From: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org (idealcopy-digest) To: idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Subject: idealcopy-digest V7 #132 Reply-To: idealcopy@smoe.org Sender: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-idealcopy-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk idealcopy-digest Friday, April 30 2004 Volume 07 : Number 132 Today's Subjects: ----------------- [idealcopy] OT - Hubert Selby Jr [Ian Grant ] [idealcopy] WAY O.T., but funny. Best ebay auction ever! You have to see this... [=?iso-8859-1?q?Monochromatic=20Man?= Subject: [idealcopy] OT - Hubert Selby Jr Hello, Apologies for the vastly off-topic posting...but I hadn't heard the news of Hubert Selby Jr's death until this morning, when a friend had the misfortune to tell me and then have to pick up the pieces, and I wouldn't want anyone else who cares not to know.... http://www.exitwounds.com/Hubert-Selby-Jr.htm It sounds a bit ridiculous, given that so much of his writing is a bleak and unflinching depiction of humanity's potential for savagery and self-destruction, but Hubert Selby Jr has shed enormous, blinding light within my life since I first read him about fifteen years ago. There have been occasions when the power of his work has reduced me to a trembling wreck - I remember stumbling around Haywards Heath station in an absolute daze after finishing "The Willow Tree" during a long train journey back from Manchester - but its sheer strength of will, its unbreakable faith in humanity, its wholehearted love for what appears to be so far beyond love makes it ultimately affirmative, redemptive, almost triumphant. And definitely heroic. A couple of years ago, he came over to London for a readings-and-stuff evening at the South Bank to coincide with the launch of "Waiting Period". I had to go, of course...but at the same time, I knew how well my "never meet your heroes" philosophy has served me over the years, and how easy it is to be disappointed when the image that you've built up doesn't make enough allowances for simple human flaws. But there he was, Hubert Selby Jr...terribly frail in body but spectacularly alive in spirit, filling the room with a gentle, kind, modest presence...and a cackling, wicked laugh that it seemed couldn't possibly come from such a tiny figure. To be able to applaud him, to have the chance to say a small "thank you" in that way, meant an enormous amount to me then, and means even more to me now. As Nick Tosches' beautiful, sad eulogy says, "He was a great man. He was a beautiful man. He was a wise man. He lived life. He endured life. He renewed the lives of so many. He was a source of light and love and strength. I dont know what more to say." No, me neither. Cheers, ig. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 15:11:36 +0100 (BST) From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Monochromatic=20Man?= Subject: [idealcopy] WAY O.T., but funny. Best ebay auction ever! You have to see this... > eBay item 4146756343 (Ends Apr-28-04 15:37:01 PDT) - > SIZE 12 WEDDING DRESS/GOWN NO RESERVE http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4146756343#ebayphotohosting ===== Edward? Will Heaven be like Swansea? Yes, Tubbs...only bigger. ____________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download Messenger Now http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/download/index.html ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 10:14:55 -0500 From: "Stephen Graziano" Subject: Re: [idealcopy] OT - Hubert Selby Jr I don't remember exactly when I first encountered Hubert Selby Jr.'s work, but I reckon it was around 10th grade. Before I found Kerouac, Burroughs, Colin Wilson, Leary, Hoffstader, RA Wilson, Rudy Rucker and all the other conciousness alchemists I had two well worn paperbacks that seared themselves into my worldview reality tunnel. Selby's "Last Exit to Brooklyn" and Piri Thomas' "Down These Mean Streets" depicted the world (Brooklyn was where I grew up) that I was about to inherit, and probably more than anything else prepared me for the coming "punk rock wars" giving an American and specifically NY feel to the malaise that was creeping up from the streets. Lou Reed and Garland Jeffreys walked those same streets with the same unblinkingly dispassionate eyes. Bringing the demimonde onto the main stage. These were the inheritors of "Kitchen Sink" movies of the late 50's i.e. "Along the Waterfront" "Marty" "Blackboard Jungle" et al that brought the grit of lower/middle class living to the forefront. I was initially a little disappointed when I first saw the movie version of Last Exit. It didn't fit