I met Green Gartside once…at Green Man Festival in Wales…he posed for some pictures I took…I was gobsmacked and could not think of two words to say to him. For me it was a totally overwhelming experience just being face to face with him. I had just listened to him talk about his experiences with Scritti Politti and songwriting and lack of self confidence in his own later work and why he virtually stopped recording his songs after 2006.

So here in a field on the side of a mountain were two people confronted with lack of self believe and a camera in between us. In moments like that though, I go back to music in my head and maybe several albums from that era come to mind, Prefab Spout, The Waterboys might be contenders but for this National Album Day 2019 I have chosen Songs To Remember by Scritti Politti.

The album was a big change in direction for Gartside and the “group” who even at this stage were ever-changing. Gone was the “punk-esque skankings” of early recordings and in its place the most sublime set of songs with beautiful melodies and well thought out lyrics. When I first heard the double A side single of Asylums in Jerusalem & Jacques Derrida I thought it was Paul Simon gone in a new direction, the structure of the songs alone worthy of the comparison.

Songs To Remember is full of musical influences from around the planet from the New York Disco stomp of Sex to the ballad dream reggae pop of Sweetest Girl. I love all the tracks on the album but if I have to go for my favourite it would be Rock-A-Boy Blue and Green Gartside’s early take on himself and the music industry.

I learnt to live with the beats in the bar
Made me sick with repetition
I learnt to love that one note samba
No surprise or definition
I guess I can learn to love what I used to
If you can get used to just getting used by…

Green if I met you now I still would not know what to say to you.. but you have been a big influence on my life. But that is too cheesecake..isn’t it?

Songs To Remember by Scritti Politti, 1982, chosen by Simon Jay Price

Ford Model A

Le Mans 24 Hours, Indy 500, Monaco Grand Prix, Bonneville Salt Flats, Pendine Sands. Some of those names roll off the tongue with ease and are synonymous with great deeds in motor racing. But Pendine Sands in South Wales?

Ford Model A

Ford Standard

Ford Deluxe

Well, yes!. In the 1920s it was the place to set land speed records most notably the great Donald Campbell in Blue Bird took advantage of the seven miles of firm flat and straight sands to record 172mph in 1927.

After those early years land speed records were moved to Bonneville in Utah, USA but Pendine was still used for testing. Then there was a lull and cars and speed records were banned from the beach and it was only seven years ago that the Vintage Hot Rod Association managed to get clearance to hold their annual event for hot rod cars built pre1949. To make use of all that space the cars have a chequered flag start and then a half mile run up into a final timed area.

Chrysler Engine On Display

Not Racing Today

Hotrod

Competitors come from all over the globe, the cars and engines are mainly American Ford, but within that some are trucks, some sedans and some seem to be just boxes on wheels. A few Pontiac, Lincoln and Chevrolet are also in the mix along with the wonderfully named Hilborn Streamliner and Willys Whippet.

Hilborn Streamliner

Willys Whippet

Both of these have such a great history in motoring. The Whippet, from 1931, was made by Willys Overland who made the original US Army Jeep and the Hilborn Streamliner was such a great looking vehicle built for speed. After perfecting his design Stu Hilborn actually started a company to sell his fuel injection system to hot rodders of the 1950s and 1960s.

I Can’t See!

In The Pits

Ford F1

Ford Model A, One Of The Fastest Of The Meet.

Of course the meeting is not just about those that are racing. Many come to show off their cars and for a chance to drive on the famous sands. The whole village of Pendine comes alive with the sound of V8s, some flathead and some cylinder head.  Such is the interest in motoring history in this place, that cafe’s take on racing memorabilia themes and the local council are even building a motor museum.

History On The Beach

Showing Off

Dodge

Studebaker

Pendine is worth a visit at anytime but is very special when this Vintage Hot Rod Association event is on. It is also worth taking one of the most underrated drives in the country. Starting from Laugharne, home of Dylan Thomas, and well worth spending a few hours, drive to Pendine exit via the steep hill with stunning views and take the coast road to Amroth. From here pick up the signs to Wisemans Bridge and then to the great harbour village and fantastic beach of Saundersfoot.

