Sunday 8 February 2009
Hell on Earth
UPDATE: 65 confirmed dead.
UPDATE: 'Worst day in history' Vic fires kill 14
Police expect the death toll to surpass 40.
All 14 of the confirmed deaths were in towns northwest of Melbourne - six people in one car were killed at Kinglake, four died at Wandong, three at Strathewen and one in Clonbinane.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said police would be able to undertake a more thorough search of burnt-out properties on Sunday with the fire in the area under control and cooler conditions.
"This is an absolute tragedy for the state and we believe the figure may even get worse," Mr Walshe told reporters late on Saturday.
"We base that on the fact we're only just getting into these areas now... to search buildings and properties these have been very very significant fires... the figure could get into the 40s."
Police spokesman Senior Constable Wayne Wilson said the clarification on a final death toll would take time.
"We have the official toll at 14. Obviously under the conditions we expect it to go higher, (but) we've got to go through these places in the daylight, where we can search them properly," he told ABC Radio.
"These sort of situations it does take time for clarification to come through... particularly when you are dealing with death.
"We do it as quickly as we can but we've got to do it in a methodical and accurate way."
Meanwhile, the bushfire burning around Kilmore was continuing to cause concern early on Sunday morning, despite a cool change moving in.
The Country Fire Authority (CFA) said the Kilmore East fire, burning in the Yarra Valley near Kinglake, was burning in a northeasterly direction.
The CFA said the wind change at 7.30pm (AEDT) on Saturday produced strong southwesterly gusts, moving the fire activity to a northeastern direction.
Weather conditions have turned favourable overnight and expected to continue to moderate.
But the CFA has warned communities of Kinglake, Kinglake West, Toolangie, Glenburn, Strathewen, Chum Creek, Dixons Creek, Castella, Pheasant Creek, Doreen, Yan Yean, Woodstock, Mernda, Mittons Bridge, Hurstbridge, St Andrews, Panton Hills, Arthurs Creek, Smiths Gully, Christmas Hills, Healesville, Yarra Glen, Coldstream, Tarrawarra and Steels Creek have been and may be directly impacted upon by this fire.
Saturday 7 February 2009
47 degrees of perspiration
Not only stinking hot but also a northerly wind coming straight from the central land mass that brought with it so much soil dust that at times reached 80 kms an hour!.
Also the whole sky was just filled with smoke all day.
The change eventually came through and tomorrow looks like being a much cooler day.
Thank god!
At least 30,000 hectares burnt out, started around 4km east of Kilmore and winds pushed it 30km to the east through Whittlesea, Wandong and into Kinglake. Was also threatening Broadford late Saturday night.
There are reports just in that it is feared that the death toll could be as high as 40.
Obama changes tone
“I don’t care whether you’re driving a hybrid or an SUV,” he said. "If you’re headed for a cliff, you have to change direction. That’s what the American people called for in November, and that’s what we intend to deliver.”..."
Full Story from 'Politico' here.
Friday 6 February 2009
"I have the key to the mysteries of all things wanted, and here it is: Doo dum dum ..."
(Photo TimN)
Start here on May 11, 2008 at the Fredericton Playhouse Canada and keep following the links and you will get reviews/setlists and videos of every concert of this world tour that brought us to this point.
My thoughts on this truly profound experience (and that is not a word that I often use in regards to this crazy thing called rock'n'roll I can assure you) will hopefully appear here tomorrow.
לא נראה כמוך שוב
Leonard Cohen - Melbourne 5/02/09
In case you are wondering the Hebrew reads 'we will not see your like again' (I hope).
Setlist
Leonard Cohen - vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboard.
Roscoe Beck - bass, double bass, background vocals
Neil Larsen - keyboards, Hammond B3, accordion
Bob Metzger - guitar, steel guitar, background vocals
Javier Mas - bandurria, laud, archilaud
Rafael Bernardo Gayol - drums, percussion
Dino Soldo - keyboard, saxophone, wind instruments, dobro, background vocals
Sharon Robinson - vocals, shaker
Hattie Webb - vocals, harp
Charley Webb - vocals, guitar
Thanx to Crimpies over at the Leonard Cohen forum for the setlist.
