Sunday Bits

With no News of the World, I hereby offer my own Sunday paper, or to be more exact, Sunday Screen.

Well, a few days ago I heard the news that The Raincoats were to be called upon to present Johnny Rotten with a Lifetime's Achievement Award from Mojo Magazine (incidentally, the only music mag that I buy and read in spite of the fact that their marketing department assumes that Dr Reddington is a man, see past postings for hilarious phone conversation with young man who should know better!)
Gina found this exciting and amusing in equal measure; I find it perplexing that the mag should simultaneously honour the band by asking them to do it, while insulting them by never running a feature on them.
Are they too frightened? I hereby lay down the challenge!!!!

Next up... a funny conversation by some shop assistants (sorry, sales staff) overheard in Iceland:
Girl to male colleague: 'Pooh, that aftershave smells a bit strong!'
Other male colleague: 'Yeah man, I can taste it from here!'

Then to last night's Rrrants gig at the Camden Eye, mercifully not as over-stuffed as they are sometimes. The collective always has a spot-on selection of acts and this night was devoted to female performers, poets, comedians and singers. What struck me was the relaxed and gentle delivery of the older women; I am not sure whether this is because I am one, but I find everything more appealing if it has a warm heart, even unappealing subject matter, if that makes sense.
For this reason I thoroughly enjoyed Joolz's set. Hers was the poetry I wanted to see or hear again, because it was not designed for those with short attention spans. There was poetry there, actually: words you could feel, eat, smell, whatever, delivered with a sense of rediscovery and fizzling semi-suppressed anger.
I am being a bit lazy in not reviewing the others (I should be in Epping performing at a campsite but I am not); they were very good and raw and funny! You can trust the Rrrants Collective's judgement: there is more tonight at the Camden Eye or look at their site www.rrrants.com
I enjoyed playing: they have moved the stage area so you can play to streams of traffic (including blaring emergency vehicles of every description) heading straight at you, one floor down. Headlights, traffic lights, ads, bustle, noise: it's Camden in all its seedy glory. Pissed-up youths sang along noisily to dance tracks downstairs, but everyone upstairs was listening in an oasis of disrupted calm. Voices from various collective members joined in on the choruses of my songs and the set went by in a dream, one of those gigs where in your head you return to where you were when you first wrote the song, and adventure in memory.
Viv was headlining and the audience had been joined earlier by members of the Vibrators and New Model Army. Her guitar was a star, walloping the audience with nasty riffs and humorously flowing punctuation. Viv is a great player. It takes a lot of rehearsal to be that fluid and to edit out all the crap; there are no unnecessary notes in her playing, and no unnecessary lyrics in her songs. After seeing her a few times, this was an opportunity to listen properly to her lyrics, and yet again I felt that she should be given on prescription to teenage girls, middle-aged mums and seeking elders to show them that there is another side to the gloriously dull prison of housewifeland with all its shiny white buzzing equipment and Daily Mail-demarcated rules.
The night finished with an energetic song by Paul and Ian, rewarding the loyalty of an audience some of whom had been there since 5 p.m.- now that's commitment!

Line-up and Times

10.30pm VIV ALBERTINE 
9.55pm HELEN McCOOKERYBOOK
9.25pm JOOLZ DENBY
9.00pm Kit Richardson
8.35pm Mary Spender
8.25pm Mel Jones
8.00pm Dodobones
7.35pm Helen Arney
7.10pm Jammie Sammy 
6.45pm Lanre
6.30pm Sola
6.00pm Betty Steeles
5.35pm Miss Jo Williams
5.25pm Victoria Laxton Bass 

Saturday Night (Tomorrow) at the Camden Eye

It's the Rrrants Diva festival tomorrow: Viv Albertine is headlining and I am playing too.
At the Camden Eye (upstairs) next to Camden tube, in a good cause (poetry books for schools), and only £3.00 to get in!

Drawing

I spent almost the whole afternoon drawing after McSis came to brunch.
I'm drawing more spoof sheet music with my own version of what notation should look like (I can read it perfectly and I think all the big music publishers should copy me).
I thought that I had nearly finished and then I realised that I had made a book with only one page apart from the front and back covers.
There is a solution (ain't there always if you look for one?) which I shall put into operation later today, after schlepping to Docklands to pick up some Women Out of Line books to sell at tomorrow's gig (upstairs at the Camden Eye with Viv Albertine and other woman artists) and having a cup of coffee with Lucinda Sieger, the first woman to sing live on Top of the Pops.
What does one wear on a day like that? Hmmm.....

