Ok so I've bitten my hands long enough. I've decided to respond to big stu's Tibet/china thing. Last night at Carsmiles 30th (props to the London massive who showed there faces, simply too many for me to start to mention without missing some out) someone mentioned it, and I couldn't help chuck in my twopenneth. I said to others I greatly respected Stu's braveness to stand against the tide/go against the grain. I wish more of us would do this. But strongly disagreed with stuff the Chinese Government want us to believe. I perhaps shouldn't have been surprised at how strongly others I spoke to also disagreed with Big Stu. It's really odd to be reeling (well, hopefully creatively responding rather than reacting) against - i my opinion - indoctrination form a Government other than the US or UK. But first off Happy 30th Birthday + Wedding Anniversary to Mr+Mrs Carsmile/Steve. welcome to your thirties Steve. It's not so bad see? And only 6 weeks to Glastonbury! It sounds like I might be joined in the Buddhafield tent by a sinister-bod other than the one I bump into at the London Buddhist Centre. That B&S+Buddhism yahoo subgroup really isn't so far away :) I'm not sure there will be sinister-group shamanic journeying at glasto though will there? Check out Dharmarucci if anybody fancies it in the greenfields. For those unhappily without tickets I can only offer my empathy, together with gratitude to Ian Anscombe for the tip that enabled me to get mine. Next year sounds like it'll literally be a lottery. For those with no interest in Glastonbury, you *might* not know what your are missing. And B&S are playing. Talking of favoured artists, a little bird by the name of, well the man himself, tells me that the parish's very own Stefano Santabarbara will be an honoured performing guest at the Nick Drake Tribute event this summer. It's free, and marks the 30th anniversary of Nick's death. 21/8/04 Tanworth-in- Arden, Warwickshire. I know loads of us are big Nick Drake fans, so thought you might like to know this. details so far are at http://www.geocities.com/ndtg2004/index.htm Might I suggest the likes of The Pines, the Foxgloves or our very own Chris Leonard form North of the border might offer their services too, should they be so inclined? Indeed perhaps I might finally get to hear the Red-bull dozers for the first time (if I remember the name right mr Chu?) well anyway. If any of said performers need a nearby place to rest their heads I might be able to help out chez the parents, though I'll be zipping off back down South to see the Pixies at big corporate festival the following day. (any Brixton tix spare anyone?) Also the Elliot Smith London Tribute show is I understand coming along in its planning stages. I'll post whenever there is some concrete news. Some folks are working really hard to make this happen so support when it does (for charidee of course, will be more than essential please!) and if you happen to be in a band called Belle & Sebastian and want to play at it, I'd imagine it'd be worth contacting the organisers through the yahoo group. erm...whose details I can pass on. Tibet. it's off topic? well no actually, for me it's not. I've written and referenced the importance of politics to B&S themselves, their fans/lifestyle, etc etc, I won't reference myself again, but search the archives, read, then e me off list if you disagree. *please*. I'd much rather be challenged that anyone harbour resentment. I'm not going to go over Stu's points one buy one, as I'd spend longer than you or I have doing that. Instead I'll provide this link as a starting place, which it's unlikely you'll choose to click on... http://www.freetibet.org/info/facts/home.html it really is hard to know where to start with stuff Stu said. I'm not in Tibet. He is/was. I suppose I'll have been present at testimonies of torture in Tibet during my Amnesty International Days c1992-1996 at Uni, read a wee bit, been a member of Free Tibet for a year or two and then having been drawn to eastern philosophies, and been involved in Buddhist centres etc for a few years [to the point that when someone asks me if I'm a Buddhist, I finally am answering yes] it's natural I take a bit of an interest. I also believe there are others on-list probably better informed than me. I'll avoid the Tibet/Buddhism history rant as well. I'm not a Tibetan Buddhist (I'm more pic'n'mix FWBO for anybody that cares) but I have friends who are. It is fair to say Tibet compared to Nepal locally, or many many many other states worldwide, might be over-represented in the amount of activism done in its name overseas, BUT it is reasonably unique in it's frequently non-violent (and thus primarily unsuccessful) defence of itself in so many ways. That for me is why others get involved. If only the US & UK answered calls from pressure groups to reward peaceful activism/opposition instead of or in unison with wielding the big stick, they might have got a lot more respect/support for the anti-terror campaign. I won't use the word 'war' in that context. it's too silly. Safe to say I strongly disagree with a significant amount of what Stu says, to the point that I'm genuinely surprised to read some of it. 