Back in the summer, we loved reviewing the “That Way” single by the Jellybricks from Harrisburg, PA. Well, that one was good but the new one, “Age Of Stupid” is even better. Some great power-pop riffs, clever lyrics, and a vocal that draws you in. The chorus reminded me a bit of Green Day at their best. As for the message, after that monumentally stupid election result in the USA last week, this song is not just pertinent and topical it is essential listening for these crazy times! The animated video is damned good too.
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Who is Joshua Idehen? Well, he was a founding member of bands, Benin City and Calabashed. He’s collaborated with the jazz act, Sons Of Kemet and jazz punk band, The Comet Is Coming, LA maestro Daedelus, electronic duo LV, and jazz acoustic artist Scrimshire amongst others. Why do you need this information? Simply because Joshua has just released a great new EP ‘Mum Does The Washing’.
The title track “Mum Does The Washing” has some incredibly clever lyrics that refer to Mum doing the washing but then tying it back via some great analogous thinking to everything from capitalism to feudalism via religion, fascism, feminism, and surrealism. My particular favourite line is male feminism: “That one time I did the washing I told everybody I did the washing. I blogged about it, bragged about it, took a selfie, Insta story. Went on TV, won an Oscar. Went on Fortnite, did a dance. I am an ally. Hashtag me too.” This was the single that drew me to the EP.
The second track, “Could Be Forever” is a beautiful song set against a flowing and comforting jazz dance beat with some great backing vocals that enhance the track perfectly. I feel that this song is about respect and caring, particularly for the old. It also has some pertinent and subtle yet strong anti-racist messages. The lyrics highlight Idehen’s huge talent as a poet.
“Tactics For Survival” is up next and it has a bass line that might have fitted perfectly well on Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On?” album. It draws on the myriad of things that get us down and leave us broken and dispirited and how we handle them, how we cope with life. For me, it sends a powerful message to understand that other people experience the world differently to you and we all cope in so many different ways? What are your tactics for survival? Great music is one of my tactics and the music of Joshua Idehen has got me through some hard days this week.
The EP closes with a cover of the Talking Heads classic “Once In A Lifetime” with Joshua’s poetic, passionate, thespian-style delivery supported with some ethereal and sublime gospel tones provided by the Social Singing Choir. Without a doubt one of the best cover versions I have heard in ages. This EP is simply perfect, I have played it a few times and I can’t see myself ever tiring of it.
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Every step that Apollo Junction takes seems to take them two steps forward, and the new single “Falling” is no exception. It is an anthemic masterpiece perfectly suited to drift across festival fields and draw more new fans into the Apollo Junction family. “Falling” is sublime pop with some orchestrations and riffs that might have been crafted in rock heaven. There are shades of U2 vocally in the underlying guitar sounds, but these boys are not copyists, they are truly original! I love this band, and I love this track. The video, filmed at the Piece Hall in Halifax is rather good too! If you haven’t got Apollo Junction in your life yet then what the hell is keeping you?
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On November 9th, 1967 the first issue of Rolling Stone Magazine was published in San Francisco. It featured John Winston Lennon on the cover, dressed in army fatigues while acting in his recent film, ‘How I Won the War’ The first issue came with a free gift, a roach clip to hold a doobie.
November 9th, 1966 was the day that John Lennon met Yoko Ono for the first time when he visited her art exhibition ‘Unfinished Paintings and Objects’ at the Indica Gallery in London.
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I am a lucky man. I have seen Sleuth Gang live three times in the last couple of months, all as part of their triumphant performances, which saw them win the 2024 Fulford Arms Battle Of The Bands contest. Now they have released an EP, ‘Initiation’. It encapsulates everything that is so great about them and they have managed to capture 100% of just how good they sound in the live environment. These tracks are incredibly powerful. If you are familiar with the band you will already know the mountainous singles “Pity Party” and “Sleuth Season”. On top of that, you get a few more banging, anthemic songs, especially the magnificent “Headshot”.
The Clash sang about the last gang in town in a song of the same name “Everybody’s looking for the last gang in town. You better watch out for they’re all comin’ around“. Well maybe the Clash were seen as the last gang in town, but now there is a new and truly fucking awesome gang in town and they are called Sleuth Gang. I have never been interested in joining a gang, but Sleuth Gang is now the gang to be in!
There are influences from Beastie Boys, 70’s punk (including the Clash), the Specials, Grime, harder-edged hip-hop, and Enter Shikari. But they still sound like no one else. Sleuth Gang wear their passions and opinions on their sleeves and they have no fear in confronting issues that other bands steer clear of. They stand up for those without a voice and those who are not heard. I bloody love them and this EP is a taster for a massive future for Sleuth Gang. Stop looking for overpriced Oasis tickets and similar stuff and get yourself along to a Sleuth Gang gig, this band is the real deal and they will not disappoint you! Now is the time, now is the season, now is Sleuth Season!
