Sunday, October 31, 2010

The Thing That Annoyed Me: the most about 'Lemmy The Movie' last Monday was a woman in the Q & A session who asked why Lemmy collected Nazi daggers? She was not and has not been the only one, but what odds does it make? He also collects Kinder egg toys, but no one makes a big deal about that.
He likes the craftsmanship of the daggers and swords, he explains. Mostly, they were made in Spain and are of a very high quality, the like of which, apparently, are not made today. Or if they are, they are cheap imitations.

Friday, October 29, 2010

New Fastway Album: Eric sent some recording news from lead singer, Toby Jepson, read the latest in his Blog pages -
http://www.tobyjepson.com/
And webmaster, Sarmad, sent this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bDepUPeYC4&feature=player_embedded

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Mick Farren: Prepares to return to the UK, and made headlines doing so.
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlla/mick-farrens-goodbye-to-los-angeles_b13246
'Lemmy The Movie': Is now on Amazon as a pre-order for the January 24th, 2011 release date at £9-99 for the 2-DVD set with 200 minutes of bonus extras. You don't get charged until it is sent, so book today to show them how serious we are about getting this knockout film!
The World Is Yours: Latest news -
http://www.planetrock.com/Article.asp?id=1998546&spid=35830
Thanks again to Eric for the link.

And a few album sound bytes, which are pretty quick...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74WrrZCH9OY

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Kronenbourg 'Ace of Spades' Free Download track:
http://www.planetrock.com/Article.asp?id=1996825&spid=35830
And after my fanzine page 2 deliberations about downloads, this one goes down in history as being my first - and it's well worth it...
...but I'm sure it'll crop up on CD or DVD somewhere in the future.
Thanks again to Eric for finding this one, too - he's quick that chap!

A List of Cinemas: showing 'Lemmy The Movie' is also included lower down the Link page, so book your seat now...
Lemmy The Movie: Went to see it at the Vue Screen 5 cinema complex yesterday, in Leicester Square, as part of the 54th BFI London Film Festival.
In true film festival tradition, film makers and producers, Greg Olliver and Wes Orshowski, walked on with one of the organisers to be introduced. After a few words, the film was shown, and Greg and Wes returned afterwards for a Q & A session with the audience.
After spending three and a half years following Motorhead on tour and interviewing relevant people, the film is obviously an absolute triumph. But some might say those words would be mine, and that anything about the band is great as far as I'm concerned.
Well, everything, particularly in the world of media, has its critics, but when you consider the oh so well-worn story that at the outset Motorhead could not get a record company to release their records, twice, hasn't Lemmy done well. He has achieved momentous acclaim and poked everyone in the eye by doing so. His prestige amongst his peers, as well as us fans, has never wavered, and this film is an excellent accolade to Lem's lifetime of never giving in or up.
Much like the band's 90 minute gigs, the 2 hours and a couple of minutes zipped by all too fast. But it covered all of Lem's bands, included some never-before-seen onstage photos of him looking very youthful with the Rocking Vickars, Hawkwind, (they even found Stacia), and through to Motorhead and also Lem's side-project, The Head Cat. They also caught him in the studio with Dave Grohl recording 'Run Rudolph Run' for its last year's Xmas album release.
All I can say is every Motorhead fan will love it, and it must have been so difficult trying to get 'the best of' his lifetime into 2 hours; (a quart in a pint pot if ever there was one), so isn't it a good job there will be 4 hours of 'extras' on the DVD when it's released on January 24th 2011.

Bumped into Jackie and Enid from Girlschool there, which was a nice, enjoyable bump.

Monday, October 25, 2010

The World Is Yours: all we need to know courtesy my friend, Eric -
http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=522220

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Thumbs Up For The 1664 Ad: With obvious shades of 'Whorehouse Blues' within its structure, the treat of seeing and hearing Motorhead's 2nd acoustic outing with 'Ace Of Spades' on the Kronenbourg advert was and still is, via You Tube, quite a treat.
No doubt fans would be divided, but since the heady days of MTV's 'Unplugged' series, it has always been in mind that Motorhead, playing a one-off, filmed, and recorded acoustic set, would be an excellent avenue for the band to explore.
Yes, we have loved them since Day One for their bludgeoning VOLUME, but such an outing would be quite a fun thing to do from their perspective; and a different aspect for us to enjoy when the mood struck.
Aforementioned 'Whorehouse Blues' has proven to be something of a showstopper, and a jaw-dropper for fans in the audience who had not kept up with the albums, and were experiencing acoustic Motorhead for the first time.
When asked why Motorhead had never performed Unplugged? Lemmy said: 'Because no one has asked us to.'
Well, Kronenbourg asked, and they got, as we in turn have, and the result is very favourable, thank you very much.

