E Street band at their (almost) peak between Darkness and River tours. Footage from this show is why I became a fan in the first place (The River shown on Whistle Test).

Means no Tracks 2 this year almost certainly, but as that probably contains stuff not on

1. All the original albums 2. Tracks 3. The Essential Bruce Springsteen 4. The Promise Box Set 5. The Ties that Bind Box Set 6. High Hopes 7. Stuff reserved for Born in the USA/Nebraska box set

… then It might not be that great anyway.

https://backstreets.com/news.html#nonukes

Anybody been following the Britney Spears “conservatorship” case? Some pretty shocking claims, including:

– Forced to perform when she didn’t want to

– Forcibly put on very strong anti-psychotic medication

– Paid a relative pittance compared to her “handlers” mainly her father

– Unable to remove contraception device when she wanted to have another child

All sounds like a kind of music slavery. Pretty horrific if true and apparently her testimony was very convincing.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/23/britney-spears-conservatorship-hearing-key-takeaways

Confess I haven’t heard the last one yet, but glad Neil is prioritizing The Horse in his twilight years.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/neil-young-recording-new-crazy-horse-album-1187436/

Too much? Not enough?

https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/the-beatles-get-back-now-set-to-debut-on-disney/

So Canada, friendly, open country right? Think again.

In the news this week the remains of 215 indigenous children found on the site of a “residential school” in British Columbia, some as young as 3. Absolutely appalling.

The residential schools for indigenous children were set up around the time of the birth of Canada as a nation and continued well into the last century. They were mostly run by the catholic church, the main policy being that indigenous children should be forcibly removed from their parents and schooled in a way so that they could better assimilate into the mainly white population of European origin. They were then subjected in many cases to physical and sexual assault and the finding of so many bodies possibly indicated that genocide was also carried out, or at least they were kept in such desperate conditions that allowed the uncontrollable spreading of deadly diseases.

This may be the tip of the iceberg and there are now calls to have digs at all the former school sites across Canada to see if there are more bodies buried.

I can hardly think of anything more appalling, even today the treatment of indigenous people here leaves a » Continue Reading.

Any one trying to return to Australia from India faces $66,000 fine and/or 5 years in jail.

WTF?

They seem to be behind on vaccinations, but surely testing before and after travel, plus mandatory quarantine (with further tests) would reduce the risk considerably.

Appreciate they have had much fewer cases than most of the rest of the world, but these policies seem to be inhumane and out of all proportion to the potential risks.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/apr/30/australian-government-may-make-it-a-for-citizens-to-return-from-covid-ravaged-countries

The BCRHM

I actually was planning to see him (them) live last March just for the hell of it. Of course it was cancelled…

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-56848233

A Beatles song from 1970 with the initials LIB

2 cracks at it:

Life is Beautiful? Love is Blind?

Scored 34 I think @deramdaze

No longer a blog, but a forum it seems.

One of my favourite places on the internet despite occasional grumpy exchanges.

I appreciate all the work that has gone into creating it, adding new features and keeping it going.

However other forums/message boards that I visit have very nice user friendly features like notifications when someone quotes or replies to something you have posted, also likes can be applied to any post and you get notifications about that too. Also easier to post photos and navigate on a phone etc

Just wondering what people might think about having something similar here. The main area of the site could remain the same, but the message board/forum would become sexier and easier to use.

Fully understand if that is not wanted here, but interested what others think.

I am middle aged, I look with dismay at the fad that has been going on for a few years with so many younger people getting them. In my day the only people I knew with tattoos were either ex servicemen (navy mostly) or very hard people.

I think a good business to be in in about 10-15 years would be a tattoo removal service. can’t help but think that many may regret what they have had (almost) indelibly placed on their previously lovely and unblemished bodies.

Do you have one or more? Are you thinking of getting one?

Anybody tried this power cable? Only $27,000 for one metre.

https://www.highfidelitycables.com/power/professional-series-double-helix-signature/

So average Brit spent 6 and a half hours watching TV in lockdown. 40% of waking hours glued in front of the screen.

An I alone in finding this incredible? I guess I watch 2-3 hrs a day on average.

What about others here?

