Tuesday, October 10, 2006
I've left this a bit late. Let's see what I can knock out in an hour.
On Sunday evening I went with Boz Rude and Freddie Podge from work to see The Ordinary Boys at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
A while ago Freddie Podge was good enough to burn me copies of The Ordinary Boys' two albums. As it happens they were perfectly OK albums. Derivative of the Jam, the Specials, Madness, etc., but tuneful enough and not bad. I thought that the first album was better than the second album.
Once the whole Preston-On-Celebrity-Big-Brother thing happened, and the tour announced, Freddie asked me if I wanted to go to see them, and I said, "Why not?" I purchased the tickets (Freddie Podge, Boz Rude, me and Alan Byron, who was the guy who helped me move years ago) and it was all set. Alan Byron dropped out on Friday. He had a wedding to go to. He said not to pay him the money back, as it was his fault for not letting me know earlier. My Brother was in sunny Doncaster visiting a lady, so he wasn't bothered about going. I did ask somebody else, but they were not interested. (I probably should have pointed out exactly who I was, when I made that phone call, eh Graham?)
No touts whatsoever outside Wolverhampton Civic Hall. I have never seen that before. The hall was not full either. The spare ticket stayed in my pocket. Perhaps I will frame it.
I thought that The Ordinary Boys live were OK. Not the best band I have ever seen, but not the worst. They played OK. The old songs were OK. The new songs were OK. The audience were OK. It was (shrugs) OK. I don't suppose that every gig you go to can be a life affirming experience, and this was one of those gigs. Freddie Podge liked the gig a lot. Boz Rude thought that The Ordinary Boys were rubbish. He said they had 'no energy'. Maybe. It was OK.
OK? (8 OK's. OK)
Next gig. The Lemonheads at Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall. Two weeks from yesterday. I am really looking forward to that one. I absolutely adored "It's A Shame About Ray" and "Come On Feel The Lemonheads". I saw The Lemonheads at the Que Club, sometime around 1995/96. It was just before they played Reading. They were very good.
Yesterday I saw "Brothers Of The Head".
I was knocked out by "Brothers Of The Head". I thought that it was truly excellent and is definitely going to be in my top 10 of films I have seen this year.
Conjoined twins Tom and Barry Howe are plucked from isolation and obscurity by a showbiz impresario looking for the next "new thing". They are taught to play and sing. A rock band is formed around them. They start to write and become the greatest proto garage/punk band you have never heard of. Of course, as in all great rock movies, they fall apart in a haze of drink, drugs, women and mental/physical illness.
I love a good rock movie and this is a great rock movie. It's done like an art-house documentary and features music (mostly written by Clive Langer, producer of the Teardrop Explodes, Elvis Costello and Madness, amongst many others) that could have sat very happily on any New York Dolls or Iggy Pop album of the mid 70's. I very happily sat in the back row of the cinema unselfconciously playing Air Bass (I don't play Air Guitar - I have always been an Air Bassist) throughout the entire film. There are some damn good songs in this film. I might even buy the soundtrack album.
It's a weird, contentious, moving and sometimes funny film. I loved Ken Russell's film-within-a-film; the unfinished "Two Way Romeo" biopic of the Howe brothers, starring Jonathon Pryce, Jane Horrocks and John Simm. Ken Russell at his pretentious and bonkers best. He also appears as himself. I always thought that Ken Russell had a sense of humour. How could he not have a sense of humour? Have you not see any of his films.
It is also my pleasure to report that 66% of the audience had walked out of "Brothers Of The Head" by the half hour mark. Always, in my opinion, the sign of a good movie. True, there were only 3 of us actually in the cinema at the start of the film, but we'll gloss over that, shall we? The British viewing public are philistines and have no taste.
I'll say it clearly. Go and see it. It's going to stiff anyway, so enjoy it while you can.
And remember... Anarchy!
On Sunday evening I went with Boz Rude and Freddie Podge from work to see The Ordinary Boys at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
A while ago Freddie Podge was good enough to burn me copies of The Ordinary Boys' two albums. As it happens they were perfectly OK albums. Derivative of the Jam, the Specials, Madness, etc., but tuneful enough and not bad. I thought that the first album was better than the second album.
Once the whole Preston-On-Celebrity-Big-Brother thing happened, and the tour announced, Freddie asked me if I wanted to go to see them, and I said, "Why not?" I purchased the tickets (Freddie Podge, Boz Rude, me and Alan Byron, who was the guy who helped me move years ago) and it was all set. Alan Byron dropped out on Friday. He had a wedding to go to. He said not to pay him the money back, as it was his fault for not letting me know earlier. My Brother was in sunny Doncaster visiting a lady, so he wasn't bothered about going. I did ask somebody else, but they were not interested. (I probably should have pointed out exactly who I was, when I made that phone call, eh Graham?)
