The band played hard, fast and dirty thru their entire set coming back out with shit grins and a bit a fuel left in their gas tanks and layed into a cover of "I Don't Mind" by the late great Godfather of Soul James Brown.  At the conclusion of this show I was feeling the strong adult beverages working thru my system and wandered over to the merch table to spy the goods for sale.  As I was pondering my purchase of a Heavy Trash 45,  Jon swung by the table and was chatting folks up I stepped over and let him know my friend had turned me onto him in 97 and I was glad that 11 years later I finally got a musical blast into my soul similar to what Marcos was trying to explain in the most exact emotional details during the fall of 97 during spanish class.
Heavy Trash at Blue Lamp


El In-Edit.Beefeater Festival, el acontecimiento musico-cineasta vuelve este año en su 6º edición. El evento tendrá lugar entre el 23 de Octubre y el 2 de Noviembre y podremos gozar de un amplio abanico de documentales musicales que se emitirán como mínimo 2 veces cada uno.  Este año se han seleccionado documentales sobre Cachao, Arthur Russell, Loquillo, Nina Simone, Pete Seeger, Caetano Veloso, Joy Division, Philip Glass, James Brown, Nacho Vegas, Tom Petty o The Wrecking Crew.

Este año se rinde homenage a Londres con los siguientes títulos Bananaz, Tonite let's all make love in London, Punk in London y A Technicolor Dream y al maestro en la materia Albert Maysles con la proyección de 4 de sus grandes obras.

El precio de una entrada individual es de 5 euros. 

Más info: InEdit Festival

Date:

FOR FANS OF...
If you dig the following you'll dig Soul Xmas with Sweet Charles...
James Brown
Curtis Mayfield
Sharon Jones
Marva Whitney

"Sweet" Charles Sherrell was not just the bass player for James Brown. He wrote songs, sung lyrics, played keyboards, and led the bands for many years.....

Sweets grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, starting out in an r’ n’ b group with childhood friends Jimi Hendrix & Billy Cox, Sweets was drummer. He learned to play guitar and bass from watching Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions rehearse in the studios of his hometown. During this time Sweets went on to play bass in Aretha Franklin's Band ‘Johnny Jones & The King Kasuals’. In 1968 James Brown asked Sweets to become his bass player and join The JB’s. Sweets went on to co-write many of James Brown’s most popular hits, playing on numerous recordings including ‘Ain't it Funky Now, The Payback, Mother Popcorn, Get on the Good Foot’ and many more . In 1974, he decided to go solo and released the highly lauded ‘Sweet Charles for Sweet People’ album on Mr. Brown’s People Records. 'Hang out and Hustle’ was the biggest single from the LP. After completing this project Sweets was asked back to lead James Brown's band for almost 25years.

Rampart is on eviction alert this week..

At the weekend we were tipped off that the Rampart might be getting a surprise eviction this week. Today we have been checking it out but we're not much more wiser for it. We've heard nothing officially, through the county court or the bailiffs, but there are other ways we could still be on the receiving end of a surprise eviction, potentially high court bailiffs. Our much loved Bowl Court space was evicted through the high courts in August this year so 'once bitten, twice shy'. Potentially the fires in the houses next door have worried the council and prompted them to get onto the owner, but the school that the Social Centre occupies is still in sound condition. As we have not been able to confirm anything to the contrary, we are treating the information as real and so we are calling out to you as our eviction supporters on standby!

** Call out for mobile numbers **

The text messaging service we were using for the London Social Centre alerts, Twitter, has started to charge for their service so we no longer have that as a facility, nor the list of phone numbers subscribed to it as that is retained by Twitter under privacy laws (you'll be happy to hear). Everyone willing to support us during eviction please email us with your mobile number and we will be messaging you when the time comes for your help. Thank you for your ever solid support on this.

We will keep you informed about any developments but you can be assured that we're still going ahead with the planned events and regular Social Centre functioning until further notice.

_______________________________

--- Coming up at the Rampart --

_______________________________

-~ WEDNESDAY 1ST OCT - 7pm ~-

Debrief on This Year's European Social Forum

We will have an informal meeting to debrief on this year's ESF in Malmö. Come if you were at the ESF and would like to talk about your experience, or if you couldn't make it but are curious about what happened.
If you can't get into the building, call 078 5247 4256.

-~ FRIDAY 3RD OCT - 8pm to 2am ~-

A BeneFIT for Freedom of Movement and against Repression!

On July 5th people demonstrated for freedom of movement and the right to protest at the home office buildings in Croydon. This party is a post event benefit for the demonstration and to support the people who were charged for protesting the Forward Intelligence Team (FIT) in the run up to the demo.

No Justice, No Peace!

Friday 3 October 2008, Rampart Social Centre, London E1 2LA (near Whitechapel,
off Commercial Rd) from 8pm - 2am
Reaggae, Roots and More

http://noborderslondon.blogspot.com - http://londonfete.ucrony.net -
http://fitwatch.blogspot.com

http://noborderslondon.blogspot.com/2008/09/benefit-for-freedom-of-movement-and.html

-~ FRIDAY 3RD OCT - 9pm ~-

Dissident Island Radio

http://www.dissidentisland.org

Dissident Island Radio focuses on environmental and social campaigns as well as issues that are relevant to anti-authoritarian people and groups. With activist news, reports about actions and happenings, recipes, plays and DJs we give you all you need to keep informed, entertained and thinking. Broadcasting from the London social centre scene on the first and third Friday of every month, and are also available for download. Check it!

-~ FRIDAY 31ST OCT - 6pm ~-

Radical Theory Reading Group

Hello and welcome, again, to new members. Next Reading Group will be on Friday, October 31st. Given that rampART is currently under threat of eviction, venue remains uncertain but I will mail updates regularly. We're doing lit crit (sort of) this month. We'll be reading William Burroughs' 'The Cut Up Method of Brion Gysin' (available here http://www.brainwashed.com/h3o/dreamachine/cut-up.html) and two short extracts from Cities of the Red Night available for download here http://www.box.net/shared/a77dl9y3xy. For those of you who have/want to buy the book, the chapters are 'Politics Here is Death' (book 1) and 'Cities of the Red Night' (book 2) - or all of it if you have the time and inclination. No linear narratives here so don't worry about how the extracts fit with the 'story' (there isn't one or there may be many). I've updated the blog http://radicaltheoryreadinggroup.blogspot.com. Please feel free to comment.

_______________________________

--- Events elsewhere: ---------

_______________________________

-~ FRIDAY 3RD OCT – 6pm ~-

Arthur Russell event at University of East London

Following successful premieres at the Berlin and Edinburgh film festivals as well as the Kitchen Centre in New York, Wild Combination, the new documentary about Arthur Russell directed by Matt Wolf, will be screened at the University of East London on Friday 3 October 2008.

A composer and musician, Arthur Russell lived in downtown New York between 1973-92, during which time he worked within and across a wide range of music genres and scenes, including orchestral music, disco, new wave, folk, pop and hip hop. Exploring the potential to create a collaboratively driven artistic community during one of the most politically turbulent and aesthetically productive periods in the history of New York, Russell frustrated record companies with his resolute diversity and collaborative sensibility before he died of complications arising from AIDS in 1992.

