Monster Zero

On 6/7/2018 at 2:38 PM, Moose said:

Oh, hi. 

With Carson Wells, supporting Rod Jones from Idlewild's band The Birthday Suit at The Woodend Barn in Banchory. 

Beautiful venue but a bit bleak when 6 people show up (two of which were my Mum and Dad, on one of the only times they saw us). Sound was gash. The house bass amp that Huw was, for some reason, asked to use, kept cutting out, so he kept turning round to it mid-song. Given he was our lead singer at the time, all those 6 lucky individuals really witnessed was scratchy guitar and booming drums (due to the large, empty venue). This was also from our earlier years where our music was pretty rubbish/horrible anyway. It was just a noisy, hot mess that we've since agreed never to talk about that. 

And I said 'thanks to Rod Gilbert' whose someone else entirely. 

I was there!

Blade Runner 2049

I've seen the original more times than I care to think of, although more so in my teens than in recent years. This film looks amazing, kind of wish I got around to seeing it in the cinema. It's pretty good but rather slow moving and at just over 2.5 hours long I felt it could do with some superfluous stuff cut down but I seem to find that with most films over 2 hours these days. Think I need to rewatch, sometimes you just need to get the first view out of the way. 8/10

Death Rides a Horse

I love Spaghetti Westerns, found this one in the 2nd hand DVD section in Groucho's in Dundee. Lee Van Cleef is in it and Ennio Morricone does the music so therefore it is great. A guy whose family was slaughtered when he was a nipper and he witnessed it all seeks revenge as a gun slinging adult and Van Cleef sort of mentors him. 9/10

The Doors

Hadn't seen this in years. Thought it was great in my late teens when I was a huge Doors fan. It hasn't aged that well. Or maybe I just see it's flaws more now. The big concert scenes are still quite impressive and Val Kilmer shows great committment but the constant goofy grin, stary eyes and mugging into the camera are tedious. His fake beard is shite as well. 5/10

The Hobbit Trilogy

I wnted to re-watch the Lord of the Rings films with my son but he is pernickity and wanted to watch these first. I find them a struggle. The first one is kind of OK but the next 2 are pretty tedious, way too long and plot stretched too thin. Should have been 2 films max. There aren't as many engaging characters as in the LotR films and much as I like Martin Freeman he slips into Tim from The Office mode a bit at times. 6/10

Perhaps i'm missing something, or have some sort of out of kilter hearing, but this doesn't sound bad like others have made out. It seems kind of out of place, in that there arent many bands peddling this sort of thing these days that are on my radar at all, so in Aberdeen, the land where anything not punk or metal of some form is regarded with suspicion, this will seem positively freakish. It has a late 70's/80's feel to it, some of it reminded me of The The circa 'Mind Bomb'. I would enjoy it live I think.

Had an argument with someone in the pub last night, they were whining about him getting 14 minutes on the news, I stated that was probably not enough given the fact he is probably the most significant pop culture figure this country has ever produced...."get tae fuck, "Ziggy Stardust" was a fucking great album but he did fuck all else, he just reinvented himself about 6 times". Gave up at that point in disgust. And it's not like i'm even a Bowie fanatic, just appreciate and admire his imagination and ability to reinvent himself so consistently.

His albums from "The Man Who Sold the World" through to "Let's Dance" are all great in my mind. That's a fair run. Some of the later singles I heard were OK, never investigated the albums though. While "The Next Day" was pretty good it didn't blow me away, "Blackstar" is awesome though. Although I foresee a lot of copies appearing in charity shops due to nostalgia buyers finding it doesn't sound like his 70's stuff.

Adult colouring books. I refuse to be friends with anyone who owns one.

Yeah yeah, you say that but I bet if you were colouring in wrestlers you'd be all over that shit!

We should all be grateful to her for reminding us that having a novelty hit that is barely better than 'Agadoo' after conning folk into thinking an 'underground' following was actually a carefully orchestated pack of lies doesn't necessarily lead to future happiness. We can all learn a lesson here.Thanks Sandy.

 

 

*If you're doing it twice, we might as well do it three times. Dinna want one of the Sandies to feel left out.

Ha, no idea why it posted twice and it doesn't quite make the point the way intended. Hope Sandi doesn't come on here, she could mock my mistakes.

How exactly is anyone stabbing her in the back? It's hardly as though she's out there championing the cause of small-venue, local level music scenes? Ingrates? What the fuck do we have to be grateful to her for?! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT WORDS MEAN?!

xx

We should all be grateful to her for reminding us that having a novelty hit that is barely better than 'Agadoo' after conning folk into thinking an 'underground' following was actually a carefully orchestated pack of lies doesn't necessarily lead to future happiness. We can all learn a lesson here.

Thanks Sandi.

How exactly is anyone stabbing her in the back? It's hardly as though she's out there championing the cause of small-venue, local level music scenes? Ingrates? What the fuck do we have to be grateful to her for?! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT WORDS MEAN?!

xx

We should all be grateful to her for reminding us that having a novelty hit that is barely better than 'Agadoo' after conning folk into thinking an 'underground' following was actually a carefully orchestated pack of lies doesn't necessarily lead to future happiness. We can all learn a lesson here.

Thanks Sandi.

