Here is another secret snap a la Roche Mere.
Crochet? On the bus? I pity the recipient of this cardigan or blanket I really do. She was absolutely engrossed as she deftly wound the unfortunate salmon twine and had headphones on. I wonder what she was listening to? Someone on twitter suggested Nitin Sawhney – chortle fnar!
It has been an auspicious week after the found wallet was returned to it’s rightful owner (see previous post).
Saturday – got an e mail saying that we have been shortlisted for another development scheme run by UK Film Council/Tribeca Film Festival. They only take two prod/dir teams a year. We do the conference call today. Let’s hope we get through but to be shortlisted alone is pretty good news. If we get it – we go to LA in April to pitch the film to more than 20 ‘execs’. Cool. Monday – can’t pay any any bills – various production companies owe us and are not paying and very overdue – we worry all day Tuesday – get a call from a company did work for last year – they were calling to apologise that they have sent last 4 payments to wrong sort code – they owe us £2500.00 !!! We are now no longer panic-stricken and can pay bills. Weds – my lovely friend Anna gives me a brand new (and much needed) mattress to say thank you for me helping her move house and doing DIY. I didn’t expect a present – I did it because she is a single mum and my friend! Today – come back from dropping the feisty small ginger squidget off at school and notice that there is a wine box on the doorstep. Two incredibly sumptious bottles of wine and a card saying: Dear Rockmother, thank you for being such a good samaritan. It genuinely made my bottom lip tremble and I got a little teary as I really didn’t expect a present or to be called a good samaritan. Sniff sniff. Just off to blow my nose and wonder over the joy of good deeds.
I did a very good deed last Wednesday and it nearly didn’t happen. It wouldn’t have happened had I not been so indecisive and changed my usual route home which is what I did by changing trains at the very last minute. Waiting on the opposite platform for an alternative train I watched one come and go. As the doors closed I heard the hefty thwack of a wallet hit the platform. I rushed forward and realised that one of the couple who I could see rammed up against the now closed doors must have dropped it. I knocked on the doors of the train waving the wallet to get the couple’s attention. They completely ignored me and turned their backs laughing together – then the train jerked forward. I stepped back a bit anxious as to what to do. I looked around and no one seemed to have even noticed this little non-exchange so I just stood there with this big thick man’s wallet throbbing like a heavy heart in my hand. I stuffed it in my bag under a book in case it should get lost again and decided to hand it in to the station police once I got to the other end. But of course – there were no police at the other end and I suddenly had the feeling should I be bothered to hand it in at a local police station it would probably end up languishing in a drawer never to be returned.
I took it home and had a proper look through it. No cash, a few cards, family photo’s (some very old), driver’s licence and a ticket for the Chelsea vs Juventus game which was starting in 30 mins! It then became apparent that the owner of the wallet wasn’t even from London but Belfast and was probably at that point standing bewildered at the turnstile! I had another rifle through it and found a hotel key. To cut a long story short – I called the main number as the key only had the word Radisson printed on it. I got put through to a lovely Irishman called Terry in Dublin (Radisson HQ apparently) who was very excited about the prospect that a customer was going to be reunited with their wallet. From that point on it all got a bit silly. For a start we located Mr Lost Wallet via the last 4 digits on his last remaining credit card. Terry in his amazement and excitement it transpires took my mobile number down minus a digit. He then spent the next two hours trying different configurations of my mobile number and finally by fluke got hold of me. When he did he was almost exploding with joy and told me I was a saint and deserved a big present – ohh I thought – a week’s break at a Radisson of my choosing? A feature in the Radisson Monthly Newsletter? He then gave me Mr Lost Wallet’s wife’s mobile number although he said she may call me. He finished off by telling me that I was on his wavelength and there weren’t enough people like us in the world. I couldn’t agree more and I sort of wanted to give him a big telephone hug too. Next…briiing briiiing….it’s Mrs Mr Lost Wallet absolutely over the moon about the wallet. We went through an inventory of what was in the wallet, how I found it, how she has 10 daughters and if I get an odd message on facebook then it was them and Terry trying to find me and how her other daughter had won a competition recently – an all expenses paid trip for 2 to see the Chelsea game in London that night. Luckily, luckily because the lost wallet contained a ticket that was a prize they still managed to get into the game so all was not lost. Then she told me if I was ever in Belfast that I must visit (and I am the kind of person that would too). I asked her where in Belfast they were – ha – only the same road that my bloody cousins live in. Too too weird. At that point, we both had a communal telephone slurp of wine and chink of glasses as we shared the joy of it all. An hour later Mr Lost Wallet himself turned up to claim his wallet back. I invited him in as I went to get it. He said thank you, you’ll be hearing from us and scuttled out into a minicab where his other smiling daughter waved from the back seat – and that was it. Do you know I think he said thank you but I can’t be sure. I think he was a bit shy despite the fact he had ten daughters. Ten daughters. No wonder there wasn’t any cash in the wallet.
