Saturday 31 March 2012

THE COMPLETE 14 "BATMAN" WINDOW CAMEOS . . . . I JUST RIPPED IT FROM G.E.F's "WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE ?" BLOG . . . . HE TOOK IT FROM "BOING BOING" . . . . AND THEY SWIPED IT FROM "LOOMYAIRE" WHO PUT THE SHIT TOGETHER IN THE FIRST PLACE . . . .



I guess this will be of more interest to folks my age or from mid-late thirties up, unless you're one of the blessed sixties pop culture geeks out there . . . . coming across this only minutes ago was like finding the entrance to Shangri-la . . . . I figured out most of these classic, deadpan, dry as a Nun's whatsit cameos a long time ago . . . . but there were several that had always eluded me . . . . now, now dear friends, I can sleep at night, my search is at an end, yea verily, for I am sated . . . . Holy "give the game away Batman !!!!"

THE CLASH - "THE CALL UP" . . . . MY MOST LOVED BAND, A KILLER TRACK FROM THE TRIPLE ALBUM "SANDINISTA" . . . . STRUMMER AND THE BOYS DID THE TRIPLE THING TO GET OUT OF THEIR EXISTING CONTRACT . . . . THIS POST WAS INSPIRED BY A BRILLIANT READ ON "CRO CUSTOMS" BLOG . . . . GIVE IT A SERIOUS SQUIZ, EVERYBODY SHOULD . . . . THEN GO SHARE THE LOVE !!!



The Clash, a band who were so influential in the direction the post punk music would take, the Sandinista set is often dismissed as by many scribes and critics, especially those who hang onto that old maggot of "I only like their first two albums, then they sold out" . . . . what a bunch of old cobblers you wankers, they pushed themselves into totally unchartered waters for the bands of their time . . . .

Introducing all manner of sounds, styles and approaches that were not only foreign to all at the time but, and more importantly, incapable of being made flesh due to the overwhelming mucical ineptitude of most of their contemporaries . . . . not only that, they just loved the bigger picture of the world of music and weren't afraid to embrace a period of insane change, both classical and emergent musical styles, reggae, soul, R+B, country, jazz, the early hip hop/rap stuff  . . . . these guys weren't haters, they were ambassadors for peace love and understanding [thanks Declan McManus], and if they were hating, it was directed toward things worthy of contempt and needing change . . . .

Anyway, I won't start myself up, I'm gonna go read Mr Caleb Owens' blog again . . . . such was the impact his spiel has had on me . . . . a bunch of my personal baggage needs to be ditched . . . . or at least tweeked . . . . read it too, then go out and ride, open your eyes a bit wider than before and share some love . . . . it's pretty easy to do when the common link is so bloody strong !!! Forever Two Wheels . . . . not so much of 'fuck the world' . . . . or as Cro put it so simply - "Love to Ride, Ride to Love"

1971 DAYTONA 200 . . . . DICK MANN'S SECOND WIN IN A ROW ON BOARD A BEEZER TRIPLE . . . . A STELLAR FIELD, INCLUDING, NIXON, EMDE, ALDANA, HAILWOOD, SMART, AND ROMERO . . . . ABOUT THE LAST OF THE GLORY DAYS.



I knicked this from "RandysClassicVideos" off the old PooTube in the aftermath of my blurb on the wonderful Brit triples the other day . . . . I initially went hunting for specific footage of 'Slippery Sam' but most of it was fucking ordinary, then I stubbed my toe on this stuff and couldn't be more chuffed . . . . just check out the lineup for this event, not just the cream of the crop from the Golden Age of American two wheeled pedallers but also the likes of Mike 'The Bike' Hailwood and Paul Smart who was about to take Ducati to the centre of the world stage with his legendary win at Imola on the beautiful 750 roundcase . . . .

It's a funny thing that in the final deaththrows of the British bike industry in the early seventies, they found their greatest support in the U.S of A . . . . given that the Yanks had always gobbled up huge numbers of Pommy export numbers, particularly Trumpy's and Beezers, it should come as no surprise I guess . . . . Johnson Motors was in many ways responsible for this state of affairs, to the point of forcing Meriden and Small Heath into supplying bikes like the T120R and it's B.S.A equivelent for racing duties both on the oval tracks and scrambles/desert racing tour of the day.

Even though the Brits themselves were constantly developing their own, many of the long lasting innovations for both the parallel twins and, later on, the triples, were undertaken Stateside, heaps of these performance parts are still the basis for many of the aftermarket standards available today, the end result at the time was much better durability and reliability, especially in higher temperature environments such as North America and Australia.

It's all beside the point really, tragically, the poor old Poms were unable to stave off the inevitable demise of what had been, arguably, the most influential motorcycle industry in the world and by pretty much 1975, it was fucked, as I said in the other article, all over Red Rover. The U.K economy was not enjoying the same purple patch as their trans Atlantic cousins and the slide into 'Anarchy in the U.K' continued unabated.

Thankfully, the Yanks were able to save Harley from a similar fate through AMF having bought the operation, the great irony is for me and many others, the AMF era is loathed and detested by so many hardcore Harley lovers but the simple reality is this . . . . without their intervention, the Milwaulkee Marvel would have gone the way of every other U.S manufacturer and become extinct, it would not have been there for Willie G and his White Knight Posse to buy back . . . . if only John Bloor or some other unrelated, dispassionate, non motorcycling corporate entity had done the same in Blighty for the likes of N.V.T when it was really required !!!!

Friday 30 March 2012

ON THE OTHER HAND, THIS IS FULL ON . . . . "FOK JULLE NAAIERS" BY 'DIE ANTWOORD'. . . . GENERALLY FUNKIER EDGED SOUTH AFRICAN ENSEMBLE HAVE GOT THEIR GRUMPY PANTS ON IN THIS ONE . . . . THERE'S A SUPER INTERESTING STORY BEHIND IT TOO SO PAY ATTENTION . . . . SNAP QUIZ AT THE END KIDDIES !!!!



THIS IS ONE SEETHING, MALEVOLENT, HATEFUL, INTENSE, ANGRY, OFFPUTTING AND RIVETING LISTEN, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ACCOMPANYING FILMCLIP . . . . NEVER SEEN SO MUCH ALMOST TANGIBLE LOATHING IN THE EYES OF MUSOS IN MY LIFE . . . . A REAL DEPARTURE FROM THEIR EARLIER SHIT AND UTTERLY CONVINCING . . . . DON'T FORGET THE BACKGROUND STORY . . . . SUSS IT OUT PEOPLES . . . . WORTH THE HUNT.

SIMPLY CALLED "WALKING" BY FELLOW SOUTH AFRICAN ZEF BAND "DIE ANTWOORD'S" CHOMMA [MEANING BUDDIES IN SLANG AFRIKAANS] . . . . . IT'S A PRETTY COOL TUNE AND THEY'VE VERY THOUGHTFULLY INCLUDED SOME TWO WHEEL ACTION THROUGHOUT THE VIDEO . . . . NO, IT'S NOT HARDCORE CHOPSVILLE BUT IT MAKES A NOT TOO SHABBY VISUAL . . . . KICK BACK AND RELAX TO "WALKING" . . . .

LANCE MOUNTAIN'S "POOL SERVICE" . . . . SAW THIS ON THE 'KILLIN IT' LADS BLOG AND WAS CLEAN BLOWN AWAY . . . . POOL CONSTRUCTION NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD . . . . AND "MAN MOUNTAIN" HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SKATE HERO OF MINE.

ONE OF MY MOST LOVED SKATIES WAS THE RED 'FUTUER PRIMITIVE' DECK I HAD BACK IN THE MID EIGHTIES . . . . EVERYTHING ABOUT THAT STICK FELT GOOD UNDER MY SIZE TWELVE PLATES OF MEAT . . . . PERFECT CONCAVE, KICK ANGLE, NOSE AREA, IT WAS BLOODY PERFECT . . . .



Everybody knows that Lance has been through some shit and it's just good to see him come out the other side with talent and mind seemingly still intact . . . . hell skater then and now, some super cool stuff in this Nike produced clip, unreal compressed overview of how a pool is masterminded then followed by some classic ripping on the virgin shotcrete . . . .

I wish I could say I'm still out there and hitting it like Mountain, T.A and half of you guys I read about on your various blogs but I'd be lyin . . . . I'm still toolin around on a Gonz with my eleven year old daughter and skatin for fun but my left wrist is just a mess and the fifty one year old hips and knees are just about fucked and the desire no longer overcomes the pain . . . .

What hasn't changed is the feeling I get inside when I'm watching others tearing it up in a pool that is just perfect, like the virgin build featured here . . . . all my respect and kudos to all you guys and girls still out there going hard . . . . . inspirational shit, love your collective work !!!

PETE YORN "LIFE ON A CHAIN" LIVE AT SOME JOINT CALLED 'FINGERPRINTS' . . . . MUSIC AT IT'S MOST BASIC, RAW, FUNNY AND HONEST . . . . TOO MANY WINES, HAD THE SUCKER IN MY HEAD ALL NIGHT . . . . TRAVELLIN MUSIC, TOO DRUNK TO RIDE THOUGH . . . . BEDTIME I RECKON, MIGHT JUST LIE DOWN HERE A WHILE . . . . ZZZzzzzzzzzzzz

Thursday 29 March 2012

HE'S BAAAAACK . . . . SAN DIEGO DEFINITELY IS GERMAN FOR WHALE'S VAGINA . . . . THOUGHT I'D TRY TO WRAP THIS INTO A BIKE AND BURGUNDY TYPE DEAL . . . . ONE OF "THE" FUNNIEST FLICKS I'VE EVER SEEN . . . . I JUST HOPE THEY DON'T FUCK UP THE SEQUEL . . . . HOLLYWOOD SCREW UP A SEQUEL . . . . ???? NOOOOOOOO !!!!

I don't know about managing to throw a Trident, T150 or T160, or a Hurricane or Rocket III, but I've had the pleasure of punting a few of all of the above around in the dim, distant nineties and if they were in good fettle it was always a thrill . . . . smooth, turbine like power delivery given the 120 degree crank throw set up, not shabby handling and quite bloody quick for when they were released . . . . 'Slippery Sam' was still racking up race wins long after both Meriden and Small Heath were just a memory.



Sadly, the Pommy triple in all it's forms coincided with the advent of the CB750/4, the Z900 and it was all over Red Rover, playing catch up was never going to set the 'shit' to rights and the deathknell of the once great British motorcycle industry sounded with a deafening clarity . . . . even the Harris Trumpy's were plagued with quality control issues and Norton's rotary was a dismal failure . . . .

Thankfully, the allure of the pre '75 Brit bikes only seems to be growing with time and the number of quality, passionate custodians and caretakers similarly, thus insuring their ongoing survival, and that's a fucking good thing !!!! Long live the legends from the shores of old Blighty !!!!

HUSKER DU - "DON'T WANNA KNOW IF YOU ARE LONELY" . . . . A BAND OF IMMENSELY INFLUENTIAL PROPORTIONS, I FIGURE, ALONG WITH DINOSAUR JR, SONIC YOUTH, MUDHONEY AND THE PIXIES, WITHOUT THEM, NO 'SEATTLE SOUND' . . . . SADLY, SEEMINGLY LARGELY FORGOTTEN THESE DAYS AND NEVER GIVEN THE CREDIT THEY DESERVE . . . . A WICKED TUNE FROM THE MOULDY MAN AND THE BAND . . . . TURN UP, TUNE OUT AND GET EMOTIONALLY SELFISH !!!!!



I know that Bob Mould went onto to form 'Sugar' while dodging the barbs and epithets from one time close mate, co-writer and fellow Husker Doer, Grant Hart, but have no idea what either are up to these days . . . . it was a hateful, bitter bust up too by all reports of the day . . . . the sort of shit that can really only happen in scenarios like being in an intense, tight, living in each others pockets existence as only a band on the road and in the studio can provide . . . . anyway, enough of that shit . . . . hope they're both still in the land of the living and maybe not hating each other as much as they used to . . . . if anyone has some info regarding this, please let me know . . . . sorry about the absence of the 'Umlauts' above the letter 'U' in the bands name . . . . I can't do everything !!!

STRAIGHT UP SIXTIES DRAG RACING, THIS IS THE FULL ON FOSHIZZLE . . . . MAKES ME FEEL LIKE A NINE YEAR OLD AGAIN . . . . THIS SHIT IS SO RAD, SUCH A COOL FLASH, UNCLUTTERED BY POLITICALLY CORRECT, SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE DO-GOODERS, IT'S DANGEROUS, JUST AS GOD INTENDED IT . . . . THIS FANTASTIC FIFTEEN MINUTES OF TIME TRAVEL IS COURTESY OF SOME GO FAST FREAK BY THE NAME OF "LEIF44444" . . . . HE'S GOT TONS MORE BRILLIANT ARCHIVAL STUFF ON POOTUBE WHICH I'LL BE PAWING OVER FOR THE NEXT YEAR . . . . A SIX PACK OF NITRO TO GO-GO PLEASE MISS !!!!

