Words Being Sung

So, this is what I've listened to & read over the last couple of months -:

MUSIC:

 

Regarding my recent musical consumption, I’ve seen a couple of absolutely outstanding gigs. The one that stands out above all others was Edwyn Collins, on his farewell tour, at a packed Boiler Shop. Still hampered by the effects of a devastating stroke 20 years ago, Collins is approaching 70 and, perhaps understandably, thinks it is time to slow down. Backed by an incredible set of musicians, he arrived on stage slightly late, to a backing of The Mekons’ Where Were You? An apt choice as perhaps only Orange Juice’s Blue Boy can come close to it in terms of being the finest UK post 1977 7” single. Of course, the evening ended with Blue Boy, and it brought a hugely supportive house down, but before then there were many other highlights from his whole career. Strangely no Poor Old Soul or Losing Sleep but made up for by the best version of Don’t Shilly Shally I’ve ever heard. As for Falling and Laughing; ah man, it’s so heart-wrenching to see such a stellar figure in Scottish Pop Music calling it a day. I do desperately hope he continues to make music as, for 45 years, he has been a massive influence on me.

The next night, Ben and I were back at The Boiler Shop for The Wedding Present’s 40^th anniversary tour. They’ve got a new mini album scheduled for December, Maxi, which is a revisiting of the driving theme of 1996’s Mini. I’m looking forward to it immensely. There’s a taster single of one of the tracks, Hot Wheels, out now and it is certainly rockier and dirtier than the band has been for years, partly due to the influence of new guitarist Rachel Ward, who seems to have reignited the riffing beast within Gedge’s soul, particularly on the second number of the evening in front of an impressive turnout,  I’m Not Going to Fall in Love with You. Ever arcane, Gedge had designed a set list that covered all 40 years of the band’s existence in reverse chronology. Unfortunately, the choice of numbers for the early part of the set, bar the aforementioned I’m Not Going to Fall in Love with You didn’t really inspire, partly on account of the songs chosen, until 1995’s Kansas, which was the seventh song of the 20 they played. However, from that moment on, they absolutely caught fire, and it was an electric evening, hearing all the old favourites. As ever Corduroy, Dalliance, Kennedy and My Favourite Dress were received rapturously, but for me Click Click and Flying Saucer were probably the two best numbers. Another great night, but gigs on successive days had my lower back in bits.

The other live performance I attended was the month before and very different in both venue and scope. The latest Shunyata Improvisation Group public outing was in Earthlings Vegan Café, next door to the Gurdwara, just off the West Road and in sight of SJP. This is a part of the city I’ve probably not visited in 35 years, despite travelling parallel up either Westgate Hill or Barrack Road on countless occasions. I found it with ease, enjoyed a delicious bowl of spicy rice and beans, then settled down in the stifling downstairs back room, to enjoy the performance. Perhaps it was because of the heat that approximately 25% of the audience of 12 nodded off briefly, though I remained fully attentive. This time, the Shunyata core trio were augmented by electronic manipulator Maria Sappho. It resulted in probably the most abrasive sounds I’ve ever heard from SIG. I enjoyed the confrontational Buddhism, despite being forced to listen to part of the event from outside the door, as I was stricken by a bout of severe stomach cramps. Nothing to do with food, I hasten to add.

Once John Garner lay down his violin and took up the shakuhachi, we found ourselves on more familiar, introspective ground. A compelling meditative section involved John on bells, Katie using the frame of her zither for percussive effects and Martin doing the same with his guitar, was the key part of the performance. Strangely, Maria seemed to opt out of the collaboration from this moment onwards.  The event was definitely a success for SIG, though I’m not sure Maria got much out of it. Also, following on from Interventions and Detours, John Garner and Martin Donkin have just released another splendid EP of guitar and shakuhachi improvised instrumentals, The Moon in the Stream. Like its predecessor, this shortish set concentrates on powerful yet meditative pieces, showing the almost telepathic interplay between the two performers and their instruments. SIG and their related projects, continue to inspire and beguile me in a way few other artists are able to.

Staying with the No Audience Underground, I got myself a couple of CDs from Wormhole World recently. The one I like best is the dazzlingly eclectic Carnival of the Sea by the ever-wonderful Emma Reed, under the name of Pettaluck. Having seen Emma at a TQ gig at The Globe last year, I immediately took to her quirky experimental music, that combines an array of styles from synth pop to free jazz to ambient soundscapes. This release is her finest yet, of those I know about that is, and I’d strongly advise you to search her work out on Bandcamp. The other release I obtained was Jude Montague and Dave Clarkson’s worthy project to celebrate their ancestors, Grandads. Unfortunately, it did absolutely nothing for me and I would be happy to give this away to anyone who would like it. Sorry, but it just isn’t my thing. For fans of acoustic singer songwriting in a decidedly English, nostalgic way.

