It’s been a while coming... one dead pc, lots of swearing, a trance-induced picture session (pic now lost, along with an entire web site down the toilet...), but, here is the yet-to-be-mastered, ever-so-shortened version of Liberator...

http://www.myspace.com/mindcrash

I like this venue a lot; very intimate, subsidised bar, lots of interesting and rather beautiful people… and intriguingly located on the fourth floor of King’s College!

Let me first say how nice it is see a decent support band. No offence intended; all bands start that way, right? But sometimes it feels like some supports are just a filler before the main event kicks off. Ladyhawke however ripped the place apart nicely with their incredibly funky indie dance thing - all respect to them, and I wouldn’t mind seeing them again in their own right for sure.

The venue filled up quickly and the anticipation to see The Presets live could definitely be physically felt in the air.

I only found out earlier that day that The Presets are in fact a two-piece (I’m not a "Train-spotter" lol) – that’s quite a lot of racket for two people to make – what surprised me most when they took to the stage was that one of the dear fellows is a proper, real, full-on, time-keeping master of the sticks and skins (a drummer then). The other chap seemed to just effortlessly set sequencers off on their own and then run about the stage having a good old sing song.

The crowd went fucking mental and it was more like a rave than a gig at one point – plenty of fists in the air, unusual levels of dancing, especially for a Brit gig – it really was a fantastic set and good gig all round. All the faves were on the set-list (My People, Are You The One, etc.), plus, some rather tasty new stuff, which was a bonus!

I was supposed to be setting a good example as I took my Nephew along – I may have failed, or maybe I succeeded, depending on your point of view! Suffice it to say, it was a mental night out (and mid-week, ugh!). A big shout out to the insane group of teachers we met inside and out (you know who you are and why you are mental ? I hope you had a great after-party (last time I saw them they were trying to hitch a ride on a JCB!!!).

I’ve concluded that I much prefer to see bands in venues like this a year before they break massive, than to see bands in big venues, stadiums and festivals – just my personal preference, but it feels more "real".

Motor City's Burning

Just 6 more days to check out this excellent BBC documentary (watch online or download – FREE!)

Go to bbc dot co dot uk then find 'iplayer' then check the 'music' section.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/page/item/b009372j.shtml?order=aztitle%3Aalphabetical&filter=category%3A100006&scope=iplayercategories&start=1&version_pid=b009370c

A brilliant short history of one of the musical centres of the universe; Detroit. Moves through Motown, the riots, MC5, The Stooges, Parliament to Eminem and White Stripes.

Provides rare footage and some great interviews with Iggy, Kramer, George Clinton, etc.

I always knew there was something rare and exciting about this melting pot: Amazing to see black kids with mohawks, white kids with afros, black musicians playing psychedelic funk and white musicians merging blues with high octane rock and roll, black panthers, white panthers, tanks on the streets, etc.

No mention of House or Techno though? O well, you can't cover everything in one I guess – get it while you still can!

Now with reduced wordage... Listed in order of maximum hairs on back of neck made to stand up... emotions touched/re-awakened... moods changed/uplifted...

Rockferry by Duffy
With Every Heartbeat by Robyn
Make My Day by Eyerer & Chopstick
Something Good (Ian Carey Remix) by Utah Saints
Coatnoise (Dave Clarke Remix) by Midfield General
The Racing Rats by The Editors
Ihre Personliche Glucksmelodie by Gabriel Ananda
You Got Me Feeling by Cicada
Stand Up by Low vs. Diamond
So Long by Six Nation State

I would like to proudly announce the recent emergence of a beautiful baby demon (And I say demon in the nicest possible 'fallen angel' kind of way :).

'It' was born at approxiamtely 9:58 am on 31-Dec-2007 and weighs in at about the same as a single sheet of A4 (Letter) size paper.

I have decided that 'it' is a 'He'.

He seems incapable of speech, which is probably best, considering his origins. Plus, I guess it is early days yet (I will learn to be patient with him; he will speak if and when ready, I'm sure of that).

He has not required feeding thus far, which I assume is because he is so stuffed full of raw energy.

My kids think he looks like a knight, or maybe even an elf. He reminds me of a picture of a semi-assembled robot skull that I used in a magazine called 'Dangerous Visions' some years ago now.

He has 'that' look in his eyes. But I trust him. I really do.

I like him a lot. He is the production of my unconscious mind and was liberated from my recently reopened brain circuitry after using the 'Morning Pages' technique (as outlined in 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron).

The crazy thing was he was born upside down.

Shortly after, using the same technique, a tune called 'Liberator 666' emerged, which is a hard dark bitter acid techno ditty full of shivers and stuff.

Liberator 666 is stuck on my hard drive due to sound card issues. And rightly so, I imagine, probably.

This all sounds rather mental, which of course, it is. But, the book said not to be afraid of appearing to be crazy – creativity, like emotion, should flow through you.

And you should always pay attention to books and stuff because they are cleverer than we are.

On the 40th anniversary of Crowley's death (happy deathday Aleister!), I'm browsing through an obscure bookstore opposite the British Museum (where I've once again captured my compulsion to impose order in these photogaphs).

