Heart of a Punk Soul of a Rasta

April News

More Blood from Franz Ferdinand
In the NME last month, yes keep your friends close and your enemies' closer, I was intrigued to read that Franz Ferdinand are going to knock off some more copies of their "Blood" Dub version of "Tonight"(its not technically DUB, listen to the Mad Professor's version of Radiohead's Karma Police played by Easy Star All Stars then you will realise what Dub is). "Blood" is the disc you got free when you paid a bit extra for the "Tonight" album (Ahh Patrick that makes perfect sense so it does). Hmm I can't remember NME reviewing "Blood" when it came oot, perhaps they did or was it just left up to me to do this ham fisted piece of crapola, REWIND! to the Feb Fanzine for the end of the review:

Basically "Blood" is not for now it must be kept in reserve. The time of scarcity that we have endured is ended, we must be firm now, we must be firm…………….we must be firm! It would be easy to relapse into hedonistic excess in such a time of plenty. "Tonight" is more than enough for the time being, there is no need for us to make pigs of ourselves. Eventually all the tracks on "Tonight" will burrow themselves in and under the surface of the skin. They will be hummed, whistled, mused over, you will fall asleep with the melody of "No You Girls" ringing in your ears on an endless loop, you will wake in the night unable to return to sleep because every time you drift off "What She Came For" will jump out at you. "Tonight" will have to go silent. Weeks, months will pass but eventually the itch will have to be scratched then and only then "Blood" will have its hour.

Yeah I suppose come June the time will be right for "Blood" to have its finest hour, but hey FF what are you going to give us poor suckers who bought the album for free the first time round? How about recording a version of "Being Boiled" by Human League segue to "Fade To Grey" by Visage - ahh sod it, I give up, they nay gonni doit.


More Bloody Blur
In April Blur announced that they were playing my home town Wol-ver-ham-perton (it is a town and that is how it's spelt). I live in hailing distance of the Civic Hall Wolverhampton where Blur are playing and I advise everyone in close proximity of Wol-ver-ham-perton to drawer their window curtains on the night of the 26th June in a mass show of general displeasure.

Before then Graham Coxon is playing the Civic Bar on Friday 15th May, I can't wait a/ to see Coxon play live again and b/ to hear his new album "Spinning Top", if you are going to the gig and would like to buy me a drink I'll be the one shouting "Death to reunions - Don't do it Graham" whilst being escorted from the premises. - The Bigot


Letters & Mails

Helen Bach from Maesycwmmer writes:
Hi Boys, I know you will have seen The Specials by the time my letter reaches you so I was wonderin', did you get my refund off them for the Specials Songbook I never received?

Also I read your review in last months Fanzine about coming to see The Killers in Caerdydd, why didn't you pop into the Butchers Arms on the way down; you know I'm always keen to see you two naughty boys.

PS After reading last months Fanzine let me remind you that if you came to live ere in Wales you'd get your NHS prescriptions free. And you need some drugs, you miserable buggers you.

Thanks Helen.
We did confront The Specials prior to the gig about the fact you still haven't received your copy of The Specials Songbook and we did it in true Glynn Worsnip "we're taking no shit from you" fashion. They apologised profusely, said they were very sorry, but then in one voice they all shouted "unfortunately Jerry deals with all the refunds and he aye ere" and slammed the dressing room door on us. So sorry we were close, but no coconut. Hope to meet up soon - The Bigot


Listed in April 2009
"Hang you from the Heavens" by The Dead Weather
This is the only record listed this month because:
The record came all the way from America,
It has a PVC sleeve,
It has a classic picture sleeve,
It has a plain white insert sleeve,
It came all the way from America,
It has a big hole in the centre,
The B side is Are "Friends" Electric,
The vinyl is as thick as a thrupenny bit,
and, it came all the way from the America.
If you didn't already know the download is irrelevant!

Live dates.
27th May @ O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
Sly & Robbie & Steel Pulse

28th May @ The Butter Market/Shrewsbury
The Mighty Diamonds/Rasites

30th May @ The Drum/Birmingham
The Mighty Diamonds/Rasites/Yaz Alexander

The Mighty Diamonds are playing live all over in May & June, also check both Steel Pulse & The Mighty Diamonds out on the latest Easy Star All Stars album.


Final request.
Peter Doherty & Graham Coxon it is time for you to cover "Nobody Loves You When you're Down and Out". Originally by John Winston the benighted flaming pie man Ono Lennon (Menlove Avenue live version as source material) - when done - free download please.