MORE OTHERS INTERVIEWS + FORTHCOMING PROJECTS…

For those interested Here are my last interviews for the time being – with THE OTHERS, and with their rather interesting Estonian lead guitarist EDDIE DARKO + STEVE MCCREADY who is not only a great diverse multi-instrumentalist  but an interesting chat too. In fact with STEVE there was even a connection with DAVE EDMUNDS whose cover of ELVIS COSTELLO’s “GIRLS TALK” is one of my all time faves…

EDDIE DARKO AND I DISCUSS HIS ESTONIAN ROOTS AND INFLUENCES…(Lead Guitarist to THE OTHERS as the EDGE is to U2 or JOHN SQUIRE to THE STONE ROSES) – talking of his influences and the new project at Small Pond Studios in Brighton December 2021…

JOSEPH GARDINER LOWE, THE OTHERS DRUMMER WHO ALSO IS DRUM TECH FOR THE ROLLING STONES UPLOADED MY INTERVIEW WITH THE ECLECTIC MULTI INSTRUMENTALIST BASSIST STEVE MCCREADY…

ALAN MCGEE INTERVIEW…FORTHCOMING ISLINGTON CONCERT...

I shall be onstage myself performing hopefully at one point on my Harmonica at the forthcoming concert by THE OTHERS and support NEVERSHEDS at the GRACE Islington which may enthrall as a unique comedy performance ( I refer to myself!) or i may impress (?)…we shall see…

I also will have the honor through my very good friend DOMINIC MASTERS to be interviewing ALAN MCGEE the Scottish Music industry legend…(Scotland…Land of BILLY MACKENZIE and STUART ADAMSON…Scots faves of mine amongst many… )

ALAN (CREATION RECORDS/POPTONES) has worked with – OASIS, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, PRIMAL SCREAM, KASABIAN, JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, THE OTHERS, THE LIBERTINES, SPIRITUALIZED, THE HIVES, HAPPY MONDAYS, GLEN MATLOCK OF THE SEX PISTOLS, MOMUS, HURRICANE #1, BOO RADLEYS, SUPER FURRY ANIMALS, EDITORS, KEVIN ROWLAND OF DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS, DREADZONE, ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN, THE CRAMPS, WEATHER PROPHETS, CAST, WILCO JOHNSON, MEMBRANES, RIDE, BILL DRUMMOND OF KLF, SAINT ETIENNE, TEENAGE FANCLUB, HOUSE OF LOVE, HEAVY STEREO, A CERTAIN RATIO, BLACK GRAPE, STONE ROSES, KAISER CHIEFS, SPACEMEN 3, THE DARKNESS, BEADY EYE and H20…H20 are last but not least as I DREAM TO SLEEP is an Electro New Romantic 80’s classic), and I will be interviewing him on what should be a busy day at the OTHERS reunion show in April along with meeting the 853 KAMAKAZE stage diving OTHERS fan divisions from Germany London and Portsmouth!

I plan to be there but life being what it is always leaves an element of doubt so I do hope the event and interviews transpire as i had a hell of a time in Brighton in December. Of course perhaps i have totally Jinxed it by mentioning it at all in advance. Hopefully Alan McGee and everyone else will be there…let alone the gig happening itself in such turbulent times, but as I write its all set. As a Paddington boy I can safely say that if I were to miss this, as those other inhabitants “STEPTOE AND SON” would say…its…”Just my Bleedin’ luck!!”

This week we had another surreal chapter in world history (no more end of history talk…its reawakened) with Boris “Let them eat cake” Johnson making and breaking laws and a seemingly obedient populace now dazed from the ashes of the pandemic and the anger of BLM to…WW3…with both Justin Trudeau and Putin accusing others of being Nazi’s when that is clearly the case about themselves and not who they are accusing…so Its all happening! But also this week PROCOL HARUM singer GARY BROOKER passed away and left us with a beautiful body of work. Not just “WHITER SHADE OF PALE”. “TOO MUCH BETWEEN US from A SALTY DOG is a moving piece of music and always evokes in my mind losing a fave dog of mine. Certainly the use of BACH will always enthrall and be of interest to those interested in the nucleus of a song, a genre, or a sound.

FOR A DOG LOVER LIKE ME THIS IS A PARTICULAR FAVE WITH A REAL NICE KALEIDOSCOPE OF PRETTY MELODIES AND SOUNDS WHICH SOMEHOW MOVE THE LISTENER RATHER IN THE WAY CLASSICAL COMPOSERS DO. BEAUTIFUL

WITH THESE RARE IMAGES WE SEE AND HEAR ECHOES OF TH PAST LIKE A BEAUTIFUL PSYCHEDELIC SOUNDSCAPE WITH PASTORAL LEANINGS BACK TO AGES PAST…WHETHER 1967 OR 1797…THE SOUND IS TIMELESS, THE WORDS POETIC, THE VOICE RANGE PERFECT AND THE GLORIOUS RESISTANCE TO GO DOWN JAZZ TERRITORY, BUT TO INSTEAD MOVE INTO CLASSICAL TERRITORY AT A TIME WHEN BLUES AND RNB WAS KING AND THE NEWLY EMERGING ALTERNATIVE 60’S SOUNDS THAT LED THE WAY TO ALTERNATIVE ROCK WITH THE SWIRLING 17TH CENTURY STYLE ORGAN

I have enjoyed presenting music interviews recently, and my favorite moment as a presenter before this was to save an historic Literary Arts house of some repute! I recently saw the new owners of ALFOXTON HOUSE where the great poets COLERIDGE and WORDSWORTH composed LYRICAL BALLADS in 1797 and I was told my project helped saved the house in a low key manner via my short film which inspired them to buy it – and the new owners were featured recently in a SKY ARTS documentary on the great poets too.

AS I MENTIONED COLERIDGE AND WORDSWORTH HERE IS SOMETHING OF THAT PERIOD WHICH INSPIRED THE LATE GARY BROOKER WITHOUT EVER BEING A COMPLETE COPY OF THE GHOSTLY MELODY RECREATED OR EMULATED, BUT NOT COPIED…

ALAN MCGEE BEGAN HIS CAREER IN MUSIC AS BASSIST FOR H20 SO I THOUGHT ID SLIP IN THIS CLASSIC WHICH LIKE THE RONALD BINGE (SOUNDS LIKE EDWARD COATES) PIECE “SAILING BY” WHEN USED BY BBC RADIO 4 LATE AT NIGHT – IS A LOVELY TUNE TO LISTEN TO AND ESCAPE TO THE LAND OF NOD…LIKE SO MANY RECORDS OF THAT EARLY 80’S ERA THERE IS EVEN A LITTLE BOWIE YOUNG AMERICANS REFERENCE IN THE LYRICS TO THIS MODERN LULLABY…THE LYRICS REMIND ME OF ROMANTIC POETRY AND THE LIKES OF COLERIDGE OR WORDSWORTH IN FACT ST COLERIDGE DID WRITE A POEM CALLED PAINS OF SLEEP AND THE VISION IN A DREAM…GREAT RECORD THAT SITS SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN ULTRAVOX AND ROXY MUSIC SURPRISINGLY

THIS WEEK I FINALLY SAW THIS…MY GRANDAD DEMONSTRATING HIS SKILLS ON THE BEEB BACK IN 1972 AND STEPTOE TOO WHICH CAME AS A SURPRISE AS ID NEVER SEEN THIS NOR KNOWN OF ANY CONNECTION TO MY FAVE COMEDY (ONLY MET HIM ONCE)