Thursday, August 10, 2006

July 26th 2006 The Buzzcocks visit the Box (bunker).

LATE FINAL EDITION...

Welcome back to Chriswasanon. The part of the Internet where we bring to you the choicest cuts of Jonesy’s Jukebox on Indie 103.1. Pretty much anything can happen here but it is our #1 intention to showcase Steve Jones, Mark Shovel and any guests that may appear on the show. That's all you need to know.

Floratina my co-blogger is on a bit of a sabbatical from the chriswasanon blog (posh rest) but will return. Just a wee while and she’ll be back.

But first the blog…bit.

And in a packed blog tonight…Steve is off on his hols, yerst, he packed his bucket and spade, a pair of speedo trunks, and his little black address book. He buggered off in his jalopy into the wide open yonder. So this week on the Jukebox is a week of repeat shows

“The Smash news,” a unique feature. You vill be familiar by now mit zis hitherto unknown unique speciality of cooking.

On Thursday July 26th those old “ponk rockerz” the Buzzcocks visited the box. Due to other matters, running a shop etc & hiding from customers, (my favourite) there has as yet been no Buzzcocks post here.

“Love you more,” “Promises.” “Ever fallen in love with someone (you shouldn’t have fallen in love with?)” Just perfect songs of teen tribulation. The first time I heard the Buzzcocks was on Radio 1. John Peel (see the tribute link on this blog). He was playing the flipside to “Love you more”. The b side “Noise annoys." I still yet hear Peelie’s intonation.

“The Boozcocks.”



Trivia time. In the North round Manchester way. the local elderly worthies used to call young blades and lads “buzzcocks,” apparently so a wiki on the Buzzcocks subject said. So here was me thinking that they named themselves after a sex machine. Bet you thought the same!

It’s time. Get in the Tardis, it's titchy wee on the outside but that's a deception. Inside you could park a 14 wheel articulated trailer unit. 12X Maybe.

Step back to the 26 July 2006 Buzzcocks interview. They’d just played the House of Blues and were heading out to another gig that night. (T)ime (A)nd Relative(D)imension (I)n (S)pace. There's a packet (or 55) of ”Smash” to "nourish" and sustain us. 1.2.3.4 Thunderbirds and some well bastard pot noodle. Probably..not well bastard, probably just bastard.

This was the first time that the secret alternative broadcast location known as “the bunker” had been used. As opposed to the usual studio on Wilshire Avenue for Indie 103.1 where the show is normally broadcast from.

Present.

Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle, (guitars) Tony Barber (bass and producer). Danny Farrant (drums and erstwhile Alarm and Spear Of Destiny stixman.). Steve Jones interviewing and Mark “take it away Mr. Shovel” Shovel.

Chriswasanon is at the controls.

Steve: You’re listenin’ to Jonesy’s Jukebox on Indie 103.1 and we are in the bunker with the Buzzcocks and that was the Flying Buritto Brothers and that song was called: “Older guys.” And before that we had Kitsch that’s the Heavy metal kids and that song was called, “Swallow day Inn,” (Squalliday Inn) and then we started off with Status Quo from an album, “Piledriver,” and that song was, “Don’t waste my time.” And we’re still waitin’to set up ze gear in ze bunker for ze Buzzcocks, to rock ‘n’ roll. So er yer playin t’night at the Henry Fonda Theater, are you enjoyin’ being’ on the road?

Diggle: Yeh yeh, it’s ok after being about (?) I’d rather be later on the stage, it’s all the hangin’ around.

Steve: Yeah.

Barber: Ah but stuff like this is good as well.

Diggle: Yeah.

Barber: But anyfink to do with not bein’ in an ‘ôtel or a tour bus is alright or bein’ in a fast food joint.

Steve: Is that where you been ‘er?

Barber: No you know what it’s like, ‘angin’ around, that crap.

Steve: (Sympatheticaly) No I know. I wish I could fink of a new way of tourin’, I’d make a lotta money.

Barber: TARDIS.




Steve: I’d copyright it.

Diggle: Yeah.

Steve: But you know old Branson is comin’ up with that fing isn’t he where he’s…er…you can go up into the atmosphere or somethin’ on the spaceship or somethin’. http://www.virgingalactic.com/en/

Diggle: Yeah.

Steve: I said to ‘im – he came on the box – I said, “Why don’t you just er instead of just goin’ up outer space , why don’t you just ‘ave it go somewhere like Australia with like ten minutes or something,” you know what I mean?