Wild Combination will be introduced by Tim Lawrence, author of the forthcoming biography of Arthur Russell, Hold On to Your Dreams: Arthur Russell and the Downtown Music Scene, 1973-92, which will be published by Duke University Press in 2009. Following the screening, Jeremy Gilbert, author of the newly published Anti-Capitalism and Culture, and Tim Lawrence will discuss the film and Russell's work. How can creative practitioners and communities negotiate neoliberalism? A Q&A session will follow.

If you would like to attend the screening, please reserve a seat by contacting Sarah Baker at ccsr@uel.ac.uk. Depending on demand, the screening will take place in either Matrix East (EB.1.37) or the Film Theatre (WB.G.01) at 6pm.
Please check the CCSR website for information (Centre for Cultural Studies Research at UEL http://www.uel.ac.uk/ccsr.

-~ SATURDAY 4TH OCT – 5pm ~-

Radical Barcelona with Michael Eaude

at Housmans Bookshop
5 Caledonian Road
Kings Cross
London N1 9DX

Michael Eaude, author of 'Barcelona: the City that reinvented itself', talks about radical Barcelona, ranging from recent community struggles with developers, to the Spanish Civil War.

Michael Eaude, author of 'Barcelona: the City that reinvented itself', talks about radical Barcelona, ranging from recent community struggles with developers, to the Spanish Civil War

Michael Eaude lives in Barcelona where he is active in the anti-capitalist movement. He is fluent in Catalan, Spanish and English.

"Partly a jauntily erudite guide to the city, partly a sharply written history, Eaude's book excels at spiking his deft snapshots of squares, bars and sites with flavoursome fragments of Catalan lore and literature. Unlike other Barcelona boosters, Eaude knows how hard the road from Franco to freedom proved, and shows us the marks of that struggle.

The city's candid friend, but no hyper merchant, he is the kind of companion who even knows (say) that Placa George Orwell was one of the first spots to have CCTV. So Big Brother is watching you - or was, till anarchists severed the cables." - the Independent

http://www.housmans.com/

-~ SATURDAY 4TH OCT – 3pm onwards ~-

Calling out to all and everyone a new space has been opened:

THE LIBRARY HOUSE.

52 Knatchbull rd (behind library, junction with Burton rd)
Camberwell
SE5 9QY

OPENING EVENT
Saturday 4th of October, 3pm onwards, will be our first open day. Food, music, words, gardening, workshops, DIY...

Look forward to seeing your known faces with new ones!

-~ WEDNESDAY 15TH OCT – 10am to 6pm ~-

MACHINE

The difference and repetition of James Brown

A Symposium
in the Centre for Cultural Studies Research
University of East London
Docklands Campus

October 15th 2008
10:00am - 1pm Room EBG.06
3pm - 6pm Room WB1.01

Speakers:
Dhanveer Singh Brar Goldsmiths College
Anne Danielsen author of 'Presence and Pleasure: the Funk Grooves of James Brown and Parliament'
Jeremy Gilbert co-author 'Discographies: Dance Music Culture and the Politics of Sound'
Steve Goodman (Kode9) University of East London
Julian Henriques Goldsmiths College
Tim Lawrence author of 'Loves Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-79'
John Scannell Macquarie University
Ashwani Sharma University of East London
Simon Zagorski-Thomas London College of Music

Attendance is free of charge
To register email J.Gilbert@uel.ac.uk

1. Curtis Mayfield - Move on up
2. David Batiste - Funky Soul
3. Lalo Schifrin - Theme from Enter the dragon
4. Maceo Parker - Soul Power 74
5. Maceo Parker - Chicken
6. Fred Wesley & The JB's - Damn Right, I Am Samebody
7. James Brown - Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine
8. James Brown - Nature
9. James Brown & The JB's - Monorail
10. Ortophonk - Saxy Cock
11. The Cherry Boppers - Watermelon Man
12. Makala - Funkel
13. Acido C - Radio K7
14. Sly & The Family Stone - Thank You (Falettinme be mice elf agan)
15. The Meters - Liver Splash
16. Wild Cherry - Play That Funky Music
17. Toots & The Maytals - Funky Kingston
18. Ben Harper - Mama's Trippin'

[audio http://sudurpuntown.podomatic.com/enclosure/2008-09-30T13_25_53-07_00.mp3]

deskargatu: 03-FUNK

HOUSE REJECTS "THE BIG BAILOUT"

BREAKING --- Just moments ago, the United States House of Representatives rejected President Bush's proposed bailout of the country's financial markets in a vote of 228 to 205.

140 Democrats voted yes on the bailout plan, 133 Republicans voted no.

(See how your Representative voted here.)

Right about now, you might be wondering why so many Democrats fell in line to support this secret plan (secret, that is, to most members of Congress and the American public), and why it was the president's own party  who took a strong stand against it.

Yeah, we're kinda wondering that, too.

Maybe these Republicans just woke up and remembered that they are supposed to be fiscal conservatives, after all? That more government and big government is not the answer to our country's finanicial woes?

WHAT'S THIS? REPUBLICANS PROVING THEY'VE GOT A PAIR?

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) reports from the floor of the House that the Republicans have been cut out of the process and called unpatriotic for not blindly supporting the bailout. He says the only debate has been about what talking points to use on the American people. The most ominous revelation is when he claims the Speaker has declared martial law.

“I have been thrown out of more meetings in this capital in the last 24 hours than I ever thought possible, as a duly elected representative of 825,000 citizens of north Texas.” Said Congressman Burgess.

Burgess asks the Speaker of the House to post the bailout bill on the internet for at least 24 hours instead of passing the largest piece of legislation in US financial history in the “dark of night.”

The most frightening part of Rep. Burgess’ one-minute floor speech is when he says, “Mr. Speaker I understand we are under Martial Law as declared by the speaker last night.”

FLIP, FLOP AND FLY

As for the Democrats, there is absolutely no reasonable explanation for their acquiescence, even aggressive cheerleading for this bill (with a bit of "the sky is falling" fearmongering thrown in for good measure).

Numerous opinion polls taken this week came to wildly varying conclusions about the level of support among Americans for the Bush administration's $700-billion plan. Some polls showed public support for the bill was at only 5% as of Sunday night. But the increasingly loud roar coming from all corners of the nation shows that the idea of a bailout has touched a particularly sensitive nerve among the public.

According to the Los Angeles Times, a spokesman for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said her five offices had doubled staffing to deal with the constantly ringing phones. Through late Thursday, Feinstein's offices had received a total of 39,180 e-mails, calls and letters on the bailout, with the overwhelming majority of constituents against it. The spokesman said the volume was as great as during the immigration debate and at key points during the war in Iraq. 

Rep. Linda T. Sanchez (D-Lakewood) was also hearing it from her district, which includes parts of the city of Los Angeles and unincorporated L.A. County. "My constituents are telling me loud and clear that they aren't convinced," she said in a statement.

Typical of the tone of such contacts, Sanchez's office said, was a missive from a constituent in Whittier:

"The bailout legislation is being rammed through Congress in a matter of days. This is an illegal power grab by the White House and their richest friends on Wall Street."

THE PEOPLE AREN'T BUYING IT...SO WHY ARE THE DEMS IN CONGRESS IGNORING US? 

Clearly, the people certainly let their elected reps know how they felt over the weekend. They overwhelmingly instructed their Congresscritters to vote "no" on the bailout bill. So why did so many Democrats choose to flat-out ignore the will of the people? 

