Sinister: Free Jenowl Ram! Keep on smiling and everything will be cool...
Has anyone else noticed how June 5th will be the greatest day in the history of POP? Not only do wur ain B&S (copyright David Belcher, every review) release their breakthrough smash-hit album, but Magnetic Fields (I think) finally get a release date over here for 69 Love Songs, and Baxendale's (seminal. Perhaps) first album will be available for all you pop tarts. As if that weren't enough, the new Daphne and Celeste (official queens of P!O!P!, in my house anyway) single is finally out to warm our summer hearts and insult ugly people. You know, if someone were to tell me that the Visitors album is released that day as well I might just have to make June 5th national God Of Music Is Smiling On Me day. I never thought I'd be happy to see the rain, but this morning it came a pourin' down down down, after a week and a half of unseaonably (for Scotland) hot weather. I had gotten used to being permanently sweaty, then I was just wet. And now it's sunny again, so, er, yay probably. I'm so fickle. It was 19C last night at 1am, which is a bloody miracle. The sporting Gen said:
I blame this all on the alluring Velocity..she's got me all a titter with talk of girl Sinister FC taking on the boys.
I keep trying to get more girls to play, but none ever do, much to my disappointment. However, I have been promised a game on the girls side, as long as Vel can find a dress to fit me. I bet the girls are better than the boys, anyhow. And prettier. Except Nick Dastoor, as no-one is better at footie or prettier than him. And that's a fact. Speaking of ol' mousy, he uttered:
I blame Alasdair's malicious gossip
after former listee Chris said:
pop down to london sometime, and say hello. I hear that you have a scene down there, while ally or someone agreed with me that in glasgow its just mostly normasl people who like the music..... as opposed to sequin studded TWEE folk.
Aaah, I knew there had to be a reason why I keep coming down to see you London lot. It's not because I like you all loads, no no no, it's so I can laugh at you all behind your backs for being pretentious and TWEE and just generally all arseholes. Of COURSE! Mark was also heard to mutter:
If you make some sandwiches or bagels or, heaven forbid, bring a camping stove, you're bound to get a big wet kiss from Ally/Erica*, depending on your preference. *subject to me not getting a clout round the earhole from one of the aforementioned lovelies.
No clouts forthcoming. Any plan that gets me more snogs is generally welcomed by me, although I'm not sure when I got promoted to the status of male Erica in terms of good-lookingness. An obvious oversight on Casarotto's part, I'll let it go for obvious reasons. If you're so very good looking then why are you on your own etc etc sob sob. (Is this pathetic attempt to win sympathy and friends fooling anyone? Anyone? Beuller? Sorry, Ian did that one didn't he?). Now here's Robbo:
Cookie you're not welcome at this picnic you big Glaswegian nob end, if you come I will have to shove a metronome set to maximum cha cha up your pettite derrier and run you over with a flymo.
Martin, if you even THINK about coming near me with a metronome OR a flymo I will shove my fist so far down your throat I'll be able to retrieve the remnants of last night's lasagna from your stomach. Which I will then take great pleasure in smearing all over your stupid, Morrissey-quiffed head. Not that I'm a violent man, but some people eh? Your turn, Martin. This morning, as I dragged myself out of bed after about 4 hours sleep, I sat up and through the haze of my half-closed eyes, a vision appeared before me. The words "What people used to eat" were just there, in front of my eyes, which was really fucking weird, but anyway the upshot of it all is that now I'm forced to do the first in an occassional series, entitled "What people used to eat." This week, "What people used to eat: During World War 2". Elspeth McIver of Clydebank recalls "I remember the bombs, you know? Yes, lots of bombs. And the planes. German, I think they were. Yes, German. What with the rationing we had in those days; we had rationing during the war, did you know that? What with the rationing, there were lots of things you couldn't get to eat. And sometimes a German pilot would crash-land in the town square. They were very tasty. A bit salty, mind, but substantial. We'd have a party in the square while we roasted the German over an open fire. Ah, those were the days. It was wartime, you see, so everyone just pulled together. Not like today's society, with these vandals who sit on my lawn. At least Hitler had the decency to kill himself." While Ronny Jones of Coventry says "I was stationed over in Egypt, you see. I fought in the Second World War. We won, did you know that? Against the Germans. And the Japs. Little slanty eyed beggars. Never trust a Jap, that's what I say! And look at me! Anyway, they have camels in Egypt, did you know that? They're very big are camels, lots of meat on them. Anyway, food was short, it was wartime you see, so we had to find alternative sources of nourishment. So what we did was, we ate the sand. Very good for you, sand is. Lots of protein. And there was plenty of it, so we never went hungry. It was wartime, you see, so everyone just pulled together. Not like today's society, with these vandals who sit in my shed. At least Winnie had the decency to defend Poland." Right, for anyone who's still reading, here is a transcript of some of B&S's press conference, as featured in The List magazine. Enjoy. Q: You're fond of Scotland, so how come you're holding this press conference in London? SM: To save you a train fare RC: No, he's from the list. SM: Sorry. If we were