Just Hit Play

Back to the mill stone and the neck of lambs to the slaughter I feel like I’ve spent all my life in butcher’s shops without any knives. There are blood stains on my shirt and on my character. There you go…a Nick Cave moment …I never knew I had it in me. I love Nick Cave’s wounded biblical ballads, especially the love songs, the torment and the wailing book of revelation. I don’t believe in an interventionist god either… which wont make any sense unless you’ve heard the song, anyway, enough of the there and then as the here and now wants a look in. I just bought a new sub mixer for the home studio on eBay, very reasonable; all I need now is some leads to connect the damn thing and a rapid skills development course in Cubase VST. I’m getting there, really and truly I am it’s just taking so much longer than I thought it would. I start recording stuff and then I slip away almost guiltily to the old eight track machine where everything is simplified with my dodgy drum machine and two tone guitar simulator. I’ve just got so used to doing things this way and at my age…well, you know what I’m saying. Then there’s my gammy leg which is bugging me somewhat. It started innocently enough with a hobble and a shuffle that I thought would fade and die but alas I find myself having to take it all quite seriously and make an appointment to see the GP next week. This morning I spent an hour or so massaging what I imagine to be a clot, a great big brain bursting vein rupturing life threatening clot. Of course I’m probably wrong; let’s hope so as I haven’t quite finished the vocals on the new solo album yet[Tim we really do need to get a move on]. The band are off to Glasgow for a one off gig at King Tuts tomorrow weather permitting, we’ve not played out since before Christmas. I am looking forward to it even if I have to perform sitting down. I could use a wheelchair and wear dress like Kurt Cobain…possibly. I think the night also features some after show DJing from the sonic iPodium of Mr Arthurs. On Monday Craig and I are recording something for Manchester TV at Salford Lads Club [ I assume a song and a bit of a chat], this to preview our gig at URBIS on 27th Jan and plug the all day Event hosted by the Manchester Council of Youth Clubs. I think you can get Mancs TV on Sky and cable. Frank Sidebottom has a show on there too, Franks a genius, everybody knows that. If you can catch it do. Finally…like all the bands in all the world we are currently devising a strategy for world domination in 2007 so if we come up with anything worthwhile I’ll be sure to let you know.
One more thing, does anyone ever watch Globetrekker, it's available on the Travel Channel. I've never really enjoyed travelling for pleasure that much myself, in fact I think it's the most over rated leisure activity of the age and yet I'm simply thrilled to experience the sights and sounds of other cultures all via the wit and wisdom of Megan McCormack [thats her picture above], who I think I'm developing something of a crush on. So until the next time, VP

OK Go On Then If You Must…

My Top 5 Albums of 2006

NUMBER 1 is by Luke Haines-‘Off My Rocker at the Art School Bop’
I’ve always liked… loved even … Haines work; it kind of soothes, invigorates, intrigues, inspires and always leaves you with something to think about. This new album is right up there with ‘How I Learned to Love the Boot Boys’ which is one of my favourite albums of all time. It’s always seemed criminal to me that he’s so apparently undervalued…whatever that means.’ Off My Rocker’ is smothered in 70’s references; it sounds like burnt umber, sullen and brutal. Gary Glitters guilt trip-up gets a pasting in ‘Bad Reputation’, there’s a killer on the terraces at ‘Leeds United’ and the hilarious retro idiocy of ‘Heritage Rock’ is just perfect… cause it’s a middle age rampage now and don’t you forget it. I know exactly what he means. Get hold of a copy. It’s brilliant and it’s enthralling.

NUMBER 2 is by Helene-‘Routines’
The Helene brand is close to my heart and I once had the honour of touring with her [she fronts a band of the same name] and is a sweet and gifted singer songwriter. She reminds me of Nico. I seem to listen to this record when I’m lost for words and looking out of the window. It’s a very moving graceful and understated record…oh and The Sun love it too, but don’t let that put you off. Like astral planeing with butterflies.

NUMBER 3 is by Ray Davies-‘Other Peoples Lives’
Ray is the godfather of singer song writing and fronted the finest group that ever was ever, everyone knows that and this is his first solo album. I didn’t plan on getting it but I’m glad I did. It sounds a bit over produced compared to Kinks records…like someone’s actually bothered mixing it. Luckily it’s not over polished…that would have been awful. The songs are little battles of will from a bruised and battered soul…the usual predicaments are evident, nosey neighbours, suburban window twitchers, questions of mortality and godless ness. I must try and see him before one of us dies. He has such wisdom and poise and stature and he’s not afraid to fail and he’s not afraid to live. You could say he’s a hero of mine and so could I....

