A Morning in the studio with Dennis Locorriere ‘The Voice of Dr. Hook’

It is always a pleasure to have a guest in the studio and this morning was no exception.  I know from the  messages I had received prior to today’s show that Dennis’ visit was much anticipated by the listeners and the interviews I had seen involving Dennis at various stages of his career on youtube led me to believe  that this could be a lot of fun and I wasn’t disappointed ! As Dennis had cited that he has never done any local radio before, I also felt very honoured that he had said yes to coming and doing the show ! Here is his blog entry he wrote telling his fans of the impending visit.

I’ve been asked – a ‘thru a friend of an acquaintance’ kind of thing – to do an interview on the Brighton/Hove Community Radio station.
I haven’t done much (any?) local stuff, so I said ‘Cool’.
All I really know about it is that this coming Saturday, August 10th, I will be ‘live’ and on the air, beginning at 11am, on a program called Wall of Sound, hosted by Lady Starduzt (yes, with a Z!).
I’ve been in communication with her a few times by email and she seems to know her stuff.
She said it was basically ‘retro’ programming but she’d be happy to talk about whatever I wanted to.
I’m sure we’ll touch on the past – I never mind that – in juxtaposition to the present.
I’ve sent her, at her request, a list of some of my all time favorites recordings.
Always difficult, but the first 10 titles that popped into and out of my head was what I sent.
Also sent several tracks from my solo albums and Lady S has all the Hookistry one could want.
I hear I will be co-presenting the entire two hour show, so 11 am to 1pm is my slot.
Here’s the link to the station – http://www.bhcr.org.uk.
I’ve been told the program is immediately archived after broadcast and there is a Listen Again feature

 

Within minutes of Dennis arriving at the studio, it was obvious we were singing from the same hymn sheet as far as some peoples expectations of certain musicians who have been around for sometime are concerned.  Having done my show for the last 3 years I have been become increasingly (and alarmingly aware) of these expectations. Fans who can’t embrace the new and keep harking back to the old and in some instances refusing to except anything new and different. I have known bands who were very much in the limelight ‘back in the day’ who now tour with different line ups and many rely on the hits that made them big because they are only too aware that that is what is required from them. I have seen fans on various fansites and social networking sites lay into each other over the topic and when I dared add my voice some months back to an argument concerning a lead singer from a top 70’s bands   with ‘fans’  citing how selfish he was not rejoining for one last tour and having his home address published all over the internet so that other ‘fans’ could harass him, I fell victim of a rather nasty internet bullying campaign myself for daring to ask how many of them would like to, having had a successful career trying out different things for the last 30 years, go back to something that they had left behind all that time ago.  Dennis came up with a great one liner along the lines of ‘How would they (the fans who persist with this train of thought) like to go and sleep with their ex wives?!  He had a lot more to say on the subject during the course of the interview and when we were off air which I hope will make people stop and think!  During the show I played a new song by 70’s glam band Hello and it seems that people were delighted that the band had kept the ‘classic Hello sound’ give these guys a break, let them show you what else they can do guys, go on, force yourselves, you might just like it ! You don’t have to let go of the music you love from the past to enjoy something fresh surely?? Anyway, back to Dennis !! The interview flowed really well and we certainly had a grin, I didn’t realise how much we had laughed until I played it back when I returned home!  He was refreshingly honest about all manner of subjects, was engaging and what’s more his catalogue of solo music is easily equally as good as anything from his Dr Hook days . This was clear from the comments we received after the show concerning the post –  Dr. Hook songs we played. One track especially captured the audience and the heart strings ‘Shine Son’ . I defy anyone with a son they adore not to get a lump in their throat on first hearing ! The 2 hours flew by all too soon and there was so much more I would have liked to have asked but Dennis has said if I want a further installment to get in touch , so watch this space!  If you haven’t heard the show yet you are in for a treat, you will hear some of the old Dr. Hook classics as well as Dennis’ solo material, some tracks chosen by Dennis himself as well as the usual random choices from yours truly 😉

