From: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org (oppositeview-digest) To: oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Subject: oppositeview-digest V3 #21 Reply-To: oppositeview@smoe.org Sender: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-oppositeview-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk oppositeview-digest Tuesday, January 23 2001 Volume 03 : Number 021 Today's Subjects: ----------------- OV: Ben Elton [rjp@penguinsfan.com] Re: OV: Interest in Del Amitri? [Jennifer Woyan ] OV: Tonight at the Borderline ["Jane Armstrong" ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 12:19:44 -0500 (EST) From: rjp@penguinsfan.com Subject: OV: Ben Elton Dear all... Just coming out of lurking mode for a moment to confirm that yes, Ben Elton is a Dels fan and Bruce Dealmitri is named after the band. I remember hearing/reading it in an interview with him somewhere... So, back to lurking I go! (Although I must admit to blushing a bit when the alternative Nothing Ever Happens did the rounds a while back... nice to know someone remembers it!) Becks - ------------------------------------------------------------------ Get free personalized email from the NHL at http://www.nhlmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 12:50:04 -0600 From: Jennifer Woyan Subject: Re: OV: Interest in Del Amitri? Here's how Blur did it for the release of their "Best Of..." CD (below) which came out this past October/November - it ended up charting in the Top 10 - not bad for not touring, and it being a greatest hits CD... This e-mail was sent out by both the record label and the fan club. Cheers, Jen in Chicago After a period on calm since "13" when the guys have been off doing their own thing, blur are back with a bang with a brand new single "Music Is My Radar" and the release of blur : the best of plus a whole host of stuff you might want to check out. Out this week, "Music Is My Radar" is a cracking slice of "Voodoo Jazz" and marks the beginning of a brand new direction for blur. It's available as a 2 CD set and cassette, it's backed by another brand new track "Black Book" plus vintage Radio 1 session tracks. The song and (Graham Coxon's sleeve artwork) is inspired by the seminal 70's African percussionist Tony Allen, who worked alongside the late great Fela Kuti, amongst others (fact fans). This week also sees the launch of a brand new blur website, http://www.blur-radio.com This groundbreaking service is a 24 hour internet radio station on which you can hear loads and loads of rare blur tracks, interviews and concerts spanning their 11 year career so far. Highlights include a documentary on blur: the best of, a selection of key blur concerts, a history of blur at the BBC (hosted by Steve Lamacq) plus two shows featuring rare and obscure blur-related music hosted one each by Graham ("Weird + Wonderful") and Alex ("Wired + Wonderful"). Also, www.blur.co.uk has taken on a bit of a new look to coincide with the best of album. You can watch a selection of blur's fantastic videos and also keep up to date with all the latest news and gossip. Blur's performance at this year's Meltdown festival was captured on film and can be seen right here from Thursday 5th October at 5pm (GMT) for a limited time only. This is the band's only live gig of the year and one which is essential viewing for fans old and new. The gig can be seen by visiting http://rfh.i-gig.com To celebrate this flurry of blur-related net stuff, there are a series special launch events happening on Monday 30th October at internet cafes across the land where you can check the new websites out for free (!) as well as win a host of lovely new blur: the best of swag. The venues are as follows :- Web 13, 13 Bread Street, EDINBURGH, EH3 9AL CyberCafe, 9 Duke Street, CARDIFF CF10 1AY NetAdventure, 68-70 Dalton Street, Dale End, BIRMINGHAM B4 7LX onCoffee.net, 11 Christmas Steps, BRISTOL BS1 5BS Planet Electra, 36 London Road, LIVERPOOL L3 5NF Keeping with all things technology-based, Blur have teamed up with Iobox, Europe's leading mobile portal, to bring fans a very special new version of their new single Music Is My Radar. Dave Rowntree has personally programmed a ringtone of Music Is My Radar, as well as a special logo for your phone. Just visit http://www.blur.co.uk from Thursday 18.10.00 to download the tone (for free). We think this is the first time a band have given their fans their own version of a hit song to download to their mobile phone! Finally, November 13th sees the release of blur: the best of on VHS and DVD. All 22 blur singles' videos from the 90's are contained here in chronological order starting with "She's So High" (those haircuts, those T-shirts) to the beautifully-shot "No Distance Left To Run" along with artwork and sleevenotes. You don't have to wait until the 13th Nov to watch all 22 videos