GARLITTS, PRUDHOMME, GASSERS, ALTEREDS, SUPER STOCK, DRAGSTERS, FUNNY CARS, MONSTER MOTORS, FIRE SUITS, THEY'RE ALL IN THIS SHITHOT DOCO COMPO THAT "LEIF44444" HAS ASSEMBLED . . . . . AND THERE IS SO MUCH MORE, IT'S THE MOTHERLODE OF CLASSIC SIXTIES MOTORSPORTS . . . . CHECK THE SHIT OUT !!!!

THE MID SIXTIES . . . . IT WAS THE HEIGHT OF THE SPACE RACE AND THE COLD WAR, "M.A.D", UP, UP AND AWAY . . . . THINGS DID GO BETTER WITH COKE, BUT YOU WEREN'T MEETING THE NICEST PEOPLE ON A HONDA YET, DR STRANGELOVE, ROCK AND ROLL . . . . . HAROLD HOLT GOES SWIMMING, CASSIUS CLAY FREAKING OUT WHITEY, VIETNAM ENTERING CONDITION 'ORANGE' . . . . BUT IT WAS THE LAST OF THE GREAT AGE OF INNOCENCE, THIS KINDA STUFF ALMOST TAKES ME BACK.



And in the midst of it all was the pinnacle of what started just prior to WWII, the basically West Coast centred, hot rod spawned, faster pussycat phenomenom of drag racing . . . . massive hemi and side oiler mills, blown and gulping nitro infront of the pilot !!!! High mag content components, pushing the laws of physics into the unknown red zone . . . . yes, we're going faster now, but it's not the same, it never will be . . . . lucky we've got superb highlights to look back on, hope you dig it !!!!

Wednesday 28 March 2012

1961 TRIUMPH TR6C CUSTOM BY LUKE BRUHEIM . . . . FERKIN 'ELL, WHAT A BLOODY GORGEOUS LITTLE SCOOT . . . . SOME PRETTY OLDISH FOOTAGE BUT WELL WORTH A SQUIZ . . . . WHOEVER ACTUALLY BUILT THIS TRIUMPHANT TRUMPY GOT IT TOTALLY RIGHT . . . . DEAD SEXY !!!!



ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF BALANCE, PROPORTION AND STANCE BEING BANG ON . . . . I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS GORGEOUS PIECE OF CUSTOM POMMY HARDWARE BEFORE BUT EVEN ALLOWING FOR SOME SHAKEY CAMERA HANDLING AND THE WOEFUL BACKGROUND OF J.T GETTIN WUSSY, I WAS STILL BLOWN AWAY BY THE JIGGER.

I don't know whether Luke bolted this one together, he cerainly did a few others on his PooTube collection, either way, it's a really cool testament to well thought out, considered stylistic direction, getting everything wired tight as a cogent, complete idea that ultimately translates into something that is very difficult to avoid staring at . . . . I ain't too proud to state that nine tenths of the blogs I follow have that same thing in common . . . . 'stare-ability' . . . . I can sit happily for hours perving at most of the bikes featured on my fave sites and always find something new to fixate on . . . . and if that's what I'm doin and many more like me, then I guess the builder/designer/owner/whoever has managed to achieve their goal . . . . creating something that not only they dig but so does everybody else.

BEING NOW INTO MY FIRST 'REAL' HARLEY BUILD, 'PROJECT SHOVELLER', IN FULL CAHOOTS WITH MY MAIN MECHANICAL GURU, ROSCOE, A BIG THANKS TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE WHO'S STUFF I CHECK OUT AND WHO INSPIRE ME AND CONTINUALLY PROVIDE THAT 'SUBLIMINAL INFLUENCE' THAT HELPS TWEEK YOUR DEVELOPMENT AS YOU MOVE THROUGH LIFE . . . . LOVE AND ADMIRE YOUR WORK GUYS . . . . ALL OF YA'S !!!! I DIG COOL STUFF . . . .

Monday 26 March 2012

THE ISLE OF MAN CIRCUIT AS IT USED TO BE . . . . TALK ABOUT DEADLY . . . . THE GREATEST TT JOCKEY THAT EVER THREW A LEG OVER A TT RIDE . . . . 'YER MAUN', MR JOEY DUNLOP . . . . THIS WASN'T WHAT THE DOOBIE'S MEANT BY 'TAKIN IT TO THE STREETS' . . . .



EVER SINCE I WAS A KID I'VE HAD A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART FOR THIS WIDOW MAKER OF A ROAD RACING CIRCUIT, SO MANY BIKES, SO MANY RIDERS HAVE FOUND THEIR WAY TO FORTUNE AND FAME . . . . AND DEATH, ON THIS BIT OF TARMAC THAT WINDS LIKE A KILLER SNAKE AROUND THE ISLAND THAT IT TAKES ITS NAME FROM.

SOME MEGA FOOTAGE OF THE TT RIDERS TT RIDER, JOEY DUNLOP, CHECK OUT HIS RECORD OVER AN EXTENDED CAREER, STATS LIKE THAT DON'T LIE . . . . HE WAS A FUCKING IDIOT SAVANT ON A BIKE, [NO OFFENCE TO IDIOT SAVANTS OR JOEY'S MEMORY] UNCANNY REACTIONS, REFLEX'S AND AN INNATE 'FEELING' FOR WHAT HIS BIKE WAS UP TO . . . . OH, AND DID I MENTION NADS THE SIZE OF MEDICINE BALLS . . . . ???? A MAN WITHOUT FEAR . . . . OR IF HE HAD IT, HE SURE AS HELL HAD THE SHIT UNDER CONTROL !!!

This footage also gives you a fairly decent idea as to why Baz Sheene, who wasn't lacking in talent or testicular size himself, refused to race at the TT back in the early seventies for very real fear of being killed . . . . by the next season it was no longer part of the GP calender, nonetheless, guys like 'Yer Maun' and countless others kept at it . . . . literally dicing with death at every turn, riders still get eaten up by this near thirty eight mile circuit, not to mention members of the public every year on the aptly named 'Mad Monday' . . . . there isn't another road racing gig in the world with the history, the danger and the demand for super precision riding as the Isle of Man TT, you better believe it !!!

Note especially the condition of the track itself, this was a full time 'road', used everyday by cars, buses, trucks, carts and horses . . . . note the proximity of rock walls, bridges, houses and other things that are quite . . . what's the word here . . . . solid ???? Get the picture . . . . ????

**** Thanks to "MadForTrad" for bangin it up on PooTube, good shit man !!!

"HAT FITZ AND THE BLOOZE BITZ" LIVE AT MINE AND MY BEST MATE'S CLUB "THE DOGHOUSE BLUES BAR AND GRILL" 1997 . . . . A GREAT BAND IN WHAT WAS A BRILLIANT, PURPOSE BUILT VENUE . . . . EVEN IF I DO SAY SO MYSELF . . . . FILE UNDER "THINGS ACCOMPLISHED BUT NO DOCUMENTATION FOR POSTERITY".



HAT FITZ WERE A WONDERFUL SPECTACLE BACK IN THE DAY . . . . THE MANIC, BAREFOOT FITZY ON GUITAR AND VOCALS AND HIS TWO EQUALLY LUNATIC HENCHMAN PROVIDING A BACKLINE THAT GAVE THESE GUYS THEIR TOTAL INDIVIDUALITY . . . . GUARANTEED TO ROCK THE HOUSE !!!!

That's not really the point here, it's maudlin, morose introspection time once again . . . . prompted by a blogversation I had with Bastard Pat yesterday . . . . I have no desire to stroke myself in public or blow copious amounts of smoke up my own arse but these are simply the facts . . . . . I've been blessed by the universe to have associated with some truly great folk in all walks of life and if nothing else it has been one helluva trip, there's just one thing missing . . . .

In my over quarter century in the music industry and having met and played with so many legends, both Aussie and international, an equal time surrounded by bikes and actually owning a "classic bike" workshop in cahoots with two other freaks, meeting, riding with and playing live for crew like some of the greatest GP riders of the day, meeting their mates in racing, appearing in commercials, telly series, hosting music festivals, interviews, photos and articles in papers, creating and building from scratch a live music venue that to this day both bands and punters remember it vividly, blah, blah, blah . . . .

I really have virtually no photographic reminders, no video evidence to share with my daughter, friends, mum or you guys and gals . . . .  I never kept press clippings, I never asked for autographs or souvineers, so caught up in the moment, didn't even secret away copies of my two original bands vinyl offerings, no desk tapes, no footage from all the stuff that was shot over the years, agency shots, nothing . . . not even anything more than five shots of my Triumphs, my cars, my F truck . . . . nada. I mean, why would I want to do that for . . . . ???? What a fucking tool !!!!

Sure, it's all in my heart and my mind, heaps of crew have all kinds of documentary evidence of what I've been part of, but looking at all the fantastic shots and assorted historical paraphenalia put up daily by so many of you out there, now only fills me with regret for simply not taking the time, at the time, to secure my piece of the action for posterity . . . . and the even sadder and more stark self realisation from that is it's singularly my fault . . . . I've always been a lazy bastard, always, with deliberate and premeditated efficiency, if it took too much time and precluded or interrupted my fun then, fuck it, I ain't going to worry about that shit . . . .

All I can think now is, I wish I'd taken the time, made the effort and manned up . . . . such is life for some of us . . . . hang onto those photos, treasure that old video footage, put the newspaper clippings in a nice, dry box, do whatever you have to do to cherish and guard that stuff . . . . only wish I could do the same.

Sunday 25 March 2012

THE JOHNNYS, AGAIN, BECAUSE I CAN . . . . "SHOWDOWN" . . . . RELEASED IN '86 . . . . A COUPLE OF YEARS AFTER IT SHOULD'VE DUE TO RECORD CONTRACT WRANGLING . . . . ANOTHER TYPICALLY HILARIOUS VOYAGE INTO THE WILD, WILD WEST . . . . GIDDY UP !!!!



**** INTERESTING MOTORCYCLE RELATED FACTOID . . . . SOME OF THE EXTRAS IN THE PREVIOUS "SHOWDOWN" CLIP ARE FROM ANOTHER EXCELLENT AUSSIE BAND, 'MENTAL AS ANYTHING' . . . . FROM THE MENTALS CAME REG MOMBASSA AND PETER O'DOHERTY [KIWI BROTHERS] . . . . THEY BECAME EVEN MORE FAMOUS FOR THE ARTWORK THEY DID FOR THE EMERGING "MAMBO" SURF CLOTHING LABEL WITH A FELLA BY THE NAME OF DARE JENNINGS, HIMSELF HAVING PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN AUSSIE INDIE MUSIC OF THE POST PUNK ERA THROUGH PHANTOM RECORDS, UPON SELLING MAMBO TEN YEARS AGO HE EVENTUALLY STARTED A SMALL CUSTOM BIKE BUILDING GIG BASED ON WHAT HE WITNESSED IN JAPAN IN AROUND 2004/5 . . . . HE CALLED IT "DEUS EX MACHINA" . . . . THE REST, AS THOSE FUCKING 'THEY' PEOPLE SAY . . . . IS HISTORY. 

THE JOHNNYS . . . . "INJUN JOE" . . . . CREEDENCE MEETS THE GOOD. THE BAD AND THE TOTALLY FUCKED UP . . . . DID SO MANY EPICALLY OUT OF IT SUPPORTS WITH THESE GUYS . . . . FUN. FUN, FUN . . . . EXCELLENT COWPUNK ROCK AND ROLL, BEST ENJOYED IN THE DAY WITH A BOOT FULL OF HARD LIQUOR AND A LOW MORALITY QUOTIENT . . . . GUILTY AS CHARGED YOUR HONOUR !!!!



BILLY POMMER JR, THE DRUMMER, WAS A COAST BOY MADE GOOD IN THE BIG SMOKE OF SYDNEY . . . HE HOOKED UP WITH THE POST PUNK LEGEND, SPENCER P JONES, HOODY AND RODDY RADAR TO START THE ROOTINEST, TOOTINEST BAND IN THE WEST . . . . THE JOHNNYS . . . . FOR THE SECOND TIME IN HIS LIFE, RODDY FOUND HIMSELF SACKED FROM A BAND HE STARTED, ENTER SLIM, THE FORMULA WAS RIGHT AND THE MOULD WAS CAST . . . .

One gig in particular stands out, New Year's Eve in Bundaberg '83 into '84, open air at the town's speedway . . . . a local act then a couple of Brisbane bands, us in The Ballistics, The Johnnys and The Radiators headlining . . . . on it from lunchtime in the motel, off to the gig totally cut . . . the three acts before us get to play then mother nature takes a gianormous piss and the rest of the night is cancelled til the next day . . . . back to the motel, ourselves and the Johnnys spend the rest of the night fully doin the do until sun up . . . . catch some scatty zeds then off to the gig . . . .

