[kj] 1000 SUNS and PHANTASMAGORIA

[gingoblin at easynet.co.uk]

Indeed, and an era for both bands that I now look back on and think "hmm, 
not the best really, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself 
otherwise at the time"!  Actually, wasn't keen on 1000 Suns when it came 
out either (and no, let's not start that one again!)


At 20:39 22/02/2007 +0000, you wrote:

>This was a new chapter for the damned, similar to the Killing Joke era of

>1000 Suns.

>

>

> >From: "Jerry Butson" <jerry at fleamusic.com>

> >Reply-To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the

> >band!)"<gathering at misera.net>

> >To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)"

> ><gathering at misera.net>

> >Subject: Re: [kj] OT: in Defense of PHANTASMAGORIA by the Damned

> >Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 12:50:52 +0000

> >

> >My vote for one of the Damned's finest vinyl moments goes to he 12" version

> >of Alone Again Or in its breakneck speed, edited

> >on-the-fly-with-a-pair-of-rusty-scissors version...fantastic!

> >

> >On 22/02/07, gingoblin at easynet.co.uk <gingoblin at easynet.co.uk> wrote:

> >>

> >>Yeah, I do kinda enjoy Phantasmagoria the very few times I play it these

> >>days, but after all these years I've realised for it to REALLY be the

> >>Damned, it needs Vanian/Scabies/Sensible. They've had their moments with

> >>the different line-ups, but nothing even comes close to the amazing stuff

> >>of the earlier years.   I remember hearing a comp CD in some pub... it was

> >>absolute genius right up to Grimly Fiendish coming on, when I wished it

> >>would just end. Kinda summed it up for me.

> >>As for their "image"... as Scabies said, Vanian could dress as a binman

> >>and

> >>still look good, while he himself could put on the finest clothes and

> >>still

> >>be a mess!!

> >>Must admit, can't stand Eloise... though that's possibly from it being the

> >>"hit" and having heard it way too often over the years. The current

> >>line-up

> >>do the best version so far, but could still do without it!

> >>Oh, and the Five Foot One thing... I came out and directly asked them

> >>around that time, and they didn't own up!  I recall asking Rat if covering

> >>Five Foot One had anything to do with Vanian's height (to which he replied

> >>"oh, I wouldn't say that to him"!!). Ah, my ever-tactful youth!

> >>

> >>Dave in Edinburgh

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>

> >>At 09:15 21/02/2007 -0500, you wrote:

> >>

> >> >Just a few words in defense of PHANTASMAGORIA. I was shocked as everyone

> >> >else at said album's comparatively gloppy overproduction. Despite the

> >> >funereal trappings, it owed more to the likes of Meat Loaf and Bonnie

> >> >Tyler than it did to any Goth making the `rounds at the time (by

> >> >comparison, the Sisters of Mercy sound like the Ramones). That said,

> >>there

> >> >were still some fine moments of pure pop on it (notably "Street of

> >>Dreams"

> >> >and "Grimly Fiendish", although "Is It A Dream?" is just crap across the

> >> >board). I'm also a big fan of the non-album single "Eloise," another

> >> >hoarily windswept and overproduced gem. Was in Punk? Not especially, but

> >> >who cares?

> >> >

> >> >As a college freshman in 1985 out in the bowels of Ohio, I remember

> >> >packing into a crowded station wagon to drive across scary,

> >>backwoods-ass

> >> >Midwestern pigfuck country to Kentucky to catch the Damned on the

> >> >PHANTASMAGORIA tour (which, for some reason, bypassed the nearest city

> >>to

> >> >our school, Columbus). As over-the-top as their image and aesthetic had

> >> >become (Hammer horror films, candelabras, graveyard shtick), they were

> >>as

> >> >full-on live as can be imagined (and yes -- quite definably PUNK in

> >>every

> >> >semblance of the term).

> >> >

> >> >I've grown to quite like the PHANTASMAGORIA album as a result. There are

> >> >some great moments on ANYTHING as well (notably their cover of "Alone

> >> >Again Or" and the title track, which is essentialy a wafer-thin-re-write

> >> >of Iggy Pops "Five Foot One"). I saw them again with Brian James et al.

> >>on

> >> >the tour that resulted in the FINAL DAMNATION tour (`90 or so?) at the

> >>New

> >> >Ritz, and they were endearingly shambollic. The last time I saw them was

> >> >in the mid-90's at since-shuttered Coney Island High. I don't believe

> >>Rat

> >> >was in attendance, but Dave was there in all his ridiculous glory. It

> >>was

> >> >fun to see them, but it wasn't really "the Damned" as I'd grown to love.

> >> >

> >> >I haven't picked up a new album/single of theirs since I can't remember

> >> >when, honestly. But I listened to a clutch of Damned tracks on my walk

> >>to

> >> >work this morning, and the mere fact that their catalog stretches from

> >>the

> >> >stripped-down velocity of "Fish" and "Neat Neat Neat" through to the

> >> >ersatz psychedelia of the Naz Nomad stuff and onto their vanglorious

> >> >opuses (opi?) like the afore-mentioned "Eloise" is a testament to their

> >> >versatility.

> >> >

> >> >Bless'em.