On Being Helen Reddington

My alter-ego is bringing out a new paperback version of The Lost Women of Rock Music: female musicians of the punk era on October 1st, published by Equinox.
And she has also contributed to this:

                      http://www.NetworkAwesome.com

Network Awesome has curated 30 shows containing almost 400 video clips to explore the role women have played in Punk music from the 70's to today. With rare interviews and concerts, videos, documentaries and feature films, Network Awesome broadcasts a compelling week of TV designed to entertain and provoke.

Network Awesome Magazine also pulls out all the stops with feature articles and interviews with many of the leading figures of the day such as Alice Bag and Gudrun Gut, with essays by Dr. Helen Reddington, Jessica Hopper, Kathryn Fischer, Candace McDuffie and more.

Images and video for re-posting and blogging are attached. 
All shows, video clips, and articles are free to be re-posted.



We are a new online TV network that programs 4-6 hours of daily programing.  All our content is curated from You Tube and our innovative system stitches the various links together and presents it linearly to the viewer. Sure, that's innovative - but our programming is the main feature and it's exquisitely entertaining and fun! 

We feature an extensive digital Magazine with more than 60 writers commenting on fascinating media.  Network Awesome has been up and running since January 1, 2011 and has been featured in NYTimes, BoingBoing, Dangerous Minds and many others.

Upcoming Network Awesome specials include:
- The Cremaster Cycle by Matthew Barney July 25-29
- The Films of Paul Grimault July 23rd
- Nuke P*rn Weekend: Aug 6&7
- Early Japanese Animation Aug 8-12

The Women Of Punk - July 18-22, 2011:

MONDAY
Live Music Show - The Women of Punk vol. 1  (article by Jessica Hopper)
Collection of Clips showcasing the varied women of Punk.

Doc - The Runaways
Recent interviews with many of The Runaways looking back on the wild times of the past.

Jem and the Holograms - The Beginning (pending interview with series creator Christy Marx)
Slyly subversive 1984 cartoon about rival good vs evil all-girl punk bands.

Doc - Siouxsie and the Banshees

Archival interviews and concert footage from all eras of the iconic singer and group.

L7 - the Beauty Process
Amazingly weird film about L7 made by Nirvana Bassist Krist Novoselic.

Vivienne Dick - Beauty Becomes the Beast
No-Wave art film shot on Super-8 and preoccupied with female sexuality, relationships and 'transgressive behaviour'. Staring Lydia Lunch, Lizzy Mercier, Klaus Nomi.

TUESDAY
Live Music Show - The Women of Punk vol. 2 (article by Kathryn Fischer aka Mad Kate )
Collection of Clips showcasing the varied women of Punk.

Doc - Who is Poly Styrene?
Documentary on British musician, songwriter and singer for the punk rock band X-Ray Spex.

Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (G.L.O.W.)
Special feature on "Hollywood and Vine", "Dementia", and a few more of the Punk villains of GLOW.

Talk Show - Punk Women
Collected interviews from: Wendy O. Williams (Plasmatics), Ari Up (The Slits), Lydia Lunch (Teenage Jesus and the Jerks), Penelope Houston (Avengers), Gee Vaucher (Crass) & Cherie Currie (The Runaways).

Collection - 60 minutes with Kate Bush
Rare interviews, concert footage, and videos from this iconoclastic artist.

Red Aunts - Saltbox
In 1995, Red Aunts shot homemade videos for every song on their "Saltbox" album. These are the shambolic results.


WEDNESDAY
Live Music Show - The Women of Punk vol. 3 (article by Dr. Helen Reddington)
Collection of Clips showcasing the varied women of Punk.

The Bags - Live in Hollywood 1978 (Interview with Alice Bag from The Bags)
Entire legendary concert shot on VHS. Watch Tom Waits get punched in the face!

Jem and the Holograms - Video Wars

A particularly cutting episode of the cartoon series.

Collection: Girls Bite Back
Startling interviews and live performances from an almost-lost 1984 documentary by Wolfgang Büld. Features Malaria!, Nina Hagen, Liliput, The Slits, and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Doc - Coup D´Etat: Re-socializing Gender Roles
Follows cutting edge female musicians, comic book artists, film-makers and performance artists to convey how artistic expression continues to be used as a tool to create social change while articulating the problems of American society. Produced & Directed by T. Khyentse James, 2008 and features Kathleen Hanna, Miranda July, Sharon Jones and many others.

