Ian Brown, Stone Roses, Madchester and some monkeys

Ian Brown is the Mancunian King of the Monkeys
There was a lot of talk before the summer that the latest band to jump on the reunion bandwagon was going to be The Stone Roses but to the disappointment of many of their fans was the rebuttal from guitarist John Squire. Squire was quick off the mark with his announcement but to be honest, it has been bassist Mani and lead singer Ian Brown who have been the more creative in recent years.
Fans of the band have at least been pleased by the news that Ian Brown has announced that his next album will be released in September and is entitled ‘My Way’. The singer has managed to split opinion throughout his career with many considering him to be a poor singer but his influence stretched far and wide.
It is very easy to the influence that Ian Brown has had on Oasis frontman, Liam Gallagher. Everything from the swagger to the nasal-led delivery of the ‘Champagne Supernova’ singer can be linked back to the man who brought ‘Fools Gold’ to the world. There is no doubt that The Stone Roses were a massive influence on so many of the indie bands who have came since but they weren’t the only major act to have come from the Madchester era.
Some people considered The Stone Roses to be a bit too serious and much preferred the more humorous output of Happy Monday. With lyrics along the lines of “Son, I’m thirty, I only went with your mother cos shes dirty” from ‘Kinky Afro’, it’s hard to argue that Shaun Ryder, Bez and the rest of the boys knew how to party. The early 1990s were a great time to be alive for Manchester music but there have been many fantastic generations for music in one of England’s major cities.
A prior boom period for Manchester music came in the late 1970s when the punk scene was sweeping the United Kingdom with Joy Division forging their own musical path and laying the building blocks for future generations. The lyrics of front man Ian Curtis are remembered to this day with the bands most successful track ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ still being loved and covered to this day. Tragedy struck the band when on the eve of an American tour, Curtis committed suicide, derailing the band and devastating music fans all over the world. Curtis may have joined the club of music stars dying before their time but much like Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones and Bon Scott, his music lives on and continues to inspire musicians and music lovers everywhere.
The next popular wave of Mancunian music came in the early to mid 1980s when The Smiths were the band that all the indie kids loved, with focus falling on the bands dynamic duo. Guitarist Johnny Marr unleashed classic line after line but much of the focus fell on ‘The Charming Man’, Morrissey who was the poster boy for flower waving intellectualists everywhere. Morrissey may have appealed to a completely different market that Ian Brown managed to win over a few years later but both of these singers have captivated audiences everywhere.

New York Dolls still rock

The summer of 2009 has definitely been the time for former heroes to get on the road and wow a new audience but it is not always about the artists who have been away for years. Sometimes an older artist or act finds a new lease of life and manages to stay on the road for a period of years. What their shows lose in the novelty excitement of their first shows back, gain in the experience and comfort that comes from playing regularly and getting a partnership together again. This is a good way to describe many of the acts performing this summer but one of the best ones under this banner is definitely the New York Dolls. They may be close to their fortieth year together but they are still more than capable of putting on a show, even though they may be down to two original members. David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain are more than capable of putting on a show and anyone who has the pleasure of seeing the boys on their current tour will be more than satisfied.
They may have developed their own sound from bands like MC5 and The Stooges but the New York Dolls had a far wider influence than just on punk bands. Yes, their impact on the New York New Wave and punk scene is well documented with even acts like Blondie taking a lot from the band but there have been a number of big names artists professing their love who you may not think of as big Dolls fans. Morrissey, formerly of The Smiths and now a solo artist of much fame, was such a big fan that he was president of the fan club. It doesn’t get much bigger than that and Morrissey played a huge role in the bands reformation in 2004. Another really big fan of the band is Michael Stipe from R.E.M. Yes, the man who crooned “that’s me in the corner” on ‘Losing My Religion’ has regularly stated his love of the New York Dolls, even if the influence does not come shining through in his own bands music.
Johnny Thunders managed to carve out a career after the band went their separate ways and the maverick guitarist and front-man was one of the most recognisable heroes of the punk legend. Tracks like ‘You Cant Put Your Arms Around A Memory’ or ‘One Track Mind’ stand the test of time and are as much a blue print for punk rock as anything by The Ramones or the Sex Pistols. As well as touring the Sex Pistols and The Clash, Thunders later worked with Steve Jones and Paul Cook on his ‘So Alone’ album, putting him firmly at the heart of all things punk on both sides of the Atlantic. There will always be a level of debate and discussion over which brand of punk rock was better but Thunders was one of the boys that managed to straddle both sides convincingly.
In the end, Johnny Thunders went the same way as Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix and Sid Vicious in the fact that his death is still shrouded in mystery. He may be missing from the New York Doll’s current tour and new found popularity but his legacy lives on and still managing to influence new generations of fans.

