the mix I mentioned below can now be downloaded here:
Red Bull Music Academy – London 2010
I’ve not had a chance to write about the Red Bull Music Academy events, or their daily newspaper which is an omission on my part.
I was too knackered to make the now legendary 4 way soundclash between DMZ, Trojan, Soul To Soul and Metalheadz at the Roundhouse last week, but is sounded wicked. Check Laurent’s write up and the only-to-be-expected disagreements in the comments.
You can listen to the four rounds of the clash here (no downloads tho).
The most recent Daily Note includes a nice piece on fanzines which mentions Woofah and says it has: “consistently proved that informed, considered and informative journalism continues to exist outside the internet and mainstream monthly music titles”
Which is the sort of thing which makes it all worthwhile! One for the Woofah Love page I think!
Previous issues of the Daily Note have included a two part piece by Melissa Bradshaw on the history of UK Soundsystem, Dan Hancox on the cops and grime, a cool Weatherall interview and a series of pieces on different areas of London, including Hackney. It’s all available for download as pdfs on the RBMA site.
SUBDUB// Exodus DMZ 4th Birthday
spent last weekend in Leeds, mainly to check out Sub Dub at the West Indian Centre.
Main room is dubstep played through Iration Steppas soundsystem. 2nd room a little more eclectic, and thus where I spent most of my time.
Top bash with Kode9, Heatwave and Mr Grievous Angel turning in some especially excellent sets. Nice crowd also – great to hook up with Matt B again and meet a bunch of other people for the first time.
Frustrated to find that Woofah contributor Ashes57 was also there taking snaps, but we didn’t manage meet!
KEEP PLASTIC PEOPLE ALIVE Petition
Agit Disco 20 by Neil Transpontine « A G I T D I S C O
Agit Disco 20 by Neil Transpontine « A G I T D I S C O
Neil is involved with the Transpontine and History Is Made At Night blogs.
Agit Disco is Stefan Szczelkun’s collaborative series where people make a compilation of their favourite political music and then write a commentary.
Neil’s contribution is great: lots of interesting ruminations on his own political history and culture in general. And some cracking tunes to boot.
my week in boxes
Our fearsome Security Kitty patrols Woofah HQ
I’ve been neglecting the blog recently, but updates have been appearing regularly in the sidebar cos of my new twitter feed. Apologies to all the people who’ve left comments here, especially NagHammadiEye, for my lack of responses…
My suspicion is that short updates and links will appear there from now on and bigger pieces will be blogged. I have mixed feelings about this but it seems like the easiest option with not much time available…
So the new issue of Woofah is being warmly received. All contributor copies have been mailed out now and tonight I will tackle the backlog of orders. London shops will get copies after work tomorrow.
As many of you will know, Woofah was conceived on the dancefloor of BASH – the reggae/grime/dubstep club run by The Bug and Loefah at Plastic People. Plastic People is an awesome venue probably best known for its regular FWD nights – FWD is to dubstep what Metalheadz at the Blue Note was to drum ‘n’ bass I suppose.
Plastic People’s soundsystem and its selection of promotions has made it legendary. I first went there for some nights run by the Manasseh crew which included Sugar Minott and the late Junior Delgado toasting over records selected by folks like Dave Hendley and Manasseh themselves. It was an incredible experience being literally feet away from some reggae legends with the full weight of PP’s soundsystem.
More news on that soon (and the campaign to keep it open), but it should go without saying that I would be gutted if it closed.
As History Is Made At Night has pointed out, this has to be seen in the context of the wider gentrification of the south of Hackney – the City moving slowly north.
WOOFAH #4 OUT NOW!
I can barely believe I’m saying it but the new issue is here and ready to get out to you all!
Believe me it’s worth the wait – up to a massive 92 pages this time and some incredible content that I am completely amazed we managed to secure. And it’s still the same price!
In the shops next week, but you can order direct NOW:
(copies to contributors and allies will be mailed out early next week, or can be got from me in person)
Hackney Heckler #2 – now online!
Hackney Heckler No 2 now available for pdf download | Hackney Solidarity Network.
Check it out folks! All yer news and views from London’s most exciting borough.