Take two . . . . super mudfest gig . . . . the locals are chomping at the bit, the three other bands get their sets outta the way, we lurch onstage and fumble through our show, The Johnnys take the stage and belt through their set . . . . ladies and gentlemen, please make welcome to the Bundaberg Speedway The Radi . . . . down it came again, The poor old Rads, best known for a tune called "Give Me Head" [Fess' Song as it's correct title] don't even get to play a note, their P.A system is waterlogged, two keyboards drown and the crowd turns ugly and starts pelting their truck and road crew with mud . . . .

Meanwhile, in another part of town . . . . The Johnnys and The Ballistics are honing their collective speedway skills in our Toyota Tarago on the track which is now a slimey, slippery wet horror show, the locals eventually cease their attack on all things "Rad" and cheer us on and out as we are summarily ejected from the salubrious surrounds of the speedway and escorted back to the motel by the local constabulary . . . . ah yes, fun times in Palookaville . . . .  

Saturday 24 March 2012

"RED ZONE" - THE STAR CLUB . . . . SPEAKING OF THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN . . . . THESE GUYS TOURED OZ WITH THE COWPUNK KINGS, "THE JOHNNIES", BACK IN '85 OR '86 . . . . WE WENT AND CAUGHT THEM AND THEY WERE THE BOLLOCKS . . . . FLAMBOYANT, FUN AND TOTALLY FUCKIN FULL ON . . . . AS THE BLOKE WHO POSTED THE CLIP SAYS, THEY STAYED ON, RUFFLED FEATHERS AMONG CERTAIN SEMI REDNECK ELELMENTS OF CLUB MANAGEMENT, FREAKED OUT SOME WANKER, PUNK PURISTS AND GENERALLY DID WHAT A GREAT PUNK ACT SHOULD DO . . . . MY CLOSE MATES AND I LOVED EM FROM THE GET GO . . . . CHECK THIS SHIT OUT, STONE KILLER FROM JAPAN'S "STAR CLUB" . . . .



IF YOU AIN'T FAMILIAR WITH THESE SUBURBAN PUNKS THEN YOU NEED TO LIFT YOUR GAME . . . . FORMED WAY, WAY BACK, THEY WERE PROUDLY WEARING THEIR INFLUENCES ON THEIR MUSICAL SLEEVE . . . . PISTOLS, RAMONES, AND THE WHOLE CLASSIC ERA PUNK THING, THEY WERE A COMPLETE HOOT AND IT WOULD APPEAR THEY ARE STILL OUT THERE PLAYING LOUD AND FAST . . . . SEE EM IF YOU CAN !!!!

"HIDE MOTORCYCLE" - THIS MOB HAVE BEEN PUTTING TOGETHER COOL SCOOTS FOR LIKELY CLOSE TO A DECADE . . . . AUTHENTIC, LEAN, MINIMALIST AND BUILT TO MOVE . . . . THE BIKE THAT TOOK OUT THE MOONEYES GIG A FEW YEARS AGO STILL LOOKS FRESH NOW . . . . JUST A COOL CLIP THAT I MUST HAVE WATCHED A HUNDRED TIMES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, IF YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED IT OUT, I HOPE YOU DO TOO.



Possibly the greatest achievement of the last decade's custom/chopper/bobber/flobber/tracker/clacker caper, in cahoots with the webnetblogsnot thing, is that the whole shebang is now incredibly diffused, diverse and more intergrated, so much stuff is crossing over . . . what used to be totally divergent, seperate and disperate regional, almost 'national' styles, are now being morphed, melded and blended for the first time into a dynamic and truly 'international' movement . . . .

Peoples attitudes are broadening and opening up to the greater beauty and power of bikes on a grand scale, going beyond their comfort zones . . . . acknowledging the validity of expressions of taste and personal preference that I believe weren't possible or even worth contemplating when I was working in the industry back in nineties, not to mention a dozen years ago . . . . no longer are the barriers of seperation quite so idiotically rigid . . . . especially to those of us that have always had a boner for 'bikes', that's the shit that stokes me the most.

Perhaps the enduring spirit of "On Any Sunday" is starting to ignite on a global basis . . . . bring that shit on I say . . . . ride safe, wherever you are . . . . and just enjoy it !!!!

Thursday 22 March 2012

DON'T FUCK WITH THE WONG'S . . . . "THE WANDERERS" . . . . WE WATCHED THIS SO MANY TIMES ON A VHS VIDEO [PAID THE FINE AND NEVER RETURNED IT TO THE HIRE STORE] THAT IT WORE THE TAPE OUT . . . . OF ALL THE LATE '70's AND EARLY 80's FLICKS INSPIRED BY THE EARLY SIXTIES GANG ERA, THIS WAS THE COOLEST HANDS DOWN . . . . STILL IS, NO DOUBT !!!!



I LOVE THIS MOVIE SOOOO MUCH, LEGIT PLOT, SHARP ACTING, WELL CAST AND, OF COURSE . . . . 'PERIOD CORRECT' . . . . . FROM MUSIC TO CARS, CLOTHES TO HAIR, HISTORICAL REFERENCES, [JFK's ASSASSINATION] "THE WANDERERS" WAS THE REAL DEAL FOSHIZZLE !!!!

Of real significance of late is that it has now been released as a 'Director's Cut' edition . . . . I'm not generally a fan of this old marketing rort, it's usually a case of "leave the film alone" . . . . in fact, by and large, they've all been fuckin ordinary and a waste of time, both in money spent doin it and time spent in a cinema watching it . . . . whether it's "Blade Runner", "Apocolypse Now", whatever . . . . I've only ever come away yawning and figuring they got it right the first time, less being almost always more . . . . then there is "The Wanderers". . . .

In this case, the additional scenes actually 'add' substantially to plot development and continuity of the film, they build mood and tension and at the same time, take nothing away from the much loved first edition, now over thirty years old . . . . of particular interest are the scenes revolving around the 'Duckie Boys" and the ultimate demise of 'Turkey', the try hard, insecure loudmouth . . . . also having more light shone upon it, is the relationship between Joey, his fuckwit dad, Perry and his alcoholic mum. It really delivers a much more cogent ending to what was always a fucking excellent bit of cinema.

Films are like bikes, cars, books, paintings, planes, underpants or what the fuck ever . . . . the truly cool ones, those that go on to retain the qualities they first possessed years after their initial release are invariably the great ones, and "The Wanderers" fits that bill like a thumb in a bum, revisit it as soon as you can, you won't regret it for a minute . . . .

"EASY RIDER" . . . . 'BORN TO BE WILD', STEPPENWOLF . . . . RARE, UNSEEN FOOTAGE . . . . NO, I LIED . . . . JUST A GREAT INTRO FOR A MYTHICAL MOVIE . . . . ALL THE FEELINGS OF BEING OUT ON THE ROAD, WIND IN YOUR FACE AND FREE ARE ENCAPSULATED IN THIS SHORT SEQUENCE . . . . LIVE TO RIDE FOR SURE !!!!



It also winds up with another element of the biker's life . . . . freaking out the squares, pre-judging, rejection and a total absence of empathy or desire to relate by the clean livin, worn down, under the thumb world of the straights . . . . a metaphor that still holds true forty long years and millions of miles down the track . . . .

Go on . . . . get your motor runnin . . . . head out on the highway . . . . born to be wild, not mild !!!!

ZEKE . . . . "VIVA AGOSTINI" . . . . FASTER THAN AGO'S M.V's AND T.Z's PUT TOGETHER . . . . MAKING THE RAMONES AND SPEED METALLERS SOUND LIKE THEY'RE ON SEDATIVES . . . . SHORTER THAN COSTELLO'S "GET HAPPY" SET . . . . AND COOLER THAN SOMETHING THAT IS ICE COLD . . . . THE 1/4 MILE SPECIALISTS OF ROCK AND ROLL . . . . ZEKE !!!!



INTERESTING SIDE NOTE . . . . PRETTY SURE CHOPPERDAVE COULD VERIFY THIS ONE . . . . . 'ZEKE' WAS A U.S MILITARY PSEUDONYM FOR THE LEGENDARY JAPANESE CARRIER BORNE FIGHTER/BOMBER THE MITSUBISHI 'ZERO' . . . . JUST LIKE THE BAND, IN IT'S HEYDAY . . . . . FAST, LOUD AND DEADLY !!!!!

Wednesday 21 March 2012

WEEZER . . . . "BUDDY HOLLY" . . . . ONE OF MY DEADSET FAVES FROM BACK IN THAT PARTICULAR DAY . . . . THERE'S A SIZEABLE 'BAG WEEZER' GANG OUT THERE AND . . . . AS THE GEEKY, NERD BOYS SAY THEMSELVES . . . . I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT . . . . !!!!



WEEZER, A WAY COOL, UNTIDY, SLOP-ROCK  BAND . . . . TAKING THE PISS OUT OF ALL YOU BIG, DOPEY, MACHO GORILLAS AND YOU DON'T EVEN GET IT . . . . D'OH !!!!

SWEET DREAMS, MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL . . . .

***** P.S - 'DOPEY GORILLAS' . . . AS IN THE BLOKES WE ALL KNOW WHO HAVE NO   
INTEREST IN ANYTHING OTHER FOOTBALL, [ANY KIND] BULLYING AND BEER . . . . COOL GUYS !!!

NSU SPORTMAX 250 LIVE IN ACTION 1955 . . . . MY RESPONSE TO BCM's RESPONSE TO ALL THE RESPONSE TO THE OSSA "ELECTRIC SHAVER" BIKE, [THE 'SHAVER' BIT BRILLIANTLY COINED BY KIM AT BCM] . . . . BCM's REFERENCE TO THE OSSA 'MONOCASCO' G.P BIKE THAT WAS THE LIKELY POINT OF INSPIRATION, REMINDED ME OF ANOTHER LIGHTWEIGHT EUROPEAN MONOCOQUE ROCKET THAT ACHIEVED GREAT SUCCESS OVER TEN YEARS EARLIER . . . . THE NSU "SPORTMAX" 250



The Sportmax, not unlike it's younger, 2 stroke offshoot, the Ossa, only produced about 30 bhp at the arse end and even though it was an ohc 4 stroke, the combination of power to weight ratio and the pedalling talents of Herman Muller was more than enough to take the 250cc G.P title in 1955. The little NSU was also ridden with some degree of success by the likes of John Surtees and my mum . . . .

The advantages of the monocoque frame construction that embued the dustbin faired Sportmax with excellent handling characteristics were very likely remembered by the Ossa engineers and designers when formulating the plans for the Monocasco a decade later . . . . sadly, as Mr Boyle, a talent of prodidgious dimension himself, pointed out, the Ossa never met with quite the same success as it's German forebare, the NSU Sportmax . . . .

I guess the concept of the whole monocoque caper must've had some long term merits . . . . look at frame development of a majority of full on race bikes over the last thirty years, that's gotta be saying something about their potential for optimising frame functionality.

**** In the footage I've lifted from the "VintageMotorChannel" on PooTube, it shows clearly the hand formed aluminium "dustbin" fairing that was as revolutionary for it's day as the rest of the bike was, [until 'streamliner' fairings were banned . . . naturally !!!] apart from the fact they just oozed "hand fabricated" . . . . finally, it wasn't only the Sportmax that copped the pressed and welded monocoque backbone . . . . The Max, The Supermax, The Rennfox and the Rennmax, not to mention the groovy "Quickly" moped, they all sported the "onedick" spine . . . .  

Tuesday 20 March 2012

MR JERRY REED . . . . "EAST BOUND AND DOWN" . . . . THE ORIGINAL AND THE BEST . . . . 'THE ROAD HAMMERS' DON'T DO A BAD RENDITION OF THIS KICKIN ROAD TRIPPIN CLASSIC BUT JERRY REED WAS THE MAN . . . . LET'S FACE IT, THE BEST BITS OF "CHOKE ME AND THE BANDAID" WERE THE TUNES AND THE CAR CHASIN, BUT WHAT ELSE DO YOU WANT ???? . . . . NO OFFENCE BURT, IT WASN'T 'DELIVERENCE' . . . . .



That's it for me men, off for a thrash on the skirtster to tumble finish the brass risers for the Project Shoveller . . . . thing are gettin close to being a long way from anywhere . . . . but that's how this bike building caper goes . . . . one step forward, three to the side, sit down, stare at it . . . . fuck it, that'll do it for tonight !!!

"RUSSIAN URAL WOLF - REAL CHOPPER" . . . . THAT'S THE OWNERS TITLE AND I'M NOT MESSING WITH IT . . . . THIS IS THE LAST IN MY CYRIL HUZE STYLE TRILOGY OF UPDATES FROM DISTANT LANDS AND DISPERATE STYLES . . . . IT'S GOOD TO KEEP ABREST OF WHAT MANNER OF TWO WHEELED DELIGHTS ARE BEING HATCHED OUTSIDE OF THE MORE FREQUENTLY COVERED PARTS OF CHOPPER AND BOBBERDOM . . . . TO APPRECIATE THE SPLENDOUR AND DESIGN DIFFERENCES TO BE FOUND ON THE ROADS LESS TRAVELLED . . . "LEAVE TO RIDE, RIDE TO LEAVE" . . . . IT'S ALL THE SAME TO ME !!!!