Diggle: Be more useful cos there’s nobody there up there is there…

Steve: What are you gonna do, you go up there…

Diggle: …no gigs.

Steve: Pointless.

Diggle: There’s not even a hard rock cafè up there, is there?

Steve: (Laughs).

Barber: Yet.

Diggle: Or a Starbucks.

All laugh.

Diggle: But yeah yer right he should make somethin’ useful…be good tourin’.. We’re goin’ to Australia after this tour ya know, so if ya could go in one of them ye’d be there in ten minutes, wouldn’t yer?

Steve: Exactly!

Diggle: Be like catchin’ the number 9 bus or the 29 from…

Steve: I think it’s a bit of a production to actually get off the er ground an’ all that, I think you ‘ave to wear a space outfit an’ all that. I wouldn’t mind wearin a space outfit myself. The gear, ya know?

Diggle: Yeah be like er…

Steve: “Thunderbirds are go.” (



Diggle: Like that bloke from Buggles, didn’t he used to wear one of them or summat?



Shelley: That used to be our childhood dreams wasn’t it?

Steve: Do you remember that?

Shelley: The generation where you would dream of bein’ an astronaut.

Diggle: Even in ’76 when I first met ‘im he said he’s waitin’ for a future so he can wear a spacesuit and eat protein pills an’ that, you know.

All laugh.

Steve: Well you…there weren’t…

Diggle: Don’t have to go to MacDonalds or anythin’ you know.

Steve: Well there actually was space food in England in the 70’s. “Smash,” it was called.

Diggle: Yeah.

Steve: “Yeoman’s.” (Packet mashed potato like Smash and like Smash still available).

Steve D: Yeoman’s, yeah.

Steve: That’s space food. I bet it was really good for you too.

Diggle: “They peel them with their metal knives…” (Famous line from old British telly advertising campaign for Cadbury’s Smash – see link above).

All laugh.

Steve: All that.

Diggle: Remember that was…

Steve: Powder weren’t it?

Diggle: Yeah.

Diggle: They used to ‘ave powdered milk as well in the ‘60’s and that you know.

Barber: And powdered orange juice an’ all.

Diggle: Powdered orange juice.

Steve: An’ powder for yer nose as well.

Diggle: Laughs

Steve: It’s a wonder everyone ain’t anging (‘em out?) dead…who had Yeoman’s.

All laugh.

Diggle: Used to shut yer up.

Steve: Cancer of the entire body.

Buzzcock. (incoherent).

Diggle: When I used to do a load of drugs I used to have a bit of that at the end of the bed or a Pot Noodle you know. (Noodles in a plastic pot add boiling water, stir…etc).



Steve: Yeah.

Diggle: Used to crawl to the end of the bed and just pour the kettle of hot water on it, saved getting’ outta bed you know. That’s what heroin does to you folks, you can’t get out of bed in the end.

Steve: Stay away.

Diggle: Eat Cadbury’s Smash.

Steve: Yes, did you ever get into that?

Diggle: Oh yeah.

Steve: You was addicted?

Diggle: Not addicted but every other day, yeah.

Steve: I did it for ten years, I was a mess.

Diggle: Yeah I mean I never did it every day, just ‘ere and there, you know. Like as a “treat,” you know?

Steve: “Treat?” (Laughs)

Diggle: An’crack an’ all, that’s good for yer.

Steve: “Crahck” (imitating “scally” or scallywag Manchester/Liverpool accent).

Diggle: “Crahck.”

Diggle: But you gotta enjoy all those things you know, not get like a slave to them you know.

Steve: Well that’s…yeah but some people are different, some people can take it or leave it.

Diggle: Well I always felt really ill after taking it, need a day off you know?

Barber: Some people ‘ave to keep lookin’ for more.

Steve: Yeah I’m one of them, I can’t just do one, I have to keep goin’ like an idiot, you know. Wish I could but then I think you enjoy it a different way as well…

Diggle: Yeah.

Steve: …if you take it or leave it you know.

Diggle: Well I ‘ad to cos you ‘ad gigs to do ‘ere and there. you know what I mean? ‘Specially these kinda tours but I mean.

Sounds of guitars being tuned and plucked.

Steve: An’ we aint gettin’ no younger.

Diggle: We ain’t gettin’ no younger, now that’s another thing man you know. An’ nature’s Police sorta work on yer and yer think, “oooh I can’t ‘andle that now, what I used to do” and all that stoof.”