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Full Kronenbourg TV Advert Is Here:
http://www.youtube.com/v/khJKq_kJK7Q
Thanks to my life-long buddy, Eric Billett, for finding and sending the link.

It should be shown on Channel 4/5 at 9pm Sunday.
The ad company have asked if MHB's can -
Help Kronenbourg create the ultimate ‘slowed down’ playlist. Win Motorhead tickets and other stuff signed by Lemmy himself. They’re compiling a playlist of the 10 best slowed down versions of fast songs – covers or original artists – that will run across different media in November as part of the campaign. So, let them know what you think the best slowed down versions of fast songs are. Just tweet your suggestions at @K1664slow (http://twitter.com/K1664slow) to get involved. The first 20 suggestions will receive some great free stuff – including signed items from Lemmy and tickets to see Motorhead on tour in the UK in November.
Excuse Me For Asking: But it seems as if concerns about the ozone layer come and go much like fashion. One minute they're harping on about cutting down global emissions, and the next they're burning foot and mouth cattle corpses on fossil fueled funeral pyres.
And then yesterday on the News, Mexico boasted of their coup in seizing 105 tonnes of cannabis with a street value of £215million, and burned that, too.
The funny thing is they had to do so gradually, so that everyone within a 20 mile radius didn't end up stoned.
But the pall of black smoke was nevertheless ozone hostile.
Now, I don't wave my arms about things like this because I'm Mr Greenpeace. I just get confused because I don't think any of the governments are sure what they want to do? One day they're having a G20 summit and getting angry about China's smoggy output, and the next they're applauding Mexico for doing something like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp7_PxpZnvs
Odd.
Very odd.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

A Very Short Clip: but we're grateful, from MHB Iron Lady -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a9p0O02B68
Ace Of Spades Kronenbourg TV Advert: Key facts Motorheadbangers will be interested in -
The slow blues version by Lemmy, Phil, and Mikkey will be made available as a limited (free) download on the K1664 site and also as a streamlined track on Spotify.
The TV advert airs for the first time on Sunday 24th October, 2010, and features Motorhead playing the song, with Lemmy singing and playing harmonica, in a French bar.
BBH, who are headlining the campaign on this new Kronenbourg 1664 advert are asking music fans to contribute a playlist of the best ever slowed down versions of fast classics, and the first to reply will win Motorhead goodies, including tickets for the November tour and signed beer mats.
More info on http://twitter.com/#!/K1664slow/

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

The World Is Yours: Finally, and thanks to MHB's Iron Lady and Eliott Verity, we have some snippets from tracks and the track listing, with the news that it will be release on December 13th.
Thought albums were released before the tour, but guess there must be good reasoning behind this odd move?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74WrrZCH9OY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Is_Yours_(Motörhead_album)
Lemmy In TV Ad On Sunday: My thanks to one of our Russian MHB's, Artyom Golev, who noticed some news on a new advert featuring Lemmy playing a slowed-down bluesey version of Ace Of Spades.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/from-hard-rock-to-hard-sell-ace-of-spades-to-feature-in-beer-advert-2111358.html

