![]() ![]() If you were to stage your own Meltdown, who'd be on the bill? They're a relatively new band from Austin, Texas and play old-school blues, or what we used to call R&B in the 60s… not what it's come to mean now! I think Cee Lo Green has a terrific voice, and Eminem is a great lyricist. I've just bought the new album of Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears. For anyone who writes lyrics, it's a huge honour to be asked to take part in something by a legend like Ray Davies. And their lyrics are clever, full of social comment and wry observation. Their music is the anti-melody, but Ray always sung it so melodically. I loved them for their clever mix of rock'n'roll and erudition. I'm a 60s guy, so hearing the persistent riff of songs like "You Really Got Me" takes me back. John Cooper Clarke, English performance poet (15 June)įor me, hearing the Kinks instantly conjures up the past. There'd also be a strong UK element with We Are Birds of Paradise and Shock Headed Peters. My choices would include Carla Bozulich, Evangelista and Mexico's Le Butcherettes. Who'd be on your bill if you curated your own Meltdown? I also love female sax player Jessie Evans, JG Thirlwell and Dax Riggs. Big Sexy Noise does exactly what it says on the tin: we're a coarse, unglamorised rock band.ĭo you have any recommendations for new music? Their sound was rough, raunchy and delightfully amateurish. The Kinks were a bit before my time but they were an important influence on the rock music that followed. Lydia Lunch, poet, singer and actress (18 June) It was full of rock stars and singers playing together after hours. Who'd be on your bill if you created your own Meltdown?Ĭarl Douglas, Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood, Jeff Beck… I'd recreate the kind of time we used to have at the Bag O'Nails bar on Kingly Street back in the 60s. I guess I helped popularise their music over here. I love their stuff and brought it over to the UK. People like Otis Redding and Rufus Thomas. I like a party atmosphere.Īrtists from the Stax record label. It's rocking the house, basically! I specialise in creating positive energy with soul music and getting the audience involved. How would you describe your musical style? My favourite song of theirs was "You Really Got Me", which I think was stylistically different from the rest of the stuff they did. Ray and the boys became good friends of mine. Geno Washington, legendary US soul and R&B singer (11 June) I'd also get Slava Polunin, Robert Wyatt, Scarlett and Viva, Ray Davies, Georgie Fame, Eddie Piller, Deaf School, Count Arthur Strong, Jerry Dammers' Spatial AKA Orchestra, Tim Minchin, the cast of Oliver!, Paul Morley, my mum, Fergus Henderson and his dad and Diarmuid Gavin. Of recent music, I really rate Dizzee Rascal and Tinie Tempah. I'd get the Blockheads, and Althea and Donna for some reggae. And Aloe Blacc, of course, to represent the new generation. I'd get lots of soul and Motown artists on there: Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Ruffin, Martha and the Vandellas and the Miracles. If you curated your own Meltdown bill who would be on there? Man Like Me are a fantastic London band and have been doing the rounds for a couple of years now. He's definitely one I'll be checking out at Glastonbury. My daughter has told me great things about his live show. I love the soul singer Aloe Blacc – particularly the song "I Need a Dollar". It sounds a bit like Lou Reed gone wrong with an accordion! We're also doing a cover of "Lola" in homage to the Kinks. We'll be trying some different arrangements like a classical version of "Baggy Trousers". It'll be a little less frenetic than a conventional Madness concert – a touch more introspective. We've also got Muswell Hill roots in common! We never tried to approximate their sound but I think it shines through in some of our records. ![]() They specialised in making poetry and cinema out of everyday life, all expressed in their own vernacular. They really inspired the way we wrote songs. I'd also invite Wild Beasts and Animal Collective. The records of Antony and the Johnsons have really affected me over the years, so I'd have to put them on there too. If you were to curate your own Meltdown, who would you invite to perform? And I love Alice and the Cool Dudes – another really fantastic group. They're excellent and should really be more recognised. And they had so many different styles going on! The delicate tunes and crazy bass lines of songs like "Sunny Afternoon" versus the pure rock'n'roll of "You Really Got Me".Ī band called the Invisible, who were nominated for the Mercury prize in 2009. They had this punk aesthetic yet all their songs were beautifully crafted. I remember my dad putting on "Waterloo Sunset" and being struck by what wonderful songwriters they were. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |