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  ::                                                              ::
  ::                     - WHAT'S RATTLIN' ? -                    ::
  ::       The Weekly Digest for Canterbury Music Addicts         ::
  ::                          Issue # 94                          ::
  ::                    Thursday, May 21st, 1998                  ::
  ::                                                              ::
  ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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A few words before this issue begins... Topics in no particular order...
I saw Gong in Toulouse on their French tour last week - the best Gong gig I've attended so far, everyone was in top form, except Steffi Sharpstrings who had a problem with a shoulder and was forced to play more synths and less guitar. I personally was delighted with that (sorry Steff!) as it meant a *very* spacey sound. Love those Moog "bubbles"! From conversations with Mike Howlett and Pierre Moerlen I gather they both are very excited about working on a side project together. Who else is involved is tbc. Recording date: probably next Summer.
GAS has released a superb double CD compiling excerpts of various Gong members' solo projects and a healthy chunk of live Gong from last Autumn's tour. There is even a teaser from Pip Pyle's forthcoming solo album...
On the Calyx side, watch out for big changes soon on the band pages.
Finally, a request : in addition to usual ones (more lyrics, press clippings etc.), has anyone bought the new reissues of Robert Wyatt's "Rock Bottom" and "Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard"? The booklets are said to have lyrics and essays. If anyone can provide a photocopy, and scans of the new sleeve design of "RB"... Thanks.

Aymeric

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From: PETERGIF <PETERGIF@aol.com>
Subject: Caravan Live in London CD
Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 11:39:27 EDT

Hello Aymeric...

Just wanted to drop you a line and say that I recently purchased Caravan's "Live" Canterbury Comes To London. You would never know that these guys are getting older. The music is still highly energetic (as it was 25 years ago), and there are times when Doug Boyle's guitar adds a hard edge, which I find very refreshing. I hope for more from this group in the future...Also...thanks for the Forgas CD.....that is also a very interesting set.....Sounds very much like Soft Machine to me.....

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From: Jib Crafno <JibCrafno@aol.com>
Subject: Robert Wyatt book
Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 14:20:47 EDT

Dear  Aymeric & list,

While vacationing in New York City last week I came accross a Robert Wyatt
book in a Bleecker st shop.  It's in Spanish, I believe, and came with a pink
7-inch record of "Chairman Mao".  Contants-wise, it's got all the lyrics plus
quotes and comments on the career of Robert Wyatt.  It's square and extremely
cheaply made.  I get the feeling that if I were to read it the pages would all
fall out. Anyway I got it sealed, brand new for $8.  I'm just wondering if
anyone knows anything about this.  Thanks.

Sam Andreeff

[While we're at it (or almost), has anyone bought the new editions of Robert Wyatt's "Rock Bottom" and "Ruth..." ? I didn't, having previous editions, but "RB" is said to have an essay by Robert on making the album, and "RISTR" has the lyrics to the songs, some of which I don't have so haven't put on the site. I'd welcome photocopies ! Please e-mail me personally - AL]

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From: Martin Wakeling <marwak@globalnet.co.uk>
Subject: Ayers/ Geoff Richardson + MP3
Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 19:56:11 +0100

Hi

>Same goes for the appearance of Geoff Richardson on 'The Confessions of
>Dr.Dream'. Does he actually play on this record and on which song?

To answer the above, Geoff plays viola on track 2, 'See You Later' but is uncredited on the sleeve, probably just an oversight among the cast of thousands.

>I've just finished making the first Canterbury MP3.
>Of course what else could it be than the A-side of the first Soft
Machinesingle "Love Makes Sweet Music". Pretty soon there'll be more of these
>hard-to-get Canterbury gems.
>
>Putting a MP3 on the internet is illegal, but I'm not doing this to >ripp
of any record-company or artist.

Out of curiosity can anyone let us know why MP3's are illegal???