You will discover  who Sylvia’s Mother REALLY was and just where Sylvia’s Father fits  in to the picture !!  I was honoured to find that Dennis had mentioned me on his official website blog after the show www.dennislocorriere.com and here is what he had to say :-

“Did the interview this morning on Brighton/Hove community radio.
Very relaxed, low key, but ‘live’ and, hopefully, entertaining couple of hours.
The presenter, Lady Starduzt, seemed to have done a good bit of research, which is always nice as it puts us further down the road as far as my history goes.
It’s one thing when you’re explaining yourself to the listening audience, but, when it’s the presenter who needs the educating it can get a little, well, tedious.
I’m happy to say this was not the case this morning.”

How delightful, I am so glad he had as much fun doing the show as I did !!

here is the link for this mornings show if you would like to hear it :-

http://www.mixcloud.com/star-duzt/lady-starduzts-wall-of-sound-with-dennis-locorriere-10th-august-2013/

The Burning Of The Clocks Brighton 21st December 2012

After spending the last 2 years wanting to attend The Burning of The Clocks (first time it was cancelled due to heavy rain and second time I was in hibernation mode and didnt make it out of the house !) I finally got my chance on possibly the most talked about and speculated about date in modern times. For those who arent in the know, the Burning of the Clocks Celebrations started in 1993 and have been described as an antidote to the excesses of the commercial Xmas.  The celebration is based on a procession of lantern and costumes made from withies (willow canes) and white tissue paper with a carnival atmosphere. The procession makes its way through the centre of Brighton to the seafront where the climax of the event is the lantern bonfire accompanied by fireworks.  Many costumes have a clock face or time theme, and heading up the procession this year where a number of wonderfully creative dandelion clocks. The willow lanterns are burned on the beach as a token of the end of the year.

My friends and I managed to get prime postition right by the beach on Madeira Drive which is where the parade finally comes to a rest before going to the burning ceremony on the beach. What we didnt realise was we werent best placed to see the fantastic poi fire display delivered by Poi Passion of to which several of my friends belong and with whom I started poi training with earlier this year. However I was able to suss out the optimum spectating position for next year but I wont tell you where in case you all beat me to it 😉

As we made our way down to the beach my friend Penny and I saw that the moon was very interestingly shaped (almost like a fat letter D) and beneath it was a cloud which formed the number 7. The atmosphere was, dare I say magickal.

It is hard to judge how many people where there but in the past numbers over 20,000 have been quoted and as most of the large events hosted in Brighton (Gay Pride and the infamous Zombie Walk for example) no ‘incidents’ to my knowlege have ever been reported.

The atmosphere was very happy and relaxed and there was a real sense of love and unity (other large cities and gatherings could learn a lot from a trip to ‘London by Sea’ 😉

The procession itself was amazing. I cannot hazard a guess at how many took part in it and have added some videos I found on youtube to illustrate this blog to give non attendees a flavour of the evening.

The costumes where breathtaking, from stilt walkers to life sized paper animated puppets, drumming pirates and tiny children dressed like clocks, peoples wildest dreams and imagination come to life.

It is astonishing to think that not so many years ago any kind of ‘non mainstream’ beliefs where shoved underground and that the Burning of the Clocks is now very much part of the Brighton yearly calendar, a real step forward for mankind in my humble opinion !

So if you find yourself in Brighton this time next year, you are fed up of Xmas before it has even started (usually around September time!!) and fancy something a bit different and completely free, COME ON DOWN !! 😀

I hope you enjoy the following videos, of course the only thing I cant capture is the atmosphere itself but it was for me, truly and evening to remember !

FIRST UP, POI PASSION !

THE PROCESSION !

POST PROCESSION FIREWORKS

The Boomtown Rats with Eddie and the Hotrods Blackheath Halls Nov 2012

 

When I got asked if I wanted to attend the gig at the weekend I jumped at the chance. I have always loved the Boomtown Rats and although I can already here the cries of ‘But its not the Boomtown Rats without Geldof’  having weathered the storm and seen Slade without Noddy and The Sweet without, well, most of them and still managed to enjoy myself  , I went along with an open mind.