THIS PRETTY SMART MUSCOVITE MOSHEEN IS OUT ON THE BOULEVARDSKI CRUISE IN THE WEE HOURS OF A BALMY SATURDAY NIGHT, A VERY PLEASANT MINUS 42 FAHRENHEIT . . . . POLISHED CHROME, GROWLING DONK AND ROAD TO BURN . . . . LITTLE DO THE CITIZENS OF THIS BIKE CRAZY BURG REALISE THAT BENEATH THE BALACLAVA, THE ENGINEER BOOTS AND THOSE PERFECT APES IS . . . . THAT'S RIGHT PEEPS, THE INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY AND ACTION . . . . THE ONE AND ONLY, VLADIMIR "CHOPPSKI" PUTIN . . . . IN THE WIND BRO, RESPECT !!!

Гламыр-дыр-дыр-дыр ... HOW THE FUCK COULD I POSSIBLY REMOVE THE GORGEOUS LOOKING RUSSIAN SCRIPT WRITTEN HERE ??? JUST AS FOREIGN, YET EQUALLY AS BEAUTIFUL, IN IT'S OWN QUIRKY "RAT FINKSKI" WAY, IS WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO WITNESS IN THIS PROUD BUILDERS "CHOPPUMENTARY" . . . . IT'S HIS DOMAIN AND HIS ALONE, THE ALMOST CEREMONIAL PRE RIDE ROUTINE, THE DONNING OF THE ACCOUTREMENTS, THE PRESENTING AND INSPECTION OF THE STEED, THE ACTUAL RIDE ON BOARD CHOPPERSHIP "BLACK STAR" . . . . THIS IS THE SAME INNOVATIVE HEADSPACE AND SENSE OF DETERMINATION IN THE FACE OF THE OVERWHELMING LAWS OF AESTHETICS AND PHYSICS THAT GAVE THE WORLD THE T34, THE KALISHNIKOV AND POSSIBLY CHERNOBYL . . . . THIS IS ONE MAN'S JOURNEY INTO CUSTOM MADNESS AND BEYOND !!!!



COMRADE, WHOEVER YOU MAY BE, WHEREVER YOU MAY ROAM, GO HAPPILY AND PEACEFULLY DOWN THE HIGHWAY OF LIFE . . . . BE SAFE AND CERTAIN IN THE FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU ARE A LEGITIMATE, REAL DEAL 0.01%er . . . . A MAN AND A BIKE APART . . . . BROTHER "BLACK STAR". . . . . WE SALUTE YOU !!!!

I WONDER IF THIS BLOKE ON HIS FLAT TWIN BAGGER-DRAGGER CHOBBER-BOPPER IS AN EASTERN EUROPEAN RELATIVE OF THE BIKE SURFING STOPNIK CLAN ??? . . . . IT AIN'T WHAT YOU DO BUT THE WAY THAT YOU DO IT . . . . I'M SURE AS SHITZKI THAT THE FEELING IS EVERY BIT AS MUCH A RUSH ON THE STREETS OF URALSKI OR DNEPRVOSK AS WHEN KID TURK AND HIS FEARLESS COHORTS ARE SHOOTING THE LINE BACK IN THE GOOD OL' U.S OF A . . . . !!!!



JUST ANOTHER CLIP FROM DEEP INSIDE WHAT WAS ONCE WELL AND TRULY BEHIND THE "IRON CURTAIN" . . . . THIS IS FOR YOU 'SURFIN SERGEYEV' . . . . WATCH OUT FOR THOSE SUPER GNARLY ELECTRIC STREET CARS BRO . . . . DIGGIN YOUR ACTION !!!

A BROTHER FROM POLAND BOB-CHOPPIN IT UP ON HIS URAL M63 TO A ROCKIN COVER OF AN H.M CLASSIC . . . . THIS IS THE KIND OF RIDE THAT LECH WALESA WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD TO CALL HIS OWN . . . . CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE VID TO SCOPE OUT THE DEFT USE OF THE REVERSE GEAR, MARVEL AT THE SOMEWHAT UNORTHODOX PEG POSITION, BE AMAZED BY THE CCCP INFLUENCED FAT BOBS . . . . BUT SERIOUSLY, YOU GOTTA WORK WITH WHAT YOU'VE GOT, I'VE SEEN WAY WORSE LOOKIN SCOOTS THAN THIS ONE BASED ON BRITISH AND AMERICAN IRON . . . . WELL DONE MATE !!!!



HERE'S TO YOU MY POLISH FRIEND, BE SAFE, KEEP THE RUBBER SIDE DOWN AND GET OUT THERE AND ENJOY THE HELL OUT OF YOUR TOTALLY INDIVIDUAL CUSTOM !!!!

Monday 19 March 2012

"TRIBUTE TO MERT LAWWILL" - FEATURING 'SEARCH AND DESTROY' BY THE STOOGES . . . . A SHTONKIN COMPILATION ON THE AMA LEGEND AND MANY OF HIS CONTEMPORARIES PUT TOGETHER BY "ELJEFE.MC" . . . . WHOEVER YOU ARE, I LOVE YOUR WORK . . . . TOPNOTCH FOOTAGE OF A TOPNOTCH RIDER WITH A TOPNOTCH SOUNDTRACK . . . . THREE OUTTA THREE, WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT THAT SHIT ????



ALWAYS HAD A WOODY FOR FLAT TRACKIN YANKEE STYLE AND IT'S VERY MUCH DOWN TO GUYS LIKE LAWWILL, ROMERO, ALDANA, BRELSFORD AND COMPANY IN, YEAH, YOU GUESSED IT, THAT PERENNIAL FAVE AND WORLD WIDE FONT OF TWO WHEELED RACING INSPIRATION FOR MY GENERATION, "ON ANY SUNDAY" . . . . .

Prior to that, as a young'n, speedway was the only roundy round gig I really knew of down here in the Antipodes, a la Great Britain, Europe, Un Zud et al, however, by the time my little ten year old legs walked me out of the cinema that day after having seen Bruce Brown's magnum opus on two wheels, I was hooked . . . . how the fuck could you not be ????

Dirty great Seppo vee twins and Pommy parallel twins going hell for leather in dirt circles, no brakes, steel strap on, one footed dance pumps, spending more time sideways than upright and with stacks of super tight, elbow to elbow racing, immaculate, micro-second throttle control . . . . if you reckon you're into bikes and you don't get a serious boner watching this caper . . . . you're not really 'that into it' after all I figure . . . .

Enough dribbling from me . . . . get into this wicked tribute to one of the deadset legends of the art of dirt circle work, the masterfully magical, Mert Lawwill astride Milwaulkee's magnificent XR750 as he battles it out with many of the biggest names in the saddle at this point in time . . . . and enjoy the delightfully dulcet tones of Mr Osterthingy and The Stooges at no extra cost . . . giddy up !!!!

***** My thanks to "eljefeMC" for the outstanding assembly job . . . . diggin it brother !!!

BILLIE HOLIDAY . . . . "STRANGE FRUIT" . . . . EVERYBODY NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF THIS BRILLIANTLY BRIEF AND BLEAK OBSERVATIONAL PERIOD TUNE . . . . ONE OF THE MOST SOCIALLY SIGNIFICANT SONGS EVER PENNED . . . . SUNG BY A WOMAN WHO NOT ONLY LIVED THROUGH THE PAIN OF THE TIMES BUT HER OWN ONGOING AND DESTRUCTIVE HELL.



SOMETIMES I FIND MYSELF IN A REAL MAUDLIN FRAME OF MIND, ANYTHING CAN SET IT OFF . . . . MAYBE THE SPIRIT OF MY SAMOAN GREAT, GREAT, GREAT GRANDMOTHER PUSHES ME TOWARDS INTROSPECTION AND REFLECTION ON MATTERS SUCH AS THESE . . . .

IN WHATEVER FORM I FIND IT, I CAN ALWAYS STAND AGAINST RACISM . . . . EVEN THOUGH MISS HOLIDAY WAS ADDRESSING A SPECIFICALLY AMERICAN CONTEXT, THE THEME IS UNIVERSAL . . . . BLACK, WHITE, RED, BROWN, YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, POLKA DOTS, CHRISTIAN, JEWISH, ISLAMIC, BUDDHIST, HINDU . . . . WHATEVER . . . . WE'RE ALL JUST YUMAN BEANS . . . . IT'S THAT SIMPLE.

***** HAVING PUT MY DOLLAR'S WORTH OUT THERE, ONE QUICK ADDENDUM . . . . ANYBODY OF ANY RACE, COLOUR OR CREED IS CAPABLE OF BEING NOTHING MORE THAN A COMPLETE DOUCHEBAG DIPSHIT . . . . NO DISCRIMINATION IN THAT ONE EITHER . . . . A WANKER IS A WANKER WHEREVER HE, OR SHE, HAILS FROM . . . . .

RACISM IS FUCKIN UGLY, HATEFUL SHIT . . . . A SOUTHERN FRIED POINTY HEAD GETS A TASTE OF THE BARBER SHOP OF BROTHERLY LOVE . . . . FROM "MISSISSIPPI BURNING", ONE OF MY FAVOURITE EVER FILMS . . . . GETS ME WORKED UP EVERYTIME !!!!



THE HACK-MAN DELIVERS SOME GOOD OL BOY JUSTICE TO A TRULY DESERVING RECIPIENT IN ONE OF TOO MANY KILLER SCENES IN THIS PIECE OF ESSENTIAL RACE RELATIONS CINEMA . . . . WE'RE ALL SHITTIN BROWN AND BLEEDIN RED, OH YEAH !!!

KINGS OF THE SUN - "DROP THE GUN" (Official) . . . . NOT JUST BECAUSE CLIFF AND JEFF ARE TWO OF MY CLOSEST MATES, NOT JUST BECAUSE THEY NEVER WORE LYCRA, NOT BECAUSE JEFF WAS THE FIRST GUY I EVER SAW PULLING FRONTSIDE AIR BACK IN '78, NOT BECAUSE RAGGS WAS THE SECOND BASS PLAYER IN MY FIRST BAND, NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE BOTH MENTAL ON MOPARS, HOT WHEELS AND SIXTIES POP CULTURE, NOT BECAUSE CLIFFORD IS ONE OF THE MOST TALENTED DRUMMERS IN THE WORLD, NOT BECAUSE PLAYING WITH CLIFFORIS IN 'COLLECTIVE DOGMA' FOR EIGHTEEN MONTHS WAS SUCH A FUCKING HOOT, NOT BECAUSE THEY PISSED AXL ROSE OFF IN FRONT OF 50,000 GNRS FANS AND NOT BECAUSE I HAD A MAD CRUSH ON THEIR SISTER FOR YEARS . . . . SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WERE THE BEST ROCK BAND OF THEIR GENRE IN THE FUCKING WORLD BACK IN THE DAY AND DESERVED SO MUCH BETTER SUCCESS THAN THEY ACTUALLY GOT !!!!



THESE GUYS COULD ROCK, NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT . . . . AND THEY DID WITH THE BEST IN THE WORLD . . . . SEEING THEM LIVE WAS ALWAYS A TREAT AND A TOTAL SHOW . . . . JEFF, THE SEXY BOY OUT THE FRONT, CONSUMATE SHOWMAN AND LEAD SINGER, NO HAIR DYE, DRIVIN THE CHICKS WET, NO FAKE, A LEGIT SURFER/SKATER FROM THE COAST, HELL VOCALS AND SONGWRITIN SKILLS TO MATCH, INTUITIVE SELF TAUGHT AXEMAN, THE FIRST SURFER TO GENUINELY WELCOME ME INTO THE COAST SKATING 'SCENE', FELLOW FIFTY YEAR OLD MANCHILD, OWNER OF ONE GORGEOUS '69 R/T CHARGER, AND JUST A REALLY COOL FRIEND FOR THIRTY PLUS YEARS . . . .

CLIFF, WHAT THE FUCK CAN ONE SAY ABOUT CLIFF HOAD . . . . A GENUINE FREAK, FREAK DRUM SKILLS AND ENCYCLOPAEDIC KNOWLEDGE ON EVERYTHING FROM JAZZ TO POST PUNK, OWNER OF A KEITH BLACK BUILT 426 '66 CORONET, FREAK PERFECTIONIST HOT ROD BUILDER [WHEN HE FINALLY FINISHES HIS TWENTY YEAR 440 POWERED T-BUCKET PROJECT THE ENTIRE ROD WORLD WILL GO INTO CARDIAC ARREST !!!], A BLOKE WHO CAN LOOK THE SHIT IN ANYTHING THAT IS TOTALLY FUCKING OUT THERE, A MAN SO FAR IN FRONT OF THE GAME HE'S KICKIN IT IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD, A TRULY BEAUTIFUL WEIRDO, LIFELONG MUSO AND ALL ROUND FREAKSTER AND FRIEND . . .

