The Buck Stopped Here....(sorry, couldn't resist that one!)

Last week I was in Belfast to see Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 play live at the Empire. Hitchcock's backing band consisted of Scott McCaughey on bass, Bill Rieflin on drums and Peter Buck on guitar. It was basically REM post-1997 excluding Mike Mills and Michael Stipe.

It was a great show. Hitchcock was in hilarious form, musing over the flexibility and limitations of salad and enthusing about the conclusion to Dirty Harry movie Magnum Force - hence the title of one song he played - 'A Man's Got to Know His Limitations, Briggs'. He played a lot of new material, including his tribute to New York Doll Arthur 'Killer' Kane, simply titled 'NY Doll'. Here's a short piece featuring both Hitchcock and Buck talking about the song:



As a fan of REM for many years - I'll not say how long on account of there possibly being younger readers, lets just say Michael Stipe had hair(!) - it was an honour to meet Peter Buck. He was really approachable and friendly. Everything I'm not!! He seems to simply love being on the road with a band, be it REM, Robyn Hitchcock, Mark Eitzel, The Hindu Love Gods (remember them?) or The Minus 5's. He's as comfortable playing in a small bar setting as he is in that stadium arena setting. I guess it comes from experience, as REM played every toilet cubicle going before they had any degree of success. It created a discipline that has served them well.

Sadly today, I think, bands do not get the opportunity to develop in quite the same way. The spotlight is thrust upon them overnight and just as quickly taken away from them. REM came from a time when a band could be bubbling under for years making record after record, and what great records they were! The IRS label was a credit to the band. We need more labels like IRS today. There are a few, like Matador, but not enough, especially in Britain and Ireland.

Anyway, here's 2 classic REM tracks performed live at Ardgillan Castle, Ireland, June 19 2005. 'Find The River' from 1992's Automatic For The People and the classic 'World Leader Pretend' from 1989's Green - my copy of which now has the mighty Peter Buck's signature on it!!

That was the year that was!

It has been a while since I updated things here, so I thought it best to get kicking right into 2007 while January is still with us and freezing our peculiars off whilst here.

I'd love to list all the stuff I'm looking forward to this year but instead I'm just looking forward to being surprised. That is something I learned after 2006. My favourite moments last year were from bands I never even knew existed, who just sprung up out of nowhere and hit me in the face, my brain, my heart, my pelvis and my feet! And so I salute Beirut for a great record called Gulag Orkestar. Here's a live version of the track 'Postcards From Italy':



I salute Canadian electro-duo Junior Boys for the amazing So This Is Goodbye record, which featured 'In The Morning', a video for which is here:



I salute all concerned with the organising and attending of The Electric Picnic for yet another unforgettable weekend at the fag-end of the summer.

I salute Cat Power - a reason to obsess over music today, if just one reason is needed! I've posted stuff from her most recent record earlier in this blog, so here's something a bit older. From 1998's Moonpix record, this is 'Cross Bones Style':



It was great to see the return to form of David Kitt this year with the solid Not Fade Away record. Here's 'Don't Fuck With Me' from his set at the Electric Picnic. I apologise for the poor quality but it brings back good memories - I'm one of the dodgy hat wearing dancers in the dark midst there! Letterkenny next month...bring it on!



Joanna Newsom - You're mad. You're mad! You're mad! You're madder than Mad Jack McMad, the winner of this year's Mr Madman competition. But I still love you, even if some people can't get their heads around you! This is just amazing stuff from the 2004 album Milk-eyed Mender. 'Peach, Plum, Pear':



Sure, there was more that hit home, but lets move on. So, here's to 2007 and all it will bring. I look forward to the surprises in store. See ya out in the field!