Dozens of songs listened to, here are five that stood out:
Here are five more tunes that stood out from my listening over the last week. Enjoy!
Repetitive, moi?
I love lists. These random playlists serve no purpose other than to remind me of music that’s buried away in my iTunes, waiting to be rediscovered. One song leads to another; one band creates a ripple effect leading to another needing to be heard again.
I was out on the longboard this time, on a beautiful sunny afternoon. I didn’t have long, however, before other commitments would tear me away. Here are a few songs chosen at random by my iPod as the skate soundtrack that day.
Well, two different Siouxsie and the Banshees tracks, from different albums, one after the other. Most strange. Great songs, though.
I remember really enjoying the Stones track; the Shirley Bassey number was a bit out of the blue. But then, random is what this game’s all about.
Till next time, groovers!
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night
Queen’s Head, Mold
Friday 26th February 2016
Welcome back to the Queen’s Head in Mold, North Wales! Get yourself a pint and make yourself comfortable, ‘cos you know what time it is. That’s right, it’s Bring Your Own Vinyl Night again!
Remember the rules: there’s a fifteen minute slot for each person; play whatever you like, so long as it’s vinyl.
Only Greeny and myself made it this time – Adam and Ben the Swede were both unavailable. No theme for my set this time, just a few songs I really had a yearning to play…
Ennio Morricone – The Ecstasy of Gold
This song is of course from the soundtrack for the classic Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. My version came from an album called “This is Ennio Morricone”. You don’t need me to tell you how great that film is. And Morricone’s soundtrack is stylish and ground breaking. In particular, this track (which plays while Eli Wallach’s character runs frenziedly through a Civil War graveyard) is sheer class. It builds magnificently and captivates the listener. A bit over the top, I admit, as the first song in my set – but never let it be said that Platinum Al doesn’t do drama.
Ramones – Surfin’ Bird
If I was going to recommend a Ramones album for a novice to start their education of NYC’s finest, I’d go for “Rocket to Russia”. I thought that this frenetic cover of the Trashmen’s surf rock gem would be a suitable place to go, after the majesty of the last track. I love the Ramones and this song was a ton of fun to play.
Soundgarden – Fresh Tendrils
This song, from the simply fantastic “Superunknown” album, is probably my favourite Soundgarden song ever. And I’m a bit of a Soundgarden nerd – I’ve collected tons of their stuff. Rather than play a more obvious, well known song, I decided to go with my top tune. “Fresh Tendrils” has an epic, classic rock sound that I love. No idea what Chris is singing about, however. The version I played was from the “Spoonman” 12″ single (on clear vinyl!).
Johnny Cash – Folsom Prison Blues
Originally I was going to play a Stooges song, but then I remembered that 26th February was Johnny Cash’s birthday. So I decided to play a song by the Man in Black. “Folsom Prison Blues” is a legendary track, one of Cash’s best. And I’ve already stated how big a hero this guy was to me. The album this came from – “Original Golden Hits Volume 1” – was my Gran’s. After she passed away, it was given to me. I’d heard a lot from bands I was into how Cash was an inspiration, so I checked the record out. I loved it, and my Johnny Cash fandom was born. The first Cash record I heard, but not the last!
That’s my list for the night. There were may great songs played through out the evening, though. Budgie! Hawkwind! Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy! Anthrax! Check the link below for the complete list.
Wax is back – get spinning those tracks! Thanks for a great night!
I’d also like to thank my old mate Graham, who turned up with a couple of Suicidal Tendencies records for me. You see, I’d sold these two exact albums to Graham some twenty years ago, when I was a broke student. Although I could’ve tracked the records down on eBay, I decided to message Graham and see if he’d sell them back to me (if he still had them). The reason being that one album, the awesome “Join the Army”, had been given to me when I was 15 by my friend Kelvin Bedford, who I used to skateboard with every day. Sadly, Kel passed away a couple of years ago. So it was cool to get that actual copy back in my record collection, as a nice memory. It even had the same plastic protective sheet over the album – and the selotape strip I patched up the inner sleeve with many, many years ago! Graham gave me both records for free – so I bought him a pint or two. Thank you!
The Halcyon Dreams blogspot is here.
The Halcyon Dreams mixcloud page is here.
The Halcyon Dreams Facebook page is here.
Melvins + Big Business
Friday 9th October 2015
Gorilla, Manchester
I had been waiting for this for a long time. As a long time fan of the Melvins, it seems inexplicable that I’ve never seen them live before. But then I rarely travel to Manchester for gigs. 2015 has been the year of live music for Platinum Al; as such the planets aligned, the tickets were bought, the wheels were rolling towards the big city and it was on. Finally, I would witness the wonder of the Melvins.
