HMHB News Archive
January - December 2005
The CD, titled JOHN PEEL'S FESTIVE 15, comprises 15 tracks which made
Peel's annual Festive 50 listeners poll, including "The Trumpton Riots"
which reached No 14 in 1986. The CD also includes The Wedding Present, The
House Of Love, The Sugarcubes, Billy Bragg, Felt, Pavement, The Field Mice,
The Woodentops, Camper Van Beethoven, Spizzenergi, Wah!, The Bhundu Boys,
Robert Wyatt and The Fall.
I'll quote Nigel on this: "Re-this E-bay thing....I can't say I've ever been bothered about folk bootlegging HMHB (see Wilde) but I don't particularly enjoy it being done for profit on the back of John Peel. No qualms whatsoever about everyone getting stuff for free in this manner but I'm not even sure it's legal with this one as I presume it's the property of the BBC."
Exactly. So a few idiots have now spoilt everyone else's fun.
Here's a few extra quotes that didn't appear in the paper due to lack of space (ta to Paddy Shennan):
JOHN PEEL "His 'Womble' anecdote is surely the greatest ever for the image it conjures up." And . . . "He never had 'favourite songs' or 'favourite albums or bands' particularly (yes, if pushed he would say that 'Teenage Kicks' was perfect - he was correct of course) and he would wince when asked, for instance, to name his 'Top Ten' of anything - he got enthusiastic about a record at least five times per show I'd say and would heap praise on hundreds of groups and songs. This, of course, gave the green light for some of those groups to shout from the rooftops how they were 'one of John Peel's favourite bands' and that he liked their song so much he wept uncontrollably each time he heard it." ACHTUNG BONO - WILL BONO EVER GIVE UP POLITICS/PREACHING TO THE CONVERTED AND RETURN TO MUSIC? "I must admit, I'm not exactly firing live ammunition here - the play on words re Achtung Baby - and although the sarcastic halo on the cover could well be construed as an attempt to prick the ego of this 'prancing popinjay', that particular aspect of the sleeve was suggested by Dave the Milkman who remains convinced that they're just a second division Bunnymen." AND THE 57th GREATEST MERSEYSIDER'S GREATEST MERSEYSIDERS ARE? "Colin Kirkus and Menlove Edwards are certainly two who I'd have voted for." (they're 1930's climbers, in case you were wondering - Gez). TELLING FIBS - REMEMBER THE HMHB "TRIBUTE BAND" - IT AIN'T HALF MAN, MUM - YOU TOLD THE GUARDIAN ABOUT? "Did I ever tell you my embarrassing tribute band story? We were playing a concert somewhere and on the dressing room door was a notice of running times for the evening which said 'Can't' 8-30-9-15' 'HMHB-9-30-10-45'. I assumed (stupidly in hindsight) that 'Can't' were perhaps a Can tribute act and immediately entered their dressing room to ask which one of them was Holger Czukay. Turns out they were a band who played punk classics and they were actually called 'I Can't Believe It's Not Punk' - which explained their looks of askance in response to my smartarse query. They were good an' all......" SHIT ARM, BAD TATTOO "It isn't particularly about anyone specific....I have in mind slightly overweight bass players in local Punk (old 'skool')/Heavy Rock outfits who all seem to have flabby upper arms which is fine but not if you're going to get y'self a 'Tat'. "No-one specifically refers to the Book of Revelation(s) but there are plenty enough certainly who add that superfluous 's' and often do it whilst pontificating, thus making them appear doubly idiotic. 'If you're going to pontificate, don't manufacture brickbats for any possible counter attack' - that was said by either Andrey Tarkovsky or Stuart Boam (ex-Middlesbrough) - I can't remember which." WORKING ON ANY COVER VERSIONS FOR LIVERPOOL, ABERDEEN, GLASGOW, PRESTON? "Huge row over this within the ranks - vying for acceptance were Idumea by the Watersons, Big Hands by Crass, The Bed by Lou Reed and The Biggest Aspidistra in the World, by 'our Gracie' of course. In the end we thought 'sod it let's do Nantucket Sleighride' but we rather predictably found it too difficult to play. Shame really...." PHOTO - WHAT SHALL WE DO? "Do we HAVE to?..Album cover perhaps or Geoff maybe. Woman up the road now knows I'm in a band. It's horrible and tiring trying to explain why we can't play at her Brother-in law's 21st. Actually, maybe we should. That'll learn her......."
Achtung Bono: the return of four lads that [sic] shook the Wirral
By Andrew Harrison
"This album is dedicated to the memory of John Peel, long-time patron of this wonderful and still largely undiscovered band - probably the only real practitioners of satire in British pop since Neil Innes. Without Peel it will be a little harder for HMHB to plough their lonely furrow; fewer people than ever will encounter Nigel Blackwell's deadpan jeremiads against B&Q/Homebase culture and society's rising tide of ignorance. Still, darkening skies and dashed hopes are meat and drink to Tranmere Rovers fans like Blackwell, and angry middle age actually suits HMHB better than their youth as a TV-obsessed, cosmic dole-ite jeux d'esprit [sic]. These days they sound like the Pixies outperforming Grumpy Old Men for spleen, bile and acid wit, and they're producing the best music they've made.
Dressed up like a Crass album, Achtung Bono is rougher and more contentious than its predecessor, the arch coffee-table spoof Cammell Laird Social Club. Punk riffs abound, as ever interspersed with stolen melodies from nursery rhymes or school hymns - the backdrop to Blackwell's invective is a jumble of collective memory. Many of the reasons we fans love HMHB are here too: music business arcana (Joy Division Oven Gloves), the perversion of football chants ("Same old Hampstead/Ken Hom wok set"), an affection for things lost. But there are new things to hear as well in the pathos in For What Is Chatteris... and the strange poetry of Depressed Beyond Tablets. Is it for everyone? God no, but try it and they could be come [sic] one of your life's cherished experiences. They're certainly one of mine."
Restless Legs
Corgi Registered Friends
For What Is Chatteris...
Shit Arm, Bad Tattoo
Surging Out Of Convalescence
Upon Westminster Bridge
Joy Division Oven Gloves
Mate Of The Bloke
Asparagus Next Left
Depressed Beyond Tablets
Bogus Official
Letters Sent
Twydale's Lament
We Built This Village On A Trad. Arr. Tune
This LP is dedicated to the memory of John Peel.
The usual 'further details' will appear on the site nearer to release date.
If it happens it'll be available streamed live on the BBC Nottingham website.