Introducing A sLICE of COOPER

Coming together in January this year in East Riding of Yorkshire, A sLICE of COOPER were formed by a group of musicians in awe of the one born Vincent Damon Furnier, who as we all know grew up - although not that much -  to become the prince of goth rock, and is now the grandfather of it, Alice Cooper.

As well as presenting a classic show to the right venue, A sLICE of COOPER are also working on special event fan-shows that will appeal to the hardcore Alice fan as well. Concepts such as 'Welcome Through My Nightmares' or the never toured 'Last Temptation' are already in development.

I must say I have seen Alice himself performing live on a couple of occasions - both in the 80s - and I have a seen a good tribute to him who shall remain nameless. So I will be really keen to check these guys out. Watch this space for gig details.

Right now they are collecting 'Likes' on Facebook. I hate that whole business - but maybe that's 'cos I can't seem to get above about 580 and I'm jealous that they've already got over 100 in a fortnight!

London Punk Festival: Tickets and Details

All my old faves - well, some of 'em: Anti-Pasti, TV Smith, Peter and the Test Tube Babies. See you there :)

Details:

The 1st London Punk Festival is being held at 229 the venue in Great Portland Street, Central London on Friday 28th, Saturday 29th & Sunday 30th September 2012.

There will be 30 bands playing in two rooms over the three days with a mouth-watering line up of exclusive shows and classic acts with some up and coming new artists thrown into the mix for good measure.

The confirmed line up so far includes the following: RUTS DC ANTI PASTI GLEN MATLOCK & THE PHILISTINES THE BUSINESS INFA RIOT DISCHARGE PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES MENACE VICE SQUAD ED TUDORPOLE DEPARTMENT S CASE ABRASIVE WHEELS TV SMITH ( THE ADVERTS ) WARRIORS THE PRICE & many more to be announced.

Weekend tickets will be exchanged for a wristband upon arrival at the venue. Opening times are as follows: Friday 28 ( 6pm - 1am ), Saturday 29 ( 6pm - 1am ), Sunday 30 ( 6pm - Midnight ).

The show must go on: Itchycoo Park (Indoor) Festival, Surrey

The outdoor festival may have been cancelled this year due to the recent spell of bad weather (as I write it is 20C at 9pm here in norf London - sod's law, eh!), but some sort of show must go on - and a very good tribute to the legendary Small Faces it will be, albeit indoors at The Clubhouse, Hurtwood Park, Horsham Lane, Ewhurst Green, Surrey, on Saturday 2nd June from 5pm.

See the ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP-GIG-CALENDAR for more details.

Video: 'I Phone Therefore I Am' by Freddy Clarke

Freddy Clarke describes himself on Twitter as a 'singer/guitarist/songwriter/producer/people collector'. A good friend of mine in California has crossed paths with Freddy at a couple of recent social events, and says he's a sweet guy and a great guitar player.

This is what Freddy himself has to say about his song 'I Phone Therefore I Am', which of course you can buy on iTunes:

'This song was inspired after a conversation with some close friends about the need to write a song about something topical. The idea was to write something that is in the current wave of headlines like" the Japan tsunami" but of course not that specifically. We didn't have any ideas until I blurted out "Hey, I just bought a new Android today!" And that led to all of us thinking along the lines of a song about the new smart phone. I came up with the line "dumb shit with a new smart phone" the day I bought the phone. Then Nancy Nunziati helped me with some very important lines in the song like: "how's my battery life?" and "can you hear me now?" The phrase I Phone Therefore I Am is taken from Rene Descartes famous line "I think therefore I am" regarding thought as a precursor of being. The guitar part is a variation on a very famous tune that even the Doors plagiarized called "Asturias" Asturias (or Leyenda) was written around the turn of the century by Issac Albeniz'.

(Anything that the Doors would plagiarise is cool with me!)