And not just the Melvins – the support slot went to Big Business, a two piece of bass and drums in a similar mould to the mighty headliners. Of course, anyone who knows their Black Flag from their Black Sabbath will tell you that Jared and Coady of this band also perform with Buzz and Dale to create the steaming sonic soup with lumpy riff croutons that is the Melvins. 
The Big Business set was extremely impressive in it’s own right. As I said, the band is just bass and drums, yet the almighty noise they make is astounding for a two piece. They play a solid set that could’ve been a main course of the evening’s entertainment. Big grooves, pounding drums and awesome sound scapes create a fine appetiser.
Gorilla in Manchester is some sort of restaurant/bar thing, with a stage at the back for live shows. It’s seems more in scale with stand up comedy gigs, but despite the modest size it’s a great place to see the band – close up, good views and sound. The beer is a bit expensive, but I got a Melvins (official!) t-shirt for a tenner! Yeah!!!
So anyway, the Melvins arrive on stage as a four piece – Buzz, Dale, Jared and Coady – and we’re off. It’s a gig unlike any I’ve experienced ever before. There’s no breaks; no chat with the audience; no introducing the songs – the band just plough through their catalogue of fantastic songs and drag the audience along with them. The audience follow willingly, of course – and the band don’t ignore us – it’s a unique unspoken agreement that we’re all along for a hell of a musical journey.
The music is heavy, sludgy, intense – exactly what I expected and wanted. There are several songs from newer albums (“The Water Glass”, “Evil New War God” – both superb). Older classics like “Sweet Willy Rollbar” and “It’s Shoved” are given a welcome play too. The absolute high light for me though is “Civilised Worm” – what a riff!
The power of the riff is what the Melvins are all about. Buzz’s guitar is astoundingly heavy, yet also shines with artistic flourishes and strange sounds to keep the listener guessing. The bass is relentless yet groovy, hammering home the riffs. Add dual drummers and ears were ringing for days.
It was a truly intense live experience and one I’m really glad I saw. Unlike anything else and worthy of the hype, the Melvins are a unique band and I love them.
Did I mention I got a t-shirt for a tenner??!!
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night
Queen’s Head, Mold
Friday 21st August 2015
And we’re back spinning wax in the Queen’s Head pub in Mold. The crew and I made the trip, armed with stacks of vinyl, for our fifteen minutes of fame playing records. The premise is simple:
Plus there’s a bar for drinkies, which helps if you need a bit of dutch courage to get up and get your DJ on.
The crew and I – Adam, Greeny and Ben the Swede – made sure we got there early this time. Good job we did, as the throng of vinyl faithful had grown and the list of would be DJs was growing. Nice to see this event gaining popularity – the cult of vinyl grows ever stronger.
Here’s my set:
Killing Joke – Pandemonium
The title track from Killing Joke’s classic 1994 disc of the same name, this tune boasts a devastating bass and rhythmic rumble. “Pandemonium” erupted from the speakers and announced the start of my set in crushing style!
The Stooges – I Wanna Be Your Dog
This slice of messed up Detroit proto punk is a Stooges classic. Ron Ashetons wah-wah guitar and Iggy’s snarl show just how great this band were. I first investigated the Stooges as other bands I was a fan off (Sex Pistols, The Damned) had covered their songs – so I picked up this compilation to learn more. I was instantly smitten by this dirty racket and never looked back.
Descendents – Clean Sheets
I first heard the Descendents on an old Vision skateboarding video, soundtracking a fantastic Gonz section. This was the late 80’s, and with no Soundhound I had to work out from the credits what I thought the song was. I figured it was “Coolidge” by the Descendents. A while later I found some Descendents albums in a Manchester record store, and took a punt on the “All” album as it contained the aforementioned track. Luckily, I was right. For this occassion though, I decided to play another piece of US pop punk genius from the same album, “Clean Sheets”.
Temple of the Dog – All Night Thing
To finish off the set, I brought the pace down with a mellow number from this Seatlle grunge super group. Featuring members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, this LP really takes me back to the early 90’s. A must have for any fan of alt rock from the period, you can read up online how this recording came to be. Chris Cornell’s vocals are sublime here, showing to great effect how he would become the best vocalist of his generation.
Greeny hadn’t organised any vinyl (again), so it was Adam up next with another varied and entertaining set. His was unfortunately cut short, due to the number of people who’d turned up necessitating a reduction in playing time.
I have to say, I’d forgotten how good that Bowie tune was.
Finally Ben the Swede took to the decks and span his tunes, with a “guess the odd one out” theme. He played:
I believe the last song Ben intended to play was A rainbow song, with Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Can you guess the odd one out? Answer below…
So another superb night of music at the Queen’s Head. We heard some great music, made some new friends and went away to scout for more quality tunes. Here’s to next time!
