#hackney dub club

[burlveneer-music]

Red Snapper - Live at The Moth Club

‘Live at The Moth Club’, the follow up to 2022’s acclaimed ‘Everybody Is Somebody’ long player, features nine tracks from a vast and impressive back catalogue on Warp Records and Lo Recordings and captures perfectly the energy of their celebrated sold out London show from May 2022 in Hackney. With an incredible and genre bursting career that spans nearly thirty years, the new album demonstrates the band’s ability to constantly rework classic and new tracks, keeping them impassioned, experimental and relevant. The collection includes a version of ‘Suckerpunch’ which originally appeared on their 1998 album ‘Making Bones’ and will now be released as a single on the 15th of September 2023. Notorious for casting convention aside, and remaining one of the UK’s most forward thinking and rule breaking live bands, Red Snapper embrace a unique blend of live, euphoric Afro-Jazz, Future Funk, Dub, Dark Hip-Hop and fragile soundscapes. To coincide with the new live album release Red Snapper have announced a short UK tour. The band line up of Ali Friend (Double Bass, Vocals and Gato drum), Rich Thair (Drums), Tom Challenger (Sax, Clarinet and Keyboards), Tara Cunningham (Guitar and Vocals), Natty Wylah (Vocals) will be returning to some of their favourite venues as well as adventuring to new territories. The seven dates commence at The Jam Jar in Bristol on the 2nd of November and wind up with a London show at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green on Saturday the 18th of November.

[manifestopaulo]

Post-Punk, Reggae, and the Evolution of East London's Music Scene

Introduction

The British music scene has a vibrant history of embracing and transforming genres from different cultures, particularly black music. From the Beatles' admiration for American rock 'n' roll in the 1960s to the rise of reggae music, the British have taken these influences and added their own innovative touch. However, it was with the emergence of reggae in Britain that an exciting and transformative journey began. This journey eventually paved the way for genres like rave, jungle, garage, and dubstep.

Moreover, East London played a central role in shaping this musical landscape. This essay aims to uncover the deep connection that East London has with dub and reggae music, as well as the influential East London artists who emerged and played a significant part in transforming British music.

Early days of Reggae in East London.

Reggae has been a part of East London's music scene since the 1960s, and we owe a great debt to the generations before us who not only created this music but also embraced it, making it cool to listen to. As a personal example, my father was part of the first-wave of skinheads and frequented reggae or 'Blues beat' clubs like the Four Ace's in Dalston during his formative years. The Four Ace's, established in 1966, the Wikipedia entry for the Four Ace’s states that ‘in the 1960s and 1970s, the club was one of the first venues to play black music in the United Kingdom and was credited with playing a significant "role in the evolution of reggae into dance music, from ska, to rocksteady, to dub, to lovers, to dancehall and the evolution of jungle.’

The experiences my father had during that time left a lasting impact on his musical taste, which included artists like John Holt and Bob Marley, as well as Tamela Motown Records and sophisticated 70s soul. These musical preferences were shared by many East Londoners during that era.

A Confluence of Influences: Post-Punk and Reggae

When punk arrived, my father's generation might have been considered too old for that scene. However, it was during the emergence of the second wave of British reggae enthusiasts that something truly groundbreaking occurred. This generation not only embraced punk music but also incorporated elements of reggae and punk into their own music. These individuals were visionaries who played integral roles in the music industry and the post-punk scene. Artists such as Jerry Dammers and Terry Hall with The Specials, John Lydon and Jah Wobble with Public Image Limited, Pauline Black and The Selector, Neenah Cherry with Rip Rig & Painic, Adrian Sherwood, The Pop Group, The Clash, The Slits, and even Madness, played a vital role in the cultural fusion of post-punk and reggae.

The connection between post-punk and reggae in the British music scene is a testament to the remarkable diversity that emerged during this period. They took reggae as a starting point and created their own unique punk versions or experimented with unconventional, abstract variations of the genre. The intertwining of post-punk and reggae is an undeniable connection that can be viewed as a breeding ground for the unique British diversity that would resurface and continue in genres like jungle and dubstep These genres can be seen as natural progressions of the groundwork laid by the reggae-inspired post-punk musicians.

It is important to acknowledge the pioneers of reggae and those who stayed true to its traditional roots. Reggae itself deserves immense praise, but this piece focuses on the diverse sounds it has inspired. Reggae did not necessarily require diversification, but it played a pivotal role in encouraging white British individuals to embrace diversity and undergo transformative experiences. Reggae was everywhere while I was growing up in Hackney - resonating from tower blocks, playing at parties of friends with West Indian Caribbean backgrounds, and streaming from radios & stereos of guys I worked with. During my early teens, there was a Dancehall reggae boom, with half of my friends into ‘Dancehall Ragga’ and the other half into either rave or Heavy Metal music. It was just the way things were back then.

The East London Connection: Jah Wobble.

The biggest noteworthy figure from East London who played a pivotal role in this transformation is Jah Wobble. Born John Joseph Wardle of Stepney Green, the bass guitarist and singer known as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd (PiL) in the late 1970s. Jah Wobble perfectly embodies the open-minded and diverse music approach ingrained in certain types of East London residents. He went on to pioneer a plethora of diversity in his music.

The Influence of Post-Punkers on Rave

Among the post-punk artists, it was the industrial music musicians who wholeheartedly embraced change. Hackney resident Genesis P.Orridge of Throbbing Gristle made influential contributions to acid house with his project 'Jack the Tab,' just as Richard H Kirk of Cabaret Voltaire did in the Sheffield scene and early Warp Records. They were not interested in remaining loyal to a single genre but instead chose to move with the current and embrace whatever manifested at the time. Artists like Jah Wobble, along with many likeminded individuals, were already exploring the realms of reggae, hip hop, and electronic music. The combination of these factors sparked an optimistic and forward-thinking attitude towards music, and the post-punk era cultivated a remarkably imaginative and inventive environment during the vibrant decades of the 80s and 90s, which proved to be an optimal period for artistic exploration and groundbreaking innovation.

Mutation, diversity and open-mindedness towards music all idea’s that would find home and be carried forward in Rave. Other influences added to the cultural blend, including the energetic beats of hip hop, house, and techno. As a result, the British Reggae-Rave version of this music emerged. Some of it had an electrifying party energy that gleefully crank-up the insanity level, with an emphasis on multiculturalism much similar to the British Ska movement of the late 70s. Then some of it would be dissonant and otherworldly like a mix of techno and more abstracted post-punk like Public Image Ltd. This thrilling evolution proved to be revolutionary, setting the stage for Jungle, Drum & Bass & Dubstep. This emerging genre of dance music would serve as a platform for even more numerous young individuals, many of who had little music training or equipment, to engage with music. Enabling them to flourish, thrive and capture the spotlight, which, in my opinion, truly epitomises the essence of punk. This indomitable spirit, reminiscent of both British Punks and Jamaican rebels, continued to exert its influence within the rave generation, as a real rebel connection.

Furthermore, when artists from East London who had primarily focused on reggae music began experimenting with abstracted reggae elements and rave-inspired tempos, as exemplified by the likes of 'Shut Up & Dance' and their 'Hackney Hardcore' projects, the rapid development of Jungle music was greatly accelerated.

Since then, East London has consistently been at the forefront of underground dance movements, particularly during the ascent of rave music in the UK. This is not by chance, as at that time, East London's vibrant music scene provided the perfect nurturing ground for experimentation and creativity to flourish. This collective effort resulted in a vibrant underground dance movement that East London has continued to lead ever since.

Conclusion

The journey from post-punk to rave exemplifies music's ability to transcend boundaries and spark creativity. The experimentation and melting pot of ideas in the post-punk era have had a lasting influence on future generations. The contributions of reggae-inspired post-punk musicians will remain a source of pride and inspiration, serving as a constant reminder of the limitless possibilities in both music and life.

In conclusion, the most significant impact of rave was its ability to bring people together and overcome differences. Rave culture was about breaking down divisions and embracing unity. The transition from reggae to rave, jungle, garage, and dubstep is a testament to the coming together of people from different cultures within these shores creating genres that celebrate the cultural mix in music. The enduring legacy of East London's music history reminds us of the importance of unity and transcending differences. The influence of these artists and the love for dub and reggae music in East London continues to shape not only the UK music scene, but also that of the world.

[days-of-steam]

Days Of Steam 003: Deejaygee

(Mix released August 9, 2021)

Blistering, mind-bending geometries from @deejaygeejaygee that run the gamut from sludge to full speed ahead, and much of it either self-released or from smaller labels outside the usual centers of production (NYC/LDN/BER)

"It's a celebration of percussion, dancing and global collective ecstasy."

Excerpt from “School of Rock Hawaii 5-0 Drum Fill” Y.a.M.A - Circle [GORGE.IN, 2021] Amor Satyr - Delight #2 [Wajang, 2021] Unperson - Mind Distract [Only Ruins, 2019] Pev & Kowton - Junked [Hessle Audio, 2013] Tribal Brothers & DJ Polo - The Problem [Livity Sound, 2021] Yak - Ocean Floor [3024-FYE2, 2018] Amazinggaijin & Lighght - Cacophonie [All Centre, 2021] Excerpt from “Krautrock: The Rebirth Of Germany” Guedra Guedra كدرة كدرة - Uggug [On The Corner, 2020] Henzo - Trickery [Self-released, 2020] Indus Bonze - ゴルガンツ GorGantz [Self-released, 2021] WULFFLUW XCIV - One54 [Hakuna Kulala, 2020] Rey Sapienz & The Congo Techno Ensemble - Santonge [Nyege Nyege Tapes, 2021] Beneath - Shambling [Hemlock, 2021] LAPS - Who Me? (Duppy Gun Remix) [DFA, 2018] Horsepower Productions - Boogaloo [Tempa, 2011] Nazar & Citizen Boy - 2 African Sickos (Scratchclart Remix) [Hyperdub, 2020] Manix - Special Request (DJ Guy Version) [Sneaker Social Club, 2020] Farsight - Renegade (Interplanetary Criminal Remix) [Scuffed Recordings, 2021] Suchi - Gula I Deg [Ganzfeld Records, 2021] Tessela - Hackney Parrot [Poly Kicks, 2013] Excerpt from “Bernard ‘Pretty’ Purdie presents The Legendary Purdie Shuffle” Kush Jones - Keeps Playing With The Breaks [Self-rleased, 2021] Dizzee Rascal - Jus A Rascal [XL, 2003] Circa96 - Cave Dweller (Dwarde’s Caving In Remix) [Disrupt Records, 2020] Bone Head - Fantasy Violence Anthem [Self-released, 2021] Morwell - There Is No Time (DJ FLP Remix) [Self-released, 2021] Es.tereo - Drifter Dub [YUKU, 2021] M-Beat & General Levy - Incredible (Instrumental) [Renk, 1994] Nilotika Cultural Ensemble - Kekusimbe [Nyege Nyege Tapes, 2021]

[xai-irie]

Hackney Dub Club Episode #22 Hosted by Peppino-I guest Selecta Xai Irie.

Live and direct, hot off the presses, rotate the full show here!

Every Sunday 12:00 to 14:00 UK time Streaming on netilradio.com Your weekly two hours of roots-rock-reggae music

[howdoyousayghibli]

A Soapy Sub-Plot Diminishes the Otherwise Brilliant From Up on Poppy Hill

In his excellent series, Movies with Mikey, Mikey Neumann asks a question about Jurassic Park II: Can one stupid scene ruin a great movie? When that little girl defeats a previously terrifying velociraptor with “gymnastics,” it undermines their power to scare the audience and spotlights a character the audience already doesn’t like. But does that erase any and all good qualities the rest of the movie has?

This question is terribly relevant to From Up on Poppy Hill, a 2011 film directed by Gorō Miyazaki. The son of Hayao Miyazaki, Gorō also directed the disappointing Tales from Earthsea. In Poppy Hill, he appears to have learned some lessons from his previous experience; the movie is enjoyable, moving, and packed with some of Studio Ghibli’s best dialogue yet. 