Words & Photography by Simon Jay Price of Vintage Hotrod Association, Pendine Sands 15th & 16th June 2019

Filthy Friends (Simon Jay Price)

Filthy Friends are a super tight, slick, tour de force group featuring some of the most iconic bands in music history. And here they are playing in a barn in the small town of Oxted that was converted into a theatre in the 1930s. In fact, it’s the first gig of its type at this venue which is noted for its heathy amateur dramatics scene and for junior musical productions such as the forthcoming 42^ndStreet.

Peter Buck from REM and Corin Tucker, co-founder of the female group Sleater-Kinney, the original driving force behind the band are joined by producer and guitarist extraordinaire Kurt Bloch, a superbly rhythmic and inventive bass player Scott McCaughey from The Minus 5, and everyone’s “go to” drummer at the moment, Linda Pitmon.

The band have serious issues to draw our attention to and the new album Emerald Valley explores “Green” values covering everything from worker exploitation, invasion of historic lands and corporate greed to Presidential ineptness and industrial waste.

Their first ever UK tour kicks off with a set centred around the new LP and, as the five take the stage, the crowd really surprise me not with gentle applause but with a great roar and a cheer that does not let up throughout the night.

Corin Tucker (Simon Jay Price)

The jangling bluesy November Man opens the proceedings with some great slide guitar playing from Bloch. We’re thinking beyond 100 days here with the lyrics “We don’t have no words, we don’t have no songs, we don’t have no music, we don’t have no love for November Man”. I wonder who that’s about?

It’s back to the first album, Invitation, for The Arrival and Despieta where Corin Tucker takes on a Patti Smith persona, but with her voice more poetic and emotive. One of the striking things about her live is that she sounds so much more versatile than on record.

Peter Buck (Simon Jay Price)

Filthy Friends are mainly from Portland and one of the highlight songs of the night, The Elliott, is about forest destruction in Oregon. Its shouting chorus of “Enough, enough” is thrown right back at the band from everyone in the “barn”.

The new album’s title track, Emerald Valley, comes midway in the set and takes in a sonic guitar solo from Bloch whilst Buck keeps the riff going throughout. But what’s amazing about these musicians is how expertly they’re in control of their art; the rhythm section of Pitmon and McCaughey are just superb.

Kurt Bloch (Simon Jay Price)

The energy that the band play with is also impressive. They never stop moving or jumping around the stage, particularly McCaughey who suffered a stroke in 2017 but plays and moves like no tomorrow. Of course we should expect Scott to be good because he was also the auxiliary fifth member of REM and appeared on the band’s last five albums.

Scott McCaughey (Simon Jay Price)

Whilst most of the songs tonight are from the Emerald Valley record, it is the brilliant version of Windmill that steals the night. The band are able to show everything they have and punk-angst vocals of Corin Tucker, to the sublime harmonies from Bloch and McCaughey, a driving relentless beat from Pitmon, and riffs never-ending from Peter Buck. The crowd respond with one of the biggest cheers of the night.

Linda Pitmon

The mournful ballad Hey Lacey, with Tucker again able to deliver another diverse vocal performance, and the 1970s Blondie-esque rocker Last Chance Country close a brilliant show. It remains to be seen how long this band will be together as Peter Buck’s music projects since leavening REM are mostly short-lived. So, with that in mind, make sure you’re one of the people who can say: “I have (seen) Filthy Friends”.

Another triumph for the Oxted Sessions who produced the show. The tour poster for the band reels off glamourous destinations – Berlin, Paris, London, Barcelona… and Oxted – makes it totally believable that, with the right promotion, bands can fill smaller venues in “minority markets”.

Photography and Live Review by Simon Jay Price at the Barn Theatre, Oxted for Filthy Friends on 30^th May 2019.

The Individualist (Simon Jay Price)

The idea of this tour is to play songs that trace his musical history in tandem with small excerpts from the Individualist book, alternating the dates (in cities), for a book signing and live concert experience across Europe and the United States.

I Think You Know

The show itself is divided into two halves, the first a 90-minute tour through Rundgren’s history starting with the Nazz tune Open My Eyes, and taking in such landmark songs as Hello It’s Me and I Saw The Light.

Throughout, he mixes sound and vision with interjections and explanations about why he wrote songs about women and love and how he allowed himself to self-indulge and produce masterworks like the album A Wizard A True Star, from which he highlighted an amazing live version of Black Maria.

