The Status Quo
Oh. You're still here then. That must mean you have either signed up recently enough to avoid the auto-destruct programme, or are so incredibly organised that you actually bothered to renew in answer to last edition's plea. Jolly good show, and welcome to this, the latest in a long line of quality mailouts designed to keep you informed, advised, and ultimately parted from your hard-earned cash in exchange for goods available elsewhere only on the black market. For the benefit of newcomers to this list, we, the management, undertake not only to keep you fully informed about the precarious state of our cat's well being, but to wax lyrical and enthusiastic over all the projects currently involving those parties collectively known as Blyth Power. That, presumably, is why you signed up - unless you are Old Mrs Rowsley of 38 Greenway Road, Batcombe, Surrey, in which case you have been targeted by one of the yobs down the road for a little practical pleasantry, and will probably not be interested in the following. For those of you still not dragged kicking and screaming into the modern world, we do urge you all to get an e-mail address. Not that we think the internet is anything other than a useful tool for tackling bureaucracy, but it makes our lives so much easier. If you do have an e-mail address, let us know and join the ranks of those who receive additional inter-mailout updates, which no longer cost us a fortune in stamps.
Here We Are and Here We Are and Here We Go
So what of the afore mentioned Blyth Power? This month's chief news is of September's impending UK tour, which is designed to break in the last few songs for the forthcoming totally-new-no-strings-attached studio CD. Gosh! The first one since Out From Under the King, all those years ago. If you made it to any of the recent dates, you would have heard the latest of this collection to make it into the live set - McCullough & Guinea and Sometimes I Wonder. Dates of note on this tour include Otley Folk Festival - nice to see someone is prepared to risk unleashing Jessie's silly hairstyle on a 'roots orientated' audience - and the open air street festival in Stockton, which is apparently railway-orientated. This latter is an afternoon affair we are informed and free. If you live in the North West, and are unable to believe that Blyth Power really are coming to your neck of the woods, then rest assured it is true. The embargo is to be broken on August 12th, when the band plays Barrow in Furness Street Arts 2000 festival. Action takes place on the main stage in the Town Square, and Blyth kick off at 6.30 - that's 18.00 hours for those of you who only speak railway. We hope to get all the songs into the studio this side of Christmas, and artwork is already on the drawing board. For those of you who appreciated The Bricklayer's Arms, however, there will be another retro project next year. Plans are afoot to circumvent the loss of copyright on two of the early LPs by re-recording a dozen selected songs for re-issue with the current band. All suggestions will be gratefully received, although that doesn't mean to say we'll pay them any heed. We are mad despotic dictators after all.
Rockin' All Over the World
Fun was had by all recently at the early summer fixtures in such widely dispersed places as Southwick, where we met lots of nice Basques, Oxford, upon which occasion we were delighted to meet some old acquaintances, and Motherwell, which proved to be a wild night of rock all round, and was chiefly memorable for the cardboard guitar wielding offspring of our host. TDL was accused by one of fancying Brittany Spears. Tragically he didn't know who she is/was, and so the veracity of the statement went unchallenged. Years ago, all the civilised world hailed Scotland as the place to go for the finest and best in indigenous diesel traction types. Sadly the variety has, over the years, suffered from rationalisation, and the 27s and 26s are no longer there. Still, there are very few really cool engine sheds left, so it was up with the lark and out before breakfast for those devout enough to celebrate the Sabbath in the way it should be spent - shed bashing of course. Following a long night of drinking, dancing, carousing, or simply sleeping, the entire band (minus Annie) was pleased to pay a visit to Motherwell locosheds at 07.00hrs. Are we not truly men of steel? With over forty engines present, we were all moved to soliloquy. Thanks are most definitely owing to Jaz and his colleagues for getting us back over the border, and for allowing TDL to snap 33019 in a Scottish MPD. Phooooaaaarrr. Another required location for the collective Blyth Train Photo Archives was crossed off on the way back to our host's domicile thanks to a furtive penetration into the fastness of Mossend Yard - a most desirable hotspot, far removed from the public eye, in which repose such delightful entities as the exotic and rarely snapped class 92, two of which lurked behind the more pedestrian 90s and 86s. The chaps returned to breakfast victorious, eager for the next stop on the day's round, which proved to be at Carlisle on the road back to York… (Continued P 94)
Down Down Deeper and Down
Oh the joys of a 75% trainspotting band. On a more orthodox level, you will all be relieved to hear that the long-awaited Going Down with Alice CD has reached this office, and is now on sale at Blyth showrooms throughout the land. Delayed due to a re-mix, the finished article is sublime, and features five of TDL's songs, and five from the hand of Whisky Priest Gary Miller. Some of the tracks may be familiar to those who have attended Mr Porter's solo gigs in the past. Contributions from the Blyth side of the ring are House of War, Kater Murr, Cynthia's Revels, Canard's Grace and Land Sea and Sky. The usual cheque for Ł12 to this address will secure a copy, and the Mad Dogs and Englishmen web page can be visited at http://www.whiskypriests.co.uk/maddogs/index.html Alternatively, The Whisky Priests can be contacted at: Whippet Records. P.O. Box 72, York YO31 1LD. Tel/Fax: 01904 410038 or 01904 423060, mobile 0410 761845. First UK date is on August 1st, in Middlesborough but expect much more in the future.
