A White Dove Among The Vultures

MISHKIN FITZGERALD - Birmingham Tower Of Song

I regularly mention Brighton orchestral dark cabaret weirdos Birdeatsbaby on other social media platforms so it's surprising that apart from a brief mention in my round-up of 2014, I haven't written about them in detail here. They are a prime example of a band who use social media to its full potential and they give regular webcasts to preview new songs. An offhand online comment I made during one of these sessions has somehow resulted in frontwoman Mishkin Fitzgerald being booked by my friend Lobelia Lawson to play at one of her intimate Sunday night events. I've not seen the band or any of its members live before and despite feeling that I know her well, I've never met Mishkin face to face until the night before the gig when I find her at my front door, laden with bottles of gin. This sets the tone for the rest of the weekend.

I've written before about making a distinction between an artist's work and the artist as a person. In some cases you even need to distance yourself from the individual in order to enjoy the music; this is the case for me with Morrissey in particular. It's much easier to draw that dividing line when you get to know an artist personally. Mishkin's easy-going day-to-day persona is very different from the gloomy character portrayed in her lyrics, although I should add that I have no reason to distance myself from either as they each appeal to a different side of my own nature. She can be self-effacing and alternately refers to herself as an "orange-haired vegan piano warrior" and a "dweeb". I get to know the latter during an afternoon's drinking and forget that this dweeb will later transform into the piano warrior with a quick change of outfit.

Mishkin is known on social media for her vegan lifestyle and animal rights campaigning but it's interesting how subtle she is about this. She is not at all preachy about her beliefs and there is little direct reference to them in her lyrics, although there are general themes of compassion and suffering. That aforementioned bequiffed individual could learn a lot here; if he were to be a little less bombastic then perhaps more people would be prepared to listen to his opinions.

I often pick up a setlist as a souvenir of a gig but rarely think about how the sets are planned; for example, are the same songs played every night of the tour? With an hour to go before show time, Mishkin pulls out a list of around 30 possible songs and, with a bit of help/interference from me, selects 11 to be played tonight. The songs are then shuffled into a satisfactory sequence, reminding me of the effort that goes into compiling a mix CD. First of all you need to select a suitable opening and closing number, then finding a stylistic flow between the intervening songs is the hard part. But making a mix CD is nothing compared with this. What's impressive is that any of those 30 songs could have been played spontaneously even though the day has been spent drinking rather than rehearsing.

The mark of good songwriting is that the work can be played in a number of different styles and remain meaningful; the mark of a good performer is that they can play any songs (their own or those of another writer) and make them fit the mood. Although there are differences in style between Mishkin's solo work and the more expansive sound of Birdeatsbaby on record, tonight I genuinely can't remember which songs come from which project as what we get is a consistent flow of beauty from start to finish. When I get home I check the setlist against the CDs to confirm the origins of each song. The set contains five songs from the new EP "Seraphim", two from the previous solo release "Present Company" and three Birdeatsbaby numbers, including one from an album to be released later this year. There is also a song by a band called The Devil Makes Three, labelled simply as "DM3" on the setlist so I'm not sure of its title. Although the fact is no doubt mentioned during the show, I fail to notice that it's a cover as it fits seamlessly into the set. I'm always intrigued when an artist has favourites or influences I've never heard of so I make a mental note to investigate The Devil Makes Three further.

I'm far from being a musician so find it fascinating to watch performers' movements closely and marvel at the technical skill, particularly when I have no real understanding of how the sounds are produced. When she's not performing, Mishkin works as a piano teacher, with the parents of Brighton queuing up to book lessons for their offspring and it's clear why she's in such hot demand. As someone who struggles to co-ordinate different parts of my body simultaneously, it's frightening to see how flexible her hands are. Dear lord, surely the thumb and index finger were never designed to be stretched that far apart?! The fact that she can do all this and sing at the same time is astounding enough but this is more than just singing, she has a truly amazing voice. The short a cappella piece "Deep In The Water" leaves the crowd with jaws on the floor but before we have time to take in what has just happened, she's back at the piano for the EP's title track, subtitled "Leaving Me Out". This is perhaps the most heart-wrenching song I've heard this year and it's possible I might have shed a tear but we put that down to the gin.

The only way to end the set is with "Rosary", with some of Birdeatsbaby's most disturbing lyrics promising that "you'll be so sorry when they find my body" - another example of the distinction between her on- and offstage characters. Knowing of her happy home life, I can't imagine the "real" Mishkin having thoughts of that kind although she mentioned earlier that someone was worried about her state of mind after seeing the gruesome cover of the new EP.

After the show, several people thank me for allowing them to see such an amazing performance but I don't feel I should take the credit here. All I did was suggest that I would like to see one of my favourite performers and then hand it over to Lobelia and tour promoter Simon to do all the hard work. However this does show that many artists welcome suggestions from their audience and any input, however small, can lead to great things happening. Even if, like me, you mostly feel like a bystander in your local music scene, you should still do whatever you can to get involved.

A tour with the full Birdeatsbaby line-up is on the cards for the end of the year and I look forward to another gin-fuelled weekend although we agree that bassist Garry Mitchell will be consigned to sleeping in the shed. The EP "Seraphim" is available in a five-track format now, with an expanded ten-track version coming at some point in the future. I already have the subscribers' download copy with all ten tracks so I'm not actually sure which of tonight's songs are on the current version. If you want all the songs now your best bet is to subscribe to Birdeatsbaby's Patreon programme. This will give you early access to all new material, at whatever price you can afford to pay, and also regular opportunities to interact with the band.