Couldn’t I Just Tell You

The second part was an hour or so of some of Todd’s more experimental works, or perhaps those songs less played live, including stupendous performances of Black & White and Buffalo Grass.

His band, who were excellent throughout, included members of The Cars, The Tubes, and Utopia. Jesse Gress (guitar), Prairie Prince (drums), Kasim Sulton (bass), Greg Hawkes (keys), and Bobby Strickland (sax, oboe, clarinet) showed first-class musicianship and effortless brilliance, which was bought to the fore on the showstopper Eastern Intrigue.

Keep Your Head And Everything Will Be Cool

Although there were also supposed to be some interactive questions from the audience shown on the big screen, the tiny demons really put a spanner in the works, but TR laughed off the gremlins with comic timing.

Todd R Air Guitar

Throughout the show Todd managed to give us a brilliant vocal performance, some absorbing stories, and insight into his natural quick wit. His green guitar, affectionally named “Foamy”, actually had a malfunction during the opening numbers and whilst the roadie was sorting it out he joked “it was the first time that I had to play air guitar to my own song”.

Black & White

Most of the set was taken from the Bearsville label albums that appeared in the 1970s and, although he has produced some great work since then, there are not many individual artists apart from Bowie and Prince who have produced such a diverse and solid set of records in one decade.

Will The Real Todd Stand Up

Personally, I loved that he dipped into works from Faithful, Hermit Of Mink Hollow, and Initiation (which, at the time, was the longest ever recorded rock vinyl album with nearly 70 minutes of playing time and came with a warning to make sure that you had a new stylus so as not to damage the record as the grooves were so close together). This is just one of the many “musical firsts” that Todd Rundgren has had over the years.

Todd Rundgren, Hello It’s Me (Simon Jay Price)

As Todd has a massive catalogue of work I am sure the set list will change nightly, and the band will cope by taking those changes in their stride, but I for one was blown away to hear Love Of The Common Man, Too Far Gone, Fade Away, and Fair Warning played live on the same night along with out and out rockers The Death Of Rock & Roll and Determination.

Just One Victory

The encore was the feel-good singalong hand-clapper Just One Victory, which gave the audience the chance to run to the front of the theatre and overrun the two security guards at the front. Todd actually told them to let the crowd come, and if he could have shook hands with everyone in the hall I think he would have done so.

Individualist, inspirer, initiator, come back soon Todd Harry Rundgren. The people did not want to let you go!

Todd Guitar

Live Review & Photography by Simon Jay Price of Todd Rundgren at Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday 6th April 2019.

Open My Eyes

The music video for Kimino Mikata by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu was directed by Jun Tamakai, the first in three years and who has worked on almost all of Kyary’s music videos including PONPONPON, Fashion Monster, and Mondai Girl. The concept conceived by Tamakai and used no CGI whatsoever.

Kyary is joined by 12 dancers who make skilled use of multiple tablets displaying lyrics, Kyary’s face and other visuals. The fact the the entire video was filmed in one shot with no cuts makes this an amazing visual treat and gets our vote as Video Of The Year.

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu said
“This was the first music video I have done in one take. It was tense knowing that if we messed up even a little we’d have to start all over again. Teamwork was key for this video. I’m glad we were all able to work hard together and overcome it! The footage on the tablets is packed with more small details than I thought, so I hope you can have fun watching it over and over! The choreography is cute too, so please try copying it and dancing yourselves.”

It took two days to shoot both the tablet footage filmed before as well as the main video performance itself. The content shot in advance that is displayed on the tablets shows situations that match the lyrics, like Kyary lip syncing underwater. The video is unlike anything we’ve seen from Kyary before. The new track was written by Yasutaka Nakata as a present for Kyary’s birthday.

Jun Tamukai said:
“This was Kyary’s first one shot music video. Everybody was nervous during the real filming. During one particular take, Kyary said to the dancers, who had made a mistake, ‘Now that you mention it, I think I may have messed up in the first chorus too!’ It was telling of her when she exaggerated that. I thought, ‘She’s so kind,’ but turns out she had actually messed up [in that part.] The music video flows with such kindness like that. (Of course, the take we used [for the video] is the one where we got it right.) It’s absolutely packed with fun gimmicks from start to end, so make sure you watch carefully and don’t miss out!”