“Sup motherfuckers. Some people would consider it sacrilege to talk over such a song like this, well I say I don't care - I got this best of Faithless CD for Christmas. You may have guessed since I've been playing it on every post. Um, I got it off my brother, I also got a bunch of beer off my brother, which makes me feel pretty bad, because it's way more than I got him. On the other hand he's the one who makes lots more money, so, whatever. Yeah he got me like 4 beers, and I've just drunk two of them. They were from various countries, from India, China, the US and Australia. And I've just drunk the two Asi-no I've not I've just drunk the Australian one and the Indian one. They were quite nice. I felt it was a drinking time. Just because, I'm not particularly depressed - that sounds like I'm kinda depressed - I'm not depressed, I'm okay I guess! Is that because of drinking? Anyway forget it.
So it's the 28th - well 29th now technically - and normally at this time of year (if you've been reading my journal) I've come up with a new journal title by now, normally at least a month beforehand, and I've been plugging it to get you all to add it. Of course some people don't, that's cause they're not active or they've had enough of reading me which is fine. It's all part of the Livejournal experience, which is like a microcosm of the whole life experience. People get on your wagon, people fall off it. Um, not like I am as addictive as alcohol, but anyway (or nearly as pleasant). Umm, yeah I'm having trouble thinking of a name, um so please be patient with me, and uh add it when I come up with it. I guess I'm tir- uh I don't I'm, I've had trouble thinking of a non-typical name, that really shows where I am but doesn't sound really cliché and kindof like I'm "world weary" or something.
I'm feeling aimless about being aimless right now. Like sometimes I just think "what am I doing with my life? I'm getting nowhere. Where do I want to go?" Y'know, just complete... Aimless about being aimless, I mean seriously, where does it go from that? It's like the nexus if the universe. In part I'm empathising with people that I used to fundamentally disregard before, that's in many different ways. I'm empathising with people who I regarded as cliché by claiming that they were truly lost in life because it's impossible to be anything but a cliché! Well I feel truly lost! And I'm empathising with them, because there's nothing you can do to make that clear! Other than this!
Woah, I don't know how I started shouting like a preacher. What was the point of this? Oh yeah. Bare with me while I try and think of a new name, and um.. listen to Faithless. Because they're mint. And, oh yeah, I hope you've all had a good holiday, because remember it's still the holiday. I've gone back to work now so all is right in the world. Bye.”
Propagandhi, SSS, The Leif Ericsson, Crocodile God 17th December 2006 The Barfly, Liverpool
The Barfly is an aptly named venue, because due to the steps, awkward corners, and - especially at a gig like Propagandhi - crowding, everyone holding pints stumbles around like they’ve been propping the entire building up so even the tee-totallers are covered in lager. Walking into this place reminds me of when I first went to The Garage in London. It’s incredibly dark, and ironically feels way more below ground than my hometown of Manchester’s Satan’s Hollow. Then Right Said Fred comes through the speakers and all the intimidation flies away.
The privatised patrons of public transport transpired to keep me from arriving in time to see the first two bands. Not so this Sunday night gig, which seems to be running ahead of the written schedule, or I would have caught at least some of The Leif Ericsson, who have eluded me ever since I wrote about them in my first review almost 5 years ago. As for the other band, Crocodile God, if there’s even the slightest chance they’re a Steve Irwin tribute outfit, thank god for the incompetence of the John Major government.
SSS are not exactly Triple X but they are quite brutal. The singer at times sounds like the dude from Death By Stereo, but the music is thrashier (and one punter told me he felt like giving himself Death By Sharpened Pencils In His Ears upon hearing this set) aside from a reluctant crowd-prompted solo by the guitarist. There’s a theme of berating Christmas here that involves throwing Christmas snacks into the audience and even managing to hit people right at the back of the room. Nevertheless the singer is likeable and funny even when, before their last song, he exclaims that the crowd will “stuff your fucking faces, you selfish bastards” on Christmas Day.
This is the last date of the Propagandhi UK & Ireland tour, and they look almost as exhausted as to the extent that they rock their bollocks off (although a comment on their website that “some of us never recovered from jet-lag the entire time” suggests the Liverpool crowd weren’t hard done by). Speaking of bollocks, a sexist poster for the gig prompted the band to angrily proclaim their innocence of it on two occasions. It allegedly (I didn’t see it) showed a man strangling a woman in bed. In response, they dropped the price of the girl’s tees and played “Refusing to Be A Man.” This was to be one of few songs performed from this period, in a very “Potemkin” heavy set. It was also one of few occasions when the band said much of anything at all (too many ironic jokes about that ironic album title, then), and a comment of “My voice is FUCKED” from Chris “Glen” Hannah left bassist Todd-Rod to deliver the only political tirade of the evening about indigenous people murdered by the police department of Saskatoon. Chris focused on singing almost every word to near studio perfection and keeping his (perhaps heavy) eyes covered by a baseball cap. One exception to his tiredness, which brought a smile to his face, was during “America’s Army” when the mic was knocked over during the line “Oops, did I just say that out loud?” They got credit for carrying on with their encore without bothering to leave the stage, but blew it upon mere mention of The Beatles. Whatever though, the fans who travelled far and wide to see this tour will not have felt disappointed, just hoping that Propagandhi come back soon.
