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PLUS Punk’s Not Dead Blind Visionaries Top Fives CD & gig reviews
Contents. JANUARY ‘10 ISSUE 12
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EDITOR Philip Jarvis DESIGN Callum Brand ‘Big Gulp Graphic Design’ biggulpdesign@gmail.com
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5- Top Tracks & Maifesto Quiz
WORDS Nina Cowey, Rhiannon Harker, Sarah Willetts, Kelly Horn, Philip Jarvis, Dan Smithson, Chris J Allen, Lyn Bassett, Laura Johnson PHOTOGRAPHY Sarah Willetts, Ian West, Jazzy Lemon, Amy Brammalll
6- This Month... 8- Punk’s Not Dead 9- Black Sun 10- The Bunker 12- CD review 15- Live Review
Manifesto Magazine 29 Stockton Rd Sunderland SR2 7AQ Tel: 0870 922 0336 E-mail: manifestomagazine@ymail.com www.myspace.com/magmanifesto Facebook - ‘Manifesto Sunderland‘
16- 10 Questions with Blind Visionaries 17- Top Fives 18- Albert Camus reviews The Blandford
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Sonner - Timechanger
The Castells - Lower
The lead track from Sonner’s Northern Lights EP and by far their subtlest and best work to date. It’s a slow burning heartbreaker of epic proportions. Catch the video, featuring South Shields funfair, on Youtube now.
This is possibly our fave track of the year. It’s a neat little gem by the teen tearaways from Consett. Recorded at Room 3 studio, Lower is tight, taught and has haunted us since we caught The Castells live at The Ivy House in November.
Oh Desperate Youth - Madonna
Rainfall Down - Mexico
So delicate it sounds more like an Indian head massage than a song. Comprised of members of The Astral Janes and Monty Casino, Oh Desperate Youth have come up with something of great beauty that could have come straight off a Bats For Lashes album.
South Shields’s answer to The Arcade Fire, Rainfalldown offer up an exquisite piece of mandolin driven pop in the shape of Mexico. It’s moody, it’s maudlin but it’s also catchy as fook.
MaNiFestO Quiz. Answer all five of questions for a chance to win a years subscription of Manifesto, as well as loads of other goodies, posted to your door. 1. What girl’s name appears in the title of two David Bowie top ten singles - one in 1972 and one in 1984? 2. What are the only two musical notes which have no flats? 3. Which male singer sang the opening line of the original Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas”? 4. The Beatles’ last live performance was at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. In what year was this? 5. How many top ten singles have Hawkwind had? 04
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This month I’ll be.... LISTENING TO... I don’t listen to much music. I love it, but to be honest, I’m just sick of hearing it. I’m sick of people talking about it. I’m sick of feeling like I’ve got to have a million songs on my iPod or I’m not a real music fan. I’m sick of people telling me which music festivals they’re going to. I’m sick of people trying to get me into new bands. I’ve got enough music now, thanks - I don’t need any more. There’s too much music everywhere. It’s been de-valued. It doesn’t mean anything anymore. It sells mobile phones. Iggy sells insurance. Rotten sells butter. Top Shop sells ‘indie’ uniforms. It’s all over. Wheel me into the volcano and and let’s be done with it.
WATCHING...
Lucas Renney Wearside Troubadore
The only TV show I watch at the moment is ‘Masterchef: The Professionals’, and even then only so I can shout ill-tempered abuse at the screen. I hate the ‘tense’ music. I hate the humourlessness and the serious tone of the whole show, which seems to imply that the world will end because someone has over-seasoned an omelette. But most of all, I hate the lingering close-ups of that shaven-headed guy chewing and swallowing his food.
READING... I find it difficult to sleep, so I always have some kind of ‘worthy’ but tedious 19th century novel on my bedside table as a sleeping aid. These past few months it’s been ‘The Mill On The Floss’ by George Eliot. After reading three or four of those long, convoluted sentences, any normal human loses the will to live and, as a result, his or her brain shuts down instinctively in a desperate act of self-preservation. Lovely.
