Young Fathers - "LOW" from Ninja Tune on Vimeo.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
i was thinking about the world's biggest necklace
Me & Cath & Martin went to see this fine play in Manchester yesterday....
Read About The Scuttlers here.
Me & Cath see Young Fathers In Rochdale Library next month.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Old Friends ßookends
ßlimey,another Valentines Day...!
Bob Dylan - Pretty Saro from Columbia Records on Vimeo.
You know,my Dad was born on this day (& died on a Boxing Day)
Strange to think he would be 98 now, had he lived.
I know no more than you do about love.Other than it is universal as much as it is personal?
And that the long applause at the end of this (or any) song is as important as the music before it.
Imagine, I only turned my head away in order he had a greater area to kiss........
My Son Chris & Me :Zante 1991 |
Cathy my Missus & Me in a mirror on the Greek Island of Paros in 1987.
|
Cathy in Paros:the same year. |
This is a Sepia Saturday post.
Friday, January 30, 2015
whoa, the blue light was my baby, and the red light was my mind.....
The Rolling Stones singing "Street Fighting Man" is total nonsense.A millionaire singing working class songs is a total lie.(hello,Russell Brand!)
Saying that ,I loved this song in the 1970s.I believed every word....Sometimes artifice is a very comforting distraction.innit?
We are critical of politicians & the lies they tell us.Are we any better with the lies we tell ourselves?
Cath took this photo of me in Athens in 1987.She was still recovering from her first miscarriage.
I asked her to take it.Saying that ,I loved this song in the 1970s.I believed every word....Sometimes artifice is a very comforting distraction.innit?
We are critical of politicians & the lies they tell us.Are we any better with the lies we tell ourselves?
Athens:August 1987. |
I was reading plenty of Paul Bowles & Bruce Chatwin at the time.
I suppose ,in this photo , I wanted to give an impression of a 'Gentleman Abroad'.Living with 'real' people.[Not on some dodgy package holiday!]
I remember I began reading Raymond Carver on my return.("Working Class Noir"!).
Chris was born safely the following year.I guess it worked....
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
the earth sings when he touches it [Shakespeare]
Horses are one of the theme options for this week's Sepia Saturday.
I may have shown these photos before?Im not sure but its always worth repeating.Innit.
Above&below r some of my Aunt Brenda's photos from The Saranac Winter Carnival.
Brenda was born in Canada.& ,at some point,her & the family moved to Upstate New York where these was taken
.
here are a few more of her wonderful photos.
here a couple of previous posts about it all.......
This is a Sepia Saturday post.Hurray!
Friday, December 19, 2014
hard times come again no more
above, some of my photos from this year.If you dont know their context,you just havnt been paying attention x
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
the floor is made of turf and the walls full of butterflies.....
Nowadays the area is being gentrified and an effusive estate agent promises an audience gathered in Cutting Room Square a tour of bespoke apartments.
But Angel Meadow does not surrender its ghosts lightly and the presentation is interrupted by a blood-splattered character (a ferociously unhinged Caitriona Ennis) who announces that gang violence has broken out again and Eddie is dead.
An attempt to lead the audience to safety results in us being divided into groups and individuals and taken on a nightmarish journey. The physical location of the play is largely irrelevant as it is more a trip through the state of mind of people who have little to lose and are on the verge of losing it anyway.
Owen Boss superbly captures this lack of hope in his designs and installation. The rooms in a derelict public house are set out so that you might find yourself back in a 19th Century flophouse or illegitimate boxing ring. There is a disturbing surreal atmosphere that eerily demonstrates the futile lives of the inhabitants. The drinks cabinet in the pub is full of litres of bleach, which the characters swig with a life-hating disregard, the head of a butchered pig hangs over the pool table.
Fascinatingly at one point you pass a room n which the floor is made of turf and the walls full of butterflies – perhaps a promise of a better life. Rather than take the lazy way of many promenade productions, and just allow the audience to wander through the set, Louise Lowe's ingenious direction channels them towards particular events and scenes.