I'd also feel a teeny bit happier about this if I knew that Age had specific permission from the artist - Kevin's 'Soon Soon Soon' is included but I fear this won't force the hand of record companies to release it but will probably be the quickest way to see it as a 'bonus' track on the next spurious Jap or Italian bootleg?? I have hesitated and stalled on including soundbites on the WAWS site for this reason and was formulating an approach that would perhaps include some interview/voice snippets or short extracts of music - ie. enough to give an idea but too incomplete to interest the bootleggers. The other plus side of short extracts is that they're manageable as downloads - Age's MP3's are still mighty big on a slow connection!!

Many bananas as ever

Martin

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From: "han van de graaf" <hatfield@worldonline.nl>
Subject: Hugh Hopper Band in Deventer (Netherlands)
Date: Sun, 17 May 1998 23:36:21 +0200

Dear Aymeric,

Anew date for the HUGH HOPPER BAND  is now confirmed:

Saturday may 30th
Loc.: "het ei van  columbus", polstraat 78, deventer.
Time: 21.00.
Reservations: hatfield@worldonline.nl or tel.0570-635030

Personnel: Hugh Hopper, bass
           Frank van der Kooij, sax
           Chris Strik,  drums
           Patrice Meyer, guitar

This is a great chance for people in our region to see one of the best bands in the 'canterbury scene', so don't miss this one!!

Thanks,
Han van de Graaf

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From: Fred Frith <Fred.Frith@schwaben.de>
Subject: Tom Cora
Date: Fri, 15 May 1998 20:04:53 +0200

[This message was sent to subscribers of the Fred Frith digest, but I think the contents are of interest to some of you - AL]

Hi,

Just to say - there are two more benefits and tributes to Tom Cora, one on 20/05 at the Knitting Factory in New York, and the other at Vandoevre (Nancy, France) on 23/05 at the Centre Culturel Andre Malraux during the Festival of New Music. (There already was one at The Geluid Festival at the Vooruit, Gent, Belgium last week). I hope some of you will be able to attend, or tell friends who can..

To correct a couple of small details - Tom was originally diagnosed with skin cancer, and despite early preventive treatment, it spread into his whole body.  When he died he had tumours in the brain, lungs, and elsewhere (technically it was called Melanoma, familiar to anyone who knows anything about AIDS for example, though this was not Tom's problem).

And speaking as someone who played with Tom shortly before his death, I can't say I found his playing especially lacking in energy, in fact I was shocked at how his frailty left him as soon as he got behind his cello. It was both humbling and inspiring (and he played several more concerts with Roof afterwards which from everything I've heard were similarly intense).

Finally, we are planning a box set tribute to Tom, and many contributors have already provided material, this should be finished over the Summer,  & I'll update this when I know definitely who will release it. I hope that corresponds to your idea of a celebration - there's a lot to celebrate!

all the best

Fred

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From: Age Rotshuizen <age@cable.A2000.nl>
Subject: Anthony Moore Voiceprint release
Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 11:19:37 +0100

Browsing thru the Voiceprint site I found out there's a CD by Anthony Moore
released in 1997 (?) called Out featuring some Canterbury musicians:

"Twenty years late, "Out" is the *new* album from Canterbury scene maestro Anthony Moore. Recorded in 1977, "Out" proves to be a stunning showcase of musical textures, riffs and lyrical wonderment complete with guest appearances from Andy Summers strumming his stuff in a pre-Police kind of way, Kevin Ayres doing what a Canterbury legend does best and a reunion with fellow Slapp Happy / Henry Cow guru Peter Blegvad. This is the album that Canterbury scene / Henry Cow fans have been waiting for. Out is finally OUT!!!"
(from the Voiceprint site)

Age

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From: Michael Chapman <michael@vetorialnet.com.br>
Subject: The Soft Machine
Date: Tue, 19 May 1998 17:47:14 -0300

Hallo Aymeric.

I just looked up the page of the Soft Machine. My name is Michael Chapman and I was invited by the group to take part in the tour of the band in St. Tropez. In the 60's I was part of a mixed media group called The Exploding Galaxy. I used to write poetry and read them on stage in Underground clubs like The Middle Earth, The Round house, etc. Sometimes I used to read together with bands and sometimes together with Daevid Allen.

