July 2021
The Interdependent Music Industrious are weaving a new tapestry.
Since the last chapter of this tale, as Music Venue Trust’s mid-May #ReviveLive campaign unfurled, over June (pic: A VOID at Amersham Arms), live performances (and hope) increased. Then, Brexitannia’s “government” washed it’s hands of public safety with a propaganda concept of a “Freedom Day” on 19th July. For #TheZineUK doc, it definitely wasn’t dull getting there…
Front cover is from 17th July when Roobi TV started filming GET ON! at Amersham Arms in New Cross. During lockdown a lot of this diary came from South East London because of staying local. It’s another circle of life as this is where TheZineUK was born in the first place, thanks to Andy Palmer. It’s always great to bump into familiar faces there as well as find new favourite artists and bands, definitely a win win. Post lockdown, necessity has us all multi tasking together for a new musical world disorder of fun, kindness and fair p(l)ay. Pictured, Louise Schofield has interviewed the most musicians, through lockdown, while hosting GET ON! This summer has felt like new beginnings as venues and festivals started to open up. As I write this, lots of our friends are on tour, or trying to be, Covid permitting. Many (many!) Of #TheZineUK doc’s cast and crew are at the original - Isle Of Wight Festival this weekend. It would be an understatement to say that This Feeling Stage is where Independence is raising the roof. Our reporters (Louise - who is also DJing - and End Of The Trail’s Kelly Munro) will weave in new tales.Thank you George n Mikey! For now though, some July 2021 cutting and pasting memories over this issue.
Brexshitannia Month 7 (It’s like the Big Brother House - but we’re stuck on the red, white n blue new North Korea of Plague Island) WHAT would we do if we didn’t have so much brilliant music? Incidentally, it’s time this country had a new name. “Diary” by Caffy (Events)
July 2021 Shag That Flag
2nd July 2021 So much to love with the news that Bugeye have a new album of remixes on the horizon. The first track released from ‘Ready Steady Reset’ (which remixed and celebrated their July 2020 debut, ‘Ready Steady Bang’) was Feral Five’s sparkling remix of ‘Don’t Stop’. Next chapter, a Club Bugeye? If it could be painted the colours of this 31% Wool art, even better!
4th July 2021 - Interdependence Day. Ace to see a pic of Ashley Howard in an article. Once, drummer with Corporation:Blend (whose band meeting became Pop Of The Tops, then the ‘New Cross Scene’ of the naughties) now a drum teacher in Ipswich, his pupils include Nandi Bushell, a young musician making a global name for herself. In music’s circle of life, New Cross is beyond scenes and anti-scenes but still a buzzing hive of new music industry in 2021.
That previous image of Ash Howard and Nandi Bushell is a reminder of how the newer wave of music industry is about Generation Tremorists, as this doc calls our friends and faves. A 2018 still from the “generations” video by Carol &Jeanne (Hum Hum Productions) for the MOSES video, ‘River Thames’
Generation Tremorists: Youth’s new ideas fused with elder experience /anecdotes. SE13 (Lewisham postcode) + teen Georgia South of Floodliners. Fast forward to days of Scarlet Hall (Mash Zine), Polarized Eyes, Arlo The Pint Size Punk - 2021: Amy Love & Georgia united as Nova Twins
7th July 2021 - a short bus hop from Deptford Mice country to Catford (incidentally, the cat shows the way to the aforementioned People’s Day Festival). We are over the river from The Isle of Dogs but it’s called Docklands not Doglands!
In a change to documenting a load of friends, mostly musicians and composers, today I am part of a choir doing backing vocals for the Ceri James single, ‘The Battle Of Lewisham 1977’ at his home studio. Not only is it a load of fun - but in tune! On the way back, I stop for a swift pint at Ninth Life in Catford (all the cat world-ness) but I can’t get on line to register for track and trace. I try to keep up with the safety first regulations and am still adapting to our new world. I see the word HOPE, so it’s not a wasted journey, and I revel in all the artful visions there, before the short hop bus home. The New Cross Fire and the Battle Of Lewisham are two sides of a local South East London history coin that is a part of the heritage and culture of this locality. Some Toffs were up in arms that Lewisham is London Borough Of Culture 2022 (and Croydon 2023) Ha fckn HA!
Ah yeah, July 2021, that was it, there was some sport on, or something… Continuing on from the last pic book, congratulations to the England Football Team for playing and behaving so inspirationally. No commiserations to the bogoted Gammonians - you absolute two faced shower.- Pix from t’internut.
