I got my BUZZ Splatter yesterday in the mail! Cherry Red Records has released a previously unreleased reunion record demo from the band from 1991. It’s a great little number with a great feel for nostalgia and a great way to remember Pete Shelley.
Watch out, they will sell you anything and everything they can.
The band had disbanded in 1981, and reformed in 1989. They worked on a demo and released a demo cassette that went into circulation in 1991. It features demo tracks and songs that appeared on later records, some of which were not heard until now. That punk energy never left.
TRACK LISTING SIDE ONE
1. DREAMIN’
2. ALIVE TONIGHT (This One!)
3. NEVER GONNA GIVE IT UP
4. WALLPAPER WORLD
5. SUCCESSFUL STREET
6. WHO’LL HELP ME TO FORGET
SIDE TWO
1. SERIOUS CRIME
2. WHY COMPROMISE
3. LAST TO KNOW
4. RUN AWAY FROM HOME (Another good one)
5. SEARCHING FOR YOUR LOVE
6. TRANQUILLIZER
7. WHEN LOVE TURNS AROUND YOU
Also, they have released a whole bunch of music from the last 30 years, just about everything!
It was with great excitement earlier this last year that Bauhaus reformed for a few gigs. Several have been canceled or postponed to later dates due to the COVID-19 pandemic along with many other acts.
Have no fear, or do, it’s Gothy, Bauhaus to the rescue! They have created a fundraising tee shirt to help benefit COVID charities. Great for all of you dying to add another Bauhaus tee to the coffin. Here’s the official information:
Bauhaus has just added a spot at Barcelona’s Primavera Sound 2021 June 2-4. Check out peter Murphy’s site for updates as postponed concerts in the US and world get re-scheduled for 2021.
Birds of a feather meet on Twitter together? Nevermore so than when digging deep into my youth and trying to get back that fabulous feel of college radio that propelled me into my love of alternative music, and post-punk, I stumbled upon a fantastic resource account on Twitter, @ScotsPostPunk. Fabulous music tastes, a lot of Scottish post-punk, funk, Ska, post-punk music, and managed mayhem. I had always had a hard time accessing this kind of music on vinyl here on the US west coast in the late 70s and early eighties, so glad to revisit it with Mike and his followers. Be careful, he’s the pied piper of the internet airwaves.
After getting to know Mike a bit over some months and chatting with him during one of his shows, I told him my sorry tale of trying to get to Scotland in 1982 to buy some vinyl when I was a kid on my first trip to the UK, and getting thwarted by a huge wind storm (train shut down). He surprised me with some extra copies he had of some independent Scottish music in the post and has helped encourage my fiendish addiction to vinyl since. Don’t ask about the last vinyl purchase! He blames the cat. I think we vinyl fiends tend to bond, especially when our partners and spouses just shake their heads at the obsession. “What, another color vinyl record??? Oh, is that Joy Division?” Hide the shipping box, now.
Mike has a fabulous radio show on Strangerradio.com called UNAMERICAN Broadcasting that just had its 50th by-weekly radio program. To celebrate, Mike put together 100 songs, which he had to split over two episodes. I asked him to tell us about his musical passions and how he got this show, featuring his vast collection of attic vinyl. And hopefully, his wee cat Monkey Man may start spinning along with. Now there’s a radio mascot, because cats don’t just hit drums.
What possessed you to create the SP-P social media feeds?
I set up the Facebook presence after a conversation with a friend who knew I was behind several other artist-related official/semi-official/official pages (Josef K, Fast Product, Orange Juice, Paul Quinn, Bourgie Bourgie, etc) and suggested that if anyone should set up a Scottish Post-Punk page, it was me!
You just had your 50th show of UNAMERICAN Radio, did you think you’d get to this many shows?
No, I thought there was 10 shows in me. After the second hour-long show I upped it to two hours and often go over that!
And…how long did it take to put the what became a two-part show together, for episodes 50 and 51?
On paper, it took less than an hour to list probably 60 acts I wanted to play. That gradually rose to 72. It took another hour, or so, to choose what tracks to play. Another couple of hours to pull it together and record and then had to split it down the middle. So the next show is almost good to go!
What are some future projects you may be developing?
I have a semi-secret pet project for Josef K that (probably) won’t happen; I’m involved with Scars Author! Author! album reissue and a top-top secret one I can’t tell anyone about (only 10 people know about it)!
What has been your greatest challenge in keeping your Twitter/FB full of great content?
Just when I feel the well’s drying up I come across some great new content, or “meet” someone who has a treasure trove of memories and photos. It looks like I can continue to annoy followers for some time to come.
Have you met any of your music heroes as a result of your publishing?
I’ve met Malcolm Ross of Josef K, Dave Carson & Mike Barclay (Boots For Dancing), Paul Research (Scars/Voicex), Russell Burn of Fire Engines/Win – all of them lovely people!
Any great followers you were astounded checked you out?
Chuffed that Paul Haig, Lloyd Cole, Ian Rankin, The Bluebells (Ken & Bobby), Boy George, Grahame Skinner, Cornershop, Steve Diggle, Monochrome Set (and others) all follow my feed.
What was the hardest article to get data for and why was it so important?
I tend to publish whatever is available, or takes my mood and have no set agenda for content, other than for updates where I may have some involvement.
Anything you can tell us about your daily routine to stay sane in our current global lockdown? How have your music habits been affected?
