Newsletter mailed 1st Sept with 419 new items on. Any subscriber who didn’t receive it please email me and I’ll re-send. Will update the website in the next few days.

Their strap line sums it up perfectly: With Guitars is a free online music magazine, put together by former music editors and journalists, covering Punk, Indie and Rock new and old.

Definitely one to bookmark!

Newcastle Record Fair

Saturday 28th August is the last of the current batch of record fairs at the British Legion Club, West Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne/ It’s just a small fair, only on from 12 – 4pm, but admission is free.

I’m hearing strong rumors that there’s going to be a bigger fair at the University of Northumbria in October. Hope that comes off. I’ll let you know when it’s confirmed.

All 167 items in the mod/ska section now have images added,

“… a nasty, worthless little record.” Tony Parsons, NME 1978

Formed in 1977 by Steve Ignorant and Penny Rimbaud, Crass were an English punk band, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism. The band both utilised and advocated a “Do It Yourself” approach, producing sound collages, graphics, albums and films.

“…it sounds as revolutionary and poisonous today as it did a quarter of a century before.” Tommy Udo, Metal Hammer, 2004

Crass also criticised and attempted to subvert the dominant culture with messages promoting feminism, anti-racism, anti-war, and anti-globalisation.

“…full of shit, spirited shit maybe, but let’s face it, Crass?  Precisely.” Garry Bushell, Sounds, 1978

The band were critical of the punk movement itself, as well as wider youth culture in general. Crass promoted the type of anarcho-pacifism that eventually became more common in the punk music scene. They are also considered part of the art punk genre, due to their use of tape collages, graphics, spoken word releases, poetry and improvisation.

“…one of the most influential bands in the history of rock.” George Berger, Sounds, 1990

Crass disbanded in 1984, just as their cryptic catalogue numbers suggested they might.  Before doing so, they altered the course of history.  Without Crass, would “D.I.Y” have meant what it did to the record industry? (They were the first band to form their own label to retain complete artistic control, as well as political and legal responsibility for their work, and to print the price (“pay no more than”) on the sleeve to prevent record stores from cashing in.)  Would Banksy mean the same in the art world? (Crass used stencil art to decorate the streets and tube stations of London with though-provoking agit-propagandist work.)  Would anti-globilisation protests be what they are? (Crass were lynchpins of the Stop The City demonstrations of 1983 and 1984.)  Crass had their phones tapped, were raised as a question of national security in Parliament, conned a teen magazine into distributing their subversive message as a cover-mounted flexi-disc.

Despite all of this, and having sold over a million and a half records, Crass are routinely written out of the rose-coloured nostalgia afforded to punk, rock, and their musical peers.  Thirty years on, are people still afraid to look Crass in the eye?

CRASS REISSUES

The Crassical collection is finally here and the first release is the newly re-mastered The Feeding Of The Five Thousand which will be released on the band’s own Crass Records. This seminal and influential album has been restored from the original analogue studio tapes, repackaged and bolstered by rare and unreleased tracks and stunning new artwork from Gee Vaucher (aka G Suss), who has lovingly breathed new life into her original work (feast your eyes below)

Also coming out this year will be Stations Of The Crass and Penis Envy.

STEVE IGNORANT TOUR AND BOOK

This September Southern Records will be publishing Steve’s autobiography The Rest Is Propaganda and will be selling it on his tour that is named ‘The Last Supper’ which he translates as “Crass songs 1977-1982 plus a few shocks, surprises, perhaps some slogans, but no tantrums and a bit of a laugh”. The once-only tour, never to be repeated, cross-our-hearts-hope-to-die. Or to put it more simply, not to be missed.

EXITSTENCIL RELAUNCH

This year will also see the relaunch of Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher’s imprint Exitstencil, with a whole host of reissues and new music, book, and film projects to be released. This year Acts Of Love by Penny Rimbaud & Eve Libertine (their first post-Crass work) and Penny Rimaud and Louise Elliott’s new work In The Beginning, as well as Vaucher’s book Much Ado About Something will also see the light of day.

PARANOID VISIONS

‘Black Operations In The Red Mist’

39 track 2xCD set: 130 minutes:  Label: Overground

Cat. No. OVER 124 CD

Release Date: 16th August 2010

Paranoid Visions, formed in 1981 were part of the early anarcho punk stable of bands…what made them different was that they were from Dublin in Ireland and this isolation resulted in them developing a unique sound.

Their debut 7” The Robot Is Running Amok and their debut LP Schizophrenia were released on The Mob’s All The Madmen label.

During the 1980s Paranoid Visions became a very succesful and borderline mainstream crossover act in their home country turning down several advances from major labels in order to keep the moral highground. Their track Beauty Queen appeared in the 1991 BAFTA winning and Oscar nominated movie The Commitments.
In 2005 the band reformed (having previously reformed for an offered slot on the Sex Pistols Filthy Lucre tour and later for a slot on The Damned’s 25th anniversary tour) and since then have been very prolific releasing three singles, two new albums and two back catalogue albums along with a live recording from the early 1990s.

2009 saw their last album Beware Of The God building on their commercial success in Ireland and expanding their fanbase worldwide. The album was voted the 107th best album in the history of Irish music by the Irish music industry.

This year will also see the band’s music appear in two films: 3 Crosses and Little Foxes (Cottbus Film Festival winner).

Black Operations In The Red Mist is a 39 track 2 x CD retrospective packed in a 20 page booklet with detailed band history, included six previously unreleased versions.

Track Listing:
Strobelight And Torture/ Asleep At The Wheel/ Autonomy/ Second Hand Daylight/ Missing In Action/ Ignore It/ Strange Girl/ Acts Of Love/ I Will Wallow/ TV Ads/ Sex Kills/ Vandals/ Don’t Vote For Freedom/ Lies/ Revolution/ Look At Me/ Creeping/ An Bfhuil Tu Sasta/ Home Sweet Home/ Fritzl’s Basement/ Visions/ Cycles Of Christs/ Politician/ Braindance/ The Feast/ The Bombsong/ War Is Over/ Fan The Flames/ Time Bomb/ I Will Wallow (’96 Version)/ Rhythm Of Injustice/ Something More/ Newtownism/ Adventure Playground/ Detention/ City Of Screams/ Against The Wall/ Fences/ Bondage (When We Get Out)

There’s a new record fair starting in Edinburgh at The Lot in the Grassmarket. The first two dates are September 4th and October 2nd. Even more good news admission is free.

Acquired the first 13 issues of the excellent Sex Pistols fanzine The Filth And The Fury. I suspect that’s all the issues there were.

If you’re not familiar with it, it was an excellent, high quality fanzine that pulled no punches, just like any good fanzine should be.

I’m not sure why it stopped, but I’m guessing the internet finished it off as people are now far more reluctant to buy printed mags. Shame!

All 217 items in the Gothic section now have images added to them. The last ones to have the images added were the promos, so apart from the pictured Danse Society ‘Wake Up’ 12″ promo with poster and press sheet, there were also X-Mal Deutschland ‘Sickle Moon’ 12″ promo, All About Eve ‘Phased’ 10″ promo, Red Lorry Yellow Lorry ‘Paint Your Wagon’ LP promo, Sex Gang Children ‘Beasts’ test pressing and much more.

Here’s the e-flyer for the Steve Ignorant gigs, please circulate.