THE IDES OF MARCH "VEHICLE" (1970) . . . . ANOTHER ALL TIME BALL TEARING SOUL TRACK FROM THE DIM, DISTANT PAST . . . . WHAT A MAGNIFICENT NOISE, NOTHIN LIKE YOUR 'AVERAGE WHITE BAND' OF THE TIME . . . . PLUS SOME KILLER VISUALS OF A PAIR OF CELLULOID FOUR WHEEL ICONS FROM "AMERICAN GRAFFITI"

When you're a young kid, shit is easily misinterpreted, I first heard this in primary school at about the same time I became aware of 'Blood, Sweat and Tears' and 'Chicago', in fact, I thought it was BS+T until my super cool older next door neighbour and Norton Commando owner, Gary Carter, whose mind warping record collection I had complete access to, learned me different . . . . I was also pretty wigged out to discover the vocalist wasn't a black dude, nor was he David Clayton Thomas, we didn't have music channels, PooTube, stacks of stuff in the paper devoted to popular culture, plus, my mum hated it all, it was the 'Devils Work', the more she poured scorn on it, like motorcycles and fast cars, the more I gravitated towards it . . . . it irked me but I knew she was doin what her honest, old school Christian heart believed to be right, it was simply a double generation gap . . . . love ya mum !!!!

Totally formative times, the early '70's, for this suburban white boy, music, anything motorised, Mad magazines, skateboards, Hot Wheels, clothing, but particularly music, songs like this genuinely 'moved' me, gave me some bizarre rush I couldn't even fathom . . . . which now, forty and more years later, I can identify as the kickarse 'soul' power thing of it all, compared to the typical four or five piece rock and roll stuff, this shit had depth and richness that outweighed most rock stuff by tons . . . . the same with funk, R+B, cool jazz and even 'good' disco, I love my rock and roll like crazy but kit like The Ides of March with its growling, sexually charged vocals, blaring, stabbing horns, throbbing rhythm section and all out oomph to this day really gives me the horn, deep, deep, down in ma belly . . . . c'mon, get some soul into ya homies !!!!



***** MUCH SOUL LOVE TO 'THEBACMASTER' FOR THE POOTUBE POST AND THE BITCHIN CLIP . . . . TOO GOOD DUDE !!!

THE DAMNED "SMASH IT UP PTS 1 + 2" [POSTED BY 'PESKELETON' ON POOTUBE] . . . . I KNOW ALL THE PURISTS WILL SAY 'WHAT ABOUT 'NEW ROSE' OR 'PROBLEM CHILD' OR 'NEAT, NEAT, NEAT' OR 'JET BOY, JET GIRL', [WHICH COINCIDENTALLY 'PLASTIC BERTRAND' TOTALLY RIPPED OFF] . . . . WELL, I SAY 'FUCK THAT SHIT', THIS IS MY BLOG . . . . GET YOUR OWN !!!!

WOT'S NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THE DAMNED . . . . I ASKS YA ???

AT A TIME WHEN THE PUNK THING WAS OVERLOADED WITH BANDS TAKING THEMSELVES FAR TOO SERIOUSLY, THE JOLLY CAPTAIN SENSIBLE, THE LUGOSI-ESQUE DAVE VANIAN, THE GRUBBILY ADORABLE RAT SCABIES AND THE SOON TO BE FLICKED, FAR TOO UP HIMSELF BRIAN JAMES, BROUGHT SOME LONG OVERDUE HUMOUR TO THE PROTO PUNK TABLE . . . .

Often cited as the first Pommy punk outfit to release a single with 'New Rose', they were actually beaten to the punk, te he he, by Australia's own 'The Saints', but that is beside this particular point.

In the wake of the moderate success of 'New Rose' and the album "Damned, Damned, Damned" and the disaster of its follow up, "Music for Pleasure", the guys had a spat, broke up and then reformed minus the previously mentioned James, who had been the primary songsmith . . . . dragging ex Saints bassist, Algy Ward, into the Entirely Silly Punk Boys Musical Experience Club while Sensible moved to guitars, they threw together the delightfully more melodic "Machine Gun Etiquette" album and it's from this long player that my choice here, 'Smash it Up' Parts 1 + 2, [out of the 4 on the album], is taken.



