As I entered the Stylus Bar, Cas Haley was singing a Police song, solo with his guitar. He looks like he belongs in Bowling for Soup but has a sweet sweet voice. Hes then joined by various members of The Easy Star All-Stars (including the Sax player who has an uncanny resemblance to Big Brothers Preston). A great set which finished with a version of Peter Toshs Legalise it.

2 years ago I saw the Easy Star All-Stars and they were amazingly good. If you dont have their Dub side of the moon Id urge you to get it. The Floyd classic reimaging as a dub reggae album pure class! The woman who sang great gig in the sky note perfect was AMAZING and sadly not in residence tonight.

Then came Radiodread Reggae versions of Radiohead songs. Good, but not in the same league. Then at last years Glasto they did a whole set comprising of Sgt Peppers lonely hearts dub band.I wasnt that impressed.

Tonight.well.there were flashes of genius but I was, Im sad to say a bit disappointed. The new original stuff I liked. The bits of dub side of the moon still sparkle live – but the Sgt Pepper stuff was just..awful. I quite liked Shes leaving home but thats only cos that song has vivid memories for me. I remember hearing it as a kid and asking my mum (who married a man from the motor trade by the way) how can someone be living alone when they live at home? She just looked at me, gave me a half smile and said Youll understand one day.

The other highlight was when Cas joined them for one song. My tip ask him to join the band and drop the Sgt Pepper stuff.

Bob the chiropodist

We all agree that the Brudenell is a great place to see a gig. It’s also a great place to bump into nice people. Take tonight –  we sit next to a guy with a “No, I’m not Johnny Ramone” T-shirt and his misses. We exchange disbelieving looks as a photographer lies on his back in front of the stage, trying to get a new angle on The Pablos (as they do a not bad job). “There’s no need for that” says I “I’m a photographer and I’ve never done that……and he’s using the wrong lens!” and before we know it, Roger and Melody become friends. “That’s how you should take a pic” she said, pointing at a girl with a V. short shirt on with a fab mob of blonde hair,
nonchalantly snapping at the side of the stage. Melody once toured with the Buzzcocks as their photographer “You don’t see much daylight when you do that kind of job”

Next up were a 3 piece featuring the aforementioned blonde mop-top, who produced this great sonic noise, that I loved – then up jumped a guy from the audience, grabs the mike and starts howling – It’s Russell and the Wolves! I have a single of theirs that I literally picked up at the Rent Boys gig (picked up as in it was on the floor) – ‘All Eights’. It has a real Cramps feel to it and it wasn’t long before Lux’s influence was seen in the front mans antics the best of which was when he crawled off stage, crawled on his hands and knees, microphone in mouth, through the crowd and then sang from the back of the room, stood on a chair.

The Jim Jones Review took the stage and gave a rocking good set. These guys have it all. A drummer wild as animal from the muppets, a keyboard player who’d give Jerry Lee Lewis a run for his money, Bass and Guitar players who look like they’ve stepped off the Clashs ‘London Calling’ inner sleeve and a shamelessly charismatic lead singer who’s not afraid to get the crowd to shout ‘YEAH!’ (as if I needed any encouragement) or get us clapping along.

Imagine Little Richard as played by the Stooges trying to be the Clash – Awesome! These guys throw the right shapes and make a beautiful racket. A loud and sweaty, lovely night. Roger and Melody had come all the way from Holmfirth – hope to see them there in November for the Wilco Johnson gig!

P.S. I’d bought the JJR tickets ages ago (I had ticket Number 15 actually) and had also bought Lee Scratch Perry tickets some time ago and was gutted to find out they were on the same night – bugger! So, after JJR finished we rushed to the Uni to see if we could catch the end of Perrys set. As we got there, the crowd were flooding out – bugger! Chatted to some people coming out “Was he good?” “Yeah, he had a full band this time” bugger! ” Did he do Curly Locks?” “Yeah he did!” BUGGER!

It’s been two years since the last Newcon and the gang reconvened at the wonderful ‘Fishmarket’ arts centre to talk Science Fiction, watch classic TV, listen to live music and drink real ale. Paul Cornell was one of the guests of honour hes now working a 2 year contract with DC writing 2 comics a month – a Lex Luthor one for Action Comics and a very British one – Knight & Squire – out very soon……….

The other guest of honour was Pat Cadigan (originally from Kansas now living in London) who was a delight. Shes won 2 Arthur C Clarke awards and her comments throughout the week end were funny and insightful. Do yourself a favour allow yourself to do a bad first draft. Youve got something you can improve on then.

There were panel discussions throughout the week end. On one about SF in other media it was decided that SF was everywhere now Weve won said one panal member (tongue in cheek?). Whereas there used to be a cannon of work that was considered to be SF that you could watch/read now theres just too much of it to even consider that. One discussion which was taped for a Wordpunk Podcast turned to ebooks & Pat showed us all the technology she used a moleskin book!

Another discussion was on Artificial Intelligence and featuring Ian Watson who helped write the screenplay for the movie AI for Stanley Kubrick. It was eventually made by Steven Spielberg and needless to say, the final film was nothing like the original script.

Kevin Burke (Northamptons official Town Jester) was the MC again and did a very good job of cutting a Christina in half, and removing his assistants head.

Newcon Press, run by Ian Whates, were launching their latest collection of stories from the Northampton SF writers group. Northamptons most famous resident Alan Moore has written the forward for it and he was in attendance with the rest of the writers (one of whom is my big brother Ste) for a mass book signing.