And finally, here are the credits:

Song Performed by Freddy Clarke
Song Written by Freddy Clarke and Nancy Nunziati
Director - Jock McDonald Producer - Nancy Nunziati
Editor - Chris Miloslavich - Milomix Post, S.F.
Special Effects - John Crossley
First Camera - Wes Dorman
Second Camera - Jonathan Angelini

The Grapefruits celebrate our 'special relationship' on 4th July at The Comedy

Video: 'Waste of Space' by Mark Handley (solo & acoustic)

Singer/Songwriter and RTYD member Mark Handley performs his song "Waste of Space" at a workshop for the East Berkshire Film Group". Edited and effects by Terry Payman.
 www.markhandley.co.uk 

Photo: The Outbursts last night at Camden Calling, the George Tavern, London E1

Photo: The 4th Suit last night at Camden Calling, The George Tavern, London, E1

Video: Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate performing Led Zep's Whole Lotta Love

This is Malcolm and Ibon from Hats Off Gentlemen It's Adequate playing an acoustic cover of Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta Love, live at The Ballyhoo in London, earlier this month. Enjoy!

3 by Version 4 feat. RTYD member John Rigby

Have a listen to three great new tracks on the ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP MP3 Jukebox by Version 4 featuring RTYD member John Rigby. 

If you are a RTYD member and you would like your music to appear on the RTYD jukebox, please send your MP3s and cover art to me at toby(at)rock-til-you-drop.com, or for more options see this post. 

Find more music like this on ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP

Introducing London's Mingus Elastic Band

A ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP-WELCOME to London's Mingus Elastic Band. Can't find a helluva lot about them on the internet, or on their ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP profile page, but listening to them on DeadSpace they sound like are a very good acoustic blues/country band, that is led by vocalist/guitarist and songwriter, Tony Mingus. They play regularly around London, and the rest of the band lines up as follows: Dian - Vocals / Percussion. Mitch - Mandolin / Fiddle / Banjo / Guitar. Nick - Sax / Vocals. Wayne - Bass / Vocals. Rob - Guitar. Tom - Drums / Percussion.

Looking forward to hearing more about them on RTYD!

The Outcasts are coming!

As a schoolboy, my older cousin Richard fed me compilation cassettes that he had lovingly made to help me on my journey of discovery into punk music. There were about twelve or thirteen of volumes of them, which are sadly no longer in existence because - not realising their future nostalgic value - during the early-80s I must have taped over them. What was I thinking?! I do however remember that track one of Volume One was a song called Justa Nother Teenage Rebel by The Outcasts. 

I had already heard punk that had appeared in the charts - Sham 69, The Ruts, The Stranglers etc - but  Justa Nother Teenage Rebel was the gateway song that led me into the more obscure realms of the genre, to the likes of Crisis and The Last Words. It also led me to explore the whole Northern Ireland punk scene around the Terry Hooley's Good Vibrations record label and the legendary Harp Bar in Belfast, and to watch the documentary films that John T Davis directed about the scene, including Shellshock Rock, which is a must-see for any old school punk fans. 

So I was thrilled when I heard that The Outcasts were reforming, and even more thrilled to hear they are coming to London in June. 

See you there.

Next time: More nostalgia, this time about Derby punk band Anti-Pasti, who will be reforming and playing the first London Punk Festival in September. 

'Fleeting Moment', the new single from Glamweazel

Glamweazel new LP coming soon

Send me your music!

I would really like to help promote more of your music releases and recordings. 

If you are interested in me doing this, please do one of the following, and if you are on Spotify please send me the link to your music/playlist, too:

• Send a CD to: Toby Burton, Stapleford, 25a Eccleston Street, London, SW1W 9NP
• Email me your MP3s (and if you have it, artwork, too), to toby(at)rock-til-you-drop.com
• Send MP3s to the 'Music by friends of ROCK-TIL-YOU-DROP' folder that I have set up on Dropbox 

Thanks, Toby