This brings us back to Mikey’s question: Can the inclusion of a subplot that is in poor taste, hackneyed, and unnecessary ruin an otherwise fantastic film? Let’s just say this review’s going to have a hefty Spoiler Zone.

There’s plenty to talk about before we get there, though. Set in1963, Poppy Hill tells the story of two teenagers, Umi and Shun. Umi is uber-responsible, essentially running a boarding house for her Grandmother while also studiously attending school and keeping an eye on her younger sister. She doesn’t have much choice in the matter; her father died while serving  in WWII, and her mother is studying in America.

Shun has a more normal home life, but is deeply involved in “the Latin Quarter,” a massive, old, and dilapidated building that houses innumerable school clubs (all of which are apparently boys-only). The major plot thread of the movie concerns attempts by, you know, Big Business or whoever to demolish the Latin Quarter and build a shiny new facility in its place. The facility would still be for the students, so it’s not a matter of losing their place; it’s a matter of losing the historical building itself.

While Umi’s extreme competence and selflessness endear her to the viewer, the Latin Quarter steals the show whenever the characters visit. I always think it’s bogus and pretentious when people speak of a city or location as “another character, really,” but they’d probably say it about the quirky clubhouse. I’d still disagree, though. The Latin Quarter is such a fun locale because of the many well-written actual characters inside it. The lavish details of the building itself don’t hurt, of course, but it’s really the clubs themselves that bring it to life.

A big part of that comes from some of the best, let’s call it, “background dialogue” of any movie I’ve seen. Neither Umi nor Shun are particularly funny, but the large cast of unnamed Latin Quarter club members are consistently hilarious throughout the movie. At the risk of doing the original screenwriters a discredit, I’m tempted to lay some of this success at the feet of Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, who oversaw the production of the U.S. dub. Both also worked on the dubs for Ponyo and Arrietty, were also excellently localized. Whoever deserves the credit, the movie is much richer for it.

Now, I’ve said that Umi and Shun aren’t especially funny, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t compelling. Just like the club members who populate the Latin Quarter, the protagonists are endearing because they both feel like they have lives outside of this movie. In different ways, Umi and Shun are both competent and passionate people, avoiding the “waiting for the plot to start” feeling that comes from less fully realized characters. Umi in particular has a moving emotional arc, made all the more powerful by how much of her growth, while inspired by those around her, seemed to come from decisions she made on her own. 

Clearly, there’s a lot to love about From Up on Poppy Hill. The fly in the ointment shows up as Umi and Shun grow closer. It’s only natural that the movie would introduce some form of conflict into the story of their relationship, but the chosen form of that conflict leaves a bad taste in your mouth. It’s something of a twist and happens a good bit into the movie, so I’ll only discuss it directly in the Spoiler Zone, but the long and short of it is that it was a poor choice, it doesn’t give our protagonists anything interesting to do, and it took me about 10 seconds to think of an alternative that would involve minimal differences to the rest of the story.

You may recall that Gorō’s previous directorial effort, Tales From Earthsea, showed some promise but was ultimately weighed down by its failures. You may wonder if Poppy Hill is in a similar situation; fortunately, although the Bad Subplot does detract from the movie, the ratio of good to bad here is wildly better than in Earthsea. This time around, the strengths outweigh the blunders, and I recommend it to any Ghibli fans — I just wish the recommendation didn’t have to come with an asterisk. 

Up Next:

It’s The Wind Rises! It’s currently Hayao Miyazaki’s most recent film (no release date for How Do You Live? yet) and I’m very excited for it. 

Stray Notes:

Maybe my favorite of the many great background lines in the clubhouse: “How can we make archaeology cool again?” “We can’t.”

woooaaaah floor potato storage

Ghibli knows how to cut away from a joke (and not dwell on it)

Wow they’re really hitting the old vs new thing hard

Artist girl is an enormous mood

Lil Umi and her flags OH NO

Urinal conversation huh

“It’s like a cheap melodrama” YEAH KINDA MY MAN

Ah yes, rice goop 

Giant Philosophy Man is great

Chairman guy has a great voice

That explosion was magnificently animated

Spoiler Zone

So, Umi and Shun are growing closer and like 5 seconds from making out when they discover that Umi’s late father is also Shun’s birth father, who gave him to Shun’s adoptive parents when he was still just a baby. They’re actually brother and sister! Who doesn’t love a good incest subplot?

Besides being soapy and gross, it just doesn’t make for a good story. It’s an automatic shutdown; you can’t even root for them to “overcome” this obstacle and still end up together, because … incest. While you could say there’s something to watching them learn to interact with each other non-romantically, it just kind of torpedoes their part of the movie for a bit. 

I say for a bit, because of course this subplot is resolved the only way it possibly could be: Oops, they actually aren’t brother and sister! Herein lies the other part of the problem — the resolution has nothing to do with the efforts of Umi and Shun. Like I said, it doesn’t really work to have them trying to “solve” this problem, so they’re simply informed at the end of Act 3 that Umi’s dad took baby Shun from another dude, who died, and gave him to Shun’s birth parents. 

Action is artificially injected into this story by having the not-so-star-crossed pair race across town so they can meet a sailor who knew their parents before his ship leaves. While I understand that they’d want to meet this man, they both seemingly know all the important bits — i.e., that they aren’t related — before they talk to him, which makes the sense of urgency feel very forced. I say “seemingly” because for reasons unknown, we only see Umi learn this crucial information. We never see Shun learn it, and we never see the two of them talk about it. Presumably, what should’ve been a climactic moment happened off-screen.

All the narrative problems aside, it’s also just gross whenever the scripts ties itself into knots to make incest a concern. It was bad in Speaker for the Dead, it was bad in the trailer for that stupid theme park show, it’s bad in every other comedy anime, and it’s bad here. 

I can only assume that this was their way of having the relationship reflect the theme of the past affecting the present? But they could’ve just as easily introduced conflict through a revelation that Umi’s dad was somehow responsible for the death of Shun’s dad: it makes the past a barrier between them, puts them in a place to work at not letting the past actions of others affect their future, AND at no point does anyone have to say, “wait, don’t worry, it’s actually not incest!” Wins all around!

[sundaymusiq]

Introducing - Sunday program on Netil Radio

Netil Radio is new community radio, streaming from top shipping container, in secret spot of London Fields - Netil market.  sundayMusiq have the honour and pleasure to program Sundays. And beyond...

I am very pleased who agreed to jump on this train, and what they came up with. Will be a fun ride. Let me introduce in alphabetical order:

E2-E8 - The name is a reference to Manuel Göttsching's E2-E4, a landmark among electronic music albums; and it is also a reference to postcodes in Hackney. The show have a focus on electronic music of all sorts, from the dancefloor-oriented one, to the one more suited for listening and zoning out. Expect interesting guests. Hosted by my dear friend Luca Schiavoni.

From The Bag - Wes Baggaley. Beautiful human being i met on... facebook. he is very active out there. very funny. the way i like. so i started to listen to him too. the way he play music is exactly i was looking for as a listener. you will always enjoy this show.

Hackney Dub Club - most popular show on the market so far. Luca’s flatmate and good friend Giuseppe Tarantino aka Peppino-I brings the smoothest rhythms of dub, reggae in all colours you can imagine. Plenty amazing guests so far. tip!

Cheap Wax - More Downstairs collective brings the oppose to trendy discog’s shopping w is becoming a little rip-off recently. Most expensive record you can hear in this show costs no more than fiver. Introduced to you proper radio disc jockey way. One love to Enrico and Marco and bwoys for this one!

Jas - Jas is the original word that jazz evolved from.  the shows will be focused on the cultural and social aspects of the jazz movement and it's influence into modern music from hip hop to soul, funk, disco and electronic music. Jas  will be a show  exploring  the  depths  of  jazz  music,  its  complex web  of  style and  influences,  its  strong  ramifications  in  modern  music  and  its cultural and  social  importance  in  communities  all  over  the  world. Hosted by my new talented friend Dragos Munteanu.

Mermaids - The Goodship MermaidS is a deep space exploration vessel sent to the furthest reaches of the galaxy, to find strange and funky beautiful music to share with you on Earth. Netil Radio will broadcast their transmissions. With Ryan J Smith.

Morning Transition - earliest one. A mission i could do only to my self. But i promise i will take you through the mornings into a better days

Peace of Mind - Paula and Dan playing music for peace in your mind. Literally. Just close your eyes...

Social Joy - Guilhem Monin brings his dancing soiree into our airwaves. I can’t be more happy from this move, due to our recent collaboration at The Pickle Factory. It’s been joyful. 

schedule:

9am-12pm - Morning Transition - weekly

12pm-2pm - Hackney Dub Club - weekly

2pm-4pm - E2-E8 - weekly

4pm-6pm - From The Bag, Cheap Wax, Jas, Peace of Mind - monthly on rotation

6pm-8pm - Mermaids, Social Joy - monthly on rotation

i would love to thanks to everyone joining sunday program. emotions are amazing so far.

with LOVE

miro

[thisisheffner]

The Clash's 40 greatest songs – ranked! | Music | The Guardian

A historical artefact, not for the proto-punk music, but because the lyrics epitomise the new wave’s perceived threat to the old guard. “No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones / In 1977,” sang Joe Strummer, hardly about to let his love of such pop greats get in the way of punk’s declaration of year zero.

39. White Riot (1977)

Guitarist Mick Jones now dislikes the first Clash single, its lyrics written by Strummer after the band were caught up in the 1976 Notting Hill riots and he concluded white people needed “a riot of our own”. The sentiment hasn’t aged well, but the song exemplifies the amphetamine-fuelled punk the band would leave behind.

38. What’s My Name (1977)

A Clash curio in that it’s the only one of the group’s songs to bear a writing credit for Keith Levene, the band’s original guitarist. Levene showers melodic gold dust all over this otherwise shouty punk stomper, but is better known for his work with John Lydon in Public Image Ltd.

37. Know Your Rights (1982)

From Combat Rock, the final album by the classic quartet of Strummer, Jones, bassist Paul Simonon and drummer Topper Headon. The tank was getting emptied, but Strummer’s black humour brims through lines such as “You have the right to free speech / As long as you’re not dumb enough to actually try it.”

36. I’m So Bored With the USA (1977)

This hugely anthemic track on debut album The Clash began life as I’m So Bored With You, a song about Jones’s girlfriend, before Strummer’s ad-libbed “��� SA” took it in a new direction. The blistering critique of US imperialism and exported culture (“Yankee detectives are always on the TV”) didn’t stop the Clash’s love of American iconography, cars and clothes.

35. Janie Jones (1977)

Original Clash drummer Terry Chimes – uncharitably credited as Tory Crimes on The Clash – propels the debut’s storming opener, a eulogy to a 60s pop celebrity and libertine who had been jailed for vice offences in 1973. On release, the convicted madam returned Strummer’s affections in the song Letter to Joe.

34. Charlie Don’t Surf (1980)

By the epic three-disc fourth album, Sandinista!, the Clash arguably had too many ideas for their own good, but within the 36-song sprawl are undoubted treasures. Titled after a Lt Col Kilgore quip in Apocalypse Now, there’s an element of the doo-wop era to this sweet song about, well, cultural imperialism.

33. Brand New Cadillac (1979)

This bracing cover of a 1959 Vince Taylor and the Playboys track refers to the early Brit rockers’ glamorous dream car (when most of them probably had to make do with a humble Ford Anglia). From the double album London Calling, the Clash’s creative zenith.

32. The Guns of Brixton (1979)

Brixton boy Simonon wanted some songwriting cash and so penned this memorable song about police harassment and discontent in his London neighbourhood, two years before the district exploded into rioting. In 1990, Simonon received an unexpected windfall when Norman Cook (later Fatboy Slim) sampled the groove for Beats International’s hit Dub Be Good to Me.

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31. Clash City Rockers (1978)

Year zero meant many punks hurriedly buried their pasts in pub rock bands with long hair, but this 1978 single reworks a song from Strummer’s old pub rock band, the 101’ers, around trademark Clash self-mythology. The shift from aggressive guitars (surely copied from the Who’s I Can’t Explain) to something more mournful suggest musical adventure to come.