I took a secret photo on the tube last week. A lady reading crapmag Take A Break – she was totally engrossed in the Wife On The Edge article. I think the passenger next to her noticed me – although I didn’t notice him at the time.
I love the contrast in aware/unawareness between the two passengers.
Oh dear has it been that long? I’ve been busy. Busy fighting my creative demons and creating you see. Actually I’ve been really busy on twatbook and twitter too if truth be known! I joined Twitter bloody ages ago – even before Stephen Fry who is the Lord Emperor of all that is Twittle. He even made me his friend after I commented on one of his twittles or twits or tweets or whatever they are called so I must say I am truly twittily honoured. There is something quite radically comforting and useful having to microblog in 140 characters or less. You can follow me at twitter if you so desire – I’m @rockmother not surprisingly. Don’t all rush at once!
Aagh – take the scary lady with her record-breaking talons away – away I tell you! Despite the fact Lee Redmond has been rather admirably been growing her nails for 24 years at a combined length of just over 28 foot they are (in my opinion) disgusting! They make my toes curl – in the same way droopy hairy ears do. And as for varicose veins – I have been known to publicly retch on catching sight of some poor unfortunate’s knotted calves. Ironically, Lee the nail lady from Salt Lake City (weirdo Mormon capital of the world) who looks like a cross between an alien and Bill Bailey has just lost her extra-long nails in a terrible car accident. I wonder if she will grow them again? How on earth has she managed to function all these years with nails that long? I would go to youtube as I am sure there is footage of her at home showing us how but someone else can do that and report back please.
On a lighter note – hurray – a new rockmockumentary is coming out soon – arise Anvil! Yes – real life Spinal Tap takes to the road in the form of long-forgotten and very loud Canadian rock band Anvil. You can watch the trailer here: And if you are still reading and haven’t had enough click here for Times article on a guide to 100 best blogs – cue feverish searching. How many on the list have got book deals I wonder? Yarp! Ciao!
Mike Watt – Burnin’ For You
Mike Watt – Drove Up From Pedro
Mike Watt – IX
Electric Sandwich – China
Santogold – L.E.S. Artistes
Soft Machine – When I Don’t Want You –
Original Soft Machine – Nettle Bed
Chromeo – Fancy Footwork
Chromeo – Bonafied Lovin’ (Tough Guys)
Josh wink-higher state of cons – 01 josh wink-higher state of c
Smog – I Was a Stranger
Smog – To Be of Use
Smog – It’s Rough
Smog – All Your Women Things
The Mamas & The Papas – I Can’t Wait
Mr. Fingers – Can You Feel It
Sampson Moore – House Beat Box
Kraftwerk – Pocket Calculator
Kraftwerk – Die Roboter
Kraftwerk – The Telephone Call
Gary Numan – Are Friends Electric
Gary Numan – Are ‘Friends’ Electric (Live)
The Mamas & The Papas – California Dreamin’
The Mamas & The Papas – Monday, Monday
The Mamas & The Papas – Dancing in the Street
The Mamas & The Papas – Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Gold Lion (Diplo remix)
Marlena Shaw – California Soul (Diplo/Mad DeCent remix)
David Bowie – Heroes (Single Version)
David Bowie – Let’s Dance (Single Version)
David Bowie – Young American
David Bowie – The Jean Genie
David Bowie – China Girl
David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes (Single Version)
David Bowie – Fame
David Bowie – Fashion (Single Version)
David Bowie – Golden Years (Single Version)
David Bowie – Ashes to Ashes
David Bowie – Beauty And The Beast
David Bowie – Heroes
David Bowie – Let’s Dance
David Bowie – TVC15
The Stooges – 1969
Iggy Pop – 1969 (Live)
The Stooges – 1970
The Stooges – Down On The Street
The Stooges – Gimme Danger
Iggy Pop – I Got a Right!
