Friday 1 January 2016

Gert's Review of 2015 - Take 2: Lighthearted Whistlestop Lucky Dip in to Vic Godard's,Subway Sect's (& the Gnu's) Year in Brief - Gigs - From Southend to Dundee - Venues/Promoters/Line Ups 2015 - (Also Upcoming in 2016),The Stool Pigeons, ViclLka,Big Gold Dream,Manic Pop Thrills,Pics/Vids



I planned and executed a nifty whistle stop blog tour of Vic's, Subway Sect's (& the gnu's) highlights of 2015, which I was going to post last night (New Year's Eve).............however .............just as I was tinkering with the final bits the computer god decided to wreak vengeance on me for some past technical misdemeanour and the WHOLE BLOG VANISHED, tried all 'undoing', retrieval, etc, to no avail, so this is my reconstruction (slightly deranged lay out and inexplicable font changes) and I can now recommend deleting a blog and attempting to recall it from scratch as a very good short term memory exercise!

It's been a great year gig wise Big Big Up to all the promoters, Shelley & Phil, Alan, Andy, Andrew & Dave, Gary, Michael, Mark, DHP Family (and thanks to Steve and Sleaford Mods for the invite),  Chris, Peter, Ben, Keith and everyone at Trash'd and Bernie for putting on memorable nights with diverting and diverse line ups, Big Big Up, in chronological order, to Subway Sect (of course!) Kiss Me Quick, The Get, Cryin' Queerwolf, The Cravats, Church of Elvis, Les Clochards, Fishwife's Broadside, Asbo Derek, The Unreliable Witnesses, The Dubtones, The Gakk, Audible Joes, Big Gold Dream, T V Smith, DJ Sue THE SEXUAL OBJECTS, Stoor, Pellethead, St Lucifer, POST, El Cid, the bodacious DJ Johny Brown, The Floormen, BrassHaus and Rongorongo. Live music is Alive and Well. Big Big Up to all the venues for their welcome and hospitality, The Railway Hotel, The Flapper, The Wheatsheaf, KOKO (Music Machine), Green Door Store, Fibber Magees, The Brass Monkey, The Admiral, Voodoo Rooms, Gullivers, The Cumberland Arms, The Shipping Forecast and a Special Mention for John Cruickshanks and beat generator LIVE! in Dundee for going above and beyond in his welcome and hospitality. 

Biggest Big Big Up goes out to everyone who braved British weather (Clodagh and Desmond particularly) to give Vic and Subway Sect the warmest of receptions and made each gig unforgettable.

10/01/2015 - The 2015 Tour began with a session for Dexter Bentley on his Hello Goodbye Show, first outing for the four piece line up with Mark back on bass, Vic back on guitar, Kev on guitar/keyboards and Ian on drums. The Wave Pictures were also in session.
https://www.mixcloud.com/dexter-bentley/hello-goodbye-100115-ft-the-wave-pictures-vic-godard-and-the-subway-sect/ 

7th February 2015 - Sell Out start at The Railway Hotel Southend-on-Sea with honorary Sectee Paddy Pulzer played a blinder. Photograph below by the Dim Locator.

'Southend' Vic's off the cuff re-interpretation of 'Blackpool', video filmed by Southend Sites for Southend Punk 07/02/2015. http://southendpunk.com/html/soutpunk.htm





6th February 2016
Everyone enjoyed themselves so much that Vic and the Sect are hoping to repeat the experience and will be again kicking off their live 'season' in Southend-on-Sea with The Hamsters (Manchester variety), The Get and opening once more is the inimitable Cryin' Queerwolf. Last train to London 11.37pm, station literally over the road
https://www.facebook.com/events/179336062414960/

First iconic poster of 2015 by The Talented Mr A P Shaw.  





16th May 2015  - Chris Wave pulled it out of the bag again with a storming line up for Seventh Wave at The Flapper Brum with Vic and Subway Sect and Very Special Guests The Cravats and Church of Elvis. Photograph below and more by Phil G: https://flic.kr/s/aHskc9MiUX

Vic Godard & Subway Sect / The Cravats - The Flapper, Birmingham - 16/05/15

First performance of 'I'll Find Out Over Time' The Flapper Brum, filmed by Lee McFadden.



