Looking down on creation

I love taking photographs of urban cityscapes from a high vantage point. Especially when the light is just right. I tend to seek such locations* out wherever I go - often slamming on the brakes when driving through strange towns, pulling over and grabbing my camera to capture the view for fear of it never looking like that ever again. I've taken a couple recently that I'm particularly pleased with. The one above is in Sheffield. The city is built on seven hills; I was definitely standing at the top of one of them that day. The one below is nearer to home. It was taken from the top of Carlton Hill in Nottingham. Way off in the distance you can see my second favourite power station: as the crow flies it's 11.2 miles from Point A (Carlton) to Point B (Ratcliffe-on-Soar). If said crow doesn't veer off course, of course. 

And that's when I got to thinking: I bet the Germans have got a word for this kind of thing. Turns out they have. Several in fact. Here's a couple: panoramablick über die stadt. Or, more poetically/succinctly: stadtüberschau. 

* Not just hills, the top decks of multi-storey car parks often offer amazing vistas.

Are you having a Turkish?

Mark Laff (right) up against the wall

If you were to believe Wikipedia (file under 'unreliable witness') then Mark Red Laffoley b.19.5.58 is a retired English rock drummer. Pah! Mark Laff, for it is he, best known as the tub thumper in Generation X, is going out on tour this November under the snazzy moniker XGenerationX (see what he did there) playing all the best bits from their first two albums - the blistering eponymous debut and (the Ian Hunter produced) Valley of the Dolls (as good as it is, the third doesn't really count).

Below is the itinerary c/w who he's going out on the road with: no Rob Derwood Andrews, sadly, but Elizabeth Westwood (she and Derwood were Westworld in the late 80s). Also the sax player from Spandau(!) - now on guitar - and some other gadgie on bass. It should be a hoot. 

Having seen both Generation X (in 1978) and Generation Sex (2023) - Billy Idol, Tony James and half the Sex Pistols - this will be the third iteration of a band that I thought (and still do think) absolutely defined the New Wave. (Older readers will know the new wave was no longer new after 1979.) So that in itself gives you an idea of the demographic, their core support, who will likely turn out for this tour. Well, there's me and Steve for starters - a sprightly 64 & 63 respectively. And I don't think for one minute we'll be the oldest people in the room; as we're going to three shows on the tour we'll be able to conduct a straw poll. I shall, of course, report back later in the year with our findings.

Night Train

Part of my recovery process is starting to do more of what I used to do when I was fit and well. Getting out and seeing live bands would definitely fall under that heading. I'd seen Chuck Prophet at the Metronome (and just about it made it unscathed) and last week I figured I'd be able to manage DeWolff at the Rescue Rooms (I saw it was a 10pm curfew so happy days - I still get very tired). All the way from Amsterdam, I've been following this insanely talented Dutch guitar/Hammond/drums trio for a few years now but this was the first time I'd managed to see them in a live situation. 

If I tell you they opened with this and didn't take their foot off the gas for 90 minutes it'll give you an ideas of just how good a night it was. A quick explainer - it was just the three of them last week, not the full on wall of sound with horn section and backing singers you see below. (And that's taking absolutely nothing away from them or their ridiculously high energy levels.)

DeWolff - Night Train (2025)

 

★

A week later and I'm still kicking myself for not getting to the venue a little earlier; that said I was still able to catch a fair bit of the support band's set and generally weigh 'em up. It can be daunting opening for anyone, let alone an established act, but Silveroller don't do nerves. Watching them strutting around - like they owned the place - it was like seeing a cross between Rod and the Faces and the Black Crowes up there on stage. And good to see the sound guy didn't fuck about with their sound either. I'd definitely like to catch them again. Preferably when they're headlining.

Silveroller - Hold (2024)

Bristol Express

I'd like to talk about a couple of films that entered my orbit this week. The first, from 1962, can loosely be described as coffee bar movie and arguably the first UK new wave film, featuring as it does David Hemmings and Ray Brooks. Some People also wraps up nicely my recent trio of Bristol themed posts (it was filmed entirely on location in the city and is a fantastic social history of both a culture and a cityscape long gone); juvenile delinquency, motorbikes, girls, beat music - there's a lot going on here - all a good two years before the Beatles made a dent in UK cinemas. And it's shot in glorious Eastman Colour, just as the sixties were starting to swing.

The soundtrack features local musicians and I've picked out this twang heavy guitar instrumental. It could be the Shads but it's not. Though I think Jet Harris did go on to record a version of it. I've also got a feeling Rol may have covered the Eagles in his Namesakes series; if he hasn't then he probably should.

The Eagles - Bristol Express (1962) 

★ 

The second film couldn't be any more different. I've been meaning to watch Manchester By The Sea for the longest time and finally made a date with my sofa on Saturday night. Casey Affleck gives the performance of his career in this Kenneth Lonnergan (Analyse This) written masterpiece from 2016. Affleck plays a loner, Lee Chandler, with a past so fucked up it's no wonder he shuns the world the way he does. With the recent death of his brother he finds himself returning to his former coastal home town in Essex County as reluctant sole guardian of his sixteen year old nephew. The film digs down into the root causes of Lee's depression and anger and after 2 hours 17 minutes you feel as if he's found (a kind of) peace with himself and those around him but that it could all still be blown off course at any moment. A powerful insight into dysfunctional families (something close to my heart) that will leave its imprint on you.

Manchester By The Sea - Trailer (2016)

Bristol Boogie

I defy anyone to listen to the following piece of music and not to be swept up in its sheer vitality and exuberance. Imagine this tune was playing in your buds as you were pulling into a certain railway station on the Great Western Main Line - with the sun streaming through the carriage and the guard over the tannoy advising you to ensure you've gathered up all your goods and chattels before disembarking. "Bristol, this is Bristol."

Morrisey Mullen - Bristol Boogie (1979)

★  

 Dick Morrissey (1940-2000)

Jim Mullen (1945-)