The cool urban myth/legend about the song is this . . . . Vanian, Scabies, Sensible and Ward were well aware of the constant shit that the punk bands were copping from the squares and the royalty of the musial mainstream, [soon to be culled and killed off by the same yobs they were bad mouthing], for their so called lack of musical ability and songcraft skills . . . . 'fuck those tossers' the lads said and went about writing their magnum opus that 'Smash it Up' represents, it was a deliberate 'stick it up your arse' to those self same, flare wearing, blow wave blowing, jet plane snorting, filthy rich wankers who had totally lost touch with their audiences and the world in general.

Starting with the beautifully beguiling intro that builds into a riotously raucous, full tilt punk anthem, all the while showcasing a newfound sense of melody and songwriting gained since the departure of Mr Serious, its catchy as syphyllis hooks had 'Smash it Up' slot straight into the charts, it wasn't so much a case of selling out but rather stepping up . . . . so even though the tune may not have convinced the 'legends' gang or the 'popular' musical press of the time, the fact that many of their collective careers were retarded or permanently shut down due to the 'no talent bums' of the punk revolution must've been fucking sweet satisfaction in itself . . . . 'Smash it Up' or die trying, giddy up motherfucker !!!

FAAAAARK !!!! SACHSENRING YESTERDAY, CASEY LAYS IT DOWN ON THE LAST BLOODY LAP . . . . NOW BACK IN THIRD IN THE MOTO-GP STANDINGS, BUT, MARK MY WORDS . . . . HE WILL COME BACK WITH THE FIRE IN HIS BELLY AND THE TALENT TO TAKE THE TITLE . . . . C'MON AUSSIE, C'MON !!!

SAT AND WATCHED THE RACE LAST NIGHT, ONE OF MY FAVOURITE CIRCUITS ON  THE TOUR, EXCELLENT TWISTIES, TRICKY CAMBERS, HEAPS OF GOOD PASSING OPPORTUNITIES . . . . THERE WAS SOME SIZZLING ACTION IN THE MID PACK AS THE LIKES OF SPIES AND CRUTCHLOW THREW IT ALL DOWN, CRUTCHLOW SADLY SELF DESTRUCTING IN THE LAST QUARTER . . . . BUT IT WAS ALL ON AT THE POINTY END OF THE FIELD WITH STONER TRYING TO REEL IN PEDROSA OVER THE FINAL FEW LAPS AFTER THE LITTLE SPANIARD HAD SNATCHED THE LEAD IN A RED HOT MOVE WITH ONLY A HADFULL OF LAPS LEFT . . . . YOU COULD SEE CASEY WAS GETTING LINED UP READY TO NAB THE LEAD OVER THE FINAL TWO AND WITH THE POWER TO MAKE IT STICK, AND THEN . . . . WELL, AS THEY SAY, THAT'S RACING !!!!



***** POSTED ON THE TUBE OF POO BY "R4V3N181" . . . . CHEERS BUDDY.

"BORN FREE 4 'GARAGE COMPANY' SHOVEL" . . . . SOMETHING SHORT AND FREAKIN SWEET, JUST A BUMMER IT AIN'T NOW MINE . . . . THIS HAS GOTTA BE A PROTOTYPICAL CHOP, SO DAMNED PERFECT IN EVERY WAY . . . . LINES, ANGLES, RATIOS, PAINT, FRONT TO REAR . . . . BIG CONGRATS TO THE YOUNG KID WHO WON IT.

I guess if I had to break it down, of the two '69's up for grabs at BF4, it was the fucking gorgeous flamed chop that I was lusting after, as much as the 'USS Enterprise' was a superb example of its model type . . . . to my eye, and for what it's worth, the Renaissance man of chopperdom's creation represents all that remains perpetually cool and permanently evocative of the spirit of the zenith of the style . . . . to nail it so completely without it becoming cornball was a major achievement in itself, as it was to be a ride that had to appeal to a broad spectrum of potential new owner, it had be subtle as much as it had to be eye popping, brain frying cool . . . . oh, and that rear wheel/tyre/guard setup gives me an instant boner, totally tough !!!

