Graham Knight

Amazingly good video - well done Alex and Co

Thanks Chris - must be a flashback! I'm out of step and outta time. Seriously though - Howard was great at the Lemon tree on Sunday night - that is Sunday 21st October 2007. pass the orange juice.

It is good to Howard Marks being praised on this site. Howard was in great form on Sunday night and as Psydoll says "he's an intelligent guy" and despite his lifestyle he still has a good memory and is as sharp as ever. During his "performance" he mentioned the ups and downs of an electrical "sine wave" a couple of times and later on, after the onstage question and answer session, I asked if he remember "Ohm's Law" - and he sure did. There is nothing addled about Howard's brain! It was a great night. Graham

If you really want cheap then the Gershwin has all kinds of accomodation from 10 to a room dormitory-style, to honeymoon suites. The cheapest starts at about 20 a night if you are prepared to share with 9 others. As befits a hotel with a musical name - it is a pretty hip sort of place with lots of pop-art style decoration both inside and out. Wi-Fi Internet, central location etc. check it out at this website which spells everything out in graphic detail. Gershwin Hotel - New York There is a nice Steinway in the bar - maybe you could sing for your supper!

That is quite amazing. A great find. Thanks for providing this link.

The new Scottish administration is planning tax breaks for musicians and writers similar to the scheme that has been operating in Eire for the last thirty years. The Irish scheme has helped many Irish musicians and over there performers do not pay income tax on performance fees or on royalties received. The following paragraphs are excerts from an article in today's Sunday Times: Scots plan tax break for artists by Jason Allardyce THE row over handouts and benefits on offer in Scotland but not in England is set to intensify with plans to offer tax breaks to writers, painters and musicians north of the border. The scheme will give artists tax breaks worth up to 15,000 a year. The Scottish National party hopes it will stimulate the countrys cultural output. Scottish ministers have already announced the scrapping of university tuition fees and cuts in business rates for most small companies The new proposals due to be announced in the autumn are aimed at encouraging home-grown writers, musicians and painters to stay in Scotland as well as attracting talent from elsewhere. Artists would continue to pay the Inland Revenue and would then be able to claim a rebate from the Scottish executive. Among its supporters is Irvine Welsh, the millionaire Scottish author of Trainspotting, who moved to Dublin to take advantage of Irish tax breaks. Welsh has told Alex Salmond, the first minister, that applying the perk to Scotland would help to increase cultural output. Other supporters include the painter Peter Howson. Ian Rankin, author of the Rebus detective novels, said the reality was that most writers earned less than the minimum wage. My first novel earned me 200 in 1986 and you couldnt live on that for a year, he said. I can see people complaining, but I think Scotland has to look to culture and the arts as a viable part of the economy. The whole article can be read on line at this link: Scots plan tax break for artists - Times Online As some of the Scottish musicians I know don't earn 15,000 a year - let alone pay 15,000 in income tax - I think this proposed change is to be encouraged. Graham

If you are serious about wanting to visit Amsterdam's museums here is some information: There are plenty of priceless Rembrandt's and Vermeer's at the Rijksmuseum. Philips Electrical are sponsoring this exhibition while the main museum is renovated. The Nemo museum, near Central Station is unusual in as much as many of the displays are interactive and you see technology in a new light. The building itself is easy to spot as it looks like a ship. For relaxation you could try the Torture Museum which houses all sorts of horrific but real devices that were once in common use. The University has a very interesting Computer Museum that houses a huge variety of computers beginning with "valve" and "relay" models from 1947 through "Pets" and "Apples" and Dutch "Tulip PCs" to modern games units. The Rikjsmuseum houses no end of works by Rembrandt and Van Gogh - very traditional and very crowded - get there early to avoid the inevitable queues. The "Theater Museum" is very good and the "Backstage" area will be especially interesting to musicians. The "Theater Museum" is on the edge of the "grey area" mentioned in previous posts. Almost anything is available there to stimulate or satisfy you - don't be afraid to ask! A special guide to the City called "Mellow Pages" has recently become available again and is well worth purchasing as soon as you arrive. You can buy a one-day, or a three-day "All of Amsterdam Transport Pass" that gives you unlimited transport on any bus, tram or train. If you like steaks, the very best in Amsterdam are available at "Gauchos Argentinian Steakhouse" - it is near the Kraznapolsky Hotel, just off Dam Square, on the busy street that leads to the area you say you are NOT going to visit. Enjoy Amsterdam

