The Kids are alright.

Very handy coned zone for gamers behind Stalybridge Station buffet bar.

Lost Cause.

A few hundred years ago I used to do a fanzine called Moral Sense with a chap called Richard Hector-Jones. We wrote a lot about what we called Garage Punk, but which also went by a few other names including Budget Rock, Lo-Fi and Totally Shitty Music. Now, heavens above, somebody has written a book about it, We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut. Where he gets Gunk Punk from, I'll leave until I've finished the book as it's a term I'd never heard before the book came out. What it did make me think, though, was that people might want to read interviews with some of the bands in the book. So, here, from Moral Sense issue three, is an interview with Supercharger, Daly City, CA's sultans of shite. I hope you enjoy it. There's more.

Rev it up and go with... Supercharger

It all seemed simplicity in itself. One of Moral Sense's most trusted Gentleman Agents had found himself taking a break in the fair German city of Berlin. After he had unpacked his shooting stick and plus fours he found that two of the New World's finest Garage Punk bands, Supercharger and The Mummies, were entertaining the troops at the oddly-named Knaap Club. Putting through a call to headquarters he requested whether an interview with these American entertainers might be in order. We readily agreed and drank a toast to him with the finest matured Highland whisky that very night. It was here that things began to go rather awry

"HEY MORAL SENSE. THIS IS GREG OF SUPERCHARGER. YOU GUYS NEED TO GET ONE THING STRAIGHT, I AM RIP OFF RECORDS, NOT DARIN, I PLAY BASS, NOT DARIN. AND ALL THE ANSWERS THAT YOU TRANSCRIBED AND CREDITED TO DARIN, ARE ACTUALLY ME, AND VICE VERSA. YOU GUYS FUCKED UP BIG TIME.
 
Needless to say, when we received that response from Mr. Greg Lowery, bass guitarist for Supercharger, and the man behind Rip Off Records, we were mightily shamed. Suspicious that Gentleman Agent JW001's answers were a tad on the brief side we had sent a radio-telegram to the United States of America in the hope of receiving more information. What we didn't expect was confirmation that this Gentleman Agent had 'slacked out', neglecting his claret and cigars for a sordid entanglement with the tawdry narcotics of the stinking hippy crash-pad scene. 

Furthermore, the whole world had gone into a state of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome with the news that The Mummies' apparent reformation for a tour of the spas of Europe had only been for what was understood to be a skipful of bandages and rather a lot of liniment, if one knows what one means, after which they were all due back at their ancestral tombs. In the meantime, a second LP now under their belts, Supercharger imploded.

"IN REGARDS TO THE BREAKUP, WELL IT IS LONG AND COMPLEX, BUT I WILL TRY. THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS FOR US BREAKING UP, THE FIRST WAS DARIN'S RELUCTANCE TO PLAY LIVE, AND HIM BASICALLY DESPISING JUST ABOUT EVERYONE WHO SAID THEY WERE FANS, THINKING THEY WERE JUST SAYING THAT TO JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON. HE ALSO WANTED TO BREAK UP THE BAND ALMOST FROM THE BEGINNING, SAYING WE WERE A JOKE AND ALL. BUT THE FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN WAS DARIN ACTING LIKE A TOTAL ASSHOLE OVER IN EUROPE, TRYING TO SHOW OFF IN FRONT OF THE MUMMIES AND ALL. SO THAT WAS THAT. I KNEW HE WANTED TO BREAK IT UP, AND THIS WAS HIS WAY OF MAKING SURE IT WAS DONE. SO THAT'S THE STORY. IN REGARDS TO YOUR OTHER QUESTION IF WE STILL TALK TO EACH OTHER, ME AND KAREN DO OBVIOUSLY, DARIN AND KAREN ARE STILL FRIENDS, BUT I TOTALLY DESPISE DARIN FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE TO OUR BAND, AND OUR FRIENDSHIP, SO FUCK HIM".

So, let this interview stand as an epitaph for Supercharger. Let those who come after take heed - Supercharger rocked. They rocked shabbily, but they fuckin' rocked. 