The Associated Press reported Saturday that House Democrats backed off the idea of protecting bankrupt homeowners facing foreclosure in the bill. 

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., told Democrats at a closed-door meeting Friday evening the provision would be a deal-breaker for Republicans who she has said must deliver substantial votes for the rescue plan. That’s according to several lawmakers who attended the session.

Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama had said earlier that the measure didn’t belong in the bailout.

Wait a minute...aren't the Dems supposed to be the party of Main Street, not Wall Street? So how do we continue to believe all that nice populist rhetoric when it seems this party can't seem to roll over fast enough for a president they claim to distrust, even despise? What is the moral justification for taking the side of big banks over the millions of ordinary Americans who are losing their homes?

And what's with the Republicans acting like...Republicans for a change?

If anyone out there can explain this most puzzling phenomena to us, we're all ears. In the meantime, let's make it funky now...1, 2, 3....hit it!

James Brown on The Midnight Special, 1974

THE BIG PAYBACK

Words and music by James Brown

Revenge!!

I'm mad (The big payback)

Got to get back!

Need some get back!! Pay Back! (The big payback)

That's it!! Payback!!! Revenge!!!

I'm mad!!

Payback is a thing you gotta see

Brother do any damn thing to me

Sold me out, for chump change (yes you did!!)

Told me that they, they had it all arranged

You handed me down, and thats a fact

Now you're pumped, You gotta get ready For the big payback!! (the big payback!!)

That's where I am, the big payback (the big payback!!)

But I can't dig that backstabbin' (Oh No!!)

The brother get ready!! Thats a fact!!

Get ready you Mother,

For the big payback (The big Payback!!)

Let me hit 'em hit'em!! Hey Hey!! WOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Took my money, you got my honey

Don't want me to see what you doing to me

I got to get back I gotta deal with you!! [x4]

Hey let me tell ya!!

That ain't right! You hollarin' and cussin', you wanna fight!!

Don't do me no darn favor,

I don't know karate, but I know KA-RAZY!!!! (yes we do!!)

Get ready thats a fact, Get ready you

Mother for the big payback (the big payback!)

Get ready for the big payback (the big payback!!) Hit 'em again!!

Get ready I need it, I need a hit again!! Say it once [x2]

Hit 'em again!! (the big payback!!)

Sold me out for chump change

Said you had it all arranged

Saw me comin', told a lie

Went down like you wanted to cry

Take your kids and raise them up,

Somebody think I have a right to be tough

Just run those mothers out of town!!

Got to get up!! Got to get up, get out!! [x2]

I'm mad!! I want revenge,

I want revenge (the big payback!!)

I want revenge [x3] (the big payback!!)

Give me those hits!! I want some hits!!

I need those hits, hit me!!

Click here to DOWNLOAD this MP3 (James-Brown_The-Payback.mp3) !

LIGHT and TIBS. What a beastly combination.

More comprehensive recap later, but dang yo-- I had a blast. 

Highlights:

• "Get up off of that thang" for hours, choreographed by Chris Sotelo and Justin.
• Rocking the Jabbawockees masks, courtesy of Jed.
• Yukes, Renaissance Man, Peter and I tickled pink at winning Spin Relay. 
• Richard and Wayne (and Tek) completely killing the pushups.
• Murphy bridged the gap THREE stinkin' times to place us in the Finals.
• Feeling the support of the ISR home base and other LIGHT/TIBS supporters as we pulled, but unfortunately did not win to the eventual CRH champs.
• Prayer before and after every event = blessing fellowship between two growing ministries. 

"so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."  Romans 12:5

The Godfather

"Listen - James Brown - Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothin' - MP3"

Greetings all.

I hope the commencement of a new week finds you all well, or at least well enough for some funk (which when you take into consideration the restorative nature of funk 45s, you probably wouldn’t have to be well at all. In fact, were the listener in too good a condition, the addition of a sufficient enough dose of the funk might be too much).
The tune I bring you today is one of those odd little departures that record collector geeks like to obsess over. Most large discographies have their back alleys, and the James Brown catalog is no exception. Brown was nothing if not prolific, in his own work, as well as with those for whom he wrote and produced.
Today’s selection is one of the Godfather’s own.
Though ‘Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothin’ was a hit upon it’s release in 1972 (on Polydor), the tune goes back two years earlier. Though it never got a full commercial release - it appears to have been slated for release in 1970 and 1971 without being issued – there was a promo 45 in 1970, which once you pull down the ones and zeros, you will be hearing today.
The interesting thing – aside from the trainspotting aspect – is that the version that actually made it onto vinyl in 1970 (on the King label) is an entirely different one from what became a hit two years later.
During 1970, James Brown was working in the studio with arranger Dave Matthews (no, not the jam band guy) on what would become the album ‘Sho Is Funky Down Here’. The original version of ‘Talkin’ Loud and Sayin’ Nothin’ was recorded during these sessions.
Amongst the collectorati, this iteration of the song has become known as the “rock version”. While I wouldn’t go as far as to call anything JB was working on during this period “rock”, there is a slightly ragged finish to things that came closer to Funkadelic than the JBs.
The tune opens with a distorted guitar, and JBs challenge “How do you like me now?”, before the band comes in with a sound that is freer and much less polished than you’d expect to hear coming out of a James Brown 45. The overall feel is a little looser than his other work at the time, playing down the prominence of the groove. ‘Talkin’ Loud’…’ is structurally no looser than ‘Ain’t It Funky Now’ from the same period, yet the prominence of the guitar and organ in the mix give the record a distinct flavor.
Ultimately, it appears that Brown didn’t see the “rock version” as a big part of his musical future, since it never saw a full release, and aside from ‘Sho Is Funky Down Here’ there’s not much like it in his catalog before or since.
I hope you dig the tune, and I’ll be back later in the week.

Peace
Larry

PS The Asbury Park 45 Sessions returns this Friday October 3rd with the AP45 Crew and guest selectors TBA. Come on down to the World Famous Asbury Lanes. What the hell else have you got going on?

PSS Don't forget to head over to Iron Leg

PSSS Check out Paperback Rider as well.

Three unsuspecting couples take a journey to a cabin near an island that inhabits the shack from hell.  Mackenzie, the odd girl of the group, brings her friends and new tall dark and handsome boyfriend David out to her family cabin in the rural area of Illinois.  David has sparked a fascination from stories Mackenzie tells of a hermit that lived in a shack on an island near her family home.  As children Mackenzie and her childhood friends used to run up to the house, knock and run away just in time for the old hermit to stick his head out.  Now, ten years later, Mackenzie, David and all of their friends are in over their heads when they suddenly become stranded on the Island and slowly begin to be killed off one by one.  But is it the crazy old hermit from Mackenzie’s stories that is terrorizing the group or is it one of them out for blood?

Completely unrelated:

Lyrics to James Brown "Living In America"

Yeah, uh! Get up, now! Ow! Knock out this!