The Boomtown Rats are currently gigging with two of the original members , Garry Roberts and Simon Crowe  (guitarist and drummer) I have to confess, that although I had all the Boomtown Rats music back in the day, I wouldnt have been able to have been able to pick them out in a line up and the only members that really stuck out in my mind were Mr. Geldof and Johnny Fingers (who was single handedly responsible for my habit in the late 70’s of wandering the streets in pin striped pyjamas !!)  but more on the line up in a moment ……

The Blackheath Halls is a very imposing venue, a 600 seater hall that boasts that it is Londons longest surviving purpose built cultural venue, built in 1895 and not your typical punk venue ! The first thing I spotted when I walked in to the hall was it had been laid out rather oddly, with tables and chairs half way up the hall , if this had been the 70’s they would have been surely flying through the air 5 minutes after the band took to the stage ( having the claim to fame of being one of the first 2 female bouncers ever used by Brummie punk legends GBH I know a bit about these things!)

Having met up with some friends in the bar and chatted for a bit we headed in just after Eddie and the Hotrods had started their set. I have to confess The Hotrods are one of those bands I dont know huge amounts about but knew I would know their songs once I heard them and I was right 🙂  Barrie Masters (vocals) is the only remaining original , funny, I always thought, given the name that he was Eddie ! Turns out that Eddie was actually a dummy that used to accompany the band on stage in the early days but was ditched quite early on ( great bit of trivia for a music quiz !)

They played a great, musically tight, energetic  set including their 1977 top ten hit Do Anything You Wanna do finishing up with a rocking version of Gloria .

Next up the Boomtown Rats with talented youngster Darren Beale on guitar and Bob Bradbury (Hello and The Bob Bradbury band) on bass and stepping in to the ‘other’ Bobs shoes on vocals.

Eagle eyed Rat fans would also have spotted original BR member Pete Briquette at the back of the hall (again I wouldnt have picked  him out in a line up!! Sorry Pete !! )

As with the recent gigs from other reformed bands I have attended, I was expecting to hear all my fave songs and have a bit of a nostalgia trip. What I got was a whole lot more than I had bargained for !

I have always been a fan of Hello so seeing Bob in action was great but what truly blew me away was how his vocals lent themselves to the Boomtown Rats tracks so effortlessly. He really did manage to maintain the original BR sound without sounding as if he was trying to imitate Mr.G. (Note to other replacement lead vocalists of bands, you dont HAVE to sound like you are doing a party piece of a very bad impression of the persons shoes you are filling …. mentioning no names !!)

The set started with Mary of the 4th form and continued with other classics such as Rat trap, She’s so Modern (the lyrics of which sound quite dated in 2012 come to think of it but stonking tune nonetheless) my personal favourite Like Clockwork and finishing the night with an updated-but-true – to- the-original I Don’t Like Mondays (I did wonder how they would manage THAT one without the classic sax sound but the guitars did a great imitation that REALLY worked!!) All in all musically VERY tight set 10 out of 10 chaps !!

Interestingly, Roberts and Crowe did all the talking in between the songs ……  ???

All in all a top night , what the other band members lacked in energy Mr.Bradbury more than made up for (those who know me know I like the visual look of the band as much as the music, there seem to be far too many ‘shoegazers’ out there these days, really doesnt  ‘do it’ for me, I’m afraid) It has to be said as well, I like my rock stars to LOOK like Rock stars, with his blonde spikey hair and tight turquoise jeans, Mr. B didnt disappoint , the rest of the band take note ! It is NOT cool as a punk band to stroll on stage like you have just come from a wedding !!

As a footnote , I would like to add it was lovely to see young Darren being approached for autographs after the gig and he chatted in a really friendly manner to everyone and was a real pro , HOWEVER (if you are reading this young man!) whilst being treated like a rock star, wear that mantle and dont suddenly slip your day job into the conversation, it kind of bursts the image bubble and we, the punter, like to imagine our rock stars are out there living the dream 24/7 !!