Its holiday time

Given that we are now in the middle of July, it is obvious that many people will start to turn their attention to getting away and enjoying the summer sun if possible. The credit crunch may be holding some people back and if you find yourself unable to get away, why don’t you turn up your amps to 11 and let your classic rock and heavy metal heroes transport you to a different time and place?
One of the things about a great summer is that it allows you to get away from your everyday life and experience new things. One thing that many people would choose to do is “Run To The Hills” and what better way to do this than by taking the advice of Iron Maiden. Steve Harris and Bruce Dickinson may not have had a summer holiday on their mind when they unleash this song at gigs, and we all know its an unlikely thought for Eddie to have but if it gets you in the mood, then why try to fight it? It may surprise you but Iron Maiden have a lot more holiday advice for any metal head who wishes to soak up the sun. A rallying cry of “Scream for me Long Beach” from the ‘Live After Death’ release may not necessarily be about finding the sun but with a bit of lateral thinking, who can fail to find their mind wandering to the beach and sand.
And when it comes to sand, who better to guide you than Metallica and their 1990s smash hit, ‘Enter Sandman’. This was one of the songs that launched James Hetfield , Kirk Hammett and Lars to a truly worldwide and mainstream audience but although the days of Cliff Burton may have been behind them, Metallica still knew how to rock out and have fun.
Former touring partners and more often than not enemies, Guns N Roses also knew how to throw in a holiday style lyric to their back catalogue and who can overlook the classic ‘Paradise City’? Any location where “the grass is green and the girls are pretty” would be an almost perfect holiday destination and with Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan as your tour guides, who could fail to have a great time? The Jack D may flow freely but you can bet that the amount of girls hanging around would be akin to Led Zeppelin and their Starship days. Great weather and girls really would be the ‘Stairway to Heaven ‘of all holiday hot spots. And if you cant get a lot of girls, get one big one and if you need any advice about how to do just that, who better to ask than AC/DC, who will tell you about ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ and the ways you can have fun on holiday.
So whether you want to spend your holiday in a ‘Purple Haze’ or you just want some quiet ‘Satisfaction’, following your classic rock stars advice when it comes to getting away from it all will ensure you make the very most of your time off.

women in music

Even a casual observer of the music press would have noticed a lot of column inches given over to Florence and the Machine, who are due to release their debut album this week. Female vocalists and kooky front women have been all the rave this year with Lady Gaga, La Roux and Little Boots all being ranked highly but Florence offers something different, notably the fact that there is no L at the start of her name. However, she also sings in a very ethereal manner and is quite happy to show her pants at every occasion, making her a big hit with the boys. This may sound slightly similar to an act who has gone before and it has to be said that Florence just seems like a modern version of Kate Bush.
Who can forget Kate Bush bursting onto the scene with ‘Wuthering Heights’ with the tremendous lyrics of “You had a temper like my jealousy” and it has to be said that young Florence cannot hold a candle to Kate Bush. There may be a level of hype around Florence but it has to be remembered that Kate Bush had a helping hand at the start of her career with Dave Gilmour being a key influence on her early days. Yes, that is Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame, friend of Syd Barrett and adversary of Roger Waters who helped Ms Bush break into the music scene.
Of course, with strange dance moves, unpredictable vocal range and flowery dresses, many fans may think there is a similarity between Florence and Stevie Nicks. The music of Fleetwood Mac may be far more commercial than the material released by Florence and the Machine but it does indicate that modern bands and artists wear their influences very openly.
This means that fans who weren’t even born when some of the greatest musicians were tearing up the stage can be a fan of their material and love it as much as fans at the time did. Sure, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan are all still touring and wowing live audiences but not every artist was this lucky but this hasn’t done their level of fame or fan base any difficulties.
Brian Jones’ death may still be a cause of debate and conjecture but there are many fans who insist that Keith Richards and Mick Jagger just haven’t been as potent without him. Similarly, who knows what other riffs and leads Jimi Hendrix may have conjured up if he wasn’t taken from us and even mods were robbed of a full Small Faces reunion when Steve Marriott passed away. The thing is, all of these classic rock artists are as loved today as they ever were which means that death is no barrier to commercial success or developing a strong following. In fact, in some cases, it probably helps!
In ten years time, it is hard to say if anyone will even raise an eyebrow at the mention of Florence and the Machine or recall their music but there is no doubt that the passing of some artists leaves many fans with a heavy heart.