Super highways, coast to coast,
easy to get anywhere
On the transcontinental overload,
just slide behind the wheel
How does it feel

When there's no destination - that's too far
And somewhere on the way,
you might find out who you are

Living in America - eye to eye, station to station
Living in America - hand to hand, across the nation
Living in America - got to have a celebration

Rock my soul

Smokestack, fatback,
many miles of railroad track
All night radio, keep on runnin'
through your rock 'n' roll soul
All night diners keep you awake,
hey, on black coffee and a hard roll

You might have to walk the fine line,
you might take the hard line
But everybody's working overtime

Living in America - eye to eye, station to station
Living in America - hand to hand, across the nation
Living in America - got to have a celebration

I live in America, help me out,
but I live in America,
wait a minute

You might not be looking for the promised land,
but you might find it anyway
Under one of those old familiar names
Like New Orleans (New Orleans),
Detroit City (Detroit City), Dallas (Dallas)
Pittsburg P.A. (Pittsburg P.A.),
New York City (New York City)
Kansas City (Kansas City),
Atlanta (Atlanta), Chicago and L.A.

Living in America - hit me
Living in America - yeah,
I walk in and out
Living in America

I live in America - state lines,
gonna make the prime, that
I live in America - hey,
I know what it means, I

Living in America - Eddie Murphy, eat your heart out
Living in America - hit me, I said now, eye to eye,
station to station
Living in America - so nice, with your bare self
Living in America - I feel good!

Inspired by Nas's "Unauthorized Biography Of Rakim", Toronto rapper Shaun Boothe kicks off his "Biography Series" with this dope tribute to the Godfather of Soul.

The series will cover twelve icons in twelve videos over twelve months - who's next?

Hello,

Big news this week is that there is a new social centre opening in Brixton/Camberwell so check them out if you are in the area. See their callout in our Events elsewhere section.

A different kind of news, a highly entertaining story of an activist 'robin hood' scamming banks of nearly half a million euros and giving it to activist groups, you can read about it here :
http://www.17-s.info
http://snipurl.com/3t74e
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/19/spain

Things have started to pick up at the Rampart and we have some new faces involved (in case you got bored of the old ones), who we think you will get on with just fine. We still have our meetings every Monday evening at 7pm at Rampart and you can come along to propose an event or to get involved in the space.

Now swiftly on with the newsletter..

_______________________________

--- Coming up at the Rampart --

_______________________________

-~ THURSDAY 25TH SEPT - 8pm ~-

Two or Three Things about Activism (73 min, 2008) is a counter-documentary based on a distinction once made by Godard between making a political film (a film about a political struggle) and making film politically. Making film politically means questioning the dominant forms of producing images and sounds and one’s own complicity in this system. While 13 protagonists, from anarchist groups and environmentalists to NGOS, discuss activism in Romania and its historical context, the voiceover reflects the motivations behind the video.

Two or Three Things about Activism begins with a richness of sound and image, but becomes increasingly bare and fragmented, preventing an easy identification. The form contributes to the goal: in a Romanian context in which activism is weak and made up of isolated groups, the video hopes to become a tool for self-reflection, asking activists to see their own position from the point of view of the others. It doesn’t represent Romanian activism, but tries to intervene in it from the inside, to provoke change.

“It was the beginning or middle of 2007. We traveled across Romania, to make a film about activism. Who is this we? The obvious beginning would be to confess our ideologies. But the obvious is always too simple. You wanted to make an objective document. My motivation was more subjective. It began from a failure. A five-year failure of activism. I wanted to believe the failure was not mine, but the failure of the context.” (voiceover)

Two or Three Things about Activism is part of Commonplaces of Transition, a collaborative video project between D Media (Romania), Ak-Kraak (Germany), Interspace (Bulgaria) and K:SAK (Moldova). The project has produced 8 videos on themes including the remapping of borders, the transformation of labour and the evolution of activism. [Joanne Richardson will present other videos that are part of the project on Sept 24 at Mute.] http://www.metamute.org/

Joanne Richardson is living and working in Cluj (Romania) as a theorist, artist and program director of D Media (www.dmedia.ro), a media art NGO. She is the editor of Subsol (subsol.c3.hu), a webzine on activist art and media theory, and of two books: Anarchitexts: Voices from the Global Digital Resistance (Autonomedia, NY, 2003) and Geert Lovink: Cultura Digitala (Idea Press, Romania, 2004). She has written essays on the radical left, the Situationists, experimental film, video activism, tactical media, net culture, free software, the myth of authorship and copyleft. Her videos reflect an ongoing interest in globalization, nationalism and postcommunism, and manifest a critical perspective toward the status of documents, history and memory.

-~ FRIDAY 26TH SEPT – 6pm ~-

Radical Theory Reading Group

Hello and welcome to new members.
For those of you who haven't been to the group before, the format is that we all do the reading beforehand (well, most of us do!) and then discuss it at the meeting. Readings are always either available on the www or made available as downloads. Readings are chosen on an ad hoc basis and usually are suggestions for continuing themes that emerge from each month's discussion. Anyone can propose a reading.

This month's meeting is on Friday, September 26th, starting at 6pm in the library at rampART. We'll be reading Mackenzie Wark's 'Hacker Manifesto' (version 4), available here http://neme.org/main/291/hacker-manifesto (there is another site which is more printer friendly but currently seems to be inaccessible. Try a Google search but make sure you get version 4. Other versions are longer).

Look forward to seeing you all there.

-~ FRIDAY 26TH SEPT – 6pm ~-

Friday Juggling/Spinning sesssions:

If you want to learn to juggle or spin poi or firestaff; if you have some skills you'd like to share with others, or if you just want to do a bit of juggling or spinning in the evening in a friendly environment, come to Rampart on friday at 6pm.
I hope this will evolve into a regular sorta workshop/skillshare/practice session, so the time might change further on, but it's friday for now. See you there :]

-~ SATURDAY 27TH SEPT - 8pm ~-

Free School fundraising party

After a very successful first London Freeschool week, 1st - 7th September at the rampART, we are planning another, even better weekend of non-hierarchical skillsharing, learning and practicing together with the emphasis on equality, respect and trust. Since the Freeschool is, as it implies, free, we need to raise some funds.

So we are organising a big benefit event on the 27th of september, from 8 pm to 2 am in the morning with live poetry and spoken word, featuring niall spooner, live music with No Mas Nada, 52 Commercial Road and Paul Hawkins and the Awkward Silencers, DJ sets by Fe_bac, Little Miss Moonshine, Startx and the Dissident Island radio crew, film screening, capoeira, juggling and clowning and many more treats, like splendid vegan food & drink...

-~ TUESDAY 30TH SEPT - 8pm ~-

State and Corporate Oppression of the Australian Aborigines

Film Screening and workshop with discussion

“THIS IS OUR COUNTRY TOO” A riceNpeas film
A powerful exposé of Australia's hidden apartheid.

From the makers of With or Without Fidel, Blood Diamonds and Bang Bang In Da Manor comes a brave new documentary that delves beyond Australia’s reputation of sun, surf and sand to reveal a nation ruptured by a deep racial divide and contested history. Taking the controversial 2007 Northern Territory Intervention as its starting point, This is Our Country Too is a hard-hitting investigation into Australia's woeful treatment of its indigenous peoples, and a rare depiction of their unrelenting struggle for justice, equality and self-determination.

In June 2007, the Australian government took the unprecedented step of suspending its Race Relations Act to introduce the Intervention - a series of draconian, federal-backed laws designed to control the flow of alcohol and pornography into 'prescribed communities' in the Northern Territory. It was a reactionary response to endemic alcoholism and supposedly endemic child abuse in these communities, though there is little data to support the latter accusation.

