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“Pop culture in general is the main thing they use to keep young people from developing any ideas.” - John Sinclair
Steve The Fly is a native of Stourbridge UK, now an Amsterdam resident who plays drums, spins vinyl, writes novels and literary and cultural commentary. He also maintains a flock of websites and works in various other art forms without visible restraint. His other music projects have included New Flesh, Garaj Mahal, Temple Dragon band, of course he is now full time with John Sinclair.
CHU, also a native of Stourbridge UK, has made a fantastic video showing how he put the John Sinclair - Mohawk CD sleeve art together . It's really worth a look. Watch it here: http://youtu.be/20RFyhTfs7U
John has been on TV news recently with an appearance on CNN talking to Atika Shubert about the Marijuana laws in Holland, and the value of these laws in attracting tourism. The piece makes an interesting overview of the issues involved and Cafe 420 is featured including an interview with the owner. Perhaps Birmingham City Council's tourism department could learn a trick or two. 
For those into poetry and performance: Amiri Baraka, the poet, playwright and political organizer died last month at the age of 79. Baraka was a leading force in the black arts movement of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1963 he published “Blues People: Negro Music in White America,” known as the first major history of black music to be written by an African American. A year later he published a collection of poetry titled “The Dead Lecturer” and won an Obie Award for his play, “Dutchman.” After the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965 he moved to Harlem and founded the Black Arts Repertory Theater. In the late 1960s, Baraka moved back to his hometown of Newark and began focusing more on political organizing, prompting the FBI to identify him as “the person who will probably emerge as the leader of the pan-African movement in the United States.” Baraka continued writing and performing poetry up until his hospitalization late last year, leaving behind a body of work that greatly influenced a younger generation of hip-hop artists and slam poets. If you don't know his work, find out more for yourself.
For those assembling posters and flyers for gigs across the region, January also said Farewell to Gary Grimshaw, a Rock Art Legend, the man whose posters and covers defined the Detroit rock scene. John Sinclair wrote a few lines that I think are worth sharing with Midlands based musicians and artists here
“Gary Grimshaw was a great creative artist who helped define the spirit and feeling of an entire era with his brilliant posters for the Grande Ballroom in Detroit, his artwork for underground newspapers like the Detroit Sun, the Fifth Estate and the San Francisco Oracle, and his posters and record covers for the MC-5 and other bands."
“He was a music lover first and foremost, best friends in high school with Rob Tyner of the MC5, a beautiful cat and the most tireless and dedicated art worker I’ve ever known. We were partners in crime at the Grande Ballroom and the Detroit Artists Workshop, we founded Trans-Love Energies and the White Panther Party together, we worked side by side for several years while he beautifully interpreted all my ideas for cultural and social change into public artwork that could make people want to do things they’d never done before."
“After the movement ended in the mid-’70s we went our separate ways but reunited in Detroit in the 1980s in partnership with Frank & Peggy Bach to serve the Motor City music community for several years before Gary moved to the San Francisco Bay area. He was one of my greatest friends of all time, most valued co-worker and constant inspiration.”
“The Revolution is totally committed to bringing people out of their shells and into each others arms. The music is the source and effect of our spirit flesh and we demand a free music and a free high energy source that will drive us wild into the streets.....yelling and screaming and tearing down everything that would keep people slaves” – John Sinclair
John Sinclair is best known as the Sixties "marijuana" activist who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for giving two joints to an undercover policewoman. He was eventually freed when John Lennon and Yoko Ono spoke out on his behalf.
Less understood is his role as the founder and chairman of the radical anti-war group, The White Panther Party, an offshoot of the Black Panthers. The Black Panther Party was a militant political organization formed after the brutal murders of Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Robert Kennedy.
The Nixon Administration and the FBI launched a secret program called COINTELPRO to disrupt and ultimately destroy the Black Panthers and the Anti-War movement. As part of this program, John Sinclair was set up and imprisoned on marijuana charges. When the government could no longer justify denying him a bond over two joints, they falsely charged him with a Federal conspiracy to blow up a CIA station, in order to make him disappear.