I’m lucky to be able to do my day job from home via the magic of Internet connectivity. We start our day by going for a 6AM walk – anything between 2 and 4 miles, then get ready for the day – my 30 second commute to my office is a particular joy! I listen to vinyl occasionally, but am mostly playing music from my computer (locally ripped albums, Internet radio – strangerradio.com obviously – and streaming services). Playing old favourites or new (to me) artists has been an uplifting experience. Luckily Mrs. Hunt and I are fairly anti-social, so have adapted really well to this new normal.
If someone approached you to do a live show, like at local college radio, would you do it? Perhaps partner up with a young broadcasting student?
I’d be happy to – not sure that I have the presenter skills though! The musical taste (in my view) and knowledge (to an extent) maybe…
What blogs or Zines are you obsessed with right now?
Enjoying punkgirldiaries.com Twitter and old style ‘zine. @razurcutsmag (also on Twitter) have an old style paper magazine and is a good read.
Where can people discover your media or publication?
33rpm: Geoff Love and His Orchestra play Big War Movie Themes
How did you listen to new music when you were young?
A mono Philips cassette player – tapes bought mail order from The Britannia Music Club. That’s when I got all trendy, hip, and groovy…
First gig you went to? Who were you with and what did you wear? Did you pick up gear (Badges, teeshirt, posters, setlist, still have ticket stub?)
Genesis (with Peter Gabriel) playing the entire The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway album at Usher Hall, Edinburgh in April 1975. I went with my older brother. I bought a t-shirt and programme – still have the programme, but not the ticket stub.
Favorite bands or artists in your youth?
Early Genesis, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Stones, Who, David Bowie, Lou Reed, Roxy Music, Nazareth, Average White Band, Stevie Wonder
We’ve all been suffering withdrawals for a nice, intimate fun DJ nite at our local small clubs, pubs, bars, and taverns. As some countries and states start slowly inching to Phase 1 of getting back to life as we sort of knew it, many DJs and musicians have been using social media to have Tiny Kitchen concerts, Zoom in be-ins, and hosting small turn-your-abode-into-dance-party celebrations with playlists and Zoom Rooms while people dance. Break out the Cosplay and other fun silly costume bits and dance.
One such small social club is The Cat & Drum Social Club, which of course lately has been running under Social Distancing mode. The wee club has been operating out of Manchester City area of the UK, and several great venues, and I caught up with Liam to ask him about how he got going on this little adventure and how he’s adapted to our new norm. If you are in the UK, or even if not, check out their sites for fun ideas and music sharing. Eventually, we can travel responsibly to the UK again soon.
What possessed you to create a social club and DJ fun time, and juggle the other aspects of writer and photog?
I’ll split this one up into the separate parts so I’m not tripping over myself. The DJing came about because I used to do it at a nightclub in Preston when I was at university there- I was brought in to do the indie/alternative/retro night on Saturdays at a club called Blitz. After the original site closed and Blitz moved/remodeled, I’d left it alone for a while, until they asked if I could come in at short-notice to do a set for an afterparty after an Evil Blizzard gig. It went really well and I had a lot of fun, so after chatting with my amazing friend Sam she encouraged the idea to pursue it further, and even designed a logo based on the kitten drawing that Postcard Records used to use, keeping a DIY mentality to it all. The general philosophy is that we’d just play music we’d listen to if we were just hanging out at home- indiepop and post-punk, mainly- and if other people liked it and wanted to dance too, all the better. We had a couple of false starts due to venue double-booking and a couple of other problems, but we got a huge helping hand from a grunge/alternative rock night called Zero Club who brought us in as a feature, as I’m also a big alternative rock/college rock guy and Sam is into riot grrrl, so we fit in with their ethos. After an attempt at running a night at a venue in Manchester called YES, they asked if I fancied a monthly slot, and then alongside that The Night & Day Cafe became interested in bringing Cat & Drum in too. We’ve also guested at clubnights for Let’s Make This Precious and their sister show Super-Electric, which are always great fun!
The writing and photography came about almost by chance- I’ve not got a journalist background at all, but I’ve had a bit of experience writing stage comedy. I got a message out of the blue asking if I would be interested in reviewing a gig for Manchester event website BagThing (Events and Shows), and thankfully they liked my work! From there, I was approached by Liverpool-based Sounds From Nowhere and then Louder Than War. I’ll be honest, there’s a good chance that I only get work because I’m something of a novelty, shooting gigs on film in a really unusual way using long exposure times and color-gel flash (with no post-production or editing) creating all kinds of strange shots that can’t really be replicated any other way. I found my gimmick and I’m sticking with it! I love being asked (or asking) to work for up-and-coming independent artists as well as getting to write about/photograph some of my all-time favorites!
You have a great digital presence and a great following, what made you want to do an old skool ‘Zine?
It’s actually something that I’ve chatted with Sam about, who has a background in graphic design and used to make her own zines. I’ve thought a couple of times about self-publishing a photozine, because I’ll go through a full reel of film at a gig but only a handful of photos will get used for the review- so I’d love to have a way to showcase the ones that don’t make the cut!
What are some future projects you may be developing?
Right now I’m just hoping that the momentum I’d managed to make over the last few months will still be around once things start to resume, with both the DJing and writing aspects. I also make music with some analogue synthesisers and drum machines under the name The Mode 7 Project– I’ve played a handful of gigs but I want to eventually record some of the stuff I’ve worked on- most likely on cassette because of the a-e-s-t-h-e–i-c.