The manner in which the audience is divided ensures no two experiences will be the same. It is an intense and intimate event during which you may find yourself eyeball to eyeball with the burning physical presence of Thomas Reilly's deranged tough guy or holding the punching bag for bare knuckles boxer Eric O'Brien. There is also a deeply discomforting chance to share a whiskey with a grieving mother who begs you to take on the role of Sin Eater and allow her late child to ascend to heaven (the soul of the child is superbly represented). A bestial and squalid orgy and a bleak Christmas dinner also feature before the audience re-groups in the aftermath of Eddie's wake....."
What's On Stage:June 13th 2014: Angel Meadow (Ancoats, Manchester)]
Thursday, December 04, 2014
hell on earth
"According to Oxford University Press, Manchester derived its name from Mamucium, the Roman name for the 1st century-settlement and fort. Mamucium itself is a Latinised form of the Celtic meaning "breast-shaped hill".........."[WIKIPEDIA:] Not a lot of people know that.............
Angus Reach, a London-based journalist, visited Manchester in 1849 Observed "the lowest, most filthy, most unhealthy and most wicked locality in Manchester is called, singularly enough, 'Angel-meadow.'
It is full of cellars and inhabited by prostitutes, their bullies, thieves, cadgers, vagrants, tramps and, in the very worst sties of filth and darkness, by those unhappy wretches the 'low Irish.'"
[REFERENCE:]
Karl Marx described it "Hell On Earth" and it inspired him to write The Communist Manifesto while he lived in the City.
Marx always imagined it would be here,not Russia, that Communism would rise up to heal the world. [Wikipedia:St Michaels and Angel Meadow Park]
Today mostly all that is left is a pleasant Park.(think of it as the opposite of that Joni Mitchell song .."they unpaved the parking lot & put up a park......") Its ironic.The Park is Beautiful.It's just the rest of Tory Britain that's turning feral.Hey-hoy.......
But ,underneath the grass are still some cellars inhabited by prostitutes, their bullies, thieves, cadgers, vagrants, tramps & 'low Irish.? I tread gently & listen closely whenever i travel there.
Every year since 2008 myself & assorted Lancashire & Yorkshire friends (many from the Rochdale Turkish Baths,itself now closed & disolved)visit Manchester to see the Christmas German Markets.
Usually we include a visit to The Marble Arch Pub which is on the border of Angel Meadows.
It's one of the few buildings still standing around there.
We go for our 7th year next Wednesday.We start drinking at 2 pm & carry on until around 11pm.
Its strange looking at last year's photos.I look really healthy (yet a few weeks later I was in hospital with Pneumonia ).
Phil the x-fireman has been to all six,but will miss this year as he's still on the 'Injury List' (incidently , he's doing well & Will be back next year.He comes with me to see the movie "TURNER" before Christmas.We are keeping him in the picture!)
You never know what around the corner or hidden under your feet and noses........obviously .
A photo here of Danny from Rochdale at the Manchester German Christmas Markets.
The bloke on the right of him.? He looks a bit like George Osborne to me.![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_uxfPcWnVrWN4qvkIB0X9PNRF0PuYzFYo_D7KsXC4fFiBrhXqDHcvGHmFKhnzRn6aKhTq0iQDfRduAk0EXQNEzXkPHDAiHt_FG7gChPYhkYzzYBKvraGp_xhebPCWTcGXRm856S75-6VtFIJmEO1SClk1Nnlslg28GqSKrBFKSCdPilcw=s0-d)
It is full of cellars and inhabited by prostitutes, their bullies, thieves, cadgers, vagrants, tramps and, in the very worst sties of filth and darkness, by those unhappy wretches the 'low Irish.'"
[REFERENCE:]
Karl Marx described it "Hell On Earth" and it inspired him to write The Communist Manifesto while he lived in the City.
Marx always imagined it would be here,not Russia, that Communism would rise up to heal the world. [Wikipedia:St Michaels and Angel Meadow Park]
Today mostly all that is left is a pleasant Park.(think of it as the opposite of that Joni Mitchell song .."they unpaved the parking lot & put up a park......") Its ironic.The Park is Beautiful.It's just the rest of Tory Britain that's turning feral.Hey-hoy.......
But ,underneath the grass are still some cellars inhabited by prostitutes, their bullies, thieves, cadgers, vagrants, tramps & 'low Irish.? I tread gently & listen closely whenever i travel there.