Including: Top Ten Hackney Novels centrespread!
the eighteenth and nineteenth gigs I can remember going to
Click here for a complete list of entries in the series “the first 23 gigs I can remember going to”.
18. Butthole Surfers, Loop, The Shrubs. University of London Union, 26th February 1988.
This gig was sold out. A few weeks before there had been a mini-riot outside the Mean Fiddler in Harlesden when a bunch of people were refused entry. So clearly the Buttholes had moved on from being the band that two freaks in every town liked to something larger. I had to buy a ticket off a tout, for fuck’s sake! I think that’s the only time I’ve done that – and luckily it wasn’t stupid money or anything.
I’m pretty sure this one was a solo mission. I remember pre-loading with vodka. I’d started keeping a half bottle hidden at the bottom of my wardrobe, which I drank neat – presumably because I was trying to kid myself I was some kind of hard-bitten decadent libertine or something. In my rush to get to the venue and secure a ticket I skipped dinner. Which is obviously about as rock ‘n’ roll as it gets, right?
So I was probably a bit wasted, which I think you’ll all agree is the optimum condition for seeing the Butthole Surfers. And yes, the irony of coming up to London to go to a gig at a University whilst I was stuck retaking my ‘A’ Levels wasn’t lost on me either.
Loop were like the noisier brothers of Spacemen 3. Wal mentioned this to one of the Spacemen at a later gig and they went a bit mental and derided Loop for ripping them off. A point I can kind of relate to, but it’s not like the various influences were particularly obscure or anything. I was well toasted by the time they came on anyway. Lost myself in the wall of psych-droning, eyes closed. Very cathartic and much needed.
I was feeling a bit wobblier by the time the Butthole Surfers took to the stage. I’d probably filled up the time by having a few beers and still not bothering to eat. The blast of strobes and smoke was initially very welcome, but I started to wobble further when the film reels started. A penis reconstruction video shown backwards on a 30 foot high screen is actually a film of a 30 foot high penis being taken to bits, right? It suddenly seemed very hot in there…
I staggered out of the auditorium and collapsed on some steps, blacking out momentarily. I came round to see a girl with her head in her hands next to me. I asked her if she was OK, more out of trying to overcome my own embarrassment than any genuine concern. She was OK, or at least OK enough to get the message across that she didn’t want any more attention from some pissed teenager who had just fallen down next to her.
I can’t remember much after that, I guess I got some water and went back in to catch the rest of it.
The “inky” music papers like the NME and Melody Maker ran gossip columns at the time. I remember cringing when the next editions came out and one of them included something along the lines of “several people were sick and one bloke fainted at the ULU Butthole Surfers gig last week”. I should have kept that cutting – definitely one for the scrapbook. Of course, at the time I felt acutely awkward about it all and didn’t tell a soul.
There was also a review of the gig in the Daily Telegraph which made my dad laugh a lot, so he stuck it up in the kitchen. My Mum made him take it down. An all too rare bit of cross-generational bonding in our house, which proves that stupid band names can create harmony!
19. Spacemen 3. Dingwalls, 28th March 1988.
I made sure I had me tea this time. Kentish Town is about six stops down the line from St Albans so I was there well early and just walked in.
The venue was pretty much deserted, so I sat down and looked unobtrusive. I prepared various scenarios in my head in case my presence was challenged: fanzine writer, friend of the band, meeting someone, not speaking any English, all that stuff. None of that was likely to work, but luckily I didn’t need to test my Jedi skills of persuasion at all. It was a simple case of waiting around – and being in Dingwalls with various people setting up was much better than being at home.
The venue slowly filled and Spacemen 3 were amazing once again. At some point during their set I looked around to see two pissed blokes fighting, which was a bit of a surprise given most of the turnout was floppy-headed indie shoegazer types.
No ticket for this one, obviously. Blagging into gigs, fainting at gigs, not exactly acquitting myself with honour at this point…
How the Met tries to banish grime from London’s clubs
Red Bull Music Academy – London 2010 – Blog.
From rooftops to chart-topping, the music’s never been more popular, nor harder to hear in public. Dan Hancox on the Met’s attempt to banish grime from the capital’s clubs.
Great stuff as usual from Dan.