Sinister: she thinks she's a mystery to all, but I've seen what's behind those eyes

[Mark Hester]

Hello everyone.  Especially Ken, to whom I say, "Here I am!  I'm still 
subscribed to the list!  This is proof!"

I read Stuart's diary today for the first time this year and I was 
particularly taken by this:

"So I got this tune, and it’s kind of a Big Star thing. And a bit 
boogieish."

I must say this all sounds very exciting - I love Big Star...the story of 
how they failed to get the success they deserved due to record company 
incompetence and general misfortune is a very sad one.  If you - any of you 
- have not got their Radio City and #1 Record albums then put that right 
straightaway!  The third album - variously known as Big Star's Third, Sister 
Lovers or Femme Fatale is in contrast a rather mixed affair - as befits an 
album with 3 different titles - I think the band was on the verge of 
disintegration by then.  For the record, the first ever fellow sinisterine I 
ever met, Rosamund, gave me a tape of Big Star singer Chris Bell's solo 
album.  Anyway, enough Big Star stuff already!  Stuart continues:

"But then I had the notion that we might strip it back with the discipline 
of New Order type drums and choppy guitar. Then it might become something 
which you could dance to. Because that is important. We want to take you 
from your bed to the dance floor. If there was a ten-year plan for the 
original fan it was to take you from your bedroom to the floor. No question. 
But as with most ten-year plans you won’t find much mention at the outset of 
the ten years!"

It just gets better and better doesn't it?  The last time B&S sounded New 
Orderish must've been on "Electronic Renaissance" where the bassline and 
some of the synths sound suspiciously like "Procession".  I have no qualms 
about B&S going in a more dancey direction...if there are two things that 
have perplexed me about attitudes to their recent material it must be:

~ All of the "Your Cover's Blown" hate that went around.  Personally, I love 
it.  It's much better than, say, "Legal Man", where I felt that the band 
knew what they wanted to achieve but somehow weren't quite able to pull it 
off.

~The fact that the startling Young Marble Giants cover the band did for one 
of the rough Trade 25th anniversary compilations passed without comment on 
this board.


Have you noticed how lots of old bands are reforming and recording new 
material?  Last night I went to see House of Love who were amazing.  All 
those old songs I never thought I'd ever get the chance to hear live, "Shine 
On", "The Beatles and the Stones", "Christine", "I Don't Know Why I Love 
You", all performed to perefection. And the original guitarist, Terry 
Bickers, is back with them.  In a few weeks I shall be seeing the Wedding 
Present at the same venue, but Pop Will Eat Itself aren't putting in an 
apperance here, unfortunately.

Ann Foreyt, I can tell you that the Glasgow sinisters are an extremely 
friendly bunch and I am sure they will e-mail you with suggestions of things 
to do and places to go.  Also, why don't you join this mailing list on yahoo 
groups

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/the_winchester_club/

it's the list for the Winchester Club which takes place at the Woodside 
Social Club.  I went there after the Botanic Gardens gig last summer and had 
a great time.  I really recommend checking it out.

Robin wrote:

"It's a terrifying building and I suspect it was built by ghosts, long ago. 
" about the Royal Infirmary.  There's a very good track by Durutti Column 
called "Royal Infirmary".  It's on Bread and Circuses, I think.  Also, 
Robin's comment made me think of the brilliant, of rather long book I'm 
reading at the moment called "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell".    by 
Susanna Clark.  It's a book set in the Regency period but it's a regency 
period with a twist in that Magic Exists.  Something tells me that Archel 
might like it, although she prolly shouldn't try to include it in the 50 
Book Challenge she's doing as it might lead her to miss her target.

Dirty Vicar mentioned the Chalets which made me think "Wonder if they're 
gigging in the UK?" and a quick look at the band's website reveals that YES 
THEY ARE!  Also some of the pictures on their site our hilarious (e.g. 
http://www.thechalets.com/images/chalets_balmy.jpg).  I'm sure they're going 
to be really fun live.

Mark.


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