30. Rudie Can’t Fail (1979)

According to long-time Clash associate Don Letts, this London Calling gem is the fruit of a long hot summer that the Clash spent smoking herb and going to reggae clubs. It’s a horns-drenched homage to Caribbean culture, “drinking brew for breakfast” and the “chicken skin suit”.

29. Tommy Gun (1978)

A great single from the not universally adored second album, Give ’Em Enough Rope. Strummer is scathing about the idea that terrorists see their cause as glamorous, yelling: “You’ll be dead when your war is won”, while Headon’s snare drum rolls resemble gunfire. This didn’t stop the singer posing for photos in a T-shirt honouring Italian-based violent leftist organisation Brigate Rosse (the Red Brigades).

28. Police and Thieves (1977)

This cover of the Lee Scratch Perry-produced Junior Murvin hit stands out a mile on The Clash. It’s their first attempt at reggae, played punkier, with a new, Jones-penned intro. That summer, Bob Marley (working with Perry) acknowledged the burgeoning punk/Jamaican music love-in with Punky Reggae Party.

27. London’s Burning (1977)

Also from the debut album, this most captures those punk rock summers of 1976 and 1977, with its bone-crunching verse and rabble-rousing chorus. The imagery is a comprehensive list of the band and movement’s inspirations, from high-rise living above the Westway (where Jones lived with his gran) to a capital city “burning with boredom now”.

26. Somebody Got Murdered (1980)

According to Pat Gilbert’s superb book Passion Is a Fashion, the Clash were approached by producer-arranger Jack Nitzsche to provide a song for the William Friedkin movie Cruising, but he never called again. Thus, the song lit up Sandinista! with its effervescent tune and film noir-ish imagery about a random killing.

25. Career Opportunities (1977)

The limited youth employment of the 70s is timelessly skewered (“Career opportunities, the ones that never knock”) in this gem from the debut. The line “I won’t open letter bombs for you” refers to an actual job once held by Jones, checking government mail for explosive devices.

24. Pressure Drop (1979)

The B-side of the slightly hackneyed English Civil War and one of the Clash’s great covers, of Toots and the Maytals’ 1970 reggae/ska classic (as heard in the 1972 film The Harder They Come). Later, Strummer was at pains to point out that they recorded it in 1977, hence it pre-dates 2-Tone.

23. This Is England (1985)

Headon and Jones had been sacked by now (for heroin abuse and behavioural issues, respectively) as a remodelled, five-piece Clash made a sixth album. The otherwise unloved Cut the Crap did herald this final terrific single. Keyboards and guitars drive Strummer’s withering take on our national strife.

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22. Gates of the West (1979)

The Clash had been singing about the US since I’m So Bored With the USA. Based on Rusted Chrome, an early Jones composition, this stormer from the Cost of Living EP describes their New York experiences, the characters, imagery and anthemic tune all reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen.

21. Hitsville UK (1980)

From Sandinista!, this eulogy to pop is a bubblegum delight that namechecks the UK’s emerging independent labels and argues that a great “two minutes 59” single can triumph over industry sharp practice. With its Motown (the original “Hitsville”) groove and sugar-coated duet between Jones and his girlfriend, Ellen Foley, the Clash’s remaining hardcore punk fans hated it.

20. Police on My Back (1980)

Another terrific example of the Clash’s ability to cover a song (the original was by Eddy Grant’s old band, the Equals) and make it sound as if they had written it. Jones’s guitar wails like a siren, and the song has all the adrenalin rush of a police chase.

19. Lost in the Supermarket (1979)

In the tradition of the Rolling Stones’ (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction and the X-Ray Spex back catalogue, this is a great Strummer-penned/Jones-sung song about the dehumanising effects of advertising and the consumer society. (“I came in here for that special offer / A guaranteed personality.”)

18. I Fought the Law (1979)

The band reputedly heard the Bobby Fuller Four original on the studio jukebox in San Francisco while recording Give ’Em Enough Rope. Writing credits aside, this is a trademark Clash smash, full of outlaw rebel posturing and laden with Headon’s six-shooter drum cracks.

17. Death or Glory (1979)

Strummer’s ferocious blast at ageing, sellout rock stars builds to a hurtling climax on a lyrical twist as he fears a similar fate himself. Presumably it was ruled out as a single because of the infamous, hilarious line: “But I believe in this and it’s been tested by research / He who fucks nuns will later join the church.”

16. Safe European Home (1978)

Strutting around Kingston, Jamaica, in full punk regalia (in theory to stir the creative juices for Give ’Em Enough Rope) proved a rude awakening, but did produce this untypical example of Clash self-mockery. “I went to the place where every white face / Is an invitation to robbery / And sitting here in my safe European home / Don’t want to go back there again.”

15. Clampdown (1979)

Strummer’s view that capitalism was endangering people and the planet was sharpened by the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, which inspired this London Calling highlight. The Clash were exploding with musical ideas by now, and packed rock, funk and disco into this fiery, timeless anthem.

14. Garageland (1977)

The rock critic Charles Shaar Murray’s dismissal of the Clash as a “garage band” in an early live review prompted this defiant riposte, which also reflects the band’s fretting that signing to a major label would be selling out. It’s a furious but somehow melancholy anthem: “People ringing up making offers for my life / But I just wanna stay in the garage all night.”

13. The Card Cheat (1979)

Surely channeling Jones’s love of Mott the Hoople, this is the sort of thing that presumably inspired the Libertines. Horns, drum rudiments, a sublime piano hook and vivid imagery (“To the opium dens and the bar room gin ... The gambler’s face cracks into a grin”) combine in a song about a card sharp who is shot for cheating.

12. Spanish Bombs (1979)

A favourite of the late INXS singer, Michael Hutchence. The melody is glorious and Strummer’s lyrics contrast the freedom fighters of the Spanish civil war with modern tourists. The singer partly sings it in what he called “Clash Spanish”. Olé!

11. Rock the Casbah (1982)

Headon wrote and played most of the music on Combat Rock’s club/chart smash, which innovatively combines rock, funk and a slightly eastern feel. Strummer’s lyrics are inspired by Iran’s post-Islamic revolution ban on pop music, the singer’s idea being that the people would rise up and “rock the casbah”.

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10. Train in Vain (1979)

After a planned NME flexidisc fell through, this sublime Jones unrequited love song was added to London Calling too late for listing on the initial sleeves. Pete Townshend’s favourite Clash tune, this is the band at their unashamedly poppiest. Headon’s killer drum intro fires one of the rhythm section’s funkiest grooves.

9. Stay Free (1978)

Jones’s sublime, heartfelt eulogy to his old Strand school friend Robin Crocker, who became known as Robin Banks after a sting of heists landed him a stretch inside. Some fans were delighted to discover that Banks subsequently punched the song’s producer, Sandy Pearlman, who had previously worked with Blue Öyster Cult and is largely blamed for Give ’Em Enough Rope’s not exactly punky gloss.

8. The Magnificent Seven (1980)

Having rattled through punk, reggae, ska, dub and rockabilly inside five years, our boys assimilate the emerging hip-hop sounds they heard while in New York, and Strummer turns white rap pioneer. A terrific groove forms the platform for daft-but-inspired wordplay: “Italian mobster shoots a lobster.”

7. The Call Up (1980)

Following the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, as the US geared up to reintroduce the draft, the Clash spearheaded the resistance with this fantastic Sandinista! single. “It’s up to you not to heed the call up / I don’t wanna die ... I don’t wanna kill,” cries Strummer, over a magnificently eerie reggae-ish backdrop.

6. Bankrobber (1980)

So many great songs poured out of the Clash that this Mikey Dread-produced gem was almost thrown away as an import-only 45, which didn’t stop it making it No 12 in the UK charts. It’s dub music with folk storytelling – Strummer’s “daddy” wasn’t really a bank robber, but a diplomat.

5. London Calling (1979)

The Clash’s highest-charting UK single, until Combat Rock’s rather banal Should I Stay Or Should I Go reached No 1 in 1991 after being used in a Levi’s ad. Years before the climate crisis and flooding sparked public concern, Strummer fears an imminent biblical apocalypse, hence “London is drowning and I live by the river”.

4. Armagideon Time (1979)

The flip of the London Calling single, this superb reworking of Willie Williams’ social justice anthem is the definitive example of the Clash playing reggae. Strummer’s “OK, OK, don’t push us when we’re hot” is his shouted rebuff to then-manager Kosmo Vinyl, urging him to scrap the allotted three-minute length and keep the tapes rolling.

3. Complete Control (1977)

After CBS infuriated the Clash by releasing Remote Control as a single against their wishes, the band responded with their punk-era high watermark. Lee Perry produces, and Strummer’s yelled “You’re my guitar hero!” during Jones’s blistering guitar solo is one of many goosebump moments.

2. Straight to Hell (1982)

Headon’s bossa nova rhythm and a haunting hook (later sampled by MIA for 2007’s Paper Planes) power Combat Rock’s finest. The band’s unity was already fracturing, but Strummer rightly called this vengeful tirade against imperialism and American soldiers in Vietnam who left local women pregnant (“Go straight to hell, boys”) “one of our absolute masterpieces”.

1. (White Man in) Hammersmith Palais (1978)

Any of the Clash’s best songs could grace the top spot without too much argument, but this edges it. The collision of reggae (verse) and rock (chorus) epitomise what the critic Lester Bangs described as the Clash’s fusion of “black music and white noise”. Lyrically, a disappointingly lightweight reggae gig (in the Hammersmith Palais) triggers Strummer’s blistering state of the nation address, in which he considers everything from music (“Turning rebellion into money”) to racism and rising nationalism (“If Adolf Hitler flew in today, they’d send a limousine anyway”). Forty-two years on, it remains a tour de force and as relevant as ever.

Various 40th anniversary super deluxe editions of London Calling are out now on Sony.

This content was originally published here.

[hucc]

Hackney Umpires v Brixton Barbarians

The Gentrification Cup Final

Sunday 23rd June 2019, Millfields

Sorry to be a bit unimaginative but I thought I’d start this match report by talking about cricket.  Specifically Steve Harmison, the Ashington Express, and the 2005 Ashes, the defining cricket experience for anyone born too late for ’81 but before 1990.  And, almost inconceivably now, the 2005 Ashes was live on actual normal telly (note for people born after 1990 ‘normal telly’ means the 4 ‘terrestrial’ free-to-air channels and, grudgingly, channel 5).

Yeah, so Steve Harmison and 2005.  After a decade and more of utter domination by the Aussies the series begun unsurprisingly with them beating us at Lords, despite some signs of resistance. But instead of folding meekly in the second test at Edgbaston, England were fighting hard.  As the day 3 reached its close things were in the balance: Michael ‘Pup’ Clarke, the youthful blond-haired batting machine, was on 30, Warney at the other end on 20. Australia are 106 runs away from victory with three wickets remaining. It was exciting.  It was tense.  But we knew the Australians didn’t give a Castlemaine XXXX for the warm foam of our cricketing hopes.  So while we hoped, it was more the hope that we could keep on hoping for as long as possible until the inevitable calamity of defeat arrived.

I like Steve Harmison.  He didn’t sound much like a sportsman, he didn’t seem to have the single-minded flinty-eyed certainty that every Australian in the 2000s possessed. He seemed like a nice fella, but with the great skill of being 6’4” and letting go of the ball at 90mph.  The faster and the bouncier the better. And so, late on that 3rd day in Birmingham, with the light of my 2005 reminiscences turning a lush golden hue, the big man comes loping in from the boundary. He gets to the wicket.  He bowls.  It’s a useless full toss. Clarke readies to punch it away.  He flinches.  The stumps are broken. It wasn’t a useless full toss…it was a brilliant slower ball that totally fooled Michael Clarke. Pup is in the doghouse and we jump to our feet in celebration as the wicket brings the day’s play to a triumphant end, and sets up a nail biting finish that we win by just 2 runs on the way to a joyous series victory.  I don’t think I ever saw Steve Harmison bowl a slower ball before or after that. It appeared to be a perfect one-off.  The ultimate surprise, executed perfectly.

