Clive Burr NWOBHM drumming legend – his work lives on…..RIP

Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog

IRON MAIDEN – S/T DEBUT (1980)

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IRON MAIDEN – In Metal tribute to the late and forever legendary Clive Burr, I have chosen the first 3 Iron Maiden studio albums asStone’s METAL Picks Of The Day! Clive Burr was never marketed for an album as many drummers are today. Still, from the very beginning, Clive’s drumming introduced a fresh style, which sounded so natural, that it made the early Metal sound of Iron Maiden vibrate so exquisitely special for me. The NWOBHM was kicking in the door to my Metal soul… and I didn’t even know it back then.

These first 3 Iron Maiden albums still cast a magical Metal spell upon me. Simply put, I’ve never grown tired of them. I absolutely love the vocals of Paul Di’Anno, he brought his uniqueness to the table with Iron Maiden; just as Clive Burr delivered his unique…

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Mixing it up – The new Witch Cross album with Chris Tsangarides

So it begins….Mike Koch (Witch Cross guitarist) is now holed up in the studio with the legendary Chris Tsangarides, undertaking the final mixing of the new Witch Cross album. I cannot overstate the excitement I feel as the project nears completion. We feel the weight of history too, as the classic 1984 release ‘Fit for Fight’ was the last full-length album from the band, and it, and its songs, have gone into metal folklore. I’ve always said Alex Savage’s vocals on that album were a tour de force, unsurpassed, so we have a high standard to live up to, but therein lies the challenge, and that’s what drives us. I believe Witch Cross are a band that understands the song is king, it was certainly true on Fit for Fight, and I think Mike and I, along with contributions from Paul and Jan, have written a collection that can stand shoulder to shoulder with those classics from the past. We’ve tried to remain true to early 80’s era metal, and to the credo of the band. I can’t wait to unleash it upon the world!

Kev Moore

The outdated ‘Frontier Mentality’ that is killing America

As the U.S. reels once again from the effects of a tragedy of unspeakable proportions, the NRA will once again be circling the wagons in the finest Western movie tradition, and begin spouting the hackneyed line about ‘the right to bear arms.’  But it’s not the logic of the founding fathers that will save America. It is far more pertinent to look to Darwinism. In short: ‘Adapt, or die.’

I do not believe the wise and inspired people who drew up a charter to steer that great country a safe course through history would insist that their words should remain unchanging. The world changes, and we should change with it.  The logic of having the right to hold a weapon to defend your land as you seek to tame the wilderness and create a new frontier, a new nation, has become a hollow, sick joke in the 21st Century. It is simply an irrelevance in modern society, and a cruel affront to the now childless families whose hearts have been ripped out in Connecticut.

In what twisted, vicious universe can it be normal and legal for a 20 year-old to own a Glock, a Sig Sauer, and a rifle? Perhaps even more frightening is the number of people who take this terrible tragedy in Sandy Hook as a reason to have MORE guns, some even suggesting the teachers should be armed, the better to able to protect the children in their care. What madness is this?  Can any right-thinking human being really be suggesting that a loaded weapon in a classroom is a sensible option?

America, you must wake up now, and amend your laws accordingly. Look around you – your children are dying. Your FUTURE is dying. Do something before it’s too late, or your nation, like the villains from that older, outdated and romanticized era of your history, will bite the dust.

Kev Moore

Why?

I dedicate this song to the families who are suffering such terrible tragedy in Connecticut right now.  I will never understand the resistance to gun control. how many more innocents have to die before something is done? How can the greatest superpower on Earth let a law lapse in 2004, with no renewal, that allows people to legally hold ASSAULT WEAPONS???

The world is being sucked into a downward spiral of utter madness.

Kev Moore

Witch Cross website now fully active!

For all things Witch Cross: News, Merch, Albums, gigs and pics etc, just log on to:

Clicking on the image above will take you directly to www.witchcross.dk

Kev Moore

 

Kev Moore live on Bay Radio this Sunday lunchtime!

You can hear me talk about Blue Odyssey, my solo work, and my work with BC Sweet, Christie and others. I’m being interviewed around 12 noon CET and you can tune in via the Internet anywhere in the World by clicking on the widget below. Bay Radio serves the Spanish costas, from Valencia in the North, right down to Almeria.

I’m also proud and pleased to tell you that my ‘rant’ blog “Want Some Moore” will now go out live on Bay Radio. I’ll be appearing at 9.30 pm CET on The Sunset Strip with Noelle every Friday night!

So put it in your ‘to-do list’:  

 FRIDAY NIGHTS 9.30PM CET -“WANT SOME MOORE”

THIS SUNDAY 12 NOON CET  – KEV MOORE INTERVIEW

All on Bay Radio!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN LIVE:

A Question of balance

Watching Clive Sarstedt at Titos - will gigs like this be a thing of the past?