I have been to Korea and Japan many times. Both countries have a vibrant and astonishly varied music scene - everything from old-style Do Wop groups to ultra modern, avant-garde punk. The best thing your Dad could do is to bring back a pile of the Japanese and Korean music magazines that he will see on the airport newstands. The music press is very colourful and it is easy to get the gist of what the articles are saying. They often use English in advertisements and many of the magazines have demo CD's. A few of these magazines will certainly give you some wild ideas. If you click on the link below, the lower half of the page that appears has links to six Japanese groups that are in regular touch with me. If you persevere and dig into these sites you will find that as well as having links to Japanese and Korean music companies, promoters, gigs etc they also have message boards. If you post a message in English - you will be surprised at how many musicians will reply. KYLE ESPLIN - Mr BOOGIE WOOGIE - picks links to the World's best Rock 'R' Roll websites Japan and Korea are both huge markets for music. Toshiba is EMI's partner there, JVC's label is mainly jazz and "far-out" groups, Sony has a massive operation that runs the gamut of all types of music from classical to George Michael.

Some suggestions for Brother Elwood Hi Elwood, You have already had excellent advice from members in reply to your query but here is some more: Be super-critical with yourself and pick the five best compositions. Forget the rest and work up that five along with some colleagues - no doubt their musical input will spark your creativity further. Book a short amount of studio time and get the five recorded - you don't need much time as you will already be fully rehearsed. Forget "giving them to friends". Concentrate on getting your recordings up on YouTube as soon as possible together with some interesting and not too zany facts about the musicians. Give copies to people who will play your music on the radio or people who may book you. Make your friends pay for their copies and aim to recover your recording costs quickly. Offer them a "buy one - get one free deal" and that way your music will spread quicker. Tell them you will personally autograph them and they will soon be worth a fortune on e-bay. I was trying to think of a possible name for the band and have read and re-read your original post. It is a short story and there is not much to go on. Perhaps the Short Stories especially if you are tall. The word eclectic glares out at me from your post but when I check there is already an Eclectic Voices group registered to say nothing of Eclectic Records who are also based in Scotland - so no Eclectic suggestions. Gnomes Of Zurich also springs to mind but there is already a group using that name. Your post mentions a connection with Switzerland and say your music is multi-faceted so how about Swiss Army Knive? The three words are instantly recognised as running together and the name is associated with a product that combines many different things - like your music. Short Stories, or Swiss Army Knife each has the advantage of being names that the public already know and are therefore easily remembered. Both names should easily inspire you to think creatively about posters. Think about incorporating your chosen name into a title for your instrumental. For example: Short Stories Stomp or Sharp as a Swiss Army Knife. Enough advice from me - hope this helps. Go for it! PS "Different Cuts from Swiss Army Knife" wouldn't be a bad title either.

No problem. I'd be happy to answer your questionaire. Graham

E-Bay Cancels Big Bopper The on-line auction house E-Bay has withdrawn the casket from sale.