I've never been a full on rap fanatic, tend to dip in and out on occasion, not really aware of current stuff. I watched 'King of New York' for the first time in a while last week, which led to a quick look on Amazon to see the Schoolly D situation (couple of his songs on the soundtrack, usually horrendously expensive to get hold of his stuff), found 'Saturday Night (the Album)' going cheap these days so picked that up. Its OK, typically 80's mysoginist moments though. 'Am I Black Enough For Ya' still affa dear though.

There was a French lad who used to rap with Colin Austin's band (the name of which escapes me completely), he was pretty good. I think Cheens was the last one that made me think it was possible for Scottish rappers to not sound completely odd (for the same reasons as ca-gere).

A'ZI Cool I believe, saw them in Drummonds one time with Copy Haho, the lad Kuda and the French lad both rapped. I remember being pleasantly surprised that it was non-shit

Only took everyone 15 years to get the reference which pretty much confirms that it's a terrible name. They should have named themselves Earl of Sandwich before that other place took the name or at least put a sign saying what they are in the window.

You must have been well pissed off when you caught a Virgin train.

 The Punk Singer - documentary about Kathleen Hanna, lead singer pf Bikini Kill, Le Tigre and Julie Ruin, and also artist, feminist and activist. I've gushed at length before on this site about my admiration for Kathleen Hanna, but ICYMI, I love Kathleen Hanna, so Kathleen Hanna The Movie was always going to appeal to me. Predictably, I absolutely loved, it's probably not even that good, but for fans its a must-see.

*****

I recorded this on Sky a while back, thought it was pretty decent. I only own one Bikini Kill CD and all the Le Tigre ones, made me want to collect up more but for some reason all her back catalogue is crazy priced. I didnt know she was married to Ad Rock fromBeastie Boys either. For some reason I always thought she was a lesbian.

I also think Friends is unfairly maligned. I really like the last couple of seasons, all the relationship stuff was pretty much out of the way and there was just some good daft humour going on.

Just watched the Fargo TV series, really good, Billy Bob is ace in it.

Like I could actually find myself unemployed this year for the first time in 27 years....

Thought it was great, I watched it at the weekend too (maybe it was just whacked on Netflix? Not sure). Nothing to do with the real Frank at all, based on a novel by Jon Ronson I'm led to believe.

Brilliantly shot film, some wonderful performances.

Based on his time playing in Frank Sidebottom's band, so the keyboard player is a fictionalised version of himself, so I read anyway. Great film in any case.

I went to see 'To Kill a Mockingbird' last Friday, it was cleverly staged and really rather good.

Watched the first season a while back then got part way through the 2nd and got distracted, just binge watched the lot over the past couple of weeks, bought the DVD sets on the cheap. Good move because I will definitely rewatch, great television.

Enjoyed spotting ex-'Friends' cast....Ross' ex-wife's new wife Susan as Gretchen and Mr. Heckels as scrap yard owner.

Also took me a while to twig that Gus was Buggin' Out from 'Do the Right Thing'....

Oh yeah, I also bought The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream out of interest, its good but a strange concoction of sounds, like Springsteen mixed with Prince and even a bit of INXS.

The Twilight Sad - Nobody Wants to be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave also seemed very good on the sole listen thus far.

As usual I seem to buy more old shit by bands I have just discovered or bands I like who I didnt realise had new things come out over the past couple of years but I think all these came out this year and I liked them, in no particular order -

Various - Only Lovers Left Alive Soundtrack

Sunn O))) and Ulver - Terrestrials

A Winged Victory For the Sullen - Atomos

Mogwai - Rave Tapes

Sleaford Mods - Divide and Exit

Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence

Swans - To Be Kind

The Wytches - Annabel Dream Reader

Shellac - Dude Incredible

Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots

Goat - Commune

extnddntwrk - Just Tracks

I also finally gave in and bought 'Indie Cindy' by Pixies against my better judgement, which turned out to be surprisingly decent and I think I actually like it more than 'Trompe Le Monde'.

Haven't seen/heard many new local bands this year, Lenin Death Mask were great when I saw them.

Also -

Kitchen Cynics

Palace of Swords

Seas, Starry

Callahan

Min Diesel

Bisongrass

His Name Is Codeine

Flights

I've only had the one listen thus far but enjoyed it. Everything gels nicely together, which wasn't always the case on previous Das recordings, it sometimes felt like parts from different styles of song muddled together. The dual vocals work real good and it also sounds real good considering it seemed to be recorded in a relatively short space of time.

All in all, good effort folks

Saw them live about 5 years ago and thought they were pretty good. Although, I've never been arsed to properly listen to them. I do realise, by the way, i am god knows many years behind with this!. I was expecting them to be a bit more bonkers, however, its nothing that out of the ordinary really, apart from Nick Cave, his lyrics are fucking ace ( i think )...were talking about someone that has managed to use the word "Dandelion" TWICE on the same record!. That's the best bit about it really, Nick Caves lyrics and vocal approach, pretty hilarious. 3/5. 

 

 

Im a huge Nick Cave fan but never really took to this record, I found the second album much better. The remix version of that is great also.

Apparently some shops have decided just to not bother putting bags at the self checkouts at all which was a pain. A mate of mine fought the system by going home with his shopping in a basket.

Hass' must be the best chips I have had. Incredibly crispy outside while like mashed tattie inside. Awesome.

The Bay in Stoney is good but I find their chips could generally do with a bit longer cooking. When The Carron is on its game its superior for me. Sometimes consistency in the quality of the fish frying lets it down, there The Bay is pretty consistent.