All in all a top night out and well worth a night out if they are in a town anywhere near you soon. 🙂

For up to date info go to :-

http://www.boomtownrats.co.uk

for info on Bob Bradbury head to :-

http://www.helloband.co.uk

and

http://www.bobbradburyband.co.uk

The link below is from a gig the week before I DONT LIKE MONDAYS

 

 

The Sweet and Slade GLive Guildford November 2012

I am sad to say I never got to see The Sweet in their hey day. Around that time I was still quite young and only got to go to gigs that were a stones throw away from my home and sadly they never played locally. I must admit that when I found out that they were supporting Slade at the GLive  in the form of Andy Scott and others I didn’t know what to expect, I know from being a Slade fan that fans don’t take kindly to having a lead singer replaced and if a living lead singer is still sorely missed from the original line up after so many years I am guessing that goes double when the singer is no longer with us.

 

Any fears I had were blown away the instant the Sweet started their set. The hits were there, some HUGE suprise covers were there that really worked and the original  Sweet sound (although this may be hard to imagine unless you have seen them lately) was most definately there !!  Lead vocalist Pete Lincoln was engaging to watch and his vocals were spot on and the band themselves were musically tight.

Visually they were good to watch but maybe just a little bit more over the top showmanship wouldn’t have gone amiss but that would be my only criticism of an otherwise amazing set.

The venue itself was packed out and was seated which meant a lot of people, just, er, sat ….. but by the encore several of us had left our seats and were rocking in the aisles to Action and Ballroom Blitz 🙂

I also saw Slade drummer Don Powell watching from the wings during the early part of the show so he must have been digging it too !

At the interval we were told the band would be pleased to sign stuff so I grabbed a copy of their new cd The New York Connection an album of covers produced by Andy Scott, and got him to sign it. You could have knocked me down with a feather when he said ‘I saw you, you were sitting in the front row werent you? You cant miss that can you?’ he concluded pointing to my red hair ! I told him that seeing as I was sitting up the other end from him that he must have amazing eyesight ! Was  I chuffed? Er yes, just a little bit ! Of course I was !

 

Now for Slade. As just mentioned I was in the front row, right in front of Dave Hills usual spot but by this point there was no sitting down for me and my friends and I stood by the stage waiting for them to come on.

I have now seen the current line up of Slade 3 times and last night I noticed that there seems to have been a real shift in dynamic and I would be interested to hear if anyone else has noticed the same ……

Someone recently asked what Slade were like these days. I (half ) joked that the crowd out sings the lead vocalist , Don is as great as he ever was and it really was all about Dave these days who never fails to disappoint.

Andy Scott had previously pointed out as he dedicated a song to Mick Tucker and Brian Connolly (no mention of Steve Priest !)  that without them he wouldnt be here now and times move on and he is right.

I have said previously that Mal McNulty has gigantic shoes to fill and I can’t imagine how that feels for him, I can only imagine he must have very thick skin otherwise he wouldnt be able to continue with the band.

I wish however he would drop the annoying habit of talking in his normal voice and then introducing the songs in a very bad impression of Nods voice ….. OI MAL ! NO!

However what I noticed last night that hasnt been so obvious before was that he and bass player John Berry, seemed more ….. hmm, struggling for the right word here, disjointed maybe?  than at past gigs.

Dave Hill was even more noticeably doing the whole master of ceremonies bit , which is and always has been the remit of any lead vocalist of a band ….

Slade fans know all the words and sing the whole way through, that much hasnt changed, but instead of interacting with the crowd Mal seems content to sing (quite inaudibly at times) and then stop to allow the crowd to sing in his place ….

Some Slade fans would say thats not a bad thing (Nothing against Mal again, just HUGE shoes to fill) but lets face it lead vocalists are lead vocalists cos they like to be in the spotlight, they like to LEAD they wouldnt be doing it otherwise !