Antmusic For Sexpeople

ADAM ANT - Birmingham Symphony Hall

It's interesting how many people of my age and slightly older list "Kings Of The Wild Frontier" as the first record they bought. It's therefore not surprising that when Adam Ant announced a tour playing the album in full, tickets sold out instantly. I was lucky enough to get seats just three rows from the front and it's clear that we're in for something special as soon as Adam hits the stage wearing that classic brocade jacket. At the age of 61, he proves that you are never too old to look stylish, and with his longer hair and beard he now fits the pirate look more than ever. Right from the opening song he takes command of the stage, with spectacular animation that puts to shame most young frontmen and even some of those from established acts. He rarely stands still, ensuring that he interacts with the audience on all sides of the room.

Although Adam is the focus of attention, credit should also go to his band. I'm not sure what to call them; they haven't officially been "The Ants" for 35 years although they are playing songs from that era. Obviously tonight's cast doesn't include anyone from either the early line-up that went on to become Bow Wow Wow or the classic line-up from the album we are about to hear. In fact I don't catch the names of any of the musicians and even a spot of internet research leaves me none the wiser - some journalist I'd make! I'm informed that one of the drummers is named Yola and older members of the crowd remember her from a few local bands of the past. I later discover that a friend actually went to primary school with her. That's right, I did say one of the drummers. You might consider two drummers to be excessive but the twin tribal drumming was always part of the Ant sound and live with two full kits it gives the show the drive required to bring these classic songs to life. With Adam playing additional guitar at times, the music has a much fuller sound than I could ever get from playing the record at home.

I didn't read the music press at the time, not even "Smash Hits", so I can only speculate on the media excitement over "Kings Of The Wild Frontier" on its release. Here was an artist seeming at first glance to be moving away from the stark, minimalist punk of debut album "Dirk Wears White Sox" with the clear intention of becoming a star. Perhaps there were even accusations of "selling out" but that was not the case at all. Despite being considered a "commercial crossover" this was an innovative album for its time, when very few artists could have a string of number one singles while carving out a unique image. As I said, innovative for its time but it might still be considered that way if it were released now. This is not the sort of thing that would top the charts or be deemed "commercial" today. The album no doubt caused a rift in the Ant fan base. Sure, Adam would have lost some of the punk fans of old but an equal number of those punk rockers embraced the new style and discovered their first pop idol. This is apparent from those here tonight who have not abandoned him after all this time. Even to a regular gig-goer the effect he has on members of the audience is startling. I imagine this might happen at a show by whoever this week's teen craze might be, but you may be asking yourself whether grown adults should behave like this. Well I say WHY THE HELL NOT? Adam has shown that whatever your age it's not too late to be passionate about music or do whatever you please without fear of judgement. Tonight the venue staff have a hard time stopping the audience from dancing in the aisles or rushing to the front. One man spends at least one entire song negotiating with security, trying to persuade them that he should be exempt from returning to his seat simply because Adam has been his hero since childhood. The bizarre spectacle of two adults arguing over a scarf that Adam drops from the stage calls to mind the way Morrissey fans scramble for scraps of his shirt. I admit I will often take a setlist if it's easily accessible but I've never come to blows with other fans. Perhaps I need to up my game.

This is obviously an evening of nostalgia. Adam has judged the age of the crowd and what they want, the most recent song in the set being 1985's "Vive Le Rock". Although there have been rumours of a new album called "Bravest Of The Brave" for more than a year, things have gone quiet on that front of late and there are certainly no new songs tonight; everything played is instantly recognisable. Most tellingly there is nothing from the last album "Adam Ant Is The Blueblack Hussar In Marrying The Gunner's Daughter". While it received favourable reviews in some quarters, with 17 tracks sprawled across double vinyl it stretched the patience of many fans who found that as a listening experience it was as cumbersome as its title. I had a few reservations about it myself, despite the presence of Boz Boorer on guitar and co-writing duties. If all the filler had been cut out it could have made a great single album. But I digress...

Although this had been billed as a "Kings Of The Wild Frontier" tour, that album takes up less than half of the show and Adam gives us value for money by playing another hour or so worth of favourites and surprises. The rest of the set, beautifully modelled here by Porl "The Count" McHale, includes the early singles "Zerox" and "Car Trouble", the hits from the "Prince Charming" album of course, and the later 45s "Goody Two Shoes" and "Desperate But Not Serious". Amazingly, we are also treated to pretty much all of the B-sides from the "KOTWF"/"Prince Charming" era.

Some might say that this wasn't the case with the last album, but it's clear that when he was at his peak Adam considered all songs to be of equal importance, be they singles, B-sides or album tracks. At a time when many acts would lazily put an instrumental version on the flipside, Adam was always consistent in his songwriting. Knowing that they were unlikely to be played on the radio, B-sides gave him a chance to explore the weirder lyrical themes. For someone considered a "pop star" a surprising number of his songs are about nudity and fetishes, especially S&M. We get several of those numbers tonight, with my highlight of the show being "Beat My Guest". Purely for the energy of the guitars, you understand, I have no personal connection with the lyrics...