Ste and I agreed that Pat would be an ideal dinner party guest to which she answered So why dont you invite me! before posing for a piccie with me and Mr Moore, who’s now a grandad – just imagine having him as your grandad – Fantastic!

There was live music from 2 sets of musicians one being a duo featuring Andy West (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Johnny Lydon) playing a variety of recorders and whistles. There was a lot of thought and research that had gone into these pieces and Andy has promised to write a piece about it watch this space.

The beer flowed into the early hours with long conversations about tattoos, favourite films, corpsing stand ups and Dalek impersonations that were unerringly accurate from Paul (another one of the writers). We even got to see an Avengers episode in the small cinema set up The house that Jack built.

Day 2 was more of the same I got Ian Watson to sign a couple of books just as it was 10.10am on 10/10/10 And I bet you paid 10p for it!.

One of the invited guests Paul McAuley couldnt make it so in the slot where he was due to interview Mr McAuley, Ian instead decided to Channel Mr McAuley and answered his questions for him. Whats the difference between Botony and Geology Well one is hard and the other is soft.except when there is a volcano Fellow author/contributor Roberto is a Surrealist who was most at home during this session. Can you explain Surrealism? Well said Roberto with a glint in his expressively Italian eyes If you imagine a sphere and in the middle there is what something is its true self which is Banal. Then on the outside there is what it is not which is the Ridiculous. Well Surrealism is the interface between the 2

The week-end finished with an SF version of Im sorry I havent a clue and a raffle in which I won a signed copy of Paul Cornells Marvel collection Dark Xmen. Each character gets a song in the introduction a Bowie song each in one issue, Kate Bush in another..I was going to give it to Matty, but after reading it on the train home the bit where the Beast cuts out a psychics brain to hook it up to a video screen (It smells like a butchers shop in here) – well I think hell have to wait a bit longer before it comes off the top shelf.

Bob the Chiropodist

Is Facebook a guilty pleasure? Im a daily (ab)user but only have one person on my list who Ive never actually met. My very good friend Darlene insisted that I put Hughsie H on my list He lives in Leeds and hes the drummer in a band and youd love him cos I do you cant argue with that.

Turns out hes the drummer in the Rent Boys and when I saw a post from him that they were playing in Leeds, I thought Ill have to go and check them out. It was the same night as The Vaselines but Hughsie H assured me they wouldnt be on until after 11. So, after one of the best nights out in a long time (The Vaselines and Haight-Ashbury were awesome!) I dutifully got myself along to Santiagos in town.

I got there about half eleven and as I entered there was a rather unusual act on – looked like someones mum/aunty, singing along to a 77 Iggy Pop soundtrackcouldve been interesting..but after what Id just seen at the Brudenell.. I asked the very competent DJ (anyone who plays Jonathan Richman is alright by me) if Id missed them No, they should be on in half an hour.

Ive not been upstairs at Santiagos in a long time but assume that the soft furnishings, the underwear dotted about, the soft toy filed sofa, were all the doing of the band (they had a rather cool furry backdrop). I didnt recognise Hughsie in the frightfully young and well-dressed crowd until the band squeezed past the crowd to get on stage. Hughsie was wearing a spangly silver jump-suit and tiara and the whole band looked very RocknRoll!

As for the music Think The Stooges – Raw Power tinged with a psychedelic undertone. The lead singer didnt do it for me unfortunately but then I guess Im not their target audience. Still, I look forward to hearing the single when it finaaly arrives on my doorstep. My ears were complaining of too much noise after a few numbers so I had to leave still without meeting Hughsie. Next time!

Bob the chiropodist

Im a new comer to The Vaselines. BBC 6Music is the soundtrack to our kitchen these days and I heard the track Sex with an X on there a while ago, instantly thinking I like this! Found out who it was, saw that they were playing the Brudenell so got a couple of tickets. Mark joined me and how glad we were that we made the effort2 fabulous Scotish bands – one old but sound brand new and one new who sound comfortingly old.

First up was the wonderful Haight-Ashbury a Scots 3 piece named after the epicentre of the 60s hippie movement. The two girls looked the part with flowing hippie dresses – one in black and one in white. They were stunningly good, with a guitarist who could play anything and 2 piece harmonies to die for. All their songs had that instant recognition that classic songs have. Familiar, in a good way. Our only complaint was that there were no CDs of theirs on sale a schoolboy error.

The Vaselines (who are Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee) were a hoot from start to finish, with lots of good-natured (often sexual) banter between songs. For an ex couple who split the band when they split as a couple many moons ago, there was no detectable edge (and I guess if you call your LP ‘Sex with an X’ you’re over all that). If you buy a CD at the end says the elfin-like Frances youll get a blow job.from Eugene Theyre supposed to give me one! Nah, you dont wanna go there!

Id picked up a 2^nd hand CD of their early stuff whilst in Brid recently so was familiar with their back catalogue. The old and the new blended seamlessly. Theyd had members of Belle and Sebastian playing with them until recently They got a better offer to go back but the new guys sounded great also from Scottish rock royalty I believe.

It turns out that they were one of Curt Cobains favourite bands Nirvana covered Jesus doesnt want me as a sunbeam which was greeted with a bit of pogoing. Their cover of Divines ‘You think you’re a man but you’re only a boy’ brought the evening to a close. I would go a long way see both of these bands again.

Bob the Chiropodist.