glastonbury tickets and the stones at hyde park

So, once again the Glastonbury Festival tickets have gone on sale and been snapped up straight away.  What a surprise. I could rant all night about how safe and middle class it has become, and just another thing to tick off as a social occasion, rather than a gathering of the freaks and the great unwashed (of whom l consider myself a member).  Once upon a time, back in the olden days, rock music was a form of individuality and rebellion, an outsider interest that would annoy your parents. Now they (mainly the middle class ones) are as likely to attend the festivals as their children. I'd rather there was nakedness, drugs a plenty, and a feeling of chaos, even if it was sometimes a bit dodgy, or your tent got slashed (as mine did at Glastonbury). Much more appealing to me than wall to wall TV coverage, and endless photos of Kate Moss and her ilk slumming it in their wellies, and half of the bands looking and sounding the same. Where are the dropouts and the real alternative folk?  Priced out for one thing.
Check out The Rolling Stones at Hyde park back in the 1960's.  All sorts down at the front, plus some free space.  Now it would be full of 20 year olds and their parents, crushed up and singing along in unison as they all recycle the hits one more time (The Last Time?).  Try getting that close to Mick Jagger nowadays.
Modern life is (in some ways) rubbish.

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robin friday and reading festival 1974

When l was a young lad and my parents moved to RAF Benson (in between Reading and Oxford), one of the first things l did was choose a local football team to watch, which turned out to be Oxford United.
I went to just about all of their home games while we were there, but also some away fixtures (not many, as l  was still at school).
One of these was in 1974 against Reading, in a pre season friendly, where the programme was a single sheet of paper. Myself and a mate also hung around the ground for a bit and met some of the players, some of whom signed the back of the sheet.
One that did not sign (as l don't recall meeting him) was Reading's Robin Friday, who went on to become a cult hero at both Reading and Cardiff City, despite only playing a couple of seasons for both.  He was a wayward lad, drinking, shagging, drugging, being banned from pubs, and certainly a man who did his own thing, despite the consequences.  He was also a great lower league player who was skillful and gave everything in a match, which is why the fans of both clubs loved him (and still do).
There's a great book about him by Paulo Hewitt and Paul 'Guigsy' McGuigan (from Oasis), which is well worth reading called The Robin Friday Story (The Greatest Footballer You Never Saw).  Luckily, my piece of paper from this game proves l did see him play. Sadly, he died when he was 38 from a suspected heroin overdose (according to Hewitt).
On a related note, because l was into music as well, l often wondered why myself and mates didn't bother with the Reading Festival, which was pretty much on our doorstep.  Then l saw a poster of the line up and realised why.  I have grown to love The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and Kevin Coyne, and the older me would watch George Melly and Ronnie Lane, but at the time it was all Marc Bolan and T.Rex, Sweet, Status Quo and Deep Purple.  This Reading line up would have meant nothing to us at the time, and my first Reading Festival had to wait until 1977.

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reading festival 1977

Pah! Don't talk to me about festivals nowadays, with their yurts, celebs, posh food places, plus fences that would put the Berlin Wall to shame.
This was my first festival, Reading in 1977, when it stayed rainy and muddy,  weekend tickets were £7.50, and l hitch hiked there and back from Catterick, North Yorkshire (and got picked up going there by The Finn brothers from Richmond).
That, brothers and sisters, is what you call a festival experience (plus Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy, and The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were on).
Once you have survived something like that, it's all relative afterwards.



Aerosmith in 1977 (Houston).  At the time, lots of drugs were being taken, and Steve Tyler wants the crowd to sing to 'Train Kept a Rollin', when the actual song is 'Toys in the Attic'.



The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - there's not been anyone like them since.


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the rolling stones at glastonbury festival and the strypes

No doubt there will be much discussion around the country today about The Rolling Stones' appearance at Glastonbury Festival yesterday, so here's my view.
They delivered what was expected of them. A collection of their mostly well known songs with a lot of prancing about (resulting in some poor singing), with some shoddy playing and posing thrown in for good measure. Mick Jagger tries to please everyone with his cockernee geezer accent and desperation to show how he can still move about at his ripe old age of nearly 70, and Keef is more concerned with looking cool and iconic, rather than bashing out some memorable tunes.  It was good to see Mick Taylor up with them, sharing some of the plaudits and glory, and Keith Richards looking as though he is going to end up emulating Taylor in the lifestyle choices nowadays, rather than the other way round (healthy eating wise).
Some songs sounded decent, some (2,000 Light Years From home), were atrocious.
Nowadays, half of the attraction of seeing The Stones is the fact that they are an institution.  Wizened old legends, creakily stepping down from their personal Mount Olympus' to entertain the common folk, who may never get the chance to see them again. Supposedly their rehearsals for the tour came in at a million of your English pounds and pence, but they still play like a sloppy, pissed up bar band playing the songs for the first time.
On the other hand, this could also be commended, as they don't try to be ultra professional, and are more bothered about the audience going away happy after an entertaining spectacle rather than pleasing the TV viewers at home, and that is certainly how it came across yesterday. They were much better than they could have been, it's normally a great day out, and rather like some football matches, the build up and anticipation (plus the all day drinking with mates or partners) is most of the fun.  The match/concert at the end is something that will hopefully prove to be worthwhile and pleasurable, but a good day out can still be had if it is not.
If you really want to recapture the early bluesy Stones, go and see some young bands who still have it all to prove, not some old gits looking after their retirement funds.