It's sad that in recent years the press has concentrated more on Adam's battle with bipolar disorder than his music, but he has always been open about his problems. When I saw him touring "Dirk Wears White Sox" two years ago, he tried to give his side of the story to a sympathetic audience although this turned into a long diatribe about the press, and he clearly struggled to keep his temper. Some seemed amused by this but while we think it's all part of the fun when the likes of Mark E. Smith are out of control, it feels wrong to take someone's mental health issues as a source of entertainment. So it's a relief that tonight he manages to keep himself in check, perhaps he is now fully in control of his life again. He is still very talkative but he mainly regales us with stories about how songs were written and I discover that "Never Trust A Man (With Egg On His Face)" was based on an actual sci-fi film with an alien that resembled an omelette. But in many cases the songs themselves tell the stories with no need for explanation. The views on the media covered in "Press Darlings" were directed at the music press when it was written, with Garry Bushell even getting a namecheck, but could now be applied to the tabloids in general. "Zerox", written in 1978, deals with musical plagiarism and I can't help thinking how so many bands of the 1990s mercilessly stole from Adam and his contemporaries. How can anyone listen to the line "I'm never bored, I steal your chords" without thinking of Elastica?

Sadly the show must come to an end, with three extra songs not shown on the setlist above. "Red Scab" is one of the biggest surprises, I'd even forgotten about this song myself. When Adam sings "I got a heart on my arm, it says pure sex" he could easily be describing how many here still think of him. After a cover of Marc Bolan's "Get It On", the final encore of "Physical" is probably the one remaining song that everyone is expecting. We're left in no doubt about why "Kings Of The Wild Frontier" was an important album. This was not someone succumbing to the commercial whims of the day or turning his back on the rebellious spirit of punk. The aim was to subvert the system from within.  On the title track and "Antmusic" in particular, Adam was setting out his manifesto for overthrowing the music business as we knew it. The opening line of the album, "You may not like the things we do" was a statement of intent to convert you and this was further emphasised with the "music for a future age" of the Talking Heads-esque "Don't Be Square (Be There)". "You may not like it now but you will," we were promised, because "the future will not stand still." Three decades later we have to concede that he was speaking the truth.

Is There Anyone Out There?

THE CLICK CLUB AT BURBERRIES: DOCUMENTING BIRMINGHAM'S ALTERNATIVE MUSIC SCENE 1986-1990 - Parkside Gallery

In most of my blog posts my intention is to introduce some of you to new music, hopefully get you to check out a record I've recently bought or see an artist if they're playing nearby. This time I'm writing about an exhibition that has now finished but whether you caught it or not, it will hopefully get you thinking about past events buried in the murky depths of your memory.

The Click Club was a regular event started by local promoters Dave Travis and Steve Coxon, running from 1986 to 1990, with many bands from the Midlands and beyond playing on a frequent basis. I recently attended the exhibition curated by music historians from the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research with assistance from Dave Travis, who loaned many items from his archive including tickets and a huge array of gig posters.

The Click Club was located at Burberries, a venue halfway up Broad Street next to where the Lee Longlands furniture store stands. The site of the club itself is now just an empty space, a pile of rubble fenced off in a very noticeable contrast to the tacky bars that overrun that part of town. As many of you know, I keep a diary of gigs I attend but I didn't start keeping regular notes until around 2004 so the entries before then are patchy, filled in from ticket stubs and memory. I'm always grateful for an opportunity to fill in the gaps. There's only one entry for Burberries in my diary and it's possible that I went to one other show there, but I think that was all.

The first thing that greets visitors to the Parkside Gallery is an enormous wall of posters for gigs from one of my favourite periods of music. The Click Club coincided with my late teens. I had just begun listening to John Peel and was introduced to bands such as The Wedding Present, McCarthy, The Mighty Lemon Drops, all of whom are featured here. Unfortunately I hadn't started going to gigs at this point so I'm overwhelmed by this view of the flipside of my teenage memories. One poster that catches my eye is right at the top of the wall - Throwing Muses and Pixies for the bargain price of £3.50. You'll be surprised to learn that despite being a massive fan of both, I've never seen the Pixies and it wasn't until 10 years ago that I first saw Throwing Muses. The date on the poster is 26th April 1988 - one year before I moved to Birmingham. How I wish I'd been born just a little bit earlier.

One of the key aspects of any archive is reminiscing with others and it's good to have Jez Collins of BCMCR on hand to discuss gig recollections. He manages to fill in a few gaps in my memory by discussing gigs not just at the Click Club but at other local venues around the same period. It's encouraging to see that someone who was around at the time is still enthusiastic about the music of that era and keen to share his experiences with other music lovers.

As well as a promoter, Dave Travis was also a photographer with his pictures often appearing in the national music press. On display we see his photos of many bands who played at the Click Club. The curators are actually offering one of the prints as a prize for those who give feedback on the exhibition - but please don't think that's the reason I'm writing this article! It would be difficult to choose just one of these to put on my wall. Alongside the aforementioned Throwing Muses gig, we have That Petrol Emotion's Steve Mack (I've explained before how he was something of an icon for me) plus a great shot of Edwyn Collins holding a newspaper article about himself. Sharing wall space with Primal Scream, Killing Joke, Frank Sidebottom, we have of course all the obvious Midlands heroes - Mighty Lemon Drops, Pop Will Eat Itself, The Wonder Stuff.

I often feel it's something of a liberty to take photos of gallery exhibits but in this case it's encouraged and Jez actually offered to take a picture of me standing with some of the posters. I do feel guilty about the number of snaps that I came away with and won't include too many of the artist photos here as it would be effectively exploiting someone else's work. Having said that, I do feel the need to share this one of The Wonder Stuff as it captures the late Rob "Bass Thing" Jones at his best. This photo was taken around the time of the debut LP "The Eight Legged Groove Machine", one of the records that epitomises that era for me so maybe this is the picture I would be most likely to hang on my wall.