John Sinclair - Mohawk CD released on Iron Man Records 24th March 2014
Police Bastard have released a new album on Iron Man Records called Confined.
Police Bastard are assembling tour dates for Germany in June to promote their new album, Confined, which continues to generate interesting reviews. The band play Rebellion Festival in August and Dirty Weekend in September. A few quotes include:
“Thought-provoking monologues and confrontational lyrics bring you on a cold, doom-laden journey of perpetual war, psychological mind control and disillusionment.”
"…an anti-theistic slice of brutality, which leaves the listener in no doubt that Police Bastard mean business. You even get a quote from Richard Dawkins about teaching the bible as fiction. Musically they give us huge chugging riffs on “Brought To Our Knees”, which tackles the blandness of multi-national companies infecting the high street, set against the backdrop of the widening gap between rich and poor. For those that like their anthems loud and stompy, “Sick Sick System” will no doubt win a seal of approval with its knock about Punk mayhem and catchy refrain, ‘sick sick system, same old bullshit’.
“….From Mark Orton‘s cover art through to the final song, “Fortress,” Police Bastard have presented an album that uses hardcore’s battering ram approach to push through a series of songs that depict how humanity has destroyed the Earth. Lines such as “We’re sealing our fate” hammer home the idea that mankind has taken the world to the edge of existence…"
Fanzines / Magazines / Bloggers: Email your postal address for a review copy
Last Under The Sun have more gigs planned, 15th Feb at Rock Zombie Dudley and 16th Feb at The Flapper and Firkin Birmingham. You can listen to and download all their music for free here: http://lastunderthesun.bandcamp.com or you can find their cds in the Iron Man Shop. The band are off to Holland in March.
Sat Feb 15th Rock Zombie, Dudley, UK
Sun Feb 16 2014 The Flapper and Firkin, Birmingham, UK
Sun Mar 2 2014 The Sitwell Tavern, Derby, UK
With Black Cop and Prolefeed
Wed Mar 5th Arnhem, NL
Thurs Mar 6th Rotterdam, NL
Fri Mar 7th Amsterdam, NL
Sat Mar 8 2014 Bastards on Beer Festival, Groningen, NL
Sat Apr 19 2014 The Intake Club, Mansfield, UK
Sat Jun 14 2014 The Intake Club, Mansfield, UK
"On this EP, Last Under The Sun deliver five songs of terror and the harsh realities of life. In that same apocalyptically bleak way that bands like the Subhumans and Crass have done in the past. But they are singing about our current day in a direct way “how many people die, for a worthless cause… I dont wanna die in some desert war”. It is all about our politically violent world, but at times it’s done with some humor like on the song ‘Hooligan Jihad’. How can you forget the lyrics “You can’t play crust in fucking flip-flops…”. Frantic and pissed off, members also make up Birmingham’s infamous Police Bastard, who had a split with War//Plague on Profane Existence last year. Which is no surprise as you could draw parallels in the style they play. Very much a no excuses crust styled hardcore with it’s roots firmly in DIY hardcore punk. There certainly is great production and tight musicianship on this too, without losing a raw punk sound."
- Sean Fitzgerald, Profane Existence (Dec 08, 2012)
The Nightingales - Born out of Birmingham’s original punk group The Prefects, the Nightingales have stubbornly ploughed their own furrow in the field of alternative rock n roll for three decades.
2006 saw the release of “Out Of True” on Iron Man Records and the return of a reformed Nightingales after some years away. The band have not wasted much time since then and yet another new album is on the way for 2014. Having been dumped by their fourth consecutive label, following the release of one album each, the group are self releasing the new LP on their own terms.
"For Fucks Sake" is an 180g vinyl LP, containing twelve songs & comes packaged in a beautiful matt varnish gatefold sleeve (& inner bag) featuring five original art works by brilliant Scarborough based artist David Yates.