GOING TO... Where am I going? I’m going on a last ditch hell-ride straight into the mouth of madness, man, with Jesus riding shotgun and Satan in the passenger seat. I’m going down in a screaming blaze of white-blue glory. I’m going hell-for-leather into the stink-rotten heart of devolving humanity. I’m going to count these words and see if I’ve written enough yet.
LISTENING TO... I’m in love with ‘Love Tattoo’ by Imelda May. More obsessed really. Amazing vocals and song writing. I can put it on ‘repeat’ and never get sick. There’s been a massive resurgence of female fronted bluesy rock n roll stuff in the past few years.Old and new. I’m listening to Imelda, Detroit Cobras, Irma Thomas, Brenda Lee, Devil Doll..
WATCHING... If we’re talking TV, it’s generally all shite. There’s an odd gem like ‘My Name is Earl’, but is it worth wasting your life away trying to find something to watch? Me old favourite ‘ Never mind the Buzzcocks’ has even gone down the swannee. It’s gotta be old B-movies, horrors, thrillers for me. If it says Hitchcock, Tarantino or Raimi I’m there.
Caroline Wilkinson The Creepers’ Frontwoman
READING... I’ve just finished ‘Filth’ by Irving Welsh. He’s obviously disturbed. It was the weirdest thing I’ve ever read but I recommend it. ‘Ecstasy’ was the same. Gritty and true to life with crazy twists. Next on the pile is Phil Spector’s biography. The pissser is that I know what happened next.....n tears...
GOING TO... Loads of local gigs, as usual. Then go to work to pay for it! If anyone fancied buying me a ticket, I would havegone to see Chuck Berry in Newcastle. How many bands would have got by without nicking some of his riffs? LEGEND
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d a e d t o n 's k pun ) (...well not in Sunderland
s something has Over the past few month pubs, our streets been brewing in our local the revival of it’s and even our schools, d it’s getting an ne Sunderland’s punk sce your face. on mp sta charged up, ready to er mostly by The This revival, held togeth don, seems to be Borough and The Claren g the passion itin gn growing steadily, rei skinheads of d an s for the original punk ucing the scene Sunderland, whilst introd y thanks to one an (m to eager new blood ght for the Mofeisty young lady who fou school, and won). hican to be allowed at
en. Held on the ough by DJs Liam and Sp month, Wasted last Thursday of every the biggest turn Life has seen some of ne has seen in outs this city’s punk sce e Pits comeback a very long time (Th record breaker). gig must have been a sure you turn up It’s free entry so make ough the door. early enough to fit thr rd on the street • Plus there’s always wo s and live muof up and coming band c Martin’s on sic, just pop your Do right attention. and you’ll attract the
part of this move“But where do I go to be a if you don’t have ll We ment?” you may ask. ulars downstairs time to ask the 5 o’clock reg s a couple of tips: at The Borough then here’ a Sunday. There’s • Try The Clarendon on and sizes which live music in all shapes strong punk/skin always comes with a ing hole in the crowd. No other water d wonderful as an ird entire city is as we nce for the “althis place, and it’s a cha est their Sunday ternative” crowd to dig od old knees up. dinners and have a go ed Life’, a strictly • Then you’ve got ‘Wast irs in The Borpunk night hosted upsta
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vinced, just think: But if you’re still not con Angelic Upstarts! The Toy Dolls! Red Alert! (to name just a Leatherface! Loudmouth! en home to some few) Sunderland has be bands since the of the very best punk d 30 years ago scene first arrived aroun now. And hopeand it’s not time to stop orming (Rotten fully, with old bands ref and new ones in Blue Menace, The Pits) to unleash themthe practise room ready d’s music scene, selves onto Sunderlan lf back into the punk is ready to ram itse your boots, spike forefront. So slap on ready for the exup your hair and get is far from dead. plosion, because punk
black s un
What’s in a name? Well don’t be fooled into thinking Black Sun are a sweaty thrash metal group with nothing to talk about but black thoughts and devil worship, although there is something quiet supernatural about Roberto’s ingenious way of making you want to sell your soul for just another snippet of a song. Formerly a two piece outfit called Blunt Monkey, Roberto and John had the imagination of a polar bear on acid attempting to cross the Sahara on a bike powered by the electricity of the mind, but due to performance limitations on their experimental instrumental concoctions and the preference to 3’s a crowd rather than 2’s company Ross joined the duo and Black Sun was born. Tim was last but not least, making the band complete with his percussive loud finger plucking giving a fuller sound. Tell us what we really wanna know I hear you shout, whats the SOUND like? Oasis, Beatles, Floyd, Kasabian, all
the classic faves with a bit of BRMC to boot, Black Sun are proper rock n roll! So anyway, Roberto, what’s it all about? “Hearing people sing your songs at gigs is one of the best things. Travelling to/from gigs, sleeping in vans, losing your way en route to London, parking fines and freezing your bollocks off on the way back because your 30 year old camper hasn’t got heating is all part of the game and fun being in a band. These are the best times!” Recently the winners of the Battle of the Bands 2009 for Sun FM at Peterlee Festival, Black Sun have a busy agenda over the next few months and will without a doubt continue to woo the crowds for a long time to come. Black Sun will be releasing their eagerly awaited EP early in 2010 on The Bunker label, with a mini tour and a whole load of local dates to follow.