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This is the fourth issue in our relatively new series where we share the latest post with the most views for a given month and the archive post with the most views. This one covers October 2024. The biggest read post was my review of “The Middle Of Lidl” by Goldie Lookin’ Chain posted on 30th October. The most-read archive post is, once again “And I didn’t mean to hurt you, but I know that in the game of love, you reap what you sow” from 2011. It was a dig at the crap pumped out by X Factor and a big up for Rose Royce! It now sits at 914 total reviews. I still do not know why there is so much traffic on that archived post!
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Here is the Mayhem chart for October 2024. Regular and constant readers know that the chart is based on my Spotify listening habits over the last month gathered by obscurify.com. Apparently, my tastes have fallen one point to 97% more obscure than the rest of the UK! The chart remains contemporary-ish (but if a classic artist releases something new they might feature in the chart). However, last month’s top three “Legacy” artists were Suede, Pink Floyd and David Bowie. Obscurify also suggests the most obscure artists I have listened to for October: Liz Davinci, Kindelan, and Birdlands, weirdly exactly the same three artists as September. There is a top ten artists chart and a top 5 songs chart. There is the usual eclectic mix of artists, including three that were in the top ten last month; Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (staying at number 10), Birdlands (moving up one place from 4 to 3) and Delilah Bon (falling from number 1 to number 8). Delilah has been in the artist charts now for eleven consecutive months. Two artists appear in both lists for October Molly Rymer and the act that is number one in the artist chart, cumgirl8! The number one song is “Nobody Else Knows” by Flyght Club. So without further ado here are those charts in full! Click on the Spotify link below to listen to the famous (or infamous) five!
Mayhem Artist Chart October 2024
1 cumgirl8 2 Cats In Space 3 Birdlands 4 Molly Rymer 5 KOYO 6 Brooke Candy 7 Ice Nine Kills 8 Delilah Bon 9 The Courettes 10 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Mayhem Song Chart October 2024
1 Nobody Else Knows – Flyght Club 2 Karma Police – cumgirl8 3 Something That Survives – Molly Rymer 4 How Bad – Gilda House 5 Antelope – Lost Trends
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Johnnie Walker‘s final Sounds Of The 70s was broadcast on 27th October. I was on holiday when it aired but listened to it via BBC Music’s catch-up service. After 58 years as a DJ, this is the end of an era for Johnnie and radio. He is one of the finest radio presenters I have ever heard. I might have heard him during his stint at pirate station Radio Caroline in the ’60s, but I remember listening to Johnnie avidly during school lunchtime in the ’70s on BBC Radio 1. In those heady days, he was the first DJ to reveal the weekly chart in a Tuesday pop chart rundown. I remember that he used a musical bed of the classic Booker T and the MGs track “Time Is Tight”. His voice and that track bring back so many teenage memories. I was the kid who always brought a small transistor radio into school with him, particularly on a Tuesday. This meant that me and my mates at Bishopshalt School in Hillingdon could find out whether David Cassidy and the Osmonds were still clogging up the UK charts (they were), whether Slade had gone straight in at the top (they had), or whether Bowie would get his first number one single (yes but not until 1975 with a reissue of “Space Oddity“).
I have listened to Johnnie’s shows regularly over the years. Saturdays in the 1990s were good but Sounds Of The 70s possibly topped all of his other shows for me. This final show was quite emotional, particularly some of the messages provided by stars and colleagues. The one from Rod Stewart was heartfelt and heartwarming. It was followed by “Sailing”, the song played at my Dad’s funeral. I cried a lot at that point. Then there was the wonderful chat with the legendary Sally Traffic. The music Johnnie chose for his last show was like a playlist of some of my favourite 70s songs; “Giving It All Away” – Roger Daltrey, “Solsbury Hill” Peter Gabriel, “I Can See Clearly Now” – Johnny Nash, “Father And Son” – Cat Stevens, “Misstra Know It All” – Stevie Wonder and the Dame himself David Bowie with “Drive-In Saturday”. There was a lot about Bowie on the show. I loved Johnnie’s wife Tiggy’s tale of meeting Bowie in 2002. By the time Johnnie ended the show with Judy Collins’ “Amazing Grace” I was a sobbing wreck! Radio is a smaller place with no Johnnie Walker on the airwaves.
As a footnote, I should tell you that the ‘Johnnie’s Jukebox‘ feature of the Sounds Of The 70s show inspired me to start the Play It Again Mayhem playlist.
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OK, I am not in a cover band, or any other kind of band. Hell, I don’t even play a musical instrument. But for many years I have been writing about music, and as a result I have met plenty of musicians, bands and solo artists including some that do or have performed in cover and tribute bands.
Andy Watson, author of a new book, ‘Total Cover Band Domination’ has been fronting a covers band for years so I reckon he knows his stuff. He has used his experience in putting together this great manual to help improve the chances of success for your covers or tribute band. Some of the advice might seem obvious; being polite and courteous for example. But in my own experience I find it surprising that there are still a number of people in the music industry that never seem to operate in a polite way.