Leonard Cohen - Rod Laver Arena Melbourne February 5 2009
(Photo by TimN)
Just returned home from this amazing, uplifting and truly inspiring concert.
"You came to me this morning
And you handled me like meat.
You´d have to be a man to know
How good that feels, how sweet.
My mirror twin, my next of kin,
I´d know you in my sleep.
And who but you would take me in
A thousand kisses deep?
I loved you when you opened
Like a lily to the heat.
I´m just another snowman
Standing in the rain and sleet,
Who loved you with his frozen love
His second-hand physique -
With all he is, and all he was
A thousand kisses deep.
All soaked in sex, and pressed against
The limits of the sea:
I saw there were no oceans left
For scavengers like me.
We made it to the forward deck
I blessed our remnant fleet -
And then consented to be wrecked
A thousand kisses deep.
I know you had to lie to me,
I know you had to cheat.
But the Means no longer guarantee
The Virtue in Deceit.
That truth is bent, that beauty spent,
That style is obsolete -
Ever since the Holy Spirit went
A thousand kisses deep.
(So what about this Inner Light
That´s boundless and unique?
I´m slouching through another night
A thousand kisses deep.)
I´m turning tricks; I´m getting fixed,
I´m back on Boogie Street.
I tried to quit the business -
Hey, I´m lazy and I´m weak.
But sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go
A thousand kisses deep.
(And fragrant is the thought of you,
The file on you complete -
Except what we forgot to do
A thousand kisses deep.)
The ponies run, the girls are young,
The odds are there to beat.
You win a while, and then it´s done -
Your little winning streak.
And summoned now to deal
With your invincible defeat,
You live your life as if it´s real
A thousand kisses deep.
(I jammed with Diz and Dante -
I did not have their sweep -
But once or twice, they let me play
A thousand kisses deep.)
And I´m still working with the wine,
Still dancing cheek to cheek.
The band is playing "Auld Lang Syne" -
The heart will not retreat.
And maybe I had miles to drive,
And promises to keep -
You ditch it all to stay alive
A thousand kisses deep.
And now you are the Angel Death
And now the Paraclete;
And now you are the Savior's Breath
And now the Belsen heap.
No turning from the threat of love,
No transcendental leap -
As witnessed here in time and blood
A thousand kisses deep."
Thursday 5 February 2009
Lux Interior - RIP
Erick Lee Purkhiser
(October 21, 1948 - February 4, 2009)
Lead singer of The Cramps.
The Official Statement (from Girlie Action, The Cramps’ media representatives):
For Immediate Release:
February 4, 2009
Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, passed away this morning due to an existing heart condition at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California at 4:30 AM PST today. Lux has been an inspiration and influence to millions of artists and fans around the world. He and wife Poison Ivy’s contributions with The Cramps have had an immeasurable impact on modern music.
The Cramps emerged from the original New York punk scene of CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, with a singular sound and iconography. Their distinct take on rockabilly and surf along with their midnight movie imagery reminded us all just how exciting, dangerous, vital and sexy rock and roll should be and has spawned entire subcultures. Lux was a fearless frontman who transformed every stage he stepped on into a place of passion, abandon, and true freedom. He is a rare icon who will be missed dearly.
The family requests that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.
Get the Ohio 1979 demos here.
Finally this will get you a whole heap of goodies!!!
Great fan site here.
I wanna leave a happy memory
when I go, I wanna leave something
to let the whole world know,
that the rock in roll daddy has
a done passed on, but my bones
will keep a rockin' long after I've gone
Roll on
Rock on
Raw Bones
Well I still got all the rythem in these
Rockin' Bones
Well when I die don't you burry
me at all, Just nail my bonesup on
the wall, Beneath these bones let
these words be seen, "This is the
bloody gears of a
boppin' machine"
Roll on
Rock on
Raw Bones
Well I still got all the rythem in these
Rockin' Bones
BIG thanx to Luke & Bella for passing on the sad news.