Featuring interviews with prominent Aboriginal leaders, Pat Turner, niece of 'Australia'a Mandela,' Charlie Perkins, Pat Dodson, spearhead of the reconciliation movement, actor/artist David Gulpilil and Jenny Macklin, Minister of Indigenous Affairs, This is Our Country Too puts the world's focus on Australia’s indigenous people’s forgotten plight and advances the question: How will Australia reconcile with it's indigenous people?
http://www.ricenpeas.com/docs/this_is_our_country_too.html

International Call for Action:
September 30 - Stop the N.T. Intervention
Call for Actions in Solidarity with Aboriginal Communities in the Northern Territory of Australia

'There was an old man who walked off the station up at Wave Hill because he didn't wanna get paid in vouchers or rations. We don't wanna be paid in vouchers or rations anymore!'
- Barbara Shaw

In June 2007 the Australian government began the intervention into Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 was suspended to allow this legislation to be passed. Under the guise of "child protection", the government compulsorily acquired five year leases on Aboriginal land permits. It put in place a welfare quarantine system whereby people living in "prescribed areas" - Aboriginal town camps and remote communities, whether elderly, students, single, or members of families - have half their welfare payments paid in the form of "store cards". These are gift cards (aka ration cards) that can be spent at approved stores - namely corporate chain stores in Alice Springs, Katherine and Darwin, regardless of the distance of communities from these major centres, or the lack of transportation available to people from remote areas.

For more information:
rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com
federalintervention.info
studentsforsovereignty.blogspot.com

-~ FRIDAY 3RD OCT - 8pm to 2am ~-

A BeneFIT for Freedom of Movement and against Repression!

On July 5th people demonstrated for freedom of movement and the right to protest at the home office buildings in Croydon. This party is a post event benefit for the demonstration and to support the people who were charged for protesting the Forward Intelligence Team (FIT) in the
run up to the demo.

No Justice, No Peace!

Friday 3 October 2008, Rampart Social Centre, London E1 2LA (near Whitechapel, off Commercial Rd) from 8pm - 2am
Reaggae, Roots and More

http://noborderslondon.blogspot.com - http://londonfete.ucrony.net -
http://fitwatch.blogspot.com

http://noborderslondon.blogspot.com/2008/09/benefit-for-freedom-of-movement-and.html

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--- Events elsewhere: ---------

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-~ WEDNESDAY 24TH SEPT - 7pm ~-

Commonplaces of Transition

Screening and talk by Joanne Richardson, D Media, Romania

Wed, 24 Sept, 7pm - 9pm
Mute, Main Hall, The Whitechapel Center, 85 Myrdle Street, London E1
Google Map http://linkme2.net/ev

Full details and downloads http://linkme2.net/ew

Films:
In Transit (30 min, 2008)
Precarious Lives (excerpt, 43 min, 2008)
Two or Three Things about Activism (excerpt, 73 min, 2008)

On the following night 'Two or Three Things about Activism' will be screened at RampArt, see http://therampart.wordpress.com/

Commonplaces of Transition is a collaborative project between D Media (Romania), Ak-Kraak (Germany), Interspace (Bulgaria) and K:SAK (Moldova) that has produced 8 videos about the remapping of borders, the transformation of labour and the evolution of activism. Joanne Richardson will screen In Transit (30 min, 2008), Precarious Lives (excerpt, 43 min, 2008) and Two or Three Things about Activism (excerpt, 73 min, 2008), and discuss the connection of the project to video activism and counter-documentary.

'In Transit' is a diary of a journey through space and time, composed of subjective impressions of the present, childhood memories and recycled fragments of the past. While traveling across Romania in the year of its EU accession, the monologue reflects on the meaning of transition, the re-writing of history and the relation between images and memory. Multiple layers of signification emerge in references other films by Guy Debord, Chris Marker and Peter Forgacs.

Joanne Richardson is living and working in Cluj as a theorist, artist and program director of D Media ( http://www.dmedia.ro ). She is the editor of a webzine ( http://subsol.c3.hu ) and two books on digital culture, has written essays on the radical left, video activism, tactical media, copyleft and has made videos on issues ranging from globalization, to nationalism and postcommunism.

This screening has been facilitated by More is More – independent media distribution and film screening network http://moreismore.net

-~ THURSDAY 25TH SEPT - 12.30pm ~-

Solidarity picket for Latin American cleaners at the National Physical Laboratory, employed by Amey Business Services.

Date: Thursday 25 September
Meeting point: 12.30 Nelsons Column for briefing and then move on to Nanofinance 2008 event (see below) where we expect NPL to have a presence.
Bring: whistles, placards, banners, megaphone. I will bring leaflets.

Would be good if people can confirm so we know who to look out for and in the event of any last minute changes of plan. Email or text me on 07818 667 192.

We aim to make it short and sharp so people can come down on their lunch breaks.

The action has the support fo various Latin American groups.

Jake Lagnado [jacobin88@hotmail.com]

BACKGROUND:
Latin American cleaners at NPL suffered an immigration raid approx 1 year ago resulting in deportations. This was just as they were organizing into a union, and happened when Amey took over the cleaning contract. Since then numbers employed have fallen from 35 to 11. Of those,  5 have since been suspended for almost two months for distributing a leaflet mentioning the manager responsible for imposing contractual changes without consultation. On Tuesday we will know the company's decision following the disciplinary process against them. This action is because the suspended activists expect some form of 'punishment' i.e. formal warnings or dismissals.

The leaflet on the day will give more details.

-~ THURSDAY 25TH SEPT - 7pm ~-

CALLING OUT TO ALL AND EVERYONE A NEW SPACE HAS BEEN OPENED:

THE LIBRARY HOUSE.
52 KNATCHBULL ROAD
CAMBERWELL.

WE INVITE YOU AND EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO COME TO THE MEETING ON THURSDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER. AT 7 PM. at above address

WE ALL HAVE A NEW AUTONOMOUS SPACE IN SOUTH LONDON TO PLAY IN. TOGETHER WITH ALL OUR ENERGY AND IDEAS WE CAN CREATE A NEW AND INSPIRING PLACE EVERYBODY TO EXPERIMENT IN AND ENJOY.

LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR KNOWN FACES WITH NEW ONES.

THE LIBRARY HOUSE.

-~ FRIDAY 26TH SEPT - 6pm ~-

Critical Mass bike ride

The London Mass meets at 6.00pm on the last Friday of every month on the South Bank under Waterloo Bridge, by the National Film Theatre.

http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk/main.html

-~ SUNDAY 28TH SEPT – 1pm ~-

"Hackney Isn't Crap" LCAP Gentrification Tour

Gentrification in Dalston and Hackney Central Walk

http://www.hackneysolidarity.info

Jules Pipe (Mayor of Hackney) said that if you opposed developments like the Dalston Square then you were part of a 'keep hackney crap mentality'. But Hackney isn’t crap. Not even close. It doesn’t need property speculators to ‘make it a nice place’. Don’t take our word for it – come and see for yourself.

On Sunday 28 September we will host a walking tour of Gentrification in Dalston and Hackney Central, culminating in a picnic in London Fields.

While Hackney Council celebrate the Olympics with the ‘Carnival for the Cultural Olympiad’ we will have a look at the gentrification of Hackney that the Olympics will cause. From Dalston Lane to Broadway market we will take people on a guided tour of dispossession and hear from shopkeepers, residents and the homeless who are fighting to keep their area a place they can live and work in and struggling to survive in this Olympic borough.