What has been your greatest challenge in keeping your blog/FB/Zine full of great content?
With nothing to show and nothing to advertise for the foreseeable, it’s quite hard to come up with any content at all. There’s been a definite switch from Facebook over to Twitter, where I can just put a quick post up showing what record I’m playing, or join in on conversations about music. It’s a way to connect to the outside world, which is so important right now.
Have you met any of your music heroes as a result of your publishing or DJ gigs?
My favorite meeting was Martin Moscrop and Jez Kerr of A Certain Ratio- I was asked if I could do press(meet) for A Certain Ratio’s 40th anniversary mini-festival in Manchester, and a couple of days before got asked if I’d be interested in interviewing the band as well as doing photos. Never done an interview before so had no idea what to ask or anything- thankfully Jez was great to chat with! I still see both of them now and again in Manchester and get to have a bit of a chat- one time getting incredibly nervous as they came into the bar when I was DJing, and even came over to say hello! I was in Tokyo over the New Year for WrestleKingdom while they were over there playing a couple of gigs- turned out they were staying in a hotel in Shinjuku literally next door to where I was, and we were amazed that we managed to never cross paths at a grocery store or a coffee shop or wherever!
Any great followers you were astounded checked you out?
I got stupidly excited to learn that King Edwyn (Collins) follows us on Twitter! Like our name and logo suggests, that’s a huge deal!
What was the hardest article to get data for and why was it so important?
Because it’s so important to get articles written and uploaded while still relevant, I try and at least have my review emailed across to an editor within 24 hours- enough time to develop the film, choose the shots to send etc. Sometimes I like to add references and quotations from books or movies that I like and feel relevant, so it can be a pain skimming through various books trying to find a quote that I’ve possibly misremembered. I wrote a review of Drab Majesty that was bookended with extracts of The Informers by Bret Easton Ellis, but I couldn’t remember the exact passages I wanted to use, so it became a race to find the book, quickly skim through it to find the quote I was looking for, copy it down and then hope that it didn’t derail the piece entirely. Thankfully it all worked!
Anything you can tell us about your daily routine to stay sane in our current global lockdown? How have your music habits been affected?
…honestly? It’s been a huge struggle. I live alone in Manchester in a small studio flat- my mom lives on the other side of the UK and is isolating due to immune system issues, while my girlfriend (hi Steph!) is over in Portland and I’ve already had to cancel a visit out there to see her. I’ve been working my (stressful, monotonous and thankless) office day job from home, but without anything else, anything to make it worthwhile- gigs, pro wrestling, seeing my friends and hanging out, even just having a wander into town and have a look in the record stores or comic book stores or going to the gym to zone out on a treadmill listening to music for an hour- it becomes so hard to keep going, to find hope that things will ever get back to how they were. I’ve taken to playing pretty much every record I own while working, sometimes showing them off on Twitter, just as a way to try and stay connected with the outside world. It’s hard. I shouldn’t whine or get down about it because I know that so many people are in far, far worse situations, but it’s difficult to find positives.
What blogs or Zines are you obsessed with right now?
One of the most interesting video series I’ve come across is The New British Canon by Trash Theory, who explore some of the most important songs and artists in the post-1976 pop music landscape. They are incredibly well-researched and go in massive amounts of depth without feeling over-academic, and using interviews and archival footage of the bands they talk about is always a big plus! Oregon Zoo has also been a huge stress-reliever, being able to watch the animals- if they aren’t decked out with Nacho The Penguin merchandise once they open back up I’ll be very disappointed.
Where can people discover your media or publication?
The main places are on Facebook and on Twitter- both are @CatAndDrumSC. The reviews and photos can be found at BagThing.co.uk, soundsfromnowhere.com and louderthanwar.com. Hopefully when things get back to normal, you’ll be able to find me playing records at YES or at Night & Day Cafe in Manchester.
As a Consumer
The first record bought?
Bought myself? I honestly don’t remember- if I was to take a guess, it was probably one of the old Shine compilations. Shine were like the britpop/UK indie equivalent of the Now That’s What I Call Music! series during the mid-to-late 1990s that seemed to vanish without a trace once britpop disintegrated away.
How did you listen to new music when you were young?
I used to read NME and (if I had a little extra cash that week/month) Q magazine, and every so often they would talk about a band that jumped out at me like The Raveonettes, Glasvegas and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart in particular- bonus points if the magazine came with a free CD!
First gig you went to? Who were you with and what did you wear?
First gig I went to Runrig at Stirling Castle in Scotland with my parents in 2003. Think a bilingual, slightly more politicised Big Country and you’re not too far off. The first band I reviewed was Erasure at the Apollo (filling in for a friend who couldn’t make it), and the first I photographed was Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs at Soup Kitchen in Manchester.
Favorite bands or artists in your youth?
One of the most important for me was seeing Sonic Youth on Later With Jools Holland. This was my equivalent of seeing Bowie doing Starman on Top Of The Pops. These 5 ordinary-looking people making all these weird noises, tuneless yet melodic and catchy, everything looking so cool and effortless. From there I got into the likes of Pavement and Pixies, both of which led to The Wedding Present (who to this day are probably my favorite band ever), and from there it branches out into indiepop and alternative/college rock. I’ll also fully admit at a solid 60% of the stuff I like and DJ with actually comes from my mom, who’s a big new wave/post-punk/synthpop fan- I got my love of Blondie, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Psychedelic Furs, (early) Simple Minds, OMD etc from her.