16th April 2016


Another memorable night on the cards with another great Seventh Wave line up with Very Special Guests Yeah Yeah No and Harry Stafford plus DJ til Midnight.
https://www.facebook.com/events/619040984902231/ 


Advance Tickets: http://www.skiddle.com/whats-on/Birmingham/The-Flapper/Vic-Godard-amp-Subway-Sect--Yeah-Yeah-Noh--Pete-Astor-/12539354/ 






 22nd May 2015 - The Wheatsheaf Oxford, great welcome for Vic and Subway Sect's return to Oxford, packed to the gills and with Les Clochards and Fishwife's Broadside. Video of 'Chain Smoking' and photograph below by Caryne Pearce.



5th June - Return to the Music Machine for Vic after quite a long gap since he last played there, Sect delighted to be Sleaford Mods' guests and to have Simon Rivers swelling the ranks and a particular pleasure at the surprise appearance by Jock Scot, who introduced the Sect. Photograph on the left of Vic and Jock backstage at KOKO by Tracey Holloway and the one below of  the Sect on stage by Kim Rivers. 



This video is the opening number 'Best Album' with Jock Scot intro, filmed by Tracey Holloway and edited by Lee McFadden. 

13th June - Brighton love fest and another Spinningchilli Special with Asbo Derek and the shady characters The Unreliable Witnesses. Photograph below by Phil G 13/06/2015.

   Stonking Ambition and Stool Pigeon 13/06/2015 courtesy of The Retroman Steve Worrall. 


30th April 2016 
Back for more frolics and fun by the sea for another Spinningchilli Special with Vic and Subway Sect and The Bitter Springs, a celebration of 20 years (or thereabouts) of Vic's collaborations with Simon and the Springs.

Advance Tickets locally from resident Records Brighton and on line from: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/337895

Poster design by Andrew P Shaw, special request for Mr Rivers. 

Vic'll be reliving old times and singing Wayward Biro with The Springs, this live version with them is from 2004.



18-20th June 2015 - Trip to Edinburgh for the Premiere of Grant McPhee's seminal film 'Big Gold Dream: Scottish Post Punk and Infiltrating The Mainstream' at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, it won the coveted Audience Award. FAB FEW DAYS - Thanks for the invite EIFF and particular thanks to Innes R and Sandra S! 
https://www.edfilmfest.org.uk/films/2015/big-gold-dream-scottish-post-punk-and-infiltrating-the-mainstream
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-33211679
Some of the BGD Mob by Rob O'Connell 19/06/2015



What made it extra extra special was Vic singing with The Stool Pigeons super group at the film after party at the Traverse Theatre.  Douglas MacIntyre on bass, Malcolm Ross and Mick Slaven on guitar and Russell Burn on drums, plus Fay Fife Special Guesting on Sweet Jane, which gnu filmed at the sound check. Absolutely Brilliant. Photograph below also by the gnu.


 9th-11th July - Vic was in Belgrade to meet up with his friend and esteemed Serbian artist A M Leka for the opening of 'Vicleka' at Ozone Belgrade, an exhibition of the artistic fruits of their latest collaborative labours. You can read about Vic and Leka's history and the the full story of VicLeka here:
http://vicgodardandsubwaysect.blogspot.co.uk/p/vicleka.html
http://vicgodardandsubwaysect.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page_93.html

                                                      Gnu's  'VicLeka' THE MOVIE



To celebrate and coincide with the Vicleka opening gnu inc released the latest in the Live & Rare CD series, Vol 3 'Vicleka', live and recorded collection of the 12 songs featured in the exhibition, including Zero Tolerance, originally released on Long Term Side Effect (Tugboat 1998), produced by Edwyn Collins.



If you fancy a 'Vicleka' print, Box or Live & Rare Vol 3: http://www.vicgodard.co.uk/vicleka.html


11th September 2015 - Historic Occasion! Vic and Subway Sect make their live debut in Ireland, only took 30 odd years! A grand night of music and mayhem at the legendary Fibber Magees Dublin. Photographs and video of 'Born To Be A Rebel' below courtesy of DM Dunne.


3rd October 2015 - Trash'd New Wave Festival Punky Monkey at The Brass Monkey. Vic & the Sect back by popular demand, and another south coast love fest with a screening of Big Gold Dream,T V Smith,the Sect plus a brilliant set from DJ Sue.  
https://www.mixcloud.com/sue-grant/dj-sue-shoreditch-radio-21-december-2015/?utm_campaign=notification_new_upload&utm_medium=email&utm_source=notification&utm_content=html
Photograph below by Mark Richards.