On Sunday the 28th of September meet at 1pm at the Dalston Peace Mural on Dalston Lane, (just after corner with Kingsland rd, near Dalston Kingsland Station)

-~ SUNDAY 28TH SEPT – 2pm ~-

Sunday Cinema Cafe at LARC

2 films each day, plus DJs, cake & plenty of tea...

Sunday September 28th, 2-6pm:
'San Francisco' (1968) & 'If' (1968)

Sunday October 12th, 2-6pm:
'It's Not Just You, Murray!'(1964) & 'Medium Cool' (1968)

November 9th Remembrance Day Anti-War Special, 2-6pm:
'All Quiet on the Western Front' (1930) & 'The War Game' (1965)

Organised by the Whitechapel Anarchist Group
http://whitechapelanarchistgroup.wordpress.com/

-~ WEDNESDAY 15TH OCT – 10am to 6pm ~-

MACHINE

The difference and repetition of James Brown

A Symposium
in the Centre for Cultural Studies Research
University of East London
Docklands Campus

October 15th 2008
10:00am - 1pm Room EBG.06
3pm - 6pm Room WB1.01

Speakers:
Dhanveer Singh Brar Goldsmiths College

Anne Danielsen author of 'Presence and Pleasure: the Funk Grooves of James Brown and Parliament'

Jeremy Gilbert  co-author 'Discographies: Dance Music Culture and the Politics of Sound'

Steve Goodman (Kode9) University of East London

Julian Henriques Goldsmiths College

Tim Lawrence author of 'Loves Saves the Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-79'

John Scannell Macquarie University

Ashwani Sharma University of East London

Simon Zagorski-Thomas London College of Music

Attendance is free of charge
To register email J.Gilbert@uel.ac.uk

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Energy Cafe at Gunpowder Park

The Field Station Energy Café is a project by Pilot Publishing (Amy Plant and Ella Gibbs) which will reinvigorate Gunpowder Park with a feeling of the original ‘commons’ where land was used as a resource for all.

The construction of Energy Café will turn normal planning procedures on its head. The process will be developed organically, out of necessity, through people’s involvement.

Pilot Publishing will work with ecologists, permaculture specialists and the local community to harvest wild food from Gunpowder Park and source farm or home-grown produce within a five mile radius. They will experiment with sustainable ways of cooking and make an off grid kitchen outside the field station and through these activities, develop a greater understanding of the landscape by those who use it.

Over the course of a year Pilot Publishing will host harvesting walks and events, permaculture workshops and research into renewable energy to create a sustainable social facility that can continue to provide Park visitors with a common space to meet, share ideas and exchange local knowledge.

Watch this space!
http://energycafe.wordpress.com

--- Ends ---------

I was listening to my MP3s and James Brown's Funky President came on. I hadn't heard it in a while but I soon realized that James could have been talking about right now. Hopefully Obama will be our Funky President. Here is a snippet of the song for those that don't remember,

Funky President

Winner: The Godfather of Soul

So we moved to London on 4th August and now I feel like a fully fledged London resident. I love it so much. No two days are the same... apart from when your working at TOPSHOP 214 (the flagship)! I know it's only for a few more weeks until I head to head office to be a Buyer; but still it drags and I've basically had to go a step backwards to what I was doing in Newcastle. It is abit annoying, and rather frustrating at times - but to be honest, I was doing far more than my role required in Newcastle, and much more than I should have been doing for the wage I was on! horrendous! So in a way, I suppose its ok really... I'm only doing what is required of my role (and abit more considering I'm able...) and I'm being paid £1.50 more than I was in Newcastle! Tomorrow however, I'm taking responsibility for the floor and my massive team as part of my Standards of Performance book. eek. It is quite frightening mind; I've only been there for like 5 weeks so I'm worried about stepping on peoples toes. But its good that they're being so encouraging and supportive; especially since they are aware I'm moving up to Head Office! It began to feel like I was being left out in the cold in Newcastle because I was moving to London; instead of pushing me through my books quicker, so I was being sent to a new store (nevermind the sodding flagship!) at the level I deserve to be at... hmmm.

Moving swiftly on ofcourse, I mentioned about my move to Head Office, well, I'm in the final stages of the Buyers position at TOPMAN. I have my final interview at the end of this week! So fingers crossed for that! I'm just desperate to get started! It'll be so exciting! Fit sessions, Sample sessions, working with suppliers and designers and merchandisers! Doing Comp Shops and trend spotting! exciting stuff! and not to mention its 9-5! I factually cannot wait at all. And well, the actual salary is a bonus too!

AND to top it off, as soon as I've had my first wage from Head Office James is taking me to Chanel on New Bond Street to buy my 2.55 bag!! AMAZING! I am going to be ecstatic for the rest of the month! haha.

Think thats about it really, apart from the amount of celebrities I've been ever so blaise with this week! Firstly we had Nicole Scherzinger of Pussy Cat Doll fame (and Lewis Hamiltons other half) in my Kate Moss dept... whom I spoke to and didnt even realise who she was! rofl. "No I'm fine thanks! I'm with a style advisor!" rofl. Then James Brown (Hair stylist to and best friend of Kate Moss herself), who was working in our store this week for fashion week says he likes my hair and that it suits my 'complexion'. Cheers mate!

BUT the very best has to be Mischa Barton (The O.C) on Friday afternoon! I was on the end till and she came over asking for shopping bags, I actually made her wait while I finished my transaction! oops! she was absolutely lovely though! much nicer than I ever would have imagined! we had a chat and she went on shopping, without a style advisor or body guard in sight;o the way it should be to be honest!

So yeah thats about it, the wife is due in from his hard day at work, so I'm going to cook up a storm in the kitchen!

Farewell,

Ms. Judy Pink.

R.I.P. Luther Vandross, James Brown & Pavorotti

Disappear Here... is a new magazine about pop culture. It is about music, fashion, film, literature, and all that falls in between. It is about the best, newest and most exciting bits of everything. And it looks beautiful. It is not like any other magazine. 
 
Editor-in-Chief: David Whitehouse
Editor-at-Large: Peaches Geldof
Editorial Director: James Brown
Staff Writer: Dan Jude
Art: Stuart Tolley
Publisher: Andy Varley 

This cannot be a good thing.

Ignore the name of the magazine, and ignore the blurb that comes with it as well: despite the fact they both sound like they belong on one of those “fanzines with a hardback spine and ridiculously high production values” that laid on the counters of your local indie record store before the internet killed off fanzines and music for good (circa 2003?), it’s not important. We should probably consider the writers here.

Firstly, David Whitehouse is sadly not the same David Whitehouse who writes on science matters and occasionally knocks out copy for The New Statesman. Which is a shame, because a merger of The NS’s worldview and modern indie culture, to me, would be a big seller: Foals shitting on the Star of David, for instance, or MGMT on how the “Blood Libel” is actually based on hard fact.

No, this David Whitehouse is a former features writer from Maxim magazine, who writes profile pieces on Sophie Anderton that actually contain the phrase “She glows – literally”.

Then there’s James Brown. I did a long spell interning at [FORMER MAGAZINE JAMES BROWN OWNED, NAME DELETED ON LEGAL REASONS]. Trying to come up with as many “Yeah, I know your mag’s history” statements, I asked what it was like having the William Randolph Hearst of mid-90s wank rags calling the shots. Their response, condensed for reasons of libel, was something to the extent of “he’s a twat with ADD who dresses like a toddler”. So that’s all good.