I've got high hopes for The Strypes.  At the moment, they can't get near what the Stones were like in their heyday, but they have a long, long time ahead of them to have a decent pop at it. If they end up half as good, that would still be an achievement worth aspiring to.



The Stones - remember them this way.  Gimme Shelter on Pop Goes The Sixties



The young pretenders - The Strypes with Blue Collar Jane on The Late Late Show.


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the kfc map of london

My favourite map of London, given away free in KFC.  It looks good, it's easy to follow, and more importantly, it has all the KFC outlets at the time. Result!
I think l got it in 1978 when l was sleeping rough in London for a couple of days before heading to Reading Festival.
I might try and find a larger pristine copy and have it framed (even more crap to fill the house with).

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led zeppelin on their private plane

This is the way l should be able to travel.  Loads of space, large beds, music, drink, drugs (not shown in the pictures) and groupies.  There's even a bleeding fireplace!  These photographs are of Led Zeppelin back in 1973 on their (rented) private plane 'The Starship'.  How the other half live.

I've always liked Led Zeppelin, and years ago (late 1970's) l had a denim jacket onto which l painstakingly added 'Led Zeppelin' on the back. The problem? I only went and missed out the 'e' and spelt it 'Led Zepplin', not realising until it was finished and too late to remedy or save. Thank God l didn't wear it to Knebworth in 1979, as l'd have been laughed out of the place. What an idiot. Lukkily l can spell now.

More info and pics about the plane here.

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pukklepop disaster 2011

After posting this the other day, another disaster has hit the Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium, leaving some dead and many injured. The weather in the video certainly looks pretty bad. Maybe l should stop going on about the conditions l had to endure at Reading Festival in 1977 (but l doubt that l will).

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reading festival 1977

My first ever festival. I hitch hiked from Catterick (North Yorkshire), to Watlington (in Oxfordshire), and got a taxi to Robin Collins, my mate's house in Lewknor. We then got a bus to the festival (if l remember correctly).

It had been raining a lot the week before, and the site was mighty muddy and pretty damn wet. It didn't improve over the weekend, and in the end, you just have to resign yourself to the fact you are going to have to put up with it. Character building stuff, no wonder l am soooo hard.

Highlights for me were Aerosmith, Eddie and the Hot Rods, The Sensational Alex Harvey band, Thin Lizzy and Lone Star. I took a tape recorder with me and managed to get a semi decent recording of Aerosmith, but most of the recordings were rubbish, as it was an old piano key control one that l just lifted in the air.

God knows how l managed to hitch back Oop North afterwards, but l obviously did so, as l am here to tell the tale (although it has not taken me 34 years, l was back on the Monday afterwards (l think).

I must have enjoyed it though, despite the conditions, as, (like the idiotic gullible fool l am), l returned the following year, when the weather was (thankfully) a lot better..

Happy days.

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dodgy richmond live

Dodgy closing the show

Forgot to post the other day that Richmond Live was at the weekend so the FPO and l went down there on Saturday evening, leaving it later than usual because it was raining during the afternoon, and being an old bastard, l didn't want to get soaked and muddy.

I was already a bit tidly when l got there, so when there were volunteers asked for to do some poetry, l was straight up there. l had decided what l was going to say, but when l got to the mike, l foolishly made something up on the spot, which contained swearing. Didn't get a great response from Rapping Ritchie (who gave me the mike), as there were children present. Never mind, punk rock and all that. I also nearly got in a fight with a young lad who was bugging a hippie couple, as l told him to fuck off and leave them alone. His response was "l am only 16, would you hit a kid", to which l replied "Yes l would, l would punch you right in your face". His mates dragged him away when l advised them to do so before he got hurt (luckily for me as l am a soft bastard). He will probably come looking for me when he is in his 20's, so if l get assassinated, it's probably him.

The usual bands were on again (Atlantic Soul Messengers, Jism, The Exploding Buddahs), and the main band were Dodgy, who we didn't think a lot of, so we decided to bugger off early to get a taxi to JT's. can't remember what time we left there, but it was a bugger getting out of bed on Sunday morning, as l went to work.

It was the worst one music wise l have been to (and l have been to them all). They could definitely do with some fresh faces.

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reykjavik mayor jon gnarr

This is the sort of politician we should have in the UK. The mayor of Reykjavik, Jon Gnarr opened up their Gay Pride festival dressed as his buxom alter ego, and then slagged off the mayor (himself) for not attending.

When Jon Gnarr came to power, he did so by promising free towels in swimming pools and a Polar bear in the zoo (he is a comedian). He also wants a Disneyland at the airport and "A drug free parliament" by 2020.

The prime minister of Iceland, Johanna Stigurdardottir, is also openly gay. How come we get lumbered with the likes of Boris Johnson, Nick Cegg and David Cameron? (Tory bastards)

I would go and live over there if it wasn't for the freezing conditions and the price of alcohol.

The UK has a lot of catching up to do.

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