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shindig_019_happening 11/10/2010 18:00 Page 87
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the jim jones revue
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MY GENERATION
94
events
87
STYLE
92
listings
88
LIVE
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shindig_019_HAnews 11/10/2010 17:56 Page 88
Today’s newest hitmakers
pick their favourite artifacts
from yesterday.
This Issue Carwyn Ellis of
Shindig!’s favourite Welsh
psych-pop outfit COLORAMA
picks his top 10 Japanese
instruments, people and
bands.
,
IT S HAPPENING
Were you there in September? If so then
you know just how brilliant live garage rock
can be. A full venue witnessed intense
performances from Midlands dandy-pop
wonders The Silver Factory and Austrian
mentalists The Incredible Staggers. It just so
happened to be a night to live on long in
the memory.
So what delights do we at Shindig!,
working in association with promoters Sweet
but Deadly and Dirty Water, have in store for
you in the upcoming months? Well on
Saturday November 6th expect Mexico City’s
finest garage punkers, the appropriatelynamed Los Explosivos, to burn up the stage,
supported by all-girl German garage punk
quartet The Boonaraaas!!! – those
exclamation marks are also appropriate. Then
the December 4th event will feature a trio of
psychedelic wonders: from Dusseldorf come
the mighty Vibravoid, who will play alongside
London acts The Lysergic (heavy acid rock)
and The Snap Elect (power-pop-sike). Neither
night will leave you short of excellent
entertainment, and that’s a guarantee.
It all takes place in the heart of Swinging
London, at the King’s Cross Social Club on
the King’s Cross Road. Both events kick off
at 8pm and we party on til 2am. See you
down the front, and on the dancefloor!
GOOD NEWS TRAVELS FAST
THE FUZZTONES 30TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR
The “Gurus Of Garage Grunge” The
Fuzztones are proud to be able to go on the
road in 2010 for two months, a full 30
years on from their formation. Originally
founded by singer/guitarist Rudi Protrudi in
New York’s Lower East Side, the band had
the looks and sounds to create a sizable
cult following which lasts to this day. They
are effortlessly able to win over new fans
too, with their classic songs ‘Ward 81’, ‘Bad
News Travels Fast’ and ‘She’s Wicked’, plus
their many cool versions of ’60s songs like
‘Gloria’, ‘Jack The Ripper’ and ‘1-2-5’.
Now based in Germany, the band’s
autumn anniversary tour includes over 40
shows, taking in a Halloween bash in Berlin,
plus extensive dates in Greece and Italy,
before finishing at the legendary 100 Club
in London on December 5th. They are
promoting their upcoming long-player on
Stag-O-Lee, Preaching To The Perverted.
They are unmissable in full flight on stage,
so make sure you don’t get caught short!
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6. FOLK CRUSADERS
Wonderfully quirky folk trio who only made
a few records together but struck big.
The Incredible Staggers
7. TEISCO
Makers of budget instruments in Japan in
the ’60s, launched a thousand garage
bands the world over.
SAVE THE 100 CLUB
The 100 Club in London has been the host of
many jazz, blues, soul, mod, punk, and
powerpop legends over the past half century.
Yet this Christmas might be the last for the
iconic Oxford Street venue, as the owners
struggle will crippling debts from increases in
rent and rates. Luckily musicians Tony
Morrison and Jim Piddington have set up
www.savethe100club.co.uk and are hoping to
raise half a million pounds by the end of
November to secure the club’s status, after
which the venue would apply for heritage
status and be eligible for financial support
from bodies like The Arts Council. The plan is
to switch the club to operate as a non-profit
organisation with its new owners being the
donors. A board of Trustees would be
democratically elected by the donors. Sounds
simple doesn’t it? So why not get involved
and be proud to say you did your bit.
OUR FAVE RAVE
Casting an eye over the club scene
The Old Psychiatrists Club,
Leicester
Luke Whittemore gave us the lowdown on his
new monthly psychedelic club that’s sprung
up in the Midlands. It’s run in conjunction
with Luke’s Daylight Frequencies musical
brother-in-arms Adam. The night is based at
The Independent Arts Centre after having
been up and running throughout 2010. Club
philosophy? “Aiming towards that niche
market and advertising it to the masses,”
Luke says, “giving exposure to new and
underground bands that embrace the great
movement of the ’60s”. To aid the
“vibrations” at the club the organisers project
cult clips and OHP Oil light projections.
The next outing is on November 12th,
with live performances from South
American/London beatsters The Draytones
and locals The Wicked Whispers, and it’s a
measly £4 entry. I do believe this club is
about to be a-happening!
For more details please visit
www.myspace.com/oldpsychiatristsclubnight
or search for their Facebook page.