'KINGS OF THE SUN' . . . . ROCK AND ROLLIN GOLD COASTERS FOR LIFE !!!!

LOVE YOU GUYS . . . .

Sunday 18 March 2012

THE SEX PISTOLS - "GOD SAVE THE QUEEN" . . . . WHAT A FUCKING BAND !!!! HOW COULD YOU NOT AT LEAST ADMIT TO THIS BEING DEFINITIVE ROCK AND ROLL ???? THIRTY FIVE PLUS YEARS LATER AND THE ENTIRE 'NEVERMIND THE BOLLOCKS' ALBUM STILL KICKS BOTTOM 110% . . . . MY DAD USED TO CALL EM, THE SICK PUSTULES WHEN TAKING THE PISS OUT OF ME, FUNNY OLD BUGGER !!!!



NOTHIN MORE TO SAY HERE OTHER THAN TURN IT UP TO 'BLEED', GRAB A BEER, FIND SOME SPACE AND OFF YOU GO . . . . ESPECIALLY YOU 'LOVELESS', ME OLD TART !!!!

GOOD THINGS COME IN SMALL PACKAGES . . . . SPORTSTERS, TESTICLES, CRACK COCAINE, GARY COLEMAN . . . . AND TOTALLY INSANE 2/5th SCALE, FULLY FUNCTIONAL PAN HEAD MOTORS . . . . THERE IS TONS OF MINIATURE DONK STUFF OUT THERE BUT FOR SHEER FUCKING COOL AND BEAUTY THIS IS MY WINNER OF THE WEEK . . . . I MEAN, CHRIST, EVEN THE BLOODY NOISE IS PERFECT !!!!



FROM "RONSMODELENGINES" BY RON COLONNA ON POOTUBE, THIS JUST BLEW MY MIND, WAS ON THE HUNT FOR THE USUAL 'SOMETHING ELSE' AND GOT MYSELF ALL SIDETRACKED AND ENDED UP COMPLETELY TRANSFIXED BY THIS BLOKE'S TOTAL HEADFUCK GENIUS !!!!

I was into glo-plug engines in high school and have been interested in them and miniature donks of all types ever since . . . . some of the shit these kind of guys are getting up to over the last twenty years is strictly outta sight . . . . the thing that really gets me is the dedication, the skills and the passion that dudes like Ron find inside themselves to produce these gorgeous pieces of fully functional and firing mechanical art in miniature . . . .

Good on you Ronnie, made my day by making me feel fourteen all over again, I love that shit . . . . that's the feeling I subconciously look to rekindle every day, been doin it all my life . . . just like a lot of you . . . . and when you find it; for that beautiful moment in time, everything is perfect and nothin else matters . . . . the feeling is always the same, exactly as it was and exactly as it will always be . . . . alive and lovin it !!!!

"OLD SCHOOL CHOPPERS IN THE 1960'S" BY KIDEUCE ON POOTUBE . . . . A NICE HOMEBREWED COLLECTION OF STILLS AND FILM OF CHOPS FROM THE LATE '60'S AND EARLY SEVENTIES . . . . THAT'S ALL FOR NOW FOLKS . . . . NIGHTY HIGHT, GREASY DREAMS . . . . Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

SUZI QUATRO . . . . "YOUR MAMA WON'T LIKE ME" . . . . BACK WHEN THE RUNAWAYS WERE STILL PLAYING JUMP ROPE, SUZI WAS BELTING THE SHIT OUT LIKE NO OTHER CHICK ON THE PLANET . . . . I ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS SONG WAS MISS QUATRO AT HER HARD AS NAILS BEST . . . . AND I THOUGHT SHE WAS SOOOOO SEXY . . . . AND SHE WAS RIGHT, MY STRICT, STRAIGHT, OLD SCHOOL PRESBYTERIAN MOTHER DIDN' LIKE HER ONE LITTLE BIT . . . . WHICH SUITED ME JUST FINE . . . . !!!!!

SHIT,SHIT, SHIT !!!! I JUST DISAPPEARED THE FRIGGIN VIDEO . . . . OH WELL, NOT AS THOUGH WE HAVEN'T WORKED THIS FORMAT BEFORE . . . .

Yeah, I figured this chick was the bomb, as a young fella back in '73, '74 and '75 . . . . a bad girl, talkin about cars, unsavoury feminine stuff, wearing leather and hangin out with big biker lookin dudes . . . . all the things a 'nice girl' wasn't supposed to do, and on record as well . . . . on this track she sounds downright snarly . . . . a full nasty chick beltin out "coz yo mama won't like me, na na nana na na . . . "

**** Sorry about deleting the PooTube clip, but, as you know, I suck at computer skills, clicking on the post title only in this specific instance will get instant gratification as Suzi Quatro launches into "Your Mama Won't Like Me"

BUBBLE VISOR : CAGIVA/DUCATI 1986 . . . . FILE UNDER "DIDN'T HAVE A BLOODY CLUE" . . . . OR . . . . . . . . . . . . "HOLY GORGEOUS THING BATMAN !!!!! A PERFECT FUCKING BIKE !!!!!" . . . . POSSIBLY THE COOLEST LOOKIN DUKE I'VE EVER SEEN . . . . INCLUDING THE IMOLA WINNING/ 'SMART BIKE' . . . . SCHMART !!! VEE DON'T 'IMOLA' AROUND HERE !!!! . . . .

"BUBBLE VISOR" BLOG JUST PUT THIS ONE UP AND WHAT A TOTAL KILLER IT IS . . . . AND UNTIL TWENTY MINUTES AGO, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT EXISTED  . . . WOW !!!!

I've always had the horn for a good many of Bologna's finest, from the early angular tanked desmo singles, round case 750's, [particularly the black case models] 900 SS's, 916's, even some of those late eighties Paso's, and my personal fave, the stunning "Smart Bike" that Paul Smart won Imola on nearly forty years ago . . . . one of my top ten road racing guns of all time . . . . stylistically and aesthetically perfect in my eyes, tough, but in Raquel Welch in "1 Million Years B.C" kinda way . . . well, I've now seen another Bologna bomber that equals it . . . tough, but in a Steve McQueen in "Le Mans" kinda way . . . .

Until tonight, I had no idea that this little fucker even existed, then again, if it had been in the middle eighties, being constantly on the road playing music and enjoying all the attendent lurks and perks, I had no idea lots of shit existed, especially reality . . . . when I checked this out on "Buble Visor" tonight, my gast was well and truly flabbered, I just stared and stared, trying to take in all of it's marvelously magnificent minimalism.

Keep in mind that the stock 650 Pantah was entry level into the Duke stable, I'm fairly certain that the parallel twin 500 had ceased production by this stage, and was pretty much, correct me if I'm wrong, looked down upon by the hardcore 750, 900, 860cc riding Ducatisti/Ducatista/Ducatisto . . . whatever you dudes call yourselves plurally . . . . they were moderately bland to look at, were less than powerful and just weren't really . . . . what's the word . . . . . well . . . . . . cool.

So, to come across this variant was a revelation in Latin for me . . . . purposeful in the absolute extreme, more valid and visually relevant now than it was over a quarter of a century ago when it was first rolled out of the Barn in Bologna . . . .

Sometimes, only sometimes, in the world of design, doesn't matter whether it's motorcycles or mops, a thing is so well thought out and put together and so utterly perfect, there is nothing, not a single fucking thing, that anyone could to it that would "improve", rather than simply "alter", it's almost "Zen" like state of aesthetically holistic perfection . . . . this Ducati 650 is such a thing !!!!

***** Go to "Bubble Visor Blog" and read the reprinted article by clicking on the link below or by clicking on the post title.
bubble visor: Cagiva Ducati

Saturday 17 March 2012

"HARLEYS ON SCREEN" 1960's MOTORCYCLE MOVIE HIGHLIGHTS . . . . A REALLY SWEET POST ON POOTUBE BY 'CHICAGO HARLEY WORLD' . . . . FEATURING SOME GREAT CLIPS FROM FOUR OF SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR BIKE FLICKS EVER . . . . SOME COOL FOOTAGE OF SOME COOL RIDES AND OCCASIONALLY COOL ACTING . . . . TOP FLIGHT DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES WERE NEVER A STANDARD ELEMENT OF THE BIKER FILM GENRE . . . .



Obviously there are stacks of these old gems out there and many of you likely have comprehensive collections including the four celluloid classics in this vid but I thought I'd chuck them up regardless as the 4 in 1 package just seemed like good value . . . . thanks mobs to "Chicago Harley World" for putting it together and getting it out there . . . . hope you all enjoy this groovy little montage, toodle pip !!!!!

MC5 . . . . "KICK OUT THE JAMS MOTHERFUCKER" . . . . LIVE, LEWD AND LOUD . . . . JUST NEEDED TO FILL MY HEAD WITH SOME PRE RIDE, POST HANGOVER VIBES . . . . IT WAS A TOSS UP BETWEEN THESE GUYS OR 'THE EAGLES" . . . . WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT, GLENN AND THE BOYS CAME SECOND . . . . HA HA HA !!!!!



There's plenty of other clips of this almighty band and their musical napalm tune but this one always gets me up and struttin . . . . raw, honest, in your fucking face and incredibly dangerous then just as much as now . . . The MC5 . . . . now I'm gonna go and kick out the jams . . . . motherfuckers !!!!!

Friday 16 March 2012

"I SWEAR I WAS THERE" - THE GIG THAT CHANGED THE WORLD . . . . EPIC DOCO POST ON GLEN E FRIEDMAN'S 'WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE'' BLOG . . . . THE PISTOLS FIRST GIG IN MANCHESTER . . . . A GENUINELY "SEMINAL" [SEX PISTOLS; SEMINAL . . . GET IT ???] MOMENT IN POPULAR MUSIC HISTORY . . . . ESSENTIAL VIEWING KIDDIES !!!!



G.E.F PUT UP A GREAT POST YESTERDAY ABOUT THE SEX PISTOLS LEGENDARY FIRST GIG IN MANCHESTER BACK IN JUNE OF 1976 . . . . FROM THIS ONE NIGHT, OUT OF AN AUDIENCE OF NO MORE THAN FORTY PUNTERS . . . . DESPITE SO MANY THOUSANDS NOW CLAIMING "I SWEAR I WAS THERE" . . . . CAME A GROUP OF SOON TO BE ALMOST EQUALLY FAMOUS AND REVERED BANDS, A PROMOTER AND MUSIC WRITER . . . .

THE BUZZCOCKS, JOY DIVISION, THE FALL . . . . ALL WERE CONCIEVED ON THAT MONUMENTALLY SIGNIFICANT NIGHT IN A CITY THAT WOULD BECOME KNOWN AS 'MADCHESTER' . . . .  A TOWN THAT TO THIS DAY, HAS PROBABLY SPAWNED MORE ACTS OF QUALITY, DEFINED MORE SHIFTS IN MUSICAL DIRECTION AND RELATED MUSICAL COUNTER CULTURE 'TRENDS' THAN ANY OTHER URBAN CENTRE IN THE WORLD . . . . AND IT ALL STARTED IN A 'B' GRADE HALL IN JUNE OF 1976.

This was the one single event, when tied to two more that came hot on it's heels, that created the schism in rock and roll that would become Punk . . . . a movement and an attitude that sounded the death knell for a generation of fat, bloated, irrelevant rock stars and their similarly corpulent, turgid music that had by and large infected the seventies . . . . thank fucking god !!!!!

I remember seeing the news reports on the telly as a fifteen year old at boarding school, I didn't 'get' the spitting thing, which is what drew the initial attention of the mainstream press of the day, but I vividly recall the rush that came over me when I heard just a soundbite of the music . . . . it grabbed me by the fucking balls, it was rock and fucking roll, it was ugly and brash, it was simple and straight forward, it was a breath of fresh air . . . . for a red headed schoolboy called 'Dog' who was never one of the pretty boy set, the 'service brat' who never really quite fitted in . . . . this was his salvation, his watershed moment and he knew it from the start.

 

AFRO AMERICAN GENTLEMEN WITH SUBSTANTIAL LEVELS OF SELF ESTEEM . . . . "100 MILES AND RUNNIN" . . . . NEARLY 25 YEARS AND STILL UPSETTIN SOME OF THE WHITE FOLK . . . . STILL A FREAKTASTIC TUNE FROM A DEVASTATING ALBUM !!!!



