Another Green World, a band named after the seminal Eno album from 1975, were Paul Chousmer and Dan Carpenter.
This duo were also members of Webcore, at the same time. In Webcore, Paul was on the keyboards, and Dan was the saxophone player.
Based in Cornwall, Another Green World and Webcore were at the start of a new generation of younger individuals who were interested in psychedelia, free festivals, spiritualism, magic mushrooms, body piercings, dreadlocks and travelling around on converted buses.
This movement eventually got tagged as New Age Travelers in the press, or as the Peace Convoy by the actual participants themselves.
Another Green World originally formed to perform the early morning chill outs at a regular Ozric Tentacles / Webcore venue Alice In Wonderland based underground at Gossips in W1 in 1983.
The duo headlined the opening night at Molly’s Cafe, the squatted City Limits building on Upper Street, Islington. They performed in an outside courtyard, all candle lit with the audience sitting down.
Another Green World and Webcore were both regulars at the early Club Dog events. The first Club Dog venue was based in Wood Green, but a year or so later, Club Dog found it’s spiritual home at the Sir George Robey in Finsbury Park, and the ‘trip’ continued there for several years.
Other than the Club Dog nights, I saw Another Green World (and Webcore) perform several times in various squats and venues around the city. The Mankind Club (Kerouacs) above Hackney Central station, the Jungle Records building (at that point squatted) in Islington, and the 121 Club and Bookshop in Brixton, another squat, being three of the more memorable occasions.
The cassette tape uploaded tonight on YouTube is the first Another Green World release, and is ambient and quite soothing. The duo went on to release several records and C.D’s, and the duo performed throughout the latter part of the ’80’s and through the ’90’s, notably at Whirl-Y-Gig psychedelic events based in Kings Cross.
The Real Kavoom cassette tape imprint, that this Another Green World album was released on, was also known for the first two cassette tape albums by Webcore, released in 1984 and 1985. Jungle Records released two further Webcore albums on vinyl and a 12″ single a couple of years later in 1987 and 1988.
Phil Pickering, the bassist of Webcore and Vane, was the man behind A Real Kavoom. He was also a member of Goat, a band that had the first cassette tape, and the only record released on A Real Kavoom in 1982. The vinyl released with the support of Fresh Records.
Goat were an electronica band, similar to Cabaret Voltaire in parts, that had some connection with Cuddly Toys. I think Sean Purcell was writing and recording with the band.
Three members of Webcore, the bassist (Phil Pickering), drummer and the keyboard player (Paul Chousmer) were also in a Chelmsford based band Vane.
Vane were active from 1979 to 1982.
Vane were named after the vocalist James Vane who had entered the music world in 1976 as lead singer of a cover band called The Void. He later played with unrecorded punk group, The Straights, and with Powerpop combo The Gents.
James Vane managed to get two records released on Island records ‘Judy’s Come Down’ produced by Mike Oldfield no less, and ‘Glamorous Boys’, but alas I do not own either of these artifacts.
A cassette tape by Vane was posthumously released by A Real Kavoom that I do own. Five tracks of funky bass backing up flanged guitar lines, trippy keyboards, with vocals reminiscent of Peter Murphy of Bauhaus crossed with David Sylvian of Japan.
To compliment the Another Green World audio, I have placed up photographs from the collections of Jen Wilson, Robere Du Bilge Ratte, Janet Henbane and a couple from my collection.
There are black and white photographs of Brougham Road and the squatted bus garage (which was based very near to Brougham Road) in Hackney.
There are some colour photographs of members of the Peace Convoy and their vehicles on sites across England.
Thanks to those folks in advance.
A mixing desk cassette tape of a performance by The Mob and a good example of the set list at that time in 1979.
The mini European tour that this gig was included on, was with Here And Now and a bus load of other support acts, including Zounds.
I have a mixing desk cassette tape of The Mob in Amsterdam recorded on the 5th June 1979 that may be listened to below.
The songs performed at this gig in Arnheim were written way before the ‘peace punk’ tag that The Mob carried around until the end of 1983, and that the band are better known for.