There are so many thousands of heavily altered/custom/chopped/bobbed bikes I've had a fondness for over the last thirty odd years and for a myriad of different reasons, however, this sexy/tough '69 is right up there . . . . what Kiyo and crew have done ain't anything new or stylistically groundbreaking, it's not some big inch killer street weapon, nor some twisted, off beat, freak machine, but what it does represent is an immaculate embodiement of all that a super slick, sweet as, legitimate classic chopper should be . . . . absolutely functional, utterly balanced in proportion, and fastidiously assembled by someone who obviously has a deep and passionate comprehension of his medium . . . . yeah, fuckin A, that was the one I wanted to win !!!!



***** Thanks a bunch to "VideoCrafters" for putting the clip up on PooTube, like I said, short but oh so bloody sweet !!!

LOU RAWLS MONOLOGUE "STREET CORNER HUSTLER'S BLUES" LIVE [FROM 'RATHAHONNI' ON POOYUBE] . . . . RECORDED IN L.A IN 1966 AS THE WATTS RIOTS WERE RAGING ALL AROUND, A TRUE LEGEND ALBUM FROM AN EQUALLY LEGEND PERFORMER . . . . SOMETHING TO REALLY 'LISTEN' TO, HILARIOUS, INSIGHTFUL AND MASTERFULLY DELIVERED . . . . THE SMOOTHEST VOICE IN THE BIZ AND A SERIOUSLY COOL CAT. R.I.P

THIS IS FOR MY GOOD MATE TIM AT THE 'LOVELESS BLOG' . . . . IF YOU WANNA GET A WINDOW INTO THE MULTIPLE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR OWN RACE BIKE, GO AND VISIT HIS SITE . . . . 'LOVEY' HAS BEEN SLAVING AWAY AT THIS FUCKING GORGEOUS, METICULOUSLY ENGINEERED, BACKYARD BULLET FOR SIX LONG, HARD MONTHS . . . . THE BLOKE IS TOTAL WORKING CLASS THROUGH AND THROUGH, EMPHASIS ON THE WORD 'CLASS', HE'S BATTLING ON SUPPORTING A FAMILY AND DOING THE RIGHT THING EVERY TIME . . . .

DURING THE COURSE OF THIS BIKE'S GENESIS HE HAS BEEN FUCKED OVER BY 'SO CALLED' MATES . . . . BADLY LET DOWN BY 'SO CALLED' PRO'S . . . . INVESTED INSANE AMOUNTS OF TIME AND TOIL TO GET THE THING ACROSS THE LINE . . . . BEEN UP AGAINST THE CONSTANT DRAMA OF BALANCING DOLLARS SPENT VERSUS FAMILY CONCERNS . . . . TIMMY IS STRAIGHT UP 110%, A GENUINE FELLA IN ALL POSSIBLE WAYS AND TO SEE HIM THWARTED ON SO MANY OCCASIONS HAS BEEN AS GUT WRENCHING AS IT'S BEEN INSPIRING SEEING HIM LIFT HIMSELF UP AND GET ON WITH THE JOB.

THE LAST WEEK HAS SEEN HIM AND HIS TRUSTY OFFSIDER PUT A CATASROPHE OF MOTHERFUCKER DIMENSIONS BEHIND HIM, PICK HIS SHIT UP OFF THE GROUND, FAMILY BEHIND HIM ALL THE WAY, BURN THE MIDNIGHT OIL AND SNATCH VICTORY FROM THE JAWS OF A DEFEAT SO CRUSHING IT WOULD'VE HAD A LESSER BLOKE INSIDE FOR MANSLAUGHTER . . . .

TODAY HE IS TRACKSIDE WITH HIS BELOVED 'BUZZ BOMB', HAVING RISEN LIKE A SOUL BOY PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES, AND READY TO DO BATTLE . . . . MATE, NO MATTER THE OUTCOME OF THE WEEKEND'S ORDER OF THINGS, YOU MADE IT, YOU'RE WHERE YOU WANTED SO MUCH TO BE AND SO DESERVED TO BE . . . . I WISH YOU THE MOST HEARTFELT GOOD LUCK, BUT YOU'LL MAKE YOUR OWN LAD, AS YOU DO . . . . IT'S BEEN A REAL PLEASURE AND A TREAT SEEING YOU GRAB THIS FUCKER BY THE BALLS AND DRAG IT ACROSS THE LINE . . . . BIG UPS AND BIG LOVE BROTHER, YOU ROCK !!!!

"AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE ACES PT. 7 - DARYL BEATTIE" . . . . 'THE DAZZLER', IN A GOLDEN ERA IN AUSSIE POWER PEDALLING HE WAS THE PADDOCK PARTY PUNK . . . . NEVER TAKING 'IT' OR HIMSELF TOO SERIOUSLY . . . . NOT EVEN LOSING FIVE LITTLE PIGGIES COULD HOLD HIM DOWN . . . . GO THE DAZZLER !!!

FILE UNDER "WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN" OR "GETTING ON WITH THE JOB"

I FIRST MET DARYL AT A GIG IN ABOUT '93 ON THE COAST, ON THE PISS AND LOVIN LIFE, HE WAS A DEFINITE GREGARIOUS, LIFE OF THE PARTY DUDE AND A FUCKING LOVELY BLOKE . . . . OVER THE NEXT HALF DOZEN YEARS I WOULD SPEND QUITE A BIT OF TIME IN HIS COMPANY, PLAYING GIGS, DRINKING, OCCASIONALY RIDING, DRINKING, TELLING LIES, DRINKING AND GENERALLY HAVING A FAT TIME . . . . HE WAS NEVER, BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, QUITE AS SERIOUS ABOUT THINGS AS MICK DOOHAN WAS, MICK WOULDN'T TOUCH A DROP IN THE ENTIRE WEEK LEADING INTO A RACE, DAZZLER ON THE OTHER HAND, DID SOMEONE SAY THERE WAS A PARTY SOMEWHERE ? THE NIGHT BEFORE A MEETING ??? . . . . HE WAS STRICTLY FROM THE OLD SCHOOL BAZ SHEENE MOLD !!

He would become an investor in a unfortunately ill fated blues bar adventure with myself and my best mate where he lost a five figure sum of cashola yet not once did he bitch, moan or carry on, not at any point did he let it become a bitter, fucked up thing . . . . same as when he lost all five toes on the 'business' hoof, no sour grapes, no drama, just shut the fuck up, get on with the job and hoist yourself back in the saddle, not unlike how Mick approached his horrendous leg injury, he was all about the thing he felt blessed to be getting paid to do, ride psychotic, killer two wheeled missiles at death defying speeds for a gig.

He was royally fucked in the arse by Yamahahaha for a year that saw his ranking plummet quicker than even a nightmare could dream up, followed by the Suzuki experience that initially looked to be going brilliantly resulting in a second place in the championship behind his good buddy Mick, until the next seasons death bike started throwing him down the track more frequently than you change undies . . . . no fucking wonder the poor bastard decided to chuck it all in, despite all the shit, Dazzler never changed, never became an embittered, cynical, hateful cunt that would've been so easy to do and to understand, he has turned a serious downhill slide into a burgeoning career as one of the best, most informed and knowledgeable commentators in motorsport.

I still run into him every now and again, usually revolving around eating and drinking, nothing has changed, still a full on comedian at every turn, always havin a laugh and a lend, still as mad as a cut snake, just a wee bit older and a lot wiser, and still a lovely bloke . . . . go the Dazzler, stick it in !!!

"HUGE VINTAGE DIRT BIKE COLLECTION" [BY 'NOTOILINDUSTRIES' ON POOTUBE] . . . . WELL, IT SURE AS FUCK BEATS THE SHIT OUT OF A CRACK HABIT . . . . ONE MAN'S AMAZING ILLNESS AND ITS KALEIDOSCOPIC MANIFESTATION . . . . I LOVE MOTORCYCLES . . . . MOTORCYCLES, I LOVE !!!!

CHECK THIS SHIT OUT, ONE BLOKE WITH A DIRT BIKE BUG THE SIZE OF A MAICO UP HIS ARSE, GOD BLESS HIS KNOBBY SOX, A PRIVATE OBSESSION OF TECHNICOLOR PROPORTIONS AND DEPTH . . . . BE FASCINATED BY THE ONE MAN RESTORATIONS, DROOL OVER A TREASURE TROVE OF PERIOD SPARES, BE HUMBLED BY HIS NORMAL, NICE GUY NATURE, BE COMPLETELY FREAKED OUT BY THE THOUGHT OF HAVING 150 BIKES IN YOUR BACKYARD SHED, FAAAARK !!!!