doing this in Glasgow you wouldn't get away with it. People would be like "who the fuck do you think you are?". Q: Your fans have a reputation for being scarily obsessive. Why? RC: Do these people look obsessive to you? (points to fans) Q: Er, no. A FAN (i.e. "Scary Obsessive" Casarotto): Your fans are obsessive because you're the best band in the world! Q: Why don't you do interviews? SM: We did a few right at the start and I did a few personally. I just kind fo went off the idea. I just didn't particularly enjoy them too much. Q: Why? SM: Well, talking about yourself is quite a weird thing to do. I felt like bit of an idiot. I think we've all been frustrated by talking openly to people and then what you've said being misinterpreted and put out of context. The only answer is simply not to do them. I think by inviting everybody here there is no way of what we say being misinterpreted because there are so many people here. Q:By being here rather than in Glasgow is this an concerted effort to get the attention of more people? To get bigger? To get on TOTP? IC: I'd love to be on TOTP. RC: Holding a press conference like this is just a good thing to do. Play a few records afterwards, get a little party going. MC: Also it's an obvious thing to do, all the press is here in London. It's practical. CG: Also I think if we did this in Glasgow we'd be perceived as being really awkward people. Q: Aren't you perceived as being awkward anyway? IC: We're not awkward people actually, we're just not puppets. There's a huge difference, you know. Q: Has it ever occured to you that by not playing the game, by not marketing yourselves, that this, and I'm not saying this is in any way deliberate, is how you are now marketed? MC: Well that is frustrating, if that is overshadowing the music. Speaking personally, if that is the case then I'm not pleased that that is what we're known for. Q: Where did the new album title come from? SM: The album title actually came from a piece of graffitti written on the back of a toilet door. It was 1986 and I was new to the college and new to the city and I thought: "Why should somebody write that? Is that from a book that I shoudl have read?" I was very impressionable at the time and it seemed like a really smart and serious thing; it really stuck in my head. Q: What's the get-up in the new press shots? (Photos of the band in aristocratic gear, Chris & Mick as Little Lord Fauntleroy types etc) Well, we spent quite a long time making the LP and recorded it in a fairly plush studio in a posh area of Glasgow and sometimes I'd pinch myself on the way to work in the morning. I feel incredibly privileged and ask what am I doing in this place that looks like Star Trek? We al feel privileged so that's maybe why I suggested everybody dress up in aristocratic gear. A FAN:(Do we know who? I think someone mentioned it but can't remember - AC) There is a song on the new album, 'Chalet Lines', and perhaps I'm being idealistic, but is it right that you as a man should be singing a song in first person about a woman being raped? SM: It's a story about somebody I worked with at Butlins years ago. I try to empathise, to fit it into a song. There's no more or less drama within the song, I think. That's as much as I can really say. Q: What about live dates? RC: We're working on that just now, we're taking our time, we've got to get the sound of it right, y'know. There's no definite dates right now. We want it to be spot on. MC: It'll be late summer. Q: Did you hear Steps, when receiving some awards for selling the most tickets or something, make a crack about "at least it wasn't B&S." What did you think of that? (I think Steps in fact thanked B&S for not being up for the award, if memory serves. It was for most albums sold I think. - AC) SM: It's a bit of a laugh, really. I haven't heard many of their records, but it strikes me they come from an older school of entertainment than the average boy or girl band. You'll probably take me out of context, but they're sort of freaks. They're a strange sort of holiday camp type thing. But y'know, good for them. They sell zillions more records than us. Q: If Steps are just entertainment does that mean you aspire to producing something higher? CG: Well, when you spend a year, a year and a half working on a record, you maybe hope that it's a bit less disposable than Steps, but that's no disrespect the fine productions of Pete Waterman. If you put that amount of your life into something you hope it's of some value. Obviously, you can't judge that yourself. SM: It's kind of up to you to decide what you prefer, because we do what we do because we enjoy it. We feel we have to do it, at least at some points we have to do it, we have to write songs, and of course for Steps it means as much to them. It's just you have to decide what you think. Q: Where does your obsession with buses come from? SM: Glasgow's got a great public transport system, the best in the world. Especially since First Bus took over from Strathclyde Buses it's been even better. You've got to experience it. If I've written about buses in songs in the past it's because I've spent a lot of time on buses, or I have done. It changed my life when I got my first bus pass (Roars of laughter around the room). You may laugh, but at the time I was on the dole and it made a big difference. Q: Why as a band do you come over as so fey and underachieving? RC: Leave it out with the underachieving; we've got a Brit award, mate. Mind, we probably shambled into that in an indie-like fashion. It's people reading into the music and people think that's what we're like. Which is fair enoguh, but personally, I'm not like that. Q: I heard a rumour you've been pictured in a leopard skin catsuit. Is this a homage