Punk started for me in 78.
Up to this point I had avoided punk on the principle that if my sister liked it then I didn’t. My sister had been hard core from early on.
My sister was then a hair dresser working in London. She was well into all the hair-styles that punks were experimenting with. Once on her way to a gig in London, a bus driver wouldn’t let her on the bus because she had green hair.
Thirty years on and punk style is almost main stream. But, back in 70s, it was an anti-establishment social movement. The music was only a small part of it. A joke at the expense of the BBC and the music industry.
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Posted in: Friday Night Music, Who Am I?
I was looking at the Red Lion web site to see who was playing there tonight. I do not think anyone is. There is a note on the site to the effect that the brewery, Green King, has cut the music budget due to the current economic conditions. So instead of live music four times a week it is going to be twice a week, maybe occasionally three times a week.
I would like to point out to any bankers who maybe reading this, that the credit crunch thing is now personal, and YES we do have a problem.
Looking at last week’s vid of Bowie in the 80s made me go look for some of his stuff from the 70s. This is when, under the influence of my elder sister, I became a Bowie fan.
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Posted in: Friday Night Music
Large parts of the UK have been snow bound this week. As unusual it took everyone by surprise. This happens every year. The country all but closed down in the face of a few inches of snow.
The media has been outraged by how soft we have become. Too many stay home in the face of a little hardship. It’s a far cry from the London of my youth, where painful, proud stories of The Blitz were still told.
Then the spirit was one of endurance, determination and of “mend and make do.” A culture of defiance, courage and refusal to surrender or compromise cherished national values.
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I Have Been Told Off
The “Holy Island of Lindisfarne” is an island stuck out on the north-east coast of England. Monks and hermits have lived there since forever. They first settled on the rock for protection against savage raiders. Having once spent a couple of evenings in Newcastle, I know how they felt.
“Lindisfarne” is also the name of a 70s rock-folk band from north-east England. The band has something of a cult following – which is a polite way of saying it’s available to play weddings and 60+ birthday parties.
One of these died-in-the-wool folk fans got in touch and irately pointed out that I spelt “Lindisfarne” as “Lindasfarn” in my post about fog. I have now corrected the post and offer my sincere apologies.
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Posted in: Friday Night Music