Why am I telling you about this?  Good question.  As ever with cricket there’s a fiddly bit involving a sequence of numbers to get us to where we need to be but there is a connection.  So we move forward 14 years to 2019 to find the Brixton Barbarians chasing down a lowly 138 for victory against the Hackney Umpires. 

Gary ‘Yesno’ Aubin,  after a year out probably due to disciplinary matters, is in the midst of an excellent spell of bowling, troubling the batsman with accuracy and surprising one-liners. But despite this and Kieran’s superb 7 overs 1 wicket for 19 runs Brixton are close, needing just 23 runs from 8 overs and they have 6 wickets left.

Dijon Malla the Brixton no5 has been the chief thorn in our side, compiling 40 runs, the highest score on either side on a pitch that was difficult to bat on. 

Gary comes loping in from the boundary.  He gets to the wicket.  He bowls to Malla.  The batsman’s eyes light up he swings.  He might have even had a chance to swing again such was the sheer lack of pace.  Slower ball! Deadly straight.  The ball hits the stumps and it is out. 

A slower ball, particularly a disguised slower ball, is not an easy thing.  I know because that’s my secret weapon delivery.  Just been hit for 6? No problem, run in harder and let it go with maximum arm swirling but as little effort as possible.  Doing that bit is fairly simple, it’s doing that and getting it on the right trajectory that’s the difference between the rankest filth and pure genius.  Gary Aubin take a bow, this was genius. In the blink of an eye 115 for 4 is suddenly 119 for 7 as left arm spin then accounts for 2 in two balls. And then, the same over, another stonewall LBW (happy 50th anniversary) right in front of the stumps, back pad, not playing a shot. So out that the appeal, although spontaneous and hearty, felt something like of a formality…oh, OK then... not out.  I mean it looked out to me is all I’ll say ,but on the other hand I have stood as umpire quite a few times and I can count the number of LBW decisions I’ve given on that self-same finger that gave the decision. 

If you live by the inscrutable shake of the head then sometimes the boot is on the other foot.  Mixed metaphors aside the point here is that Gary’s slower ball has unlocked the door, the collapse is on, 19 runs from 4 overs and just three wickets and that boot that was on the other foot is bearing down on that inscrutably shaking head like a metaphor out of control.

Earlier that day the Hackney Umpires, representing north London, were put in to bat on a warm and cloudy June day against the Brixton Barbarians, an unknown quantity from south of the Thames, in the so-called final of the Gentrification Cup, which I think was something someone said by mistake at our previous match and then we seemed to end up playing it.

First impressions count and my first impression of our team was: there’s only 9 of us.  My first impression of the opposition: why have they all got matching club kit, with squad numbers and their names on? Including a dedicated scorer!  Also with kit, number and name. 

The classic sign of gentrification did not take long to arrive: our skip in the skip, bowled by Denton for a disappointing 18 by one that he had no chance to defend.  Dave F was next. He struggled to time it on the pitch and the bowlers didn’t give him much.  Bowled Denton.  Matt Veal the Bournemouth Bulldozer in, then out, bowled Denton.  Ol changed things up, being bowled by Shaw, for a duck, bowled via glove and then box. Painful.  And so the architrave of our top order was ripped out and consigned to the dustbin of history thus revealing, somewhat prematurely, the startling original features of our middle order.

Dave Fawbert is often ahead of the curve.  A former A&R man he can spot the next trend quicker than even the most zietgeisty millennial.  So when Nostrafawbus turns to me and, with us being about 60-4 all clean bowled, and says: ‘well at least we haven’t had a run out’ it did set a bit of an alarm bell ringing.  That ringing swiftly transformed into the bell of Notre-Dame as the spark of Dave’s speculation took hold in the vaulted ceiling of our innings and Kieran hunched back towards us having been dismissed short of his ground amongst the burning ashes of a sorry collapse.

If Anthony and Dave F are the load-bearing wall of our batting.  The David Dawkins and Manny Hawks would be the party wall. Dawks and Hawks set off on a rebuilding mission, and though Manny played around a straight one, David top scored as the wickets continued to fall reaching 28 before he unerringly picked out the fielder at mid on. 

With 8 down and having run out of players the opposition took pity on us and offered to allow a batsman back in.  Ol’s pride, and other places, were sufficiently restored for him to retake the field.  He avoided a second duck and ended not out with a 20 run last wicket partnership.  In some ways it felt wrong to accept the invitation for a batsman who had been out to go again.  Wrong but helpful.  It could only be hoped that the cricketing gods, those cruel arbiters of fate, had already been satisfied with the run out and would not also single out Ol for some painful retribution at a time of their choosing. 

So 137 all out.  Bit crap but what can you do. Go out and bowl them out was the answer. And bang Ol was on it straight away taking out their opening.  Bang again at the start of his third over.  Only this time it was the sound of his hamstring.  And we were hamstrung without Ol’s hamstring, leaving us deprived of the club’s all-time leading wicket taker and effectively reduced to 6 fielders. Dave F made up for goading the cricket gods by single-handedly covering the entire leg side for long periods. Matt Veal troubled the batsmen but could not break through. Despite wickets by David, Manny and Kieran the Brixton middle order held firm. 

It is partnerships that hold the key in cricket and Brixton’s 4th and 5th wickets added 84 runs between them.  The Barbarians were now at the gates. 

But then as we know, the slower ball, the double wicket maiden, just 4 overs remain, 19 runs still needed the opposition scrabbling around for equipment, panic on. Could this be a famous victory for north London?

Another Harmison anecdote occurs to me now. As brilliant as that slower ball was, in some ways Harmy is much better known for another ball he bowled.  This one at the very start of the 2006 Ashes, the first ball six months on from that triumphant home series. The big man loped in at the Gabba, an expectant hush around the ground, that turned instantly to derision as he bowled what was officially dubbed the worst ball in history fielded by Freddie ‘Pedalo’ Flintoff at second slip setting the tone for a series that started badly and fell away from there.

But wait I need to finish this match report, enough of the Steve Harmison anecdotes. Where had I got to?  Oh yes, 19 runs with 4 overs to get them in.  Gary Aubin lopes in, an expectant hush…OK maybe you’ve guessed what’s coming.  If Ol had been able to bend over at slip then maybe he would have stopped it. I’m not sure it was the worst ball in HUCC history, but it certainly wasn’t the best. The ball scoots through slips and on to third man.  But with just 6 fielders there is no third man.  Matt Veal sprinting from mid on makes a valiant attempt to stop the thing but it trickles gently over the boundary for five wides.  15 runs in total from the over and well it wasn’t to be.  It would be harsh to blame the loss on that over.  Don’t get me wrong I’d like to try but it wouldn’t be right. Brixton played well, they simply bowled and batted better than us, took a couple of excellent catches had the top scoring batsman and the bowler with the best figures.  So let’s just remember the slower ball as the defining one yeah, just don’t get carried away Gary because I can re-edit this to focus more on the 5 wides.   

HUCC 137-9 29 overs (Extras 30, D Dawkins 28, K Kumaria 26)

BBCC 138-7 34.1 overs (M O’Brien 2/18)

Brixton Barbarians win by 3 wickets.  HUCC man of the match Gary ‘Harmy’ Aubin

Up the Umpires!

[hrhgeorgevi]

RINGSPORT ISSUE 2

Televised Wrestling Comes To You By Arrangement With King George VI Wrestling Club’

Issue 2 20 April 2020

EXCLUSIVE: FRESNO ESCAPES WITH FINE BUT NO BAN

Popular Lightweight Johnny Fresno has escaped a ban from the ring following his attendance at the Judiciary Hearing yesterday afternoon. 

At press time it was confirmed that the Bolton ring ace would be slapped with a £750 fine, with a warning to stay on his record for 12 months. 

Fresno, the blond superstar lost his World Lightweight Championship when the ringside Doctor stopped the contest due to blood loss and awarded the championship and belt to Metallica Panther III. Following the bout Fresno refused to complete his broadcast requirements and then spoken out - including in this publication about the result of the match. 

While he will be lighter in his wallet than before Monday’s hearing - grapple fans will be pleased to see that a return bout has been schedule to headline to All Star Extravaganza bill on 3 May at the splendid Fairfield Halls in Croydon. A treat for all fans of the great sport. 

GREAT TOJO KEEPING TRACKS ON HIRAI

Japan sensation The Great Tojo has arrived in Britain this morning, arriving by boat from France following off some wrestling commitments he had in Paris at the weekend. 

The Great Tojo is a thirty five year member of the professional ranks and one of the top stars of the world renowned Tokyo Wrestling Promotions Ltd. As well as being a formidable campaigner in the ring, he also runs his home promotions ‘Dojo’ as they call it in Japan. He arrives in England with one of his former students SUPER DOI - already tipped for huge honours this year and a a five year professional. 

“I am not a fan of the lot of travel,” he said to awaiting media at Portsmouth Ferry Terminal upon his arrival. 

“I have big bed with big wife at home, I no like leave Japan.

“Fuji Hirai was top member of 2019 class at my Dojo. We send him to England to get better at fighting. I come to watch him, team with him and make sure that he is getting better. 

“Most times Japan wrestler come here and they just learn drinking. This not make me happy.” Tojo added. 

The trio will be involved in a number of Six Man, Tag Team and singles competitions during the All Star Extravaganza tour with maybe their most mouth watering contest coming in the form of a tag team encounter on 2 May when Hirai and Tojo take on two of Britain’s best in Johnny Fresno and Billy Bingham at Vale Hall in Aylesbury. 

MUSIC TO THE EARS OF WRESTLING FANS

Eugen Bastiens may look like a rough and ready merchant of the wrestling rings, but the 32-year old from Bremen, Germany is also a keen fan of the musical arts. 

The European Lightweight Champion has played the Cello since his school days and still performs as part of the Bremen Amateur Orchestra when he has time off from his gruelling travel schedule. 

“I take my Cello everywhere and of course it will be coming to England with me,” he told the Editor of this publication over the telephone last week, before he had travelled to Britain. 

“I often surprise my fellow wrestlers in the dressing room after the matches when I pay a few notes.”

The 189lb weight classification is one of the most competitive in the world right now with King George VI Wrestling Club boasting World, European and British Commonwealth Champions on its booking sheets for the coming weeks and Bastiens is looking forward to the tests that await. 

“As European Champion I travel a great deal,”

“I have hardly been able to wrestle in Germany since winning the belt last year, I have just returned from four months in Russia - where I also took my cello.”

Despite the cold months of Russian ring wars, Bastiens believes he is in great shape to take on challengers in the British rings with a juicy contest against Poland’s Mikolaj Salak set for All Star Extravaganza bill on 3 May at the resplendent Fairfield Halls in Croydon.

ASHURST SURPRISED AT LACK OF RETURN CONTEST

Fans lucky enough to tune into On The Mat III broadcast last Saturday afternoon will have been thrilled to see Len Ashurst and World Heavy-Middleweight Billy Tucker squad off in an all action packed match that ended with a sixty minute draw.

While shown on television last week, the match actually took place on 6 April from Liverpool, with Ashurst quickly expecting matchmaker Edwin Luntley to schedule in a return bout, but so fare no call has come.

“Yes, I was a little surprised,” he said from his Bradford home that he shares with his fire Millie and Yorkshire terrier Max. 

“I thought that we had a great match, it was a real test to be in there with a World Champion and I really felt like I was on the same level of him. 

“There were a few times where I came close to putting him in the surfboard submission, that wins most of my matches. If only I had been able to put Tucker in the move a few minutes before the bell rang at the end, I really believe I would be a World’s Champion. 

Even though there is no return bout scheduled for this tour, there are plenty of matches he is looking forward to. 

“It isn’t everyday that the promoters are able to bring over so many top names from overseas. It’s going to be a great test for him. 

“It looks like we’ll be headlining the Manchester show in a big elimination match where I get to face the boys from Mexico (Metallica Panthers) and Tucker. I’ve not been in an elimination tag match before, so I’ll need the referee to explain that one to me. 