"IN REGARDS TO THE FIRST ALBUM, WE RECORDED IT WITHOUT EVER PLAYING LIVE OR BEING INVOLVED IN ANY SCENE. ME AND DARIN STARTED THE BAND, AND NEEDED A DRUMMER IN JANUARY 1991. SO WE ASKED KAREN, WHO WAS/IS (Furnote: ISN'T) MY GIRLFRIEND. (GREG, NOT DARIN). SHE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT SHE CAME TO PLAY A COUPLE OF TIMES AND LIKED IT, TOOK A MONTH'S WORTH OF LESSONS, AND AFTER A MONTH WE STARTED RECORDING THE FIRST LP. DARIN AND MYSELF WERE PLAYING FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF MONTH'S BEFORE".

Mr. Angry, Karen Singletary, Donny Denim.

Gentleman Agent JW001's questions and answers begin here, any clues as to his whereabouts would be appreciated - he was last seen hitting the Hippy Trail to go 'find himself' in one of those places where nice white boys go. 

Do you get out of Daly City often?

"We play San Francisco about once a month - every six weeks - any more would be like tonight, y'know, audience totally bored", said Greg.

So do you have dayjobs then?

"Yeah, yawned Greg, "I sell motorboats, Darin is a brain surgeon".

And Karen?

"Karen is a drug-runner - she smuggles drugs in children's diapers".

So where did you come up with the name Supercharger?

"Well", whined Darin, "I wanted to be called The Superchargers, but was outvoted by Greg and Karen. Greg said 'Supercharger'".

Moral Sense later ascertained that a Supercharger is kind of like our very own Hot Wheels racing track, and is also part of a horseless carriage. What would these mechanically minded young folk be getting up to once they got back to the land of Mom's Apple Pie?

"Well, I'm kind of excited 'cos my new label should be just about ready to go", gushed Greg, "I'll be home in about two weeks, and should be putting out a one-sided 7" by The Statics soon after".

As this was a double-headed tour with The Mummies, it had to be asked whether Supercharger, too, hated CDs?

"Yeah, well", decided Greg, "we don't hate them that much. I used to have one, but I don't like 'em anymore. The real beauty of vinyl is the hunting for something really rare and just holding it in your hands. You don't get that with CDs".

Are there any bands out there who deserve The Supercharger Seal of Approval in the same way that The Mummies championed yourselves and The Fingers for a while?

"No!! It's the other way around", snorted Greg, "too many bands getting the attention they don't deserve. I see a lot of bands, and the majority of them suck. It's not like I'm saying we don't but I just don't like it".
It appears you don't like much, so who do you hate?

"Hmmm", pondered Greg, "besides each other, we hate everybody. We are a Punk Rock band, we have to hate everybody".

Provoked by this I leapt on the path of low-rent cheap and sleazy journalism by asking them who their favourite fuck was.

"Well I could bet in trouble for this", said Darin, "so I'd better say Danielle".

"I don't want to sound romantic and say definitely Karen", contradicted Greg.

"Actually, she was my favourite too", interrupted Darin, "probably yours, too".

So, besides Karen reading this, what's your biggest fear?

"Oh, I dunno, probably running out of money in Germany", decided Darin.

"Yeah", grinned Greg, "an earthquake happens and a bridge falls. That's my biggest fear, and it's already happened".

Did the split single with The Fingers ever happen?

"No!"

Oh, okay, then you don't mind me asking about another band? What's Raul Balcarcel from The Fingers up to?

"Ha ha ha!", laughed Darin, "He's up to no good - he just kind of turns up, but he seems to have a lot of fur.

Shane is starting a new band, though".

Right then, you are a punk rock band. If it came to a fight between you and The Mummies, who would win?

"Well, there's four of them and only three of us, but I guess Karen could take on two of them, which would kind of even things out", decided Darin.

"Basically we're wimps", interjected Greg, diplomatically.

So, would you win?

"The Mummies would", he concluded.

"No way, I can't see it happening", disagreed Darin.

Have you any message for your legions of UK fans who were denied a visit?