back-to-back, however there are a series of screenings happening next week to celebrate the release of the best of. Here too you can win a whole load of blur posters and exclusive merchandise as well as pre-release copies of the album. The dates times and venues are :- 1. Sunderland University - The Manouquay @ 9pm Sat 21st Oct 2. Heriot Watt University - Zero Degrees @ 8pm Tues 24th Oct 3. Sheffield Hallam University - The Hub @ 8pm Wed 25th Oct 4. Liverpool John Moores University - The Cooler @ 8pm Thurs 26th Oct 5. Leeds University - The Old Bar @8.30pm Thurs 26th Oct 6. UEA - The Hive Bar @ 7.30pm Fri 27th Oct 7. Bath University - The Plug Bar @ 9pm Fri 27th Oct 8. Newcastle University - Global Warming @ 5pm Fri 27th Oct 9. Manchester Met University - The Shebang @ 7.30pm Sat 28th Oct 10. Edinburgh University - The Potter Row @ 7pm Thurs 2nd Nov That's all for now, except to remind those of you who want to buy the blur: the best of album on CD, that there is a Special Edition double CD available from Monday the 30th which has a free 10-track live album recorded last December @ Wembley Arena. Oh and check out Damon, Graham, Alex and Dave LIVE on CD:UK performing "Music Is My Radar" this Saturday morning. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 02:45:07 -0000 From: "Jane Armstrong" Subject: OV: Tonight at the Borderline Just got in from the Eileen Rose gig at the Borderline where we got to see Iain, Kris and Mark perform. The venue, and the stage, was tiny - and I was practically sitting on Iain's knee! (I wish!) Kevin, Andrew and I went down to speak to them before the gig, just before the soundcheck. We mostly spoke to Mark, as Iain was busy trying to tune the pedal steel guitar. (Though of course once the venue filled with people and the place warmed up he had to retune it all over again). Mark is very excited about the new album, and has promised we won't be disappointed. I did say that people had forgotten Del Amitri or thought they had spilt (and they joked about Iain supposedly having left the band according to the Evening Standard), but Mark said that when the new album comes out there will be loads of publicity and everyone will know about it. Sounds like they have big things planned. I did express my doubts about this Commissioner Gordon chap who's doing the mixing - I'm not a great Fugees fan (I really can't stand them!!!) and he did Lauryn Hill's album - but Mark put my mind at rest and said it won't be anything like that. Most of the time over these past couple of years has been spent writing and they have just about enough material for the next album too.... They were all pleased to be performing, and I've posted a short report on the www.delamitri.co.uk website about the gig if you're interested. They were obviously enjoying themselves and were laughing and grinning throughout - Mark kept looking at me and making me laugh. Iain obviously missed the services of his guitar tech Brian - as he had to keep plugging in all the various instruments. He was playing pedal steel, electric mandolin, a Fender, and of course his trusty Les Paul - and you could certainly tell when he was playing! He just makes it sound so easy. Kris had his Gibson and an acoustic guitar. But it was weird to see them performing without Justin and Andy! Eileen Rose has a great voice, earthy which is reminiscent of Bonnie Raitt - and a sort of country bluesy style - and when the band started to rock, they really did rock. As well as the Del Boys she also had her own band - guitar, bass and keyboards. I really liked her songs and will be checking out the EP when it's released - especially if Kris and Iain are playing on it. We couldn't talk to them for long at the end as they were having to pack up their own instruments - Iain especially was cursing as he had all sorts of wires and cables to sort out before he could even start on the instruments! Something he's not had to do in a long time! And Kris had to get the train home to Kent. Bit different from a Dels tour and a luxury tour bus and roadies to cater to your every need (well almost!) One other thing - Mark's son is a pretty good drummer in his own right, and has recently started up his own band along with Eurythmics Dave Stewart's son. They are called Dumbstruk and have their own website - but Mark couldn't remember the URL off hand. I had hoped to talk to them about some of the concerns expressed on this list, but they were very busy, so we couldn't say too much. I'm sure lots of other things were said, but I'm way to knackered to remember them (it is almost 3am here!) but I'm certainly more excited about the new album now - it's definitely in it's final stages of production, and will soon be in the hands of a certain mythological god (Mercury!). Jane ------------------------------ End of oppositeview-digest V3 #21 *********************************