“I get another crack at Tucker in Worthing as well, Jackie Joyce is in that one - I can see that being a real scrap. He’s not one for trading holds, but really lets fly with the forearms and uppercuts. 

“The one that I guess most people are asking me about and I’ve already had several letters and phone calls on this, is the contest against Billy Bingham.”

The match, which is already being dubbed the ‘Battle of Britain’, with two Heavy-Middleweights only separated by a pound in weight, a win for either man must surely see them return to Championship contention. 

NEW CALCUTTA RESTAURANT

* Choice Indian Dishes * Finest English Cuisine *

Telephone: CARDIFF 35902

(Prop. R. Baksh)

22 Bridge Street - Cardiff

Party Catering a Speciality

Monday to Saturday 12 noon to 3pm 6pm to 2am

Sundays and Holidays 6pm to 2am

Luncheons * Dinners

NOT JUST GLAMOROUS GIRLS 

A first in British rings from this week will be a single knock out tournament for the Ladies International Grand Prix. The tournament will feature several international stars and be the first time women’s wrestling will take place in some of our halls. 

Edwin Luntley, matchmaker for King George VI Wrestling Club waisted no time in bringing in two of Japan’s top ‘Joshi’ stars with Jumbo Kaka and Miyoki Suzuki, already two of the favourites to win the trophy which has been commissioned by Hackney’s Dillon Jones Trophy Emporium.

Mitzi Bopp from Germany is joined in the tournament by Jenny The Farmer’s Daughter (Canada) while fellow North American star Jessica Hendrix will be tested in her opening contest against Kaka. 

Little Roxy and Klondyke Dorothy will participate from the home nations. There will also be a chance at several shows to see some exhibition six women’s matches, a real treat for the fans! 

CHAMPIONS ROLL CALL

Each issue we will look at the Champions from around the world and in this publication we take a look at Sin City Wrestling, the promotions from America’s exciting Las Vegas.

World heavyweight - Ben Jordan

World Bombshell - Andrea Hernandez

Internet - Austin James Mercer

Bombshell Internet - Kate Steele

Roulette - Jack Russow

Bombshell Roulette - Candy

Mixed Tag Team - Wolfslair (Alex Jones and Johanna Krieger)

Wouldn’t it be a treat for our fans to get to see some of these top stars over in British rings in 2020.

TV PREVIEW

On The Mat IV is set to be taped this Thursday with Jackie Joyce putting his British Commonwealth Lightweight Championship and Belt on the lines against Jamaica’s Junior ‘Iron Man’ Morgan. Joyce is a seasoned grappler but has not defended his championship in some time after gaining weight that would make him ineligible at the lightweight bracket. He has now dropped 10lbs for the contest and many wrestling fans will be keen to see how that has impacted his style - which recently has become far more concentrated on brawling than the beautiful art of catch as catch can. 

Also schedule to be performed under the rolling television cameras will be a Six Man Tag with Mikolaj Salak, Samir Pande, Barry Bridges take on Joao Silva, Eugen Bastiens and Billy Tucker. Salak a contender at European Lightweight classification will meet Bastiens in single competition soon enough, but who will leave the ring having bragging rights from this encounter? 

Silva - the Portuguese expert is sure to create some gasps from the audience with his silky tan and Hollywood good lucks, although will be his wrestling this publication will be most concerned about. Silva isn’t scheduled to defend his European Heavy-Middleweight crown on this tour, but if he loses a fall in this match, things may quickly change.  

[donsinclair]

Official Roots Reggae Sound Clash: Jah Shaka Sound System vs Jah Tubby Sound System 1987 pt2 Jah Shaka was born and grew up in Clarendon, Jamaica. But started his musical career in London, England. It was in the mid 70's that he joined the soul & R'n'B sound system Freddie Cloudburst as a soundman apprentice. A couple of years around 1970 he started his own Sound System simply known as Jah Shaka, he favored Steppers productions and often strictly dub.Jah Shaka took his name from the Zulu leader Shaka, styling himself the African Zulu Warrior. He had a Friday night residency at Phebes Club in Hackney circa late 1978, by the following summer he was playing every Friday at the Noreik, on Seven Sisters road in Tottenham. In 1980 and 1981 he won the best Sound System section of the Black Echoes Reggae Awards. The top 5 in 1981 were:Jah Shacka, Sir Cxosne, Fat Man, Ray Symbolic & Moa AmbassaJah Shakas sound system was one of the few sounds that stuck to its vision during the 80's when dancehall started getting more oriented on subjects that wasn't concerned about Rastafari, such as slackness, gunman lyrics. As Shacka refused to compromise he went through a lean period but ultimately this gained him a strong following that has continued to grow ever since. In 2000 he suffered several injuries from a housefire and in 2006 Jah Shaka had much of his equipment stolen. He returned with a new built sound system later the same year.Jah Shakas son Malachi the Young Warrior has followed in his fathers footsteps and has also become a part of the UK Sound System scene. Jah Shaka produced a string of highly appraised albums with artists such as Norman Grant (from the Twinkle Brothers), Icho Candy, Vivian Jones, Sgt. Pepper, Max Romeo, Prince Alla, Horace Andy and of course many of his own dub productions. Jah Tubby's Sound System was established in the 1970's in North London and by 1977 were playing against the biggest Sound Systems of the day.In early 1979 they had a Thursday night residency at Cubies club in Hackney and a Friday night one at Kippers Youth Club, Aldgate. By the middle of the year they had added a Sunday night session at the Noreik in Tottenham. In the mid 80's they established the Jah Tubby's and Y&D record labels initially both labels released 12 inch singles up to around 1990 though the Jah Tubby's label was revived in 2000 with a series of 7inch singles and later in the decade with a series of 10inch releases.In the 80's Aba Shanti I front man Joseph Smith deejayed on the sound using the name Jasmine Joe.They are still going today and alongside the Sound System and record label they also manufacture amps and other equipment for a new generation of Sound Systems. ❤️💛💚Uk's Leading Broadcast Station For Reggae & Sound System Culture Artists, Sound Systems, Preserving & Documenting #Reggae #SoundSystem #Culture For more Quality Vibes Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIYhD9wxGWg

[tripstations]

The worst things about travel in 2019

The world is changing. Constantly. Perpetually. Every time you look, it has altered. Every second, every minute, every hour and every day the world is transforming, it’s morphing, it’s adding and subtracting and shrinking and expanding.

For travellers, that’s a thrilling concept. It means there need be no conclusion to this wandering passion, no end to the joy of discovery that travel can bring. Every time you set out to see the world, you will find something different. You will experience the buzz of the new, even in places that can feel so familiar.

This changing nature is what makes Traveller’s Annual Report so important. Every 12 months our writers take the world’s pulse, they weigh up the good and the bad, track the major changes, assess the current trends. Our team of wanderers considers the destinations that have caught their collective eyes over the last past financial year, as well as the advancements made across the tourism board, from aircraft to accommodation, gear to gadgets.

The report this year takes us from the farthest reaches of Russia to the familiarity of inner-city Melbourne. It moves from campsites in Utah to overwater luxury in the Maldives. It takes in everything from Michelin-starred fine-dining, to hole-in-the-wall taco joints.

123RF

Overtourism is a huge problem – particularly in Western Europe.

READ MORE: * One simple change would ease the horror of changing a nappy mid-air * The future of flying: How air travel is changing * Why is it so expensive to change a name on a flight ticket?

And of course any good Annual Report should include a profit and loss statement. Ours is a summation of where travel has improved, and where it’s begun to let us down. Love slow travel? So do we. Detest spending 15 minutes trying to turn the lights off in your hotel room? You’ll find an agreeable audience here.

The world is changing. Destinations are changing. Hotels are changing. Food is changing. Even modes of transport are changing. And this is where to find the best of it. – Ben Groundwater

Today we feature the worst things about travel in 2019, tomorrow it will be the best things.

GET REAL

Bespoke. Curated. Crafted. Artisan. When will travel industry operators stop using these “authenticity” terms for everything from bath plugs to buffets as a way of appealing to the Millennial market? Coupled with not actually doing anything particularly thoughtful and place-appropriate, let alone unique – a subway tile here, a vintage print there, this movement has become hackneyed, lazy and meaningless.

TOTAL BUNKUM

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has recently walked back (surprise, surprise) on his earlier enthusiasm for bunk beds and relaxation lounges for economy passengers on the airline’s Project Sunrise flights. These are the ultra-long, non-stop flights that Qantas is proposing to London and New York. From Sydney or Melbourne to London – that would mean 21-plus hours sitting semi-upright in an economy seat. Ouch.

FLIGHT FRIGHT

The latest eco evangelist cause spotlights the impact jet travel has on our planet through its contribution to CO2 emissions, one potent factor behind climate change. Australian and Kiwi travellers, who often fly long distances, are responsible for more aviation-industry CO2 emissions per capita than most other nations. While we have cause for concern, the remedy lies in strategy rather than abstinence.

SOCIAL ENGINEERING

Online applicants for a non-immigrant visa to visit the US are required to provide details of their social media accounts over the last five years. Applicants must also provide telephone numbers, email addresses and international travel details over the same period. 

JETTING OFF: ONE

Fifty years after the 747 first took to the skies, Boeing is no longer producing the passenger version of its jumbo. We’ll still be flying aboard these four-engine double-decker aircraft for some years to come but their days are numbered, replaced by more fuel efficient twin-engine aircraft that can haul almost as many passengers at lower cost.

JETTING OFF: TWO

It’s the biggest bird in the sky generally made for more spacious seating and major capacity boosts but Airbus, and for that matter its customers, has decided its A380 is no longer sustainable, and will be phased out after current orders are completed. They’ll still be around for a good couple of decades, but their replacements won’t have the same sheer grunt.

CROWD CONTROL

Overtourism, as it’s been dubbed, is a huge problem – particularly in Western Europe – with no easy answers, and it’s one that’s still growing. Cities such as Venice, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Dubrovnik are being trampled daily by tens of thousands of feet, as the global number of travellers increases and interest in the hotspots shows no sign of waning. But what to do about it?

GETTY IMAGES

All about the ‘Gram.

FEED THE MASSES

The wildly popular photo-sharing app Instagram is partly responsible for overcrowding at some of the world’s most photogenic locations. Travellers used to read guidebooks and follow those recommendations slavishly. Now they do their research through their Insta feed and seek to visit the stunning places they’ve seen in photos. Everyone wants to go to the same ones.

SLUMMING IT

Visiting a slum or a favela? Touring through indigenous communities? Visiting schools or orphanages? There’s danger here. Travellers have to be very careful that the tours they choose to do are actually beneficial for the people they go to stare at. There are plenty of exploitative experiences out there, and research is required before you commit.

CREATURE DISCOMFORT

Though awareness is slowly being raised, there are still plenty of travel experiences that rely on the exploitation of animals. They’re easy to recognise, too: if an animal is being made to act or live in a way that would be unnatural to it in a normal setting, then it’s being exploited for human gain. Avoid.

CHANGING TACK

Do you want to ride a horse in rural Japan while dressed in plastic samurai armour? Some well-meaning tourism operators urge their clientele do so. Why does this sort of thing – and plenty of similarly tacky experiences – still exist?

RIDE NO MORE

For a while there it seemed like you could switch on your phone anywhere on the planet and arrange a low-cost ride with Uber. But the governments of the world are catching up with the infamous app, and in an increasing number of countries it’s no longer available. Uber has pulled out of Singapore and Denmark, it’s been banned in Hungary and Bulgaria, and it’s restricted to just a few cities in Germany, Italy, and Spain.

WE WUZ SWABBED

At most airports around the world, swabbing passengers in the search for explosives is not a thing. It rarely happens in the US. You hardly ever see it in Western Europe. And how many would-be baddies are actually caught by this constant swabbing?

EXTRAS, EXTRAS

With budget airlines it’s a given – you have to pay extra for any niceties. Now, however, supposedly full-service airlines have begun charging extra money for seat selection, and have even begun forcing passengers to fork out for seat-back entertainment and extra food they want to consume on board. When will this creep of hidden costs end?