[above :random images 2008-2013]
Every year since 2008 myself & assorted Lancashire & Yorkshire friends (many from the Rochdale Turkish Baths,itself now closed & disolved)visit Manchester to see the Christmas German Markets.
Usually we include a visit to The Marble Arch Pub which is on the border of Angel Meadows.
It's one of the few buildings still standing around there.
We go for our 7th year next Wednesday.We start drinking at 2 pm & carry on until around 11pm.
Its strange looking at last year's photos.I look really healthy (yet a few weeks later I was in hospital with Pneumonia ).
Phil the x-fireman has been to all six,but will miss this year as he's still on the 'Injury List' (incidently , he's doing well & Will be back next year.He comes with me to see the movie "TURNER" before Christmas.We are keeping him in the picture!)
You never know what around the corner or hidden under your feet and noses........obviously .
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Ringo was a fascist too.
![]() ![]() |
the artist enters The Trades by the fire escape........[photo via /https://www.flickr.com/photos/rogerodoherty/] |
I was part of about 21people+ drums +VAT who picketed this gig .
Including
about 6 people who had brought big noisy drums to the protest and were hammering away as Martha's fans walked in.
At one point ,one young drummer near me got most irate."that bloke just said 'you drummers are all fascists!'How can drumming be fascist??.That's not TRUE.Drumming isnt fascist is it...." (being most putout about how the two could possibly be equated) .
I said to him,wanting to console ,"Never mind,Ringo was probably a facist too"
.He gave me a strange look.turned away,and resumed his drumming ........
No doubt the subtilty was lost in the excitement .
What on Earth am I banging on about this week.............
For whatever reason Canadian singer Martha Wainwright did not want to engage the pickets on Wednesday night in Hebden Bridge
.Neither has she (as far as I know) talked about her position during her current troubled tour of the Britiah Isles . She can talk to Jerusalem Post but not The Hebden Bridge Times. Those drums kind of fill the silence she left behind her.................
.
Well [here] is some background.
The Canadian singer Martha Wainwright was playing Hebden Bridge's Trades Club.Us locals were restless because of her very recent support for Israel.
Bad Vibes @ Hippy Central because of this gig.
The Hebden Bridge Trades Club has always been a strong supporter & fund raiser on behalf of Palestine. It was embarrassing for both the club & the community as a whole.
It has caused a lot of debate among folk.Some wanted her banned & a raising of funds to buy out her contract.Others won the day with the compromise i outline below.
Personally I think it was about right.
Martha was allowed to sing.I was allowed to protest her visit to Israel.The Trades raised some more money for a good cause.
She was booked in good faith by the club before all the anger started about her Israeli visit. Had they cancelled, issues about "Breach of Contract" would have arisen,
As a compromise, The printed these leaflets,hung a giant Palistinan flag above the front door and they promised to donate all profits to Medical Aid for Palestine.
In the end the figures broke down as followed: 20 protesters & Me & Drums +VAT outside
20 tickets returned prior to the gig.
The original standing capacity of 190 was changed to a seating plan of 150 + 20 standing.
5 nutcase Zionists who travelled over especially from Manchester to just shout at me for wear a Pro-Palestine Badge
& a special mention to my West Indian friend Richard from Halifax.He's a boxer & a fighter who wandered along with his new partner .......he was oblivious to what was going on ,but he unknowingly saved me from any further earbashing from the Zionists.They kinda took one look at him and found some others to abuse..........
A strange personal twist for me was the fact that in 1978 i took this photo in Liverpool of her late Mum Kate McGarrigle. So I have always previously been aware of-and liked-her dynasty...
n.
Friday, November 07, 2014
there is no flamenco tonight
Me & Cath went to hear the Great American novelist James Ellroy give a talk in Manchester's Dancehouse Theatre'
Earlier the same day (5th Nov) we visited The Sensory War at Manchester Art Gallery......
This post's title refers to a notice that was blue-tac'd onto the front door of the Dance Theater, telling the evenings students that (because James was in town)'flamenco' was off the menu for the night.......!