"HAHAHA! What fans?", asked Greg, "I'd have to say buy some real records and then you wouldn't have to like us".

And finally, your thoughts for the day, gentlemen?

"I guess I just want to shit on the ledge", snickered Darin in reference to the great German plumbing system which forces you to savour your load before flushing.

And Greg?

"I'd just like to say that Germany sucks and Berlin is the ugliest city I've ever been in".

Auf wiedersehen, pet.

With thanks to Gentleman Joe Wilson who used to sit on stage with Mr Ray's Wigworld.

Sonic Youth 11/08/85 Brighton Beach 3. Making The Nature...

I was at this, but I don't recall it being so much fun. From what I can remember, as the band had their backs to the land the sound just drifted out to sea. It was freezing cold and there were only a couple of hundred people there. The next year it as much sunnier and much busier and I went down intending to see That Petrol Emotion in support of Sonic Youth, but they'd been replaced by Psychic TV so I ended up wandering home.

Pretty Polly.

Sometimes words are enough.

Pictures of Match Stick Men VI.

Vacant Lot., originally uploaded by mithering.

As promised in an earlier posting, here's the lonely monster who appeared at the back of a fenced-off vacant lot on Spear Street in Manchester. He's a nice little fella, but he's started to peel off now. Not sure who the artist is who influenced it, but a work colleague thought it looks like something from a Miyazaki cartoon.

Parking Lot Blues.

Football Car Park Full., originally uploaded by mithering.

Gazza's tears had not even dried on Raoul Moat's discarded England flag when it was time to begin again with the first FC United pre-season friendly against Sutton A.F.C. of the Central Midlands League.  It was a trip which The Eldest and I did not think we'd be making given that first the FC United supporters' Boogie Bus had been cancelled due to lack of interest, followed a week later by the same thing happening to 'The Official Coach'.  In the end it was pointed out that we could take a train to Alfreton, followed by a bus to Sutton, from where we find a way to the ground.
A hiccup (i.e. the usual incompetence) with the Metrolink system meant no tickets at Heaton Park station, followed by ten minutes waiting around to be told that there were no trams, followed by a stop-start trip on the 135 and a dash up to Piccadilly for the train did not make for a relaxing journey.  Tickets, comic and sweets bought I went to the cashpoint. Not working. No cashpoint in Piccadilly Station was working.  All of which was compounded by the discovery, at Heaton Park, that my mobile had also decided to pack in for the day.
No worries, we would get some money at the station in Alfreton.  After a pleasant enough journey through Derbyshire and Yorkshire we got off at Alfreton to discover that the station was smaller than a garage forecourt Wild Bean Cafe, with nothing other than a window from which to buy tickets, and virtually in the middle of nowhere.  We headed up the hill towards 'Town Centre', which we eventually found half an hour or so later.  Having negotiated a High Street full of Shop-Mobility scooters and over-zealous born-again Christians we found a working cashpoint and headed for the bus station.  "Head towards Home Bargains, then go left".  Back on track we took the first of the three buses towards Sutton, the slow one as it turned out and a real locals' bus.
Having reached Sutton we needed to find our way to the town's premier Wetherspoons establishment, The Picture House, where I had arranged to meet my brother in order to get a lift up to the ground.  I scanned the faces outside the shopping centre and spotted three teenage girls with a buggy.  An established part of the Wetherspoons demographic. They quickly pointed us in the right direction and the next thing we knew we were sitting in there enjoying a plate of nachos and watching Sutton's finest brains attempt to negotiate with a 'Use other door sign'.  Oddly for Wetherspoons in a strange town there wasn't a sniff of an FC shirt or scarf. I slightly panicked and wondered out-loud if we weren't in completely the wrong town. It wasn't outside the realms of possibility given our journey and the auto-pilot way in which I'd undertaken it.  Naturally, just when I'd bought another pint, Our Kid turned up.

At the ground we found out that there was a cricket match going on on alongside the football ground. Somebody had already been there with a black, white and red reminder as to why most of us were there in the first place.  For the record, the home side, Mansfield Hosiery Mills Cricket Club, lost to Caythorpe.