RICK BOWMER/AP

The joys of US airport security.

WELCOME TO AMERICA

Hell is a scrummage of 500 people awaiting clearance through two open TSA (Transport Security Administration) machines manned by grumbling, screaming staff, when eight more adjacent machines remain inexplicably closed. National security is a sensitive issue but, no, Mr Customs Officer, that uniform and badge don’t entitle you to act like a bulldog chewing a wasp, especially after a 15-hour flight.

EARLY MORNING NOISE

Certain airlines should desist from Walking on Sunshine at a hideous volume at 4am during check-in (let alone, on the plane itself). Yes, we get the idea of trying to make the whole process seem more fun but maybe hold off on the sunshine at least until sunrise?

AUTO MATES

Robot (or just do-it-yourself) hotel check-ins are already upon us, and robot room services and concierges are likely to follow. Sure, it’s an amusing high-tech innovation at first, but what will happen to the human interaction and emotion, and those late-evening chats to real bartenders? We’d much rather take the good, the bad and the unpredictable that comes from interacting with actual people in foreign places.

CONTROL FREAK OUT

Do the tech-heads who design hotel rooms ever trial a prototype? Have they tried to close the curtains, extinguish the mood lighting, turn on the TV or adjust the shower temperature with their gadgets, iPads, remote controls and complicated dials? A bit of international consistency and user ease would be nice. Sometimes simplicity and a basic switch are good things, especially when jet-lagged.

LEANERS NOT LIFTERS

Dear tourist, we know you aren’t really holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and maybe you could think of something more original than the same thing 500 other tourists are doing right behind you. It’s an old joke. The cliché of holiday snaps. And we don’t need you to pout, make the victory sign or leap into the air either. You look silly. Just saying.

NOT-SO-GREAT OCEAN ROAD

Just say no to the daytripping queues lined up to snap a photo at the lookout at Port Campbell. Stay overnight to go beyond the clichéd shot and there are plenty of other non-official “apostles” along the south-western Victorian coastline.

AGUNG PARAMESWARA/GETTY

Scattered plastic trash brought in by strong waves at Kuta Beach.

WHAT A WASTE

There’s a reason why pool clubs now abound: the pollution on Bali’s beaches is shameful, given the amount of money tourists spend to be there. It’s called “plastics pollution” and reached its nadir with the finding of a plastic bag in the deepest part of the ocean, the Mariana Trench, 11 kilometres below sea level in May. We should be ashamed.

APERITIF TIFF

Kudos to Campari for making the Aperol spritz a ubiquitous global drink. But who doesn’t long for the days when that first sip of “sunshine in a glass” was something special: a marker of arrival in the Veneto? That’s where the Aperol spritz was invented: a mix of white wine, soda and the orange aperitif created in Padua in 1919. At least those who know, know: spritz will always taste better in Italy.

YES SIR, NO SUR

British Airways, Lufthansa and Cathay Pacific are among the airlines that have bumped up their “fuel surcharges” in the last year. With cash tickets, it makes little difference whether it’s called a surcharge or a price increase. But for frequent flyer redemption tickets, it can mean a couple of hundred dollars on top of the redeemed points. Alas, other airlines may soon have the same idea.

CHECK THIS

Traditional full service carriers are attempting to compete on price with low-cost rivals – and, increasingly, that means making the baseline economy fares non-inclusive of checked-in luggage. British Airways, Air Canada and Virgin Atlantic are all guilty on this to varying degrees. It makes comparing prices for long-haul flights a real nuisance when some airlines work to a different standard.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE

Faced with fights for locker space, several airlines are tightening hand-luggage policies. Alas, instead of telling everyone with a wheeled case to check the damned thing in, they’re shrinking what you’re allowed to take on board for free. Europe’s notorious Ryanair is the latest to get stingy, only allowing bags that will fit under the seat – maximum measurements 40cm x 20cm x 25cm, down from 55cm x 40cm x 20cm.

FEELING CLUCKY ​

Airlines seem determined to give passengers the full battery-farm experience, slipping extra seats into planes clearly not designed for them. Air Canada 3-3-3 formation Boeing 787-9s are the most egregious example of cram-’em-in greed. 30 inch (76 centimetres) pitch and 17 inch (43 centimetres) seat width may be just about OK for a short domestic flight, but it’s not for a 14-hour trip from Vancouver to Melbourne.

LEFT DANGLING

The travelling tea-drinker gets a poor deal these days, in that so many hotel rooms sport only a tiny Nespresso machine (if you have ever tried to make tea with the water from one of these things, you will know it tastes more like coffee). Here’s a big thank you to those who do go to the trouble of offering a kettle in the room for tea tragics. We thank you.

GIVE SIP THE ZIP

You’ve nabbed two prime viewing perches on the Champs-Elysees in Paris or the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele ll in Milan and ordered cocktails. Whaaat? They still use plastic straws? Europe, you are now officially on notice. In March, the European Union passed landmark legislation that will ban single-use plastics such as straws, plates and cutlery, giving businesses until 2021 to phase in alternatives. We can do our bit by saying no in the meantime. See laststraw.com.au

DON’T BE A PHONEY

Be careful what you wish for. The widespread availability of free Wi-Fi in attractions, airports and cities now means travellers are increasingly immersed in their phones rather than their surroundings. Take advantage of Paris’s free Wi-Fi to find your way to the Eiffel Tower, but once you get there, try putting your phone away and focus instead on being present and savouring the moment.

BUTLER NOTHING

Do we really need a bath butler, a sleep specialist and a pillow menu with 12 different options? In a bid to differentiate themselves, many hotels are offering unnecessary levels of customisation. Worryingly, this trend will only get worse as chains collect more and more personal data about their guests. Some brands already let you tailor the furnishings, toiletries and mini-bar for your stay. What next? The curtain colour? The brand of TV?

RIGHT TOWELLING

The novelty of finding a gaggle of towel geese waddling across your hotel bed wears off rapidly when you realise, a) all the towels will probably be washed and replaced tomorrow, and b) the housekeeper who made them just scrubbed a toilet. We already have enough work clearing the bed of decorative pillows – please leave our towels in the bathroom where they belong.

BIT OF A STRETCH

We all know how important it is to get up and stretch during a long-haul flight, but that doesn’t mean you have to block the galleys and emergency exits for 15 minutes while you run through your entire yoga routine. A few in-seat exercises each hour is enough to keep the circulation flowing. No one wants to emerge from the bathroom and come face-to-bum with someone doing a downward dog.

PARADISE LOST

Rampant hotel development is slowly strangling the Maldives. The archipelago has more than 130 resorts with another 20 expected to open in the next two years. The Maldivian authorities wants to relocate residents to larger atolls to free up smaller ones for development, which will put even more pressure on the region’s water and energy resources, and meanwhile, Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has promised a threefold increase in tourism promotion.

Contributors: Ben Groundwater, Jill Dupleix, Terry Durack, Michael Gebicki, Belinda Jackson, Julietta Jameson, Brian Johnston, Ute Junker, Nina Karnikowski, Rob McFarland, Catherine Marshall, Alison Stewart, Craig Tansley, Guy Wilkinson, Sue Williams, David Whitley

– Traveller

The post The worst things about travel in 2019 appeared first on Tripstations.

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The capital’s first ever specialist dance gathering, the London Music Conference, is set to take place across multiple leading venues from October 11-13th. With the simple but vital aim of educating and engaging with the current scene and next generation on a range of vital issues, the world-class brands, panels, masterclasses, hosts, workshops, and events featuring DJs like NCT and Sinisa Tamamovic, Alex Ferrer and T & Sugah.

London Music Conference  – October 11-13th, 2018 



Venues like Oval Space, Pickle Factory, UNDR Hackney, Moustache Bar, Birthdays and VFD will all be involved hosting the daytime and evening events, while Egg London, Ministry of Sound and The Hospital Club exclusively take care of night time fun.

Some of the key panels include Spotify For Artists 101, Beatport presenting new ways to start and grow labels, Secrets to Success (with separate panels focussing on Festival Promotion and Booking, Clubs and Regional), Using Brands Partnerships to Power Music, and a key discussion on the past, present and future of the London scene with all the key players. There are also plenty more topics including the art of branding, A&R, networking, breaking into the mainstream, finding new revenue streams, equality, diversity and inclusion in the music industry, as well as plenty of others.

For aspiring young DJs and producers, there is a wealth of experience on hand to give you rare insight and instruction that will help you get ahead, including production masterclasses with the likes of Hauswerks, Signum Audio and Mad Professor, Tips On How to DJ inside VR using the Oculus Rift, production masterclass with Sample Tools by Cr2 Records, tips on how to improve your image in the industry and many more besides.

All of these panels are hosted by experts in their field such as Grahame Farmer from Data Transmission, Lucy Blair from Spotify, Nick Halkes from XL Recordings, Duncan Dick from Mixmag, Mark Newton from Broadwick Live, Nikki Gordon from Ministry of Sound, Alan Miller from Night Time Industries Association, Kai Cant from Abode, Scarlett Pares Landells from Defected, the celebrated social media star Bradley Gunn Raver, representatives from Google Daydream and plenty of others.

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Once the knowledge has been soaked up each day, the focus turns to cutting shapes on some of the capital’s best dance floors. Some of the evening offerings include the CROWD & Risky Business showcase with American trailblazers DESNA and CHILLY MOX, THE LMC TEN Showcase at Ministry of Sound with 10 labels in one night, including Syncopate, Deeplomatic, Fokuz Recordings, Chapter 24 and more – plus a live set from Reinier Zonneveld at Egg London, and plenty more across the capital on all three days.

The London Music Conference is shaping up to be an essential and must visit event for anyone involved in, or wanting to break into, the dance music industry.

https://www.londonmusicconference.org/

VIDEO HERE

@londonmusicconference

Programme Highlights:

Panel 1 (Conference panel):

Title: Secrets to Success: Accessing And Understanding The London Club Scene

Description: An in-depth analysis of what makes the London club scene one of the most vibrant election music hotbeds on earth. Understand how to navigate it, how to exploit it, where its strengths and weakness lie and what is being done to safeguard it against an uncertain future.

Day: Friday, 12th October

Time: 10.30 – 11.30

Venue: Oval Space

Panellists:

Moderator: Duncan Dick (Mixmag)

Mark Newton (Broadwick Live)

Miguel Estevez (UNDR – formerly The Nest)

Nikki Gordon (Ministry of Sound)

Alan Miller (Night Time Industries Association)

Panel 2 (Conference Panel):

Title: Secrets To Success: Next Level Strategies For Awesome Artist Management

Description: Secrets To Success: Next Level Strategies For Artist Management, in conversation with Mike Gillespie (Underworld), Nick Halkes (Liam Howlett / The Prodigy) and Owyn Sidwell (Your Army Management). Expect an incisive analysis of high level artist management strategy from 3 of the UK’s top managers as they compare and contrast their individual management strategies and examine how their approach to management has expanded and evolved through and in response to the internet streaming revolution.

Day: Thursday, 11th October

Time: 10.30 – 11.30

Venue: Oval Space

Panellists:

Mike Gillespie (The Sunday Club, Underworld)

Owyn Sidwell (Your Army)

Nick Halkes (XL Recordings)

Panel 3 (Showcase):

Title: THE LMC TEN Showcase

Description: 10 Labels – 5 Rooms – 1 Night

Day: Thursday, 11th October

Time: 22.00 – 06.00

Venue: Ministry of Sound

Labels involved:

Deeplomatic

Syncopate Afterhours

Parquet

Chapter 24

High Tea

Fokuz Recordings

Saucy Music

No Tomorrow

Ignition

Crownsnest Audio

Panel 4 (Conference Panel):

Title: Using Brand Partnerships To Power Music

Description: 10 years ago the notion of involving global brands in music projects was uncool and taboo. Today artists and managers are engaging global brands as partners in the creation of music and video on an undreat of scale. A panel of the UK’s leading minds from the sponsored content space discuss how to access this exciting market space and the rules of engagement that artists need to be aware of when seeking investment from corporate partners for music projects.