The Stooges – I Need Somebody
Iggy Pop – I Wanna Be Your Dog
Iggy Pop – I Wanna Be Your Dog (Live)
The Stooges – Little Doll
Iggy Pop – Little Electric Chair
MC5 – Looking At You
The Stooges – Loose
The Stooges – My Idea of Fun
Iggy Pop – My Idea Of Fun (Live)
The Stooges – No Fun
The Stooges – Search and Destroy
The Stooges – Studio Dialogue
The Stooges – Trollin’
Money Mark – Push the Button
Money Mark – Too Like You
Money Mark – Monkey Dot
Money Mark – Tomorrow Will Be Like Today
Money Mark – Poor Shakes
Money Mark – Bossa Nova 101
Money Mark – Rock in the Rain
Money Mark – Crowns
Money Mark – All the People
Money Mark – Underneath It All
Money Mark – I Don’t Play Piano
Money Mark – Destroyer
Money Mark – Hand in Your Head
Money Mark – Trust Money
Mark – Maybe I’m Dead
Money Mark – Dha Teen Ta
Money Mark – Powerhouse
Money Mark – Harmonics of Life
Money Mark – Stuck At The Airport
Money Mark – Color Of Your Blues
Money Mark – Pick Up The Pieces
Money Mark – Summer Blue
Money Mark – Pretend To Sleep
Money Mark – My Loss, Your Gain
Money Mark – Everyday I Die A Little
Money Mark – Radiate Nothing
Money Mark – Black Butterfly
Money Mark – Nice To Me
Money Mark – Eyes That Ring
Money Mark – Brand New By Tomorrow
Money Mark – Take Me Where The Flowers Grow
Money Mark – Love’s Theme
Mike Watt – Sexual Military DynamicsMike Watt – E-Ticket Ride
Mike Watt – Big Train
Mike Watt – Against the ’70s
Mike Watt – Piss-Bottle Man
Mike Watt – Chinese Firedrill
Mike Watt – Intense Song for Madonna to Sing
Mike Watt – Tuff Gnarl
Mike Watt – Max and Wells
Mike Watt – Forever – One Reporter’s Opinion
Mike Watt – Song for Igor
Mike Watt – Tell ‘Em, Boy!
Mike Watt – Sidemouse Advice
Mike Watt – Heartbeat
Mike Watt – Maggot Brain
Mike Watt – Coincidence Is Either Hit or Miss
Brian Auger – In And Out
KC and The Sunshine Band – Give It Up
KC and The Sunshine Band – Please Don’t Go
KC and The Sunshine Band – (Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty
KC and The Sunshine Band – I Get Lifted
KC and The Sunshine Band – Space Cadet
KC and The Sunshine Band – Black Water Gold
KC and The Sunshine Band – Fire In Your Eyes
KC and The Sunshine Band – Funky ’75
The S.O.S. Band – Just Be Good to Me (album version)
Eagles Of Death Metal – I Want You So Hard (Boy’s Bad News)
Eagles Of Death Metal – Wannabe In L.A
White Denim – Let’s Talk About It
White Denim – Shake Shake Shake
White Denim – Sitting
White Denim – I Can Tell
White Denim – Heart From Us All
White Denim – Mess Your Hair Up
White Denim – All You Really Have To Do
White Denim – Don’t Look That Way At It
White Denim – Darksided Computer Mouth
White Denim – IEIEI
White Denim – WDA
White Denim – Transparency
White Denim – You Can’t Say
White Denim – Migration Wind
White Denim – All Truckers Roll
The Specials – A Message to You Rudy
The Specials – Concrete Jungle
The Specials – Do the Dog
The Specials – The Skinhead Symphony (Medley) (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Blank Expression
The Specials – Pressure Drop
The Specials – Monkey Man
The Specials – Gangsters (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Friday Night, Saturday Morning
The Specials – Too Much Too Young (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Too Much Too Young
The Specials – Rat Race The Specials – Rat Race (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Monkey Man (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Concrete Jungle (Live At The BBC)
The Specials – Ghost Town The Specials – Little Bitch
The Specials – Man at C & A
Rico – Nite Klub
The Specials – Stupid Marriage
The Specials – Ghost Town (Extended Version)