8. MISORA HIBARI
Enka star and singer of one of my
favourite songs, ‘Makkana Taiyou’.
9. AKIRA IKUFUBE
Composer of soundtracks, including those
of the Godzilla series.
Meiko Kaji
1. THE SPIDERS
One of the all-time great beat groups,
featuring future Monkey star, Sakai
Masaaki.
10. TADANORI YOKOO
Psychedelic graphic artist and creator of
breathtaking posters.
The current Colorama podcast is available
at http://bit.ly/bjESHe
2. MEIKO KAJI
Stunning actress and singer, inspiration
for Tarantino’s Kill Bill.
3. ACE TONE
Forerunner of Roland, made keyboards,
amps and drum machines. I treasure my
Top-5 organ!
4. CARMEN MAKI
Made amazing folk-psych albums early in
her career, moved on to heavier stuff.
5. CARNABEATS
High octane beat-fuzz combo, made a
groovy single with Walker Brother Gary.
Folk Crusaders
shindig_019_HAnews 11/10/2010 17:56 Page 89
November
THURSDAY 4
LONDON
Magic Swirling Ships with Los Explosivos, Pussycat &
The Dirty Johnsons, The Crushers + The Cinders
The Coburg Club, 4 Coburg Road, Wood Green, London
N22 6UJ. 7.45pm-midnight
Pete Molinari
THE JAZZ CAFE, LONDON
28 SEPTEMBER 2010
Bruce Springsteen recently became the
latest celebrity fan to sing the praises of
Chatham’s astoundingly talented singersongwriter, Pete Molinari, citing him as one
of his favourite contemporary artists. And
judging by tonight’s rip-roaring performance,
Springsteen certainly isn’t going to be the
last big name to fall under Pete’s spell.
Molinari’s mighty fine band back him with
drive, grit and subtlety, cruising through
tracks from all three of his albums,
including a fantastic revved-up re-working of
early fave, ‘Love Lies Bleeding’. These days,
Pete seems equally comfortable when
plugged in and rocking out as he does
when he’s singing solo and acoustic, his
haunting falsetto voice and rasping
harmonica – as ever – pushing to the fore.
By the time Molinari exits stage right to
rapturous applause following a rousing
rendition of Joe South’s ‘Walk A Mile In My
Shoes’, there’s surely few people left
standing that don’t believe Pete’s star has
still got a hell of a long way to rise.
Matt Frost
Fabienne Delsol, The Piney
Gir Country Roadshow, Cee
Bee Beaumont
THE 100 CLUB, LONDON
3RD OCTOBER 2010
Cee Bee Beaumont offer a dual guitar,
pounding drum-wave of surf-stramentals for
lovers of the twang. Piney Gir is country-pop
in a party dress, dishing up Sandy Poseyesque songs of heartbreak and shit kicking.
Chic chick Fabienne Delsol shimmies on
stage in black leather boots and mini-dress.
Her black-clad beatnik band eschew the
bass guitar and rely on the heavy-footed
stomp of the bass drum to power a wellblended mixture of originals and covers of
tracks by Gene Vincent, The Troggs, Miller and
Michel Polnareff. A classic Brit-beat backing
perfectly complements the ye-ye beat girl
vocals like a Gainsbourg protégé on a ’60s
summer holiday at The Cavern. The mostly
upbeat twisting numbers have an occasional
shiver of minor chords to add an eerie touch
of psych melancholy with Fabienne’s wistful,
fragile vocals aided by fuzz guitar and
swirling organ for new album’s title track, ‘On
My Mind’’s dreamy meander.
Delia Dansette
The Black Angels
THE BORDERLINE, LONDON
26TH AUGUST 2010
A band that has been described as
everything from a Texan version of The Doors
to a raw Spiritualized has comes up trumps
big time on their new album Phospene
Dream, and is on the verge of mainstream
recognition in their native land. So it’s an
expectant, sold-out crowd in attendance
tonight. They aren’t disappointed.
Front man Alex Maas bumbled on stage
looking every inch the fisherman in eyecovering cloth cap and full beard, whilst the
earthy band behind swapped instruments
and fiddled with sonic devices in their
attempt to make our heads explode. Their
nu-gaze psychedelia is more accomplished
than many of their contemporaries can
manage, with many influences seeping in. At
points during the show I could hear Black
Rebel Motorcycle Club, Syd-era Pink Floyd
and even harmony-laden freakbeat, as well
as their two touchstones – The 13th Floor
Elevators and the Velvets. I must say that
throughout the show Stephanie Bailey not
only looked beautiful drumming her heart
out, but she seemed to be the heart of the
band, driving on the songs in perpetual
crescendo. Based on tonight’s evidence this
band is destined to be a cult favourite.