Live Music Show - The Women of Punk (2000 - present)
Collection of Clips showcasing the varied women of Punk as it's manifested today. 
Features Bikini Kill, Team Dresch, Cobra Killer, Finally Punk, Erase Errata, All Girl Summer Fun Band, Mika Miko, Vivian Girls, The Need, Bleach03.


THURSDAY
Live Music Show - The Women of Punk vol. 4
Collection of Clips showcasing the varied women of Punk.

Collection: Gudrun Gut + Malaria (Interview with Gudrun Gut)
Historic fixture in the German punk & industrial scene and influential radio show host and runs 2 women-centric record labels.

Collection: Vivienne WestwoodInterviews with the British fashion designer largely responsible for bringing punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.

Collection: A Brief History Of Peaches (article by Candace McDuffie)
Rare interviews, concert appearances and getting to the bottom of "Peaches Christ Superstar".

Doc - The Gits
The Gits were a promising band from Seattle, poised to explode on the national scene when powerful singer Mia Zapata was brutally raped and murdered. This is a heartbreaking look at the band and the aftermath of Mia's murder.

Movie - Lovedolls Superstar
1986 indie movie following the all-girl punk band The Lovedolls, features cameos by a wealth of indie rock heroes like Jello Biafra, Redd Kross and Sky Saxon.


FRIDAY
Live Music Show - The Women of Punk vol. 5
Collection of Clips showcasing the varied women of Punk.

Doc - Blondie
Brutal documentary tracing the ups and downs of this great band that just happens to include Debbie Harry.

Patti Smith Live - Rockpalast 1979
April 22, 1979 special on the Patti Smith Group filmed live on German TV's "Rockpalast" show. 13 songs in glorious color.

Vivienne Dick: She Had Her Gun Already (1978) (Interview with Vivienne Dick)
No Wave art film shot on Super-8 and starring Lydia Lunch and Pat Place.

Trailer Trash: The Women Of Punk

Compilation of Movie Trailers focusing on our week's subject. Includes the films: Times Square 1980, She's A Punk Rocker UK, Tank Girl, Liquid Sky and many more.

Movie - Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (feature article)
This excellent film shows Diane Lane as an angry teen who starts a punk band and attracts a cult following. The film was a flop at the time, but re-runs on TV influenced the Riot Girl movement. Also includes a behind the scenes documentary.



VIDEOS
Network Awesome Salutes the Women Of Punk - July 18-22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzzXG4T19bk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuxiFy2l9-0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GBL57vLhbU 

Skating Backwards

Gina had some ice skating vouchers and we skated today at the Queensway Rink: both of us were a trifle rusty (we used to go regularly about a year ago).
I watched a woman show a young man how to skate backwards, and started to have a go.
She skated over and told me how to do it... and very slowly, I began to inch backwards... and now I know how to do it!
I will have to practice, because I am so slow, and you need strong legs. But I was delighted and whizzed forwards with renewed excitement for the last five minutes of skate-time before we went off for coffee and pastries (to replace the lost calories after all that exercise!)

Overheard in Robert Dyas Hardware Store: a Surreal Oh Susannah Moment

"I've brought this doorbell back, I want to exchange it... it plays 'Banjo on my Knee', and then three minutes later, it plays 'Banjo on my Knee', and then three minutes later, it plays 'Banjo on my Knee' again.
I don't like 'Banjo on my Knee'. I wanted a different song.... I want a different doorbell!".

Once Upon A Band

King Slug of Barnet

Tina Weymouth

I was very kindly offered an interview with Tina Weymouth before the Tom Tom Club gig at the Jazz Cafe in Camden yesterday.
She is a very articulate person, and also very warm and forthcoming: so I think you could say, the ideal interviewee. There is lots to transcribe, all of it interesting and relevant to the field of research I'm doing at the moment. Many thanks to Jenny, who organised it!
So on to the gig: Gina Birch came as my plus one and we smiled and bopped our way through the evening, alongside a very appreciative crowd who sang along heartily. The band is testament to Tina and Chris (her partner and drummer) who have an open attitude to musicianship; lead vocals were shared out between all of the band including Chris and a feisty additional female vocalist who played guitar on several numbers. It was refreshing to see such an ego-less performance from a band who have generated endless inspiration through copious use of their music as samples, and a woman who invented possibly one of the most influential bass lines ever. Back in the seventies, female bassplayers fell into three categories: the reggae girls, the Stranglers Peaches girls, and the Psycho Killer girls. I was one of the latter, and even today I feel quite overcome to have not only been able to do the interview but also to see the band in action. We spent part of the time talking about 'the groove'; this was very much in evidence last night and I'm just about to log on to Amazon to buy their latest album, a live set recorded at their house and a collection of remixes of their best known stuff.
Photo by Frank ('by name and by nature'), Tom Tom Club's tour manager who used also to work for Suzi Quatro!