The Wonder Stuff

Some of the lesser known but no less worthy Midlands acts are also on display - The Sea Urchins, Mighty Mighty, and most interestingly The Lilac Time featuring Stephen "Tin Tin" Duffy. I know I saw them in the early '90s but the date and venue are missing from my diary so perhaps it was this gig. The most surprising aspect is the number of international bands, notably Suicide and The Sugarcubes. Many touring artists now skip the Midlands entirely so it's amazing to think that bands of that stature regularly played in a venue of this size. It's hard to comprehend that despite our thriving local scene we now miss out on so many established acts. I wonder if anyone, perhaps even the exhibition curators, can shed some light on why artists seem determined to avoid us. More importantly, what can we do to persuade bands and national promoters that we are just as deserving of a visit as we were back in 1990?

Alongside the photos and memorabilia there are also video screens on a four-hour loop showing clips of some of the bands who played at the Click Club, including one gig that I definitely attended: The Blue Aeroplanes, Sunday 25th February 1990. This was a very important evening for me, only the second proper gig that I'd been to. (We don't talk about the first!)  Despite all that has happened since, this gig remains one of my all-time favourites half a lifetime later so it was fascinating to be able to watch it again. I tried to spot myself in the crowd but I can't remember where I was standing or even exactly what I would have looked like at the time. It also reminded me that the support act was Elizabeth Jane so I'm able to fill in a few more details in my diary.

The Blue Aeroplanes, 1990

This collection of photos and posters has given me a great sense of nostalgia mixed with a tiny bit of regret that I missed so many of these events, sadness that I didn't make the most of my younger years and take advantage of the wealth of music going on around me. This was partly down to lack of funds but mainly due to having few friends with similar tastes. In the days before the internet it was hard to find out about events if you didn't have the right contacts. Nevertheless, I'm proud of the homegrown talents on display. Many of them, such as Mighty Mighty and Fuzzbox, have seen a resurgence of late and I run into their members on a regular basis. Although I often bemoan my own lack of musical talent, I'm glad of the minor role I have in our local music scene and hope that my writing persuades others to get involved.

If, like me, you're trying to fill gaps in your gig diary or are wondering if your collection would be of interest to anyone, check out Jez's Birmingham Music Archive project. This is a steadily growing record of our local history so please consider sharing your memories, ticket stubs etc. either via the Facebook group or Twitter: @brummusicpics

The Prettiest Star

 

DAVID BOWIE - ★

This is one of the hardest things I've ever had to write. I'm not sure if I'll be able to put into words the huge loss that we've suffered this week, to do justice to one of the greatest innovators of my lifetime without just rehashing what has been said a million times before. This is, without doubt, the biggest celebrity death that I've experienced. I was nine when Lennon died. I had only just started listening to the Beatles, I was too young to understand his significance. But Bowie is something else entirely. He is, I believe, the only musician in my collection who has been active for the whole of my life and whose music I've continued to buy throughout that time. (I'm now expecting a flood of comments suggesting others who fall into that category…)

Bowie was one of the first artists I discovered for myself. My introduction to music was through my dad's record collection. This mainly consisted of the Beatles, ELO and Johnny Cash. I'm not saying that my dad didn't like Bowie but surprisingly there were none of his records in our house. I first noticed him on "Top Of The Pops" around the time of "Scary Monsters" and began taping his songs from the radio. It wasn't until 1985 that I owned one of his albums.  On the strength of "Life On Mars?" - a radio staple at the time - I bought "Hunky Dory". I remember saving up the change from my dinner money and sneaking out of school one lunchtime to a newsagent that had a small selection of records - the only place you could get music without making an epic bus journey into Bath or Bristol. 30 years later, it remains one of my favourite albums.

It seems pointless for me to say that Bowie was "an icon" or "a chameleon", that he made it OK to be different, to be yourself. Anyone who hasn't heard all of that before is unlikely to be reading this blog. I've never subscribed to the cult of celebrity but Bowie is one of the few people that I think of as a star and yet still feel a connection to. Having said that, although I've never worried about "fitting in", I always felt that I could never be David Bowie. Writing this now, I feel a sense of regret that I never took him literally when he said that "we can be heroes", that I didn't take more inspiration from him. Perhaps I could have done something creative with my life.

I got hold of ★ (or "Blackstar" if you prefer) on its release day. I immediately started to notice recurrent images running through the songs and began to plan a review. Of course, my plans changed once I became aware that this was a farewell album in the most final sense of the word. The theme of stars has cropped up time and again throughout his recorded work - from the "Ziggy Stardust" period of course, through "New Killer Star" at the start of this century, up to "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" more recently. To Ziggy, stardom was all that mattered but here we see a man assessing his own career and questioning what it means to be a star. The stars do indeed look very different today. When he sings "I'm not a pop star... I'm not a film star" on the title track, is he just belittling commercial aspirations and defending the right to follow whichever creative path you choose? I hoped that was the case despite a nagging suspicion that there was something else going on. I started to wonder if he was about to announce his retirement. If only I'd known how close I was to the truth.

I'm grateful for the three days I had when I was able to listen to these songs with no prior knowledge, to develop my own meanings. There are listeners who will never get that experience. I obviously won't see the album the same way again and it will be a while before I'm fully comfortable listening to it in its entirety. However, I hope that in years to come I will look back on ★ as an album that has many memories, some happy, some sad, attached to it.