my mental impression (so long formed) of the story. Too neon/garish. But subsequent viewings (and sadly, no rereadings) have brought me around to it. I saw Requiem For a Dream before reading the book and was totally bowled over. Even in the here and now Selby's visions resonate. sg http://www.sourmashusa.com - ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ian Grant" To: Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 6:07 AM Subject: [idealcopy] OT - Hubert Selby Jr > Hello, > > Apologies for the vastly off-topic posting...but I hadn't heard the news > of Hubert Selby Jr's death until this morning, when a friend had the > misfortune to tell me and then have to pick up the pieces, and I wouldn't > want anyone else who cares not to know.... > > http://www.exitwounds.com/Hubert-Selby-Jr.htm ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 10:46:17 -0700 From: Paul Pietromonaco Subject: RE: [idealcopy] WAY O.T., but funny. Best ebay auction ever! You have to see this... > eBay item 4146756343 (Ends Apr-28-04 15:37:01 PDT) - > SIZE 12 WEDDING DRESS/GOWN NO RESERVE The funny thing is that the guy selling the wedding dress lives up here in Seattle. I was watching NorthWest Cable News - a regional news channel - and they interviewed this guy. While he was wearing the wedding dress, of course. Apparently, he's getting marriage proposals, too. Cheers, Paul ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 18:47:57 +0100 From: "ian s jackson" Subject: RE: [idealcopy] WAY O.T., but funny. Best ebay auction ever! You have to see this... weird...a friend in Cali just sent me this one...seems like there's a cult about to sprout out of this one...funny though, worth checking out people... ian.s.j. >From: Monochromatic Man >To: Idealcopy@smoe.org, DianeD@MSX.UPMC.EDU, dojcak.mb@mellon.com >Subject: [idealcopy] WAY O.T., but funny. Best ebay auction ever! You have >to see this... >Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 15:11:36 +0100 (BST) > > > eBay item 4146756343 (Ends Apr-28-04 15:37:01 PDT) - > > SIZE 12 WEDDING DRESS/GOWN NO RESERVE > >http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4146756343#ebayphotohosting _________________________________________________________________ Use MSN Messenger to send music and pics to your friends http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 16:28:23 -0700 From: Paul Pietromonaco Subject: RE: [idealcopy] WAY O.T., but funny. Best ebay auction ever! You have to see this... > > eBay item 4146756343 (Ends Apr-28-04 15:37:01 PDT) - > > SIZE 12 WEDDING DRESS/GOWN NO RESERVE > > The funny thing is that the guy selling the wedding dress > lives up here in Seattle. And, here's an article from our local paper: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001915316_brodeur29m.html Cheers, Paul ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 21:36:06 +0100 From: "Keith Knight" Subject: [idealcopy] Triptych - Edinburgh report Back from Edinburgh and absolutely knackered - but nothing will prevent your correspondent from reporting on last night. Thanks to Mr Astbury's posting of the times of the performances it's clear this is going to be a late night but wow! Having been drinking for large chunks of the day, my friend Lee and I finally contact Bruno by phone mid-evening. He's just back from cycling and will be along later but he gives me Uri's number and successful contact is made. We meet up and a pizza and drink later we turn up at the venue around 11pm, making contact with Bruno and his mate. The venue is a good small one on two floors allowing bands and DJ sets to alternate. On arrival Pink Grease are just finishing - they sound pretty enjoyable but I want to see Liars, so move downstairs. And who should be there but Mr Graeme Rowland! Liars are now a threepiece. The drummer is bare-chested with some writing scrawled across which I can't make out and a silver cape. With moustache, he looks like a 70s pornstar. I fear for Angus's head given his height and the venue's low ceiling and he comes on with his head wrapped in a scarf. The opening song is impressively attack-minded and given Angus' facial and height similarity and the approach to noise they remind me throughout of The Birthday Party. No bad thing at all. At least they don't sound so much like the Go4 now. The lyrics are hard to make out although some of the witchcraft theme of the new album can be heard. The guitarist alternates with electronics and, for one song, a small drum kit. Inter-song announcements are cleverly treated electronically and form the start to the next track. I'm generally impressed, but quit before the end as I want to make sure of