Continuing from last Wednesday (please read the intro first):

The Bevis Frond gig in Hastings is tomorrow night. And I've been refreshing my memory and making additional notes. I can't be accused of not doing my homework !

I've some must listens and a Star Track. So here's 'Six of the Best' (click on each arrow to listen):

➤ 'He'd Be a Diamond' *(Song covered by Teenage Fanclub)

➤ 'Lights Are Changing' (Sounds like The Byrds) + a great acoustic version, search 'Aterpe Sessions'

➤ 'The Strangers Mirror' (11 minute slow track into some blistering guitar solos)

➤ 'Mr. Fred's Disco' *(great lyrics, like "Don't smile your crown shows up in ultraviolet light")

➤ 'Through the Hedge' *(organ based melody and smouldering guitars)

➤ 'Coming Round' *(Power chords, an encore track)

"Everyone has a favourite tune. Is this yours" ?

From the 2011 album release 'The Leaving of London' this is 'Johnny Kwango' - who was a professional wrestler and was on British TV when Wrestling was popular.

 

* Denotes tracks currently on the 'live' setlist.

.... there are of course lots more where these came from. 

I hope you like The Bevis Frond as much as I do. 

  

An alternative (and occasional) music posting highlighting something out of the ordinary.
Perhaps of limited appeal, unconventional, experimental or just far-out !
Call it what you like (or switch it off, if you don't like). 

Back end of last year I came upon this band. I'd never heard of them before and the track 'You’re On Your Own’ did more than just catch my attention. Then I found they were playing a gig in Hastings accompanied by the following blurb "The Bevis Frond (guitarist and songwriter Nick Saloman) have become the UK's leading underground psychedelic rock band. Their music is an iconoclastic collision of distinctly British psychedelia, space-rock, grunge, slow-burning soulful laments, even grizzled folk and more occasional moments of sublime pop genius."

All this from one band was summed up by the fact they'd released something in the regions of 29 albums since their debut in 1987. I freely admit that at first I became a bit obsessed with The Bevis Frond, trying to get to grips with such a varied and extensive catalogue of music. Not only was I liking a lot of the songs but I found that Nick Saloman, a Londoner, was now a Hastings resident, and the extensive recorded output was through his own and various other independent record labels. Going some way to explaining why I'd never heard of him and why 'underground' perhaps best categorises him if you too don't know the name.

Describing the 2018 LP 'We're Your Friends, Man' The Progressive Aspect website says of the aforementioned song - "The longest track here is the 13 minute album closer 'You’re On Your Own', one of Nick’s trademark Neil Young-duels-with-Jimi beasties" !

As I personally delved deeper into the music I was hearing influences from Elvis Costello and Tom Petty vocally to The Jam, Procol Harum, the Cure, Pink Floyd and Hendrix. Weird and wonderful, odd subjects and song titles and 'stoned-out' lengthy guitar jams all the way to sensitive folky numbers. No wonder my head was spinning - so let's play the track I came in on and go back to those liquid light show psychedelic days of yesteryear. 

(This reminds me of the very first FMS Star Track 'Maggot Brain' by Funkadelic) > 

 

Today is just an introduction... 

Friday I shall list other favourites leading to a Star Track, which will be a distinct contrast to this Bevis Frond track. Nick Saloman is a man of multiple hats and the wealth of material available can be overwhelming at first. 

... to be continued

   

Last weekend in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland the 22nd 'Rory Gallagher International Tribute Festival' took place. This was heavily publicised on Facebook and that's where I came across this video from a 1979 gig.

It's a BBC tv recording from a show at the Middlesex Polytechnic, Hendon in January 1979. Amazingly good quality and what a performance. "Guitar on a lead, playing and singing, no ear monitor and mixing it with the crowd" is one amazed YouTuber comment. And there's only three of them !

A fantastic rhythm section of Gerry McAvoy (bass) and Ted McKenna (drums) with William Rory Gallagher on guitar and vocals. 

NB: There's a short intro to the video from the YouTube contributor and then we're off to 'Shadow Play'