1. Record shops are open again!!!
Oh dear God, I am so happy! Being back at the brilliant Casbah Records in Greenwich is a joy! These guys have been in Greenwich for 12 years, having run a stand at Greenwich market for years. Their weekly top ten is always worth a look and they have a fab selection!
Do check out Casbah Records, it's a fantastic treasure trove! But most importantly, get out to record shops again!
2. Rockonteurs Podcast
Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet) and Guy Pratt (Pink Floyd) present this fantastic podcast, with interview with a range of rock legends, including Alice Cooper, Gary Numan, Johnny Marr, Tim Burgess (who now has National Treasure status after his fabulous work through lockdown on his listening parties), and many more. Gary and Guy are genuinely excited to talk to these guys, and there near weekly accidental “prog” reference is just hilarious.
3. Birthdays!
It was my 51st birthday this week - last year’s 50th was in full lockdown. This year I have actually been able to see friends, drink and eat out (admittedly in the freezing cold) but have something approaching a normal birthday - for which I am VERY grateful! And this is the best birthday song ever!
Plus Mrs JO'B got me this wonderful picture of Johnny Marr at the Royal Festival Hall back in 2019 (a gig we were both at). The picture is by Jill Furmanovsky - check out her online store, selling photos by a range of wonderful photographers at https://www.rockarchive.com.
4. Poly Styrene - I Am A Cliche
Poly Styrene was a genuine pioneer - the first woman of colour in the UK to front a successful rock band. Fronting X-Ray Spex, she used her unique voice to call out the world as she saw it - challenging misogyny, racism and consumerism. Her daughter, Celeste Bell, presents and narrates this wonderful documentary, offering an intimate, and at times painful, account of her mother’s life. Highly recommended - it’s available on Sky Arts or NOW TV or check here.
5. New Order - Education Entertainment Recreation - Live At Alexandra Palace, November 2018
SO excited about seeing New Order at the O2 in November this year (finally!). Their new live film, Education Entertainment Recreation, is now available on Sky Arts and NOW TV. It's superb, really capturing the scale of their amazing live show, but also some fantastic intimate views from the stage. It's a spectacular film and a career spanning set - well worth a look.
See you next week, x
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