NWA . . . . THE SHOCKWAVES WERE FELT WELL BEYOND COMPTON AND SOUTH CENTRAL . . . . IT WAS AND STILL IS, THE REAL MUTHAFUCKIN DEAL . . . LEGEND CREW THAT TURNED THE HIP HOP/GANGSTA RAP WORLD ON IT'S COLLECTIVE EAR . . . . ALL OF A SUDDEN P.E DIDN'T LOOK QUITE SO THREATENING . . . 100 MILES AND RUNNIN . . . . PUT YOUR TRACK SHOES ON AND START NOW !!!!

'ONE HUNDRED MILES AND RUNNING' . . . . I'M BACK, BEEN AWAY FOR A WEE WHILE BUT I'VE GOT THE SHIT WIRED TIGHT, SORTED, PORTED AND SUSSED . . . . A WILD AND WOOLY TALE OF DEPRAVITY, DESPERATION AND FEAR AND LOATHING ON THE PSYCHO TRAIL . . . . OF SPAMS, SCAMS AND KICK OUT THE MOTHERFUCKING JAMS !!!!!

A FEW THINGS I WANNA LAY DOWN RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, ONCE AND FOR ALL AND ONE TIME ONLY . . . . LET'S GET DOWN TUIT . . . . IT'S A BIT LIKE GETTIN AROUND TUIT BUT WITH A BIT MORE URGENCY INVOLVED . . . . HERE WE GO !!!!

Yep, I'm a total newcomer on the block, bugger all of you know me, where I'm from, what I do, what I'm into, where I've been or any other fucking thing for that matter . . . . and that's all fine and dandy, cause apart from the 'high profilers', and that's only a 'public image' thing, I know sweet F.A about you either.

Coming so late to the blog game as I have, I've got no history, no tradition, no form . . . nobody has any past relationship with me to owe me a thing, let alone respect, even if I'm showin my cards well above the table at all times . . . and that's cool too, that's how life is. I'm not doing this blog thing to prove any points, to ingratiate myself to anyone I choose to interact with, to be 'too cool to drool' or any other alterior motives . . . . I'm doing it to share my thoughts and my lifelong passion for all things to do with bikes, cars, skateboards, music, entertainment, art, booze, literature, and a whole bunch of other related topics with, hopefully, like minded people whose shit I dig . . . . and because I dig good people . . . . "Show Class" isn't just a super cool mag . . . .

I realise I come across pretty full on sometimes, I'll write before I think something through and make a dick of myself, yes, I do leave a lot of comments on a whole lotta blogs out there in Etherville but they're all well intentioned and borne of respect and admiration for said blogs and bloggers. That's how I've been since I was knee high to a scrub tick, the passion builds up and I'm off, I like a gabb. If those comments piss a few, or a lot of you, off, just let me know and I'll adjust my knobs accordingly, apologies if that is the case . . . .

Now, this is the crux, the nub, the core of what I wanna put down. Firstly, I've done a lot of dealings with a bunch of cool folk over the last four months via blogs, parts, tees, info, whatever . . . Dan, Josh, Brandon, Grant, Mike and Jeff [you're costing me a fortune man !!] . . . they know who they are, and for all my guff and blurbing, I don't get into bullshit . . . . if I say I'm doing something, I'm doing it, [SX70's, I'll get to ya] and I reckon they'd back me . . . . the furthest thing from my retarded old brain is scamming and spamming . . . just cause I'm out and definitely about in the bloggesphere doesn't mean I'm trippin on some kook, spam, jam, fuck you maam caper . . . . part of the reason my blog vanished in the last day was due to some spineless toad trying to fit me me up for spamming . . . . . give me a fucking break, I can barely run my own shit half-arsed let alone attempt to perpetrate some scene like that . . . . I can understand a degree of scepticism and cynicism, but really, get a fucking clue . . . . dickhead !!!!

I'm here because I love it, not like it, not because it's my 'next big thing' or because I've just slapped down the crackers on a brand new Bling Rod . . . I'm here because, like most of the crew who I follow and spend far too much time keeping up with the wonderful shit they're doing on a daily basis, this is me, always has been and always will be . . . "ain't nothin but a thang" . . . it's where I'm from, it's who I am . . . . just an ageing punk rock/blues dude doin some commentary on cool shit that gives me the fucking horn !!!

Anyhoo . . . it'll be the last time I go near that stinkpile of old bollocks, I'm fully loving the Blog gig and so many of you have been so open and welcoming to a new old kid in town . . . . I've got my blog back, the FBI [Federation Blogger Internationale] are totally satisfied I'm nothin but a slightly bitter, twisted old wastoid with too much time on his hands and too much residual alcohol in his veins to be any threat to anyone . . . . I'm draggin my arse over Stateside in June and hope I'll be able to enjoy a few too many cool treats with a bunch of you at BF4 . . . . take it any way you want, just take it . . . . volume on eleven, rubber side down, fingers in the wind !!!!


***** THIS IS NOT INTENDED FOR MY SMALL BUT LOYAL BAND OF 'FOLLOWERS', ESPECIALLY LOVEY AND PAT, OR THOSE OTHERS OUT THERE LIKE THE NOOTSTER, NELSON, DAN, BRANDON, "THE KILLIN IT CREW", CHRIS AND DAVID, ET AL WHO I'VE 'GOT TO KNOW' IN A PRETTY COOL WAY OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS . . . THANKS GUYS, MUCH LOVE AND RESPECT FROM THE CENTRE OF OF MY CYNICAL SOUL, PEACE TO YOU.

HELP !!! I'VE BEEN REMOVED . . . . GOT NO IDEA WHAT FOR . . . . MAYBE THE TEUTEL'S HAVE CONNECTIONS IN LOW PLACES . . . . WHAT THE FUCK !!!!

GONE LIKE THE BLOODY WIND IT WOULD APPEAR . . . . IF ANYONE IS GETTING THIS POST PLEASE LET ME KNOW, I'D BE EXTREMELY APPRECIATIVE . . . .

CHEERS MUCHLY, WHITELINEPSYCHO . . . . OVER AND HOPEFULLY NOT OUT.

Wednesday 14 March 2012

ADOLF DISCOVERS JAKE AND ELWOOD GOT AWAY WITH IT . . . . TURNS OUT HE WASN'T BIG ON ILLINOIS NAZI'S EITHER . . . . THIS IS REALLY JUST A TEST RUN TO SEE IF I'VE MANAGED TO POST MY FIRST "PROPER" PICTURE/VIDEO ON MY BLOG . . . . FINGERS CROSSED !!!!

   SHIT, BUGGER, DAMN !!! HOW THE HELL DO I GET THE BLURB AND THE PICTURE SQUARE . . . . I'LL POST THE BLOODY THING AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS . . . . . ALL RIGHT FOLKS, THIS IS IT, OVER THE TOP . . . . TAKE NO PRISONERS !!!!

POST POSTING POSTSCRIPT BENEATH . . . .

Sheeeeeet !!!!! It's almost worked, how brilliant am I . . . . ???? Not very it would appear, can't seem to be able type down the space on the side or centre the video . . . . but, hey, it's a start !!! This has only taken three fucking months to get to this point, what a major shitfight . . . I'm off for a drink or six, I feel totally spent . . . . my brain hurts . . . . got no capacity for things involving computers and ordered logic . . . can feel the blood pressure shooting skywards . . . . aaarrrggghhhhhh !!!!

****** DON'T CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW CAUSE IT AIN'T THERE AND CLICKING ON POST TITLE WON'T DO DICK EITHER . . . . HA HA HA !!!!!

Tuesday 13 March 2012

'THE CHURCH' . . . "WHEN YOU WERE MINE" . . . . ONE OF AUSSIE'S GREATEST BANDS FROM THE EARLY EIGHTIES THROUGH TO RIGHT NOW . . . . MOODY, SOARING, POETIC AND POWERFULLY MELODIC . . . . SHOULDA BEEN SO MUCH BIGGER ON MUSIC ALONE BUT MESSERS KILBY, PLOOG, WILSON-PIPER AND KOPPES DIDN'T PLAY THE CORPORATE GAME IN THE STATES OR THE U.K . . . . NOT EVEN HERE IN AUSTRALIA COME TO THINK OF IT . . . .

I ONCE SAW THE ENTIRETY OF A PACKED 'BOMBAY ROCK' . . . . THAT'S 2000 PUNTERS FOLKS . . . . SIT ON THEIR ARSES, CHILL THE FUCK OUT AND WATCH AND LISTEN TO THESE GUYS BEWITCH EVERYONE IN THE ROOM . . . . EVEN IF YOU WEREN'T OUT OF IT OR PISSED THAT'S THE EFFECT THEIR MUSIC COULD HAVE ON YOU . . . .

"When You Were Mine" features an incredible and deeply layered build-up over some 32 odd bars, I'm takin a wild guess there . . . . before launching into the vocal line where Steve Kilby proceeds to spin his dark, silkily malevolent, sing every fucking thing in A, storyline. The guitar interplay between Wilson-Piper and Koppes is extraordinary and the rhythm section hook up of Kilby on bass and Richard Ploog on drums is rock solid yet fluid and simple . . . . this tune has been in my top ten since 1981 and will likely remain there until I croak.

I hope you all can get the rush from it that it gives me . . . . I'd like to send it out to Nicke the Hipster at 'Rigid Hips' H.Q . . . . as I learned this evening, the guy is seriously into his music . . . Marty Wilson-Piper was married to a Swedish gal and used to reside in Sweden for extended periods of time . . . . likely adding to the inability of the band to really optimise opportunities . . . . but, fuck that shit, you gotta do what you "feel" is right . . . . you're making music, not selling donuts.

***** Usual procedure, click below link or post title and dig it, The Church with "When You Were Mine" . . . . thanks to 'Ciaofons' for putting it up on PooTube . . . .
The Church - When You Where Mine - YouTube

"AS GOOD AS IT GETS" - THE LINE FROM HELL . . . . I'M REALLY NOT A SEXIST OR A CHAUVINIST . . . . IT'S JUST A SUCH A FUCKING BRILLIANT LINE IN A SERIOUSLY GOOD FILM !!!

Just sittin down watching cable and "As Good As It Gets" is on . . . . and, well, it's maybe not the best one liner in history and it sure as shit ain't within a bull's roar of modern, oh so sensitive political correctness but it's as funny as a motherfucker . . . . [has that ever been funny ??] . . . . and that's why it's up here . . . .

*****Click on the link below or on post title to have a good laugh at Jack doing it as only Jack can . . .
BEST Movie Line ever in film history - YouTube

P.S - Q/ Why did the woman cross the road ?

        A/ Who gives a rats arse, what was she doing out of the kitchen ???

It's a joke girls . . . honestly . . . . I promise . . . . Scout's honour . . . . please believe me !!!!

"ORANGE WHIP ? ORANGE WHIP ? THREE ORANGE WHIPS" . . . . ME AND MY BROTHER JAKE WOULD LIKE TO GET 'INIMATE' WITH YOU . . . . WHERE DO YOU START WITH THE BEST BITS OF THIS ALL TIME FAVE ????

I FIRST SAW THE STORY OF JAKE AND ELWOOD BLUES EARLY IN 1981 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND . . . . SINCE THEN, I COULDN'T EVEN GUESS HOW MANY MORE . . . . WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE . . . . ???

JOHN CANDY IN ONE OF MANY BRILLIANT, NOW LEGENDARY TO THE POINT OF URBAN FOLKLORE SCENES . . . . "THE BLUES BROTHERS" . . . RIP JOHN  BELUSHI AND JOHN CANDY.

*****CLICK ON LINK BELOW OR ON POST TITLE
Orange Whip ! Orange Whip! 3 Orange whips! - YouTube

Monday 12 March 2012

BORN FREE 3 . . . . A PSYCHEDELIC, FISHEYE VIEW OF LAST YEAR'S GALA OCCASION BY "TRAUMAHEAD" . . . . I'M GONNA GET MY ARSE [THAT'S 'ASS' FOR YOU SEPPO'S] OVER THERE FOR 'BF4' IF I HAVE TO CONSTRUCT A RAFT OUT OF SUNDRIED DOG TURDS . . . . EVEN READING THE PROMO GUFF IS SETTING ME OFF . . . . I'VE READ SOME CYNICAL WORDS ABOUT IT RECENTLY AND I THINK THE CYNICS NEED TO GET OVER THEMSELVES, TAKE THEIR HEADS OUT OF THEIR SPHINCTERS AND GET HAPPY . . . . ANYWAY YOU DICE IT, THIS KINDA THANG IS NOTHIN BUT THE SHIT !!!!!!

I KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN MISSIN . . . . TO ALL THOSE WHO'VE ATTENDED NUMBERS 1 THRU 3 . . . . DON'T GET STALE ON IT, DON'T LET JAUNDICE AND APATHY SET IN, KEEP THE DARK CLOUD OF CYNICISM AT BAY . . . . YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THERE IN THE FLESH TO KNOW JUST HOW MUCH OF A GOOD THING IT IS . . . .