I find, as I dig deeper into the furore that has sprung up in Mojacar and surrounding areas regarding Noise control, that the problem is not as clear-cut as it first appeared. Sure, we have a percentage of the same bunch of middle/old-aged miserable buggers that used to moan about music in the UK, who’ve moved to Spain to moan about it here.  But it’s really not that simple.

Firstly, I would advise anybody with half a brain to consider the possibility of NOT buying or renting a villa or apartment on Mojacar playa if you don’t want to hear music. It’s not rocket science. But then, moaning is the life-blood of some people. They need it to justify their existence.

The real mistake here though, is that the authorities are using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Of course, we don’t want to turn Mojacar into a San Antonio, a Benidorm, or God forbid, an Ayia Napa. But a blanket restriction will not only put paid to the admittedly noisy hen and stag nights and hard dance club scene, but also decimate the ‘real’ entertainment,  the music that gives Mojacar it’s heart and soul – the live bands that appear along the Playa, mainly in the beach bars, the jam sessions, the FUN.

A real concern is the ruling that all bars (at huge expense) will have to be internet ready, so a modem can relay the sound levels to the local Police station. My God. Can you imagine the endless possibilities for abuse here? And don’t tell me it won’t happen. Who is to stop the Police wandering down to a bar and saying, oh, you reached 98 db on the 10th, 97db on the 16th, you owe us a couple of hundred Euros. I really don’t like this development. It is Big Brother in its worst form. How can you let rip on guitar, and try to entertain people, with all this garbage going on in the back of your mind, knowing some Policeman is monitoring you remotely? It’s unacceptable. perhaps I could suggest catching criminals might be a better, more productive use of their time.

We must be careful to preserve our musical heritage here. Make no mistake, it is a musical heritage.  It is precious. It’s been here for decades, and I don’t want it to disappear into oblivion because ‘Fred and Olive’ want a nice , quiet, retirement retreat.  The rest of us have a voice too.

Download SAVE MOJACAR MUSIC from this site:

Kev Moore

Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins : July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011

It was with the deepest, most profound sadness that I discovered today that Pinetop Perkins had passed away peacefully at his home in Austin, Texas. It was just over a year ago that I had the singular pleasure of meeting this legendary 96 year-old delta bluesman, shaking his hand getting him to sign a CD and watching him perform. He amazed and inspired me. So much so, that I wrote a song about him: “96 on Sixth” for my album of the trip, Blue Odyssey.

 

My cartoon inspired by meeting Pinetop at Nuno's

Few people in this world are worthy of the accolade ‘legendary’. but Pine was one of them. The album he signed for me, recorded aged 94, was evidence of his continuing dedication to music, and was full of guest appearances from Eric Clapton, BB King, Jimmy Vaughn, etc – showing in just how high regard he was held.  He also won a Grammy last year for his collaboration with Willy ‘Big Eyes’ Smith.

 

The CD he signed for me

Bluesmen like Pine are International treasures, and with his passing a little more of the Blues moves from the present into the history books. We need to keep it alive, singing his songs, and playing his wonderful records. Pinetop, the honour was mine, I salute you. God bless. R.I.P.

Here’s the song I wrote for him, featuring Stef Cybichowski on drums, who told me the sad news today. This one’s for you Pinetop.

Visit Pinetop’s website to find out more about him.

Kev Moore

Taking the Biscuit – On the air with a living legend

Monday morning, Memphis in our mirror, we headed south on the legendary Highway 61.  I suggested to Miki that we take a detour across the mighty Mississippi and into Arkansas to visit Helena.  A stop on the outskirts at the visitor centre and a very welcome free coffee, provided me with an opportunity to confirm this town as the location of “King Biscuit Time”, the legendary radio show started in 1941 by Sonny Boy Williamson and a massive influence on the likes of BB King and Ike Turner.  The lady in the visitor centre pointed out the studio’s location. She told us the blues exhibition where the station broadcast from was closed to the public on Mondays, but she called ahead and told them we were coming. And so it was that I met the legendary  DJ “Sunshine” Sonny  Payne  who has been broadcasting the show for 60 years.  A sprightly 85, this man really is a living legend and has brushed shoulders with the giants.  On first name terms with the likes of Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, Diana Krall, etc, he is an affable, cordial host, and I was honoured to be invited to take part in the latest broadcast of the show. It is always broadcast at 12.15, the time originally chosen to match that of the lunch break of the African-American workers in the Delta. Miki even got a mention, introduced as the French artist who doesn’t speak!!

Chewin' the fat with Sunshine Sonny Payne

I talked a little about Christie, and how the B-Side of our multi-million seller was called “Down the Mississippi Line”, and how I was thrilled to be going down the Mississippi for real, and I was invited to sign a guitar for the display and also the large flight case display, where I put my name next to Robert Plant’s.

Sonny very kindly signed one of his posters for me, which will be on permanent display at “Kev and Miki towers” when we get home!