I was surprised how many people turned up.500+ souls on a wet cold neon -lit evening....And the art nouveau-noirish decor of the Dancehouse compounded the effect of it all........
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_u2xerXZw7p_0ntI1uiW1DEswQhrC85TYmrvCy__tHJAgUGBg3W6pX2CCVy7_wzC7X4-xz0rw22K7bflr45EgLLgAhoqQuX1Nx1a8ziEbrZ3dN-Z-Fp9RXSWtP0Q8Sz-0Z5jR7hNjcyKvLmrXPgyI5OsLwHgPYkIXjxk9XvEYZOg26_HAWehw=s0-d)
Me & Martin & Ken & Bob & Noj & Jim #1 & Jim #2 & John & Tony T. went to Eastern Spice in Hebden Bridge for a meal 6th Nov .(see photos)
James Ellroy interview: LA Confidential author on promoting books and settling scores {INDEPENDENT}
Earlier the same day (5th Nov) we visited The Sensory War at Manchester Art Gallery......
This post's title refers to a notice that was blue-tac'd onto the front door of the Dance Theater, telling the evenings students that (because James was in town)'flamenco' was off the menu for the night.......!
I was surprised how many people turned up.500+ souls on a wet cold neon -lit evening....And the art nouveau-noirish decor of the Dancehouse compounded the effect of it all........
(one of several audio clips i recorded in manchester)
James Ellroy interview: LA Confidential author on promoting books and settling scores {INDEPENDENT}
Thursday, October 30, 2014
The past, the present, and the future walked into a bar. It was tense.
Somewhere further on down the line,Me & Cath see Simone Felice at The Hebden Bridge Trades Club on the 19th November.[as i write this 2nd Nov you may still be able to pick up a few tickets for the gig here ?]
this is justabout near perfect...
I went into Manchester today with Martin,Jim & Tony T.
I went up to see Phil the X-Fireman at his house in Siddal.(i see him most weeks)
He is ok.He has of course lost a lot of weight (maybe cos he hasnt been drinking for 8 weeks?!)
His 7 week Chemo & Radiotheraphy course in Leeds is now over (no 'results' for a while yet,he reckons) He Sends Everybody His Love.
He drives down to Hebden Bridge on Wednesday 12 Nov to meet me to see the film 1971
.Its about a British Squaddie in Northern Ireland in 1971, the same year Phil himself was fighting there.It will be interesting to gather what he thinks about it.
This coming Wednesday,Me & Cathy go to Manchester's Dancehouse Theatre to watch/listen to a talk from James Ellory (LA CONFIDENTIAL etc).Expect some images & audio?
The day after that , me ,Comrade Ken,Bob,Nodje,Jim#2 ,John.Jim#1 ,Martin & Phil #2 meet for a curry at Eastern Spice in Hebden Bridge.
this is justabout near perfect...
Here are some photos
In the photos below,you may glimpse on several occassions, a couple dancing .
They are not quite as old as the elderly singers.but are they .rehearsing or anticipating?
they danced so beautifully i was spell bound.....
Most of these photos were shot in The Hare& Hounds pub on Shude Hill in Manchester.
(Me & Cath had met Don & Margaret there a few months ago briefly before going onto a gig.It intrigued me then).
I remembered the elderly singers & suggested to the lads we might visit tonight. We had intended only a swift drink then onto the trendy Northern Quarter.....But ,instead we stayed all night.Something quite magical about sitting with these 80 year olds having a ball! We stayed the rest of the night.....
In the photos below,you may glimpse on several occassions, a couple dancing .
They are not quite as old as the elderly singers.but are they .rehearsing or anticipating?
they danced so beautifully i was spell bound.....
Most of these photos were shot in The Hare& Hounds pub on Shude Hill in Manchester.
(Me & Cath had met Don & Margaret there a few months ago briefly before going onto a gig.It intrigued me then).
I remembered the elderly singers & suggested to the lads we might visit tonight. We had intended only a swift drink then onto the trendy Northern Quarter.....But ,instead we stayed all night.Something quite magical about sitting with these 80 year olds having a ball! We stayed the rest of the night.....
brian wilson singing buddy holly's 'listen to me'.