www.myspace.com/blacksunuk By Rhiannon Harker
The Toy Dolls
By Nina Cowey MaNiFestO
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A Tale Explaining Why Everyone Should Probably Go To The Bunker. Or Else.
tals and jamming. I hear songs written by the bands themselves. I hear myself asking why I never had anything like this when I was this age. I am astounded by how much talent all of these young people are on any of their given instruments, how confident and easy-going they are and how relaxed and chilled-out the atmosphere is - nobody comes in to tell us to turn it down for a start. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon.
By Sarah Willetts Sundays. Truly drab when: you‘re too young to get a job/too cool to do any form of homework/the notion of sitting down for the afternoon with your nana and Monopoly is just too much to take for the fiftieth week in a row. Solution? Sunday Club. With funding from local Arts councils, The Bunker in Sunderland has begun to get young people involved in music with their ‘Sunday Club’, where, for a £1 fee, bands can practice in their rehearsal rooms. So its cheap and productive - bargain. Before I go on, its important to note that I have never even been in the Bunker before and the first time I go and meet Kenny, who runs the place, he makes me a cuppa and chats to me like he’s
known me for years. I already feel at home. However it isn’t just young people that The Bunker aims its schemes at. ‘Wednesday Club’ is also an up-and-coming idea for The Bunker, which is funded by an Alcohol Awareness scheme (look out for more about this soon). This involves more mature bands being able to practice together on a Wednesday night, somewhere undisturbed and a bit more relaxed.
Speaking to one of the volunteers, Martin, I start to understand why. “It’s nice to help and just to let people play. I mean if they’re doing something really wrong then we tend to step in and just point them in the right direction, but mostly its just a case of jamming with people and helping them get better.” Its this ‘no-pressure’ attitude and environment that makes it so obvious as to why young people love to come here. Wherever you walk, down any hallway in The Bunker, you can hear the tuning of a guitar or see the fruits of labour from one of Frank’s graffiti sessions which he runs for young people (he has a hall of fame and even the roof is covered in pieces) inter-mingled with the new paintscheme which gives the rooms a new lease of life.
So come Sunday I sit in on three bands with age ranges from 13 through to 18, who are all happy to chat to me confidently about their music, help each other out technically and utilise the equipment to fine-tune their sound. I hear blink covers. I hear instrumen-
The building itself has such a fantastic history where else in Sunderland would you find a place in Sunderland where The Clash had played a secret gig? The beauty of The Bunker is that it hasn’t lost any of its original charm in transit whatsoever. The paint job looks great and the hand-painted music quotes just add a personal touch. It’s a lovely mix of old and new - it has a real personality, much more so than any new facilities. New equipment is readily available yet the old windows and roofterrace are all still in tact. An old wooden piano sits amongst a wall of graffiti, hand-sprayed quotes run the length of the corridors and the whole building could be pretentious, but its not. It’s downto-earth and welcoming, and its easy to see why.