'Nuff said. As Bucks Fizz didn't say, make your own minds up. For once I have more 'real' content. I've said to a few people how I've come to the conclusion that I've maybe never really forgiven B&S for stopping being B&S circa 1996/1997. I've said to people that the friends I've made through Sinister are even more important to me than the band. Certainly Sinister has probably kept alive an interest in a band that might have otherwise waned at times. Many people have understood this, yet said DCW has swung them back to our heroes, and I think whilst my swingometer took a while to warm up, I'm glad to say I'm more excited to see them than I have been in many many years. The Saturday seems to be the Somerset House gig people I know are going to. (usual apologies for London-centricity). Will be m'ladys first B&S experience which will be exciting for us, as Glasgow is looking increasingly unlikely which grates rather. Rather than being Grate. Free gig. mmmm. It's an odd one, not being able to let go of an era of a band that you loved so much, to the extent you probably don't objectively enjoy newer material as much as you might, as if you'd discovered them around that later time. I guess it is a sign of just *how* much I liked/loved/adored b&s then. this isn't meant to be the indie snobbery I'm sure it reads as. maybe it's me owning that a little bit? I know I've spoken to many current/ex-sinister types who can relate to at least part of what I'm trying to say. I've never felt like wading in to discussion of new material and moaning its not what I want from them, harping on about the moment I heard the state I'm in on Peel's Festive 50, etc etc. I do know what I'm like(!) Maybe part of the resurgence of interest is because I can relate to the opening lines of 'If you find yourself caught in love'. That always makes things interesting doesn't it? I'm actually a bit excited about a release too. An indie funk Bohemian Rhapsody? Next I'll start begging to fill the myriad of gaps in my not owning lots of unreleased stuff. (not very subliminal warning to people that know me). It certainly is a delight to be able to lend the complete works of Belle & Sebastian to a virgin (not virgin radio [I think] ) listener and share in their enthusiasm after early listens to TM & IYFS. I look forward to re/discovering some of the later stuff that I didn't allow myself to get into, quite as much as I might have. Yours unapologetically (for the politics) jim x PS http://www.boycottmadeinchina.org/ I never got let into a premier oils shareholders meeting to kick off about their stuff in Burma (they conveniently didn't process stuff in time) but it is a bit satisfying when activism actually works, and companies like Premier Oils have to listen to shamed major shareholders. I don't do as much as I should these days, stuff like Oxfam + Friends of the Earth's email campaigns are pretty easy ways to email/fax your MP/MEP etc) , but I'm not going to apologise for a considered view that happens to coincide with a 'liberal majority'. PPS I do appreciate the irony of the fact that as 'she' (m'lady) is flying to China as I speak, it's pretty likely I'll be owning a small gift that was indeed made in China soon (!) A bit like my boycott of the Israeli Tivali vegetarian foods, then buying a US made veggie-bacon thing instead! It's not easy is it! http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/boycotts/boycotts_list.htm oh and while your at it http://www.boycottbush.net/consumers.htm I think it's ok to go to the park and kick a ball though. well, maybe that depends where you buy your ball ;) is there anybody else I can upset? probably, I better not go on. I see Michael Moore is battling shareholders of US film companies etc to get a release for his new film. Good-oh! did I just hear a Pinefox rustle in the distance, or was that my imagination? thank you for indulging me. back to the wilderness. +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "peculiarly deranged fanbase" +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +-+ "frighteningly named Sinister List organisation" - NME May 2000 +-+ +-+ "sick posse of f**ked in the head psycho-fans" - NME June 2001 +-+ +-+ Nee, nee mun pish, chan pai dee kwa +-+ +-+ Snipp snapp snut, sa var sagan slut! +-+ +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+