to Rod Stewart? SM Yes, it was. I was thinking of making Christmas cards. It was years ago. There's a lovely picture of Rod. MC: It's on Blondes have more fun. SM: I've only seen a postcard of it. It's all this (gesturing the contours of a catsuit) with the horse and stuff. Great picture, y'know. So me and my friend Andrew trudged out on a freezing day, I had on leopard skin trousers and a denim jacket. We took pictures but they were all out of focus. I never made the Christmas cards. Q: There was an article in the Face recently saying contemporary music has little substance and nothing to say of social relevance. Do you think you have a responsibility to speak for people? SM: The only responsibility we have is to make good records. Well said sir. At last this post ends. Sod that 15 minute rule, this has taken me bloody ages to write and it's still rubbish. Alasdair xx +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead 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 +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Dear Sinister, Hurrah! the picnic season is with us again! There is one small problem - the burden of trying to devise an outfit which is suitable for both day AND evening wear. But otherwise, yes! very exciting. I say this every year and no one ever asks, but other than Martin's find-a-stray picnic-er stratergy, I'd be quite willing to meet scaredy-cats at the station and show them the way. I've got quite used this 'showing people around' idea, as I'm called upon by Hertford Council every so often to do my 'Civic' (duty, that is) and say hello and goodbye to people coming in and out of the Castle. Thrilling. It's good experience for dealing with old ladies, however, which is good, if, like me, you spend long stretches of time rifiling around their clothes. I have a theory that it's because I wear clothes from Hertford's charity shops that old ladies favour me so much. It's quite likely, considering Hertford's old biddy to boy racer ratio than I'm wearing the clothes of a dead friend of theirs. Their mind, quietly withering, notes the dress and feels familiarity. Or maybe I am really just a Nice Young Lady.
I keep trying to get more girls to play, but none ever do, much to my > disappointment. However, I have been promised a game on the girls side,
I played football at a picnic once. I even persuaded Lixi to come and play with me. And do you know what we did? We ran away from the ball flapping our hands around. Not the best example. Learning from my mistakes, I tend to jeer/leer from the sidelines these days.
welcomed by me, although I'm not sure when I got >promoted to the status of male Erica in terms of good->lookingness.
Ally, are you sure that's such a good thing? You know if you're the male-me people will call on you to give out kisses willy nilly (Casarotten, NO!) and generally assume you're a bit of an air-head. I hear that's the current insult du jour, anyway. It's all my fault, of course. I mean, fancy dressing up in nice clothes and having a silly accent like mine. Madison Avenue are at number one! Brilliant. Erica x The House of Scarlet http://welcome.to/houseofscarlet +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead 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 +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Hi there Sinister, Props to Alasdair for posting the transcript of the press conference. This is my favorite part (and the part about the bus pass).
SM: The album title actually came from a piece of graffitti written on the back of a toilet door. It was 1986 and I was new to the college and new to the city and I thought: "Why should somebody write that? Is that from a book that I should have read?" I was very impressionable at the time and it seemed like a really smart and serious thing; it really stuck in my head.
Isn't it nice to imagine Stuart wandering around the university, looking grave and impressionable? I like the way Stuart recounted it; clearly everything I said in my previous post about Stuart not being reconciled to his past is nonsense. Most everything he says seems full of good sense and not pretentious and gentle and friendly. Even when he curses. I ordered "Legal Man" online. I haven't been to any record stores in my neighborhood. I think it's because I feel too old. Young people today are too cool to be awkward like indie(?) kids used to be in the past. That's what happened in the transition from minority to majority status: the difference between the eighties and the nineties. And in the aughts will it get any better (or no worse)? On Sunday, I went to the store and saw a really nice looking boy. He was carrying a carton of orange juice. He had on a navy blue jacket and an orange T-shirt. He was really pale and had dark hair and the nape of his neck looked really delicate. It would be like kissing the creamy petals of some flower. Oh, if I could seem him every Sunday, how happy I would be! On Monday, he officially called her "my girlfriend". Is it incredibly naive to have believed that he could live alone with her and not be with her? Robin's posts always seem to be out of the twenties or thirties when people rode bicycles with one huge wheel and one small wheel and most everybody lived in a small town and there was this grocer boy and a village green and bright sunshine and walking by the river, sort of like the "Rico and Fergus in Ayr" picture. Fergus - a very proper name. All right. Good-bye for now. Youn +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead 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 +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+
participants (3)
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Alasdair Cook MC1996 -
Erica MacArthur -
Youn J. Noh