Once in the ground (£5 for me, The Eldest waved in for free) we found the type of pitch which I thought we would have been playing on five years ago back in the Moore and Co Construction Solicitors North West Counties League Division Two, on a huge slope and covered in clover.  The crowd, as it turned out, wasn't bad with just under 300 there according to Sutton's own report.  The football was rudimentary.  Sutton had an extraordinary number of giant players, something exasperated by FC United's squad of shortarses, but they also lumbered around like they were carrying sacks of golden goose eggs so were easily manoeuvred around by the fleet-footed red shirts.  Our new striking dynamo, Mike Norton, missed a worrying amount of chances including the one above and looks a bit rusty.
FC went in at half time two up thanks to goals from potential new boy Martin Parker and last season's top player, Jake Cotterell.  (I say went in, but they actually all stayed on the pitch as the changing rooms were shared and currently being used for the cricket match over the road). Over the road, was also where you went to get a pint.  Out of the ground, over the road, into The Pavilion and up to the bar where they were doing a lovely guest ale at £2.36 a pint, then back out of The Pavilion, over the road and back into the ground.

The Pavillion was being readied for the innings break when we headed in at half-time. What you can see above is the childrens' party-like spread waiting for the Mansfield Hosiery and Caythorpe teams. It contributed to an overall sense of pragmatic Englishness of the day. Although that could have been the effects of the bitter.  FC ended up winning by four, with second-half goals from Norton (Penalty) and Roca (tap-in).

I'd been intending to marry away trips with some birdwatching activity, which I was then going to post on here. As it is, I don't think we saw much of anything bar a large brown moth, so instead here's the mascot for Sutton AFC, the mighty Snipe.

Budget for the day for me and The Eldest (not including drinks): Bus fare from Prestwich to town and back again: £5.70, train fare to Alfreton and back: £15.65, bus fare from Alfreton to Sutton £4.05, big plate of Nachos: £4.29, ticket in: £5, lift back to Alfreton from Our Kid: £0.  Total cost for day: £34.69.

People Take Pictures of Each Other #5 - Buzzcocks - Why She's A Girl From The Chain Store

More Mancunian 80s interiors and exteriors. This time round, it's the old Lewis's Department Store that takes centre stage. This video was filmed in 1980 at the time when the TV and Hi-Fi department was in the basement. Some of the video was filmed on the ground floor as you can see a bus go past outside on Market Street where Market Street tram stop is now. There's some filming outside in that same area. Best of all though are the stairs into the basement; still as bold as brass in those days. Not had the chance to look in there since TK Maxx moved out of the basement. That's Linder Sterling 'behind the till', btw, and does anybody know which nightclub they end up in?

MacArthur Park.

So bye bye Central Library for the next four years (or so). Probably the last big refurbishment to get under the funding gate for a few years. And while we're at it, au revoir for the same time period to The Library Theatre who are also (logically) moving out.  First to take up an itinerant position at The Lowry and then on to the only opportunity better than moving into a scrubbed-up Central Library. Their very own space at another (if not THE) Grand Dame of Manchester theatre taking advantage of a heritage make-over, The Theatre Royal on Peter Street; better known these days as the avoid-at-all-costs Discotheque Royale. It's good to see one of Manchester's 'survivor' buildings, having avoided the 60s and 70s bulldozer-fest, buck the recent trend for turning everything into mal-shaped flats or unaffordable, cloned-from-head office hotel rooms. That the same dignity could not be afforded to The Free Trade Hall or The Old Fire Station is a real shame and, in terms of the former, two fingers from Manchester city Council to the historical and political importance of a building built on the bloodied fields of Peterloo.

Playground Twist.

Playground Twist., originally uploaded by mithering.

The video above is the view from inside this:


The oft-photographed Giant Slide in Heaton Park.

Up Against The Wall XVIII - Suck on Ya titties.

Up Against The Wall XVIII - Suck on Ya titties., originally uploaded by mithering.

Not had an Up Against The Wall for a couple of months. This one is from Spear Street in Manchester. There's also a great piece of street art just down from it, in a vacant lot, which I'll post soon.