TSPTR is a clothing brand, who seem to specialise in 1960s Peanuts sweats and tees. They’ve also just branched out into music, releasing bespoke, limited-edition compilation cassettes. When I saw Sound Library Volume 1 included a track by Alex Rex, I immediately bought a copy. The Drummer does The Problem with Suicide, which I’ve heard live before and probably was recorded during sessions for The National Trust album. It’s a great, mournful ballad and sits well on a thoroughly enjoyable tape which also features contributions by Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Alexis Taylor and Bobby Lee, whose contribution Slouchin’ Towards Rotherham is the best thing on here. A nice little purchase I must say.

Like Edwyn Collins, I’ve followed Davy Henderson’s career since about 1981. This is sometimes difficult as the notoriously obtuse frontman of the Fire Engine, Win, Nectarine Number 9 and latterly the Sexual Objects, has a somewhat unconventional two-fingers to The Man approach to his career and the music biz in general. That is why I’m delighted the best numbers of the Sexual Objects have been captured on the retrospective Orangutang CD. Including their finest moments, such as the sublime Here Come the Rubber Cops and the brutally sardonic Merrie England, it is one of my favourite releases of the year, combining the artful T-Rex stylings of guitar crunch and a kind of laid-back Loaded vibe that is enormously satisfying. This is truly an essential purchase.

Another band from a long time ago who had an unconventional approach to the music business were Principal Edward’s Magic Theatre, a 14-piece hippy aggregation of Exeter University potheads, who were the first act signed to John Peel’s infamous Dandelion label. Described by John Walters as “the most pretentious act I’ve ever come across,” they released a couple of acid-drenched prog folk albums then grew up and got jobs. I’m delighted to have found their first album Soundtrack on Discogs for a song. Ideal stuff if you’re a fan of the Incredible String Band or, even more obscure and counter cultural, Dr Strangely Strange. Far out man.

Most recently, I took a punt on one of those CDs that are advertised on Facebook as free if you pay the postage. This one was The DIY Years by Young Knives. I know they’ve been going for the thick end of 20 years, but all I’d ever heard was She’s Attracted to, which reminded me of Bogshed, which is no bad thing. That came out in 2005 I think, but the CD I ordered covered the period 2010-2025 and I have to say I enjoyed it quite a lot. Some of the later stuff reminds me of Robert Wyatt era Soft Machine, but I presume live they’ll be more angular pop funk thud. I mention them live as they’re coming to The Cluny on Friday 21 November. I might go, even if it is my least favourite venue in the town.

 BOOKS:

Of the books I’ve read recently, perhaps the two that stand out the most are the autobiographies of the brothers from 16 Lily Crescent in Jesmond: Rude Kids by Chris Donald and Him Off the Viz by Simon Donald. Like everyone of my age from up here, I adored Viz from when I first came across it, probably in about 1980 or thereabouts. I didn’t know the brothers, even if Simon was my school year and we had a load of friends in common, who get mentioned in the book (Gordon Poad, Stephen Bennett and the tragic Sandy Chadwin). Chris was a few years older and out of my social orbit. That said, we drank in the same pubs and saw the same bands. At these events, I often bought Viz and loved it. I’ve no idea when I stopped buying, though probably more than 35 years ago and only vaguely knew the Donalds had nothing to do with it any longer. Frankly, I’m not sure if it is still published.

Over the years, I got to know Simon to say hello to but wouldn’t even call him an acquaintance to be honest. I’d heard of his book when it came out in 2010, then updated in 2015, but only just read it when I found a copy in the local free library. It isn’t funny and it isn’t particularly well written, unlike Chris’s effort, but it is painfully honest about loss and relations in a pretty dysfunctional family. They had an older autistic brother who died quite young, a wheelchair-bound mother and an oddball penny-pinching dad, but what really got me, especially from Simon’s book, is how the two cartoonist brothers never really got on. Simon seems to have harboured a great deal of resentment about this, while Chris, who makes it clear that Viz was his idea, his project and his property, seems utterly unconcerned with the dynamics of running a business with his sibling as an employee. I’m very glad I read these books, which have an acute sense of Newcastle in the 70s, 80s and 90s running through them, but I’ll just take the cartoons on their own merit again. Very intriguing and a bit sad.

Also from the free library, I picked up Simon Pollock’s I Love Suburbia; a lavishly illustrated photobook dedicated to the ornate houses, art deco picture palaces and crenelated pubs in satellite towns that fringe the M25. It isn’t a sociological or architectural guide, just a celebration of eccentric buildings from the 1920s to 1950s, before brutalism became the go to architectural style for the capital city. A nice coffee table tome to flick through.