Andy writes in a conversational and easy to read style and like some of the best text and management books ‘Total Cover Band Domination’ utilises white space really well. The book covers everything that you need to know as a covers or tribute band. From dealing with hecklers to insurance, via rehearsals and getting paid and so much more. I believe that there are plenty of lessons for bands in general here, not only covers and tribute bands. As a mobile DJ for more than thirty years (now retired) some of this advice resonated with me too. Particularly agreeing and confirming a fee and ensuring that you get paid on time.
Depending on where you are on your covers band journey you might not need to read this book from cover to cover. But Andy has designed it so that you can cherry pick the bits that matter to you. He has also included parts that relate to covers bands in Australia, Canada and the USA. I read this book while on holiday in Lanzarote and interestingly the hotel had a few musicians performing through the week, including an Abba covers duo called Abba Inferno. This was two talented singers (Grace and Georgia) singing to some well put together backing tracks, their dancing was spot on too. Anyway, maybe Abba Inferno could invest in Andy’s fine book, it might help them get to some bigger venues in the Canary Islands.
Bill Drummond and Jim Cauty (who many will know as the KLF, the JAMMs and the Timelords) once produced the now legendary book ‘The Manual (How to Have a Number One the Easy Way)’ back in 1988 It was a step-by-step guide to achieving a No. 1 single with no money or musical skills, and something the duo followed themselves to have huge success with the Timelords single “Doctorin’ the Tardis”. (A number 1 in the UK and New Zealand. If Cauty and Drummond pulled that off then I reckon Andy’s book will allow covers bands to achieve much higher levels of success. If you are in a covers or tribute band investing just a few quid (£19.95) in this book will be very much worthwhile.
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The sound on this fabulous new musical platter from Cats In Space makes you believe that ’70s and ’80s rock never ended. This record feels like the great album that Jim Steinman never produced. The title track joyfully reminisces the best of the Alan Parsons Project. Meanwhile “My Father’s Eyes” could be a song that Bon Jovi thought was simply too good to release in 1986 and then issued “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ On A Prayer’ instead. There have been some great power ballads, but has anyone ever created the perfect one? Cats In Space has done it now with the colossal masterpiece called “Crashing Down”. The ghost of the Alan Parsons Project rises again within “Occam’s Razor (Not The End Of The World)”. However, this time the band adds a heavy funk-rock element to some very tasty prog tropes. Steevi Bacon’s drumming is superb, and the brass sound gives the track a towering orchestral jazz feel. Damien Edward’s voice on the fragile, glorious, and simply gorgeous ballad “Forever & Ever” caps a perfect love song. This tune is made for lighters to be lit and swayed in the air in time with the music. (OK health and safety have just told me you can use mobile phone torches but not lighters, but you know what I mean, right?). “Ivory Anthem” sounds like something that Meatloaf might have covered really well and the production is a little reminiscent of Elton John’s “Funeral For A Friend”. If you don’t tap your feet and shake your head to “Run For Your Life” you need to check your pulse and get your family to book your funeral because if you don’t move your body to this great track, then clearly you have popped your clogs!
The aural experience of Peter Gabriel drawing on the sounds of the Orient is what I hear in “This Velvet Rush” but with a fully authentic gold medal (medallion?) hair metal vocal performance. Bad Company appears to occupy “Yesterdays Sensation” with a Brian May influence on guitar. But overall the sound has a pulchritudinous power-pop tone a little like Aussie rockers Sherbert. “Immortal” might seem full of lyrical cliches, but no one uses a lyrical cliche better than Cats In Space. If Paul Williams had needed extra songs for his 1974 classic “Phantom Of The Paradise, ” “When Love Collides” would be first in line. This is followed by three classy ’70s covers. These kick off with the Walker Brothers ’70s comeback single “No Regrets” (a UK top 10 hit in 1975). It is a faithful recreation with lots of soul and passionate gospel-style backing vocals. The depth of feeling and power in the Cats In Space cover of John Miles’ “Music” (A UK number 3 hit from 1976) is palpable. The band takes this song to previously uncharted heights. For me, some of Slade’s best songs were never huge hits, especially “How Does It Feel” (it reached a lowly number 15 in the UK after a run of twelve top 4 hits which included six number ones). Damien Edwards is not Noddy Holder but he draws the essence of Neville John Holder into his performance on the track. The band has transformed the slightly deep Slade cut into a six-minute epic! The album closes with a weird, wonky, and wonderful Ghost Mix of “This Velvet Rush” which changes a lot but retains the perfect vocals!
Having reread what I have just written I wonder if you might think that Cats In Space are just an exceptionally good 70s/ 80s tribute act. They are not, what they are is a great band who keep the flame of classic rock alive with some spectacularly good songs alongside some magnificent performances! You can click here to buy the album direct from the band’s website.
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With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 