Phil Istine
The Moles
BUFFALO, CARDIFF
1ST JULY 2010
You have to give kudos where it’s due. The
wonderful See Monkey Do Monkey label are
on the cutting edge of the current Welsh
psych scene, putting time and passion into
a movement that is truly beginning to
bloom. Their latest signings are Bristolian
acid technicians The Moles. On tonight’s
showing the band are becoming a
formidable live force. Ditching their dandy
threads for a more casual look the band
stamp their charismatic presence on
proceedings from the opening bars of ‘FSOA’
To say the band take an idiosyncratic
approach would be an understatement, for
it’s immediately evident in the singularly
individual songwriting. The essence of
their influences (early Soft Machine, Syd
Barrett, XTC) are ingredients in the stew, but
the sheer quality of their craft is clear in
‘Song Of A Quail’, ‘Circles’ and ‘The Flaming
Cilla Black’s On LSD’, which hints at a spirit
not far removed from our beloved Bonzos.
Brin Moles’ mad professor-esque presence
runs through the imagery of ‘Magnets Round
The Sun’ and ‘Ginger Tom’. By the time we
reach the classic psychodrama of ‘Fuller’s
Dram’ it seems possible that the material is
shaping up to be future standards. With ‘Three
Ghosts In My House’ garage patent they
close to a rapturous reception. We are left
craving more of this kaleidoscopic
netherworld. Ghosts of Robyn Hitchcock and
Robert Wyatt haunt eccentric solo encore
‘Cuckoo’ and finalise proceedings with a
suitably surreal coda. All hail the Moles!
Andi Edwards
FRIDAY 5
GLASGOW
Eyes Wide Open Club with The Fast Camels live
Blackfriars, Bell Street, Merchant City, Glasgow G1 1LG
11pm-3am www.facebook.com/eyeswideopenclub
LONDON
The Membranes, The Lexington, 96 Pentonville Road,
London N1 9JB 7pm
Diddy Wah, The Haggerston, 438 Kingsland Rd, Dalston,
London E8 4AA 9pm-3am diddywah.blogspot.com
NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME
The Octopus Club: DC Fontana & The Black Apples
The Old Brown Jug, Bridge St, Newcastle-Under-Lyme
ST5 2RY 8pm www.theoctopusclub.co.uk
NOTTINGHAM
The Hoochie Coochie Club, The Central Venue, 310
Huntingdon Street, Nottingham NG1 3LH 9pm-3am
SATURDAY 27
LONDON
Blow Up, 4 Denmark Street (basement), London WC2H
8LP 10pm-3am www.blowupclub.com
Vinny Lynes + The Mynd Set at Peter Parker’s
Rock’n’Roll Club, 4 Denmark Street, London WC2H
8LP 7.30pm
December
FRIDAY 3
GLASGOW
Eyes Wide Open Club 6th Birthday with El Toro &
guests, Blackfriars, Bell Street, Merchant City, Glasgow
G1 1LG 9pm-3am facebook.com/eyeswideopenclub
SATURDAY 4
BELFAST
Dr. Crippen’s Waiting Room, The Menagerie, 130
University St, Belfast BT7 1HH 9pm-2am
LONDON
Happening, with Los Explosivos + The Boonaraaas
King’s Cross Social Club, 2 Britannia Street, London
WC1X 9JE 8pm-2am
LONDON
Blow Up, 4 Denmark Street (basement), London WC2H
8LP 10pm-3am www.blowupclub.com
13th Floor (60s garage, psych and pop)
The Albany, 240 Great Portland St, London W1W 5QU
9pm-2am www.13thfloorclub.com
Happening with Vibravoid, The Lysergics + The Snap
Elect, King’s Cross Social Club, 2 Britannia Street,
London, WC1X 9JE 8pm-2am
THURSDAY 11
SUNDAY 5
WEDNESDAY 17
LONDON
Out Of Our Tree with MFC Chicken, Acid Pony + The
Sideliners, The Buffalo Bar, 259 Upper Street, London
N1 1RU 8pm-1am
THURSDAY 18
BAARLO
Castle Space Sound, Vibravoid Live, Lightshow &
Festival, Castle, Baarlo, Netherlands 8pm
www.vibravoid.com
SATURDAY 6
LONDON
Out Of Our Tree with The Kits, The Sonic Jewels, The
Francis Jetty + The Blonde Vipers, The Buffalo Bar,
259 Upper Street, London N1 1RU 8pm-1am
MONTREAL
JunkshoPop Discothèque with The Biters, Mother’s
Children, The Walnut Kids, Bar L’Esco, 4467 Rue StDenis, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 9pm
LONDON
Deviation Street with The November Five,
Holstenwall, Tin Hearts, + The Roves
Peter Parker’s Rock’n’Roll Club, 4 Denmark Street,
London WC2H 8LP 8pm-3am
FRIDAY 19
VENLO
Psychedelic Night Out with Vibravoid, guests +
Lightshow, Kafee De Splinter, Dominicanenstraat 6,
Venlo, Netherlands 9pm www.vibravoid.com
SATURDAY 20
LONDON
Blow Up, 4 Denmark Street (basement), London WC2H
8LP 10pm-3am www.blowupclub.com
Dirty Water All-Dayer With Muck & The Mires, Thee
Vicars, Thee Exciters, King Salami & The Cumberland
Three and more, The Boston, 178 Junction Road,
London N19 5QQ 1pm-3am
LONDON
The Fuzztones + The Lysergics, The 100 Club, 100
Oxford Street, London W1D 1LL 7.30pm-11pm
THURSDAY 9
FRIDAY 10
THURSDAY 16
LONDON
Deviation Street with The No-Brainers, Peter Parker’s
Rock’n’Roll Club, 4 Denmark St WC2H 8LP 8pm-3am
SUNDAY 19
LONDON
Wapping Wharf presents: A Christmas Mod Ball
The 100 Club, 100 Oxford Street, London W1D 1LL
7.30pm-11pm
TUESDAY 28
COLOGNE
Psychedelic Night Out, Vibravoid, Helen Green +
Lightshow, Blue Shell, Luxemburger Str. 32, Cologne,
Germany 9pm www.vibravoid.com
THEHAPPENING
PRESENT
6 NOVEMBER
LOS EXPLOSIVOS
+ THE BOONARAAAS!!!
4 DECEMBER
VIBRAVOID, THE LYSERGICS
+ THE SNAP ELECT
K I N G ’S C R O S S S O C I A L C LU B
2 BRITANNIA STREET, LONDON WC1X 9JE – KINGS CROSS TUBE – 8pm–2am – £5 ENTRY
SWEET BUT DEADLY DJ S PLAY GARAGE, BEAT, PSYCH, SOUL & ROCK’N’ROLL NONSENSE
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shindig_019_JimJones2 11/10/2010 16:49 Page 90
LIGHT MY FIRE
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shindig_019_JimJones2 11/10/2010 16:50 Page 91
Energy-exchanging levitators, DIY
industry advocates, and acting like the
last gang in town. Trashy garage R&B
firebrands THE JIM JONES REVUE
encapsulate the pure energy of
unspoilt rock ’n’ roll. It’s time to meet
your new favourite band.
PHIL ISTINE meets the members of
2010’s most exciting rock ’n’ roll band!
T
Photos: Georgina ConstantinouConstantinou
hings are definitely happening for Jim
Jones and his Revue right now. The
former Thee Hypnotics frontman has
just finished a UK tour to promote
second album Burning Your House
Down, which was interspersed by an
appearance on The BBC’s flagship
Later…With Jools Holland music show. It’s a
pleasant surprise to witness a band with
members now in their 40s hit their stride
and have the world sit up and take notice.
But how could it not, what with their live
shows becoming near-religious experiences
for the growing band of devotees? What’s
more they’ve done it using the template of
Bunker Hill’s in-the-red 1963 classic ‘The
Girl Can’t Dance’ alongside the genius ideas
contained within the Here Are The Sonics!
album. Shindig! caught up with the band
recently for a coffee and smokes session in
Soho to talk over how they got here and why
they have come to “save your soul”.
The fivesome – High Wycombe-born Jones,
Rupert “brother of Beth” Orton on guitar and
management duties, plus bassist Gavin Jay,
keyboardist Elliot Mortimer and drummer
Nick Jones – formed in 2007. Jones and
Orton had been friends on the London
music scene since the former stumbled
across the latter’s promotional work for the
Not The Same Old Blues Crap club nights.
“When we put the band together,” Orton
explains, “we had various discussions about
what it is we wanted to achieve. One of the
things we talked about was what it must
have been like to see Little Richard in the
’50s. This imaginary gig we were talking
about from just listening to the records and
watching the YouTube clips… we were
thinking whatever we do can never be close
to that. But if we can just take a little bit of
that excitement and put it into now we think
it could work. When I was a promoter going
to see bands it was often a soulless
experience. I’d be thinking ‘Why are you
looking at your shoes?’ Jones agrees: ‘The
90-year-old original delta blues players that
Rupert put on seem to have more charisma
than all of these 20-year-old bands put
together. I mean, why accept that?”
A first album was recorded just to get gigs.
“We had no money at all,” Jones continues.
“We just wanted to document what we were
doing at that moment.” An album was duly
dispatched in two days, recorded in a tiny
rehearsal room in Camden. “I mixed it to
make sure it sounded pretty rude,” he
chuckles mischievously to himself. “Hearing
the white noise of the first album on the
radio was great, belligerent, but clubs
couldn’t play it because it was too noisy.”
Jay then reveals the not-so-secret recipe for
their transformation from no-budget albums
to the cusp of mainstream recognition.
“There’s definitely something to be said for
getting out there and paying your dues.
There comes a point where we actually
know how to give 100% as a band, and to
let that egotism go.” Singing the praises of
people actually working hard over time to
earn their success still feels in the music
thought, ‘How are we gonna make it through
this gig?’, but once we stepped onstage the
crowd were just so ecstatic. The energy of
that crowd lifted us off the ground and we
played probably one of the most intense
shows we’d ever played. You couldn’t see the
edges of the room because of the sea of
people. By the end of it we were all a stone
lighter! It was one of those thrilling
moments where you look at your band
mates for a split second and think, ‘Fucking
hell, this is amazing.’ It levitates you.”
Yes, he did describe an almost miraculous
event just there. Yet from his mouth it doesn’t
sound anything but ordinary, another
“At a show in Helsinki people were taking their
clothes off, losing all their inhibitions. It was
like a Baptist meeting, like we’d put rock ’n’
roll snakes out there!”
world of 2010 like an alien concept, but the
matter-of-fact arguments made by The JJR
make it hard to disagree with them.
If you have heard anything about the band
so far it’s almost certain to revolve around
their blistering live shows. Talking about it
with them for a little while and it’s clear
they’ve done their testifying homework.
Orton explains that the fanatical live
support they have built their reputation on
involves an “energy exchange” between
themselves and the audience. “The two
elements build and build” he enthuses.
“When we come offstage we are
slaughtered, drained of all energy. It’s a
great feeling because you’ve had that sort
of connection in life which you don’t
normally get very often anymore.” You can
tell from Jones’ smile that an explanatory
story is forming on his lips: “We were
playing in Strasbourg last year and we got a
call to come and play the next night with
The Dead Weather in London. That’s a long
drive. So we drove through the night in fog,
did an amazing gig, hung out with Jack
White and talked for ages. Then we’re
straight in the van again to drive all the way
across France to La Havre for the next show,
arriving exhausted. In the dressing room we
everyday occurrence in the madness of his
band life. This otherness extends to feeling
little affection for their musical
contemporaries. Jones reckons they
“definitely feel out on a limb and feel quite
pleased about it. It’s like we have the whole
playground to ourselves!”, he says. “You don’t
need to be associated with a scene. We do
seem to be able to transcend a genre-type
audience. You’ll get really young kids with
their parents with them and they are really
excited. And at the other end of the spectrum
you get older guys coming up saying, ‘I saw
Gene Vincent back then in the early ’60s and
you guys are doing something really amazing,
and I’m so glad you’re around capturing the
lightning in a bottle’.”
When pushed on the subject they admit a
love for some other mavericks: Guitar Wolf
(Japanese garage punkers), Jon Spencer’s
Heavy Trash, The Black Diamond Heavies,
Scott Byron (hillbilly blues-punk), The
Orphans (Brighton garage act), and Russell &
The Wolves (Newcastle psychobillies) to
name just some. Discussing older influences
are where the guys are most visibly
animated. Jones takes the lead here. “When I
was in Thee Hypnotics, the garage and
psychedelic sounds we loved had that feeling
of elitism. Nobody knew about them, you
discovered them yourself. I had wished there
were more bands around like that, so
because no one was doing it we had to do it.
But everything ties in all along with what I
first heard as a kid, when I inherited a load
of my mum and dad’s old singles by Little
Richard, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, etc. I also
loved (freakbeat classic) Big Boy Pete’s ‘Cold
Turkey’ single. That record did what Elvis did,
it linked black music and white music. The
guitar sound on that record is much like the
sound on The Stooges’ Fun House.” Being in
the Revue is like coming full circle for him:
“It’s hard work but yet very easy and very
natural.” Orton is equally effusive about his
childhood discoveries: “Johnny Ramone really
influenced me, as did Johnny Thunders. In
the ’80s The Birthday Party made incredible
records, I’d never heard anything like that
before. The Gun Club ‘Fire Of Love’ was
introduced to me via The Cramps fanzine.
That was a gate to opening up all the blues
records; all those tough motherfuckers who
are still alive.”