These songs will surprise many listeners. Some of these songs did end up being recorded cheaply and placed onto various compilation cassette tapes, released on Jonathan Barnett’s ‘Weird Tales’ cassette imprint.
Jonathan Barnett was a one time roadie for Here And Now, Zounds and several other ‘free festival’ bands of that era. He was also in charge of Genius Records, a record label that were responsible (in part) for releasing the debut Astronauts album ‘Peter Pan Hits The Suburbs’.
Many of the songs performed are raw and basic, although a few of the songs in the early set, did make it through until the end of 1983. Namely ‘What’s Going On?’, ‘Youth’, and ‘The Mirror Breaks’. Of course those songs are still included in The Mob’s set in the 2000’s.
Most songs performed at this gig, and throughout this era, were jettisoned in favour of the newer songs that were being written, eventually ending up on the album, ‘Let The Tribe Increase’ and of course’ No Doves Fly Here’.
Grant Showbiz, from Street Level studios, can be heard on the mixing desk mic. Mark, an able guitarist, Curtis a solid bassist and one shit hot drummer in Graham Fallows, who also sings a few of the tracks.
Enjoy the audio on this YouTube post, but, be wary, if you are hoping for the songs that later ended up on the ‘Let The Tribe Increase’ album, then prepare to be disappointed!
I have placed my copy of the first All The Madmen fanzine, the pages that seemed to have been cut off from scanning are not cut off by the scanning, that’s how my copy was printed, so not my fault!!!
The original artwork painted by Wilf for The Mob is from Joanne’s collection.
Also Andy Tuck supplied the stencil of The Mob.
The two debut 12″ singles from two heavyweights of the U.K roots scene. Misty In Roots and Black Slate.
These two 12″ singles find both bands on top of their game, all four tracks are massive, massive, massive. If you missed that, I’ll repeat it for you. Massive. Decent Sound System fodder.
Which reminds me. Myself and Kevin (ex Conflict) had a little Thursday roots reggae evening residency at the White Hart in Clapton, a pub next door to the old Dougies (later on known as Pegasus) night club. A night club of some danger in it’s time. A number of stabbings and shootings there, along the top of what was dubbed ‘Murder mile’. I was spinning a track off of the Black Slate album of dub mixes released on Top Ranking records (released in 1982) and a man came over from the bar and started chanting on the microphone, which we barely used. The man was quite good. We asked him who he was after his little chanting. He said he was a member of Black Slate when the record was recorded. Anthony Brightly. Myself and Kevin were a little bit in awe at that point, but carried on regardless after picking up our jaws from the floor.
Misty In Roots have played together for the past twenty years, first coming together in 1975 and working as a backing band for the late, great Nicky Thomas – one of Jamaica’s all time greats who had achieved national chart success with songs such as “Living In The Land Of The Common People”.
Nicky Thomas was the inspiration from which Misty developed.
By 1978 Misty In Roots began to develop their own orthodox roots reggae sound. Their powerful lyrics inspired by the economic decline, a growing awareness of their African culture and a spiritual awakening inspired tracks as “Ghetto Of The City”, “Sodom And Gomorrah” and “Mankind” all off which can be found on the band’s first album “Live At The Counter Eurovision”.
During the period 1977/78 the political situation in the U.K. was a breaking point. Black consciousness was at its peak and racism roamed the streets of London. Unemployment was affecting both black and white youths and through this depression a new musical alliance was born, young white youths totally fed up with the status-quo turned to playing punk music whilst at the same time identifying strongly with the British reggae acts as Misty In Roots, Steel Pulse, Black Slate and Aswad. With the coming of the ‘Rock against Racism’ movement the musical fight-back had begun and for the first time black and white musicians were playing together on the same platform bringing about a totally new concept in musical awareness.
Misty In Roots, one of the most powerful live reggae acts to have come out of London and noted for their powerful roots reggae sound and uncompromising lyrical vibrations, became the major force in Rock Against Racism, playing more concerts than any other band in the movement. This opened up a whole new audience for the band who quickly developed a very strong cross over audience, playing with acts such as Tom Robinson, The Ruts and Elvis Costello.