No touts whatsoever outside Wolverhampton Civic Hall. I have never seen that before. The hall was not full either. The spare ticket stayed in my pocket. Perhaps I will frame it.
I thought that The Ordinary Boys live were OK. Not the best band I have ever seen, but not the worst. They played OK. The old songs were OK. The new songs were OK. The audience were OK. It was (shrugs) OK. I don't suppose that every gig you go to can be a life affirming experience, and this was one of those gigs. Freddie Podge liked the gig a lot. Boz Rude thought that The Ordinary Boys were rubbish. He said they had 'no energy'. Maybe. It was OK.
OK? (8 OK's. OK)
Next gig. The Lemonheads at Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall. Two weeks from yesterday. I am really looking forward to that one. I absolutely adored "It's A Shame About Ray" and "Come On Feel The Lemonheads". I saw The Lemonheads at the Que Club, sometime around 1995/96. It was just before they played Reading. They were very good.
Yesterday I saw "Brothers Of The Head".
I was knocked out by "Brothers Of The Head". I thought that it was truly excellent and is definitely going to be in my top 10 of films I have seen this year.
Conjoined twins Tom and Barry Howe are plucked from isolation and obscurity by a showbiz impresario looking for the next "new thing". They are taught to play and sing. A rock band is formed around them. They start to write and become the greatest proto garage/punk band you have never heard of. Of course, as in all great rock movies, they fall apart in a haze of drink, drugs, women and mental/physical illness.
I love a good rock movie and this is a great rock movie. It's done like an art-house documentary and features music (mostly written by Clive Langer, producer of the Teardrop Explodes, Elvis Costello and Madness, amongst many others) that could have sat very happily on any New York Dolls or Iggy Pop album of the mid 70's. I very happily sat in the back row of the cinema unselfconciously playing Air Bass (I don't play Air Guitar - I have always been an Air Bassist) throughout the entire film. There are some damn good songs in this film. I might even buy the soundtrack album.
It's a weird, contentious, moving and sometimes funny film. I loved Ken Russell's film-within-a-film; the unfinished "Two Way Romeo" biopic of the Howe brothers, starring Jonathon Pryce, Jane Horrocks and John Simm. Ken Russell at his pretentious and bonkers best. He also appears as himself. I always thought that Ken Russell had a sense of humour. How could he not have a sense of humour? Have you not see any of his films.
It is also my pleasure to report that 66% of the audience had walked out of "Brothers Of The Head" by the half hour mark. Always, in my opinion, the sign of a good movie. True, there were only 3 of us actually in the cinema at the start of the film, but we'll gloss over that, shall we? The British viewing public are philistines and have no taste.
I'll say it clearly. Go and see it. It's going to stiff anyway, so enjoy it while you can.
And remember... Anarchy!
# posted by Pynchon @ 10:00 pm 
Comments:
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Sounds like the Ordinary Boys were, er... Very ordinary!
As for Brothers of the Head, I've never heard of it but it certainly sounds interesting. I think I'll try and hunt it down this weekend. There's a right load of old bilge on at the multiplexes at the moment.
As for Brothers of the Head, I've never heard of it but it certainly sounds interesting. I think I'll try and hunt it down this weekend. There's a right load of old bilge on at the multiplexes at the moment.
I saw The Ordinary Boys a couple of years ago supporting Morrissey, and their name aptly reflects their performance.
Hmm... The picture I chose for "Brothers Of The Head" was not displaying today.
No worries. I have nicked another one!
stef - Yes, I suppose they were ordinary. There I go again, avoiding the actual word. Ordinary. Perhaps if they had been called The Fantastic Boys they would have been fantastic?
I think that "Brothers Of The Head" is on limited release only. It might be at your local arthouse fleapit. Worth a look I think.
mark - See above.
daisy mae - Sadly, I think you may have missed it. According to IMDB it was on limited release in July 2006 in the States. You could always rent it, I suppose.
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No worries. I have nicked another one!
stef - Yes, I suppose they were ordinary. There I go again, avoiding the actual word. Ordinary. Perhaps if they had been called The Fantastic Boys they would have been fantastic?
I think that "Brothers Of The Head" is on limited release only. It might be at your local arthouse fleapit. Worth a look I think.
mark - See above.
daisy mae - Sadly, I think you may have missed it. According to IMDB it was on limited release in July 2006 in the States. You could always rent it, I suppose.
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