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/aug/05/britons-tv-covid-lockdown-ofcom-streaming-netflix-amazon

So today I got this email about an upcoming show in Ottawa, looks to be possibly a test case for bigger events. Late March is fairly optimistic for an outdoor event, temperature could be below freezing!

“The Ontario Festival Industry Taskforce (OFIT) in collaboration with DNA Live—and with support from the Canadian Live Music Association, Ottawa Festivals Network, and the National Arts Centre—today announced THE LONG ROAD BACK, a live in-person concert using rapid COVID-19 antigen screening.

The event will take place at Lansdowne Park, March 27, 2021 and feature the super Soul sounds and Motown rhythms of THE COMMOTIONS. Fans of live music can expect an evening that will bring the joy of music to Ottawa, along with a sense of escape.

The innovative nature of the March 27 event will allow attendees to participate in a safer environment, with the added layer of rapid COVID-19 antigen screening, and will be the first of its kind in Canada.

THE LONG ROAD BACK concert will take place at Lansdowne Park, in an area known as the Casino Lac-Leamy Plaza. The proposed rapid COVID-19 antigen screening will be limited to 100 attendees and organized in conjunction with Shoppers Drug Mart. » Continue Reading.

I have them, didn’t listen yet.

https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/50-unreleased-rolling-stones-tracks-have-suddenly-appeared-online-why-and-how/

It’s a triple set naturally (on vinyl). Check out those titles.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XGSTKRQ/ref=sr_1_35?dchild=1&keywords=van+morrison&qid=1614724239&s=music&sr=1-35&tag=shforums-20

Super Deluxe Heaven

https://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/sonia-everybody-knows-the-singles-box-set-6cd-package/

Record score against England, their championship hopes in tatters, Welsh Triple Crown. Boris Johnson, Martin Johnson, David Cameron, Maggie Thatcher (sic), Eddie Jones “Your boys took a HELLLLL of a beating”

This is all good news, right? The light at the end of the tunnel is getting bigger I think. I know there are those pesky variants, but so far it seems that even if they may be easier to transmit the vaccines can handle them until this point.

Above was based on UK figures, we are seeing similar in Canada despite the vaccination roll out being much slower (will ramp up considerably in Q2). Also it seems one dose of the Pfizer vaccine is 90% effective after 3 weeks, this could mean that the vaccination process can be accelerated and we will get control much quicker.

Wonder if there could be some hope for travel, concerts, crowds at sporting events late summer timeframe.

https://consumer.healthday.com/b-2-3-pfizer-vaccine-90-effective-after-three-weeks-early-study-shows-2650280984.html

Only 67

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/johnny-rogan-leading-music-biographer-dies-aged-67-1.4483058?mode=amp

THIS IS NOT A POLL. List your top 3 or so.

1) 1981 The Who Deeside Leisure Centre

I was 18, my first big concert. I got there about 3 hours before the doors opened and there were about 5 people in front of me. When the doors opened I scampered to the rail Pete’s side and did not move throughout Nine Below Zero’s set until The Who came on. In those days I drank nothing at concerts so a bathroom break wasn’t necessary.

So I was right in front of Pete, who seemed to be in a foul mood, he was probably pretty drunk and was slashing his horribly distorted guitar with great venom. Of course it was great, but after a few songs I decided to move back a little as it was a bit too crazy for me right at the front. Was still very very loud though. Enjoyed the show, but my ears were ringing on leaving. Outside there had been some Mod/Rocker thing going on and there were cars with smashed windows.

I made it home, but literally I could hardly hear for a week afterwards. I truly believe my hearing was » Continue Reading.

5 CDs, 2 vinyl singles etc.

This looks like a pretty great version of their best album *

* possibly

https://www.horizonsmusic.co.uk/products/the-who-the-who-sell-out-5cd-2×7

As @Colin-H showed us a few weeks ago Northern Ireland seems to be moving into a halfway house between being part of the UK and part of a united Ireland in the post Brexit era.

Nicola Sturgeon is promising another independence vote for Scotland in the near future with polls currently in her favour.

Wales has never had much stomach for independence, but recent polls put those in favour up to an all time high of 33% (up from 22%) a year ago. Should it be left at some point in a rump with England then there could be more clamour for it.

Most here are English, what do they think about this. Don’t care or unhappy to see the end of a centuries long union? For the Celts, who prefers status quo or has an appetite for the promised land of independence?