Then one day he invited me to join the band on a tour to the South of France. This was too good to miss, so I immediately agreed. The actual trip was part of a summer package which included an enormous German Biergarten and a discoteque which were set up on the Beach of Frejus, which wasn't that too far from St. Tropez. At the start it was quite fun. In the daytime there was the ridiculous sight of a brass band of fat Germans wearing lederhosen and singing and playing beer music, also the very pungent smell of sausage and sauerkraut. The public seemed to have come along from Germany and spent most of their time eating, drinking, and -if I may be so crude- farting. Well, next to this biergarten was the discohteque where we performed each night until the small hours of the morning.

There was quite an interesting crowd of people who kept coming and going, such as Taylor Mead and Ultraviolet who worked with Andy Warhol, another interesting person was Jean-Jacques Lebel the French happenings artist. If my memory is correct Mark Boyle also came along to do the lights. At the begining all went well, and we had a fine old time. But then the package went bankrupt and there was no more money to pay the costs, our pay, or even the trip back home. This was in a way quite amusing, as after some days the money got so short that it was even difficult to eat. The great part about it was that there were lots of cases of Champagne "Tattingers" left in the bar of the disco, and so we got quite drunk. It was then that Jean-Jacques Lebel stepped in and arranged some gigs in St. Tropez, including one which was very nice, in a public square of the town. Lebel had just finished building a very nice den in the pine-wooded hills and he threw quite a memorable pool party there.

At that time Lebel was organizing a kind of Theatre Happening that was inspired by a piece written by Pablo Picasso called "Le Desir Attrapé Par Le Queue". He invited us to participate. The venue was a large circus tent, and the premiere was quite crazy. A mixture of disembodied events with music, theatre, happenings and quite a bit of nakedness, Taylor Mead and Ultraviolet also took part. Taylor Mead was quite remarkable,as he was well known to be permanently stoned on Valium. And he just always looked as though he would melt. Well this Happening was immediately banned by the Mayor of St. Tropez. and so became a historic event.

Eventually, we received money for the passage back to England. I managed to get a ride back with some tourists. I don't know why the British authorities barred Daevid from returning to England, but it was probably because of all the repression at that time.And the fury of the newspapers in their fight against Underground events. The customs people had lists of undesirable aliens, and I know of other foreigners who were active, who were also denied entrance at one time or the other.

Well that's about it. In 1971 I moved to Holland, 1975 to Berlin, and in 1985 to Brazil. And lost all contact with my past. If you see Daevid and Gilli again please pass on my e-mail.

Regards, Michael

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From: Rikmeyestr <Rikmeyestr@aol.com>
Subject: Subscribe to Whats Rattlin
Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 06:14:33 EDT

Please enter my subscription to "What's Rattlin" ! I just found this site and
have spent the last 6 hrs. perusing the nooks and crannies!

I have been a "Soft Machine" and "Caravan" fan ever since I saw "Soft Machine" open for "Jimi Hendrix" in 1968! There was something about that Hammond (or was it a Lowery?) screaming thru the wah-wah that boils my blood. I would very much like to read about exactly what type of equipment was used by the bands. (didn't see it mentioned anywhere) I would also like to obtain video (VHS/NTSC, I live in the U.S.) of "Soft Machine" and "Caravan" as it was mentioned they have performed on British television and some fans have been known to exchange copies!

Also, if there has been any mention that "Caravan" (in their new incarnation) will tour the U.S., I would appreciate this information!

I really enjoyed all the information contained on the website, keep up the good work!

                                                   Sincere Thanx,
                                                   Rick M.
                                                   Las Vegas, Nevada

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From: Graham Clark <101517.2632@compuserve.com>
Subject: Graham Clark's gigs in june
Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 10:20:41 -0400

Hi Aymeric.

Here's a few gigs I'm doing next month.