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Need Another Book: After enjoying Adam Nevill's 'Apartment 16' novel, (novel's nevill? - nevill's novel?), there is nothing here to take my fancy.
Big mistake!
So I spend the evening with Mrs B, watching soaps.
This is what husband's are supposed to do. (Kiss my ringer-dinger, I say!)
And in Eastenders, they're having a massive punch-up, in Corrie, Gayle still looks like they threw away the baby and kept the afterbirth; (some say she's ET's mother!), and I'm sitting there, stunned.
Why does crap like this grip a whole Nation?
Why do other people's lives, (similarly on Big Brother, which, thankfully, Mrs B has never been keen on), fascinate us?
Why are there millions of sofas and armchairs bunged up with families sitting there in nail-biting silence watching that bloody box awaiting the cliffhanger which will be about as thrilling as peeing ones' underpants.
I MUST order a book from Amazon TODAY!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Lemmy The Movie DVD Release Date Set: imotorhead.com have just announced that 'Lemmy The Movie' will be released on DVD on January 24th 2011.
London screenings will be taking place over next weekend October 23rd to 25th.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Great Weekend: A bit of luck getting such nice weather so late in the year, and it's lasted well. High pressure makes us feel good, too, and the Low, being heavier, sees us depressed and unhappy.
With a large garden, it offered time to nip in and get a few jobs done; the last lawn mowing (hopefully), and some attention spent on the pond; which had become a bit overgrown with plants.
If, like me, you look at Mick Farren's Doc40 Blog and are wondering why it's been inactive for the past week or, so well... Mick is moving back to the UK at the end of the month, so he has packing and associated affairs to take care of, but will be back on-air soon.

Friday, October 15, 2010

The World Is Yours: I almost feel embarrassed about the release of the new album. All that I (believe) I know is that it will be released on Roadrunner, which has for years been a top rock / metal record label.
Never, I don't think, have we been so bereft of news.
If things are still the same on Monday, I will forge ahead and endeavour to find out more...

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Veering Off At A Tangent: I hate to be boring, but in our younger day it was impossible to get credit without parents' consent, credit cards did not exist, and there was definitely no Bank of Mum & Dad.
So, if a bill arrived, or for some reason we were skint, we went out and sold stuff. It was usually LP's as they were instant cash, and although letting some of them go was regrettable, getting through a fix was more important.
Now there are credit cards, which are something of a double-edged sword in that they can help and also drop you in it.
There are also places advertised on TV like wonga.com who say you can borrow until pay day. But have you seen the APR? Something like 2468%. One of them only equates to 10% per week, but they're banking on us not paying it off, and losing more money. Just like the fatal credit card nightmare of just paying off the minimum amount - it knocks-on to BIG financial trouble.
But our offspring are not used to going out and selling stuff for cash. And we had a few things, a bit of gold, some silver, and a few old postcards. So rather than leave it until we snuff it, we sold it to two buyers and moved it on; so we will enjoy the dosh.
And I don't think they have the savvy to make something out of nothing, so it's gone, and we're happy.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The Simpsons' / Motorhead / Lemmy: Check the 'Latest News' link on www.imotorhead.com for the latest edition of The Simpsons' monthly comic.
The October issue contians a story written by Lemmy, and featuring him, Phil, and Mikkey as Simpsons' styled caricatures.
Copies are available in the UK for around £3 to £3-50 including postage from EBay sellers, and there's a link for USA / Canadian fans on the imotorhead site.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Moaning On Monday: What is this cinema 3D excitement? Courting Mrs B in 1972 / 73 we went to see Jaws in 3D. It was disappointing, and nothing more came of it; until now. Progress and HD, we presume?
And you will have noticed the supermarkets have gone off the boil in their previously stringent plastic bag usage. Now, the newsworthyness has fallen in favour of more pressing global problems, they are just dishing them out willy-nilly again.
We can't have the nation's dog walkers buying bags for the dog poo, can we.

Saturday, October 09, 2010

Tattoed Lover Boys: Never a massive Pretenders' fan, (but Chrissie Hynde learned an awful lot about attitude from times she hung around with Lemmy), James Honeyman-Scott's solos on this song are quite remarkable. In a matter of seconds, he crosses landscapes belonging to Pete Townshend, Jimi Hendrix, and a few more besides - marvellous -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdCzch75iaY&feature=related
Meanwhile, never mind the crummy tattoo, what about the chick -
http://botropolis.com/wp-content/uploads/bender-tatoo.jpg
Chrissie Hynde has a massive fan base, many of them lesbians, who adore her (much owed to Lem) arrogance and inti-disciplinarianism; but if they buy the records, who gives a toss!
This is quite some tatt, too.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_z2Nv-pYmknk/TK7FLVKfzMI/AAAAAAAAIEM/ksLGNIsKDLo/s400/space3.jpg

Friday, October 08, 2010

A Second Bite: It's always nice when summer refuses to give in to autumn, and hangs on as long as it can. But the leaves are starting to turn, and some are falling off the trees like Mother Nature's confetti.
The massive pear tree at the top of the garden here always tells the tale of the seasons. Alive with bees on the clouds of blossom in the spring, the fruit gradually developing, and then dropping now with the leaves.
The pears are rock hard, and only take to slow stewing, so most of them go to waste.
Some old feller called from the adjacent country walk, to ask if he could have any fallers? I said if he could pick them up, or grab them from the tree, they were his.
Other than that, the rooks and magpies sit aloft pecking at them, especially in dry weather, trying to find some moisture.
Everyone has to have their share to enable the circle of life to continue.