But no, this is all about Peaches Geldof here. Let’s not bring personal hatred into this. Let’s not describe her as someone who needs to close her fucking legs for five seconds, and then use said legs to walk as far away from me and this country’s media as possible. And let’s not laugh at her pops spending most of the early 00s moaning that political correctness gone made had led to parents raising their kids incorrectly, before it became apparent that he’s so cack-handed as a father that his actions have helped directly nurture history’s greatest monster. No, let’s talk about the idea of Peaches Geldof as “editor at large” of a magazine.

Clearly, she isn’t going to write any of this. Having seen her factory reject Victorian doll features on TV shows speaking live, she’s not too hot at the whole “putting words together into a coherent sentence” thing. So she’s at the magazine for two reasons. One is as a brand ambassador: she can roll up to those parties she’s always at because she’s never had to do a proper day’s work in her fucking life and the lowlives at thelondonlitepaper can fill up their gossip pages with “Disappear Here editor-in-chief Peaches Geldof walks through open door” style “stories”. Secondly, they can ghostwrite stuff under her name, because, apparently, some people value what they imagine her contributions to the cultural debate to be.

This is basically an XFM take on the recent strategy employed by menopausal checkout display favourite Reveal magazine, which recently rebranded itself as “The magazine written by celebrities”. This translates as every section is now ghosted under the illusion that a celebrity has taken three days out of their schedule to commission, write, sub, and layout six paves of “nutritious packed lunches in under 20 minutes!” So you get Martine McCutcheon’s fashion tips, money advice from Vanessa Feltz, Kerry Katona’s dubstep round-up, and “50 ways to spice up your lovelife” written by Wigan Athletic striker Amr Zaki.

It’s not good, it’s not right, and it’s not healthy: it’s bad enough when people are actually looking to journalists for advice on what to think, but when they’re turning to journalists pretending to be C-list celebrities, then the time has come for someone to get the knife out and start shanking people in the skull. Disappear Here consists of a bunch of midtable “bloke” mag hacks and Peaches Geldof. If it makes it past five issues I will bare my arse in the window of British Home Stores in Northampton.

But seriously..JUST SAY NO!!!

Drugs? what drugs?

Droga 1. Nine Inch Nails cancelou sua turnê brasileira. Graças a problemas técnicos não rolou NIN dessa vez (mas isso tem um lado bom pelo menos: depois do Planeta Terra, Tim Festival, Skol Beats, Madonna, Kylie Minogue e Maroon 5 me diga QUEM É QUE CONSEGUE TER DINHEIRO PRA IR EM MAIS ALGUM SHOW?!?!?!?)

Ahhh Trent! Não fica triste não! Eu juro que queria ver vocês por aqui!

Droga 2: Foo Fighters e a sua "grande pausa". Pois bem... pelo jeito a modinha Los Hermanos está pegando. Depois da sua turnê mundial (que infelizmente, pra variar não incluiu o nosso Brasil varonil...), Dave Grohl, o líder da banda deu uma entrevista à BBC falando sobre o break. Agora é rezar para que não demore tanto (ou pior: seja permanente)

Nem tanto droga 1: Lily Allen, uma das mais famosas cantoras lançadas pelo myspace e outra das notórias brit-problem-girls anunciou o lançamento de seu novo cd “Stuck On The Naughty Step” para o dia 9 de fevereiro. Diga-se de passagem que esse é o tipo de álbum que só pelo nome já valeria a pena... hahaha mas just in case o primeiro single do cd, Guess Who Batman? ( Fuck You Very Much ) você ouve aqui: (aprovado por Chloe!)

Nada droga AT ALL: A 50ª edição do álbum Remistura terá uniões de Diplo & Santogold, com a música Guns of Brooklyn, a versão nova-iorquina de Guns of Brixton  do Clash. Também estão presentes entre as faixas remixes da famóóóóóóósa música de abertura dos Ghostbusters: os Caça-fantasmas, além de remixes feitos pelo Hot Chip e outros nomes de peso. Não ouvi ainda, mas que deve ser interessante disso eu não tenho dúvidas!

Nem tanto droga 2: O Fall Out Boy divulgou a capa de seu novo cd, Folie à Deux, que mais uma vez, já vale a pena só pelo nome, e o desenho da capa não poderia ser mais toy-art-popularidade!

Eles são um pouquinho emos, mas assuma, eles DEFINITIVAMENTE sabem se divertir!

Mega-droga 1: Assista aqui uma coletânea de vídeos feita pela revista britânica NME com vídeos de roque-estrelas em momento um tanto quanto... hmm... digamos assim ÁCIDOS se é que você me entende... hahaha os vídeos são em inglês, mas vale a pena ver a capacidade de Jamie Reynolds (Klaxons), David Bowie, Sly Stone, James Brown & Shaun Ryder de darem entrevistas nesse estado! haha

MEGA POPULARIDADE ARRASOOOO!!1: Britney Spears (a.k.a. A POPULARIDADE EM PESSOA) deixou vazar seu suporsto primeiro single do novo álbum Circus na rede!!! OHHH YEAH! o álbum está previsto para o dia 2 de Dezembro, e a música nova, Candy From Strangers você ouve/vê aqui!

MEGA POPULARIDADE ARRASOOOO!!2: Kylie Minogue confirmou à vinda ao Brasil com a turnê X e fará um show no Credicard Hall, em São Paulo, dia 8 de novembro! Os ingressos já estão à venda e custam entre 80 e 300 reais (a pista tá custando 80.... AI MEU JEZUIS!!)

Aiiiii Kylie ARRA-Z-A no vestidinho Jean-Paul Gautier!

MEGA POPULARIDADE ARRASOOOO!!3: Madonna, a nossa ETEEEEERNA diva levou é um BELO TOMBO em seu show em Lisboa huahaua, pra vocês verem... ninguém é inatingível... e até ELA paga mico (mas com MUUUUITA CLASSE POPULAR É CLARO!). O tombo? veja nesse link.

Mega notícia droga como assim?!?": Mick Jagger será assessor da Comissão Européia para comércio eletrônico (Pára por aí. Eu REALMENTE preciso comentar?!?!?)

E bom... pra finalizar... uma estréia de clipe (yey!) The Kooks com Sway!

E a droga final: BEEEEEEEEEEM que tentei doar sangue... mas não deu. Sabe pq? remédios. (fim da saga)

You know you love me!

xoxo

Chloe

I absolutely adore this 1970's Grant Green LP Sleeve. 

I think its safe to say that over the last 14 years of owenership I have enjoyed the cover much more than the music on the LP. The LP flashes through some professional and competant covers of James Brown, The Beatles and Burt Baccaurach but hey the sleeve really does the business - one to be framed soon I think....

John Adam Belushi nasceu em 24 de Janeiro de 1949 em Chicago, Illinois. Filho de Agnes e Adam Belushi. Ele chamou a atenção pela primeira vez em 1971, quando imitava o cantor Joe Cocker nas apresentações de seu grupo teatral na sua cidade. Por causa disso, no ano seguinte, entrou no show off-Broadway “National Lampoon’s Lemmings”, uma paródia a Woodstock, e logo depois, se dedicou a programas de rádio (como The National Lampoon’s Radio Hour). De 1975 até 1979, fez parte da primeira trupe de comediantes que participaram do Saturday Night Live (SNL, como é conhecido nos EUA, é um famoso programa humorístico de TV norte-americano, que já está há mais de 30 anos no ar).