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Words and Photos by Sarah Willetts
For more information on everything that happens at The Bunker, visit the website at ww.bunkeruk.com MaNiFestO
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CD reviews. Squares - Hate, Love and Public Transport The Shields band shine with astute insights into the workings of love, loss and bus routes with everything ranging from blazing pop-punk numbers like The Lilac Times and Warning! Warning! to the heartfelt waltz of River Runs which builds to an explosion of emotional angst. There are also old favourites like From Rags to Richmond and The Last Hurrah which get a new lease of life and are guaranteed to get toes tapping and hips shaking. Essentially “Hate, Love and Public Transport” is 37 minutes of pure singa-long summer time bliss, a nice big ice cream, with plenty of monkey’s blood and a flake on top for good measure. CJA
Black Jash 5 Track Demo This is freaked out garage rock from Cumbria. It sounds like a ramshackle 12
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version of The Bees fronted by a radged-tefuck Scotsman. Lothario is as loose as loose as loose can be, with a delicious groove and lyrics about, one can only imagine, a rather attractive young lady by the name of Hairy Mary. Amputeeville sounds like a crazy concoction of rockabilly, The Beta Band and Billy Connolly and is absolutely superb. Overall, Black Jash provide a most refreshing alternative to the shower of shite that lands on our reviewers’ desks each month. Top of the class! PJ
Sonner Northern Lights EP Having just signed to PMP Music, this is Sonner’s first release. The band claim to have a straightforward, no pretension approach to their music and the Northern Lights EP confirms this. All four tracks - Timechanger, This Is Too Much, Green Park and Northern Lights - are strong, well produced tracks and show that the band have no desire to
fit in with the current sludge of nerdy tweepop currently infecting the airwaves of Wearside. But is that a good thing or a bad thing? Well, I suppose it depends on what you’re into. Personally I think this EP’s a bit tastey. AC
Violet Graffiti Listen EP Violet Grafitti play soaring, anthemia rock with a hint of darkness. Vocalist Stef Grimes’s singing has a haunting quality to it, at times hollow like Grace Slick’s at and, yet as well, robust and rocking like a young Courtney Love. Chris Cooke’s guitar work is assured and intricate, weaving lovely hooks in between the vocals. The rhythm section both bring a lot to the mix too, Johnny Oliver’s drums rise to crescendos at just the right times, and Grant Newman’s basslines add vigour and bounce. AC
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Live Reviews. Sonner We eventually arrive at the Mallard about 9:45 after a struggle for our taxi driver to find the place. Its nice to see such a good turn out as in my experience a lot of people don’t make the effort to support local music. Tonight is definitely not the case, the pub is heaving and we take our places at the back of the room! Sonner start with an instrumental of “Tunnelvision” which grabs the attention of the room and the “wahey hey son” local pub banter hushes down as all eyes are on the band. A quick introduction and the band launch into “The Real World”. The two girls with me are Sonner virgins but they can’t help but tap their feet along to “Let Me, Save Me”. It’s less of the foot tapping and more of the diving about when Sonner cover “KOL – The Bucket”, a song that reminds me of when Diva used to be good. They also do an energetic cover of “The Who – The Seeker”
The band wind down the night with their “candles in the air” single “Timechanger”. The grand finale is an uplifting “Remember the Days” which gets everyone on their feet including Mick’s Aunty who has been at the front the whole night wearing a very much Sonner’d up t-shirt. There were calls for an encore and a slight debate between the band members over it clearly torn between thriving off the energy of the gig and knowing when to stop however the final outcome was not to tarnish an unspoiled set. Having seen this band from the very early stages, play gigs at both smaller and larger venues, experience both fallouts and technical difficulties it’s clear to see they have overcome the obstacles and came out the other side a much more smoother band. LB
Forget being stood at the back, the drinks are flowing, the music’s caught us, and there’s only one place to be for “Rogue Town” and that’s down at the front! There’s not much space to move but there’s still plenty of people up and dancing. There are a few cheers as the band pull out “Green Park” one of their earlier tracks.
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1, Describe the sound o blind visionaries in 3 words Apocalyptic Space Rock 2, Which single piece of music has had the most influence on you as a band? Hmm, not sure. Thats a hard question when we have so many varried influences. Probably something by The Beatles in truth, I’ll go with “A Day in the Life” 3, Apart from music, what else are you influenced by? Literature, H.G. Wells in particular. 4, Pick 5 acts for your fantasy festival line-up. The Beatles, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Slade, MUSE. 5, What, to you, is the point of making music? In the hope that people will listen and be inspired to start thinking about the wider world.