What is/are your favorite new artist/s?
Right now I’m obsessed with the Italians Do It Better label, and I haven’t shut up about either Drab Majesty or Black Marble for at least a year now. Current favourite album of the year is The New Abnormal by The Strokes but this may well change. I’ve also been collecting the Optic Nerve reissues of cult indiepop singles from the mid-80s, all on beautiful colourful vinyl- there’s a fun mix of more well-known bands like The Wedding Present and The Primitives, alongside more semi-obscure acts like Meat Whiplash and The Revolving Paint Dream– they’re all worth tracking down.
What Twitter or other social media accounts are you hooked on lately?
Tim Burgess’ listening parties have been nothing short of wonderful. Chopstick’s Twitter Top Fives are a daily staple, along with Memorial Device, and @RichardS7370’s weekly best-of-the-year lists are always fun to join in on Fridays. It’s fun seeing other people’s thoughts and favourites about music or movies- sometimes not even actively participating, just reading through and seeing people enjoying themselves.
Favorite music venues?
So many! Night & Day Cafe, YES, Soup Kitchen, The Ritz, Albert Hall, Deaf Institute, The Peer Hat, Band On The Wall, The White Hotel…
Music venues you are dying to go to?
The first that comes to mind is Barrowlands in Glasgow, but there’s probably so many! In the same way that there’s so many venues I want to see a wrestling show in (my other hobby is travelling around the country/world watching pro wrestling): the Globe Theater in LA, the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC, York Hall in London…
What would be your fantasy gig if space and time continuum allowed?
One gig? LCD Soundsystem, Madison Square Garden, 2011- The Long Goodbye. I know that I would be a sobbing mess by the end but it would be worth it. ‘Losing My Edge’ is very nearly the C&DSC mission statement, while ‘All My Friends’ is one of the saddest, most beautiful songs ever written- it’s a staple of a Cat & Drum DJ set and it’s kinda cathartic to scream along with it from time to time. Plus you can jump into ‘Once In A Lifetime’ by Talking Heads immediately and it works perfectly. Trust me.
If money were no object, who would you go see and where?(If you were the booking agent)
How much would it take Talking Heads to reform? However much that would cost, plus Blondie, plus James Murphy DJing in between if he wants to? Maybe check the NHL and NBA schedules, see if Madison Square Garden is free on a Saturday- if not, maybe give Radio City Music Hall a call…? The more you think about this kind of thing, it quickly gets out of hand!
I can’t tell you how many times in the last two months I have driven or walked by Exiled Records (4628 SE Hawthorne Blvd.) and Jackpot Records (3574 SE Hawthorne Blvd), two boutique record shops here in Portland, and sighed. The curse of COVID-19 has kept a favorite Sunday pastime, to have a bit of coffee, go for a stroll, and then go thumb the bins at the shops. I know you have been missing it too. Wells here’s back to the new normal.
I have had concerns, like many in Portland, and the world for that matter, if this might be the demise of the independent record shops. COVID-19 lockdowns have shuttered many a business. Despite the last three years of vinyl and independent record shops making a comeback, many more have been crushed by the weight of high rents and a large inventory of, let’s face it, passion merchandise. With restrictions on only necessary stores being open, those with services usually for food, all other small shops had to shut down and lay off workers.
Most record shops turned to online sales, which many of them do on a regular basis with Discogs and eBay back up sales, as their main source of income. Many of the local shops that were larger, such as Millenium Music, started doing curbside pickup with phone sales. Well, at least some of them survived. I saw the neon open signs for Exiled last week, but I guess I was in a stupor, denial. Naw, that can’t be true? Then today I walked up to Jackpot and the door was open, there were rules for shopping boards. I had my mask and whipped out my nitrile gloves. I totally got my mind off of Portland in lockdown curfew days.
Thank you for managing to stay alive guys. My Sundays are getting back to normal.
There no doubt about it, Lene Cortina and Vim Renault, came pummeling in the music blog scene with their tenacious drive for articles about women in punk, what is punk, and celebrating women musicians. For these two, punk was never going to be dead. I first starting following them on Twitter promoting their blog, Punkgirldiaries, and discovered a force of nature and DIY spirit that refuses to die.
So Kapow!! It’s on to the quintessential blog of Punk GIRLS, celebrating all women singers and musicians that were, and still are, part of the punk movement. Lene and Vim even delve deep into what defines punk, or just celebrate female artists that personify punk. Whether you are old skool fans or new, see what inspires women to keep playing and being punks. Punk is a state of mind after all, isn’t it?
I caught up with them, very socially distanced, and asked them if they would talk about where they have been, what they are doing during the lockdown in the UK, and future projects.
So how did the “I gotta blog about women in punk!” come about?
Lene – We’d already discovered through talking, that although we didn’t actually know each other as teenagers, there seemed to be so many parallels to our lives growing up. Whether that was listening to music, learning to play guitars, starting teenage bedroom bands, writing fanzines or doing art. We thought that if we felt this sense of shared history, then others might too. We were going to be in a band, but live too far apart, so the band became the blog. Vim – We knew at the start that it wasn’t going to be just about us, nor just an information blog about women who were punk musicians. The idea was to filter our experiences in the late ‘70s and ‘80s and also get across the feelings that we, and others had at that time. It was a way of regenerating fun!