BOTTOM LINE IS, YOU CAN FIND FAULT IN ANYTHING IF ALL YOU WANNA DO IS SEEK OUT THE NEGATIVE AND BE A HATER . . . . THAT SHIT IS TOO FUCKIN EASY AND THE REASON WHY HATERS ARE ALWAYS WANKERS . . . . IF THAT'S YOUR SCHTICK . . . . HATE ON "BROTHER" BUT THAT CLUB IS FOR NOTHIN BUT CERTIFIED, DYED IN THE WOOL KOOKS . . . . SO STOP WASTIN MY AIR !!!!

APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GOT OR ONE DAY YOU'LL ALL BE WHINING AND BITCHIN ABOUT HOW COOL IT WAS WHEN THE BORN FREE GIG WAS HAPPENING . . . . THE OLD ADAGE REGARDING NEVER KNOWING WHAT YOU GOT TIL IT'S GONE . . . . IT'S SO FUCKING TRUE !!!!

**** TO CHECK OUT THE "TRAUMAHEAD" FOOTAGE FROM BF3, HIT ON THE LINK BELOW OR ON THE POST TITLE AND TAKE A LITTLE TRIP, TAKE A LITTLE TRIP . . . .
Born free 3 on Vimeo

Sunday 11 March 2012

HILARIOUS MOMENTS IN MUSICAL HISTORY #241 PART III . . . . OR . . . . "HOW TO FUCK JAZZ AND BLACK AMERICAN MUSIC IN THE ARSE" . . . . LET THE NAZI FUN POLICE CONCOCT A SET OF RULES ON HOW IT IS TO BE PLAYED . . . OH, ADOLF . . . YOU SAD LITTLE TOOL !!!!

Just caught this perfect little piece on "Boing Boing" . . . . no wonder the Nazi's weren't really havin a fun time when they were "jazzin it up" back in the day at the Eagles Lair !!!! So serious lads, lighten the fuck up !!! "Ve vant ze jazz, ve just don't vant any of zis 'cool' shtuff Hermann . . . . "

A bit like wanting the Pistols to play a gig for you . . . . but could you just leave out the angry tunes, oh yeah, and the ones with expletives . . . and could you not play it all quite so . . . umm . . . rock+roll ??? And definitely no gobbing . . . . that's right out !!!!

***** Click the Untermensch link or on the Ubermensch title and enjoy your Miles Davis . . . . even the good ol whiteboy Glenn Miller . . . . thanks to "BOING BOING" site . . . . check it out, great stuff !!!
Nazi rules for jazz performers - Boing Boing

FROM 'DIRT THAT MOVES MOTORCYCLE CLUB' CIRCA THE 70's . . . .“LIVING THE LIFE” | OLD SCHOOL 1970s BIKER PHOTOGRAPHY & POETRY BOOK . . . . YOU'VE GOT TO CHECK THIS SHIT OUT . . . . ESSENTIAL READING FOR 90% OF ALL THE BLOGGERS I COME IN CONTACT WITH . . . . TRUST ME, I'M NOT A LAWYER . . . . [NO OFFENCE DAVE POLGREEN] « The Selvedge Yard

I HAVE PINCHED THIS EXCELLENT POST FROM THE VERY FIRST BLOG I EVER STARTED INTERACTING WITH, "THE SELVEDGE YARD" . . . . EVEN THEN IT SCARED THE FUCK OUTTA ME DUE TO MY TOTAL IGNORANCE AND PARANOIA, THOUGHTS OF LOSS OF WHATEVER I HAD THAT THE HACKERS AND TWEAKERS WERE GOING TO RELIEVE ME OF USED TO RUN RAMPANT IN MY MIND . . . . 

JP, IT'S CREATOR AND CUSTODIAN, HAS ALWAYS HAD A PASSION AND DEEP SEATED APPRECIATION FOR NOT ONLY BIKES AND BIKERS, BUT 'OUTLAW' CLUB HISTORY AND HERITAGE AND HOW IT HAS BEEN RECORDED AND DOCUMENTED IN FILM AND WORD OVER THE LAST NIGH ON SEVENTY YEARS . . . .

HIS POST SHOULD BE OF INTEREST TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE WHO ARE ALWAYS SEEKING NEW WINDOWS INTO HOW THINGS USED TO BE WITHIN THE COUNTER CULTURE YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO EMBRACE . . . .

THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF FULL CLUB MEMBERS, DOUG BARBER [AKA "Q-BALL"] AND THE POETRY OF THE APTLY NAMED "SOREZ THE SCRIBE" [NO RELATION TO "CORTEZ THE KILLER" AS FAR AS I'M AWARE] ARE FROM THE "INSIDE" OF A 1%er CLUB, AS OPPOSED TO MUCH OF THE MATERIAL WE'VE SEEN RELEASED AND RE-RELEASED OF LATE TAKEN FROM THE "OUTSIDE" LOOKING IN, WHICH I RECKON SHOULD GIVE IT A 'FEEL' THAT PERHAPS THE OTHERS HAVE LACKED . . . .

I'M DEFINITELY BUYING A COPY FOR MYSELF . . . . LOOKS THE LEGIT SHIT !!!!

***** TO CHECK OUT THE OVERVIEW OF WHAT SEEMS TO BE A CRACKING PIECE OF WORK, CLICK ON LINK BELOW OR ON POST TITLE . . . . SINCERE THANKS TO "JP" AT "TSY" AND TO Q-BALL AND SOREZ FROM "DIRT THAT MOVES" MC . . . AS Q-BALL SAID . . . . "LONG MAY YOU RIDE"
“LIVING THE LIFE” | OLD SCHOOL 1970s BIKER PHOTOGRAPHY & POETRY BOOK « The Selvedge Yard

MAX SCHAAF . . . . NOW THAT HE'S APPROACHING FORTY, GETTIN OLDER WITH STYLE AND KEEPIN IT REAL . . . . AND KOOKY . . . . AND FRESH . . . . AND HIRSUTE . . . . AND FUN . . . . GROWING UP . . . ??? FUCK THAT SHIT . . . . ENTIRELY OVERATED !!!!

I KNOW, I KNOW . . . . IT'S ALREADY BEEN POSTED BY CHRIS AT "SPEEDSEEKERS" AND THOSE CRAZY, TALENTED, ARTY TYPES AT "KILLIN IT" . . . . BUT APART FROM IT BEING A  REALLY COOL THING TO WATCH, I HAVE AN ALTERIOR MOTIVE . . . .

As many of us have, watching dudes grow up in the public eye through what used to be just mags and the odd video or two and has now become an even more 'in depth' and 'under the microscope' thing courtesy of the net and this fabulously voyeuristic computer age . . . . it's kinda sad sometimes seeing your 'heroes', crew you have respected and admired, in many cases, over long periods of time, shape shifting, becoming 'too cool', transmogrifying into almost caricatures of who they used to be.

Obviously, you can only go by others comments, what you see and the shit you read and you don't actually know them and likely never will . . . . what's to be believed, what's the stuff you dismiss, is the guy really becoming a kook, was he a dick all along, has he now morphed into some 'rockstar' type entity, what's the truth, how the fuck do you know and, in the end, does it even matter . . . . ????

Personally, fuck yeah, it matters to me . . . . I like to think that people I dig and respect, particularly in the world of music, art, skateboards, bikes, cars, wine, whatever . . . . are essentially 'good' folk', 'real people', grounded, not full of self importance despite their obvious success/fame/notoriety, still the same soul they were before all the cool shit and rewards of excellence came their way . . . .

Ok, this is really the point, promise . . . . Mr Max Schaaf has had his now furry faced noggin in the public domain for a lot of years, from skating to custom bike building, clothing, music, a whole bunch of different yet interelated shit . . . . this recent clip for a joint venture between REAL and 4Q shows a guy still having fun, nowhere near taking himself too seriously, infact, taking the piss out of himself and just doin and diggin the same things he always has with an almost youthful innocence and exuberance . . . . even though there is some serious levels of cool comin from this cat from Oakland, the fact remains, as much as I can discern, Max Schaaf is still, after all these years, keepin the shit real . . . . you can have it all and still remain true to yourself and those who helped you along the way, no matter what you're into . . . . or you can have just a taste and become a complete and utter fuckknuckle . . . . the choice is yours . . . . that's it for today children, now, go out and play in the highway

***** Usual caper, click on the link below or on post title to see a real bit of fun, piss taking film craft . . . . thanks to REAL, 4Q and VIMEO.
MAX SCHAAF: REAL X 4Q on Vimeo

Saturday 10 March 2012

"MOTORCYCLE CRASH ON VIMEO" . . . . WELL, IT'S A CHOPPER ACTUALLY, BUT THAT'S ALL IT SAID AS FAR AS 'TITLE' GOES . . . . IT'S NOTHIN GROTESQUE OR GORY . . . . JUST KINDA UNEXPECTED . . . .

Imagine, you're riding along, on the pin, in the middle of the vast expanse of salt that is Bonneville . . . .

every nerve fibre dialed in, all synapses are synapsing, the bike's running like it's never run before . . . .

then, out the blue, without so much as the slightest warning . . . . .

***** Click on the link below or on the post title to find out more . . . . .
Motorcycle Crash on Vimeo

Friday 9 March 2012

GAYE BYKERS ON ACID . . . . "EVERYTHING'S GROOVY BABY" . . . . FROM THE MISTS OF TIME, FROM A LAND FAR, FAR AWAY . . . . BACK WHEN 'E' WAS CLEAN, GAS WAS CHEAP AND KIDS WEREN'T KILLIN EACH OTHER BY THE MINUTE . . . .BREAK OUT THE PINK LEATHER JACKETS, SLIDE INTO THE LYCRA G-STRINGS AND BOOGIE ON DOWN . . . . . PSYCHEDELICIOUS BABY !!!!!!

FUNNY SHIT, LIFE, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THE BAND'S NAME WAS UTTERLY BLOODY BRILLIANT, ALWAYS. HOWEVER . . . . OVER THE YEARS, WHENEVER I'VE MENTIONED THIS GROOVY MOB FROM THE U.K, SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE SHOWERED ME IN SCORN, DERISION AND DOUBT AS TO WHETHER THEY EVEN EXISTED . . . . WELL, TO ALL THE DOUBTING THOMAS' AND THOMASINA'S . . . . STICK THIS SHIT UP YOUR FUCKING JUMPERS !!!!!

Reading Guy's latest post on GKM it inspired me to dig up the dirt and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt the existence the legendary "Gaye Bykers on Acid" . . . I think they formed around the 1984 mark, released several punk inspired, psychedelic tinged tunes initially before morphing into a more funky/dance sorta caper by the late eighties/early nineties . . . . after that . . . not a fucking clue.

Anyway, let the gibbering cease and the show begin . . . . ladies and genitaliamen, I give you, the one and only "Gaye Bykers on Acid" with "Everything's Groovy Baby" . . . . you betcha it is !!!!!

***** CLICK ONLY ON POST TITLE TO DROP IN AND FREAK OUT . . . . .

"APOCOLYPSE NOW" . . . . INTENSE MOMENT #67 . . . . FROM A GREAT FILM CHOCK FULL OF MANY INTENSE MOMENTS . . . .

JUST QUICKLY . . . . I'M NOT REALLY SUCH A HUGE FAN OF THE 'REDUX' VERSION, FOR ALL THE ADDITIONAL FOOTAGE, IT ADDS NOTHING TO THE FILMS CHARACTER AND POSSIBLY DIMINISHES THE INTRIGUE FACTOR . . . . .

Beside the point . . . . I remember studying Conrad's "Heart Of Darkness" at school in 1979 and was fully psyched to see this film which was based on the novel . . . . . the movie at this point had been recieving some degree of press in the lead up to it's release in 1980 for all the wrong reasons . . . .

The whole point of the film . . . . the further 'up river' Captain Willard travels in pursuit of the totally unhinged/sociopathic/cult figurehead Colonel Kurtz, the more he becomes like the man he's been sent to assasinate . . . . the river being the conduit into the "Heart of Darkness" . . . . .

When it finally arrived, I ended up going to see it five times at the cinema . . . . I was mesmerised and gobsmacked . . . . rivetted from go to whoa, it still nails me everytime . . . . definitely a top five all time bit of celluloid for this little brown dog !!!!

****** To view this intense exchange between Brando's Colonel Kurtz and Martin Sheen's Captain Willard, click on the link below or on post title

Apocalypse Now: Brando to Sheen - 'Are my methods unsound?' - YouTube

Wednesday 7 March 2012

THE "DUTCHMAN" AND JASIN PHARES . . . . A DYNAMIC DUO IF EVER THERE WAS . . . . A TOP HOLE SHOT OF A SICK SCOOT BEING GIVEN A FULL SERVE BY A GUY WHO CAN SURELY RIDE . . . . JASIN PHARES CAPTURED BY THE DUTCHMAN BACK IN 2007 . . . . TOTALLY THE GREAT PHOTO !!!!