Day: Thursday, 11th October

Time: 10.30 – 11.30

Venue: The Pickle Factory

Panellists:

Paul Nickeas (Midem)

Tom Carson (Mast-Jägermeister UK)

Meena Ysanne (Meena’s Tribute Orchestra)

Inder Phull (KRPT)

Panel 5 (Masterclass):

Title: Workshop with Mad Professor in Dub Mixing

Description: In his masterclass you can expect to learn more about the history of Mad Professor and Ariwa, Dub and Reggae in the UK as well as future changes and new technologies.

Day: Saturday, 13th October

Time: 14.00 – 15.00

Venue: The Pickle Factory

Panellist: Mad Professor

Panel 6 (Conference panel):

Title: VR, AR, MR: The Next Great Hype Or The Future Of Music & Entertainment?

Description: Immersive technology like Virtual and Augmented Reality has the power to completely reshape the music industry and redefine what live performance is. A hand picked selection of high level experts from the immersive technology space discuss some of most exciting new technologies impacting the music industry and examine how to use immersive technology to reach fans and extend creative potential.

Day: Thursday, 11th October

Time: 15.30 – 16.30

Venue: The Pickle Factory

Panellists:

Greg Ivanov (Google Daydream)

Philip Mackenzie (Reality Decks)

Shamsher Walia (Floss Creaties)

Tom Szirtes (Mbryonic / Amplify VR)

Panel 7 (Showcase):

Title: Night Light Records Showcase

Description: Sinisa Tamamovic and Mladen Tomic present

Day: Thursday, 11th October

Time: 19.00 – 04.00

Venue: UNDR Hackney (formerly The Nest)

Line-up:

Anthony Castaldo

Juliet Fox

Melody’s Enemy

Mladen Tomic

Paride Saraceni

Sinisa Tamamovic

Transcode

Vinicius Honorario

Panel 8 (Masterclass):

Title: 50:HERTZ and Make Your Transition Production Workshops

Description: 2 days filled with production masterclasses in Techno and House, presented by Paul Nolan, Mitch de Klein and a special guest!

Day: Friday, 12th October + Saturday, 13th October

Time: 10.30 – 16.30

Venue: Birthdays

Panellists:

Mitch de Klein (50:HERTZ)

Paul Nolan (Make Your Transition)

Panel 9 (Conference panel):

Title: Equality in Dance Music

Description:

Day: Friday, 12th October

Time: 15:30 – 16:30

Venue: The Pickle Factory

Panellists:

DESNA

CHILLY MOX

Georgia Girl

Sara Simonit

Panel 10 (Masterclass):

Title: Production Masterclass with: Sample Tools (Cr2 Records)

Description: Sample Tools by Cr2 is the world’s leading sample pack music production company, dedicated to providing high quality, royalty free sample libraries. The subsidiary of world-renowned dance music record label Cr2 gives you the tools and tuition you need to succeed!

Day: Saturday, 13th October

Time: 10.30 – 11.30

Venue: Oval Space

Panellist: Larry Holcombe (Sample Tools)

London Music Conference Announces Full Panels and Evening Programme The capital’s first ever specialist dance gathering, the London Music Conference, is set to take place across multiple leading venues from October 11-13th.

[xai-irie]

Throw Back Mixes - in case you missed them!

Do you need any support to go through the week? Solution!

Listen to the last recorded episode of Hackney Dub Club radio show, hosted by Peppino-I w/ guests Omowale Xaymaca Irie and MC Marc Stevenson Tibio. Two hours of roots-rock-reggae meditation selected strictly on vinyl from the East side of London. Enjoy As always, Jah bless! Hackney Dub Club - every Sunday 12-2pm on netilradio.com

[travelworldnetwork]

Dotted around London, these 13 tiny green sheds are reserved for those with ‘The Knowledge’.

By Ella Buchan

1 May 2018

“We’re a Victorian institution,” black-cab driver Henry announced proudly, tugging on his tartan cap. It was a grey mid-morning in London and I was squeezed in a small green shed behind a narrow, U-shaped table. Surrounding me were a cluster of taxi drivers who slurped on mugs of tea and shovelled in forkfuls of scrambled egg and sausage.

This diminutive shed in Russell Square is where the keepers of London’s secrets gather – the black-cab drivers whose minds are mapped with every inch of the city. It’s one of 13 cabmen’s shelters remaining in the capital, and only licensed drivers who have passed The Knowledge test – memorising every street, landmark and route in London – are allowed inside.

View image of Thirteen historical cabmen’s shelters can be found throughout London (Credit: Credit: Chris J Ratcliff/Getty Images)

The idea for the shelters came in the late 19th Century when George Armstrong, a year before he became editor of The Globe newspaper, was unable to hail a taxi during a blizzard because the drivers, who then rode horse-drawn hansom cabs, were huddled in a nearby pub. He teamed up with philanthropists, including the Earl of Shaftesbury, to find a way to keep drivers on the straight and narrow – and off the drink.

The Cabmen’s Shelter Fund was born in 1875, building the first hut in St John’s Wood. It still operates today, though many of the further 60 huts built have since been knocked down.

This is where the keepers of London’s secrets gather

Each hut was built no bigger than a horse and cart, in line with Metropolitan Police rules because they stood on public highways. They provided shelter and sustenance for hackney-carriage (black-cab) drivers, with strict rules against swearing, gaming, gambling and drinking alcohol.

Then came World War I. Drivers and their vehicles were drafted, plunging the cab trade – and the shelters – into decline. “We lost people, cars and horses,” said Gary, one of the cabbies I chatted to at Russell Square.

Unused, unloved and unprotected, the oak huts suffered rot and ruin. Some were destroyed by bombs during World War II, while many were later bulldozed in street-widening schemes.

View image of Built in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, the green huts provided shelter for the city’s hackney-carriage drivers (Credit: Credit: Edward Gooch/Getty Images)

Now just 13 remain, with 10 in operation. Each is Grade II listed, which means they are considered buildings of special interest and every effort should be made to preserve them. They are owned by the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers (WCHCD), a guild for those who earn their living through the trade. The Cabmen’s Shelter Fund is responsible for upkeep and maintenance, issuing annual licences to those who run them.

“The cab trade is very lonely,” said Colin Evans, a cabbie of 44 years and trustee of the fund. “These are places where you can go and have a tea or coffee with your mates. If drivers don’t support them, they will be lost forever.”

Gary, who often comes here for a tea and a grumble because “everyone’s in the same boat”, added: “I’ve been driving a cab for more than a few years and only recently started using the shelters. I decided, use them or lose them.”

View image of The cabmen’s shelters are no larger than a horse and cart, and only drivers are allowed in (Credit: Credit: Chris J Ratcliff/Getty Images)

Most serve breakfast (sausages, eggs, bacon), sandwiches and hot drinks, with the occasional pie or lasagne cooked by the owners at home and reheated in the skinny kitchens. Non-cabbies aren’t allowed to sit inside – unless issued with a rare invitation – but can order through a window hatch.

“We bring in more money that way,” said Jude Holmes, who runs the kitchen at Russell Square. “I can serve hundreds of people while a driver sits with one cup of tea.”

It’s like their second home

As we sat there, a relentless drizzle outside drew more cabbies through the door, each greeting the others like family members.

“My little gang comes in every day,” Holmes said. “I worry a bit if I don’t see them. It’s like their second home. Sometimes they even make their own tea.” She added that newer drivers are often too intimidated to come inside, preferring to order bacon sandwiches at the window.

“It can feel a bit cliquey at times,” Gary admitted.

View image of Card playing and gambling are prohibited inside London's cabmen's shelters (Credit: Credit: Ella Buchan)

The kettle bubbled, teaspoons clinked against china, and bacon spluttered and sizzled in a pan as talk turned to the cabbies’ biggest bugbears. Being ‘bilked’, for example, when a fare runs off without paying. Struggling to find a public lavatory when on the job is another common groan (the shelters don’t have loos).

Most drivers have other gigs, as musicians, artists, TV producers, even actors. But, they told me, once a cabbie – always a cabbie. “If you retire, you die,” Gary deadpanned.

The anecdotes poured faster than the tea. There’s the tale of ‘Fat Ray’, so huge he squeezes himself behind the wheel each morning and doesn’t budge until he gets home. “He couldn’t come in ’ere,” said Henry, sweeping his hand around the shelter. “He’d never fit through the door!”

View image of Most cabmen’s shelters serve breakfast, sandwiches and hot drinks (Credit: Credit: Chris J Ratcliff/Getty Images)

Evans took me for a spin in his cab, stopping by Temple Place shelter on Victoria Embankment, where a team was fixing damage caused by a lorry.

The shelters’ Grade II status means restoration is intricate and expensive. Refurbishment costs around £30,000, Evans estimated, and replacement materials must match the originals. Even the shade of paint – Dulux Buckingham Paradise 1 Green – is prescribed to mirror the first huts.

They represent a moment in time

Shelters have also been hit by noise restrictions in residential areas, and none currently operate at night – most open around 7:00 and close by 13:00. A hut at Chelsea Embankment has been closed for five years due to parking restrictions, and the fund is considering donating it to the London Transport Museum.

Crucially, said Evans, these tiny huts must not disappear – nor should their history be forgotten. “It’s too easy to get rid of these things. The shelters are unique. They represent a moment in time.”

View image of Jude Holmes also sells snacks to the public through the hatch of the Russell Square shelter (Credit: Credit: Ella Buchan)

It’s true there’s plenty of history packed within their walls. Evans told me that the Gloucester Road shelter was nicknamed ‘The Kremlin’ because it was frequented by left-wing drivers. The since-bulldozed Piccadilly hut was the site of Champagne-fuelled parties in the 1920s and dubbed the ‘Junior Turf Club’ – after an exclusive gentlemen’s club nearby – by (non cab-driver) aristocratic revellers who smuggled in booze.

And according to local legend, a man claiming to be Jack the Ripper once visited Westbourne Grove Shelter.

Physical signs of their history remain. Tenders attached to the bottom of the huts were where drivers tethered their horses before going inside. The animals drank from marble troughs, now gone. Each shelter still has a rooftop vent with ornate carvings – reminders of the wood-burning stoves once used for heating and cooking.

View image of In the Warwick Avenue shelter, shelves are lined with cabbies’ mugs bearing the names of their football teams (Credit: Credit: Ella Buchan)

We continued onto Warwick Avenue shelter, frequented by musicians and actors who live nearby. British mod-rocker Paul Weller, former lead singer of The Jam and The Style Council, often comes to the hatch for a sausage-and-egg sandwich, licensee Tracy Tucker told me.

Tucker, whose husband is a cabbie, has been a shelter keeper for 14 years, moving to this location from Thurloe Place in 2016. The roof was recently re-shingled at a cost of £13,000, financed by the fund.

Inside, the tiny kitchen has a stovetop sizzling with sausages and bacon, a fridge stocked with sandwich fillings and shelves heaving with cabbies’ mugs bearing the crests of their football teams. When someone’s team is relegated or loses a big match, Tucker ties a black ribbon to their mug’s handle in commiseration.

View image of Tracy Tucker, who runs the Warwick Avenue shelter, sees her regulars as family (Credit: Credit: Ella Buchan)

To her regulars, Tucker is family.

“They see me as a big sister,” she said. “If I’m sick, I have to text about 20 people to say the shelter is closed. Some of them won’t know what to do with themselves.”

If we lose this, we lose part of London history

She has her own rules: no staring at mobile phones and no moaning about Uber. “We all know it’s quiet. The trade is dying, and I have thought about what I would do if I had to get another job. I don’t think I could work anywhere else.”

“The little lives that go on in these shelters,” chuckled Evans as we pulled away. “It’s not just the buildings. It’s the characters, too. If we lose this, we lose part of the cab trade’s history and a part of London history. That would be a real shame.”

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from bbc.com/travel/columns/adventure-experience

The post What’s in London’s secret green huts? appeared first on Travel World Network.

