Original Rude Boy by Neville Staple

Well, after going to see The Specials last week, I finally decided to read this book that I bought around Christmas.  Unfortunately, Neville did not play with The Specials on this tour.  I really would have liked to have seen him perform.

As for the book, at 320+ pages, it was still a very quick read.  Neville with the help of Tony McMahon tell some interesting stories.

The beginning of the book talks about his move from Jamaica to England when he was 5 along with his brother and two sisters to go live with his Father and step mother.  He tells stories about his father ruling with an iron fist, and kicking the shit out him and his brother almost every day.  Needless to say, he left the house in his late teens and never looked back.

From there, it was on to a life of petty crime, fights against skinheads, staying out late listening and dancing to reggae, and spending time with the ladies.  If I recall correctly, he has 8 children from at least 5 different women.

After getting a start as what we would call a DJ, he somehow happened to be at the right place at the right time, and ended up as a roadie in one of the early versions of The Specials.  Then one night, he decided the crowd was not getting into the band and he jumped on stage grabbed the mic and started "toasting".  From that night forward, he became a member of the band.

The book goes on to discuss stories of his travels with the band, the band's breakup, his formation of Fun Boy Three with Terry Hall and Lynval Golding, his forray into Asian pop music as a writer and manager, a rebirth or two of The Specials, stories of his kids, etc.

Each chapter starts and ends with some black and white pictures from his own collection and those of some of his "rude boys".  The end of the book includes a discography too.

This was a great read, and I am glad that I finally decided to read through it.  It was the 2 Tone version of the autobiography written by Stinky Turner from the Cockney Rejects - music, booze, fighting, and women.

If you like The Specials, you will enjoy the stories told in this book.  Go get yourself a copy.

The Specials - The Vic Theater, Chicago, IL - 2013-03-11

This past Monday, I was able to chalk another band off of my bucket list when I went to see The Specials play. They played for about 80-90 minutes to a sold out crowd and played every hit. I even enjoyed the slower tunes. Just when I thought they were out of great tunes, they played more great tunes. The band was on fire and very excited - Lynval on guitar, Roddy on guitar, Horace on bass, Bradbury on drums. The keyboard player made Monty from The Damned looked like a rookie. His skills and stage persona where incredible. Terry Hall was on vox and was spot on even though he lacked any emotion which is very common for him from what I have read. They were on fire for Nite Klub and Little Bitch. Near the end of Nite Klub, the crowd sang a few verses on their own, and the band looked surprised and kind of awestruck that an American audience knew the lyrics so well. They then performed the rest of the song. I was not crazy about 11-14 prior to the show, but enjoyed the performance of those songs. The only song that I wished they would have played but did not was "Stupid Marriage." But, they did get 12 others songs that I really wanted to hear so I can't complain. For guys in their late 50's and early 60's (less Terry Hall) they had a ton of energy running around the stage and jumping up and down most of the night.

I must say the sound at the Vic was incredible compared to other venues in Chicago. I wonder why other big name bands never play there. I had high expectations for this show, and they exceeded them. I would go to see them again in a heartbeat. If they are coming to your area, do yourself a favor and go.

Here is thet set list from the evening.
1. Do The Dog - The Specials LP  http://youtu.be/YvstgzoWVAA
2. (Dawning of A) New Era - The Specials LP
3. Gangsters (Prince Buster cover) - Single
4. It's Up to You - The Specials LP
5. Monkey Man (The Maytals cover) - The Specials LP
6. Rat Race - Single
7. Blank Expression  - The Specials LP
8. Hey Little Rich Girl - More Specials LP
9. Doesn't Make It Alright - The Specials LP
10. Concrete Jungle - The Specials LP
11. Friday Night, Saturday Morning - Single
12. Stereotype - More Specials LP
13. Man At C&A - More Specials LP
14. Do Nothing - More Specials LP
15. A Message To You Rudy (Dandy Livingstone cover) - The Specials LP
16. Nite Klub - The Specials LP
17. Little Bitch - The Specials LP
18. Too Much Too Young - The Specials LP
19. Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think) - More Specials LP

Encore:
20. Ghost Town - Single

Encore 2:
21. Guns of Navarone (The Skatalites cover) - Single
22. You're Wondering Now (The Skatalites cover) - The Specials LP

The Damned CDs

The Damned CDs, a photo by lewdd_33 on Flickr.

It has been a while since my last post. Since The Damned are going to be touring the USA in a few months, here is a pic of my CD collection by them.

2012 Punk Rock Christmas



It has been a few years since I put together a Punk Rock Christmas compilation CD.  Some tracks may be considered pop punk, but others are down right raunchy.  Enjoy your holiday season.  If you want a link to the download, please contact me.