You're In The Army Now
Actually you're not, but we seem to have dried up on the Quo titles for these paragraphs. It was going so well too. Never mind, it isn't important. What is important is the latest news on internet contacts, because of course we are all well aware now that without the internet we would all be grubbing around in miry darkness, entirely unable to send each other large, time-consuming and no doubt hilarious jokes which serve no other purpose than to run up our phone bills and drive the management mad when we're trying to pick up our e-mails. I wonder how many we'd get if the senders had to lick a stamp every time. Humbug. Any rumours going about that the Internet is a potentially useful and practical communications tool should be stamped on forthwith, as should the chap who has somehow added us to his mailing list of those interested in classical Hindustani music. I'm sure it's jolly good, but who are you and where did you get our address from? The management would just like to take this opportunity to point out that their Luddite souls are sickened to the marrow by the reams of nonsense coming into the virtual mailbox. Still - we only virtually read most of it anyway. But if you are addicted to the process of sending e-mails, and exploring gubbins which, offline, it wouldn't even occur to you to glance at, then you will no doubt be eager for the latest news on the long-awaited and even longer promised new Blyth website…. It's getting there, we promise! Flashes of the opening titles have been approved, and it's jolly hilarious. Tragically mad Dr McBacchus has a backlog of rabbits and guinea pigs that all need an assortment of toiletries smeared on their eyes and injected into their testicles. Once these experiments are concluded, and the beagles have finished the rest of the Woodbines, we are assured that his undivided attention will be given to what is already being hailed by some (i.e. TDL and his cat) as the internet event of the decade. Continue watching this space. Alternatively, if you weary of Mr Porter's megalomania and humourlessness, you might wish to digitally pursue Jessie Adams and his punk rock band Eastfield across the sprawling wastes of the WWW. Please note that the Eastfield website is now deleted, as overexposure to our own Dear Leader has caused Jessie to run amuck in his own ranks, and stage a miniature 'night of the long drumsticks' of his own. Anyone wishing to contact the band should now talk to Jessie direct at jessieastfield@hotmail.com While on the subject, we would just like to point out that entries for the 'which one of the Tweenies does Jessie resemble most' competition should reach us before 12th August, as the results will be announced live onstage by the Lady Mayoress of Barrow-in-Furness. One of the above statements is a lie. Can you guess which one? Answers on a postcard please. Competition entry fee is Ł20.
Whatever You Want
Not a Status Quo song at all, but an opportunity to draw your attention to the new T-shirts. The design is the Coat of Arms from The Bricklayer's Arms CD, and is in full colour on white. As usual we have XL only. Buy one and we'll tell you what the Latin motto says. Buy two and we'll go out for an expensive Chinese meal. Don't forget to snap up those Alice CDs too - it all goes into the fighting fund….
The Thoughts of Chairman Meeow
Bah! Katalax it's called…mmmm……. looks like marmite….. stinks…..mmrrrreowwwww…….makes me void my guts out… serve them right…….. mmmmrrrrr….under table……rrreeeowww…Hah!…… clean that one up sonny….
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