King Biscuit time occupies a unique place in Blues history and culture. If it wasn’t for Sonny Boy Williamson’s success in getting the local grocery distributor to  finance the show in exchange for endorsements and naming rights, a whole generation of musicians may not have had access to what was to become their inspiration. Situated in Helena, it also was perfectly placed as a stopping off point for blues musicians on their way from the Delta region to the Chicago blues nightclubs and was also convenient to Memphis, Tennessee and its lively blues culture. Several blues musicians came to Helena and made it their home, such as Little Walter Jacobs and Jimmy Rogers.  The King Biscuit Flour Hour, the one hour syndicated rock and roll radio program, was derived from King Biscuit Time. Levon Helm drummer for The Band, has credited King Biscuit Time,  for inspiring his musical career.

To have been a small part of this wonderful, historic show was a huge honour for me. As Sonny says, every day at 12.15 without fail for the last 60 years,  “Pass the biscuits, ‘cos it’s King Biscuit Time!”

Kev Moore

A Gathering of the Blues – The International Blues Challenge in Memphis

We have been extraordinarily lucky with our timing on this trip, being in Nashville for the Colgate Country showdown final, and now, being in Memphis for the International Blues Challenge – an amazing gathering of hundreds of blues bands and musicians from all over the world, playing over several nights in all of the venues of Beale Street. Simply buying a $10 dollar wristband gained you entry at will to any and all of the venues to watch the competition unfold. Each band has the task over two nights, of  ‘winning their venue’ and then progressing to the grand final at the Orpheum theatre. 

Words can hardly describe how I felt as I stepped onto Beale last night, it was alive with blues afficianados, wandering from club to club, or simply hanging in the streets soaking it all up.  I opted to start the night in BB King’s – the legendary bluesman’s original club, where I chugged down a beer and a Beale street sub sandwich while I watched Ali Penney and the Moneymakers and The R & K  Brew Co.   The standard was high, and I looked forward to the rest of the night, opting to head out of BB’s and into the Superior, two doors down.  There I saw a few numbers by Art Harris and the Z – tones, who were more of a swing outfit, boasting a huge double bass, theatrically manipulated by its owner, and sax, and certainly had the house rocking.

Next up was a return to the Rum Boogie Cafe, where Miki and I had eaten the other night.  The place was absolutely bouncing, courtesy of the Nico Wayne Toussaint Band, who were absolutely  ripping the place up, the best band I saw all night, great blues harp from front man Nico, a man possessed, dressed in a red suit and bizzarely reminiscent of the late British actor Leonard Rossiter, dancing like a dervish, ably assisted by his band, and a sh*t-hot guitarist to boot. They had the audience in the palm of their hand, and I will be surprised if they don’t win their venue this week.  They take the stage again tomorrow night, and I hope to be there.

Nico Wayne Toussaint at the Rum Boogie Cafe

They were followed by the Crossroads blues band, with a frontman also dressed in red , topped by a red fedora, making him look a little like Junior Wells in Blues Brothers 2000.  Their guitarist wasn’t up to the standard of Nico’s and their set was a little slow to get going, but their ‘me and baby brother’-style funk-tinged closer was excellent. For my taste, a full set of that stuff would’ve been great.

I headed further down Beale into the Hard Rock Cafe where I grabbed a coffee to offset the beers, unsure of the driving regs over here, and caught a few songs by Cee Cee James. Her band was pretty good and her voice, every now and then strayed into Janis territory. I felt that when she pushed it she sounded pretty good, but it’s not easy singing like that! The band that followed, Jen and Tonic,  really didn’t do it for me, so I drained the coffee and headed to Alfred’s.

I was just in time to see a band who I thought was the  Thornetta Davis band take the stage, but as Thornetta herself has pointed out to me, I was completely wrong, it was someone else!   As they spoke before starting it sounded like a couple of them were English, but they were introduced as from somewhere in the States. In any event, the girl vocal just didn’t work in a blues format for me at all, and I was out before the second chorus. I missed the Thornetta Davis band because the evening was running late at Alfreds, but you should check out her album on the link she provides in the comments on my follow up article over on Cafe Crem.

As I walked up the street, I poked my head in Rum Boogie, Club 152, Superior, as artists continued to give their best. Blues filled the night air, and I felt the ghosts of Memphis walking Beale proudly, surveying the keepers of their legacy.

A final stop at BB’s before driving home and I managed to catch a band called  Blackburn – who were indeed three brothers from Toronto and a black bassist – amusingly introduced as their ‘brother from another mother’!! I only stayed for one song, but I certainly want to check them out next time.  The guitarist attacked his Strat with a Townsend-style  frenzy chopping out great blues-funk chords that cut through you like razor-wire. Great stuff.

As I walked off into the night, I felt like I’d been dipped in a great vat of Blues Gumbo, filled with every variety of the genre, every influence from far and wide, all brought together here on this street which taught the world that black and white could not only live together, but make sweet music.

Why not read about the Second night of the challenge over on Cafe Crem?

Kev Moore