40 Years since the Death of Brian Jones

Guest post from The History of Rock Music

40 years ago saw the first of many rock and roll deaths in the shape of The Rolling Stones' Brian Jones. Sure there had been other musicians that had died, but he was the first to really die a rock and roll death and was the founder member of the 27 club. Within a few years he would be joined by several more.

The Night of Brian Jones Death

Brian Jones died sometime just before midnight on July, 2nd 1969 after drowning in his pool at Cotchford Farm (the former home of A A Milne, creator of Winnie The Pooh) The coroners report was accidental drowning and many assumed he simply drowned having been either drunk or stoned.

Subsequently many people have come forward and made many claims about the death of Brian Jones, but the most believable are those that he was killed, accidentally or otherwise, by his builder, Frank Thorogood. They had fallen out over payment and workmanship.

Both Anna Wohlin (Brian's girlfriend at the time) and Janet Lawson (the mistress of Rolling Stones tour manager, Tom Keylock) were known to have been at the house when Brian died and have both made claims that he and Brian were alone in the pool and the acted very strangely when the body was discovered. Tom Keylock, in an interview in 2004, said that Frank Thorogood even confessed as much on his deathbed in 1993.

The Police Investigation

More disturbing are the issues surrounding the police investigation following the death. There is lots of evidence of leads that were not followed up, issues with the interviews of the people at the house, the information provided to the coroner and even a case of attempted murder that was known to have been connected to the death of Brian Jones, but was not investigated as such (at least not publicly)

The police found Frank Thorogood with unprescribed Durophet ("black bombers") but only warned him, something that was rare in the 1960s. They also did not pass this information onto the Coroner. The Coroner stated that Brian had the equivalent of a 3-4 pints of beer in his system and low levels of some kind of stimulant.

The police also suspected and had some evidence that there were more people at Cotchford Farm than the four that were officially acknowledged, however they did not follow these up properly.

There were also reports that a taxi was seen leaving the farm before the police or ambulance arrived. The time taken for the ambulance to arrive would not have been enough for a taxi to be called, get to the farm and leave again. But what if a taxi was already there?

A few weeks after Brian Jones death, on July 26, 1969, Joan Fitzsimons was the victim of a vicious assault near Chichester which left her in a coma with a fractured skull and blinded for life. Her boyfriend, Jordanian Michael Ziyadeh, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and spent four years in Broadmoor Prison before being deported. Despite his guilty plea, Ziyadeh always claimed he did not carry out the attack. The police case against him concluded, "The motive for this is a mystery"

However Fitzsimmons was the some-time mistress of Frank Thorogood and worked for her family's taxi firm in Chichester, only about 40 miles from Cotchford Farm. She was also a friend of Suki Poitier, a former girlfriend of Brian Jones. In fact in the days following Brian Jones death, both Poitier and Fitzsimmons stayed at Cotchford Farm.

Joan Fitzsimmons died in 2002 and since then certain information has become available under the freedom of information act. One of these pieces of information was a statement made to police by her brother claiming she was scared of Frank Thorogood. Irene Russell, Joan Fitzsimmons mother even made a statement to police stating she was at Cotchford Farm the night of Brian's death and that Frank Thorogood had been making her life awkward.

A newspaper at the time made a claim that the police were looking to find out whether she was at Cotchford Farm was strenuously denied by police, but the information we now have shows that they knew there was a connection between herself and Thorogood and that they had a claim from another witness that she was there.

So if the police were not interviewing people about this connection, then they should be asked for the reason why? There are so many obvious holes in the investigation that it would seem an investigation into these events is well overdue.

Where are they now?

After seeing Joan Fitzsimmon's injuries, Janet Lawson vanished from public view and changed her name. She only resurfaced a few years ago, many years after Thorogood's death, when traced by a reporter. She has since died from cancer.

Anna Wohlin, Brian's Swedish girlfriend found herself back in Sweden, claiming she had been spirited away by the Rolling Stones management. She was not able to attend his funeral and miscarried the child that neither she or Brian Jones knew she was carrying when he died. In the 1990s she wrote a book on her time with Brian Jones and was a consultant on the film Stoned, the film on the life and death of Brian Jones.

Tom Keylock died on July 2nd, 2009, exactly 40 years after Brain Jones died. He was 82.

This is the link to the full story on the events surrounding the death of Brian Jones on The History of Rock Music.

More thoughts on UK Music Festivals and live tours

Why isn’t T rocking?

Most of the major UK music festivals so far have shown a leaning to classic and hard rock that would have even the most cynical rocker impressed but Scotland’s premier festival, T in The Park, appears to be letting the side down. Its common knowledge that the Scots like to have a drink and a party, with Angus Young from AC/DC one of the few Scottish adults who doesn’t take a drink but perhaps the schoolboy uniform has something to do with that, so this omission is puzzling. Yes, there is a recession on and the festival has no doubt tried to go for as mainstream and punter-pulling line-up as possible but the success of so many other festivals with classic guitarists and legendary front-men on their main stage indicates that rock can be a winner.