J.G. Ballard - Crash (Directed by Harley Cokliss 1971 Starring J.G. Ballard & Gabrielle Drake)
NARRATOR: In slow motion, the test cars moved towards each other on collision courses, unwinding behind them the coils that ran to the metering devices by the impact zone. As they collided the debris of wings and fender floated into the air. The cars rocked against each as they continued on their disintegrating courses. In the passenger seats the plastic models transcribed graceful arcs into the buckling roofs and windshields. Here and there a passing fender severed a torso. The air behind the cars was a carnival of arms and legs.
NARRATOR: Her ungainly transit across the passenger seat through the nearside door. The overlay of her knees with the metal door flank. The conjunction of the aluminized gutter trim with the volumes of her thighs. The crushing of her left breast by the door frame, and its self extension as she continued to rise. The movement of her left hand across the chromium trim of the right headlamp assembly. Her movements distorted in the projecting carapace of the bonnet. The jut and rake of her pubis as she sits in the driver’s seat. The soft pressure of her thighs against the rim of the steering wheel.
- J.G. Ballard in ‘Crash!’ (1971; dir. Harley Cokliss).
NARRATOR: Regaining consciousness, she stared at the blood on her legs. The heavy liquid pulled at her skirt. The bruise under her left breast reached behind her sternum, seizing like a hand at her heart. She sat up, lifting herself from the broken steering wheel, uncertain for a moment whether the car windshield had been fractured. Against her forehead the strands of blood formed a torn veil. Above her knees, her hand moved towards the door lever. As she watched, the door opened and she fell out. Lifting herself, she held tightly to the car, feeling the pressure of the door slip against her hand. Turning, she stared at the waiting figure of the man she knew to be Dr Tallis.
- Gabrielle Drake in ‘Crash!’ (1971; dir. Harley Cokliss).
NB: Gabrielle Drake is Nick Drake's sister.
More Ballard here.
Inspired by Ballard's 'Crash' this was by Daniel Miller and was the first release from Mute Records.
Wednesday 4 February 2009
Oh dear, oh dear!!!
Serge Gainsbourg 2008 exhibition - Paris
Please note that this exhibition has been extended until March 15th.
Pete Doherty faces eviction
Tuesday 3 February 2009
There She Blows – Have The La's Ruined Lithuania's Eurovision Chances?
"Though nothing's been officially confirmed yet, news reaches us from NME's Eastern European division that Lithuania is currently in the midst of a musical crisis involving this year's Eurovision Song Contest entrant and… The La's.
As is customary for most, if not all, Eurovision-participating countries (I don't know, I keep well away from this stuff usually), Lithuania is in the process of choosing its song and performer for the competition via a public TV vote. What makes this year's competition noteworthy is the song by Deivis – a catchy little number called 'Lietuva'. Impressively, the tune scored maximum points in the quarter final heats earlier this month, making it the hot-favourite to go on and be the country's official entry.
Even better than that, though, is that it appears to have been stolen hook, line and sinker from The La's 'There She Goes'. Weirdly, nobody seemed to notice this until it had been performed in front of millions of people on TV. From what we can tell from these news reports (both written in Lithuanian), after 'Leituva' was performed, various viewers alerted Eurovision organisers that the song was just a tiny bit similar to 'There She Goes'. Annoyingly, most of the subsequent reports seem to credit Sixpence None The Richer with the song (in actual fact they butchered it), rather than elusive La's mainman Lee Mavers. It seems an investigation into the similarities is being carried out by some Eurovision suits, and Deivis is waiting to find out if he's been kicked out of the competition or not.
All of which is loads more entertaining than getting Andrew Lloyd Webber involved (as we have here in the UK) has been. Have a listen to 'Lietuva' for yourself. I quite like it actually. It's even got a key change before the end. Didn't think of that, did ya Mavers?"
Steve Lillywhite, Mike Hedges & John Leckie.
The Bureau of Public Secrets
Technical Notes on Debord's First Three Films
http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
Letter about Debord's Film "On the Passage of a Few Persons..."
http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
Original Announcement of Debord's Film "The Society of the Spectacle"
http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
The Use of Stolen Films
http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
The Themes of Debord's Film "In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni"
http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
Instructions to the "In girum" Sound Engineer
http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
Debord Chronology
http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
Debord Filmography
http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
Texts Relating to Debord's Films
http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
* * *
See also Guy Debord's "COMPLETE CINEMATIC WORKS", translated and edited by Ken Knabb and published by AK Press, which includes the scripts to all six of Debord's films plus 62 illustrations and extensive annotations
http://www.bopsecrets.org/cat.