Despite Misty In Roots huge success as a live act the band did not release their first album until 1979. The album “Live At The Counter Eurovision”, which was recorded live in Belgium during the band’s 1978 tour, is today still proclaimed by many critics as the best live reggae album of all time.
Black Slate was formed in 1974, and included musicians from England, Jamaica, and Anguilla. They were backing band for Delroy Wilson and Ken Boothe on their UK appearances.
The band had their first reggae-chart hit themselves in 1976, with the anti-mugging song “Sticks Man”.
The band also lined up with Disco Reggae Band under Disco Reggae Band & Black Slate. The record hit the Dutch and Flemish charts as well, after being an underground hit in Antwerp discothèques.
The band toured the UK for the first time in 1978, and formed their own TCD label, having a minor hit with “Mind Your Motion”.
The band also backed Dennis Brown when he played live in the UK, and in 1980 their Rastafarian rallying call, “Amigo”, was picked up by Ensign Records, and broke into the UK Singles Chart.
The follow-up, “Boom Boom” was also a hit, though less successful.
An album, Sirens In The City, followed on Ensign the following year.
Flux Of Pink Indians – Hartham Common – 1983
A NOTE: The first four minutes of this audio is taken up by National Front members having a ‘debate’ with members of Flux Of Pink Indians on the stage. Flux do start performing four minutes in, although it is worth listening to the ‘debate’!
A great afternoon out in a Hertford park for a peace festival organised by Hertford and Ware C.N.D.
Plenty of bearded folk bands playing forever and ever, so long in fact that my younger brother’s band at the time, Necro, and another punk band, Strontium 90, were told that they could not be fitted onto the bill after all.
So a little disappointed and clutching unused guitars and drum sticks, we all settled down to witness D&V perform a short set in a truck being used as the ‘stage’.
Then up stepped Flux Of Pink Indians to perform in the very same truck witnessed by about forty or fifty people.
Some were into the performance. Some wanted to cause trouble during the performance. Some were just half interested in the performance.
There were about fifteen school boy ‘punks’, friends of Necro and Strontium 90.
There were about fifteen National Front members from Harlow and Hertford.
There were about fifteen random members of the general public, who wandered to the ‘stage’, and then wandered away, due to Flux not being Wham, or whichever band was popular with some of the youth in those days.
A couple of the ‘Fronters’ were amazingly allowed (amazing due to supposed time limitations that was the excuse for my younger brothers band not performing!) to debate the pros and cons of nuclear weapons at the start of this set… All with the ‘permission’ of Colonel Blimp (Derek Birkett) who looked on bewildered, while adding some wiser words to the ‘debate’!
The recording quality is not that great – a bit of chatter during some of the tracks – sorry, and sadly I seem to have recorded over the B-side of the cassette tape so a few tracks are missing from the recording of this performance.
My younger brothers band mate, drummer Tim Voss recorded the performance on the day. Hopefully he has the full recording.
Tim’s memories:
“I organised the music for this festival.The ‘stage’ was a lorry blagged from the lorry park near the old Hertford cinema by an enterprising member of C.N.D (there was a crate of beer in it for the driver).
I believe the festival had been targeted by the National Front who had previously organised annual marches in nearby Harlow and had a scary presence at a number of local punk gigs. If you remember the boneheads dropped a chair onto Rob’s (my younger brother) head at an Adicts gig in Stevenage Bowes Lyon House.
The National Front also stopped a Conflict gig in Hoddesdon, another gig that Necro should have performed at!
Quite a few of the local ‘Fronters’ did end up doing time at her Majesty’s pleasure, although not for Nazi related activity, usually just being bad thieves and moronically violent.
I also found out that a wedding in the church at the top of hill in Bengeo had to be stopped during the service due to the noise of this gig”.
More on this day, and this gig, and the small local scene may be viewed on this KYPP post here along with downloads of the three local bands HERE
Well worth a read and a listen.
The images that accompany the audio are from my collection, and the local newspaper cutouts from (I think) Bill’s collection.