The Jesmond Vale free library provided me with two copies of the sober Stalinist periodical North East Labour History. As with all academic writing, it’s a tough read for pleasure, but I did enjoy articles about the Sunderland Rent Strike of 1930 in the first volume (2007) and an interesting take on the gender politics of the events before and after the 1991 Meadowell riots in the second edition (2011). Other interesting topics are hampered for me, a general reader, by the aridity of the prose. The same cannot be said of David Lodge’s implausible yet endearing novel about the futility of National Service, Ginger You’re Barmy which, despite a wholly unbelievable ending, provides an accurate and compelling depiction of the ennui and inertia engendered by two wasted years in a young man’s life.

The final book I’ve read is Tangled Lines editor Mike Head’s 21 Again. It is an affectionate and nostalgic trip back to the late 80s and early 90s, focussing on bands he followed at the time. The focus is mainly on Mega City 4 and Senseless Things, who I don’t think I ever saw and never really heard, but there is lovely bit about Snuff; a band I saw quite often and thoroughly enjoyed, especially their whacky cover version of the Shake n Vac advert, Blankety Blank theme and In Sickness and in Health. A great read and a book I strongly advise seeking out on Amazon.

Hoppy Days

 Before I begin this latest piece about Newcastle United, I would like to pay tribute to our recently deceased former player and manager Willie “Iam” McFaul. The Coleraine native, whose cousin I went to university with as a matter of fact, was the first NUFC keeper I can remember, though recollections of his career (Hereford and the 1974 Cup final apart) remain sketchy as I was only 10 when he finished playing. I do remember his managerial stint with great affection though. In the generally grim post Keegan era back in Division 1, McFaul took over from Jack Charlton in 1985 and did his very best in the role, despite the incompetence of the board at the time, overseeing a particularly enjoyable 1987/1988 campaign that saw us reach the dizzy heights of 8^th place. Sadly, that was as good as it got and, a week after overseeing a magnificent 2-1 away win at Anfield on his birthday at the start of October, which I missed after falling asleep in The Cooperage, waking at 3.30 and having to walk home exhausted, consequently missing my lift, he was dismissed following a catastrophic 3-0 home loss to Coventry. It was a sad end for a great club servant. In August 1990, I met him in the departure lounge at the airport, waiting for a flight to Belfast, and we exchanged a few words. A nice man. A great club servant and one who was shamefully underappreciated by the club who neglected to have a minute’s silence or applause before the Forest game. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a hanam, as I doubt his family would say.

So, another seven games have taken place in the window of opportunity between the international breaks and being honest, it has been more good news than bad for Newcastle United. David “Hoppy” Hopkinson has taken up his role as Newcastle United’s Chief Executive Officer, immediately winning a sartorial thumbs up from True Faith, who’ve always enjoyed mixing with the club elite since the days of Chris Mort’s tenure, for attending the Wolves game in an elegantly cut business suit. After all, that’s what it’s all about. Isn’t it?

Never mind rummaging through your wardrobe for a nice silk tie, the build up to Wolves was predictably challenging. Both Ramsey and Wissa were ruled out through injury, with the latter not expected back until November now. Even though he’s not kicked a ball for us yet, I reckon he’s still done more for his new club than former Brentford associate Mbuemo has for Man United. The first 20 seconds against Wolves was a hair-raising opening, but we settled in well, won the game courtesy of a brilliant Woltemade header and really were in cruise control until about 65 minutes when we ran out of ideas. A clearly jetlagged Bruno really ought to have been hooked in retrospect. I was delighted Ben got a ticket for this one, while I enjoyed it from the comfort of TCC pavilion, after incessant rain had brought about the premature curtailment of the final cricket day of the 2025 season. Ben informed me of the presence of numerous day trippers in the crowd which, on the back of the Dundee High School Barcelona fiasco, is something Hoppy should turn his attention to with great rapidity. Once his whistle and flute is back from the dry cleaners of course... Incidentally, I’m delighted that NUST are forensically examining data provided to them by supporters about ticketing problems. This is excellent news and exactly what the group is supposed to be doing. Although I’d trust they are keeping a weather eye on the quality of attire sported in the boardroom.

Next up was Barcelona and the start of the Champions’ League campaign. As I’ve not got Sky or a firestick and didn’t fancy being squashed into a sweaty pub, I went to the gym instead, as I had done for the Liverpool game. Same thing happened. I walked down my street just before 8pm, hearing the roars of the crowd and the walk-on music drifting on the breeze. Stirring stuff. Should I have watched it? Well 75 minutes later, 525 calories burned, and 15 kilometres moved, probably not. I’d a feeling we’d get beat, especially with the side we put out lacking any real strikers, but it was a decent effort and not the 4-0 thumping I’d feared. With this new format of the CL to contend with, we basically need to focus on finishing between 9^th and 24^th, to have a shot at a last 16 tie, as the top 8 is probably beyond us. Consequently, the Barca result wasn’t a disaster, though it would have been if we’d not taken anything from the away trip to Bournemouth, remembering how they’d wiped the floor with us at SJP last season.