8th July 2021 Image: The Old Blue Last, Shoreditch Last seen (by me) in 2019 It’s so good to be here in the hip and arty East End Central, again. It’s nearly two months since we’ve been allowed to get back into a live music venue again (via #ReviveLive). Shows are still seated and socially distanced, but we are back at gigs, man! Newbies, Helve are playing a sold out headline show, supported by Lighthaus. I meet up with my friends Charlie and Jeanie. Then have a wonderful evening of live music that makes me tingle. Afterwards, elated by Helve’s formidable set, we sing and chant “It’s coming home” because England is doing so well in the footy that the mood is catching.
10th July 2021
Thank you, England and well played to get here
So-called “Football fans” let Gammonia’s mask slip
Found on Twitter. I was as traumatised as so many others, then angry. Now I’m back to defiance against such reputation ruining traitors. Again I say Well Done England FC. (and up yours, knuckledraggers, tories included)
THIS is England.
Welcome to the background of Brexshitannia that some of the most amazing pop stars are trying to live through. Britain, Ireland, The Channel Islands - tiny isles and islands off the European mainland. Misruled by a fash-crapitalist coup, propaganda propped up by arse licking media and lawless law. They can’t stand artists of any kind unless they’re from the elite and have been culling our creative education and spaces for around eleven years now. Since the Great British Break Off at the start of the year, Plague Island, or wherever this is called now (Poundland?) has turned into a virtual lunatic asylum. Thing is, it’s time to out-fake their fake news and out bonkers the beyond insane clown posse infesting 10 Drowning Street. That’s probably why the new songs of escapism or politics or even about blue unicorns - hey, where’s a song about blue unicorns? - I dunno a tune, a beat, an experiment, whatever. So many things excite me. I’m writing this on 18th September. After nine months, Brexshit has given birth to the chaos that I voted against and the selfservatives heist is still on. Without music I would be shattered. I find cutting and pasting these memory tale docs therapeutic. Onwards, then…
13th July 2021 We’re watching this international technical conversation and community grow. By the end of it’s first series, Platform-7 Events weekly on-line #DiscussionFestival has hosted anything that can engage via camera. Welcoming a spectrum of humanity to something friendly and non obliging. Back 21st September might suit your launch?
Summer joys! That thing when elements of watching a genuine interdependent movement over the last few years and three key elements Flare Audio (”The future sound of sound”), our government Music Venue Trust (who, like TheZineUK and Independent Venue Week kicked off at the start of 2014 instinct?) and Tim Burgess of lockdown saviour, ‘Tim’s Listening Party’ fuse into an outrageously brilliant package from a Rebel Diamond who remains an absolute gem.More on all of them to keep weaving.
14th July 2021 - Walk past Goldsmiths to outside Mr Pink’s house to help Ceri, Dre and Nathan make video clips for ‘The Battle Of Lewisham 1977’ (did some choir backing vocals on 7th July, ha, this is fun!)
Greetings from Lewisham, South East London: THE PEOPLE UNITED WON’T BE DEFEATED (’The Battle Of Lewisham 1977’)
15th July 2021 I enjoy a highly entertaining sripped down set by Dirty Blonds at Kick Out The Jams before hopping on a 177 bus outside Amersham Arms to Charlton. They call it a Staycation when you’re just in your own bit of Britain during lockdown. I’m lucky that I like where I live but 2020 and 2021 have been HELL for some. I stay cautious so that we can keep stay outta house arrest - but the very people who protest lockdown, do so unvaxxed and unmasked - so will it ever end? Ah well, at least Selfservative psychos got their ‘Herd Immunity’ eugenics. These are all things that I ponder on the bus ride from New Cross…
Always bump into dear hearts at the Rocklands (i.e. S.E. London postcodes) branch of Pirate Studios. In this shot, members of Bugeye and MOSES, two of the mega bands that kindly allow TheZineUK doc access into their stories. We love having them woven into our tapestry. This evening I’m having a meeting and hearing some new demos. Happening. Excited.
15th July 2021. Otta, Matthew and Victor of MOSES, Charlton.
Not only is Roobi TV’s weekly on line music show, GET ON! going from strength to strength - increasingly influential - but it also relocates to the iconic stage of the Amersham Arms mid July.
17th July 2021 Launching on the hottest weekend of 2021, this is actually the best place to be. Seated in the cool shade of a music bar being entertained by selected live performances. What’s not to love. The space is buzzing with artists, their fans and interdependent networking grassroots and otherwise.