Thursday, October 07, 2010

25 Minutes To Spare?: So enjoy this Lemmy interview -
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=62805856

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

Loads A Books: With Mick's 'Collector's Guide' out in a couple of weeks, and one of my books being published this year, and one next; so, too, Joel's is already on Amazon for May 2011 release.
http://www.joelmciver.co.uk/site.html
Lemmy Does The Raindance: and he's not trying to win a tenner on Walker's crisps, either.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11475391
Mailed by Eric, thanks, mate.

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

The World Is Yours: A great little Mikkey Dee interview from Hungary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLkDIvAPh2w
Layer Cake: After Mrs B had watched the Monday evening 2 hour stranglehold of soaps, and I had read a few more chapters of Adam Nevill's excellent 'Apartment 16' novel, (recommended by MHB Paddy Campbell), 9pm arrived.
The first episode of DCI Banks was, not to put too fine a point on it; crap. So there was no way part 2 was going to be any better, despite the trailers.
Fortunately, a quick flick through the dismal listings of arduous reruns of the reruns of the effing reruns, we found 'Layer Cake' on the Fiver channel
Wonderful British thuggery, drug dealing, guns, and superbly acted characters, (latter-day James Bond, actor, Daniel Craig, taking the lead), made it a joy to watch; and found it steeped in the tradition of 'Snatch' and 'Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels' etcetera.
The soundtrack music was pretty good, too, and first up was this masterpiece by The Cult -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I8mWG6HlmU
- which our much-missed local band, DNA, used to play live, much to my extreme delight.

Monday, October 04, 2010

Walkers Crisps: Well, the Lionel Ritchie advert has been pensioned off in favour of a promotion telling us there's a £10 note if we can forecast rain. Ought to be easy here in the UK, so there must be a catch...
Meanwhile, here's the least played Walkers' advert...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6343449649680434419

Sunday, October 03, 2010

And Speaking of The Head Cat: here they are, live at the Fox Theatre, 25th September, 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lZ_PQZxAr8
Marvellous.
'Words Worth' More Today: Many years ago, I commented about the zillions of times 'What's Words Worth' had been released, probably the band's most licensed album. It was not a complaint, just snipe at the mapcap frequency of it appearing under various different guises.
But the sound of that album, and the journey back in Motorhead history to those earthy days is well worth a fresh visit.
Dig a copy out today, and have an enjoyable Sunday afternoon listening and reminiscing.
Life and technology has moved on, and the Motorhead sound with it; but we can travel back in time with those precious CD's and DVD's, and re-live them whenever we want.
That's what being a fan, and a collector, is all about.