Steve: Yeah, yeah.

Diggle: But er, many good times I think, up until I left London just a couple of weeks ago. (Deadpan).

Steve: You played er, “The ‘ouse of everythin’ but Blues last night. (House of Blues LA. venue)

Diggle: Yeah.

Steve: In Anaheim. Good turn out?

Diggle: Fantastic!

Steve: You ‘ad a good time Pete?

Shelley: Yeah, it was good, there was lots of faces I remembered from last time we were here so…

Shelley: It’s always nice cos I mean like you…in a way you sort of…each audience comes along and knew their faces but when you come back to places that you’ve played before and you see familiar people.

Steve: Was there a lot of young ‘uns there?

Shelley: Yes.

Diggle: Yeah there’s a load of young kids comin’ to shows now even more than ever. It’s like their discoverin’ through their folks or through bands like “Greenday” or somethin’ They go…they backtrack a bit and then come and see us.

Steve: I think the whole punk thing took a turn about a year ago, it became all kind of important as a form of music and so people started looking back where it came from.

Diggle: Yeah.

Steve: So that’s why you’re probably getting a different…

Shelley: And there was no way of predicting that 30 years ago was there?

Steve: No…

Diggle: (Incoherent).

Steve: I was just talkin’ about that the one where we came up…was it you, us and Slaughter and the Dogs?

Shelley: Yeah.

Steve: And you had Howard Devoto singin’ for you at the time, right?

Shelley: Yeah that was er.

Steve: It wasn’t, it was the other free trade ‘all (Manchester Free Trade Hall) alright.

Shelley: The lesser Free...

Diggle: ..Trade ‘all, oh yeah.

Steve: Yeah. I was just thinkin’ about that, what a blindin’ gig that was.

Shelley: 30 years ago of the 20th of July it was.

Steve: Was it?

Shelley: So it’s only 5 days since it was.

Steve: 30 years ago.

Diggle: Legendary gig! They’re always on about that one you know.

Steve: Everyone was there!

Diggle: Everyone was there, all ten of ‘em weren’t they? (laughs). That shows where we’ve got the biggest liars in Manchester than anywhere innit really, they always say: “Oh yeah…” Half the population of Manchester could have been there (door bangs - incoherent phrase).

Steve: Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Steve: Have we got to visit the Duke Mr. Shovel?

Mr. Shovel: Yeah.

Steve: We’re here with Buzzcocks, we’re in the Bunker, we’ll be back soon. Hopefully to play some music, fanx for listening.

Short visit to what Steve refer's to as the "Duke of Kent"=rent, the advertising.

Steve: You’re listenin’ to Jonesy’s Jukebox on Indie 103.1 with my guests the Buzzcocks and we’re in a studio somewhere. I can’t tell you the location, it’s top secret, we don’t want anyone comin’ down here and annoying us and lookin’ for autographs and dirty skidmarken undergarments.

General laughter.

Steve: Be quiet sh sh, they’re listenin’

Diggle: (Very low voice incoherent almost but sounds like) Their watchin’ somebody out there…somewhere.

More laughter

Diggle: They’re after us. Tellin’ ya.

Steve: So I don’t know what this is going to be like rock ‘n’ rolling in here but. I’m actually…it’s actually excitin’. I think it could be a laugh. What do you reckon? Do you think it’s gonna go wrong?

Barber: Inevitably.

General laughter.

Shelley: Potential to.

Diggle: Tin bath (Cockney rhyming slang, "tin bath"= laugh) innit?

Steve: Your bus is stuck outside you know.

Barber: (Laughing) I know.

Diggle: The wheels (are) off the ground.

More laughter.

Diggle: The wheels in there are back near the entrance.

Steve: I think your driver is on No doze…

Yet more laughter.

Steve: …That’s the problem.

Diggle: He’s on something, we call him “the Rock” don’t we?

Barber: Yeah.

Steve: So where you goin’ next? San Francisco?

Shelley: Yes San Francisco, tomorrow I think.

Barber: Yeah it is and then it’s Portland. Seattle

Shelley: (Joining in with Barber.) Portland, Seattle,

Barber: 2 in Canada.

Steve: Vancouver?

Shelley: Yeah.

Barber: Yeah and then we’ll end up in Victoria on the last one. For the 31st.

Steve: And then what, back to earth?

Barber: Well yeah goin’ back to England to do er..