I particularly got off on the little Yammy he brought back to life as the first bike he had as a grommet back in the early seventies . . . . oh, also, the lineup of legit, pre sell out/takeover, Maico muscle mosheens and a ship load of other classic chook chasers . . . . outside the sheer enormity of his own private Museum de Mud, the thing that really gets me is his enthusiasm and utter bloody madness for what he's into, dirt bikes of all makes and models . . . . and that's plenty good enough for me !!!

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL "FORTUNATE SON" . . . . HEAVILY POLITICAL, HIGHLY CRITICAL AND STILL TOTALLY PERTINENT . . . . FOGARTY'S DEFINITIVE PROTEST SONG, SPITTING VENOM AND VITRIOL AT THE PRIVILEDGED FEW AND THEIR PISSWEAK PROGENY . . . . NO MATTER WHAT THE COUNTRY, THE STENCH IS ALWAYS THE SAME WITH THIS SHIT !!!!

***** BIG LOVE TO THE DUDE WHO POSTED THIS SUPER COOL CLIP, TOP HOLE !!!

PENN AND TELLER "HOW TO DO THE SAWING A WOMAN IN HALF TRICK" . . . . THIS PAIR HAVE ALWAYS CRACKED ME UP WHILE PISSING OFF THE ENTIRE WORLDWIDE MAGICIANS UNION . . . . FUCKING SHIT UP AND BLOWING THE VEIL OF SECRECY STRAIGHT UP DAVID COPPERFIELD'S ARSE CAN'T REALLY BE A BAD THING, CAN IT ???

So, I'm watching an episode of the U.K series, "Penn and Teller Fool Us", pretty cool concept, some major good magic shit and everything's dandy . . . . come the end of the show and the two legendary party poopers get to blow the cover on a classic 'illusionists' trick . . . . and in this episode it's the all time favourite, sawing the pretty girl in half caper, you can almost hear a million uptight magicians around the world crying into their magical snotrags . . . . but of course, as with everything the clown princes of hidden pigeons do, there's a twist . . . . I just thought this was worthy of posting . . . . watch it now.

THE MODELS "TWO PEOPLE PER SQ KLM" . . . . POST PUNK POP DIDN'T COME ANY MORE SUBVERSIVE OR EDGY THAN THESE GUYS . . . . SORTA LIKE A MALEVOLENT XTC ON BAD ACID . . . . QUIRKY, ECCENTRIC, THREATENING AND FULL OF ANTI SOCIAL INTENT . . . . WAY AHEAD OF THEIR TIME.

The Models [or 'Les Models' even earlier] in their original lineup as featured here were a band so far on the edge back in the day that the glory that should've been theirs was denied them until the uber poppy, pretty boy, James Freud [R.I.P] joined their ranks one album after this . . . . this track, taken from the fucking brilliant, 'Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf' offering was such a bitchin piece of state of the art punk/pop that even the 'ultra hip' scenesters of the time missed it completely.

Sean Kelly, vox/guit/lead vox, a dark and menacing presence on stage, dressed in black and grey, wearing fucked up, dirty old G.P boots, with a constant snarling sneer that was never exceeded for sheer disdain and contempt, Johnny Rotten crossed with Ian Curtis, he possessed a vocal style that was his and his alone . . . . more an instrument than a voice, his enunciation and delivery was completely spellbinding, his ability to write lyrics that to this day still shine like a crazy cracked diamond in their unique and eclectic approach were the elements that so endeared him to me, supported by a superb band who gave depth and clarity to his frontman position.

Unforunately, he was so uncommercial by nature that the addition of the talented but far more pop mainstream, James Freud, was probably justified to recoup record company dollars and expectations. For me though it was the end of a very special era, a period of musical output by a band that still sits in the top percentile of my favourite bands of the day . . . . head to PooTube and check out 'Two Cabs to the Toucan', 'Atlantic Romantic', 'Happy Birthday IBM' and 'Local and/or General' to see and hear this twisted bunch at their best then go and buy some of their scintillating noise/punk/pop shit if you can . . . . so fucking worth it !!!



***** Big love to "NZOZ1980" for his dedication to the Aussie/ NZ musical cause and for posting this on the PooTube.