This could become a regular feature. Have you found a Southall Riot/Victory Garden back catalogue product on sale at a vastly unreasonable price ? You have ?! Let us know ! We're interested ! We're always happy to undercut the most eye stretching, jaw dropping prices !

Three things today that make me wonder what's happened to the world I knew and loved.

One...was looking at buying a bike, and was browsing online. Besides a suitable looking item was a box saying :
 "Have you considered...A DIAMOND FAT DADDY STUNT PEDAL ?"

 I can honestly say I haven't. What's it all about ?

Two...VG 25, or at least what we had planned as VG25*, has now been pulled. A shame, a real shame, and totally not what we wanted. So why has it been pulled ? Because it appears the band and US label were worried we would sell too many copies !! No, seriously...they were worried that we would sell too many (worth repeating that one) !! Seems what we were planning on releasing (as agreed by the band and VG), and who we were planning on selling to (err...the public, possibly ?), and the amount we wanted to sell (around half of them. Not all of them...150 copies was our plan, to be exact) was too much of a threat to...um...we're not sure who, but it was a threat, and couldn't be tolerated.
 So they sent us a two line email telling us to stop. No "thank you, anyhow" or "sorry", mind...just stop. So we did.

 Must admit, it's a bit of a first-timer for VG this one. In all the releases we've ever been involved in, we've never before been told that we must sell less (or even better, none at all). And when you're on such a minimal amount of copies as 250 to start with...well...we thought we were the undisputed kings of micro-ambition, but we've been well out-trumped on this'un !! What's it all about ??

Three..."SJ - The Ultimate Rock Stars Wife". You saw that as well ? Didn't you think there was something...uh...odd about having that as a claim to fame ?

 C'mon, you know the words...all together now...What's it all about ???

 Answers on a postcard to : Happy Jack Records, USA

 Cheers !!

 Erika c/o VG

* Mr. Brick - this surely means your time in nigh. Your time is nigh.

...and didn't get ONE six. Not ONE.

 After the 41st unsuccessful go, my opponent and I decided to abandon the game of Ludo and go colour some Charlie And Lola butterflies instead.

 Ridiculous, but an auspicious sign for the forthcoming year, me thinks.

 Yours,

 Unnamed VG Employee.

Yup, today just gone...so, er, yesterday then...VICTORY GARDEN RECORDS became TEN YEARS OLD. For twas at the beginning of September '98 that verily did SOUTHALL RIOT's debut offering "INTO THE CHICAGO ABYSS EP" (or VG01 as some knew it) come hurtling into the world.

 When we came into being there was no "transfer window", or "myspace and youtube", and there wasn't that much in the way of mobile phone usage. There was still a weekly showing for Top Of The Pops, smoking was allowed in pubs (it's not actually all that long ago that stopped, but it feels like a long time), and there was a war on in Iraq, the West just didn't like to publicise it then because it wasn't official.

 So, apart from bombing other countries, quite a bit has changed. However, VG has remained exactly as it was. Precisely as it was founded. A dusty yet trusty old retainer stuck fast in the safe territory of where ever it was we first started from. "No risks taken, no lives lost" - that's our motto, and by gosh we're sticking to it.

Ah, the glory days of all the surefire bankers we took on board - each and every one destined to fly pronto from the shelves of all good stockists and become collectors items before you could say "I ordered two from Rough Trade". It was a heady, crazy time, with every thing we touched turning to audio gold or, in the case of our famed "art" releases, hearing our name dropped in ever more fashionable circles of critical acclaim.

 They fucking loved us, mate.

 However, we are now ten. And while we remain alert and bright eyed to the wondrous possibilities that surround and fill our extraordinary lives every day of the year, we have decided that the best action to take for our tenth year is...to rest. Well earned, certainly needed, and possibly advised. Why pluck a sparrow at breakfast when you can eat a goose for tea, hmm ?

 So - we've pulled the tenth anniversary gig, we won't be releasing a tenth anniversary compilation, and shall not be printing up any "VG10th" t-shirts. No, no use pleading - it ain't happening. We're off for pint and a quick afternoon kip, sorry.

 Will be back later. Enjoy the silence !!