En Vogue – Hold On
Mantronix – Got To Have Your Love (Radio Edit)
Mantronix – Who Is It? [Club Mix]
Mantronix – I Get Lifted
Mantronix – Hardcore Hip Hop
Slick Rick – The Show Live (feat. Doug E. Fresh)
Shanice – I Love Your Smile
N.E.R.D. – Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom)
N.E.R.D. – Spaz
N.E.R.D. – Yeah You
N.E.R.D. – You Know What
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheel Of Steel
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – White Lines
Grandmaster Flash – Step Off Megamix
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat. Melle Mel & Duke Bootee – The Message
The Sugarhill Gang – 8th Wonder
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – She’s Fresh
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – It’s a Shame
Grandmaster & Melle Mel & The Furious Five – Pump Me Up
The Sugarhill Gang – Livin’ In The Fast Lane
Coldcut – Last Night A Cliché Saved My Life
Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five – White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It)
Cipher Complete – Bring Hip Hop Back
LL Cool J – My Rhyme Ain’t Done
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee – Dollar Bill
Pop Levi – Dollar Bill Rock
Public Enemy – Public Enemy No. 1
Public Enemy – Bring the Noi
se
Public Enemy – Don’t Believe the Hype
Anthrax – Bring the Noise (feat. Public Enemy)
Public Enemy – Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
Public Enemy – Rebel Without a Pause
Public Enemy – Fight the Power
Public Enemy – Shut ’em Down
Ice Cube – $100 Dollar Bill Ya’ll
Public Enemy – Caught, Can We Get a Witness?
Stereo MC’s – On 33
Stereo MC’s – Use It
Stereo MC’s – Gee Street
Stereo MC’s – Neighbourhood
Stereo MC’s – Part 2
Stereo MC’s – Bring It On
Stereo MC’s – Outta Touch
Stereo MC’s – Back to the Future
Stereo MC’s – Ground Level
Stereo MC’s – Everything
Stereo MC’s – Sketch
Stereo MC’s – Fade Away
Stereo MC’s – All Night Long
Stereo MC’s – Playing With Fire
Stereo MC’s – Pressure
Stereo MC’s – Chicken Shake
Stereo MC’s – Creation
Stereo MC’s – The End
Stereo MC’s – I’m a Believer
Stereo MC’s – Scene of the Crime
Stereo MC’s – Declaration
Stereo MC’s – Watcha Gonna Do?
Stereo MC’s – Two Horse Town
Stereo MC’s – Ain’t Got Nobody
Stereo MC’s – Goin’ Back to the Wild
The Damned – Smash It Up (Live)
The Damned – Love Song (Demo)
The Damned – I Just Can’t Be Happy Today (Demo)
The Damned – Nasty
The Damned – Do The Blitz
The Damned – Stab Your Back (Live ‘77)
The Damned – You Know (Live ‘77)
The Damned – Idiot Box (Live ‘77)
The Damned – Stranger On The Town (Live ‘82)
The Damned – Smash It Up (Bonus Track)
Visage – Fade to Grey
The Associates – Party Fears Two
The Associates – Boys Keep Swinging
Visage – Damned Don’t Cry
Junior Senior – Move Your Feet (Kurtis Mantronik club mix)
Yes – it’s that time of year again when I get all grumpy and have to transpose the numbers so people still think I am in my 30’s instead of my early 40’s! Getting old unglamourously and with great rudeness all round. No cake this year – just a roast and prosecco and lots of it! Perhaps I might one day end up looking like this which will be penance for being so badly behaved in earlier life!
I don’t think so!
Anyway, on a far more serious note: beware of blogging from bed (which I do quite a lot) as you may end up looking like this!
Stop it! Stop snacking on blogs! Get out of bed and stop it! No you can’t have any won ton soup!
Yes. I am DEFINATELY going to hell!
(Out of respect I felt I had to leave Ron up for a decent amount of time – at least until the funeral had passed – which it now has). And so….
