Posts by philipmatthews
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Fans of all things early 80s should check this very good Jon Savage column and its embedded Section 25 song. From a time when post-punk electronics crossed over with early rap/electro jams ...
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For me, the 3Ds are one of those bands who were so great at the time that I don't want to spoil my memories of them if there's even if the slightest risk they'll be half-arsed. Which it sound like they weren't. But there are some reunions of great bands that have been duds by all accounts: Throbbing Gristle, the Gang of Four, the current PiL one. Bit nervous about the idea of the Swans one too.
I guess I'm for bands making the right records at the right time, being brilliant but short-lived, rather than turning up again to play the equivalent of the Las Vegas circuit. I like the shape of this argument from Mark Fisher, which is really aimed at bands not splitting up when they should:
Here they are: The Fall, Sonic Youth. Another year, another record. Persistence, consolidation, becoming an institution: wasn't this everything that post punk's scorched-earth modernism disdained? And the problem isn't confined to the groups who have stayed together, because even those that did break up return. Fill in your own example here – but you would be hard pressed to come up with anything more grotesque than the return of the grandaddys of the post punks, returning as grandads: the Stooges, strutting back onstage in their sixties, geriatric teenagers singing 'Last Year I Was Twenty-one'. In the age of Web 2.0, nothing goes away, everything comes back – if not in the flesh, then as a YouTube clip.
The expectation that groups split up belongs to what in retrospect seems like the speeded-up popular culture of the '60s and '70s. A pattern was established that was followed as much by Throbbing Gristle as by the Beatles. A group would make a name for themselves, release their landmark records and then disintegrate, usually in the space of less than a decade. (But whereas the Beatles never came back, Throbbing Gristle, of course, did.) For those of us whose perception of pop temporality was formed by this accelerated '60s and '70s culture, there's something disappointing about the dogged persistence of a group, even – or perhaps especially – if we are fans. -
The classic first ep and Shotgun Blossom line-up of Snapper was outstanding, but they were never as good after it splintered. They really were a "that line-up or not at all" type of band.
I have a soft spot for ADM, myself.
Hope it didn't sound like I was overstating Rachael King's link to the 3Ds -- just adding another connection to the Battling Strings thing Russell talked about.
Did you see the reformed 3Ds live, Grant? If so, any good? I didn't get around to it.
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Paul Buchanan blogs on the Waihopai verdict. A couple of points:
if this action merited acquittal, what does that say about the case against the Urewera 18, who did not trespass, damage or burglarise anything?
And
Imagine what the outcome would have been had the Plowshares engaged their direct action in the US, UK or Australia. I reckon the verdict would have been different, and the sentences severe.
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Media 7 was top-notch last night but I am still not warming to The Ad Show which followed.
I only saw the first ep. Didn't do it for me at all and I haven't gone back.
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I believe that Rachael King was in the 3Ds for a time as well. There was a period when Denise Roughan was out of the band; don't think she was on any records though.
I read in my local paper than Wooden Shjips, when they played Wellington the other day, pulled out a version of Snapper's "Buddy". From one legendary psych-rock band to another ... Anyone happen to have seen or filmed it? Somehow their visit got drowned under Pixies-mania.
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it was all going to be silly discussions with no point
No point? It's early days yet. We're only on p19. I'm sure we'll get this objective v subjective value thing nutted out one of these days ...
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By the way, in the unlikely event that anyone wants to read more about film criticism, there is this very sensible piece from David Bordwell.
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"The Listener" had an unfortunately long record of doing that Giovanni: I remember when they decided to ditch Trace Hodgson (one of my favourite cartoonists) with a snide ,IIRC, comment that they didnt think he fitted the new look magazine.
But that was at least a comment. I'm pretty sure that when Gordon Campbell and Steve Braunias went - two of the best writers they ever had and ever will have -- there wasn't a word about it. I'm tempted to say it must feel to the readers like that bit in one of the Milan Kundera books about politicians associated with the previous Czech regime being quietly removed from the official photos, but maybe that's a touch over-dramatic ...
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Do they have surprising outbursts of emotion there too?
EDIT: I hope it doesn't sound like I'm taking the piss. I'm really pleased you remember what I did there. It was a good gig but sadly I had a whole bunch of reasons for going.