The Halcyon Dreams blog is here, where you can find listed (very helpfully) all the songs played on the night.
The Halcyon Dreams Facebook page is here.
Sunday 14th June 2015
Over the years I’ve been to Reading, Leeds and Rewind Festivals – even Chester Rocks. Though I’ve never been to a full on outdoors Hard Rock/Metal festival, much to my regret. Thus when the opportunity arose to get my rockin’ self to Download, the epicentre of all heavy rock fests, I seized the chance with gloved fist. And then did the devil horn salute.
Due to time and financial constraints, it would only be a one day escapade with my buddies Ben the Swede and Coben. Sadly this would mean missing such favourites as Faith No More, Clutch, Judas Priest, COC and many more. But never mind – the gods of rock threw down their gauntlet and we would charge into the melee.
After a right old slog from the car to the main gates, we eventually entered the stadium like gladiators – ready for the first spectacle of the day. The first band we saw were Tremonti, who I’d never heard of before. Halfway through their set, the band were actually heavier than I thought and I enjoyed what I heard. Worth further investigation.
At this point the heavens opened and the rain poured. No matter – we were already making our way to the third stage to catch a “secret” set from The Darkness. It was packed – everyone had the same idea, or at least decided this was better than drowning. The set began with a monstrous riff that went on forever and did a good job of pumping the crowd up. This intro enabled singer Justin Hawkins to make his way from the back to the stage, in true over the top style. The Darkness then delivered a raucous set that roared at the sky – opener “Barbarian” accompanied by a load of Vikings on stage was great. The hit singles “Growing on Me” and closer “I Believe in a Ting Called Love” were real crowd pleasers. “Black Shuck” was my personal favourite, in a set that became the first true event of the day. Not a secret, but surprisingly good. 
The next event was witnessing one of my all time heroes, the one and only Mr Billy Idol, live in concert for the first time. I’ve been a fan of Billy for years. In all honesty, many of his songs are too pop for this audience; so hits like “Hot in the City” and “Catch My Fall” (both personal faves) are sadly omitted. However, with old pal Steve Stevens providing the guitar onslaught there’s plenty of rock to be had. “Dancing with Myself”, “White Wedding” and “Rebel Yell” all provide quality entertainment and I have to admit that I was thrilled to see this old warrior in action. A great warm up for the rest of the evening.
Now with four stages and dozens of acts spread across the Download field, the only down side is making tough choices on who to watch if bands clash. Especially as “a quick trip across the field” becomes a gruelling endurance test when it’s uphill in a muddy hell. The first major casualty of the day was Eagles of Death Metal, whom I love dearly and have never seen live.
But I made a choice to see L7 instead of Slash, and boy am I glad I did. Recently reformed, the four grungettes of L7 played a fantastic set. The sound was great on the second stage, perhaps because I was closer? Either way, “Andres”, “Fuel My Fire” and “Shitlist” were truly great. Though “Everglade” was absolutely bonkers. The riff that kills! L7 are heavy! I smiled a lot. “Pretend We’re Dead” wasn’t bad either. Fuck it, band of the day!
I caught the last four and a half songs by Slash. He was pretty cool, but no L7. “Anastasia” is a great song, and I have to say that Myles Kennedy has an awesome voice. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City” were both better with Kennedy and without Axl’s screeching. Can I count this as having seen Guns’n’Roses live, as there’s only Axl left in that band? Why the hell not!
Next up on the main stage was Motley Crue. I wasn’t a fan of the Crue back in their heyday, other than one or two songs. I’ve grown to appreciate them over the last fifteen years or so, much like I’ve grown to love Priest and Maiden. Now on their final tour, the show promised to be big. Motley Crue didn’t disappoint, delivering a punch in the face set that was one of the best of the day. They played their cards right, delivering all the hits: “Wildside”, “Primal Scream”, “Dr. Feelgood” and “Shout at the Devil” were superb. The only less than impressive moment was an unnecessary, but well intentioned, cover of “Anarchy in the UK”. 
There was spectacle in abundance – sexy backing singers in tiny shorts; flames that were hot enough to give me a Hollywood sun tan from a hundred feet away; dear old Vince Neil looking less than svelte. “Girls Girls Girls” and “Kick Start My Heart” both built the set to a red hot climax. “Home Sweet Home” was a fitting encore, ending a triumphant appearance.
And so last up we have head-liners Kiss. A band I’ve loved ever since I fist saw adverts for their t-shirts in old 1970’s Marvel comics – though I had no idea if they were rock stars, superheroes, or what. I’d never seen Kiss before so this was something to look forward to. Full make up, all the pyro – I was hungry for the experience.