Diggle: (Exhortation like egging on a striker to score a goal) Yeah, come on!

Barber: Couple of festivals in August.

Steve: What ones you doin then?

Barber: One…

Steve: Phoenix?

Shelley: No they don’t do that one anymore.

Steve: That’s finished?

Barber: Yip…we’re doin’ a big one in London in Clapham on the 27th, with er Babyshambles and Graham Coxon again, that’s a massive one cos there’s no, there’s no Glastonbury and that this year. So there’s a load of other ones. It’s called somethin’ like “In the Park,” innit? Summink?

Diggle: Er “Get loaded…

Barber: (Finishing)… in the Park,” that’s it. (Get loaded in the park)

Steve: What’s that er documentary that Julien Temple’s doin? It’s a like years an’ years of er…is it Glastonbury?

Shelley: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Barber: Oh yeah it might be yeah, Thirty years of Glastonbury.

See Julien Temple transcript on kick down the doors).
Thirty five years of Glastonbury was it?




GLASTONBURY PYRAMID STAGE 1971.


Shelley: Twenty five or something

Steve: Why’d that stop then?

Barber: No he’s just ‘avin’ a year off or somethin’ in he? Countin’ ‘is money. (Reference to the local dairy farmer Michael Eavis who is the landowner of”Worthy Farm” near Pilton, the site of the Glastonbury Music and Performing Arts Festival in Somerset, SW. England).

Diggle: Yeah.

Steve: Let the grass grow.

Barber: No just to count the money I think. He’s made the last twenty five of ‘em? (A Possible ref to continuation of the festy - though there have been other years where there has not been a Glastonbury Festival).

Diggle: So he gets hard work every year, don’t he?

Barber: Yeah.

Steve: I watched er…

Barber: He probably forgot what a cow looks like.

Diggle: Oh moo (Laughter).

Steve: Cash cow.

Shelley: There you go. (A gesture probably accompanies this)

Steve: I watched er the makin’ of Live Aid the other day, have you ever seen that?

Shelley: No.

Steve: It’s like a 3 hour documentary, it was on the BBC. About how that all started and the first show and all that at Wembley…you never saw that? No.

Diggle: Saw the show, but not the makin’ of it. What did they do?

Steve: It’s really good if you get a chance get to see it, it’s like a 3 hour thing and it’s really good behind the scenes all the back stabbin’ and all the other stuff that gos on with it. It’s really interestin’. Entertainin’ stuff.

Shelley: Mmm.

Diggle: They only ask their mates though, don’t they, they don’t like (ask) us or the Pistols or us or anythin’ they… What’s wrong with them I think they think we’re dangerous. They only ask like Sting and all those nice kind of bands and…

Steve: They actually asked us for the last one…

Diggle: Did they?

Steve: Or they said in the paper that we we’re going to do it but we…

Barber: That’s right

Steve: …we’ve never been approached.

Barber: They were, right.

Diggle: Oh right.

Steve: So I dunno, so is it startin’ to dwindle down a bit then?

Diggle: Ermm.

Steve: Still goin’ strong?

Diggle: Erm, they’ve just done that new one ain’t they, last year whenever ("Make Poverty History" a big gig in London. It culminated with a march in Edinburgh and at Murrayfield on the Saturday whilst the G8 were meeting at Gleneagles. ).

Steve: Are they actually makin’ any difference, is any one…gettin’ fed?

Sound of cymbal in background.

Diggle: I don’t know…I mean…yeah I think it makes a bit of difference don’t know. Bonio (Bono, Bonio is a kind of dog biscuit) is always on about it isn’t he, you know.

Steve: Yeah.

Diggle: They should go out there and work you know. Dig the soil and get some water going and that.

Steve: Exactly or move somewhere where they got some grub.

Diggle: Yeah you know, go and help and (incoherent) instead of keep telling people off about it you know.

Steve: Yeah.

Diggle: It’s like going like, “Do you know there’s people starving in Africa?” It’s like, “Yeah we’ve always known that, you know.”

Shelley: Yeah me mum told me.

Laughter.

Steve: They should open up a Petticoat lane over there.

Diggle: That’s what I mean, get it goin’ a bit you know. Few drugs on board a couple of deejays over there, that’ll get it goin’

Steve: Exactamundo. Let’s play some music. We’re here with the Buzzcocks, you’re listenin’ to Jonesy’s Jukebox we’re in the studio somewhere.