 Erika c/o VG
 

Seeing as it's our official 10th Anniversary next month, we at VG thought we'd follow the innovative lead of so many current hot indie labels and jump aboard the money spinning bandwagon of having our own exclusive SINGLES CLUB !

 Great idea, huh ? We plan on releasing around one 7" vinyl single a year, in a limited edition of no more than 500, all pressed on lovely looking round, black vinyl, and housed in bonus sleeve. The first six artists are close to be thought of, but subscriptions are already being taken :

The first 6 issues - £85 inc p&p
The first 12 issues - £165 inc p&p

 All methods of payment accepted - cash especially - and orders will be sent out no longer than four weeks after you've noticed them in the rack of your local record shop.

 Should this series take off in the way we expect it to, then we'll put our minds to planning a celebratory VG gig/club night at some point whenever.

 Phew ! It really is all go round here !!

This Saturday (19th April), in the not-what-it-was confines of The Freebutt, Brighton, THE PHIL COLLINS 3 will play their final gig. Grown men will weep, small girls will giggle hysterically, and a being of no fixed gender, possibly wearing a huge cardboard nuclear missilie on their head (or similar), will launch into "Greenfly Ate My Dog" one last time, no doubt with much hindered playing capacity due to the unweildy nature of the construction propped precariously on their head.
 The passing of TPC3 will be mourned at VG, but they did their bit. Good lads !

On a much happier note : Victory Garden will be attending the Pitchfork Camber ATP. Hold that thought people, we're all attached and spoken for (even previously lovelorn Erika, who's finally found a romantic match in Eddy, the plumber from Catford who she met while he came to "fix the ladies" on VG Towers third floor - the middle cubicle became insufferably blocked at some point during the VG NYE knees up, and while we managed to procure a reel of "POLICE STOP"  tape and a half dozen of those traffic cones that flash in time which ought to have been enough to ward the most inebriated of revelling attendees off from the dilapitated facility, there appeared to be an increased overflow over the course of the early morning. The Gents, by strange and ironic contrast, appeared mostly unused - the floor a near arid expanse of unwetted tiling and even the extra toilet rolls provided remaining in place, dry and usable to the end. I tend to view this as a social commentary on the sad decline in feminine decorum , but Erika insists it was because Stu had the key to the Mens stashed away and was using it as his own personal locked dressing room.), but we will be found either frugging away to the likes of Sebadoh, Times New Viking and , of course, our own Hot Chip. Later on in proceedings we may be found dancing on tables in The Vic to the strains of Comet Gain, or similar.
 Actually, while on the hot topic of Hot Chip, you may be best to find us at the famous "Proper Indie Sunday Market" which normally kicks off on the pub tables outside the Vic from about midday on Sunday (weather permitting). I can let blog reading friends of VG into an exclusive secret here - we will be offloading the last few copies of Hot Chips rare as bat's teeth debut CD "Mexico EP" at a knock down £10 a pop (they do up to £30 on ebay !!). Buy us a pint, and we'll knock off a quid - fair ?

 Cheers !!

 Philm c/o VG

Sid Newby
11th May 1946 - 29th Jan 2008
 R.I.P

...(in no particular order) :
The Original Beekeepers
The Fog Is In The Fir Trees.

Greetings and Happy New Year in advance.

 

We've nothing planned in the VG Community Block for the next eight or nine days, so we've decided to take a well earned office break.

 Philm fancied a camping holiday in the Lake District, but both Erika and Stuey were after a bit of sun, sea and sand - possibly slightly hopeful in the UK this year, but there you go...if we want to cut down on global warming, then short haul flights to the sunny Greek islands need to be limited to two or three times a year.

 Aaanyhooow, we've plumped for a week in Cornwall, with a leisurely couple of days travelling there and back, taking in Avebury on the way and avoiding Gloucestershire.

 Any emails, messages or friends requests will be stacked up in an orderly fashion in our intray awaiting our return, and anarchic tip of the week is that if you post a lewd or bawdy comment on our comments board in the next couple of days it'll be up there for over a week.

 Oh, larks !

 We'll send a postcard.

 VG Leisure & Travel Dept.