Saturday, October 02, 2010

The Motorhead Story: has just been released as a double DVD package. It's the same as the 'Overkill - 30th Anniversary' release, but the labels and insert have changed.
This is the release I was asked to take part in, and did.
The heart op took place on 15th December 2006; my brother's birthday, and also the day Mum died in 1981. He has never said, but it must be rather poignant having those two occasions happening on the same day. I wasn't going to make it a triple, to make it even more poignant.
Released from Southampton hospital on the day before Xmas Eve, after such a major op, and 5 hours on the table, you are pretty battered around, and need time to recuperate. But in early January, 2007, Sarmad emailed to say a film company had made contact via the website. He gave me their details, and I phoned.
'We're making a Motorhead documentary, can you come up to London for an interview?'
'No, sorry, I've had open heart surgery, my solar plexus is very painful where it's fusing back together, and my lungs are weak and I get puffed out pretty quickly, so I can't go anywhere.'
'That's fine,' she said, 'can we visit you?'
With no immediate excuse available, and coming from a generation who don't like saying no; I agreed, and next morning, at around 11.30, a Mini pulled into the drive, and a young man and woman got out, lugging lights and a camera. The young woman was great, a confident and immediately likeable person, who quickly ran through what she was after, whilst the guy set everything up.
So we did it, for 3 hours - with a half hour break, and I sweat my nibs off under just two lights which felt like the Sahara sun at midday.
Out of that large span of time, they used three short edits.
The edit about 'Everyone should see Motorhead at least once a year, more if possible,' was at the end of quite a long piece which they edited out. For some reason or another, operations, or the anaesthetic, make us feel very emotional, and at the end of that part, I felt quite tearful. Motorhead mean a lot, you see, and are worth getting emotional about. I hadn't felt that emotional since 1995, and before that, in 1981, with Mum. I'm not good with tears, you see, after school punishments and suchlike, it wasn't cool to cry, so you trained yourself not to; and the habit sticks. No wonder I'm so emotionally f***ed up! And giving up alcohol and cigarettes didn't help the cause, either.
Looking at it on this DVD now, I can see that I wasn't at my best, and perhaps should have refused the interview, so soon after the op. But it happened so quickly, a phone call, and next day they were here, but I suppose it's better to be in it than not. Lemmy once told me. 'If someone offers you money, ask for double, and say thanks very much.' Well, he can get away with it as he's a legend. I had a small remuneration, and signed a contract which I didn't have time to read, and that was that; off they drove.
The DVD has been released a few times now, and many of you have no time for such 'unnoficial' releases. Well, I buy a copy as part of the service MHB's provide, so that I can tell you they're available, and you can decide whether you make a purchase; or not.
It's the best edit they have released, and would be nice to watch on the Biography or Sky Arts channels rather than the drivel they often air.
Krusher's on there, Malcolm Dome, and other Kerrang! notables I can't bring to mind just now, and new interviews with Wurzel and Robbo, recorded in 2007. There are also some band interviews (and live footage) edited from the 'Everything Louder Than Everything Else' release, so there is some involvement in a licensed off and retrospective kind of way.
So, if you don't want Auntie Fernackerpan to knit you yet another naff polo necked jumper for Xmas, this might be just the jobby as an alternative?

Friday, October 01, 2010

Lemmy The Movie: This is the latest (short) trailer, including the song 'American Beat' from the new Head Cat album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBe0Ba7vLMI
The Upton Clay Industry: might be a boring title with little sparkle to attract the casual reader. But almost 2 year's ago, at the November 2008 launch of the 'When Upton Had Trains' book, a young man named Mark Strand flicked four sepia photographs across the signing table. 'How about writing a book about the Upton clay industry?' he asked. (Mark's father, Mervyn, had worked at the Dorset Clay Products pipe factory, and he and his work colleague, Johnny Philips, had been admired by myself and neighbourhood friend, John Westacott. Johnny has now passed, but Mervyn is still around, and made himself known at a mutual bood test at Poole Hospital last year.)
Well, my eyes bulged.
Blimey!
Quite a task!
But those four photos, taken in the very late 1950's or early 1960's at the Dorset Clay factory behind where I have lived for the majority of my life, sparked the will to do something before those industries, (also the Lytchett / Upton Brick Company), and the local people who worked for them, became forgotten.
Once started, a casual chat between myself and Cyril Gillard, who lives across the road, was overheard by Brian Selby, whilst we were waiting for a prescription at the chemists, and this chance meeting brought an Ordnance Survey map of Upton in 1953 from Brian, which, along with other photos and some of my own, were the genesis of the project.
Because Mark Strand threw down a challenge, and after the 'Upton Trains' book, which touched upon these industries, I knew its publication would pull photos, knowledge, and first-hand accounts which would need logging for posterity, from other people living in the village; and it did.
Yesterday, the manuscript and photos were accepted for publication by Natula, my local interest book publisher, for which I am very grateful.
You see, knowledge is a wonderful thing, and with me hitting 60 next year, my knowledge of Upton, framed into the 'Upton Trains' book, created a great deal of local interest. Some people, who have perhaps lived here for 30 years or so, were aware of the Castleman's Trailway country walk, which again is behind me here, and goes through to Broadstone and beyond. But those people didn't know that this beautiful, scenic country walk had once been the bed of a railway line, known as Castleman's Corkscrew; and named such as it winds itself in and around its course, and various obstacles, through neighbouring Hamworthy, and Upton Heath.
The book will be published next year, and I am thrilled because it's not boring, believe me, and it will be a tome of diamond-like local knowledge which would have been lost forever, otherwise.