Bill is the guy photographed at the front of the march in one of the newspaper photographs holding the ‘HER’ banner. HER-tford C.N.D. The other newspaper photograph is some bonehead on the ‘stage’.
The last few seconds of the audio has an image of my younger brother and myself circa 1982. I have the black and white mohair jumper and white jeans on…
This rare cassette tape, is from the same VISA / ??? Flux label as the KUKL cassette tape that I recently uploaded onto YouTube.
This cassette tape is on Androidia / Flux and KUKL was on Rebel Flux both subsidiaries of VISA.
This cassette tape features live concert performances, I assume from the same live concert in Paris, by D&V, Bérurier Noir, Faction and Subhumans.
I know about D&V, I know about Faction. I also know about Subhumans. I knew less than nothing about Bérurier Noir until two minutes ago, after an internet search.
This description of the band is worthy of placing up on the limit character limit allowed on YouTube.
Bérurier Noir is a French punk band formed in Paris in 1981 by Laurent “Loran” Katrakazos (guitar), François Guillemot (vocals) and Dédé (drum machine). They called themselves “noir” (black) for the color of mourning (because their first concert was planned to be also their last) and for anarchy and “Bérurier” after the character from the novels of Frédéric Dard. Instead of being an end, the success of their first show inspired them to continue. A cult band, Bérurier Noir were loved by a generation of youth and feared by concert organisers for the riots that followed their shows.
On the one hand, Bérurier Noir’s music was clearly derived from British punk rock as far as music and lyrics were concerned. Most of their songs were short, aggressive and usually based on a couple of basic power chords. Their lyrics reflected the typical concerns of punks such as the rejection of consumerism, politics and traditional social order and the anger felt by disaffected youth, tramps and outsiders in general. On the other, they added some interesting innovations. Their rhythm section consisted of a cheap (but still more reliable than a drummer) drum machine, which became an essential and arguably endearing part of their sound. The frequent use of a saxophone as of the mid-1980s also set them apart from most other punk rock bands.
They would regularly appear on record sleeves and on stage wearing clown outfits, mock police uniforms or pig masks. Their shows were a unique and highly festive cross between a punk rock concert, a grotesque circus and an anarchist rally.
AND:
In the early 1980’s, the punk movement lived its second life, and that was also true in France, where an early and intense first wave had failed to garner attention. A couple of bands, most of which survived for a long time, made this second movement truly exciting, and Bérurier Noir remains the most famous and respected of those. Fists and red-and-black flags raised, this gang of anarchist clowns was the perfect example of independence and social conscience.
Musically, even though band members were numerous on-stage, they took on the guitar/beat box formula initiated by Metal Urbain, simply adding saxophone riffs now and then, leaving plenty of space for their political and social slogans.
Their career began in 1981, but they truly gained massive recognition with the release of a first studio album, 1984’s Macadam Massacre. It was followed by two other albums, Concerto Pour Detraques (1985) and Abracadabraboum (1987), plus a bunch of EPs. But it’s safe to say that Béru (as they are often called), was much more a live act than anything else. Their concert tickets were as cheap as possible, and each member had his own day job to enable complete independence for their musical venture. In 1988, some of the band members were suspected of a terrorist related activity, and even though they were quickly found innocent, the band’s career had received a severe frontal shock. After the release of Souvent Fauche in 1989, Béru called it a day.
If you know Bérurier Noir, but in the unlikely event, know nothing of D&V, Faction or Subhumans then feel free to follow my lead, and look them up on the internet.
Another plus side to internet searches is ending up on Discogs.
This cassette tape and the KUKL one I placed up recently command high prices, especially with all the booklets and inserts.
As both mine have, from purchase in the early – mid 1980’s.
Kerr-ching.
Calanda is a small remote village in the Teruel province (situated in the center of the region of Aragon) where once a year, one of the most beautiful pagan festivals in the western world is celebrated.
Anyone can participate in “La Rompida De La Hora” in Calanda. The festival attracts thousands of people, the population of the village, and many hundreds of visitors from across Spain and the world.