Thankfully, this didn’t happen. In fact, nothing really happened in our third, sterile 0-0 away game of the season. Truth be told, it was a desperately poor spectacle that befitted the presence of Joe Willock on the pitch. We could have had a penalty for a shove on Woltemade, Thiaw was class, but could have been sent off, and Pope made a decent save from a Kluivert free kick. That was about it. In fact, the major talking point on Tyneside was the vicious falling-out between Anarchy and Wylam breweries, as regards the beer brewed as a fundraiser for Wor Flags. Now my take on this is that I much prefer Wylam’s hideously expensive brews to Anarchy’s, which I’ve always found bland and flavourless. Wor Beer isn’t anything to write home about, and I’ve only ever drank it to show support to Wor Flags. The unseemly shouting about trademarks and intellectual property rights does nobody any good. It’s about time they both stopped playing wor.

And now we come to the Bradford game, which I managed to get a ticket for. I’ll admit that a did get very anxious in all the crowds before and after the game, but it was good to talk to Glenn, Helen and Jack at various times during the evening. They may not realise it, but they helped to calm me down and ground me. It is a big irony that in a crowd of 75 at Percy Main, I know far more people than one of 52k at SJP. Anyway, once I’d got inside (thanks to Ben for the spare phone with Google Wallet installed, as my faithful old BlackBerry is no longer compatible with the app), I had a great view from the Leazes East Stand corner. From that vantage point I had a perfect sight of our new kick off routine; one straight from the John Beck School of Total Football, whereby the ball is launched straight out of play near the opposition’s penalty box, which we then swarm before the throw in is taken. It isn’t pretty, but in this strange new era of long throws and route one clearances, it seems to be what Pep, Arteta and that Baldy Fraud at Anfield are going all in with. To be honest, it was a stroll in the park once we’d gone ahead. Thiaw and Miley both impressed me tremendously and Woltemade’s sparkling cameo allowed me a chance to see his twinkling toes at close quarters. He’s going to be some player. Nice that lifelong NUFC fan Andy Cook scored a raker for Bradford, even if VAR would have chalked it off for handball. Raucous support for The Bantams from their sizeable travelling contingent as well. A club I’ve always had a soft spot for.

That is not something I could ever say about Arsenal. Despite their long and distinguished history, I hold them in contempt, mainly because of their insistence on appointing snidey little narcissists with a persecution complex as managers. I really can’t stand Arteta and the worst thing about the deserved loss to them was how happy it made him. Anguish and disappointment was engendered because of their goals coming so late, but if they’d scored after 66 and 74 not 86 and 94 minutes, nobody would have complained about the outcome. It was a crushing blow because of context not performance, and that’s why it was time to step up. One win in 6 league games and three home defeats in all competitions is not good enough at the end of September. Yes, there have been many mitigating factors. The writing-off of August’s games because of Isak’s petulance is one excuse. The injuries that plague us constantly, with Tino added to the list of those missing after this loss, is another. Another thing that has to change is me going to the gym when we’re playing at home, as this has, perhaps coincidentally, been where I’ve followed our losses to Liverpool, Barca and Arsenal.

I really wish I’d been able to go to RUSG in Brussels, but that was always a non-starter, so instead I went to Ben’s for my tea and enjoyed both a lovely pasta and broccoli dish and our most pleasing performance thus far. It has been a decent while since Newcastle United walked all over the opposition and, frankly, I could happily watch more of this. It was a dominant performance from first whistle to last, with the added bonus of Elanga and Gordon finally finding their rhythm, though every player put in a great shift. Never have I been happier to see us sitting comfortably in 11^th place after the games were over. I was also delighted to hear that our fans had an excellent trip over there. Now we need to bring that level of intensity and ruthlessness into our league form.

Guess what? We did against Forest. Alright so the first half was a bit sluggish, but the unchanged team after Wednesday stepped it up after the break and won with ease. Forest are a shadow of last season’s outfit with Postecoglu in (temporary?) charge and didn’t really lay a glove on us. We scored two absolute belters, with Bruno’s strike a beautiful finish and Woltemade’s penalty a serious contender for Goal of the Month. To be frank, it is a shame we’re heading into an international break. Bruno himself admitted as much, just before jetting off to Seoul and Tokyo to play in a couple of mindless friendlies for Brazil. Let’s just hope he comes back unscathed and in better form than last time. I wish the same to all our players who are away. Roll on Brighton on Saturday 18^th at the unheard of kick off time of 3pm. Let’s see what Hoppy autumn casual threads look like that day when we hopefully play out another 0-0 draw.