NUMBER 4 is Baby Bird-‘Between My Ears There’s Nothing but Music’
I have most of the Baby Bird back catalogue, not that I’ve searched high and low for it you understand. I just stumbled on a load in Amoeba Records in San Francisco a few years ago, dead cheap, and it’s gone from there. That and I wish I’d written ‘You’re Gorgeous’…who doesn’t? .Suppose I’m a bit of a sucker for low fidelity diy hibernatory types. ‘Between My Ears’ is not his best work. There’s only one really great song on the record, but oh what a wonderful song it is. It’s called ‘Too Much’ and it’s enough….it’s too much. It really is. I met him once at Glastonbury years ago…the year the stage manager nearly twatted him.

NUMBER 5 is Shack-At The Corner of Miles and Gill
Shack was the recreational soundtrack to our recording earlier in the year, when we downed tools we listened to them. Joe Floss- Hard our producer had been working with them and was mixing a session of theirs in-between recording whatever we were recording. ‘Cup of Tea’ was the stand out track and I still love it to bits with it’s More Than a Feeling chorus and a psychedelic guitar riff lifted from the first LOVE album….probably. It sort of floats and rises and surges and jangles and contains more scouse magic that the entire Beatles back catalogue. [No it doesn’t matter if it’s out of tune Craig really you’re just a bloody perfectionist]. Know what I mean Jen? If you’re reading this I hope you’re feeling better, VPx

End of Year Review

No I don’t really have one. Not a list or anything. Not a good vibrations statement or a must do before I die confessional. I’ve given up on confessing, it only gets you into trouble. I do have some ideas though of what we had and what we lost, how thunder only happens when it’s raining and players only love you when they’re playing, women they will come and they will go…blimey…I’ve hit the lyrical retrospection zone; sorry about that, now where was I?

ROUND UP
Between February and April we made a new band album ‘the fall and rise of Vinny Peculiar’ in Blackburn’s dark satanic mill, recording was in dribs and drabs which kind of suited us. It was going to be called ‘Revolt into Style’ but I changed my mind at the last minute as there are several ‘Revolt into Styles’ out there most notably the 1966 George Melly book which spawned the song title. The book is ace by the way, a proper dissection of counter cultural tipping points and sell outs. I can also recommend his auto biography, the splendid ‘Rum, Bum and Concertina’. Bill Nelson also did a track of the same name but I’ve never heard it…think it was one of his Red Noise experiments? The fall and rise has rightfully attracted Perrin/ Bowie comparisons. I like the positive and potentially prophetic possibility of the rise after the fall; we’ll just have to see how high in the fullness of time. Studio wise Craig ended up doing most of his guitars at home; I did most of mine at the studio off the cuff so to speak apart from the Robert Frippish guitar on Playing on the Pier which I did at home. If I have any regrets about the record it would be the lack of finishing time, I would dearly have liked to layer a few more vocal over dubs but you now how it is, you can go on forever with these things. Craig also played bass on the record which was a stroke of genius on his part and a great relief to the rest of us. I had no idea he was such a fluid and feely player. I tried playing bass on a few tracks but nothing came of it, they didn’t really sit right. It rained a lot in Blackburn. ‘A Man Afraid’ one of the solo acoustic takes was recorded in a thunderstorm where I expected the roof to fly off or cave in at any minute. Looking back now the thunder makes the track, sets it all up atmospherically and such and like I said earlier it only happens when it’s raining; ask Stevie Nicks if you don’t believe me but enough of Fleetwood Mac for now. I never did get them although they evidently got me. It would be fair to say that making ‘the fall and rise’ took up most of the early part of the year. After that we auditioned several bass players and one or two came back for more but none were really right for the band. Jools from Marion joined at one point before unexpectedly un-joining again a week later. We only met him the once. Then out of the blue our radio plugger Andy Woods introduced us to Karen Leatham and things moved on from there. Karen has her own band but manages to squeeze us in, we are grateful; she’s a very fine player. The album came out in October and is still out in January so please buy one if you haven’t done so yet. The Amazon links from this site will take you right there. We have continued to gig and play various radio sessions throughout the final part of the year but we expect to be much busier on the live front in 2007 thanks to Boneheads enterprising management. We continue to rehearse at the Salford Lads Club and are indebted to them for making us feel so at home. Craig and I wrote music for a Salford Lads Club youth theatre production earlier in the year called Ghost Camp, we’ll be playing songs from this and others at a gig outside the URBIS Museum in Manchester on 27th Jan. Proceeds from CD sales on this day go to the Club. Links to this and other details re gigs and radio are on the tour dates pages. Next year we really want to get out and play more. We go to the US for shows in April and hope to tour there later in the year. The same can be said for rest of Europe where the album seems to be getting a lot more attention than the UK although I could be wrong though as I so often am. There’s a new Vinny Peculiar solo album coming out in May 07 entitled ‘Goodbye My Angry Friend’ and produced by Tim Browne [who produced Growing Up], it’s almost finished and there should be a small tour to promote it. Lastly I just want to wish everyone who reads this a Happy New Year, seriously, appreciations all round; I really value your comments and your support [all except Terry the Turnip who’s just plain stupid], so thank you for this and good night from me, best….VP x