For the new album, the band was keen not
to make the first album again as they had
taken the white noise approach as far as it
can go, says Orton. Jim Sclavunos, drummer
with The Bad Seeds and Grinderman, was
signed up after he had been to see a
couple of JJR shows, and he added “a more
in-depth musical palette” to the band’s
sound. Orton again: “He knew all the people
involved in albums we wanted to sound like,
it was a bit like our record collection
coming alive in front of us.” Meanwhile
Jones’ often brutally honest lyrics come
from his everyday experiences. “I stay away
from anything vaguely nostalgic,” he spits.
“I’m into writers like Charles Bukowski, who
have a good way of transferring that certain
magical energy about a very simple event
that has gone by. I’m trying to twist that
together with a Little Richard-type delivery
and make it all fit rhythmically. Sometimes
day-to-day living can be really astonishing.”
Burning Your House Down is out now on
Punk Rock Blues/PIAS. The band tour France
throughout November and December: see
www.jimjonesrevue.com for dates.
Jim Jones Revue’s thoughts on going-italone in The Music Industry can be read on
www.shindig-magazine.com
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shindig_019_fashion2 11/10/2010 11:03 Page 92
From the snappiest shops to the
slickest Shindigger style files, let
RACHAEL ADAMS set you on the
road to sartorial splendour
Shop of the month:
Lucy in Disguise
Lily Allen’s not the first name that springs
to mind when you think of fashion
(remember that ball gown and sneakers
combo?), but all that’s changed with Lucy
In Disguise, the vintage clothing shop she
founded with her sister in Covent Garden.
Based around the fictional Lucy, a timetravelling style guru who’s accumulated a
wardrobe of epic proportions over the years,
the shop stocks everything from Chanel skirt
suits to Biba printed dresses. It’s a seriously
impressive set-up; there’s even a blow-dry
bar, a make-up counter and a men’s waiting
area. Lucy, we salute you!
Blog of the month:
usedandabusedvintage.com
I could literally spend hours perusing
Corinne and Mia’s fun, informative blog.
More than just iPhone shots of each other
sporting vintage garms, it’s got advice on
everything - from what to look for in the
perfect vintage winter coat to making your
own fringed tees - and you even get a sneak
peek into Mia and Corrine’s lives (my
personal fave entry is the one about Mia’s
wedding). Get clicking, ladies.
Fred Perry Kidswear
Not sure what to buy the boy who has
everything for Christmas this year? Panic ye
not, Fred Perry’s got it covered with its
recently-launched range of clothes for the
discerning mini mod. From the classic polo
short to a rather adorable Harrington jacket
and smart little tipped cardigan, he’ll be the
coolest kid in school with this capsule
collection.
Event of the month:
The Vintage Kilo Sale
13-14 November, The Rag Factory on
Brick Lane, London.
It’s true that looking sharp doesn’t come
cheap, but I’m always looking for a way
to cut financial corners - and I think I
may have found the ultimate solution,
with November’s Vintage Kilo Sale. The
basic premise is pretty simply: you show
up at the event (which will be holding
2.5 tons of high quality vintage threads),
take your pick, then head over to the
weighing station where staff will weigh
and price your bargains for you, at £15 a
kilo. For an idea of just how cheaply you
can buy these clothes, the website
reveals that five cotton dresses/t-shirts
and three heavier dresses/trousers are
all within the £15 range. How you get all
your new gear home is a different
question...
Fast Fashion
For something that was originally
developed to distinguish officers in the
British and French Armies from other
ranks, the trench coat has done pretty well
for itself. The shoulder straps that define it
now were for attaching epaulettes, and the
D-rings were designed to hold swords—
neither are used for anything so functional
today, of course, but they’re an integral
part of the jackets worn by everyone from
the Sandman to Dick Tracy to Mulder and
Scully. Sci-fi agents and mythical sleepdisturbers aside, the trench’s place in
fashion history was cemented in the
1960s when mods started wearing them
as a smarter alternative to fishtail parkas.
Hepworths, Aquascutum, Burberry (if you
were feeling flush) and Baracuta were the
premier purveyors of the trench—
Baracuta’s even recently relaunched its
G26 Lancer trench, in the classic doublebreasted style and lined with original
Baracuta check. Gents, if you’ve been
looking for the perfect winter coat, your
search ends here.
Last chance to catch...
Photographing Fashion: British Style in the 1960s, Bath Fashion Museum
If you ever wanted a definitive collection of 60s fashion paraphernalia, this is it. Photographing Fashion showcases hundreds of the
prints and original fashion drawings commissioned by Ernestine Carter, fashion guru and Women’s Editor of the Sunday Times until
1968. It includes shots of Twiggy and the Shrimp, and displays clothes from the period alongside the photographs—Mary Quant’s
hessian effect pinafore miniskirt’s a particular highlight, as are some of the suits by Mr Fish. It’s only running until the end of the year
though, so you might want to hurry along...