Bowie has always surrounded himself with other great talents - Eno, Visconti, Ronson. The mark of a true genius is knowing your own limits and seeking assistance rather than trying to take all the credit. Here he is joined by saxophonist Donny McCaslin and several others whom I believe to be experts in their field but I have to admit that jazz is an area where I am totally ignorant. Although the screeching saxes could be off-putting to many listeners, the way Bowie's voice seems to battle against them is fitting in the circumstances. In fact, his voice is stronger than ever. This is not the sound of a man suffering from a terminal illness.

Bowie is never predictable and the avant-garde jazz approach comes as something of a surprise, but elsewhere we see elements of familiarity. Once the dissonance on side 1 subsides, the much mellower sax on side 2 is reminiscent of David Sanborn's contributions to 1975's "Young Americans" album. Other songs hint at "Low"/"Heroes" but for me the overall feel is of something that could have been recorded around the time of "Scary Monsters". This could almost be considered a career retrospective, with the only missing style being the stomping guitar riffs of the glam era. But no one would expect a return of those guitars; even those who associate him most with that sound will be aware that it makes up a tiny fragment of his universe and those rock star dreams were abandoned long ago.

Much has been made of Tony Visconti's revelation that the album was planned from the start as a "parting gift". The die-hard fans could have asked for nothing better than to go out on such a high note, but this is also a gift to those who have only dipped their toes into the waters of Bowie. Death inevitably leads to a renewed interest in an artist's work, and those "greatest hits" fans familiar with just "Ziggy", "Space Oddity", "Let's Dance" etc. will no doubt be intrigued by the mythology that already surrounds this final work. This in turn could be a stepping stone to both the "Berlin trilogy" and what I think of as the "recent" works - basically everything from the mid-90s onwards. If ★ leads just one person to 1995's "Outside" then I consider it a success.

When the recipient means something special to you, a great deal of love and care goes into wrapping a gift. I pity those who only got the download as the packaging is an important part of this release. It's the only Bowie album where he does not feature on the cover. (I'm aware that on "The Next Day" his face is obscured by a huge white square but he's still there.)  In contrast to the detailed pictures on pretty much every one of his releases, the stark, minimal design of ★ is possibly the blackest record packaging I've ever seen. And there is an awful lot of black in my collection. The glossy black text on matt black background makes it difficult to read the sleeve notes and lyrics, unless held at a very precise angle. This represents the nature of a lot of Bowie's later music. You need to persevere to get the most out of it. Most noticeable is the die-cut star in the sleeve of the vinyl version. Through the star-shaped hole, the record is visible. We can take some comfort in this - although the star is no longer there, we still have access to the music.

As I attempt to face the album again for the first time since hearing the news, one thing I realise is that Bowie has never been one to show bitterness or anger, although in this case it would have been understandable. The only hint of rage is on "Tis A Pity She Was A Whore", where he sings "Man, she punched me like a dude" - perhaps a reference to the disease eating away at him. Even his well-documented use of a profanity (although it's not the first time - see also "Time" and "Quicksand") is not done in anger. On "Girl Loves Me", the question "Where the fuck did Monday go?" suggests the last 40-odd years condensed into a single day, a reminder that we should make the most of the limited time available to us. He has managed to turn his illness into something creative and for that he should be admired as much as for everything else he's done. When future generations are taught the legend of Bowie this is one of the first things they should be made aware of, even if they don't listen to this album first.

So this is not a display of resentment, it is a record full of reflection, acceptance and perhaps even apology. The album comes to a close with "I Can't Give Everything Away", partly an explanation for why he kept his suffering secret for the past 18 months but also sorrow that after this, he will have no more music to give us. No need to feel bad about that, David. You've already given us more than any other artist in living memory. Wherever you are, I hope you're smiling now. Smiling through this darkness. All I have to give is guilt for dreaming.

The Best Of 2015

It's that time of year again when we reflect on the past 12 months, and in my case that means trying to remember all the music I listened to. I've tried to compile a list of my favourite releases of 2015 although there are no doubt a few missing. I've attempted to rank them but to be honest the ordering is rather arbitrary - all of the top five albums are equally deserving of first place. I've noticed that each year my list seems to contain an increasing number of long-established artists - do I no longer have my finger on the pulse?

20. H. HAWKLINE - In The Pink Of Condition
Cate Le Bon collaborator Huw Evans proves he can create something equally kooky in his own right with this album of what he calls "strange pop". This is how I imagine Beck would sound if he'd grown up in Wales.

19. THE MANHATTAN LOVE SUICIDES - More Heat! More Panic!
One of the highlights of May's Birmingham Popfest. It's a tried and tested formula - girl group melodies hidden under fuzzy guitars played by guys in leather jackets and Ray-Bans. But if the formula works, why mess with it?

18. FEVER DREAM - Moyamoya
Another band I discovered at Popfest, trading in the kind of shoegazing I would expect from their name. Their performance drew me in enough to check out the album, which I was pleased to find was more fully formed and varied than their live set.

17. THE THE - Hyena
Far removed from his songwriting of the 1980s, Matt Johnson has now moved into film soundtracks. This spooky effort brings to mind Coil, particularly their compositions for Derek Jarman.

16. WIRE - Wire
They got regular mentions in this blog when it first started but Wire went off the boil slightly after the departure of Bruce Gilbert. This album sees them return to the jagged sound of their early work, albeit updated for the 21st century. To the uninitiated, the mix of melody and punchy rhythms along with the cunning use of an eponymous album title could suggest that this is the debut release by a younger band.