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7, Who would you like to see playing you in the movie of your life story? Mr. L. Haugh - Mark Dolan (balls of steel) Mr. Bell - Johnny Depp. Wishful thinking? Mr. Berry - Barry Chuckle Mr. V. Haugh - Chesney Hawkes Mr. Wall - Matt Damon 8, Has anyone in the band got any strange habits or hobbies? Ohh yes, Mr. Bell being several eggs short of a basket. Mr. Berry’s insatiable appetite. Mr. Wall’s tight wallet, Laurence/Vince’s obsession with mario cart. 9, Where do you envisage the band being in two years time? Signed to Warner.
Daley and Dan’s Top 5 Pans
Dave’s Top 5 Seafood
Garry’s Top 5 Families
1. Frying Pan 2. Sauce Pan 3. Peter Pan 4. Pan Pipes 5. Pan’s People
1. Winkles 2. Cockles 3. Mussels 4. Lobster 5. Sea Bass
1. Partridge Family 2. Swiss Family Robinson 3. Family Guy 4. Family Planning 5. The Handsome Family
Jonny’s Top 5 70s Acts
Shaun’s Top 5 Funnymen
Willa’s Top 5 Jacks
1. Slade 2. Abba 3. Mud 4. Crème Brulee 5. Prawn Cocktail
1. Shaun Ritchie 2. Shane Ritchie 3. Brian Connolly 4. Edgar Davids 5. Jimmy Kranky
1. Jack of Diamonds 2. Jack Charlton 3. Jack Your Body 4. Jack Daniels 5. Wearside Jack
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6, Who or what is winding you up at the minute? The BNP/xenophobia/John and Edward Grimes
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10, I f you could pick anyone, dead or alive, to form your ultimate supergroup who would you pick? John Lennon - Rythm Guitar/Vocals Jimi Hendrix - Lead Guitar Keith Moon - Drums Freddy Mercury - Vocals Matt Bellamy - Piano Mark King - Bass
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This months guest philo
sopher
Albert Camus
reviewsThe Blandford Nobody realises that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal. It was clear from my arrival in The Blandford that here, these types are few and far between. No normality but zeal aplenty, much of it alien to our enlightened spirits and yet it gives us a glimpse of that radiant eternal light which glows, a still flame, in the dark core of human suffering. What is a rebel? A man that says no...and these people are rebels...no to physical self concern, no to societal decorum and no nod to the fashion of the day. My first drinking partner is queerly dressed, like a German without a penny, with dark thick hair, sunken cheeks and drawn-in lips. He has a habit of opening his eyes very wide, throwing back his whole person and staring vaguely before uttering the words..’Djibril Cisse....Sunderlands number nine’. John, as was his name, seemed immune to the quarreling beside him, two large men clearly under the influence of alcohol, profound insolence flew aplenty which seemed to focus on a suspicous case of personal robbery.... missing tobacco. All great deeds and great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning and this passage ended quickly with a gentlemans embrace and gushing words, love is the kind of illness that doesn’t spare the intelligent or the dull. The afternoon passed with pace, my new found friends were pleased to accept my tobacco and drinks, these were my friends though, too many have dispensed with generosity in order to practice charity but not me. The fare on offer was not of great note, Jackie, our host, advised, ‘ My advice to you is not to ask why or whither, but just enjoy your toasties while there on your plate—that’s my philosophy’..or words to that effect. For musical pleasure, the local wag, Kenny Trewick, gave us a selection of ‘soft cock’ rock to much merriment....this was not the sound of starlings celebrating the return of spring however...more like a murder of crows. The afternoon swayed between aggression and love and I was taken away on a magical carpet ride of debasement and gratuitousness. I shall spare you the details but I left invigorated with little care for my bandaged hand nor my beaten senses but suffice to say, in the depth of the winter, I finally learnt that within me, lay an invincible summer. 18
Camus rating 8/10. MaNiFestO
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