4/5
James Lamont.
“I must say you sure are a pretty nice bunch of people for having to live in what can only be described as a near-future case-study of a population and car-culture on the brink of total, utter and irreversible collapse. The feeble, flaccid, alabaster bodies of ironic British skinheads actually starts to make way more sense when you realize the routines they are subjected to day in and day out. London is no place for the stallion! So we return here to the open plains and kiss the dirt beneath our hooves! At least i hope that’s dirt.
I think Belfast was the highlight for me, which is not suprising since people in London told us not to go there and that it would be “rubbish”. Go figure! Incidentally, through the insistence of some of Belfast’s inhabitants i checked into my family history and it turns out that indeed the blood of the Eire runs deep in these veins. So much for my long-standing and beloved repetoire of Lucky Charms jokes at Declan Debarra’s expense. Oh well, back to English teeth for the laughs!”
This entry was recorded at the time shown, but the computer crashed FOUR times whilst trying to restart, so I couldnt get on to unprivatise it until now. It's utterly fucked.
You can't really see the bruise or split lip very well, but I'm convinced I look shit enough generally to compensate.
This picture reminded me of the below picture from Rampage. The Times gave it a bad review, so that gives me a good feeling about it.
Earlier today I watched Hey Arnold! The Movie. Okay, give me a moment. A developer wants to knock down Arnold's neighbourhood and build shiny new shopping places and the mayor has succumbed. The residents petition, protest and hold a block party in the street (thwarted by the company) but to no avail. Then when that doesn't work, they keep going! There's guerrilla warfare, espionage, handcuff locking-on, jailbreaks. The central theme is the hunt for a document showing the neigbourhood to be a national landmark where a former rebellion took place. In this quest they use believable activist cunning when things change and never-say-die determination. There's also speeding vehicle chases and compelling spy sneaking. It's really short for a film, but it feels longer because it's packed, and all the characters get a fair hand so it doesn't feel like simply an extended episode. Okay, moment finished.
current mood: battered. current music: Faithless - I Want More
I hear this year’s Vans Warped Tour is “going green!” I guess they heard that money grows on trees. Hope they ship all those shitty bands overseas, Like they did the factories.
The court ruled today that the Botswana government's eviction of the Bushmen was 'unlawful and unconstitutional', and that they have the right to live on their ancestral land inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.
The court also ruled that the Bushmen applicants have the right to hunt and gather in the reserve, and should not have to apply for permits to enter it.
One of the judges, Justice Phumaphi, said the government's refusal to allow the Bushmen to hunt 'was tantamount to condemning the residents of the CKGR to death by starvation.'
However, the judges also said that the government is not obliged to provide services to Bushmen in the reserve.
Bushman spokesman Roy Sesana said outside the court, 'Today is the happiest day for us Bushmen. We have been crying for so long, but today we are crying with happiness. Finally we have been set free. The evictions have been very, very painful for my people. I hope that now we can go home to our land.'
Survival's director Stephen Corry said today, 'The court's ruling is a victory for the Bushmen and for indigenous peoples everywhere in Africa. It is also a victory for Botswana. If the government quickly enacts the court ruling, then the campaign will end and the country really will have something to be proud of.'
The court case has been the longest and most expensive in Botswana's history.
Blood Diamond is the first Leonardo DiCaprio film I've ever really wanted to see. It's about the same diamond industry that has devastated the Bushmen.
Also: AirportWatch have launched a Rethink! campaign for the Department for Transport to rethink its Aviation White Paper which planned for massive expansion of aviation. The DfT is planning to publish its Progress Report on the White Paper on 14 December.
AirportWatch has a Rethink website which now has the grand total of 3,9544138 people who have emailed the transport minister. In the last two days, up to the 14th December, it would be great to push it a bit higher.
Last night, I was silly and showed up just in time to see the end of Bomb The Music Industry!, when they were the main band I wanted to see. junctionatrome said they weren't that great though. Nice to see him again. Oh well, I did see The Planet Smashers (who were fun) and Mustard Plug for free, and that's a big deal, allegedly. Mustard Plug were noteworthily unspectacular.
Then the clubnight started (almost an hour later than normal mind) and things got better - not just because that's when I got free drinks. And drink I did. And still DJd fine, well even. I spend a lot of time talking to Lizzie these days. And select other good people. "That Mark Agar kid annoys the piss out of me," I thought, watching him dance and act like the epitome of a fucking ska muppet. Then when he stayed at Lizzie's too, I felt my feelings of hate towards him lessen. I'm sure it's because I was drunk, I'm just not sure if that means I was genuinely mistaken. Lizzie was wearing Napoleon Dynamite (imax) glasses last night, and a Bowie shirt. She never gets angry at anyone, she's fun. Just like bulldogmafia then. Except she's 6ft 1, blonde and drinks like a fish.