The Big Bopper died in the same plane crash as Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens. He was buried back then in 1959. Now the original burial casket is for sale on e-bay (the details are copied below) I've know many musicians who have done strange things but it seems this rock'n'roll pioneer's family are even stranger. read on - if you must!! (Buddy Holly) BIG BOPPERS ORIGINAL 1959 BURIAL CASKET Item number: 220118994998 Starting bid: US $249,999.00 Place Bid > Shipping costs: Pickup only - see item description for details Ships to: Will arrange for local pickup only (no shipping). Item location: Beaumont, TX, United States History: 0 bids Listing and payment details: HideShow Starting time: Jun-04-07 17:36:05 PDT Starting bid: US $249,999.00 Duration: 10-day listing Payment methods: Money order/Cashiers check See details Meet the seller Seller: bill-rockin50s( 1253) Feedback: 99.9% Positive Member: since Aug-21-99 in United States Description The Original 1959 Casket That The Big Bopper Was Buried In Buddy Holly (Charles Hardin Holley), Ritchie Valens (Richard Valenzuela), and the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) were killed, along with the pilot, on February 3, 1959 in that tragic plane crash that shook the world. The Big Bopper was known worldwide for his hit "Chantilly Lace", followed by "Big Boppers Wedding", and others. He also wrote the #1 songs "White Lightning" (hit by George Jones) and "Running Bear" (hit for Johnny Preston).He set the world record for staying on the air as a DJ in 1957, and made what is recognized as the first music videos (for that particular purpose) in 1958, plus much more. The Big Boppers funeral was held at Broussards Funeral home in Beaumont, Texas on February 6, 1959, and he was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Beaumont. (See the black and white photo showing the casket of the Big Bopper at the funeral.) Forest Lawn Cemetery wanted to exhume the Big Boppers body (and his wife Teensie) and move them to a different part of the cemetery. The Boppers son, Jay Richardson, agreed and this was completed on March 6, 2007. The Big Bopper was reburied in a new casket. (See the color photo of the casket on the trailer after the exhumation was completed.) My name is Bill Griggs and I represent Jay Richardson and was present at that exhumation. I watched the burial vault containing the casket come out of the ground. I watched the opening of the vault to reveal the original 1959 casket. I also watched as that casket was opened and the body of the Big Bopper (which had been amazingly preserved) was removed and transferred to the new casket. I also acted as a pallbearer for the Big Bopper as his body was reburied at the new site in the cemetery. Therefore, I am a first hand witness to the fact that this is the original 1959 casket that contained the body of the Big Bopper. (You can read my report of the exhumation proceedings at http://www.rockin50s.com/exhumation.htm Since then, all the interior furnishings of the casket (cloth, pillow, etc) has been medically burned and the original casket cleaned and treated. Jay would like to see this piece of musical history end up in a museum of sorts, where it could be a centerpiece display, but will sell it to anyone who is interested. It is made of very heavy gauge steel and is extremely heavy. (Six of us could not pick it up and two more people were needed to do it.). Because of the size and weight, arrangement must be made to pick this up in person unless the buyer wants to arrange for freight delivery privately. Payment is to be made with any type of transfer of funds, agreeable to both parties, within ten days of the end of this auction. The casket will not be released until such funds have been properly cleared and placed in the bank account of Jay Richardson. This is not a copy or reproduction, this is the ORIGINAL 1959 BATESVILLE MONOSEAL CASKET that the Big Bopper had been buried in. Bonus Items! As Jay Richardson is in hopes that a museum will purchase this historic piece and to help with a proper display of this item, along with the casket, the buyer will ALSO receive: 1. The ORIGINAL thank you letter, dated February 16, 1959, from the Galion Metallic Vault company, the company that made the vault that held the casket. 2. The ORIGINAL thank you letter, dated February 12, 1959, from the Batesville Casket Company for using their patented Monoseal casket. 3. A set of color photos showing the grave being opened with a backhoe, the vault coming out of the ground, the casket out of the vault, and so on. Note, no photos showing the body will be included. 4. An 8"x10" b&w promotional photograph of the Big Bopper that Jay Richardson believes has never been previously published. (Copyright for this remains with Jay Richardson.) This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire such a historical item from 1959 that can be fully documented. Good luck.