Kiss explode into “Detroit Rock City” and “Deuce” – songs that lesser bands would have saved for the encore. The show is a visual feast; lights, huge screens, explosions all attack the senses and create Las Vegas in the English Midlands. I get to hear my two absolute total favourite Kiss songs ever – “I Love It Loud” and “Calling Dr. Love”. That was me happy right there. 
The Kiss set did wander a little bit though. Obviously gearing their songs to a heavier crowd, we get three songs in a row from “Creatures of the Night” – their heaviest album. The songs “Creatures of the Night” and “War Machine” are great, but not top of the Kiss list. Plus there’s newer numbers “Psycho Circus” and “Hell or Hallelujah” which are just OK.
A little too much solo spot indulgence was my cue to take a comfort break. On the way back, I dived in to catch Suicidal Tendencies on the smallest stage. I only saw five songs, but ST were incredible. “I Shot the Devil” and “War Inside My Head” tore the place apart. I couldn’t make out all of Mike Muir’s between song banter, but he was fired up and intense as hell. Hearing “Possessed to Skate” was an unforgettable moment. Muir dedicated to everyone who skates – thanks Mike – and it took me back to loving ST back in my early skate days. Absolutely mental punk thrash, I need to see Suicidal Tendencies again.
Returning to the main stage area, I caught the last few Kiss songs and was very impressed with what I’d seen. Minor gripes aside, it was a privilege to see the band and experience a Kiss show first hand.
So there you have it. Download 2015 was hampered by bad weather, and a poor layout that abandoned stupid amusement rides in the middle where the bar (and another toilet) should have been. Yet despite being forced mercilessly to choose between too many bands, I got to see some great rock’n’roll and enjoyed a cool, fun atmosphere. Oh yeah, and the festival staff were pleasant and friendly. On the whole a good job.
Dead Wolf Club + Saltwater Injection
Thursday 26th February 2015
The Compass, Chester
Back to the Compass in Chester for some more rock’n’roll! I was able to catch local band Saltwater Injection again, plus new discovery Dead Wolf Club.
Saltwater Injection makes a reliably noisy racket with just a bass guitar and a drum kit. The bass stirs a sludgy broth of Melvins style aggressive punk, while the drums thrash away relentlessly. It’s not all noise – beneath the cacophony, the audience can define melodies as well as crushing riffs. Catchy, sing along melodies, even!
The set gives us original songs in this vein, plus a Beatles tribute infused with a punk Monty Python spirit. Add in a song written on the spot, following a title suggestion from the audience; and genuinely funny, self deprecating stage banter and you’ve got a concoction that is quite infectious. Great band and one to catch!
Up next are head liners Dead Wolf Club, a four piece with a similar punk rock approach but different delivery. This band offers an intense, swirling sound that develops from a Joy Formidable accessibility to a crushing Joy Division cinematic scope.
It’s post hardcore performed with an admirable earnestness and honesty. Dead Wolf Club’s songs – part Steve Albini, part Fugazi, part grungey indie – build and build, showing a sense of scale and ambition. Unfortunately it’s over too soon, and everything suddenly seems far too quiet…
Another blinding night at the Compass, which has grown into an intimate venue for in-your-face rock music. Good beer, friendly staff and a fantastic AC/DC pinball machine don’t hurt either!
The Compass website is here.
The Saltwater Injection website is here.
The Dead Wolf Club website is here.
The most recent issue of that misfit of British publications, Bizarre magazine, was sadly the last.
Over the years, Bizarre magazine featured articles that astounded, amazed, and entertained as it explored the fringes of popular culture. Sometimes gross, sometimes weird, always entertaining – each issue offered content that would never be published elsewhere. 
Amongst the counter culture oddness and thought provoking investigations, I found many an interesting film to track down in their review pages.
Bizarre also covered many musicians/bands that strayed from the familiar paths. Whether in the regular monthly review section or in the excellent “Bizarre Albums” features, I found a few favourites and some new treasures.
This playlist is comprised of just some of the bands featured in the magazine over the years, in some form or other. As a sort of tribute (hell, I’ve even got the first issue lurking around in the garage…).
Bizarre Magazine Playlist
There are tons more bands I could add to this list. Many more covered by the magazine can be found in the catacombs of my iPod. But this will do nicely for now.
Thanks and goodbye Bizarre magazine. In particular for the wonder of Christopher Lee’s albums; not to mention Zombina and the Skeletones and Electric Eel Shock – two of the best live bands I’ve ever seen!
On Sunday 2nd November I went out for a quick skate on my longboard. Luckily the weather has been fairly warm and dry, meaning that a short skate trip was possible. Usually at this time of year, it’s too cold and wet outside for cruising and carving. That skate might be the last of 2014, as the pleasant autumn has now decayed into winter.
As is often the case, the iPod went on shuffle, and here are the songs that provided a soundtrack to skate.
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 