NEW TRIBUTE ALBUM - WHISPERS FROM THE OFFING
Frank Bangay - a great friend of Kevin's - has put together an excellent tribute album highlighting Coyne's songwriting and the esteem he was held in by many.
Frank and many of the artists on the CD are presenting the following
An Evening Celebrating Kevin Coyne- his words and music
THE POETRY CAFÉ
22 Betterton Street
Covent Garden, London WC2
Thursday 5th June
An evening celebrating the writings and music ofKevin Coyne
Artists taking part include Nigel Birch, Dave Russell, Goodie Sweeney (who will be reading some English translations of Kevin’s German stories), Big Mehr and Joey Stack, Stumble On The Valves - plus Razz and Frank Bangay. Clive Product, author of Beautiful Extremes: Conversations with Kevin Coyne will be sharing memories of his friendship with Kevin. As Clive lives in Berlin, and cannot make it to the gig, Barry O'Brien will read on his behalf. Clive has also sent Barry some memories from the last time he met up with Kevin alive. Kevin’s most recent book That Old Suburban Angst will be on sale
Evening starts at 8pm
Admission £2 50; £2 Concessions, £1 Floorspots
Organised by Frank Bangay, in collaboration with Survivors Poetry
Buy Tribute CD Now Click Here
This site is dedicated to promoting the writings of musician Kevin Coyne. It is a portal to the main site listed below. Currently we are promoting the last book - That Old Suburban Angst-which Kevin prepared before his death in 2004.
It is available direct from Kevin Coyne Books
at the special price of £7.99 p&p free or use the Paypal button below or from local bookshops or Amazon ISBN 0-9549003-0-8 at £9.99
Kevin Coyne - 1944 - 2004
Biography:-
British born Kevin Coyne was called, by DJ Andy Kershaw,as
variously "a National treasure who keeps getting better" and as one
of the great British Blues voices. However, it was another British DJ
who first started his recording career when John Peel released
recordings by Kevin's first band Siren in 1969 on his Dandelion label.
A comparative late starter to the recording scene Kevin spent his
early years working as a social worker and a psychiatric nurse. His 40
LPs always had a balance of tender love songs and songs of heart
breaking dispair and hope based on his life long concern with
life's casualties and songs of great humour. The music often
reflected these two extremes by one song with a glorious
melody followed by one with tortured vocals
and primeval screaming reflecting the anguish inherrent in the lyrics.
Kevin's refusal to compromise was shown early in his career when he
refused to meet Jack Holzman (Siren were on Electra in America)
to discuss replacing Jim Morrison in The Doors-"I didn't
like the leather trousers!". The compromises never stopped
even when he was one of the first artists signed to
Virgin Records and it was this that endeared him to label mates
John Lydon - who played Eatsbourne Ladies on a Desert Island Disc
type show - and The Mekons who recorded his Having A Party - a scathing
attack on Richard Branson.Another Virgin release Babble
courted controversy when Kevin said that the theatre presentation
about the two lovers the piece was about could be The Moors Murderers
in the way the relationship was so destructive.
This still didn't stop Will Oldham from claiming the LP release
"Changed my Life" and recording 2 songs from it.
Following a nervous breakdown and increasing difficulties with drink
Coyne left the UK in 1985. Settled in Nuremberg and having
given up alcohol, he never stopped recording and touring,
as well as writing books and exhibiting his paintings.
His German recordings often featured his own Paradise band but
increasingly in later years he collaborated with Brendan Croker, Jon
Langford of The Mekons, Gary Lucas of The Magic Band
and his own son Robert Coyne.
Diagnosed with lung fibrosis in 2002, Coyne died peacefully
at his home. He is survived by his wife helmi and his sons
Eugene, Robert and Nico.
For many in the UK it was with mixed pleasure we were
able to see Kevin on tour in October 2004 weeks before
his death. Sat on stage in a wheelchair and with breathing tubes
our first thoughts were of a man a mere shadow of the presence
we were used to. Then he began to sing with a voice as powerful
if not better than ever.A towering talent who deserves wider recognition.
His wife Helmi intends to continue releasing recordings
Kevin made in his last years on Kevin's own Turpentine
records available from Kevin Coyne Official Site
. The first is Underground (2006) and is a great place
to start your own Kevin Coyne collection.
Other stand out LP's
are Case History (1972), Marjory Razorblade (1973),
Millionaires and Teddybears (1978), Babble (19790
and Donut City (2004)
An Evening With Kevin Coyne and Band (part 1)- ITV Star Rider 1977 - a lost gem - some interference at the start but this disappears
Part 2
Part 3
