/09
(Photo:TimN)

Blogging from the top of the world AKA The Sermon From The Mount!!!

The main stage.

The 'Ampitheatre' stage.

Well live and direct from the ATP festival here in the Victorian (Australia) alpine region...first thing to remember is that it may be summer down at sea level but up here it is bloody freezing as soon as that sun goes down! The organisers must have made a killing last night at the merchandise stall selling ATP hoodies! Though some people must have had the foresight to have looked up the weather info for this area as there were scarves and hats a go-go. However me in my shirt and shorts necessitated a little immediate retail therapy.


Random scribbles so far...no thanx to the Volvo driver who climbed up the mountain slowly and wasn't polite enough to let us pass in one of the designated areas which meant that on my arrival all I caught of James 'Blood' Ulmer was him saying "thank you" and packing away his guitar. The special guests yesterday were Grinderman who were pretty good with Nick Cave also playing keyboards with the Dirty Three and although they were supposed to play 'Ocean Songs' in it's entirety, time restraints meant that not every track was played. As for The Saints last night, I thought that Chris Bailey was a bit of a pompous prick back in '77 and well nothing seems to have changed! After they had played 'I'm Stranded' it was time for me to say goodnight...and bugger the original intention of staying in a little tent, my traveling companion and I snapped up a family size chalet (complete with spa!) further down the mountain and a good nights sleep was had by all.
As for today I have just finished seeing Michael Gira perform and he was really good. I am going to see him again in Melbourne on Monday night and am really looking forward to the whole show.
Anyway enough of this now, I am going to get something to eat and then enjoy the rest of tonight's bill which includes Ed Keupper's 'Laughing Clowns', Spiritualized and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

More tomorrow including photos.

Going - going - gone!!!

Interrupted Transmission

I will be out of the office(!) for a couple of days as after having just been to Spiritualized tonight I am now about to head up to Mt. Buller to go to the ATP Festival.
No doubt I will tell you ALL about it when I return.

Jason Pierce (Spiritualized) and his guitar! - Hi Fi Bar Melbourne 8th January 2009

(Photos by TimN)

Setlist:
Amazing Grace/You Lie You Cheat
Shine A Light
Cheapster
Soul On Fire
Sweet Talk
Sitting On Fire
Walkin' With Jesus
Oh Baby
Rated X
Think I'm In Love
Lay Back In The Sun
Death Take Your Fiddle
Life Is A Problem
Ladies & Gentlemen
She Kissed Me
Come Together
Take Me To The Other Side
-----------------------------
Oh Happy Day

'Walkin' With Jesus'
Warning:Audio is very bassy!

Richard Seaver RIP

Publisher Richard Seaver died earlier this week.
If you have ever read a book(s) in English by William Burroughs, Alex Trocchi, Henry Miller, Hubert Selby, The Marquis de Sade, Jean Genet, Eugene Ionesco or Samuel Beckett etc. or 'The Story of 'O" (which he translated into English) it was due to this man.
'NY Times' obituary here.
PEN obit here.
'The Terror of Words' here. (Which details his connection to Alex Trocchi's early 1950's French magazine 'Merlin' and how Samuel Beckett was published in English for the first time.)

Dream on!

Brion Gysin & William S. Burroughs.

PREZ!

From The Obama Art Report here.

Brian Eno on the Gaza conflict

"It's a tragedy that the Israelis - a people who must understand better than almost anybody the horrors of oppression - are now acting as oppressors. As the great Jewish writer Primo Levi once remarked "Everybody has their Jews, and for the Israelis it's the Palestinians". By creating a middle Eastern version of the Warsaw ghetto they are recapitulating their own history as though they've forgotten it. And by trying to paint an equivalence between the Palestinians - with their homemade rockets and stone-throwing teenagers - and themselves - with one of the most sophisticated military machines in the world - they sacrifice all credibility.

The Israelis are a gifted and resourceful people who fully deserve the right to live in peace, but who seem intent on squandering every chance to allow that to happen. It's difficult to avoid the conclusion that this conflict serves the political and economic purposes of Israel so well that they have every interest in maintaining it. While there is fighting they can continue to build illegal settlements. While there is fighting they continue to receive huge quantities of military aid from the United States. And while there is fighting they can avoid looking candidly at themselves and the ruthlessness into which they are descending.

Gaza is now an experiment in provocation. Stuff one and a half million people into a tiny space, stifle their access to water, electricity, food and medical treatment, destroy their livelihoods, and humiliate them regularly...and, surprise, surprise - they turn hostile. Now why would you want to make that experiment?

Because the hostility you provoke is the whole point. Now 'under attack' you can cast yourself as the victim, and call out the helicopter gunships and the F16 attack fighters and the heavy tanks and the guided missiles, and destroy yet more of the pathetic remains of infrastructure that the Palestinian state still has left. And then you can point to it as a hopeless case, unfit to govern itself, a terrorist state, a state with which you couldn't possibly reach an accommodation.

And then you can carry on with business as usual, quietly stealing their homeland."

From Counterpunch

Spiritualized - You Lie You Cheat

Jason Pierce interviewed by Matt Everitt

Spiritualized - Come Together

The Stooges Live in Cincinnati 1970