12:40 - 1:10
Shootin' Goon - Wootini No Comply - Silencio Capdown - Faith No More (live) Link 80 - For The Crown Choking Victim - 500 Channels Less Than Jake - All My Best Friends Are Metalheads Sublime - Smoke Two Joints The Scrub - Storm Ahead
2:10 - 2:30
Lightyear - Bomb Ibiza King Prawn - Day In Day Out Howards Alias - You NOFX - Eat The Meek (dub mix) Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies Catch 22 - Keasbey Nights Operation Ivy - Knowledge
And then I went and danced during that final, 2 minute song and managed to get whacked in the face. Least I was drunk.
Today I woke up on the floor after a miraculous 7 hours sleep. We watched Hackers before we went to sleep. I slightly worse for wear wandered around, bought stuff (including some Malaysian thrash band cassettes for a pound from Roadkill - seriously, what?) and came home. And now I'm going to the pub again. Oh, my internets been down since the moment I pressed save on that entry 2 days ago that ended with the same thing.
It's my brother's 19th today. I got him some bottles of organic hemp beer, which I'm sure he'll love the novelty of if he hasn't seen it before (although I'd guess he has). It's not a lot, but he's lucky I'm getting him anything at all with all the dough he's raking in with other hemp related products and a full time job. Also, happy birthday thellama73. Update: I just gave them to him and he hasn't seen it before. Score.
I don't know how much it has to do with winter, but it certainly doesn't line up nicely when combined with the winter blues of cold and dark. For almost a week my ear has been acting up and I'm going to the doctor tomorrow. The last few days I've woken up with real back pain that has only faded slightly through the day. And I'm getting a bit of that minging chest-throat feeling. I gotta sleep better. Probably not a good time to start drinking again. When there have been more than a few times this week when I felt like I needed to get bladdered. I'm DJing tomorrow though.
So like every shop, house, pub, church and cemetary, we now have hundreds of little lights around the front door and on our tree (of which about a third was cut off and thrown away because it didn't fit). I said I would try to only mention once to my family how grossly inefficient they are, but it's only the 6th of December, so we'll see if I can make it a month. Although everyone I mention this to has asked for figures, which never normally happens, and I don't have them. Do any of you?
Innovation comes from the fact that each person is unique: our observations, our experiences are our own. We cannot but be original if we are brave enough to be true to that, if by original we mean “vital” and “genuine,” and throw out this idea of creativity occurring in a vacuum. Nothing is more poseur artiste than the desperate drive to create originality for its own sake, without putting your voice, your interest, your passion first. Finally, it isn't about whether a story has been told a hundred times, it's about how you tell it, and how you live it.
2 minutes from my house there is a park and a primary school, where I went when I was wee. The park has a house in the middle of it, where I went to nursery. Two years ago the nursery moved to a nice new building and it's been falling apart ever since. Because the original rich bastard who lived there kindly left the house and land to the council, they can't destroy it, because it's a listed building.
Although the landowner specifically said in his will that the land should be for public use, the council are thinking of selling the building to a business. They of course offered some of the surrounding land (ie. park, which is already small and not that great anyway) to potential bidders if they thought they needed it. Presently, it's going to be a Yoga and Complementary Health Centre, with parking space for 10 or 12 cars - in the middle of a park. A "friends" of the park group was set up early last year, and people have been protesting it and proposing various different things instead, and this has all been quietly going on for a year or two. I cant believe I only heard about it last week.
So on Saturday this group had a community day in the park. Their first one, since the house issue has been taking up their time. So I went and clipped big shrubs and picked up litter with a picker. It was satisfying. They were your typical woolly jumpered people with glasses, and people with their little kids. They were nice. I went to get to know them, but I didnt stay long because I had to come home and finish my newsletter, and go to an anti-deportation thing in the town centre, although I'm not sure why I thought it was something I could help with, it was more of an info stall. I just said hello and said I'd email them what I'd written about them.
On my travels I took my hot-off-the-presses sheet into Roadkill to find Tony and Liam looking unhappy. It made no sense to me. Then they told me their roof was leaking and they'd lost loads of records in the rain, and they might have to move because the roof is so fucked. Aaargh. That is so unfair. There's an empty shop just down the road which is empty because the owner killed his wife and girlfriend on the same day a few months ago and is in jail. I said that sounded like the perfect progression for the Roadkill story. I gave them optimism. I bought a recent Reggie & The Full Effect album (used). They do mail order, so why don't you order something from their website and help them out, like.
current mood: Buscemi chipper current music: Belle & Sebastian - If You Find Yourself Caught in Love
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Hope Is Important
artistic