Welcome new ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP member Woking, Surrey-based band, Phoenix Chroi.
Phoenix Chroi are an original/covers band looking for paid gigs. Forming from the ashes of covers band Jezebel No More, the band comprises experienced musicians and writers, who have their own in-house recording and production set-up.
Welcome new ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP member Tim Jackson AKA the Funky Monki. Tim is based in Chelmsford in Essex and plays bass and sings backing vocals.
He is a professional musician who is available for session work, and is always looking for paid gigs. He can play in a multitude of styles, but his favourite is a hard groove. He has been a proud endorsee of Warwick basses for the last 12 years, as well as, an endorsee of Trace Elliot, Peavey and Rotosound.
He has toured Europe and North America and has driven a 1979 New York police car from Chelsea to Monte Carlo and back in three days on the Cannonball Run!
When he finally drops, which obviously won't be for a very long time, he wants Sir Psycho Sexy by the Red Hot Chili Peppers played at his funeral. Good choice!
FOR (Foundations of Rock) are a four-piece rock covers band that pay homage to the 60s and 70s and all rock and pop classics. Formed in 2007 they now play all over England in both full rock band mode and at more intimate venues, as an acoustic/electric duo. Their songs are drawn from the repertoires of timeless artists including Alice Cooper, T.Rex, Pink Floyd, Gary Moore and The Rolling Stones.
Visit their website for details of their upcoming shows and listen to some of their music.
Wednesday 28 December 2011
RIP RTYD Jim 'Motorhead' Sherwood - member of Frank Zappa's original Mothers of Invention: http://bit.ly/vPtQ6o
From the remnants of one of the great glam rock tribute bands, GLAM, comes 3:40 playing songs from the post-classic rock era by acts such as Nirvana, Green Day, Guns & Roses, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi.
3:40 features the vocal and musical talents of Trey Patterson (pictured above), the unrivaled guitar prowess of The Dude and the incredible percussion skills of Dr T.
For an evening to lose your voice by, watch this space for gig details.
Steve White & The Protest Family performing 'Santa Is English' at the 'Punk 4 The Homeless' gig at 'The Bell', Walthamstow on Saturday 10th December 2011.
Check out singer/songwriter and RTYD member Mark Handley's music video for his song I'm Father Christmas, filmed while Mark was busking in Peascod Street in Windsor, Berkshire earlier this month.
The last gig of the year sees THE LONE GROOVER (that's me!) returning to my spiritual home, The Windmill, 22 Blenheim Gardens, Brixton SW2 on Thursday 22nd December. It's gonna' be a blast so come and have an end of year shandy.......
1) It's Xmas!
2) It's the anniversary of Joe's death so expect a Strummer tribute or two.
3) I'm taking along DJ's TOLLY & SUPERBREAKER for some moral and spiritual guidance in the form of vinyl 45's from the vaults (punk/ska/northern/indie).
4) I'll be unveiling my latest weapon in my ongoing 'war on rubbish'....all will be revealed!......
Oh! and it's FREE!!!
On stage 9.15pm.
Also appearing, Senor Al & the JJ's Peace 'n' Luv 'n' Haight, TLG
"Not a soul cares what your class is, or what your race is, or what your income, or if you're a boy, or girl, or bent, or versatile, or what you are - so long as you dig the scene" - Colin Maccines
I have been a fan of the Cockney Rejects since I was 14. I have my older cousin to thank for including them on a series of a dozen or so compilation cassettes he lovingly made for me from about 1980 of some of the best of his British punk collection, which included a fair amount of street punk and Oi!
Along with Sham 69, the Cockney Rejects were one of my favourite of that second wave of punk bands. I was too young to be allowed to travel to London to see them play live, and by the time I was old enough, I had moved on to listening to and going to see more contemporary early-to-mid-80s bands that were less punk and more electronic. But I have never lost my passion for punk rock, and still listen to the first two Rejects albums regularly - albeit not quite as loudly as I once did.
Thankfully, over the years I have got to see many of the bands that I missed the first time around; I saw the Damned for the second time last month playing their 35th anniversary show at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, and it blew me away just how good they were - just as Stiff Little Fingers, the Stranglers, and others have. I'm sure the Rejects will leave me feeling the same.