15. TESS PARKS AND ANTON NEWCOMBE - I Declare Nothing
I discovered Parks supporting The Jesus And Mary Chain and was impressed by her solo LP but this duet with the Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman is the best starting point. Her voice suggests a huskier Hope Sandoval and Newcombe adds a layer of fuzz, slightly more subdued than that which his own band are known for, to create something utterly blissful.

14. MARTIN GORE - MG
When Depeche Mode are mentioned, for many people the first thing that comes to mind is Dave Gahan singing anthems full of religious imagery. But strip away the vocals and you'll find that DM have always been one of the most innovative bands on Mute Records, despite that label's eclectic roster. Gore's instrumental solo effort is the second album this year to make me think of Coil, and there are also hints of Eno and Cluster.

13. VIET CONG - Viet Cong
With advances in technology and recording techniques, it's good to know that people are exploiting these to make records that intentionally sound like they were recorded in 1980. An unholy alliance of Chrome, the Bunnymen and This Heat, with Martin Rev banging at the door demanding his synths back.

12. THE TELESCOPES - Hidden Fields
We were promised something more "song-based" than the terrifying previous album "Harm", by which they mean five long tracks rather than two very long ones and Stephen Lawrie using actual words rather than screaming. But you still need to refer to the lyric sheet to decipher the tales of claustrophobia, agoraphobia and various other phobias. Best played in the dark. Or not, depending on your nervous state.

11. THE FALL - Sub-Lingual Tablet
If you've never heard The Fall then it would be impossible to describe them to you. If you have then you know what to expect, but there are still some surprises. This picks up where classics such as "This Nation's Saving Grace" and "The Wonderful And Frightening World" left off.

10. SLEATER-KINNEY - No Cities To Love
Former riot grrrls return after a ten-year break, showing how it's possible to mature and still remain relevant. They cram more emotion into 32 minutes than their previous seven albums combined, with many of the lyrics exploring just why they've been away for so long.

9. POP WILL EAT ITSELF - Anti-Nasty League
With only Graham remaining from the original line-up, this has a much harder sound and tackles more serious topics than the comic book themes of their late-1980s work. Admirably released as a physical product only, as the band believe that downloads allow the listener to pick and choose tracks rather than hearing the entire album as intended.

8. DESPERATE JOURNALIST - Desperate Journalist
There are no great surprises here - the first three singles (favourites in 2014's end of year review) are included and some of the other songs are familiar from the band's constant gigging. But there are also no disappointments. The energy and sly references to classic indie bands remain, with hints that Desperate Journalist could develop their sound further, something that already seems to be happening with the recent non-album single.

7. JENNY HVAL - Apocalypse, Girl
The Norwegian's voice inevitably draws comparisons with Björk, but even Björk was never this weird. A quick scan of the lyric sheet suggests elements of erotica but if you played this as an attempt at seduction, your date would be cowering under the bed as soon as the needle hit the groove. Completely impossible to categorise.

6. PUBLIC IMAGE LTD - What The World Needs Now
I've seen mixed reviews of this but it engages the listener more than 2012's charming but forgettable comeback album. Lydon sounds genuinely angry for the first time in years - the lyrics contain more expletives than the legendary Bill Grundy interview and the album ends with a resounding "Fuck off!"

5. SUFJAN STEVENS - Carrie & Lowell
The Michigan artist returns to simple songwriting after his experimental period. This story of his childhood and family reminds me of my own father - see the full review here.

4. STEVEN WILSON - Hand. Cannot. Erase.
The hardest-working man in prog (I have music by him in ten different guises) creates something both complex and accessible with this concept album of sorts about a woman who died and lay undiscovered in her home for three years. At times the melodies remind me of Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" so I can't help imagining that the songs could be about Syd.

3. NEW ORDER - Music Complete
The public bitching has become tiresome and I was dubious about an album without Hooky, but with Gillian back in the fold we see a return to the disco sound not heard since "Technique". Some of the rockier elements from the previous album remain and there is an intriguing spoken piece from Iggy Pop, but overall it's full of tracks that would have filled the Haçienda dancefloor in its heyday.

2. THE NIGHTINGALES - Mind Over Matter
I'd come to regard them as a bunch of regulars at my local pub, and then they hit me with something like this. Read the full review to see why I'll never take The Nightingales for granted again.

1. SWERVEDRIVER - I Wasn't Born To Lose You
It was a close-run thing for the number one spot but Swervedriver, back after a 17-year break, narrowly beat the 'Gales simply because of the nostalgia factor on this album. Not just sonically, it also takes past lyrical themes and reflects on them with the wisdom brought by age. Read the review of the gig where many of these songs were played and you'll understand why looking back doesn't necessarily mean a refusal to move on.

I stopped once I got to 20 but if I had more time I could probably have extended it to 30, 40... who knows? There are many other albums that I've listened to over the past year: a powerful live recording from Swans plus new efforts from Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Pop Group, Moon Duo, The Wave Pictures, She Makes War (which I haven't reviewed as I don't believe it's widely available yet), Ultimate Painting, Houndstooth to name a few. Also worth a mention, although strictly speaking not released in 2015, solo bass/nail varnish wizard Steve Lawson made his entire back catalogue available on a single USB stick shaped like a vinyl record - thereby overcoming my reluctance to buy MP3s, which I normally shun as there is no physical product to hold and cherish.

As always, many of my evenings were spent watching live music. I attended 74 gigs/all-dayers/festivals, here are ten of the best - not including those already referred to in the list of albums. Two trips to the capital but the rest were in Brum, showing that we have a thriving live scene despite my complaints that touring bands tend to skip the Midlands.
It's difficult to rank these events so they're in chronological order.