The LP is a limited edition of 600 copies & will be available for pre-order up until 9 April 2014. You can buy Nightingales CDs and Vinyl from Iron Man Records on eBay here or Big Cartel here
Side 1
Bullet For Gove
Diary Of A Bag Of Nerves
The Gruesome Threesome
Toasted On Both
The Abstract Dad
Good Morning & Goodbye
Side2
His Family Has Been Informed
Dumb & Drummer
Thick & Thin
Contempt
Same Old
Good Morning Midnight
NIGHTINGALES Live radio session - Marc Riley Show, BBC 6Music - Tues 15 April 19.00hrs
NIGHTINGALES + TED CHIPPINGTON - UK TOUR April 2014
Wed 9 - NORWICH, Arts Centre
Thu 10 - WOLVERHAMPTON, Slade Rooms + Jump The Shark
Fri 11 - BRISTOL, The Thunderbolt
Sat 12 - MARGATE, Tom Thumb Theatre
Wed 16 - CAMBRIDGE, Portland Arms + Kepler + Motor Tapes
Thu 17 - LONDON, The Borderline
Fri 18 - LIVERPOOL, East Village Arts Club
Sat 19 - SCARBOROUGH, The Spa Pub + Crumplehorns
Sun 20 - HULL, Adelphi
Mon 21 - DERBY, The Hairy Dog
Tue 22 - MANCHESTER, Kraak
Wed 23 - GLASGOW, Nice N Sleazy
Thu 24 - NEWCASTLE, The Cluny
Fri 25 - EDINBURGH, Citrus Club + Phil Vickers & The Leg
Sat 26 - BRADFORD, 1 In 12 Club + The Family Elan
Sun 27 - BRIGHTON, Prince Albert + Helen McCookerybook
Having been dumped by their fourth consecutive label, following the release of one album each, the group are self releasing the new LP on their own terms.
No interference or outside opinions, no label, no distributor, no catalogue number, no bar code or logo shit, blah blah.
“For Fucks Sake” is an 180g vinyl LP, containing twelve songs & comes packaged in a beautiful matt varnish gatefold sleeve (& inner bag) featuring five original art works by brilliant Scarborough based artist David Yates.
The LP is a limited edition of 600 copies & will be available for pre-order up until 9 April 2014, after which it will only be available at Nightingales gigs.
Download coupon included.
You can buy Nightingales CDs and Vinyl from Iron Man Records on eBay here or Big Cartel here
- See more at: http://ironmanrecords.net/2014/02/the-nightingales-for-fucks-sake-new-lp-available-april-2014/#sthash.I3Lm5UIp.dpuf
Having been dumped by their fourth consecutive label, following the release of one album each, the group are self releasing the new LP on their own terms.
No interference or outside opinions, no label, no distributor, no catalogue number, no bar code or logo shit, blah blah.
“For Fucks Sake” is an 180g vinyl LP, containing twelve songs & comes packaged in a beautiful matt varnish gatefold sleeve (& inner bag) featuring five original art works by brilliant Scarborough based artist David Yates.
The LP is a limited edition of 600 copies & will be available for pre-order up until 9 April 2014, after which it will only be available at Nightingales gigs.
Download coupon included.
You can buy Nightingales CDs and Vinyl from Iron Man Records on eBay here or Big Cartel here
- See more at: http://ironmanrecords.net/2014/02/the-nightingales-for-fucks-sake-new-lp-available-april-2014/#sthash.I3Lm5UIp.dpuf
P.A.I.N play in Brighton on 15th March, find them on faaacebook for more details.
Radio To Go Music, Musicians, Music Business and Radio in the UK's West Midlands by Robin Valk www.radiotogo.blogspot.com
Simon Reeves has built a new Framework Recording Studios in Digbeth. The recording studio is based at Blotto on Floodgate Street, Birmingham, B55ST. If you are a musician and are interested in recording with him call his mobile number 07790 158210 or email sifra...@gmail.com.
The Iron Man Shop has plenty of new stuff for sale
Message to Distributors
If you run an independent record shop, an online store or a punk distro, there's a Wholesale and Trade list of all Iron Man releases here.
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ok, that's all for now,
cheers
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