The next few weeks are quite busy in ebenchshire........I went up to see Phil the X-Fireman at his house in Siddal.(i see him most weeks)
He is ok.He has of course lost a lot of weight (maybe cos he hasnt been drinking for 8 weeks?!)
His 7 week Chemo & Radiotheraphy course in Leeds is now over (no 'results' for a while yet,he reckons) He Sends Everybody His Love.
He drives down to Hebden Bridge on Wednesday 12 Nov to meet me to see the film 1971
.Its about a British Squaddie in Northern Ireland in 1971, the same year Phil himself was fighting there.It will be interesting to gather what he thinks about it.
This coming Wednesday,Me & Cathy go to Manchester's Dancehouse Theatre to watch/listen to a talk from James Ellory (LA CONFIDENTIAL etc).Expect some images & audio?
The day after that , me ,Comrade Ken,Bob,Nodje,Jim#2 ,John.Jim#1 ,Martin & Phil #2 meet for a curry at Eastern Spice in Hebden Bridge.
Friday, October 17, 2014
On The Roman Road
This is a Sepia Saturday post.
Cath & me today moved like Romans.
We took a train journey on the beautiful Settle~Carlisle Line & spent 5 hours in this border city .We had a Turkish Bath:a Meal:A Museum & A Castle ! Much Joy. Dig my photographs here.....
I look at sepia photographs of the Old East End & feel exiled twofold. Once by 'place':(i now live in The North of England) And once by 'time' .
The 50s& 60s are gone forever i guess?
This week, I first saw these 17 sepia photos ,any one would have fitted the bill.Here is just one example at random. click here to view the rest of David Hoffman's extraordinary exhibition of the Sepia Roman Road
Enjoy!
( This week's prompt asks for " Street traders, roadside artisans, menders, cobblers, tools-of-the-trade...")
Hey Kids!Click ,put on your headphones & listen to some classic Sepia Audio!
Go On ! You know you want to!
Here is Phil Ochs
Live in New York; December 15, 1965.Singing "Joe Hill"
its funny,the copyright police have finally found me! They would not let me put a direct link here.!You will have to leave this page to listen to this illegal Phil Ochs recording.It may be "sepia", but its still dangerous!Hurray!
its funny,the copyright police have finally found me! They would not let me put a direct link here.!You will have to leave this page to listen to this illegal Phil Ochs recording.It may be "sepia", but its still dangerous!Hurray!
Friday, October 10, 2014
living legends..forever!
Jeff Buckley:Live ; October 11, 1992: Corpus Christi Carol (acapella) (Benjamin Britten)
The carol was written in 1504
"One recent interpretation is that it was composed about the execution of Anne Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII, whose badge was a falcon...."{wikipedia}
[n.b. the footbally-challenged might need to know that West Ham's ground in London's East End is known as "The Boleyn Ground" because ,in those wacky olden-days,she used to go a-hunting there......]
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_sFJguhHZ_fWzDx8eTZvMg5tah2_8GPsa5-zMiogGFCa3K_9auG2HjRYtdrdYPoQeXp1JX_5sJ_0-vxasEHEh3jaKlZyx89GBSZUCiy0sFOXB3oMarUZ-bkZLNGh2gNvxsXhKZTAeH-GyBfDkO-7qdoTRVGcFc9G3I4tCcBfm3l-vhBe5vXWg=s0-d)
This image was taken in Manchester this week at The National Football Museum
A Get-Well Present from me to Phil the x-fireman.
Phil is in his 6th week of Chemo & radiotheraphy for throat cancer.
Like me,Phil is a massive West Ham United fan.
On the mug are illustrated Martin Peters,Geof Hurst & Bobby Moore.It reads "Living Legends:Forever"
Phil's mouth is always very dry.He is always wanting fluids.This is practical.
Phil finishes his treatment in a week's time.I'm hoping eventually he might want/be able to visit the Museum with me once he has more spare time (his NHS treatment takes up 5 full days a week at the moment)The mueum is right next door to Victoria Railway station.Not a long walk for him.
Phil said last week that all he seems to do at the moment is "sleep & take drugs".I cheered him up (i think) by telling him he was turning into Ken Before my very eyes........