[wewerepromisedsomuch]

Music News: Gavin Leesam to Release Debut Album - Bibliotheca

Bibliotheca, the debut album by London transplant Gavin Leesam, is the sound of its protagonist summoning all the key electronic sub-genres of recent years with the UK’s capital as its blank canvas. Pivoting on the euphoric rush of house music, the awkward bounce of garage and dubstep – Leesam forges a sound that tips its hat to what has come before but is always moving forward; Bibliotheca is no pastiche to the past. As if to document the moment the sun descends from the sky to when it finally reappears; Bibliotheca, due out 22nd June via Casseblank Records, invokes a nocturnal hue – through its layered waves of electronics, chopped up vocal samples, skittering beats and intermittent waves of expansive guitar motifs. Real Doubt opens the album with squelching electronic pulses and clipped vocal ticks with a slow dub-like feel, while Give It All embellishes this formula with an irresistible vocal hook and a bubbling 4am hedonistic club vibe. Jittering beats and elongated guitar drones populate the album’s eponymous track, found at the heart of Bibliotheca; this is where Leesam pushes the twilight nuances to the forefront of his primary offering. Towards the end of Bibliotheca, the throbbing swell of Confetti envelopes you with a hypnotic whirlpool of repetitive beats and warping sounds while Desert Fathers harnesses a melancholic euphoric surge of deep siren-like noises and a head-bobbing beat that stretches for a near 8 minutes. A homage to London’s inspiration on Leesam’s work permeates on two interlude tracks; Interlude 1 (Reborn in Hackney) and Interlude 2 (German Shepherd), the pair bound together by interspersed static, as if travelling through the urban sprawl at night as your car radio tunes in and out of the city’s pirate stations – Balearic piano loops are offset against crunching beats whilst varied sounds whizz in and out of focus. Built on the foundation of minimalism and a restrained kinetic energy, Bibliotheca is its own living organism and one that’s sound is unequivocally 2018.

Bibliotheca comes in two formats; strictly limited edition 1 of 50 baby blue cassette tape with screen printed artwork. Available digitally on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music and all good digital retail stores

Pre-order here: https://casseblankrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bibliotheca

See Gavin Leesam live at The Mothers’ Ruin, Bristol 28th July as part of a Casseblank Records show.

 Gavin Leesam Links:

https://www.instagram.com/gavinleesam

https://twitter.com/gavin_leesam

Casseblank Records Links:

https://www.facebook.com/CasseblankRecords

http://casseblankrecords.bigcartel.com/

https://soundcloud.com/casseblankrecords

https://twitter.com/casseblank

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[recentanimenews]

Funimation Announces "The Testament of Sister New Devil" English Dub Cast Along With More Summer SimulDubs

With a new season underway and fall releases coming up, Funimation is busy with the English dubs these days.  This week, they've revealed the cast of The Testament of Sister New Devil, coming to home video on Halloween, plus more of their summer SimulDub titles. 

    The Testament of Sister New Devil

Season 1 hitting Blu-ray and DVD on Halloween (10/31)

 Synopsis: When a pair of sexy girls, Maria and Mio, come to live with high school student Basara Tojo, his life changes forever. The two girls have a secret that they don’t keep for long-Maria is a succubus, and Mio is a future Demon Lord. But Basara has a secret of his own-he’s the last descendant from a clan of demon-fighting heroes. They come up with creative ways to resolve their differences.

  CHARACTER CAST Basara Toujou Chris Hackney Mio Naruse Lauren Landa Maria Naruse Kira Buckland Yuki Nonaka Xanthe Huynh Kurumi Nonaka Cindy Robinson Chisato Hasegawa Wendee Lee Zest Jeannie Howard Yahiro Takigawa/Lars Ray Chase Jin Toujou Kirk Thornton Young Basara Wendee Lee Mamoru Sakazaki Harvey Manfrenjensen Kyoichi Shiba Brian Beacock Takashi Hayase Todd Haberkorn Mio’s Mother Wendee Lee Mio’s Father Todd Haberkorn Valga George C. Cole Zolgear Kyle Hebert Leohart Kyle McCarley Shella Carrie Keranen   CREW   ADR Director Wendee Lee

  18if

New SimulDub episodes, Fridays @ 10AM ET

After going to sleep like normal, Haruto Tsukishiro wakes up to discover something unbelievable—he’s stuck in dream world! Here, witches plague the dreamscape and are more than dreamy figments—they’re the trapped souls of young women who’ve rejected reality and are afflicted by the “Sleeping Beauty Syndrome.” As he searches for a way out, Haruto will face the witches and their terrifying powers.

    CHARACTER CAST Egos Sarah Wiedenheft Haruto Ricco Fajardo Kanzaki J. Michael Tatum Lily Alexis Tipton Kayo Jeanie Tirado   CREW   ADR Director Sonny Strait ADR Engineer Brandon Peters

  Restaurant to Another World

New SimulDub episodes, Wednesdays @ 4PM ET

Step into a restaurant where the regulars are anything but normal! This little spot in the middle of the city has faithfully served Western cuisine for decades, but the humble salarymen and women who visit on the weekdays aren’t their only customers. When Saturday rolls around and a special bell rings, the restaurant opens its doors to much more unusual guests.

  CHARACTER CAST Master Christopher R Sabat Aletta Jill Harris Red Queen Stephanie Young Artorius Charlie Campbell Tatsugoro John Swasey Alphonse Jeremy Schwartz   Episode 1   Lionel Jeremy Inman Gaganpo Tyson Rinehart Balrog Cris George Grandpa Bradley Campbell     Episode 2   Sarah Caitlin Glass Heinrich J. Michael Tatum   CREW   ADR Director Alexis Tipton ADR Engineer Deryk Elkins Writer Jamie Marchi Mixing Engineer Gino Palencia

  SAIYUKI RELOAD BLAST

 New SimulDub episodes, Mondays @ 4PM ET

At last, they’ve reached the end of their long and treacherous journey! The Sanzo party finally arrives in India, a land where the anomaly’s influence runs rampant. The battles that lie ahead promise more bloodshed and danger, but Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai must rise to save the world and stop the resurrection of the Ox Demon King, Gyumaoh—no matter the cost!

    CHARACTER CAST Goku Greg Ayers Sanzo David Matranga Gojyo Ian Sinclair Hakkai Micah Solusod Tamaro Justin Briner Tamaro’s Father Kyle Phillips Rei Julie Sheilds Narrator Bruce Carey   Episode 1   Talche Monica Rial Saitaisai Aaron Roberts   Episode 2   Kougaiji Vic Mignogna Dokugakuji Josh Grelle Lady Gyokumen Morgan Garret

  Knight’s & Magic

*Premiere: 7/30! New SimulDub episodes, Sundays @ 4PM ET

Ernesti, a talented programmer and mecha fan in his previous life, is reincarnated into a fantasy world where humanoid weapons exist. Since he still has all his memories and interests from his previous life, he aims to become the pilot of one of these weapons. Together with his friends, he sets out to make it happen. It’s a mecha otaku’s dream come true!

  CHARACTER CAST Ernesti Justin Briner Adeltrud Jeannie Tirado Archid Stephen Fu Kurata Eric Vale Ernesti (Child) Alexis Tipton Batson Ryan Reynolds Selestina/Narrator Rachel Messer Stefania Tia Ballard Edgar Chris Wehkamp Dietrich Josh Grelle Helvi Morgan Garrett Mathius Aaron Roberts Lauri John Swasey   CREW   ADR Director Anthony Bowling ADR Engineer Xavier Earl Script Writer Josh Grelle Mixing Engineer Neal Malley

      A Centaur’s Life

New SimulDub episodes, Mondays @ 4PM ET

High school is a complicated time for any young centaur, but shy, sweet Himeno won’t have to clop through it alone! Surrounded by plenty of interesting classmates—satyrs, demons, angels, you name it— no matter what happens in her daily equestrian life, she’s got friends to help her through.

  CHARACTER CAST Himeno Kimihara Kristin Sutton Kyoko Naraku Steph Garrett Nozomi Gokuraku Alex Moore Manami Mitama Rachel Messer Mitsuyo Akechi Caitlin Glass Inukai Tia Ballard Chidori Hyappo Derick Snow Makoto Komori Philip Annarella Kosaku Fujimoto Dave Trosko Yutaka Nekomi Cris George Teacher Felecia Angelle   CREW   ADR Director Kyle Phillips ADR Engineer Patrick Morphy Script Writer Bonny Clinkenbeard Mixing Engineer Neal Malley

Hina Logic – from Luck & Logic

*Premiere: 7/31! New SimulDub episodes, Mondays @ 4PM ET

Princess Liones Yelistratova is trading in her crown for a school uniform at ALCA’s Logicalist training school! Moving from a small country to Hokkaido one spring day, she prepares herself for a brand-new life amongst the students in Class 1-S. Here, she’ll learn what it takes to be a Logicalist alongside unique classmates, including the talented Nina Alexandrovna!

    CHARACTER CAST Lion Brittany Lauda Nina Leah Clark Yayoi Mikaela Krantz Mahiro Maddie Morris Belle Heather Walker Kagura Kristy Sims Karen Dawn M. Bennett Karin Michelle Rojas Kozue Colleen Clinkenbeard Principal Caitlin Glass Rino Monica Rial Yuko Elizabeth Maxwell   CREW   ADR Director Tyler Walker ADR Engineer Domonique French Script Writer Niki Schults Mixing Engineer Gino Palencia

My First Girlfriend is a Gal

*Premiere date and time TBA

Junichi Hashiba is nearing the end of high school and going into panic mode. His time here has not gone as expected: he has no girlfriend and worse yet—he’s still a virgin! Desperate to experience the big ‘first,’ his friends pressure him to approach the gyaru—a fashionable and boy-crazy gal—Yukana Yame for a good time. But his first mistake was thinking this gal would be an easy one!

  CHARACTER CAST Junichi Alejandro Saab Yukana Jamie Marchi Shinpei Brad Smeaton Yui Alison Viktorin Nene Brittany Lauda Ranko Morgan Garrett Minoru Cris George Keigo Jacob Browning Ayumi Kristin Sutton Kokoro Annabel Thorne   CREW   ADR Director Dave Trosko ADR Engineer James Baker Audio Mix Adrian Cook

Gamers!

*Premiere date and time TBA! 

Keita Amano has always preferred the company of games over people, leading a rather lonely life. But at school he finds himself in the gaming club where every day is more interesting than the games they play! With beautiful club president Karen Tendou, testy Chiaki Hoshinomori, and the guy who claims to have it all together, Uehara Tasuku, things are sure to get a little chaotic!

  CHARACTER CAST Keita Amano Brandon McInnis Karen Tendou Brittney Karbowski Tasuku Uehara Clifford Chapin Aguri Tia Ballard Gakuto Kase Alejandro Saab Eichi Misumi Howard Wang Masaya Matt Shipman Mika Megan Shipman   CREW   ADR Director Kristen McGuire ADR Engineer Nicholas Hernandez Script Writer Patrick Seitz Mixing Engineer Adrian Cook

  Convenience Store Boy Friends

*Premiere date and time TBA! 

Six high school boys hang out at a local convenience store where they talk about their daily lives. Haruki Mishima and Towa Honda are first year students looking forward to the high school experience. Alongside them, there’s Nasa Sanagi, the only member of the cooking research club. Natsu Asumi is a loner but has third year students, Mikado Nakajima and Masamune Sakurakoji, looking out for him.

    CHARACTER CAST Haruki Justin Briner Miharu Sarah Wiedenheft Towa Ricco Fajardo Mami Felecia Angelle Masamune David Wald Mikado Dave Trosko Kokono Tia Ballard Akira Alison Viktorin Sakamoto Ian Sinclair Miki Sonny Strait Handicraft Club Girl Laura Woodhull   CREW   ADR Director Jad Saxton ADR Engineer Austin Sisk Script Writer Rachel Robinson Mixing Engineer Gino Palencia

------- Scott Green is editor and reporter for anime and manga at geek entertainment site Ain't It Cool News. Follow him on Twitter at @aicnanime.

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com