So whilst Neil Young rocked out on the Isle of Wight and Glastonbury and Sonisphere can look forward to Metallica, T in the Park can welcome Lady Gaga, Snow Patrol and
The Saturdays. Yes, as a manufactured girl group with a large fan base they have their place in society but is it really in front of a baying audience who wants to hear their music? We can only hope the girls make it out alive but perhaps a little bit of defiance may persuade the T in the Park promoters that there is room for a little rock n roll in Balado.

The Manic Street Preachers are a headliner in a tent on Saturday so it is not all shiny pop or thumping techno and with the band playing new material featuring lyrics from Richey Edwards, it may be a throwback to their early days when they rocked with a vengeance. Another blast from the past headlining over the weekend are Blur but as was so often the case, their set will be compared with the Oasis shows that are taking place at Wembley Stadium. These two are always going to be inter-linked although some find it funny that Daman Albarn is the brains behind the Gorillaz given that Noel Gallagher, Liam Gallagher and their army of fans are likened to shaved apes by a number of observers.

Of course, T in The Park has had many classic and vibrant rock stars before so perhaps the omission this year is a one off. Those who witnessed it will not forget the sight of Iggy Pop bouncing about the main stage inviting the kids up to party with him or Dave Grohl wowing a capacity crowd with the Foo Fighters but making most people secretly wish they were watching Nirvana.

The thing is though, the hard rocking acts may be missing from the stage but you can bet there will be lot of Ramones, Sex Pistols, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin t-shirts being worn but the crowd and riffs rolling around the camp site. DF Concerts and (bald) head honcho Geoff Ellis may have lost touch with what the people want from a music festival but you can bet your life that the people who turn up at T in The Park 2009 will be rocking out from start to finish.

Someone famous has died

In the immortal words of Spitting Image.... "someone famous has died" (other than the tragic loss of Farah Fawcett and Sky Saxon of course.)

Anyway, never ones to not want to pay our respects, here at BathroomWall we would like to remember the high points of famous people's lives. And for us the high point of the career of any entertainer must be when they get mooned on stage at the Brit Awards.... so here we pay tribute to the genius that is Jarvis Cocker.... Jarvis, we salute you.

For those about to rock...

Yes, its time to salute all of those people that are about to rock as AC/DC’s latest trip to the UK is coming to a close after wowing fans all over the UK. Some people may not be aware but the Young brothers owe a large part of their success to the Scottish upbringing they had and there are some who claim the band to be another graduate from the Glasgow music scene. It is more likely to say that the band are Australian due to the massive impact shown by original lead singer Bon Scott but Malcolm Young and Angus Young will always carry a little bit of Scottishness where every they go.
And one place they are going to is the ‘Highway To Hell’ but their legions of followers will go anywhere the band heads to, so there is sure to be a warm welcome waiting for them. AC/DC may lack the class or finesse of some acts like Radiohead or REM but when it comes to giving the people what they want, nobody does it better.
Bon Scott may be the original livewire and a major reason why so many fans fell in love with this tight rock n roil outfit but Brian Johnston hasn’t served the band and the fans too badly either. Johnston stepped into the breach bravely, after the untimely death of Scott, who left the world too early like Hendrix, Cobain and Joplin. In fact, when you consider how many fantastic singers have been taking from the world of music at a young age, you cannot help but feel anger at the fact that James Blunt appears to be allowed to live on without any issue or concern. It would certainly be beautiful if someone was to end James Blunt reign of misery. No matter the song, Blunt is always moaning and whinging, which is not something that could be said about Brian Johnston.
Simply put, Johnston is a mans man, who likes to drink and knows how to treat women. Led Zeppelin may have raised the bar with their Groupie antics and turns on the Starship in the 1970s but when it comes down to working class no-nonsense boogie, Johnston reigns supreme.
Of course, rumours are growing that AC/DC will bow out next year, never to return. With artists like the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen seemingly able to tour for ever, there is some doubt cast over whether next year will finally see Young hang up his schoolboy uniform for the very last time but if he does, the world will become a much sadder place. Any band who conjured up songs like ‘Highway To Hell’ or ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ deserve to be remembered fondly and even if Angus and the boys are heading for their final hurrah, it can only be hoped they go out with an almighty bang. And as the band never appears to be too far away from their trusty cannon, causing a bang is not something that AC/DC tend to struggle with.