Freak Swerve

More from the archives of Snub TV, the BBC 2 early evening magazine programme that delved into the world of alternative and independent music between 1988 and 1991. In 1988 Dinosaur Jr pitched up in the UK touring their third album, Bug. Their 1987 album, You're Living All Over Me, is the purist's choice- punk, metal, folk rock, indie, alternative, guitar rock, full on distorted guitar solos courtesy of J Mascis coupled with his drawled vocals- a winning sound. Bug may not be as good an album but it does contain Freak Scene. 

When Snub TV caught up with J, Lou and Murph it was miming to Freak Scene in the back garden of John Robb's house in West Didsbury, south Manchester, complete with a life size fibreglass fisherman and various plastic toys. Freak Scene was a song that seemed to cross the borders in 1988, a mini- anthem for those into all the different kinds of alternative music. 

Like John Robb, Dub Sex were part of late 80s Manchester, if not widely known elsewhere. The members lived in the infamous Hulme Crescents, a 1960s housing scheme on the outskirts of town that by the 80s had been abandoned by the people it was intended for and had become another world inhabited by those who wanted to live outside the conventional world. Flats, walkways in the sky, flat roof pubs, open spaces, abandoned cars, a vaguely post- apocalyptic feel. I visited a friend who lived there a couple of times and walked past it often as a teenager heading up Wilmslow Road into town. It was not suburbia. 

Dub Sex sounded a bit like Hulme looked- raw, concrete, intense. Vocalist Mark Hoyle was a northern version of Mark Stewart or Billy Bragg, 100% commitment. Industrial basslines, wire guitars, pummeling drums. In 1989 they appeared on Snub playing live at The Boardwalk, doing Swerve. 

Probably the best song you've not heard before that you're going to hear today.

Swerve

Blind Faith

I've posted this before, Sensurround's 1992 progressive house single Blind Faith, a record made by a group containing John Robb (then stepping outside the punkier environs of The Mekons). The 12" had a 7" mix and this one by Dean Thatcher, a dreamy, chunky, chuggy piece of early 90s progressive house.

Blind Faith (Aloof Mix)

When John Robb, Andy Piper and Patrick Simons originally recorded Blind Faith they constructed it around some rather well known samples- the rain and piano from Riders On the Storm, the mellotron from Strawberry Fields Forever, a blast of feedback from the intro to I Fee Fine- and for obvious reasons the samples were removed from the finished released record. But thankfully someone has uploaded the original version to Youtube so we can enjoy it in all its unofficial, 60s pilfering glory.

Blind Faith

I'm going to keep the Balearic vibes going in a vain attempt to make it seem like summer despite the fact that I'm at work and the weather has turned dull and a tad wet. This 1992 Sensuround single was partly the work of a post-Membranes, pre-Goldblade John Robb, with vocals from Tracy Carmen and remixed here by Dean Thatcher, who was responsible for several key remixes from the early 90s. Stick it alongside some early Saint Etienne, some A Man Called Adam and some Screamadelica era Primal Scream and it makes perfect sense.

Blind Faith (Aloof Mix)

Sometimes I Don't Thrill You

In 1988 the world's most dysfunctional rock group released their definitive song, Freak Scene. The song practically invents slackers and grunge. J Mascis' guitar sound is brilliant- controlled but chaotic, spinning distorted notes off all over the place. His vocals are resigned, almost bored to tears with the whole thing but it's a love song of sorts too- 'when I need a friend it's still you'. Post-indie punk, pre-grunge, with a pop tune. And swearing too. I've got its parent album Bug but never really play anything off it except Freak Scene.

Dinosaur Jr were a nightmare to each other by all accounts; passive aggressive, J controlling Murph's every drum beat when recording, not communicating. Bassist Lou Barlow wrote the lyrics to the final song on Bug, the only one he sings. Over ear splitting noise, aimed solely at J Mascis, he screams 'why don't you like me?'

I don't know what's going on with my Boxnet bandwidth but either it's not reset at the end of May or June is already over the limit. I'll try to sort something out. In the meantime you can watch the video for Freak Scene, filmed in John Robb's back garden in bohemian West Didsbury. It looks like it cost less than the price of a pint of lager and a bag of chips.

Christmas Ghosts

'Let's raise a drink to the ghosts of friends we lost last year'. Amen to that.

There's a campaign on to get this single to number 1- John Robb's Goldblade and Poly Styrene (who died of cancer a few years ago) with a rollicking punk rock song City Of Christmas Ghosts, celebratory yet shot through with sadness. You can get more info here with links to downloads and you can buy the 7" vinyl at Damaged Goods. The single's for charity, in aid of St Michael's hospice, and there are many worse ways you could spend a couple of quid this week.

It's Friday...Let's Pogo!

Brother John Robb and Goldblade make old school punk rock- breakneck guitars, pounding drums, shouty choruses, flashy punk/rockabilly threads, great for jumping up and down to. If you've not seen them live you should give them a go next time they play in your town. John Robb has opinions to go with the quiff and biceps (his Louder Than War blog is in the links down below), is a Manchester face and all round good guy. Unfortunately I have slurred my own opinions at him once or twice when slightly the worse for wear in some of Manchester's nightspots. He takes it all with good grace.

Psycho

Justice Tonight Last Night

If you live near any of the venues hosting Mick Jones and friends Justice Tonight tour you should consider getting yourself down there- we had a blast last night. And saw The Stone Roses as well. On stage. Well, two of them, Squire and Brown. I think that counts as news.

We got in as Pete Wylie was getting near the end of his set, backed by all of The Farm and Mick Jones grinning on guitar. Wylie finished with Heart As Big As Liverpool, Johnny Thunders' You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory and Sinful. Everyone then stayed on stage, Wylie announced it was now a Mick Jones gig and the band launched into Train In Vain. Several Clash songs followed- Should I Stay Or Should I Go, White Man (In Hammersmith Palais) 'sung' by The Farm's Peter Hooton, Clampdown sung by Pete Wylie (with lyrics on a piece of paper), a few others. Everyone seemed to be having a ball, mics were dropped, lines fluffed, cues missed, but hugely enjoyable and The Farm made a surprisingly good Clash covers band. The stage then emptied and a minute later Ian Brown and John Squire came on and played Elizabeth My Dear. A thousand jaws collectively dropped. Jones, Wylie and The Farm re-appeared and Brown led them all through Bankrobber and Armagiddeon Times. Someone filmed it. You can watch it here. After that we got John Robb fronting Janie Jones, spending the whole song in the audience, Big Audio Dynamite's Rush and The Farm's All Together Now. We were then tipped out into the wet Manchester streets where we took refuge in The Peveril Of The Peak and a drunk man told us at some length that The Chameleons were in fact the best band in the world.

Kick It Over