The weekend of live sets is a virtual music festival. Tune in to GET ON! and subscribe for a huge amount of recommended live music sessions and interviews, plus new episodes and artist info weekly. It’s so good to watch that not only am I a subscriber (rather than just advising people to) but I was nattering with the host of the show Louise Schofield, between sets, and she is too https://roobi.tv/
Magick! “Freedom Day” came 24 Hours Early in Rocklands Jeanie & Johnny put together a genre fusion of diverse sounds to make a live music party in a park with free entry, stalls and the sunniest sunshine My comedy trail to arrive in time to catch Helve play at 1pm, was completed by a man setting fire to the bus I finally got there, but ya know what? I walked through the gate as they came on the stage!
Nah man, it was seriously Hotter Than July!
Sunday 18th July #SNCFest was so hot and melty that I hardly got any snapshots ← That page: MOSES arrive on the festival site.This page Croydon locals, Bugeye energising the stage (as I write this, exactly two months later, they’ve just played a triumphant set at Isle Of Wight Festival).
Sunday 18th July 2021 South Norwood Community Festival #SNCFest What left the best taste in my mouth that day (aside from an array of delicious flavours) was the laughter from children of all ages. It really felt genuinely festive. Jean Genie summed up the vibrations, speaking to the crowd (imagine a house and garden party on a large scale!) by saying . Very much needed words in 2021. It also helped us brace for what was (inevitably) coming next as the “government” washed it’s hands of responsibility, saying the same British public (pictured on global media, with fireworks up their arse before the football a week earlier), would use their common sense…”Freedom Day”
Monday 19th July 2021 Plague Island celebrates with the Selfservative Party’s latest weapon of mass distraction:
FREEDOM DAY “Hooray, Covid 19 is over!”, some of the people baaaa-ed. Sadly thousands of people have died since this date. The tragedy of not being advised to care for each other through lack of leadership while the heist continues in plain views. In our music world, knowing that the vaccine is not a miracle cure but at least taking precaution, there’s still a noticeable risen amount of cases.
Post Lockdown Freedom On Normal Island, Summer 2021
Normal Island, continued: The capital city of Eng-er-land’s m is-ruling party spent millions on building a fucking slag heap at Marble Arch, Central London as a (checks notes in disbelief) tourist attraction…
On the positive side of 2021, we are the music world and yay - GIGS, proper gigs are back! We #TakeATest and do our best to keep artists, audiences, crew, venues and future safe and well. We have really missed our friends…
Whoa! Music Venue Trust’s #ReviveLive campaign keeps on stepping up!
19th July 2021 Alternative Rock on TV SHADE are back on Sky TV for Mark Radcliffe’s ‘Best Of’ episode. Image is a still from the making of their Summer 2021 video, ‘Test Of Time’ at Manchester Old Nag’s Head.
July 20th 2021 SHADE’s video (by Blue Shift Studios) is an ode to their home, Manchester, - which exhibits their skill at fusing visualising the vital psychedelic tints and exceptional musicality. Another anthem produced by Gavin Monaghan at Magic Garden Recording Studio.
SHADE, Summer 2021 - image: Blue Shift Studio
22nd July 2021 Felt a bit anxious before a non distanced/seated show after lockdown and the easing back of Revive Live. It’s OK though. I’ve yet to be bullied to “take off your mask” etc. I don’t believe Covid 19 has gone away. I’d tested negative and am double jabbed but I know the vaccine is not a miracle cure. Seeing some familiar faces like Family Jools felt more like friends were having welcome back parties. Some clips of them and Polarized Eyes are on TheZineUK IGTVWAIT, I have to go to the bar myself? Aargh, got used to table service :-)
The Good Mixer had thoughtfully left some seated tables and made a seated outdoors area. It felt safe. Wonderful show (and FREE ENTRY - thank you End Of The Trail, all our budgets are low right now. Polarized Eyes magnetised ears. Family Jools (pictured) were on top form. A definitive hit at this year’s SXSW festival, they even got a standing ovation from those who’d been seated.
Summer 2021. Meanwhile, the Climate Emergency apocalypse continues.
31st July 2021 - Manchester Live Music and DJs Event: ‘Remembering Denise
Johnson’
(8th September 2021 - “Much-loved #Manchester singer Denise Johnson died unexpectedly in July 2020. Donations made to MVT in her name have contributed £18K (!!) to our work protecting Grassroots Music Venues. Thank you Denise” - Music Venue Trust
Image from Twitter #Deniseadelica art by @BabaYoungblood