Durante toda sua existência, saíram do SNL vários comediantes que também tiveram ou ainda têm suas carreiras no cinema. Lá foram revelados nomes como Steve Martin, Chevy Chave, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Chris Farley e Rob Schneider. No programa de TV, John fez sucesso tanto imitando personalidades como Babe Ruth, Dino De Laurentis, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, Joe Cocker, John Lennon, Sam Peckinpah, William Shatner (Capt. James T. Kirk), Marlon Brando e Truman Capote; como interpretando diversos personagens como Samurai Futaba, Captain Ned, Jeff Widette, Larry Farber e 'Joliet' Jake Blues. Este último, um dos “Blues Brothers”. O outro irmão era interpretado por Dan Aykroyd, e o sucesso da dupla no SNL fez com que Belushi e Aykroyd lançassem discos, shows e até um filme dos “irmãos blueseiros”.

Como se pode ver, nos anos 70, a carreira dele só subiu até chegar em 1979 quando ao completar 30 anos, Belushi se viu no filme número 1 em bilheteria nos EUA - Clube dos Cafajestes; além do sucesso de SNL, que era o de maior audiência dentre os programas noturnos da TV norte-americanos; e ainda com disco número 1 dos EUA - The Blues Brothers: Briefcase Full of Blues. Saiu do SNL nesse ano, e foi investir mais na carreira tanto no cinema, como na música.

No cinema, além dos filmes Clube dos Cafajestes e Os Irmãos Cara-de-Pau, ainda participou, entre outros, de Com a Corda no Pescoço (1978); 1941 – Uma Guerra Muito Louca (1979), dirigido por Steven Spielberg; Brincou com Fogo, Acabou Fisgado (1981); e Estranhos Vizinhos (1981), onde a exemplo do filme dos "Cara-de-Pau", ele dividia a tela com seu grande parceiro, Dan Aykroyd. Morreu cedo, aos 33 anos, por causa de uma overdose de drogas, em 5 de Março de 1982. Nesse ano, ele e Dan apresentariam, na entrega do Oscar, o primeiro prêmio por efeitos visuais, e com a morte de Belushi, Dan apresentando o prêmio sozinho não deixou de homenageá-lo na noite de entrega. Belushi deixou uma esposa, Judy, que conheceu nos tempos do colégio, e teve um irmão mais novo, James Belushi, também ator e comediante. Judy e James conseguiram com que em 2004, 22 anos depois de sua morte, John fosse homenageado com uma estrela na Calçada da Fama em Hollywood.

Sobre a personalidade de Belushi, o melhor exemplo vem do filme “Os Caça-Fantasmas”. Quando começou a escrever o roteiro do filme, Dan Aykroyd pensou no nome de John Belushi para interpretar o Dr. Peter Venkman, mas com a morte do amigo, o papel acabou caindo nas mãos de Bill Murray (também do SNL). Só que John permaneceu no filme, de uma maneira diferente quando deram ao personagem-fantasma Geléia (Slimer, no original) a mesma personalidade de “festeiro inveterado” que John tinha em vida.

Os Irmãos Cara-de-Pau (John Landis, 1980)

Assim como os atores Dan Aykroyd e John Belushi, que interpretam os “irmãos Blueseiros”, o filme, The Blues Brothers – Os Irmãos Cara-de-Pau, também saiu do famoso programa humorístico de TV americano Saturday Night Live. Os dois já vinham se apresentando no SNL, como os tais irmãos cantores e pelo sucesso das apresentações, resolveram investir num filme com esses personagens. Com isso, a maior impressão que fica é que tudo parece mesmo várias esquetes humorísticas (que é como se chamam as divisões do SNL) coladas uma na outra e com um fio de história unindo-as, sem que tudo tenha uma razão maior do que mostrar como os Blues Brothers são "cool". Se o filme consegue tal façanha, cada um que julgue.

Tudo começa quando Jake Blues (John Belushi) é solto depois de um tempo na cadeia. Seu irmão Elwood Blues (Dan Aykroyd), por causa de uma promessa que fez no passado, o leva direto para freira que cuidava deles quando pequenos. Lá, a freira avisa que o orfanato onde cresceram está a ponto de ser fechado por não pagar os impostos federais. Daí, os dois resolvem remontar a antiga banda de Blues e fazer um show para arrecadar o dinheiro necessário para que o orfanato não feche. O filme conta a jornada deles em resgatar cada membro da ex-banda para realizar o tal show, só que no meio do percurso ambos se envolvem em várias confusões com a polícia, ex-namoradas raivosas, um grupo de nazistas, e um conjunto de música country. História boba? Sim, é. Mas o filme é um musical, gênero que não depende muito de “historinhas” para funcionar, e sim dos momentos musicais, e isso o filme tem. Grandes momentos musicais. Infelizmente, de resto, Os Irmãos Cara-de-Pau investe num humor fraco (pouca coisa funciona nesse sentido) e cenas de perseguição de carros (que não chamam tanto a atenção). Aliás, temos cenas de perseguição de carros demais aqui, coisa que estava na moda na época, mas isso acaba esticando a história demais, e não acho que um filme do gênero (comédia/musical) consegue manter o ritmo com tanto tempo de duração (mais de duas horas!). Filmes desse tipo, e esse aqui especialmente, pedem que sejam mais "enxutos".

Comentando o que Blues Brothers tem de melhor: as músicas. Tenho que reconhecer que não conheço profundamente esse gênero musical, mas gostei do vi e ouvi. Quem gosta, então, vai se empanturrar com esses números musicais, estrelados por grandes nomes do meio como Ray Charles, James Brown, Cab Calloway e Areta Franklin. Essa última, protagoniza a melhor parte do filme tanto musical como cômica. Ela é a mulher de um dos ex-membros da banda. Os dois agora são donos de um restaurante, mas ele está querendo abandonar tudo por resolver voltar ao batente musical a pedido dos “Blues Brothers”. Mas ela não querendo ser deixada de lado, canta uma música falando da importância dela na vida do marido. A resposta dele é seca e engraçada, deixando a mulher sem graça perante os clientes do restaurante. Considerando que foi feito numa era época em que o discurso de liberalismo feminino estava bastante em voga, esse momento não deixa de ser interessante pela audácia. Ainda em cima desse anti-discurso feminista, o filme investe na participação de Carrie Fisher, que na época ainda era a Princesa Léia da saga Star Wars. A sua personagem sempre aparece sempre para atacar os “Blues Brothers”, mas ambos nem notam a presença dela, mesmo com todo o esforço que ela faz em explodir tudo em volta deles. Isso não deixa de representar essa época em que a mulheres tentavam levantar a voz a todo custo, mas muitas vezes os homens nem notavam.

Quem curte filmes musicais, e desse gênero de música especificamente, The Blues Brothers cai como uma luva. E para quem não gosta, vai ser difícil se entusiasmar com esse filme, que não consegue ser tão engraçado ou cool quanto se pretendia ser. Apesar de um ou outro momento mais inspirado, tudo parece mesmo um programa de humor na TV, que hora consegue fazer certa graça com suas esquetes, outra hora não.

Jailton Rocha