STRAWBS - Coming soon, to a venue near YOU!!
In case you haven't guessed, my favourite band is Strawbs and I am partial to a great many more including Lambert Cronk, Cry No More, Fire, The Blue Angel Orchestra, Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert, Chas Cronk, John Ford, Richard Hudson, Rick Wakeman, Hudson Ford, Brian Willoughby and Cathryn Craig, Blue Weaver, John Hawken, Rod Coombes, High Society, Adam Wakeman, Louis Ribeiro, Cousins Conrad, Roy Hill, Sandy Denny, Tony GW Fernandez, Ruthless Blues, The Monks, The Good Old Boys, Ming Hat, Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, King Earl Boogie Band, Paper Bubble, UNFOLK (Alessandro Monti - a MySpace find at www.myspace.com/unfolk), The Janskys, Elvis Costello, The Buzzcocks, Graham Parker and the Rumour, The Hamsters, Bad Influence, Paul Weller, The Clash, Morrissey, The Who, The Jam, Ocean Colour Scene, Bebop Deluxe, Aztec Camera, The Kinks, Simon and Garfunkel, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Dr. Feelgood, Kursaal Flyers, Big Country, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, The Records, lots of Stiff stuff, Wilko Johnson, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Alison Moyet, Colin Scot, Cat Stevens, Blackmore's Night, Razorlight, Illusion, Squeeze, Snow Patrol, Keane, Uriah Heep, King Crimson, Yes, Eurythmics, Madness, David Bowie, Rod Stewart and the Faces, Porcupine Tree, Jonathan Kelly, Roy Harper, Wally, Magna Carta, Tir Na Nog, Dead Like Harry, Pitchfork, Seth Lakeman and lots of talented people I have listened to here on MySpace (some are now good MySpace friends which is a great unexpected bonus I wasn't expecting when I signed up).
Ok, a few photos of Strawbs taken at Cropredy 2007:
Dave Cousins
Dave Lambert
Chas Cronk
Rod Coombes
John Hawken
Films.....I like most comedy/spoof things, anything silly, dont really do films that much, must mention "The Queen" though (Helen "Oscar" Mirren - Essex girl power, yeah!). Killing Fields was so powerful and unforgettable. Midnight Express was powerful too. Alcatraz (cos I visited the prison once - really brought the film alive). Not into Sci-fi in the slightest. Grave New World, Bloody New Year. Spinal Tap?? OF COURSE! How could I have forgotten to mention "Summer Holiday", "Wonderful Life" and "Finders Keepers"? Probably because I haven't seen them for forty years!
Television....I adore Alan Partridge, Catherine Tate, AbFab, Vicar of Dibley, French and Saunders, Fawlty Towers, Monty P., The Young Ones, New Statesman, Peter Kaye, Never Mind the Buzzcocks etc. etc. Lots of comedians, Lee Hurst, Phil Jupitus is funny (I HAVE spoken to him, I told him I enjoyed his set fronting The Blockheads at The Palace Theatre in Westcliff recently. He replied, "Thanks very much" which I shall cherish, but not as much as when Tilly said it of course (see "Blog" for full story).
I recently read Tony Visconti's book "Bowie, Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy" which was interesting and amusing.
Also of interest to music lovers and particularly those of the psychedelic persuasion: “Then Now and Rare: British Beat 1960-1969†by Terry Rawlings. Brimming with interesting facts and highly nostalgia provoking, the book includes lots of photos of bands and associated memorabilia from the 1960s, including an impressive full page photo of Fire, together with biog.
"The Philosophy of Risk" by Dougal Haston (Scottish mountaineer (sadly now deceased) who conquered Everest with Doug Scott in 1975) and also another of Haston's books, "Calculated Risk", which is a rare thing, a well-written novel by a mountaineer. An intriguing read with extra interest added by allowing you (the reader) to get into the mind of someone who has done such amazing things as climb Mount Everest!
"The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins and a great many other books which discuss and evaluate religion, and both the obvious and less obvious impacts upon individuals and society. I have a particular interest having been raised as a Jehovah's Witness. "The God Delusion" deserves to be read by anyone who likes to think they have an open mind in my opinion.
My heroes include Southend United players when they keep fighting despite losing, and their manager...
Tilly!!!!!
Anyone truly non-judgemental who questions the parameters laid down by society.
Dick Greener - for running Strawbs' website - a masterpiece to behold,and a Heroine in Ali Brown who gives him a hand - www.strawbsweb.co.uk
The photographers who took the photos on this page! Definitely heroes of mine - I couldn't be bothered to look after a camera all day. Thanks to (in no particular order): Ali Brown, Dick Greener, Sue Holton, Pete Bradley and Kevin West. Nigel Bennett isnt a photographer but he is definitely a hero in terms of supplying bottles of port and chocolate Hob-Nobs as required.