92
shindig_019_fashion2 11/10/2010 11:04 Page 93
If you go down to the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise - and it’s better than the teddybear’s picnic. Natty woodland naiad
Maura is a sun worshipper, designer and photographer hailing from Hawaii, and I don’t need to explain why we’ve chosen her
as Happening!’s very first Reader Style File.
Shall we start with Maura’s mind-blowing cape? She won’t give much away, but reveals that she found it “in a secret
vault near Haight & Ashbury streets in San Fran” (you don’t get much more psychedelic than that). An aspiring world
traveller, Maura has been to the farthest reaches of the world in the name of exploring; she cites some of her
favourite things as cruising the countryside, wild nature, old cities and flea markets, and takes as her nomadic
influence Vashti Bunyan in her caravan.
Appropriate, then, that some of Maura’s top listening material comes from all over the world – from sitar-drenched
fuzz to Aussie surf like The Atlantics, from the UK’s very own Small Faces to Brazil’s Os Mutantes – and that she
picked up those amazing vintage boots in Italy, during one of her many Mediterranean market meanderings.
Not that she doesn’t love what she calls the “Aloha Spirit” of Hawaii (the people are chilled out, lovely and kind),
but Maura draws much of her style inspiration from far-flung corners of the earth and, understandably wants to
travel more (I would if I were picking up clothes like these) – especially if she can make those travels on a
motorbike.
Finally, what about that frankly fantastic dress? Maura, tell us more! “This is my Zodiac Dress, one of my own
designs,” she says. Which segues very nicely into Maura’s other style stimulation – starry skies. To be fair, she is a
lot closer to them, than the rest of us. She lives about 760m up a volcano in the island, and names it as one of
the most incredible star-watching spots in the world – Maura’s clearly combined her astral appreciation with her
love of Swinging London, Pucci and Courreges to come up with this frock... Maura, we salute you!
93
shindig_019_mygeneration 11/10/2010 16:48 Page 94
Ciao my friends, it’s time for another My Generation special.
This issue PHIL ISTINE takes a trip down to Italy to check out the
new hot combos doing the rock and the roll in the sunshine.
Let’s start with Florence’s THE APES PARTY
(www.myspace.com/theapesparty), whom
we caught here in London recently and were
mightily impressed with. Featuring former
members of The Ultra Twist, the threesome
beat out sweary garage-punk with an
audible disdain for their place in history.
Download their latest EP from iTunes or wait
for the Jerk-Off Records 7” coming soon.
A band already fully-grown, however, is
Venetian duo THE MOJOMATICS
(www.myspace.com/themojomatics). Three
albums in, and to call their sound simply
“garage” would be doing them a grave
disservice, seeing as it takes in hillbilly,
country, folk, and blues, plus the melodic
simplicity of The British Invasion and the
energy of punk. On the road constantly, they
have proved crowd winners in every nation
they have visited, so you are ordered to go
see them when they reach your town, all
right?
The Last Killers
B-BACK (www.myspace.com/b-back) are a
foursome who hail from Tuscany. Last year
they released their third album, Experiment
In Colour, on Area Pirata and it is full of
their usual frantic classic/garage-rock,
which remains heavily indebted to ’80s
heroes The Chesterfield Kings, Gruesomes,
and Fleshtones, as well as the Stones and
The Seeds.
Funny Dunny
OJM (www.myspace.com/ojmsuperrock)
from Treviso play super loud rock and have
established themselves nationally as prime
movers over the past few years. This has
been aided and abetted no doubt by getting
Michael Davis of MC5 fame to produce their
last album, and the new one Volcano (Go
Down) by Dave Catching (QOTST etc.). You
can hear why they chose these people, for
their muscular riffing dominates their songs.
From the east coast and the seaside town
of Fano come THE BARBACANS
(www.myspace.com/thebarbacans). Mr.
Helsing raved about their debut LP God
Save The Fuzz in these pages last year, and
now it’s my turn. Expect Farfisa-heavy spiky
fuzz powerpop done the Italian way! We’re
bringing them over to England next Easter,
so catch them if you can.
THEE PIATCIONS (www.myspace.com/
theepiatcions) are from the northernmost
region of Italy and their isolation has meant
they’ve ingested plenty of head music,
emerging with the garage-psych sound that
we now call nu-gaze. Recent EP ‘Time’
showed their talent for wall-of-sound guitars
and bubbling organ, all set to a pretty
melody or two.