Grant McPhee's Exclusive Trailer for the Trash'd Big Gold Dream Screening.
                                          

13-15th November 2015 - North of the Border 

13th & 14th November 2015 - Two glorious Sounds in the Suburbs nights of magic from VG & Subway Sect & The Sexual Objects at The Admiral Glasgow and the Voodoo Rrooms Edinburgh. It's SITS 10th anniversary in 2016 so there's sure to be some Specials!
https://www.facebook.com/soundsin.thesuburbs?fref=ts
 Photograph of Vic and Ian on the right and Sect below at the Voodoo Rooms 14/11/2015, courtesy of Gavin Fraser Photography.

Gnu's video of 'Inertia' at the Voodoo Rooms sound check, another of the new songs -


15th November - On to Dundee for a fitting finale to the weekend and a return for Vic & Sect to  Andy Wood's Cool Cat Club at beat generator LIVE!, another memorable night with Stoor and A Hooker without Jesus and a very appreciative crowd, great turn out in the face of the increasing winds. Thanks to John Cruickshanks for the photographs (and the wonderful hospitality!). http://www.beatgenerator.co.uk/
Another new song 'Flash The Magic Sign', filmed by the gnu at the Dundee sound check.
                                     



26-28th November 2015 - The Great Northern Weekender  Indelibly etched in to the memory and the perfect finale to a year of fantastic gigs.All kicked off on the 26th with a Marc Riley 6 Music session, could be one of the best to date with the four new songs. Vic & the Sect did the first hour then Wreckless Eric did a session in the 2nd. Photograph of Vic and Eric at Media City by either Michelle C or Marc R. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00c72y1
26th Continued - Then it was off to Dandy at Gullivers!!

Photographs VG&SS at Gullivers 26/11/2015 by Andrew Paul Shaw


And what a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious night it was with our friends Pellethead, the enigmatic St Lucifer, diverting tunes from DJ AP and a room FULL to bursting with the warmest, loveliest people you could hope to have shared the experience with. THANKS Dave & Andrew and everyone who came from near, far and wide and who made it such a memorable occasion. 
Vic Godard & Subway Sect Gullivers 26th November 2015 by Kate Kristal

For one reason or another very few videos have surfaced of the night (personally think we were all having too good a time!)..........in fact only one as far as we know,  so THANK YOU Chris Dutton for filming the encore, the 'easy listening' version (no guitar) of 'I'll Find Out Over Time':
https://www.facebook.com/stonehorse1/videos/10153774855632863/?hc_location=ufi 


27th November 2015 - Over The Pennines to Newcastle For..........


 A Michael Clunkie Special at a new venue, The Cumberland Arms (loved it), celebrating five years of Children of Godard nights and celebrating in style with Graham Wann (SOB) and POST, El Cid and the bodacious DJ Johny Brown, who seduced us all with his sets. Much respect and love to everyone who braved the wind and rain (Desmond) to pack the Cumberland to the gills.
https://www.facebook.com/clunkie?fref=ts

Photograph below by Juan Fitzgerald. 


Vic Godard & Subway Sect The Cumberland Newcastle 27/11/2015 by Juan Fitzgerald
                            'The Water Was Bad' filmed by the gnu at The Cumberland'

28th November 2015 - Back Over The Pennines To Liverpool For The Finale To The Finale..........Bernie Connor's Birthday at The Shipping Forecast, Oh What A Night! I hope Bernie enjoyed his birthday as much as I did. Again Big Up to everyone who braved the elements to celebrate the night with Bernie. Three attention grabbing sets from The Floormen, BrassHaus and Rongorongo, proving there are upcoming groups out there with their own songs, distinctive sounds and styles and that Liverpool is still a hot bed of new musical talent. Vic and the Sect's set wasn't too shabby either!
                          'Blackpool' The Shipping Forecast 28/11/2015 by the gnu.


Think I've remembered most of what was in the original blog, if you fancy delving deeper in to any of the above events (and you haven't already) full reports are in the 2015 blogs and pages. Here's gnu's quick video recap, just in case I forgot anything:
        


On The HoriZon 2016



06/02/2016 The Railway Hotel Southend
16/04/2016 The Flapper Birmingham
30th April green Door Store Brighton
https://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/vic-godard-and-subway-sect 



September 2016 - Vic's playing at XIRIA Pop Carballo Galicia

Look out for updates on Vic's musical goings on on his FB and:www.vicgodard.co.uk
 
Lots of Year End things to peruse over at Manic Pop Thrills including the series "2015 according to.........", this is Vic's contribution:
https://manicpopthrills.wordpress.com/2015/12/13/2015-according-to-vic_godard/

I'll Wish you Happy New Year and leave the last 'word' to the gnu, expressed in her own particular fashion.


             See the ties that bind, or I think that you will find, hate will make you blind 

                                                          Peace and Love