> >> >

> >> >Alex in NYC

> >> >

> >> >

> >> >

> >> >-----Original Message-----

> >> > >From: Mike Porthouse <Mike at rteltd.com>

> >> > >Sent: Feb 21, 2007 4:02 AM

> >> > >To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)"

> >> > <gathering at misera.net>

> >> > >Subject: Re: [kj] Clip of US punk documentary/riots

> >> > >

> >> > >Had the pleasure of seeing the current Damned line-up a couple of

> >>times

> >> > last

> >> > >year (Vanian, Sensible, Stu, Pinch and Monty) and I have to say

> >>they're

> >>in

> >> > >good form. Best I've seen them since the re-union shows in about 88 or

> >>89.

> >> > >Vanian and Sensible have a massive stage presence and they're now

> >>playing

> >> > >with good musicians. Always a good night out. Some good new songs and

> >>a

> >> > back

> >> > >catalogue of classics. The only thing for me, which keeps them from

> >>being

> >> > >right up there with the best is their lyrics, which have never been

> >> > anything

> >> > >to get excited about.

> >> > >BTW the recent MGE DVD release is very good for any Damned fans who

> >>don't

> >> > >already own it.

> >> > >

> >> > >Mike Porthouse

> >> > >

> >> > >----- Original Message -----

> >> > >From: <gingoblin at easynet.co.uk>

> >> > >To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)"

> >> > ><gathering at misera.net>

> >> > >Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 9:32 PM

> >> > >Subject: Re: [kj] Clip of US punk documentary/riots

> >> > >

> >> > >

> >> > >> This was last July, and yes it WAS interesting to say the

> >>least!  Fucking

> >> > >> great, even if Casey Chaos's voice was shot.

> >> > >>

> >> > >> They came VERY close to doing it with Dave and Cap, but that's

> >>another

> >> > >> story.  It is a shame though... 30 years comes round once.

> >> > >>

> >> > >> There was talk of doing a few more dates, but nothing more than

> >>that.

> >>You

> >> > >> never know though!

> >> > >>

> >> > >> A couple of pics from the gig :

> >> > >>

> >>http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/GinGoblin/100ClubJuly6th20068.jpg

> >> > >>

> >> > >>

> >>http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y239/GinGoblin/100ClubJuly6th20067.jpg

> >> > >>

> >> > >> Dave

> >> > >>

> >> > >> At 13:34 20/02/2007 -0500, you wrote:

> >> > >>>So the Brian James Gang thing made me curious again.  Don't own the

> >> > >>>release

> >> > >>>but it sounds promising even the simplistic, idiotic lyrics.  Vocals

> >>are

> >> > >>>fine.  So I stumble across their (always dreaded) myspace page:

> >> > >>>

> >>http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friend

> >> > id=106508478

> >> > >>>

> >> > >>>and what do I see...

> >> > >>>DAMNED 30th ANNIVERSARY LINE-UP:

> >> > >>>Brian James-Guitar,

> >> > >>>Rat Scabies-Drums

> >> > >>>Mani-Bass

> >> > >>>Casey Chaos-Voice

> >> > >>>

> >> > >>>This could be interesting.  Shame they couldn't do it with Captain

> >>and Rat

> >> > >>>

> >> > >>>Anyone have anymore details???  IS there a snowballs chance in hell

> >>thisis

> >> > >>>coming to the US?  I would actually go see this

> >> > >>>

> >> > >>>Chris

> >> > >>>

> >> > >>>

> >> > >>> >From: "TB" <Partyslammer at socal.rr.com>

> >> > >>> >Reply-To: TB <Partyslammer at socal.rr.com>,"A list about all things

> >> > >>> >Killing

> >> > >>> >Joke (the band!)"<gathering at misera.net>

> >> > >>> >To: "A list about all things Killing Joke (the band!)"

> >> > >>> ><gathering at misera.net>

> >> > >>> >Subject: Re: [kj] Clip of US punk documentary/riots

> >> > >>> >Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2007 09:10:33 -0800

> >> > >>> >

> >> > >>> >"Rob's Arse" wrote:

> >> > >>> >

> >> > >>> > >

> >> > >>> > > Grave disorder really was a return to form but Not of this

> >>Earth

> >>was

> >> > >>> > > terrible!

> >> > >>> > >

> >> > >>> > > I remember seeing them at the time with Scabies on drums,

> >>Vanian

> >>on

> >> > >>> > > Vocals, Moose from NMA on bass with Kris Dollimore (Mr Session

> >> > >>> > > guitar)

> >> > >>> >and

> >> > >>> > > Vanian's Grandad (wearing a LEATHER WASTECOAT).

> >> > >>> > > I left that gig totally heartbroken. They were shitter than

> >>shit.

> >> > >>> > >

> >> > >>> > > As an aside, we played wit teh Brian James Gang the other week

> >>and I

> >> > >>> >have

> >> > >>> > > to say that Brian James is a lovely bloke. Shame there were

> >>only

> >>25

> >> > >>> >people

> >> > >>> > > at the gig!

> >> > >>> >

> >> > >>> >Did Brian have Dave Tregunna with him on bass? Any Lords tunes

> >>played?

> >> > >>> >More

> >> > >>> >details, man!

> >> > >>> >

> >> > >>> >T.B.

> >> > >>> >

> >> > >>> >

> >> > >>> >_______________________________________________

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> >> > >>>

> >> > >>>_________________________________________________________________

> >> > >>>The average US Credit Score is 675. The cost to see yours: $0 by

> >>Experian.

> >> > >>>

> >>http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=660600&bcd=EMAILFOOT

> >> > ERAVERAGE

> >> > >>>

> >> > >>>_______________________________________________

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> >> > >>

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> >>2/19/2007

> >> > >> 17:01

> >> > >>

> >> > >>

> >> > >

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