Each quarter I receive an e mail from a property auctioneer. I must have subscribed ages ago in a fit of pre-bust property nosiness. Anyway – this latest list I thought was a rather interesting and sombre barometric reminder of what is going on out there. Our February sale once again contains a range of commercial investment properties located throughout the UK, including :-An unbroken modern City centre parade in Bradford part let to the local authority, Starbucks & J D Wetherspoon
8 Bank investments let to either HSBC Bank Plc, Nationwide, Barclays or Nationwide.
5 well let supermarket investments trading as Iceland
10 public house investments with surety from Punch Taverns
A well located Department Store Investment let to Debenhams in Kings Lynn
A restaurant investment let to Café Rouge in Ruislip Other investments let to Superdrug, Co-op, Clinton Cards, William Hill and BSM
Evidently it’s all going a bit ‘Pete Tong’….
Personally I would rather buy the Withnail cottage (if I had any spare cash – which I don’t!):
A snip apparently at £145,000 GBP. More details here.
Still depressed? Listen to my podcasts – bound to cheer you up (no I haven’t done a new one yet but am working on it!) Ta ta. xx
Ron Asheton has died. He was founder member and guitarist of The Stooges. The news of his death has been a great shock to many people – not just because he was such a great musician and a legend in his own right but also because he was a unique and most gentle individual. I count myself blessed to have met and chatted with him briefly late last summer. I’m not normally shy about meeting well known people I have such creative respect for but when you have taken so long to secure your most favourite band ever for your baby anti-format music show you can suddenly get a little hesitant. The momentous Iggy and the Stooges performed a set with a grindy groove worthy of an express train running over your head for forty minutes flat. It was hard not to leap up and whirl around or even want to rip your clothes off and flail about on the floor like a mad thing which for some reason listening to The Stooges always makes me kind of want to do. After the set I took a deep breath and went into the dressing room to say thank you. I was anxious to see that they had enjoyed it as the start was a little haphazard on our tv-land side. We hadn’t finished lighting and in true Stooges style we all scrambled to attention at Ron’s first and ever so punctual chord – crrrwaaaaahhhhh – wake up everybody! I also had trouble with a set that was meant to be closed – friends of the previous bands roadies and their mates/mother/assorted pets suddenly turned up lining at least one wall all gawping – some even filming – such disrespect. I wasn’t going to be the one to ask The Stooges if they would mind stopping and start again in five minutes time once I had cleared the set of rabble. Not quite the done thing really. Anyway, afterwards I swallowed that breath and walked into the dressing room. I introduced myself and I have to say I have never met such a truly polite and grateful group of men. Ron went out of his way to introduce himself, find out more about the show and thank me. He was so kind and enthusiastic about what we were doing. So Ron I now thank you again for being the very heartbeat and backbone of something so special over the years with your Asheton sound. Prior to that day I have been lucky to see Iggy and The Stooges perform live twice in the last two years – once at the Royal Festival Hall as part of the Meltdown Festival where the venue was so small and the gig was so rocking I swear I have not been the same since and lastly at Clapham in 2008. I have always been struck with Ron’s oddly graceful and static stance when performing – his delicate wrists and hands whirring so precisely over the frets of his guitar, one foot always forward of the other, his camo jacket and soft baby skin. It was a humbl<wbr>ing and most graci<wbr>ous pleas<wbr>ure to meet you Ron. A uniqu<wbr>e and kind man of such unden<wbr>iable<wbr> talen<wbr>t and chara<wbr>cter.<wbr> You have gone too soon.<wbr> Big hugs for the journ<wbr>ey and all the people you have left behind. My thoughts are with all of you – especially the band and tech crew who have lost a best friend and a true brother. Ron’s light shines bright and very very loud. A happy jewel of a man from Ann Arbor, Michigan who finally got to enjoy the success he so most definately deserved.
Contrary to the police and media reports – there was no flag burning or bad behaviour – just thousands of people that want the same thing – peace and an end to the inhumane and illegal atrocities that are happening right now in Gaza. It was an amazing sight to see an endless river of people of all ages and colours filling up Whitehall and Trafalgar Square. Everyone was peaceful and united with one aim in mind. Do what you can – no matter how small. We might be in a recession in UK but goodness – we don’t know how lucky we are.
Rockmother 