You have a great digital presence and a great following, what made you want to do an old skool ‘Zine?
Lene – We liked the idea of producing a printed document, something more permanent, and also something that wouldn’t just disappear whenever the internet packs up! Vim-The digital world has made so many things much quicker and easier, but physical products have that visceral quality. We’re all for the pleasure of rippling through a ‘zine! People’s eyes are so much better at focussing in and out of graphics on a page than zooming in digitally. Hopefully the punkgirldiaries blog is a good read, but the printed zine is a treat for the eyes!
What are some future projects you may be developing?
Lene – Punkgirldiaries Blogzine 1 was published in May 2020, and we’re already working on laying out Blogzine 2. Vim – We do still want to be in a band together and hope to do a one-off single sometime as a start! Some established older women artists carry on writing and performing past their 40s, 50s, 60s even ….. but women that age don’t tend to start new bands in the way that teenagers do. Now the zine’s a reality, let’s form a band!
What has been your greatest challenge in keeping your blog full of great content?
Lene – Probably time. Enthusiasm and ideas have never been a problem. Vim – In 2018, we blogged nearly every day for a year, despite us both having full-time jobs. There’d be a race on to get something researched, written and posted for 8pm and we kind of synched it together. If one of us had a busy week at work, the other would write more posts. As the year went on, though, our standards rose. The first posts were really short, with maybe a link to a video. By the end of 2018, we’d set a standard of researching widely, taking our own angle on things and aiming for high writing standards!
Have you met any of your music heroes as a result of your publishing? Any great followers you were astounded checked you out?
Vim – Sorry not really. We’re still relatively small and unknown … or should we say ‘cult’?
Anything you can tell us about your daily routine to stay sane in our current global lockdown? How have your music habits been affected?
Lene – Both of our normal daily routines have been put on hold throughout lockdown, hence we’ve had more time to devote to the blog and the zine. Vim – Wehad discussed the idea of producing a printed zine, but with plenty of spare time, we were able to produce the whole thing in just over a month and it helped keep us both focussed and sane. Lene–In terms of music habits, I think the time at home has allowed both of us to catch up on current sounds as well as old favourites, and we’ve both been listening to BBC Radio 6 music. Vim has also been playing her guitar in a field.
The first record bought?
Lene – David Bowie or TRex probably
Vim – Parents bought me Bay City Rollers and Abba. But a Patrick Fitzgerald EP I’d heard John Peel play was the first I can remember buying myself.
How did you listen to new music when you were young?
Vim – All music was new music when I was young. My parents had records but they didn’t listen to them. I remember listening on a stereogram – which was like a big piece of furniture – to The Beatles, Four Tops, The Supremes. But also Radio 1 was on a lot and I used to sing along to that. Friends were very influential, and most of my punk listening was done at other, much cooler friends’ houses who always had the key singles and a record player. I had a cassette player, but when the Sony Walkman came out, I wouldn’t get one because I didn’t like headphones – and I still don’t.
First gig you went to? Who were you with and what did you wear?
Lene – Adverts – Slough College – October 1979. My first, their last.
Vim – School English trip to see John Cooper Clarke (with Warsaw supporting) doesn’t really count, so Young Marble Giants at Nottingham Boat House 1980 – although strangely, I’d been playing gigs with my band The Devices before I’d actually been to see a gig! No idea what I wore – maybe the Royal Navy jacket with the stuffed budgerigar on it – see below.
Vim– Buzzcocks, Raincoats, Au Pairs, Gang of Four, Selector, Elvis Costello
Favorite music venues?
Lene – Currently -100 Club London, The Lexington London.
Vim – Used to love The Charlotte in Leicester (now closed) I like it when venues have a community purpose as well, like the Hebden Bridge Trades Club, the 1 in 12 Club in Bradford. Always prefer very small venues or ones with theatre seats; I’m over pogoing or even standing amongst hundreds of tall sweaty men.
Music venues you are dying to go to?
Vim– I really prefer to be in the band. It is so much more fun than just watching! So I am looking forward to getting a band together and playing some big outdoor festivals maybe even next year. Or maybe I could just slip down to do solo acoustic at the lovely local venues in Leicester – The Musician, The Soundhouse, Music Café, The Donkey, The Shed, The Cookie, Firebug – hoping that they all survive!
What would be your fantasy gig if space and time continuum allowed? If money were no object, who would you go see and where?
Lene – X Ray Spex on the Moon.
Vim – A relaxed afternoon that had periods of silence interspersed with top songwriters popping by for 10 minutes to sing a couple of songs, giving me time to think about them. I think I’d need a bass player (Carole Kaye – Wrecking Crew) and drummer (Cat Myers – Mogwai) to back up the piano/guitar. But it would include Elvis Costello, Carole King, Bob Marley, Laura Nyro .. but maybe some newer ones too – Billie Eilish, Sia, Alicia Keys … for me it’s all about the songs and my ears are too wrecked for noise now!
Vinyl, cassette, or digital fiend?
Lene – They all have their uses, I’m a fan of all of them for different reasons.
Vim – I am not someone who constantly listens to music. There seems to be music in my head which is quite good to listen to, and I’m constantly singing classic old songs from all eras. I woke up singing ‘Sheena is a punk rocker’ today. So, deliberately putting on some music is a bit of a faff for me. I frequently check things out digitally, but I do love a 7” vinyl.
Did you take up an instrument(s) and teach yourself to play because of a band?
