***** (out of 5)

 

Willie Thrasher & Linda Saddleback | Wolves Don't Live by the Rules | Playlist Live 2019

HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY APPLE RECORDS

LITA at the Barbican (The Times, 5-star review)

LITA 16 Years Poster

22/43

"Half the World Away" or almost half of my life away. Any which way, this was me at 22, a little-big-skinny-tall drummer boy, an Oasis fan (well, I leaned towards Blur a bit more, I think), a gin and beer drinker (not in the same drink, silly), sometime amphetamine taker (or was it antihistamine?), where ecstasy filled the air at the club(s) where smokes were still smoked and we danced forever and held each other tight. Hey, does this transport card still work?

London and Tokyo (Konnichiwa, Ichiro!) were my personal meccas during this era (has anything changed? Well, yes, slightly...) and I took my first trip to England during the same week as the Gallagher brother's biggest gigs to date in the summer of '96, two days at Knebworth where over 2 million people applied for 250,000 available tickets. I decided to pass. Was I already over it? I'm listening to "Rockin' Chair" as I type, the emotional b-side of "Roll With It," and it's making me teary eyed, the distance, the innocence, and the naivety, simply seeking out and grooving on the beat and the beats and even some of the better words, wherever they came from: Manchester, New York, Paris, Kingston or Toronto.

I had just started playing records out to the universe (soul, funk, and reggae mostly w/ a little 60s jazz and other assorted mod gear), my dear mother, rest her soul, was still alive, and I worked full-time as a music clerk/buyer at HMV #852 in Coquitlam Centre after graduating from SFU. The store was MASSIVE, with more music than a fully loaded jukebox or a 160 gigabyte iPod Classic. It was our very own Youtube before that even existed (imagine that, eh!?), a library of sound, that is to say, we had almost everything, a bastion of culture in suburbia heaven and hell where the dogs ran wild at night.

I was sick during that first journey across the Atlantic (*More on that later!) and to be totally honest, I could barely understand a word that anyone was saying to me upon my arrival in the UK, from the airport staff commuting from central London to the old Liverpudlian at the chip shop down the road. "Sorry, do you speak English?" It took two more trips in 2000 and 2004 to finally get the swing of it and I feel that I'm ready to be here now once more. This time, there's a bit more of a purpose to the motion, Light in the Attic Records' sweet 16 anniversary festivities, a label that I've helped to shape for over 14 years.

Does anyone actually read liner notes? Well, don't tell LITA! ; ) And please note, my best notes were written for the 2006 re-release of the mighty Noel Ellis (Summer Records, 1983). On this go round, I'm traveling alongside and in support of Willie Thrasher and his singing partner Linda Saddleback and I'm sad and somewhat frustrated to report that certain outlets in the Canadian mass media have ignored my requests to cover this historic event, but trust me friends (yes, we're still friends), THIS IS A BIG F%CKING DEAL!@#$%!!!

Willie, who's been at it for over 50 years and is still rocking harder than yer latest and momentarily greatest buzz band of twenty-somethings w/ crass managers and sly booking agents and flash photographers and stylish stylists and posing press people and a full season of government sponsored festival dates (no diss, we'll see how many of you are still at it at 69, like Willie! Grassroots or not...), a residential school survivor, a Grammy nominee (Native North America represent!), and SO much more... Did I mention that this is Willie's first trip off of Turtle Island, singing his Inuvialuit heartbeat songs with his beloved partner on the doorsteps of the colonizer in one of London's most respectable and professional concert venues?

YES FRIENDS, THIS IS A BIG... F%CKING... DEAL...

So Canada, WAKE UP!!!

And in the meantime, London town, we're coming for YOU!!!

PEACE

Light In The Attic Records 16th Anniversary Concert (London, England)

*Tickets and more info... HERE... PEACE

LITA 16th Anniversary Concert, June 23rd (London, England)

Light in the Attic Twitter re-post:

We've been dreaming about a gig like this for over a decade: on June 23rd we'll be at @BarbicanCentre London celebrating our Sweet 16 Anniversary w/ performances from a trio of artists whose music we've reissued: HARUOMI HOSONO + ACETONE + WILLIE THRASHER: bit.ly/2K0vtNN

PEACE

NNA V1 art director Chris Gergley in London (Rough Trade Records)

DJ vanwagner and sipreano

sending good vibes to the roses...

not that ya need 'em, but i know you'd appreciate the positivity...

in 2000, my dad and i walked by ian brown on the streets of london. 10 steps or so later my mind exploded!@#$%!!! how could i not approach the man who literally changed my life (after hearing "fools gold" on much music in 1990, i immediately rushed to the surrey A&B and started spreading the roses' gospel). turning around and bolting back, i caught up to the iconic singer and professed my eternal thanks, "i just want to give you my love and respect," i said. "i'm giving it right back to you," was brown's warm, instant, reply.

i never did catch the stone roses live and despite their legendary status, i don't think the original line-up ever made it to north america. still, i definitely recall back-of-the-bus discussion w/ high school acquaintances about whether or not they'd make it here, creating a temporary kinship between fellow music lovers. in the mid-1990s, post second coming, the group finally hit canada, but i didn't make the effort to attend their sold-out toronto show, despite visiting ontario at the time, igniting a longtime concert regret in the process. no excuses, but w/o original drummer alan "reni" wren (who'd been replaced by ex-rebel MC percussionist robbie maddox after the hatted one's mysterious 1995 departure), i'm afraid it mightn't have lived up to my expectations anyways. seeing john squire's lukewarm seahorses in 1997 at vancouver's the rage nightclub was barely a consolation (sorry john).

well, much to my surprise (and the delight of 225,000 heaton park ticket holders), the definitive stone roses line-up of brown, squire, gary "mani" mounfield, and wren have joined forces for what is easily one of the biggest reunions of rock. while there's been haters and supporters all "vying" for precious internet space on the subject, i feel it's the former that are truly missing out (don't worry, it's not too late to join the party!@#$%!!!). "ian can't sing," "they're too old," "cash grab," "one (barely) good album," are some of their cries. of course, we're all entitled to our own opinions, but for me, seeing the roses in 2012 (BIG prayers that they make it to north america in 2013!!!), is all about giving thanks. thanks to the men who changed our lives (or at least provided at soundtrack to a formative part of it). though it's impossible to recreate the past, heaton park will certainly be one hell of a heavenly celebration!@#$%!!! keep on rolling dear roses...

"one love"