For online excerpts from the filmscripts, along with the latest information on the films themselves, see
http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
Knabb's translation of Debord's "The Society of the Spectacle" is online at http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
The Situationist International Anthology is online at
http://www.bopsecrets.org/SI/
Thanx to Ken Knabb for all the links.
Too True
1 Chris Bailey
2 Chris Bailey
3 Chris Bailey
4 Kate Cerebrano (sic) from I'm Talking ( but she's a religious nutter and can't help it)
5 Courtney Love ( but Kurt had just died)
Great gig though..god bless Ed Kuepper
Big Ern xxx
Melbourne Australia
A comment left at 'That Striped Sunlight Sound' here.
Monday 2 February 2009
Sunday 1 February 2009
New album from Pete Doherty 'Grace/Wasteland' due on March 24
You can also download his diaries here and don't forget his sage advice here.
Set for release March 2009
1. Arcadie
2. Last of the English Roses
3. 1939 Returning
4. A Little Death Around the Eyes
5. Salome
6. Through the Looking Glass
7. Sweet By and By
8. Palace of Bone
9. Sheepskin Tearaway
10. Broken Love Song
11. New Love Grows on Trees
12. Lady, Don’t Fall Backwards
(13. B-Side I Am The Rain)
UPDATE: Three tracks from the album are available to download from 'Our Iron Lung' blog here.
Saturday 31 January 2009
Piece
The post the other day of the complete recordings of Turkey Bones & The Wild Dogs was inspired by recently meeting a bloke who it turned out was from Perth in Scotland.
When I was told this I casually mentioned that the only people I knew from that part of the world were the members of Turkey Bones (Scotty-vocals, Arab-bass, Herman-drums and Piece- guitar).
Dennis then mentioned that the last time he had been back home he had run into Piece at a Rezillos gig and you can see the resulting photo above.
I was trying to think when I first met Piece and it must have been 1977 or 78. From memory I seem to recall that he was a gas fitter and the house that I was living in at the time needed some work done.
At the time I was living right beside Alexandra Palace in North London and was hanging with a bunch of crazy guys who were mostly from Scotland and Liverpool who were all living in Muswell Hill.
I remember that Piece was sharing a house with Nik (from Alien Sex Fiend) and Razzle who would go on to drum with Hanoi Rocks before being killed when he was in a car that was being driven by Motley Crue's singer Vince Neill crashed.
TBC
Friday 30 January 2009
John Martyn - 1948 - 2009 R.I.P.
Story from the 'BBC' here.
More John Martyn here and here and this will give you one of his best songs.
".....was just in the kitchen at lunchtime eating a sandwich with ben, when the news came on radio 4 that john martyn had died today....now this couldn't truly be said to be "shocking" news, in the true sense of the word, but still, what a sad day....i remember the first night i met ben, over in the student union building, and we had a few drinks in the bar and then went back to his student bedroom....and of course the first thing i did was to rifle through his record collection, and discovered that we had precisely TWO records in common (vic godard, and the durutti column)....at which point he pulled out an album i had never even heard OF, let alone heard, and it was john martyn's solid air.....ben had only arrived in hull earlier that afternoon, same as me, but he'd already re-arranged his room to suit his preferences....the desk, that item you might imagine being central to a student's bedroom, if not very existence, he had stashed away safely out of sight on top of the wardrobe, and in its place now stood an old, battered trunk with a record deck on top, and to either side a huge pair of speakers, the like of which i hadn't seen before....on went solid air, and it filled the room, and that was that.....the first record we listened to together, cheers to you john martyn, bless you and the weather....xx"
(Tracey Thorn)
Thursday 29 January 2009
Turkey Bones & The Wild Dogs
RAYMOND/AIRCRAFT CARRIER/HELICOPTER MAN
1984 McKechnie Gramophone Records
MAC 1/12
FEEL THE PURPLE HILLS/PLANE CRASH/SNAKE/CHEROKEE NATION/SHAKE/MOTORBIKE
1985 ace records
Ned 13