seeing KaitO upstairs. This turns out to be unnecessary as the organisers are waiting until one band finishes before letting the next start but it at least lets us take up a place at the front. Some in this situation would situate themselves in front of Nikki or Gemma but for us old men there is only one place - immediately before Dave Lake's incredible array of effects pedals. But KaitO's appearance is being held up by some old guy and a mate on the decks and frankly this is rather wonderful. Wait - I recognise it! It's Irmin Schmidt and Kumo forcing Can's rhythms into different shapes. This goes on for 20 minutes and its largely blindingly good stuff. KaitO finally get on. My eighth time I reckon. The sound is too loud for this to be one of the classics from the musical pov but it hardly matters - the set (even the new numbers I've only heard once before) is classic after classic. Dieter drums like a maniac, Gemma anchors the sound and the vocal backing while smiling enigmatically as ever, Nikki looks more like a star than ever and is exuding confidence (and why not, fronting this band) and Dave - well. With the amount of work this man does between playing, stamping on pedals and yelling into the mike I fear he will be stiff in old age. Another formidable performance and I stay right to the end, departing with a feeling of immense wellbeing and almost a fear that I won't be able to cope with the emotional intensity of seeing Wire immediately afterwards. I needn't have worried. There's an unexplained 20 minutes delay until the boys come on at 1am. I haven't seen a band this late for years - London bands almost always finish by 1130 at the latest nowadays. I am consequently not at my physical peak - past my bedtime, having drunk too much and coming down from an emotional high of having seen one of my favourite bands. It takes me a while to get into the show therefore. Uri has heard beforehand that there will be nothing new tonight and this is true - the set follows that in Australia from Philip's reports. 99.9 is done on tape, Colin bursting on and running from side to side of the stage as he sings, Graham wielding a flashlight that he takes great pleasure in blinding people with. As for KaitO, the sound is distortingly loud and the music suffers in consequence. Colin's on good active form, Graham (like Bruce, in tight black T-shirt, but with more muscletone natch) seems to be metamorphosing from Steven Berkoff into Full Metal Jacket's R Lee Ermey, Bruce as always is almost motionless, half-turned from the audience and Robert plays with eyes closed. Agfers is welcome and again makes one wonder why Graham's welcome vocals are not heard more in this incarnation. Comet bombs along as it does and by now, seven songs in, I'm warming up. The crowd - tightly packed, maybe 200 people? - are moshing down the front and Graeme is conducting proceedings from the floor. Art of Stopping is fine and then along comes Spent which, as always, is magnificent. This is now a show-stopper, one of the great Wire songs. I Don't Understand brings the Send set to an end. We call for more. They return with Strange, 106 Beats That and Surgeon's Girl. God, I love that song. Off and on again for a performance of Pink Flag. Philip sang its praises from Oz and he's 100% right. This is now an epic beast, extending for 3 minutes or more before the lyrics start. I found myself hearing rhythms in the sound which almost certainly weren't there. A great look from Colin after the line "How many dead or alive" (a look which says "How should I know?"). The noise is monstrous. The finest version of this song I've ever heard live. They don't - can't - come back afterwards. It's 2am. Overall? Well, a combination of the noise distortion and the late hour meant for me that this wasn't up there with the best (which remains Brighton for me in this incarnation) but still, you have to love them. And back to back with KaitO, not to mention Liars and Schmidt, made this well worth the trip. But should there have been new material? Is this a cause for concern? Graeme, for what its worth and as he's not here to comment directly anymore, said that we should relish them doing what they're doing irrespective of the lack of new stuff as its one of the great live experiences. And I think he's broadly right. We'll sure miss them when they're not doing it. But a bit nags that we should be seeing some forward movement by now. Because Wire are all about forward movement. Good to meet Bruno and to spend time with Uri. Looking forward to more reports. Another the Keith ------------------------------ End of idealcopy-digest V7 #132 *******************************