Hats

It's a serious issue with this teasy weather.
I have the perfect rainy-weather hat, but inside it says 'Do not wear in rainy weather'.
I have a sun-hat that says it is made of paper and will dissolve when wet (the sun just came out for five minutes).
Wooly hats will sponge up as much drizzle as they can.
I guess it's gonna be a supermarket bag, rolled up and inverted.
Thank God the Offsprogs have gone to their Nan's for the day!

I am going on a secret mission today. Tell you when I get back.

Deadheadz

I roadied for Martin yesterday, driving him to deepest Kent for a small private festival organised by a group of people who started off as Grateful Dead fans.
That part of Kent (somewhere east and north of Hastings) is liberally sprinkled with huge and beautiful Elizabethan mansions and cherry farms. Having lived and worked in Sussex in the 1980s, I always feel a little uneasy in these gorgeous English rural villages, which back then hosted small and efficient National Front enclaves.
Who knows what lurks behind the wisteria?
The festival goers, however, were friendly and relaxed. They wandered round with sausages and cider, and watched Martin's set tapping sandalled feet and smiling into their beards (the men, I mean!).

The venerated guitarist and songwriter Nick Harper was there; he is a total gentleman, not only carrying our guitar cases over to the stage for us but also refusing to let a tall and brusque festival organiser interrupt a conversation we were having, making sure we carried on talking despite the interruption. He and Martin have many friends in common and Martin invited him up to play on a couple of songs, which he did with skill and aplomb, locking in straight away to what he was playing. I have learned The Cannonball Rag to accompany him, and we played that and a couple of others together before sitting on a bale of hay and eating festival food under a scented lime tree.
Poor festival-goers, it's chucking it down with rain. I hope it clears up for them later.
And I got home to find that the central heating has broken down again.

Plumbers and Slugs

The household theme of the summer is plumbers and slugs; the fifth plumber is on his second day, wrestling with a boiler that has invented a problem that even the manufacturers are totally stymied by.
Not being a heating engineer, the only way I can describe it is 'glugging'.
'It shouldn't do that', said the plumber. 'No, no', I agreed, rubbing my chin with my hand knowledgeably, a pencil tucked empathetically behind my ear.
So he's coming back, yet again, this afternoon.

And the other... oh, I can hardly bear to write the word! Where do they come from? Like a new type of cuisine, or perhaps the Australian Cane Toad phenomenon or Japanese Knotweed, enormous orange slugs the size of Porkinson Bangers are expiring all over the garden (for verily, I am a slug-pelleter).
They are HIDEOUS and they are TERRIFYING: too huge for birds and toads (although one disappeared the other day: have I inadvertently slug-pelleted the toad?)
I have never seen the like before. The first lot even had green rims. Do you think they could be edible? Could I roll them in flour and tempura batter and serve them up to my guests as a new delicacy, Deep-Fried Pacific Rim Tangerine Garden Boys?

Result!

I feel as proud as anyone could be over the achievements of the sweet sixteen- the songwriters who took a leap of faith on Friday and ended up with some pretty damn good song recordings on Monday and Tuesday. I can't wait to hear the final mixes. I feel like I have borrowed the body of a very elderly woman and at any given hour of the day I have at least one of the very catchy songs charging through my brain at a rate of knots. But tomorrow, I will have fully recovered. I miss them all already.
Hats off to The Premises Studio for dreaming up the idea!
I have been asked to do it again: thankfully, not tomorrow, but possibly in the cold wastes of January.
I'm not going to blog about what happened; that is between myself and the sixteen, the house band The Daintees (augmented by Phoebe on keyboards/piano) and our visitors Romeo, Green and Paulette.

Why not come along next time?
Photo of Helen (producer) and Jason (engineer) by Martin Stephenson

Phew

3 eight-hour days with 16 songwriting students down, two to go, see you Wednesday x