Plays a few songs.

Steve: You’re listenin’ to Jonesy’s jukebox on Indie 103.1 with my guests the Buzzcocks, we’re in a secret location no one can know about cos it’s top secret and I think the Buzzcocks are ready to do some rock ‘n’ rollin’. How about it lads?

Diggle: Yeah, come on then 1-2-3-4.

They start with “What do I get?”

Steve plays a few more songs.


Steve: You’re listenin’ to Jonesy’s jukebox on Indie 103.1 with my guests the Buzzcocks, that was Marc Bolan and T. Rex and that song was called “Hot Love”. Before that was ELO. doin’ “Don’t bring me down,” I think that was it weren’t it?

Diggle: Yeah, the Buzzcocks before that yeah.

Steve: You guys, the Buzzcocks playin’ live as we speak, what was the song, the two songs that you did? Like goin’ backwards.

Diggle: “Sell you everything” and

Barber: Oh no, "Flatpack philosophy" was the last one we did.

Steve: What was it called?

Barber: "Flatpack philosophy." That’s the title track of the album.

Steve: That's the title track, yeah.

Barber: And then “Sell you everything” which was the first one of the two. That’s the new single.

Steve: How’s it goin’?

Diggle: It’s had a lot of good reviews you know. There’s a lot of warmth to it, it’s selling steadily. Just pickin’ up over here, cos we’re out here tourin’ with it you know.

Steve: Yeah.

Diggle: Doin’ good like I say it’s a pretty good album, you know. The reviewers, critics whatever, they are they seem to like it.

Steve: What people in England liked it?

Diggle: Yeah. Amazing yeah.

Steve: That’s weird innit.

Diggle: They’re all tryin’ to dive us on now, tryin’ to think, “Oh the Buzzcocks, they’re hip,” cos they been around 30 years. But you know about 4 years ago when they didn’t want to know, you know. Oh they’re a bit low, but the profile has been raised a bit recently you know. So you gotta keep your eyes open see who’s…you know what I mean?

Steve: Yer trendy again!

Diggle: Yeah, for another ten minutes.

Barber: For another ten minutes.

Diggle: (Laughs).

Steve: Make the most if it.

Diggle: (Laughs again).

Steve: Is it sold out tonight at the Henry Fonda? Does anyone know?

Barber: Think so.

Shelley: I don’t know (incoherent)…this morning. I suppose it will be getting’ on towards that.

Steve: Well you guys go on about 9 I think 9.30, who knows? Henry Fonda. Tonight, the Buzzcocks will be performin’ and then tomorrow San Francisco at er…some gaff, what’s it called? The Mezz…

Diggle: The Mezzanine.

Steve: Is that in the Vestibule? Is that near the er…

Diggle: If we knew where you are, I know what he’s gonna, near where you go, eh?

Steve: Alright! We’re gonna visit the Duke, we’ll come back and I’m gonna play a song with you guys. Then we’re gonna knock it on the ‘ead. It’s been fun so far, so lets go and visit the Duke of Kent. Thanks fer listenin’

Steve: You’re listenin’ to Jonesy’s jukebox on Indie 103.1 with my guests the Buzzcocks and they are playin’ tonight at the Henry Fonda Theater. We’re gonna leave you now with a song that me and the Buzzcocks are gonna play together. (Brightly) One of my favourite songs of the Buzzcocks, it’s called er…what is it called lads?

Shelley: “Fiction Romance.”

Steve: That’s what I said, “Fiction Romance.” Thank you so much for comin’ by the Bunker and er, we’ll see each other tonight. Anytime you’re ready!

They all break into “Fiction Romance.” An absolutely cracking version!

End of the show, interview and transcript.

Transcribed by Chriswasanon. Any errors or mistakes in transcribing Steve Diggle will be disowned innit forthwith old son. Or ascribing words to them what did not say them, likewise swiftly dismissed! The beginning of the interview was extremely muffled and thus not worth transcribing. Please note that Stuart's blog http://www.jonesysjukebox.blogspot.com has the set list of all Buzzcock's songs played live that day. This was a tricky one to get down as parts of the interview just did not make sense, I have done me best like.

Floratina will be back soon with more audacious jewels of Jonesy, sapphires of Shovel!

Thanks to Floratina, the Buzzcocks, the Buzzcocks on myspace, Mark Shovel and of course Mr. Stephen Jones.

Thanks for reading!

CwA.

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