THE BOILERS (myspace.com/theboilers
catania) from Catania are a hardworking
four-piece that trade in hyperventilating
garage/trash on songs called things like
‘High Heel Lovers’ and ‘Call Me Devil’. They
are a smokin’ band and someone needs to
get them to put a record out, and soon!
Bologna’s BOOM BOOM & THE LONG SEX
(www.myspace.com/boomboomthelongsex)
meanwhile have very little back story (make
that zero back story) but more than make
up for that by producing four-to-the-floor
garage riffage that smacks of loneliness and
desperation in the best way garage-rock can
do.
THE CAVEMEN (www.myspace.com/
thecavemenbeat) are signed to scene
leaders Misty Lane Records of Rome and
play romantic sometimes-spiky, sometimesjangly garage-beat in their native tongue
whilst wearing stripy t-shirts. Well respected
in their home country, but definitely worthy
of a wider audience.
Next up are one of my favourites, THE
CLEOPATRAS (www.myspace.com/
thecleopatras), also of Tuscany. The five
piece all-girl band have been plugging away
now for a decade of high-jinks set to a
trashy garage-punk-surf soundtrack. Latest
album Things Get Better (Area Pirata)
demonstrates their knack with an angstinflected tune, and fans of na-na-na-ing will
be in heaven listening to their Ramones and
Runaways-inspired rockers.
ELECTRIC SHIELDS (www.myspace.com/
electricshields) on the other hand will
appeal to fans of hard/classic rock a la
Hendrix, Deep Purple and The Black Crowes.
The foursome hail from Trento in northern
Italy and have only been around for a year
or so, but know exactly which musical
buttons to push, i.e. the “loud”, “fuzzy” and
“funky” ones.
94
The Mojomatics
The Cleopatras
B-Back
The Barbacans
FUNNY DUNNY (www.myspace.com/
funnydunnyband) came over to London last
year and tore a new hole in many people’s
pants with their full-throttle monoglorious
garage-punk. Seeds, Standells, and The
Pretty Things in all their raw beauty are
channelled by these party animals. The
fourth album from the Avellino five-piece
‘Things Have Changed’ (Radiation) was on
my stereo a fair bit last year, but live is
where they really cut the mustard.
THE LAST KILLERS (www.myspace.com/
lastkillers) take us to the halfway point of
our Mediterranean journey. Holed up in
Cesena, they recently played with heroes
The Sonics, and have Shindig! hero Brian
Auger playing organ on track ‘Flesh And
Proud’ from new album Violent Years (Go
Down). Hear a preview of that album by
listening to The Cramps-inspired boogie of
‘Jungle Woman’ and marvel at their brilliant
’80s-style rock.
Now onto THE METEOPATHICS
(www.myspace.com/meteopathics), who
may reside next to The Garda Lake, but this
genteel environment has not sedated them.
Yes, garage gets everywhere in this country,
and the trio here are very much keen on the
lo-fi messiness encapsulated by the Back
From The Grave and Teenage Shutdown
compilation series. Expect great music from
them as they grow.
THE PRETTY FACE (www.myspace.com/
theprettyface) hail from the suburbs of
Milan, and the five-piece are indebted to
the Italian mod scene for inspiration.
Sounding like a psychedelic/garage/mod
amalgamation, I hear The Morlocks, The
Chesterfield Kings, The Remains, The
Chocolate Watchband, The Who, and The
Yardbirds mashed into one delicious stew.
The self-titled debut album came out on
Area Pirata last year, fact fans.
As we head to the finishing line, I still see
room for a couple more mentions of the
more established bands you may yet to
have heard of. THE RIPPERS
(www.myspace.com/therippersinaction) are
a monumental foursome from Sardinia.
Slashing rhythmic guitars and headacheinducing primitive bass are the order of the
day, with ’50s stalwarts like Bo Diddley and
Chuck Berry thrown into the mix alongside
’60s Nederbeat acts such as Q65 and The
Outsiders. With a visually arresting image on
the go as well, it’s no surprise they have
developed a slavish following.
And finally a mention for THE SEXTRESS
(www.myspace.com/thesextress), from
Udine, who formed in the heat of the ’80s
garage revival. In thrall to The Fuzztones,
Lyres, and The Creeps, they were lucky
enough to share a stage with all three back
in the day. They even recorded an album
with Rudi and Lana from The Fuzztones a
few years back. A new album is expected in
2011, which will definitely be one you must
buy before it sells out like the last one did.
If that lot haven’t helped you plan your next
holiday then you need to check your head!
See you on a sun-kissed beach soon.
shindig_019_95.indd 1
11/10/2010 15:39
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