I'm nursing a hangover from hell, having last night seen Interpol play an amazing, if frighteningly tight set up in North London with my best gig buddy Kim.

I digress already, and I'm only on the third paragraph, but only to say that our journey back from the Palace on Friday was interrupted when the whole tube network ground to a halt because, for some inexplicable reason, an open umbrella found its way on to the tube line (does it rain much underground?).

Some maniac then climbs down to retrieve it (20,000 volts via a metal umbrella anyone?). Luckily for them, reverse lightning doesn't strike and everyone lives to tell the tale ('Imagine this on drugs?' - quite! lol).

So, back to the obscure bookshop… in walks a guy carrying a bag of pin badges; black on white, they simply state "93" on them. I smile (inwardly of course!).

The delivery guy hands them over and asks what the badges mean, I pretend not to know, not having dabbled in such things for perhaps too long.

Then that wonderful synchronicity God guns the throttle and I find, right there among the obscurity, an even more obscure, hand copied, low tech pamphlet discussing the sacred geometry present in Bloomsbury (which of course I have to buy, along with another forgotten treasure, the latest copy of Chaos International).

As I muse over this seemingly random set of events, I walk right past a shop named after a story in my book! I fumble for the camera, but alas the battery power is drained…

I take the number 25 bus (I recognise that it would have been much more dramatic had it been the number 23 bus, but hey ho…) and I flit between reading my pamphlet and looking at the architecture flying past the window (including a building that is being demolished from the ground up – how bizarre!).

(This pic is Copyright BBC MMVII)

All of this, when I could have just said: I will be publishing a new song on here later this week titled 'The Geometry Of Obsession'.

Is there anybody out there?

Fucking hell, now I get it – now I know why I get so lazy making new music. It's not 'cos I'm actually lazy, well not just that anyway. Otherwise I wouldn't make any music, films, or write books, or get out bed at all for that matter.

No, It's because there are so many other people out there more capable of making it better than I can. And I say that not as a failure! More as recognition.

Just take the new Presets single "My People" – How the fuck can I ever even dream of even making something so Goddamn gorgeous? Of course I can't… can't wait for these to escape from New South Wales…supporting Daft Punk at the mo… honours…

Then take 'Granite' by Pendulum? I Want to lick it - it sounds so fuckin' sweet! Just missed out on tickets, what a shame…

Next up is 'Lion Rip' by The Duke Spirit – fresh from seeing these live in London just last week, this sounds so beautiful that it fucking hurts – and when you have a front woman like this, how can life get any better?

Another great live band are The Displacements – I will always have fond memories of seeing these at The Charlotte up in Leicester – they stole the show and stole my heart – and I met their mum too! Check 'AKA The Train' for the low down…

Another band just waiting for the right time to explode out of Leicester are the Carnabys – if it's possible to have an authentic 60s band in the naughties, then these boys are it. Do yourselves a favour and search on MySpace for them (check 'Yesterday It Won't Be Long') - you won't be disappointed!

A blast from the past this month comes in the form of "38" by The Revolting Cocks. Al Jorgenson kicks fucking ass man and the bassline will open up your sphincter like you never imagined possible. I remember the video (You Goddamned Son Of A Bitch) as if it were only yesterday: The smoke and that white stetson….

Another memory jogger is '40 Miles' by 'Cloudburst & Culture Girl' – Although it has clearly borrowed (ha ha) a significant amount from the Congress track of the same name (there's sampling and there's SAMPLING!), this track brings back fond memories of smoke-filled sound studios, of DJs playing sets on MDMA, of bags of strange, bitter tasting pink powder that seemed to last all night and beyond… memories of floors falling through due to over-capacity and excessive dancing… memories of unfinished walls, of emerging into daylight with space cadet eyes…

And talking of Acid (were we?), can it get any more acid than 'Electronic Battle Weapon 7' by Chemical Brothers? I think not! Come on, work that jaw to the 303 until it hurts…

Unpronounceable band names – what's that all about? You tell me after you've checked out 'Must Be The Moon' by !!! – It's funky and fresh. Have to confess to not liking the rapping bit, but I'll sacrifice that for the beat and bass line – oooh…

Electro-Rock from Chelmsford anyone? No? What about Nitzer Ebb then? I'll take 'Family Man' from the 'Greatest Hits' collection 'Body of Work 1984-1997.any day - A little more accessible than Front 242 for me. Plus I really love the spoken word piece on this track, makes me chuckle every time I hear it '..with his leather strap, clap trap, and a dolly bird kissing him from his lap, her finger tips trip across him, like a road map, leading down to… his old chap…". You couldn't write it, though obviously someone did – ace!

And finally, you can't beat a good old bit of screaming over a track I always find, so check out 'Charmer' by Kings of Leon, doing a remarkably accurate Pixies impersonation, eat that bass line people, eat it raw…

Next gigs: Interpol, Bad Manners, Editors, Boxer Rebellion, 20 Seconds To Mars  – yeah!!!…

Shameless self-promotion will always be in fashion... talking of fashion, a reminder there's a sale on right now of T-shirts with my artwork on them:

Just go to zazzle.com and search on mindcrash for full list of merch!