I remember driving around Godalming, where I grew up, with my cousin playing Police Car by the Rejects at full volume on his car stereo. I though it was so cool. I was a rubbish punk, though, I wasn't angry, scary or hard - I spiked up my hair, wore the drainpipes turned up, and the DMs, but I was far too sensitive to be a convincing street punk. But it didn't stop me loving the music, and if it wasn't for punk, maybe I would never have started writing songs and playing guitar.
Since setting up ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP I have got to meet a couple of my teen punk idols: TV Smith and Gaye Advert (I was even invited by Gaye to the private view of her art show Punk and Beyond, recently); Captain Sensible has tweeted about RTYD, and the Cockney Rejects are following me on Twitter. It might not seem like much to you, but it means a lot to me.
So say 'hello' if you're going to Koko in Camden on 26th April next year for the preview of East End Babylon, the punk-rocumentary based on singer Jeff 'Stinky' Turner’s biography 'Cockney Reject'. The film promises to tell the real story of the band, and give a true picture of the East End of London in the late 1970s; and what's more, it is followed by a performance by the Cockney Rejects themselves.
ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP member Robin Clark's band Wayward Souls performing an Allman Brothers classic 'Good Clean Fun' at the Duke of Edinburgh, Barming, Kent on 10 December 2011.
Haven't you had it with Slade and Wizzard, Band Aid and East 17? If you have, this one's for you - an excellent brand new Christmas song by South London band, the Krypts, entitled 'Having a Good Time (Drinking with Santa Claus)'.
You will love it; Your children will love it; Your parents will love it, their parents will, too - if they are still alive. In fact, I'm pretty sure you don't need to be alive to enjoy it - it's just more difficult to dance to when you're dead. My whole family is already enjoying it. The in-laws love it, too, and they're yanks!
It is available to download on iTunes now, so please show your support for older musicians and live music made at a local level that deserves wider recognition, by buying it.
Merry Christmas, Toby
Saturday 10 December 2011
Drummer (and multi-intrumentalist) Available: London/Surrey: Seeks band into blues/shuffle sixties soul/jazz or MOR: http://bit.ly/dOde2w
Guitarist Available London/Essex/Kent: 54yo, more Harrison/Gilmour than Satriani/Vai: http://bit.ly/dOde2w
Saturday, 10th December: Steve White & The Protest Family + Müg + Lily Gaskell + Eagle Spits + Oceans Ink + DJs The Nasty Twins at Punk 4 The Homeless @ The Bell, 617 Forest Road, E17 4NE. 7pm. Free! Donations for Casa Alianza encouraged.
Punk 4 The Homeless comes to Walthamstow for Christmas. Punk and punk-inspired music, warmth, jollity, tidings of comfort and joy etc. We'll be on last, at 10pm or so, then it's a punk disco from the ever-so-lovely Nasty Twins. Please come.
This will probably be the last gig at The Bell before they try yet another doomed revamp, turning it into a pub theme park (or whatever)
We've also got lots of gigs already lined up for early 2012, including a tour of Waltham Forest in February - and we're doing a festival in Dorset(!) in July.
In case you missed the first box set of TMC, or you just want to add to your collection, a re-mastered box set has just been released. It has beautiful packaging design by Vaughn Oliver. There’s a feature article in the January edition of MOJO magazine.
Release of “Angel” by Waves on Canvas, Psychonavigation Records, Dublin
I have collaborated with a wonderful musician and artist in Italy and this is the result! Stefano Guzzetti contacted me as a TMC fan and I loved his own music and website (see www.stefanoguzzetti.com), so we did an artistic exchange: I sang on this track and he made the video for “Mimi” – perfect! I hope to work more with Stefano in the future so watch this space! The release has 4AD connections, with the artwork being done by Vaughan Oliver and a remix by John Fryer. It wasn’t intentional, but just happened that way, which is nice. I hope you like it.
This is progressing well and Irvin and me have been busy writing new material which we’re delighted with. I’ll be launching a Pledge Music campaign soon, so will keep you posted on that. This will be to raise the funds we need to put towards recording, manufacturing, and promotion. You can read more about Pledge at: www.pledgemusic.com.
As ever, a big thank you to those of you who keep in touch and are endlessly patient on the emergence of this record!
Milk Roar, The Julias and Bentcousin play The Montague Arms in Peckham this Saturday 10th December. Pop down if you are free - it'll be a no-Xmas-hat zone!
Thursday 1 December 2011
London-based OD101 is looking for musicians to join. Blues, rock, indie. Follow link to website and music: http://bit.ly/tHWd5Q