Dexy's Midnight Runners:Live at Haarlem, The Netherlands; October 27, 1982.
June 18th in Hebden Bridge.Phil,Me,Ken .taken just prior to Phil's news..........
"One recent interpretation is that it was composed about the execution of Anne Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII, whose badge was a falcon...."{wikipedia}
[n.b. the footbally-challenged might need to know that West Ham's ground in London's East End is known as "The Boleyn Ground" because ,in those wacky olden-days,she used to go a-hunting there......]
This image was taken in Manchester this week at The National Football Museum
A Get-Well Present from me to Phil the x-fireman.
Phil is in his 6th week of Chemo & radiotheraphy for throat cancer.
Like me,Phil is a massive West Ham United fan.
On the mug are illustrated Martin Peters,Geof Hurst & Bobby Moore.It reads "Living Legends:Forever"
Phil's mouth is always very dry.He is always wanting fluids.This is practical.
Phil finishes his treatment in a week's time.I'm hoping eventually he might want/be able to visit the Museum with me once he has more spare time (his NHS treatment takes up 5 full days a week at the moment)The mueum is right next door to Victoria Railway station.Not a long walk for him.
Phil said last week that all he seems to do at the moment is "sleep & take drugs".I cheered him up (i think) by telling him he was turning into Ken Before my very eyes........
Dexy's Midnight Runners:Live at Haarlem, The Netherlands; October 27, 1982.
Friday, October 03, 2014
did i see you planting seeds in the forest?
![]() |
The 4th October is the date in 1941 that Norman Rockwell launched a series of Saturday Evening Post covers depicting Willie Gillis. Rockwell described Gillis as “an inoffensive ordinary little guy thrown into the chaos of war”. Willie made his debut carrying a food parcel and suddenly everyone wanted to be his friend. |
This is a sepia saturday post.
I remember hearing on the radio recently about the birth of the movies.When the first "film story" was made. It was about how they never imagined that "Stars" could never possibly be created.
Quite the reverse infact.It was thought that the audience would never accept the same actor in a different role/movie ever again...Once seen in one context,an actor would never be able to appear again the another film.
Part of me (the part that thinks about Jennifer Aniston ) regrets this didn't happen.....
I was thinking about the prompt image to this week's topic. I am going for "facial expression". I wonder when the first photographic smile was.?Not an in situ smile :but a "say cheese "smile. The first time someone realized that this smile would stay fixed forever.The first time someone realized they could be surrounded by shit,but lie about it!
All very existential really.The first time we smiled at an unknown stranger...
A possible problem of course is how to stop it once you've started.
Look at those tragic celebrities and politicians we see around us today.[The false existential smile that stays fixed forever...I am thinking here about Batman's Joker.....]
So here then dear sepians is a nice (and relatively rare?) example of a group of people fair oblivious to the camera.
Yes.They know the reason they are there is to be photographed.But they dismiss the camera and smile at each other instead.We are dismissed!
(.try to listen towards the end of the audio .Nice to hear both Gene's speaking voice & his mention of Rick Danko......).
Meanwhile...today.....In the Scottish Free State ,lives a rather fine band called Young Fathers.I am really pleased they have been nominated for this year's MERCURY.
No doubt the winners will turn out to be a group of public schoolboys from Surrey.But never mind ,its brought Young Fathers some richly deserved attention.Remember,I've been blathering on about them for over a year here .They are rather special. (although the american interviewer in this video is a bit of a tit...)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Me by The Serpentine in London 2010?
𝐦y O𝐥d P𝐡o𝐭o P𝐫o𝐣e𝐜t c𝐨n𝐭i𝐧u𝐞s a𝐭 ... https://www.instagram.com/tonyzimnoch/
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7wag4wxIGE_EG61o-kHxtcK0xrlri4NS_SvGaKIhd1nXl3nNitJLikJEIZM_OVITSekHGZ5pZZdFDCysFbABUyu5Yi8NoGkDyD4y6yV0dBnNrgnwG7Eqy9Vmd9v35gxHh_WheTtKHE3DDPRRF26brPQJrl9gGZhtLhV1PbbXAZ-5ln-tZYbYMlQ/w640-h522/imageedit_7_7036764104%20(3).jpg)