 

01 Chevy Chase - Merry Christmas
02 Dropkick Murphys - The Season's Upon Us
03 88 Fingers Louie - All I Want for Christmas
04 MXPX - Christmas Day
05 Mr Irish Bastard - Christmas in Hell
06 Yobs - Christmas in Jail
07 Vandals - C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S
08 New Found Glory - Ex Miss
09 Bloodsausage - Fuck Christmas, Fuck Santa, Fuck You
10 Bad Religion - Fuck Christmas
11 Blink 182 - Happy Holidays, You Bastard
12 Vice Squad - I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
13 Blink 182 - I Won't Be Home for Christmas
14 Huntingtons - It's Always Christmas at My House
15 Nerf Herder - I've Got a Boner for Christmas
16 Rise Against - Making Christmas
17 Ramones - Merry Christmas
18 Mr T Experience - Merry Fucking Christmas
19 Simple Plan - My Christmas List
20 Pork Dukes - My Mother Gave Me a Gun for Christmas
21 Prozacs - No Christmas This Year
22 Vandals - Oi To The World!
23 Impact - Punk Christmas
24 Barbecuties - Rock n Roll Christmas Party
25 Angry Snowmans - Rudolph's Got a Problem
26 Angry Snowmans - Somebody's Gonna Get Their Halls Decked in Tonight
27 Vandals - Thanx for Nothing
28 Gonads - The Greatest Cockney Christmas
29 Mighty Mighty Bosstones - This Time of Year
30 Jingle Punx - Up on the House Top
31 Angry Snowmans - Wasted Elf

http://71.239.85.100:5000/fbsharing/LLL9BusS

2012 Rebellion Xmas Bash

 

 

 

The UK's Rebellion Festival is holding the 2012 Rebellion Xmas Bash today in Birmingham, UK.  I've put together a CD compilation with tracks from some of the bands playing the festival.  Drop me a line if you want a link to download a copy.

 

01 Exploited - Army Life
02 Peter & the Test Tube Babies - Banned from the Pubs
03 Vice Squad - Cheap
04 UK Subs - Emotional Blackmail
05 Section 5 - Every Saturday
06 Vice Squad - Fistful of Dollars
07 Booze & Glory - Hooligan
08 Anti Nowhere League - I Hate People
09 Pork Dukes - Big Tits
10 Infa Riot - In for a Riot
11 Cock Sparrer - Last Orders
12 Terraces - Let's Go
13 Downtown Struts - Lost in America
14 Pork Dukes - Melody Makers
15 Anti Nowhere League - Noddy
16 Street Dogs - Not Without a Purpose
17 Exploited - Punks Not Dea
18 Goldblade - Riot Riot
19 Gimp Fist - Skinhead Not Bonehead
20 Dirt Box Disco - Smackhead
21 Peter & the Test Tube Babies - Still Love the Pub
22 Infa Riot - Still Out of Order
23 Booze & Glory - Swinging Hammers
24 Cock Sparrer - Take 'em All
25 Rancid - Tattoo
26 Dirt Box Disco - The Other Side of the Street
27 Rancid - Time Bomb
28 UK Subs - UK Subversives
29 Gimp Fist - Walk Away
30 Drongos for Europe - Who the Fuck Are You



Dropkick Murphys 2013 St Pat's Tickets

 

 

I bought our tickets to go see the Dropkick Murphys for 2013 St Pat's weekend in Boston.  We are going to the 3/15 and the 3/17 shows.  We are going to meet the band and hang out at McGreevy's before the show.

 

 

http://www.cidentertainment.com/home/dropkickmurphys.php

Sex Pistols: 90 Days at EMI

Sex Pistols: 90 Days at EMI by Brian Southall

A few weeks ago, I ordered the 35th Anniversary Box Set of the Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks from Amazon.  Unfortunately, they did not get it in for the release date so I cancelled my order.  Fortunately, I was able to order it from Amazon UK.  While placing my order, I also found this book and ordered it.

At about 150 pages, the book is still a really quick read.  It is the story of the days of the first label of the Sex Pistols as written by the former head of the press department at EMI Records during this timeframe of Fall 1976.

The book starts out with stories of the live shows of the Sex Pistols and the name they are making for themselves in the music underground.  Lots of labels are trying to sign them.  They finally sign a 2 year deal for 40,000 pounds to record 2 albums.

After releasing their first single on November 26, 1976, "Anarchy in the UK"/"I Wanna Be Me",  they are ready to set out on the Anarchy tour with The Damned, The Clash,  and Johnny Thunder and the Heartbreakers.  This was the Chris Thomas recorded version of the song.

Prior to the start of the tour they make an appearance on the Today Show on December 1, 1976 almost again their wishes and that of the host Bill Grundy.  At the end of the show while hitting on Siouxsie Sue (who went on to front Siouxsie and the Banshees), Grundy coaxes Johnny Rotten and Steve Jones to say "fuck" on live TV.  Remember this was 1976 and a family oriented TV program.  It would have been like John Boy on the Waltons saying "fuck".

The Anarchy tour implodes as venues refuse to let the band play.  Radio stations refuse to play the single.  Stores refuse to sell it.  Pressing plants refuse to make it.  Mounting pressures from EMI's board of directors concerned with their loss of business to their military and medical equipment core businesses, the band is sacked from the label on January 6, 1977.

There are a few final pages of the book that discuss what happened to the Sex Pistols and the players at EMI originally responsible for signing them that are interesting.  Overall, I am glad I made this purchase, and learn somethings about the band that I was previously unaware of.