On many occasion he would go and stand near the back by the drums while Dave ‘played’  the crowd.

From where I was standing, the audience were split in two halves, our end were getting all the action, we were all heavily involved with whatever command Dave had just given us (stamp, clap raise your hands in the air) and as soon as Dave left and went over to the other side of the stage the fans over that side did the same. Mals attempts at getting a bit of audience participation going just wasn’t happening from what I could see.

John Berry also spent much of the set standing back from it all (fantastic trousers though it has to be said !)

Both he and Mal barely raised a smile between them though throughout the whole show which was noticably different from The Sweet members who were obviously having a blast.

For me and I imagine many Slade fans these days it really is about meeting up with our friends, the communal sing a long and the enjoyment of watching the showman that is Dave Hill, who was at his mischievous best last night and who is well worth the ticket money on his own for that very reason ( I had to chuckle at the ‘prison white trainers’ he was wearing, so used to his more flamboyant footwear !) but it is sad that some of the energy and feel good factor was not present from the other band members. If The Sweet can do it and can ‘move one’ successfully then why not Slade?

Is it time for a new line up?

I imagine many would say why bother but their continued popularity means people still want to see them with or without Nod so it would be great if they could come up with the full package as other bands including the Sweet have proven that this can be done!

Musically I have to say they werent as tight as The Sweet and a couple of musos in the audience pointed out that on more than one occasion the key had to be changed to allow Mal to sing, which given the time this line up has been together is a worry and another indication that things are not quite right in the camp but I have to say for me personally , to echo what I have just stated, for me it IS about the friendship, it IS about the communal sing a long and it damn sure IS all about seeing Mr.Hill at his over the top best and I had a thoroughly enjoyable night !

A couple of overhead quotes made me chuckle and dispair in equal measures after the gig :-

1. ‘ where were Noddy and Jimmy?’

2. ‘I heard someone say that was the original bass player but he looks a bit young’

Best quote of the evening though was from Dave Hill himself who said ‘ We have had a lot of good times and we are going to carry on having good times’ Amen to that H !!

Keep On Rocking!

 

Lady Starduzt and DeafBoyOne :- Newly released track. DOWNLOAD IT FOR FREE !!

I am delighted to announce the release of a new track that I collaborated with the multi talented DeafBoyOne on, a tribute to the late great Marc Bolan …. Teenage Dream.

Currently Number 5 in the Reverbnation charts, can you make OUR Teenage Dreams come true by helping us get to the Number One Slot?

Get your FREE download by clicking the link below :-

 

http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_13734746

 

 

Lady Starduzts Wall of Sound 30th June 2012

 

This year has certainly been amazing in terms of the guests I have been lucky enough to have on my show and this mornings will stand out in my mind for many years to come. My guest was Robin Mayhew, the sound engineer behind David Bowies legendary Ziggy Stardust gigs, who has also worked with Mick Ronson on his solo tours, Lou Reed, The Vibrators and Blondie to name but a few. He talked about these amazing times as well as the fantastic project he is currently working on to inspire young people called ‘Refuse to Lose’ details of which can be found by clicking the link below

http://www.refuse-to-lose.co.uk/

 

Along with the tracks Robin kindly bought along for us to listen to we looked back at the very random hits of 1972 !! Sadly there were many others subjects we would have liked to talk about but there simply not enough time so I am hoping Robin will do me the honour of coming back at a later date to pick up where we left off !!

Listen to the show by simply clicking on the link below :-

http://archive.org/details/LadyStarduztsWallOfSound30thJune2012

 

 

 

Wild Honey Rock The Bedford

I first heard of Wild Honey a few months back , when the bass player handed me a cd. Thats nothing remarkable, I get handed CDs from bands all the time …..

What struck me on first hearing was that for a group of young lads ( I believe the average age of the band is around 23) the sound was remarkably retro (guaranteed to rouse my interest !) A little bit of  Thin Lizzy here, a touch of Bolan there. However, these songs are originals with a twist that takes you back to the halcyon days of catchy riffs, footstomping anthems and a definate feel good factor.