Lene – Of course! But not one particular band. I liked bands like Dolly Mixture or the Buzzcocks for their structured songs with a catchy chorus, but at the same time, I loved The Slits for their raw power.
Vim – It was an awareness that girls were doing it – probably The Raincoats that convinced me I could do it. I never had lessons but now I think it’s probably a good idea for girls to learn conventionally after your first experimentation so that you can survive in the music industry long-term.
From left, Lene Cortina & Vim Renault – punkgirldiaries.com
From left, Lene Cortina & Vim Renault – punkgirldiaries.com
It’s May 26th and I will be playing Buzzcocks records all night and watching a concert video. I was planning to do so anyway, only it won’t be the warm-up for the concert I’d been waiting months for. All the music venues are shut, and tours have been canceled. Artists are in dire straights, those that don’t have a large music catalog and savings, have had to go online to communicate with each other and fans. And many music venues may be shut permanently. Portland the music town is in danger.
The arts are suffering and many governments will not take the entertainment industry seriously. It’s a serious revenue and tax base for local governments, however bailouts won’t happen for small venues, some may not get the SBA Pandemic relief loans either. Venues pay taxes, artists pay taxes. Along with the film industry, music revenues are suffering massive losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic shut down. What is as a whole huge money-driven industry of sound, has come to a grinding halt on the promotion scene live. Everything has gone online broadcast, with some members of bands doing Zoom concerts. Online sales have gone up for digital and vinyl. The industry is adjusting, however, the classic music magazine is struggling, as the print industry was already starting to collapse, and many had shifted to online presence, however, with live shows not playing to physical audiences, the landscape has changed and adapted.
Steve has assured me that they hope to come back, let’s hope there’s a venue for them to play in.
Same thing going on in your town? Check out Change.org and other artist fundraising platforms. Help them pay rent.
It’s a ZINE! That’s right, it’s that old skool tangible article of articles and poetry, art, and expression with that old DIY feel. Just perfect in these pandemic times, something to grab on to, and swap with others, you know, put in their hands. And now there’s a YouTube channel to help us get through these trying times because unfortunately printing presses are shut down for a time.
I’ve been having a blast with the Twitter account and reading through a hard copy Zine again, an actual papery thing, with several old skool/new skool publications. Remember paper. It’s really important to have that tangible, portable thing when the mass media digital world just gets to be too much. Razur Cuts is the brainchild or obsession of Derek Steel, who tirelessly finds original work and chases down interviews. Derek hails from Falkirk in Scotland. He’s kindly agreed to talk to us about his adventures in supporting music and poetry in the pages of this fun music and arts magazine.
Interview
Derek Steel WRITER/ARTIST/DIY FIEND
What possessed you to “I gotta make this Zine about_______!” come about?
I had the idea to begin a magazine after a writer friend read his short stories at a gig in London. This was an event by a magazine called PUSH. After that event, I was confident the idea would work in our own town of Falkirk, but also hoping it would reach out to other places as well. In my humble opinion, Razur Cuts was a breath of fresh air and it has certainly gained interest and a good following of people. Twitter was the ideal tool for that aforementioned reaching out platform. It’s worked so well!
How do we get a copy of Razur Cuts and what’s the Facebook address?
We are available to purchase thru PayPal to email: deeko1963@googlemail.com
** I sort out postage depending on where the purchaser lives.
You have a great digital presence and a great following, what made you want to do an old skool ‘Zine?
The old Zine was because of the days of Punk Rock, when all fanzines were in paper hard copy form – there was no internet in the old days. Razur Cuts on hard copy was the only way I’d have issued it. You can feel it, smell it, put it down, pick it up and pass it on. Like a vinyl record, it feels much more personal and it’s what I grew up with.
What are some future projects you may be developing?
Future Projects; This sounds terribly hypocritical, LOL, but because of Covid-19, we have set up a YouTube Channel and are doing gigs by collating material from artists either in the writing or musical game. We’ll probably continue this as it’s been well received by the viewers. It’s like a visual version of the magazine as the printers are obviously now in lockdown. I have close friends involved in RC also and we’ve put on some live gigs and we hope to keep this going. Lately, I’ve been involved with a band called Vulture Party and being part of the release of their first album. Especially on the vinyl side of things. The album is self-titled and is selling very well. So, now, RC is a corporate marketing tool HaHaHa– if that’s the correct terminology!
What has been your greatest challenge in keeping your ‘Zine full of great content?
Our greatest challenge would be continually searching for new writers/ bands/ artists of any persuasion to submit for an issue – this is an ongoing process which is the most challenging. The ethos of RC is to give everyone a chance to shine, so we need to be on top of our game – everyone knows the ethos of RC and we try to have no repetition of an artist in back to back issues.
Have you met any of your music heroes as a result of your publishing?
Yes, I’ve met JJ Burnel of The Stranglers, John Robb of The Membranes who runs the mother of all magazines – Louder Than War. It’s always a pleasure to interview these people as you then realise, they’re as grounded as anyone else you know. They love to chat and exchange the odd email about any subject. I’ve met and interviewed John Duncan, Martin Metcalfe, Paul Research and a few others. Paul’s interview was a very special one, as it was exactly 40 years to the week I saw him play with Scars. It was completely accidental and a great story to tell. To this day, I’ve never been knocked back by any artist about an interview. They make time for you, it’s greatly appreciated.
Any great followers you were astounded checked you out? Bought your Zine?