1. JULIAN COPE - Glee Club, 25th January
Read the full review to see why the arch-drude of Tamworth is more interesting when he suppresses his experimental leanings.

2. MORRISSEY - NIA (or whatever it's called these days), 27th March
I've had doubts about Morrissey of late and was unsure whether it was worth getting a ticket but despite recent health scares, he gave the most energetic performance I've seen from him for about 20 years.

3. LOUIS BARABBAS - Tower Of Song, 26th April  
Utter genius. Impossible to sum him up in one sentence so read the full review.

4. SUPER FURRY ANIMALS - Brixton Academy, 8th May
Known for their catchy tunes but they can out-psych the best of them. A two-hour set, with the last 30 minutes turning into an epic freak-out. The lightshow sparked some strange dreams when I got back to my hotel.

5. THE POP GROUP - Supersonic Festival, 12th June
There is always a diverse range of innovative music at Supersonic but Mark Stewart and his crew outshone everyone else that weekend, and possibly every other gig of 2015. Writing a review wouldn't do it justice so instead check out these photos to get some idea of the energy and also the classics included in the setlist.

6. MATTHEW EDWARDS AND THE UNFORTUNATES - Spotted Dog, 10th September
A free gig from a songwriter who merges elements from all corners of my record collection. I was going to include the album "The Fates" in my top 20 but then noticed that it actually came out in 2014.

7. THOMAS TRUAX - Tower Of Song, 20th September
Like being trapped in a David Lynch film with a crazed inventor. By all means check out his records  but he really needs to be seen live with his homemade instruments to get the full effect.

8. INDIE DAZE - Kentish Town Forum, 3rd October
An afternoon of classic (and not-so-classic) bands from my late teens. Always good to see PWEI and The Wonder Stuff but the undoubted highlight was The Wedding Present, playing "Bizarro" in full and also the closest you'll ever get to an encore from them.

9. RIDE - Institute, 22nd October
Possibly my favourite band from the shoegaze era, playing their first album in full plus another hour of classics. Even the songs from their badly-received later albums came across well.

10. THE PRETTY THINGS - Sensateria, 12th December.
Five minutes in and I realise I'm completely unfamiliar with the 1960s/70s legends' back catalogue. But with founder members Dick Taylor and Phil May giving it all they've got, this doesn't make any difference. I've clearly got some catching up to do.

So all in all, a busy year. Let's hope 2016 is equally exciting and I have plenty to write about over the course of the coming months.

So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star

 

PRS for Music

This week I'm covering a slightly different topic from the usual reviews posted here. If you're a consumer of music, it's easy to overlook the work that goes on behind the scenes but for anyone starting out as a songwriter, performer or live music promoter the whole area of royalties can be confusing. Rebellious Jukebox spoke to Andy Ellis of PRS for Music about the work of his organisation in supporting new music, and what songwriters and venues should do to ensure that everyone is paid fairly when their music is used.

Let's start with the basics: Who are PRS for Music and what do they do?
PRS for Music is the umbrella title for PRS and MCPS, both of whom issue licences and collect royalties on behalf of their members; songwriters, composers and music publishers.

What's your role in the organisation?
I lead the Education & Outreach Team. We help music creators, music industry and music consumers to understand what PRSfM does, how, why and for whom. 

What do performers and songwriters need to do to ensure they get what they are entitled to?
Well, performers need to register with a separate organisation - PPL. They pay out to anyone who makes an audible contribution to a recording that is then broadcast (for example). Songwriters (and composers) would need to join PRS if their music is getting 'publically performed'. This could be getting played frequently on the radio or if they are playing lots of live shows or having their music streamed a considerable amount of times. The reason it's best to wait until there is a reasonable amount of activity happening is because there is an admin fee to join PRS and MCPS so there is little point in spending that money - £50 for a lifetime membership - unless you are likely to be receiving around that amount in royalties or more! PRS is a not-for-profit organisation and is owned by its members so we really do want members to join at the best time for them.

What do promoters and venues need to do in terms of registering and on an ongoing basis when events take place?
Quite simply, promoters or venues need to have a PRS licence in place in order to 'use' PRS music.

Does an artist need to do anything after they've performed a gig or is it the venue's responsibility?
It depends on the type of venue but I generally advise all performers who play live to submit a set list to PRS via our website. Better that we get it twice - once from the promoter and once from the performer - than not at all. If we don't know you've played, we can't pay out for those performances.

Is this actually a legal requirement and what are the consequences for the venue if they don't, for example, submit the details of a live set?
It is a condition of the licence terms but we would always rather encourage venues to submit set lists. There's no reason not to really, and it helps the performers who are playing that venue get their royalties for those shows.

If a venue has a DJ playing recorded music rather than a live act, or a DJ playing between the bands, should the songwriters still receive royalties for those songs that are played and what should the venue do in this case?
Yes, those songwriters would still be entitled to a royalty for those uses of their music. We encourage DJ's to submit set lists so that we can accurately pay out against the music they are playing. This is perhaps of particular interest to genre specialist DJ's; by submitting a set list they are able to further support their own scene by helping us to pay out accurately to those music creators. And they - the DJ - may well be one of those music creators too, so they can get a PRS royalty from playing their own tracks! 

What about streaming services such as YouTube, Spotify etc. - do artists receive royalties when someone listens to a song on one of those sites?
We do pay out royalties to songwriters and composers when their music is streamed, yes. Sites such as Spotify and YouTube are licensed by PRS.