This was enough to get me to ask them to take part in Brighton and Hove Community Radios’ Big Event Fundraiser next month and having given their tunes some airplay on LADY STARDUZTS WALL OF SOUND GLAMROCKING RADIO SHOW and getting a  tremendous response  from my listeners there was only one thing left …. to see if these 5 guys from London could cut it live.

Braving the typical British Bank Holiday elements I headed over to The Bedford Pub in Balham to check them out.

People who know me well, know that as much as I adore my music, especially live music, unless a band is visual they quickly lose my interest HOWEVER from the moment they stepped out on stage they had the entire audience hooked and on their feet.

Frontman Danny Keenan belted out number after number and interacted with the audience and jumped around the stage with all the energy of a young Axl Rose and was so at home doing so it did make me wonder if he had leapt out of the womb that way. He raised his hands above his head and clapped and the audience were right there , on their feet clapping right back at him. Such confidence without arrogance from one so young !

Guitarists Sam Keenan and Fil Hardy put on a top show and worked the (rather small) space well and played with such energy they would have axemen twice their age weeping with envy, which given that Fil only joined the ranks of the Honeys a couple of weeks ago was pretty admirable to say the least.

The rythm section Fernando Gonzalez on drums and Ross Harris on bass were taking no prisoners either and I have to say , not since Slades Jimmy Lea have I seen a dude bend the notes on a bass and play it like it was a Fender Strat  during a couple of bass solos.

To summarise, the music was great, the band was tight and professional, they played with abounding energy and above all , unlike a lot of bands nowadays who seem to find it cool to stand and posture, glare and shoegaze, these guys looked like they were having a bloody good time and that shone through and the audience responded in kind.

What is most remarkable is that these guys have only known each other a couple of months and this was their first outing ……

My only criticism of the night was they should have played for longer but they definately left the entire audience wanting more and let me tell you something, you havent heard the last of these guys, I predict great things for them !

 

Get the Wild Honey buzz here :-

https://www.facebook.com/wildhoneyrock#!/wildhoneyrock

and have a listen here :-

http://soundcloud.com/wildhoneyrockuk

YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED !

 

 

 

Wall of Sound April 7th 2012

Seems longer than two weeks ago since I was in the wall of sound hot seat but lovely to be back all the same ! Todays show had a definate summer vibe to it as well as your requests, a special mention to Dave Hill of Slade whose birthday it was in the week and more wisdom from marcandangel.com

Please click the link below for this mornings show.

http://archive.org/details/WallOfSound7thApril

 

Lady Starduzts Wall of Sound Pyjama Party Special 17th March 2012

 

Today I was joined by my buddy and Soul Grenade vocalist Heather McLean (aka The Funky Pink One) for an on air pyjama party, featuring those songs that get you grooving in your pyjamas and singing into your hairbrush ! She bought along her daughter Eleanor to the BHCR studio and they looked a treat in their matching onsies !! The show was amazing fun and we leapt around the studio (no mean feat if you know how big it is !) and Eleanor was on hand to capture it on film, so ‘watch this space’ as they say. A couple of studio gremlins tried to spoil our fun but we were having none of it ! What a great way to start a day ! So click the link below, grab your hair brush and boogie on !

Love and Sparkles

Lady S

http://www.archive.org/details/WallOfSound160312

 

 

 

Lady Starduzts Saturday Morning at The Movies Wall of Sound Special 10th March 2012

 

This weeks Wall of Sound took a look at some of those great pop and rock songs from the movies. There were so many to choose from this show really did just scratch the surface and I think it is a subject matter I will be returning to in due course. As well as music from Slade in Flame, Born to Boogie, Tommy, Help,  and Silver Dream Racer amongst other films featured, Lady Starduzt and Simon related their Slade in Flame memories from back in the day and Lady S completed the list of ’30 things not to do to yourself’ from the Marc and Angel Website .

Click below for the link to the show

 

http://www.archive.org/details/Wallofsound_100312