Not really, everyone who likes the magazine are people I’ve previously approached. There’s a knack to that process also. Patience, sincerity and not being too pushy and trying to kid on you’re their best friend. Having good manners is another. Please and thank you could be used more often by some people, I think!
What was the hardest article to get data for and why was it so important?
The hardest data is always delving into the past of an artist or band, if that makes sense? When you do an interview, the questions have to be perfect or you look silly. So, we tend to approach artists we know and love because you’re halfway there already. We decided to keep the questions down to 8-10 so that we don’t bog the artist down and we were slightly concerned that an interview wouldn’t happen if we asked too many questions. With an online interview, it becomes a waiting game and you need to be patient as these people are very busy. A polite email to ‘nudge’ them is quite acceptable, if worded properly! When the answers arrive, it’s a fantastic feeling!I hope I haven’t digressed on this question, Janet…oops!
Anything you can tell us about your daily routine to stay sane in our current global lockdown? How have your music habits been affected?
In the current climate, I understand how it’s very difficult for many people, it certainly isn’t easy and we must help those who are struggling as best we can. Personally, I’m finding it pretty simple, as I exercise every day for around 40 minutes. This alleviates the pent-up stress we can endure during the lockdown. Luckily, I have a garden to do this and relax in – weather permitting. So, I get up, have breakfast, check the post, make a few phone calls, check the emails, then play some tunes. I then plan the exercise circuit and think about the evening’s meal! I can easily skip lunch, I haven’t the appetite I used to have, so the evening dinner is enjoyed more! My musical habits have obviously been affected as there’s no live music at the moment and emails are continually telling me of more postponements. It’s disheartening, but we need to get on with things and be positive about the future. We will beat Covid-19 and hopefully appreciate things more when we do. I’m still supporting artists by purchasing their material online as I always have. There’ve been great live performances from artists homes to view via Twitter/FB – so enjoyable. Radio 6 (BBC) Music is always on in the background if I don’t have vinyl on and this is my favourite station for picking up new music on.
What blogs or Zines are you obsessed with right now?
John Robb’s blogs on all things music are always brilliant as well as a few others like writers Ian Cusack who writes football/music/cricket, and Joe England’s mag articles. Favourite mag is Paper and Ink by Martin Appleby. There’s plenty out there – keep searching! Oh, and I buy MOJO magazine every month too.
Where can people discover your media or publication?
People can discover Razur Cuts by following us on Twitter @razurcutsmagand Facebook. I do post-outs to anyone who’d like a mag. We’re working towards issue IX as we chat and hopefully it’ll be released in December. We are in Monorail and Love Music, Glasgow as well as local outlets which we advertise as each issue is released – coffee shops and pubs.
Writer/Artist/DIY Fiend as Consumer Questions:
The first record bought?
First record bought was The Glitter Band ‘Goodbye My Love’.
How did you listen to new music when you were young?
I listened to new music by tuning into John Peel each weeknight from 10pm to midnight on BBC Radio 1. He championed punk rock and any new and creative sound that he’d depict as a tune. It’s how I became a lover of music and the genre of Punk to Post Punk. Our local Town Hall in Grangemouth also had bands playing from 1978. These gigs were promoted by Brian Guthrie, elder brother of Robin (Cocteau Twins). As a 15 to16 year old, you can imagine how amazing it was to have bands like Ultravox! Simple Minds, UK Subs, The Rezillos all playing your own little town. Quite a privilege, looking back.
First gig you went to? Who were you with and what did you wear?
My first gig was the aforementioned Rezillos supported by Scars at the same Town Hall. I wore tight jeans (skinnies), baseball boots, plain white tee shirt and a Harrington jacket, this was a bomber style fabric jacket with front zip and tartan lining. I’m so pleased to tell you they’ve now made a triumphant ‘Retro Return’ and I own two!
Favorite bands or artists in your youth?
Stiff Little Fingers, The Stranglers, The Clash, Kate Bush, Scars, The Zones, Ultravox! The Psychedelic Furs and many more. It was an explosion of young people getting up and doing DIY music for themselves and being creative. This scene stuck their fingers up to the establishment and detested the old sixties hippy movement. It was time for change – and it happened. It made me the person I am today. A game changer. The true creativeness was in the lyrical content of the songs as well as the clothes and hairstyles. DIY fanzines exploded onto the scene telling everyone of the new singles and albums newly released. Tony Drayton’s ‘Ripped and Torn’ was fantastic, a home-made fanzine stapled together after being photocopied – an incredible DIY process which is so fondly remembered.
What are your favorite new artists?
I love many new bands and support them as often as I can…Evi Vine, Gnoomes, The Everlasting Yeah, Filthy Tongues, Emily Capell, Sleaford Mods, Vulture Party and The Media Whores.
What books did you read in your formative years, and what are you reading these days?
At the moment I’m reading ‘Ireland The Propaganda War’ by Liz Curtis, then moving onto David Ross’s ‘Last days of Disco’.
My formative years consisted of John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘The Winter of our Discontent’ plus ‘Ivanhoe’ by Walter Scott. Oddly enough, when I was young, I used to randomly pick up the dictionary – select words and try to remember their meanings.
I’ve revisited Robert Burns over the last twenty years and ingested the vernacular used in everything he wrote as best I can, as it was written in the 1800’s. A genius.
I’ve also read all of Irvine Welsh’s novels, my favourite being ‘Maribou Stork Nightmares’.
What Twitter or other social media accounts are you hooked on lately?
All of my favourite bands and some humorous ones. ‘Limmy’ and ‘He’s a C***’ are excellent. Writers and poets are especially good on twitter with their turn of phrase. Stephen Watt, Jim Higo, David Ross are all prominent and have become friends of RC.
Favorite music venues?
I’ve always been in love with smaller venues and always will be. There’s an intimacy you cannot buy in those little pokey holes we see our bands in. You’re up close and personal – nothing beats that as a music fan. I love Broadcast, Nice n Sleazy in Glasgow. The Mash House, Leith Depot and the amazing old church Queen’s Hall in Edinburgh. My all-time favourite venue is Glasgow Apollo. The stage was 8” high and had the most amazing atmosphere. The crowd would be from all over Scotland and the bands always got a thunderous reception. There was a stalls area, circle and upper circle – it held around two thousand people and the whole place would virtually bounce as a band delivered their set. Everyone loved that theatre. I wish it was still here today. Again – great memories.
Music venues you are dying to go to?
I’m actually planning on visiting venues around the world, but mainly Europe as I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to retire early, which was last year. I have no preference as to which one because they will all hold a special memory for me as I fondly look back. Once we have a vaccine for Covid-19, I can begin to pick gigs and book hotels and tickets. I was at the Hollywood Bowl last year whilst on holiday with my wife to see Cindy Lauper. That venue was superb and certainly a box-ticker! We had a great music chat to an American couple in the bar area before we entered the arena and we found we had very similar musical tastes. Lovely people who made us feel so welcome.
What would be your fantasy gig if space and time continuum allowed?
Great question! My fantasy gig would be all the bands I’ve mentioned starting with the newer ones building up to the headline act who would be Kate Bush. She’d play everything I love in her catalogue and then personally invite me to interview her…now that IS fantasy land! LOL
If money were no object, who would you go see and where? (If you were the booking agent)
I’ve been so lucky to see so many bands and solo artists and I’m not that big on large scale venues, such as enormo-domes or massive festivals. I’d most probably enjoy seeing a new band in a small place in Berlin, Los Angeles or somewhere where there’s a great underground scene going on. The intimacy, in those places, is for me, what it’s all about. You’re up close and personal – the feeling you get from that is absolutely wonderful. Unbeatable.
What could be better! Tonight, or today, May 22, 2020 at 10pm GMT+1, PST 2PM Tim is inviting us all to spin our copy of the classic Joy Division Unknown Pleasures. Peter Hook will be on the feed.
What to do, it’s easy. Get on #TimsTwitterListeningParty on Twitter, start your turntable or digital album of Unknown Pleasures. Ask questions. Oh, find the album first if you have it, click on links below if you don’t.
What, haven’t you participated before? Who is Tim Burgess? You haven’t forgotten that band The Charlatans have you? He’s singer, songwriter, musician, record label man, and currently just released a new record, I Love the new Sky.
Monday, May 18th will mark 40 years since the passing of Ian Curtis, lead singer for Joy Division, one of the most influential post-punk alternative bands. Ian’s passing at the young age of 23 has created a cult following over 40 years in the making. This week the remaining members of Joy Division are marking the occasion with talks and streaming concerts. In the time of pandemic shut-in, many music and indie film outlets have been helping us all to survive in these trying times. Some are making the performance free with encouragement to donate to epilepsy charities.
Peter Hook
Bassist for Joy Division if promoting his concert is featuring his film So This Is Permanent, help at Christ Church in Macclesfield, UK, Ian’s hometown. It sold out in 20 seconds. Peter is asking that you donate to The Epilepsy Society at https://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/
Concert movie premiere from Monday 18th May 2020 – 12 Noon BST
Since the postponement of The Light’s May 2020 “Joy Division 40: A Celebration” gigs which were due to take place this week, Peter Hook & The Light & Surdevan Creative have been assembling the footage from the May 2015 Christ Church Macclesfield event for broadcast.
The three-hour plus video of the event will be available across Joy Division’s YouTube channel and Joy Division’s/The Light’s Facebook’s from noon this Monday until noon Tuesday.
Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris Online Event Moving Through The Silence: Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Ian Curtis.
Dave Haslam hosts this live event with the two 8PM and 10PM UK time on United We Stream and making the Mental Health Awareness Week. They are raising funding for Manchester Mind.
We’ve all been suffering withdrawals for a nice, intimate fun DJ nite at our local small clubs, pubs, bars, and taverns. As some countries and states start slowly inching to Phase 1 of getting back to life as we sort of knew it, many DJs and musicians have been using social media to have Tiny Kitchen concerts, Zoom in be-ins, and hosting small turn-your-abode-into-dance-party celebrations with playlists and Zoom Rooms while people dance. Break out the Cosplay and other fun silly costume bits and dance.
I can’t tell you how many times in the last two months I have driven or walked by 
Interview with Lene Cortina and Vim Renault
Favorite bands or artists in your youth?
It’s May 26th and I will be playing Buzzcocks records all night and watching a concert video. I was planning to do so anyway, only it won’t be the warm-up for the concert I’d been waiting months for. All the music venues are shut, and tours have been canceled. Artists are in dire straights, those that don’t have a large music catalog and savings, have had to go online to communicate with each other and fans. And many music venues may be shut permanently. Portland the music town is in danger.
Lapsed Vinyl Goddess 