What do PRS for Music do to support new performers and venues?
PRS funds the PRS Foundation, which is the biggest supporter of new music in the UK. The Foundation supports artists, performers, promoters, composers, bands, ensembles etc. though various schemes to encourage and develop the growth (and even export) of new UK music. We also support the PRS Members Benevolent Fund which supports composers and songwriters in times of hardship, perhaps when they are ill and unable to perform live for example. 

Are you aware of any initiatives in Birmingham in particular (where this blog and many of its readers are based) to encourage new live music?
Members of my team have visited Birmingham on several occasions over the last six months, taking part in conferences and events, and also delivering guest lectures and workshops. Looking ahead, I'm personally developing ideas for a significant multi-strand music industry and music creator event which I want to deliver in Birmingham in 2016. I can't say any more at this stage...

Most of the musicians I deal with simply enjoy the creative aspect and have no intention of giving up their day jobs. Do you think there is still a healthy percentage with this attitude compared with those who just want quick fame and fortune in the light of TV talent shows?
The vast, overwhelming majority of musicians I know or work with fall into this camp. They just love creating and performing music. If that can lead to a career, even a part-time one then great, but for most they are just happy to be involved with music.

Finally, do you have any advice for someone starting out as a performer or opening a live venue?
Leaving aside the obvious (join PRS at the right time/get a licence from the beginning) I would say that one thing both have in common is the need to focus on the audience. Build that relationship well, and both career and venue will benefit.

Thanks very much to Andy for taking the time to give these detailed answers and also to the readers who suggested questions. If you want to know more about royalties or the work of PRS for Music in general, you can contact them through their website: http://www.prsformusic.com

The World Is A War Film

THE ANXIETY OF LOVE / MICHAEL B. WOOD 1974-2015

Critics of social media often say that it can't be used as a substitute for real friendship. But there are individuals who can have a huge influence on your life without the need for face-to-face contact.  Four years ago, I encountered an oddball called Michael Barrie Wood on a forum about obscure goth and shoegaze bands. In fact I have a feeling he may have cheekily added me to the forum without first introducing himself, after reading some of my music posts elsewhere. Few people I know could be so brazen and still get away with it. I soon discovered that his knowledge of music extended well beyond my own and he introduced me to artists such as The Cultural Decay, Deception Bay, Kaa Antilope and many others. Bands so obscure that at first I thought he was making them up until I succumbed and started to purchase his recommendations.

Michael sadly departed this world at the beginning of August. More than anything else, he will be remembered as someone who wasn't afraid to speak his mind and it's fair to say that he despised many aspects of modern culture. His daily online posts were hotly anticipated as we speculated about who would be in the firing line today... the royal family, Simon Cowell or whichever airbrushed Hollywood starlet was gracing the cover of this week's "Hello". Michael came across as a kind of goth Malcolm Tucker, although few comedy scriptwriters would dare to create a character so brutally honest.

Our regular online exchanges were gradually leading me towards his own band, The Anxiety Of Love. I knew this was going to be uneasy listening and I'm glad that I conditioned myself by working through his other recommendations (and also getting a feel for his personality) rather than plunging unprepared into his work. On the face of it the musical influences are obvious, especially the relentless drum machine that shows their heritage in the early Leeds goth scene. The live recordings in particular bring to mind Suicide but what really shapes the gloom is the bass sound, reminiscent of The Cure circa "Seventeen Seconds"/"Pornography". These elements are thrown together in such a way that you might think the individual musicians were not in the same room during recording, or had even met each other. This may seem a negative accusation to throw at a band, but it was surely the intended effect. The Anxiety Of Love inhabit a world where things don't fit together nicely. There is enough pressure just to get through the day in one piece without having to worry about what anyone is doing in the next room. When Michael's distorted voice (part Throbbing Gristle, part Chrome) cuts through the darkness, confirming your deepest fears, it's almost reassuring. When you're expecting the worst, it's sometimes satisfying just to know that you were right.

When writing about music I normally focus on the lyrics but the lo-fi recording techniques here mean that the words are often difficult to decipher. The links on Bandcamp that would normally lead to the lyrics simply tell the listener to "work them out". This is typical of Michael's refusal to conform or co-operate. But even without a full transcript, you can get a sense of what's happening. Song titles such as "He Wastes Away", "Anaemia", "Pathological Grief", "These Concrete Aversions", "Things Fall Apart" suggest urban decay and society as a whole disintegrating to an extent that the individual overlooks the way their own life is also collapsing. This is the world predicted by Throbbing Gristle, particularly on their 1980 "live in the studio" epic, "Heathen Earth". Except things have turned out even worse than Genesis P-Orridge imagined. I suspect that Michael would feel honoured to be mentioned alongside TG while at the same time despairing that P-Orridge is now indulging in blissful psychedelia when there is little in the world to merit a feeling of bliss.

Nothing the band recorded could be described as "accessible" but if you've read this far without being turned off then the EPs "The Anxiety Of Hate" and "The Swarm" would be the most comfortable, or more accurately the least uncomfortable, starting point. I'm sometimes guilty of making assumptions about what my friends will or will not like and I tend to be wary of recommending certain bands to certain people. When asked about Swans, for example, I'm sure I have responded with a dismissive "You wouldn't like them." Michael would never have done this, he was determined that everyone should listen to his choice of music regardless of whether they were likely to enjoy it. So I ask that you pay tribute to this unique man by listening to The Anxiety Of Love, even if only for 10 minutes, to remind yourself that the world is not always as cosy as you would like to imagine.