Best wishes,

Graham

June 10th: Band on the Wall, Manchester with Texan singer, Abner Burnett
June 11th:-  with Spacehead at L'Entrepot, in Liege, Belgium
June 12th:-  with Spacehead at German Hawkfans fest outside Hamburg
June 20th: Lunchtime jazz gig, Bridgewater Hall Foyer , Manchester 1 -3 p.m. (ISTHMUS quartet)
June 20th (evening): Coventry gig, Spacehead
June 21st: Possible 10th anniversary gig with Daevid Allen in Buxton, venue
tbc
June 26th: Huddersfield jazz gig, ISTHMUS trio at Laurence Batley Theatre
June 27th - 29th: Possible Glastonbury gigs
June 30th: Three Shires, Stockport  jazz gig with local rhythm section.

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*               FORTHCOMING CANTERBURY-RELATED CONCERTS                 *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

[for more info : check out the 'Concerts' page of CALYX - see URL below]

CARAVAN - EUROPEAN DATES
[Hastings-Sinclair-Richardson-Coughlan-Leverton-Boyle-Bentall]
May 23 - Diss, Norfolk (England), Park Hotel [tel: 0137.985.4206]
May 31 - Utrecht (Netherlands), Tivoli (also Hugh Hopper Band)
Jul 19 - Burg Herzberg (Germany), festival appearance [headliner]

HUGH HOPPER BAND
[H.Hopper-P.Meyer-F.vdKooy-C.Strik]
May 30 - Deventer (Netherlands), Het Ei van Columbus [tel: 0570.635.030]
May 31 - Utrecht (Netherlands), Tivoli (also Caravan)

DAEVID ALLEN - UK TOUR
May 24 - Exeter, Cavern
Jun  5 - Cheltenham, Axiom Centre

KEVIN AYERS - CALIFORNIAN TOUR
May 24 - San Francisco (CA), Great American Music Hall [tel: 415.885.0750]
May 29 - Los Angeles (CA), The Gig [11637 W.Pico Bld] [tel: 310.444.9870]

HERE & NOW
May 25 - Leigh-On-Sea, Zero Six Club

INVISIBLE OPERA COMPANY OF TIBET
Jun  1 - Leigh-On-Sea, Zero Six Club

PETER BLEGVAD TRIO
[Peter Blegvad-John Greaves-Chris Cutler]
Jun 05 - Kyoto (Japan), University
Jun 06 - Kyoto (Japan), University
Jun 07 - Kyoto (Japan), University
Jun 12 - Tokyo (Japan), Star Pines Cafe
Jun 13 - Tokyo (Japan), Star Pines Cafe
Jun 14 - Tokyo (Japan), Star Pines Cafe
Jun 15 - Tokyo (Japan), Star Pines Cafe

PIERRE BENSUSAN/DIDIER MALHERBE DUO - UK TOUR
May 22 - Southampton, The Gantry
May 23 - Bury, The Met
May 24 - Sheffield, The Board Walk
May 26 - Chester, Tellford House
May 28 - South Shields, The Cellar Club
May 29 - London, The Weavers
May 30 - Basingstoke, Fairfields Arts Centre

FORGAS BAND PHENOMENA
Jun 15 - Paris (France), Peniche 'La Balle Au Bond'
Jun 29 - Paris (France), Duc des Lombards
Sep  3 - Paris (France), Petit Journal Montparnasse
Sep 11 - Paris (France), Le Glaz' Art
Sep 18 - Paris (France), Studio des Islettes
Sep 19 - Paris (France), Studio des Islettes
Oct 09 - Paris (France), Peniche 'Le 6/8'

FRED FRITH - SOLO/DUO GIGS
May 29 - Tullins (France), MJC (with Noél Akchoté)
May 30 - Figeac (France) (with Louis Sclavis)

JAZZ RUMOURS
All Sunday nights at The Vortex
[139 Stoke Newington Church St, London N16]
feat. various combinations of the following musicians :
Elton Dean, Jim Dvorak, Paul Dunmall, Simon Picard, George Haslam, Marcio Mattos, Alex Maguire, Liam Genockey...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                        END OF ISSUE 94

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