For the public to participate in the festival, they must wear ornamental purple robes and hoods.
The robe and hood is similar in style to the Klu Klux Klan outfits that are worn by Klans-men in the southern states of America. Some participants to the festival have Carbine muskets attached to their persons, for show, not for use.
Elderly and young men and woman and children of all ages interpret the different rhythms when beating the drums.The groups gather around the local church, take up their drums, form bands spontaneously, and start producing more or less arbitrary rhythms.
This ritual jamming takes off at noon on Good Friday and ends exactly one day later on Easter Saturday. For twenty four hours and without pauses or orchestrated compositions, bands of drummers dwell through the streets of Calanda.
When one band meets another band, they start dueling, until all drummers find themselves in agreement with a certain rhythm. After their encounter and mutual jamming, the bands move on and prepare themselves for the next battle.
A masterful description of the deep experience of hearing and beating the drums at Calanda had been given by the film maker Luis Bunuel.
“Toward noon on Good Friday the drummers gather in the main square opposite the church and wait there in total silence. When the first bell in the church tower begins to toll, a burst of sound, like a terrific thunderclap, electrifies the whole village. All the drums explode at the same instant. A sort of wild drunkenness breaks out among the players; they beat for two hours until the procession forms, then it leaves the square. When two groups beating two different tempos meet at one of the village crosses, they engage in a duel which may last as long as an hour – or until the weaker group relents and keep the victor’s rhythm. By the early hours of Saturday morning, the skin of the drums is stained with blood, through the beating hands belonging to villagers, and visitors. As the bell tolls the noon hour, the drums suddenly fall silent, but even after the rhythms of the daily life have been re-established, some villagers still speak in an oddly halting manner, an involuntary echo of the beating drums…”
Jordi Vall’s World Satanic Network Systems have released other recordings on vinyl which are all extremely rare:
I: VAGINA DENTATA ORGAN PRESENTS : MUSIC FOR THE HASHISHINS, IN MEMORIAM OF HASSAN-I-SABBAH. (TRAINED TO KILL/SEXUAL).
All you hear on both sides of this album is the wild growl of a real dog trained to kill. It’s violent and cruel. A passionate, and desperate appeal to murder. I call it poetry without rhetoric.
In 1984, Spanish TV invited Derek Jarman, Psychic TV and Vagina Dentata Organ to perform on a live TV programme in Madrid called ‘La Eldad De Oro’.
We all had live interviews. Derek showed his short films, Psychic TV played a long live set together with monumental videos on magick occultism.
At the end of the two hours I (Vagina Dentata Organ) closed the night performing ‘Music For Hashishins’, on an emulator, with sixteen real, very nervous Alsatian dogs tied on a leash to the stage. At the same time I destroyed three large paintings by Casademont – a well-known Catalan artist – with a market value of 6,000 pesos.
I slashed the paintings with with two long iron scimitars with great effect, because hidden behind each canvas we hanged small plastic blood-bags that got splattered all over the place.
Pandemonium broke loose. It was the end of this arts TV programme.
Next day there was an outcry on the Spanish national press. We were accused of violence and obscenity.
Right-wing politicians put pressure on the state run Spanish TV, and ‘La Eldad De Oro’ was closed down for ever.
II: THE LAST SUPPER, THE REVEREND JIM JONES IN PERSON.
I got the tapes through Monte Cazzaza in California, and Genesis P-Orridge in London. It’s the live recordings of the last moments of life while they are drinking poison and dying at the Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana. Over nine hundred men, women and children died. It’s a picture-disc with graphic photos of dead bodies from the massacre. For sure, this is the greatest rock and roll record ever made.
III: VAGINA DENTATA ORGAN WITH THE PAGAN DRUMS OF CALANDA. (THE TRIUMPH OF THE FLESH).
We recorded the live sound and made this unique picture-disc. As a personal tribute to Calanda’s blood scented nights. About thirty copies only of this picture disc album, contain encapsulated freeze-dried, sterilised human bloodstains, from my (Vagina Dentata Organ) ripped flesh.