IT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE FUNNY INTERNET SURFING SESSION STORIES . . . . I WENT LOOKING FOR SOME PICS OF TERRY THE TRAMP . . . . CLICKED ON ONE OF THE  MANY SHOTS THAT APPEARED, BUT ONE OF SOME OTHER HURSUTE DUDE I RECOGNISED, LABELED, "LOOKS LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN TERRY THE TRAMP AND SONNY BARGER . . . ", TURNED OUT TO BE A DESCRIPTION GIVEN BY THE MAN FROM THE LAND OF THE TULIP TO DESCRIBE JASIN PHARES . . . . NOT A BAD INTRO REALLY . . . . NOR COMPARISON . . . .

At that point I gave up on the idea of Terry the Tramp, I'll get back there soon, and spent the next hour trolling through the Dutchman's photo selection on FLICKR . . . . some fucking gorgeous and fully epic photos on there I can tell you !!! Like all great photogs, his ability to combine all the disperate elements of the shot to arrive at perfect composition is freakish . . . .

The pic of Jasin I've chosen to post, [many of you will already be familiar with it], cresting a hill at speed, front wheel airborn, him, tucked in tight behind those fucking beautiful 'bars, the cityscape in the background . . . . it's simply a brilliant piece of photography . . . a nano second in time caught forever and now part of history's rich tableau . . . . leave it, come back to it, contemplate, quit, come back again . . . . the magic of the moment . . . perfect.

Anyway, that's it, spiel done with, moment over, time shifts gear . . . . all my sincere thanks to Mr Phares, his scoot of the time and especially "Dutchmanphotos" on FLICKR for the beaut shot . . . . click on link below or on post title to soak up the moment . . . .
All sizes Jasin Phares Wheelie in S.F. Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Tuesday 6 March 2012

I KNOW IT'S NOW AN OLD, STUPID, NON MOTORCYCLING BIT OF FLUFF . . . . . BUT JUST IN CASE ANYBODY HAD FORGOTTEN HOW MUCH OF A JOKE THE YOUNGER TEUTEL'S "BLOW OFF" BIKE WAS, JUST THOUGHT I'D REMIND YOU ALL ONE MORE TIME . . . . ARGUABLY THE GREATEST CRIME AGAINST TWO WHEEL AESTHETICS EVER COMMITTED . . . . DUMBER AND UGLIER THAN A HAT FULL OF FRIED SCROTUMS . . . . !!!! NEVER, EVER, FORGET !!!!!

DISCOVERY WAS RE-RUNNING THE FINAL OF THE "AMERICAN FLOPPER" THREE WAY BUILD OFF TONIGHT . . . EVEN IN THE TEN MINUTES BEFORE I FLICKED CHANNELS, IT REKINDLED SO MANY BAD MEMORIES I FELT OBLIGATED TO PUT UP A LITTLE PERSONAL PROTEST, NOT SORRY IF WHAT FOLLOWS OFFENDS ANYONE.

I'M HONESTLY NOT IN THE HABIT OF BAGGING OTHERS RIDES, MY TASTE AND LOVE FOR BIKES IS PRETTY FUCKIN BROAD AND EACH TO HIS OWN, BUT WHEN YOU PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN AND TAKE YOURSELF AS SERIOUSLY AND AS HUMOURLESSLY AS PAUL JR. DOES . . . . AND WHEN NOT ONE "BIKE" YOU'VE EVER PRODUCED BARES EVEN A POOFTEENTH OF A RESEMBLANCE TO ANYTHING THAT COULD BE UTILISED AND ENJOYED FOR WHAT IT'S INTENDED PURPOSE SHOULD BE . . . . FUCK IT . . . . YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU GET . . . . . . !!!!!

"THEME BIKE" . . . . . HERE'S A NEW THEME MATE, TRY BUILDING A BIKE STYLED AFTER A MOTORCYCLE . . . . JUST FOR SOMETHING TOTALLY OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT AND CAPABILITY ZONE . . . . OR IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK . . . . ?????

PERPETRATING THIS TYPE OF HIDEOSITY SHOULD BE OUTLAWED UNDER THE GENEVA CONVENTION . . . . POST HASTE !!!!

I'D LIKE THANK "PAUL JR. DESIGNS" FOR THE PHOTOS I'VE INCLUDED IN THIS POST, TO INDUCE NAUSEA AND VIVID NIGHTMARES, CLICK ON LINK BELOW OR POST TITLE . . . . . SUNNIES ON BEFORE YOU DO GUYS AND GIRLS . . . . OUCHHHH !!!!
Paul Jr. Designs Fan Center

DWIGHT YOAKAM - "INTENTIONAL HEARTACHE" . . . . LAST ONE OF MY MODERN DAY COUNTRY CLASSICS EPISODE . . . . BETTER BEWARE THE FURY OF A WOMAN SCORNED BOYS . . . . HURT YOU MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF A BAGFUL . . . . TREAT EM MEAN, LOSE EM FOREVER !!!!

SOMETHIN A LITTLE MORE RECENT FROM ONE OF THE MALE ARTISTS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REBIRTH OF COUNTRY BACK IN THE MID EIGHTIES . . . . SADLY, NEVER SEEN HIM LIVE . . . . "INTENTIONAL HEARTACHE", TELLIN IT FROM THE GIRLY'S SIDE . . . .

****** CLICK ON THE LINK OR THE POST TITLE FOR A BIT MORE OF MR BALDY MAN AND SOME ROCKIN COUNTRY BLUES . . . . DWIGHT YOAKAM !!!!
Intentional Heartache Dwight Yoakam 2005 - YouTube

"GUITARS, CADILLACS ETC, ETC" . . . . DWIGHT YOAKAM . . . . RELEASED IN 1986, MY BUDDIES GAVE ME ALL SORTS OF SHIT WHEN I WENT OUT AND BOUGHT THIS NOT LONG AFTER THAT . . . . I JUST SAW IT AS BEING PART OF THE ROCKABILLY/HILLBILLY THING . . . . I GUESS THEY ALL DO NOW CAUSE IT'S ALWAYS PLAYIN AT EVERY PARTY I GO TO AT THEIR HOUSES . . . . GOOD ON YA BLOKES, COME ON IN THE WATER'S JES FINE !!!!!

I'M JUST HAVIN A BIT OF A MUSICAL FLASHBACK PERIOD . . . . I LOVE THIS GUY, THE PERFECT ROAD TRIP MUSIC, BREAKIN UP MUSIC, GETTIN DRUNK MUSIC, MAKIN UP MUSIC . . . . LIFE MUSIC PURE AND SIMPLE !!!! CLICK ON THE LINK OR POST TITLE !!!
Guitars cadillacs - Vidéo Dailymotion#rel-page-3#

DWIGHT AND BUCK . . . "THE STREETS OF BAKERSFIELD" . . . . PASSING THE TORCH , KEEPING THE FLAME ALIVE . . . . BUCK'S BEEN GONE FOR SOME TIME NOW BUT THE MEMORY LIVES ON . . . . YEE HA !!!

NO INTRODUCTION REQUIRED . . . . DWIGHT YOAKAM AND MR BUCK OWENS DOING THE CLASSIC "STREETS OF BAKERSFIELD" . . . . A TOWN THAT SPAWNED A SOUND.

**** Click on link or post title to yodelay along with a dynamic duo of the country kind . . . giddy up !!!
Dwight Yoakam, Streets of Bakersfield Video - YouTube

"2011 BROOKLYN INVITATIONAL" VIDEOVERVIEW . . . . REALLY COOL MOVING PICTURES FROM RICHARD GRABBE OF A SHOW I'D LOVE TO GET TO . . . . ONE DAY . . . . HOOK IN AND DIG IT !!!

"THE BROOKLYN INVITATIONAL" IS ONE OF THE GIGS I WOULD ONE DAY VERY MUCH DIG TO CHECK OUT, GIVEN THE HEADSPACE BEHIND IT'S INCEPTION, THE PEOPLE INVOLVED AND THOSE WHO GET INVITED TO PARTICIPATE, IT'S RIGHT ON TOP OF MY GOTTA DO IT LIST . . . .

I HAVEN'T DONE TOO MUCH OVERSEAS TRAVEL FOR A FIFTY YEAR OLD BLOKE . . . . BUT THAT SHIT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE THIS YEAR WHEN I GO BACK TO THE STATES AGAIN  . . . . THIS TIME ON MY OWN, NO NEW BRIDE, NO RESTRICTIONS AND NOTHIN BUT FREEDOM AND THE DESIRE TO SUCK IT ALL IN . . . . I FEEL LIKE MORGAN FREEMAN'S CHARACTER IN THE 'SHEEPSHOP CONTENTION" . . . . EXCITED LIKE A KID BEFORE CHRISTMAS . . . . CAN'T WAIT !!!!

I was initially searching for "Free to Wander" to scope out again and happened upon this cracking bit of footage on Mr Grabbe's 'Vimeo' site, it's a pretty chill trip through the place and the bikes and certainly hit all the right buttons for me . . . . even being so far and so remote from events such as this, mini docs like these can really put you in the zone . . . . the whole interweb scene can elicit feelings and emotions that take you back to being that kid immersing yourself in magazines just to get somehow closer to the stuff you feel so drawn to . . . . [it's a shame I took so long to overcome my fears and phobias and begun to embrace it and utilize its potential] . . . . it's a groovy feelin, not as good as the real deal I know, but it will suffice for the present . . . . it'll have to !!

***** Big thanks to Richard Grabbe for the video and the Vimeo mob as well, to take a stroll around the show, click on below link or on post title and enjoy . . . .
Brooklyn Invitational on Vimeo

Monday 5 March 2012

FROM THE LEAVE IT TO 'BEAVER' FILES . . . . "NAKED ON WHEELS" . . . . MAN, THOSE EUROPEAN CHICKS ARE FULLY FREEDOM LOVIN TYPES, LIKE NO INHIBITIONS WHATSOFUCKINGEVER . . . . A LOVELY PIECE OF FAMILY FUN CINEMA WITH ALL THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS . . . . H.A CHAPS FULLY PATCHED AND ON AN ECLECTIC RANGE OF BIKES, NICE RIDING FOOTAGE IN THE MIDDLE OF MOTHER NATURE'S GREAT WIDE OPEN . . . . OH. . . . . AND NUDE CHICKS GOING TWO UP . . . . ON BIKES THAT IS !!!

Don't know much about the vid other than it was posted by the very mysterious man in the top hat, "Lord Black" . . . . an enigma wrapped in a riddle disguised as a conundrum . . . .

Anyway, a groovy bit of Lowbrow Cinematic Titilation of oldish, but unspecified date, featuring members of the Swiss, at least presumably, H.A on a nice cross count-ry [in Shakespearean double entendre] jaunt on a melange of scoots with a pair of rather delightful, fair skinned maidens thrown in for very good measure . . . .

I'm not generally given to thoughts of posting scantily clad or, in this case, nekkid babes because so many of you already have it well under control . . . . however, being a true patron of 'the yartz', as we say downunder, I figured I'd give them, sorry, I mean 'it', a stab . . . . if you take my meaning . . . .

**** Click on the link below or on porn, I mean post, title to feast your eyes upon this wonderful bit of easyridin, in the wind, beaver bakin action . . . thanks to "LORD BLACK" and VIMEO . . . .
naked on wheels on Vimeo

"DON'T LET'S START" - THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS . . . . . POP HASN'T ALWAYS GOTTA BE A DIRTY WORD . . . . QUIRKY, LEFT FIELD AND DECIDEDLY GEEK POWERED, THEY WERE DEFINITELY GIANTS IN MY MUSICAL WORLD BACK IN THE DAY . . . . DORKS OF THE WORLD UNITE . . . . REVENGE OF THE NERDS IS NIGH !!!!!! HEY JOCKS AND FOOTY HEADS . . . . TAKE A PISS IN YOUR EAR, THAT TINY PARTICLE OF BRAIN IS ON FIRE . . . . OR YOUR REAR, WHATEVER COOKS YOUR EGGS . . . . DICKHEAD !!!!!

CLASSIC INDY POP TUNE FROM THE STATES CIRCA 1987 . . . . THESE GEEKY DUDES HAD SOME KILLER SONGS WITHOUT A DOUBT . . . . I WAS A TOTAL FAN, THE TAPE WAS ON CONSTANT PLAY IN MY '71 GTR TORANA UNTIL IT GOT CHEWED UP AND SPAT OUT ABOUT A YEAR LATER . . . .

IT AIN'T BUTCH, BUT FUCK, IT'S COOL . . . . TO ALL THE JOCKS IN THE WORLD WHO ALWAYS ARRIVE AT "THE SCENE" JUST A POOFTEENTH TOO LATE TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, WE'RE ALL LAUGHIN AT YOU . . . . SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO SAY 'FUCK IT' AND JOIN IN WHILE YOUR BIG, DUMB, DINOSAUR MATES ARGUE WHETHER IT'S COOL OR NOT . . . .

I REMEMBER YOU ALL . . . . AND YOU DESERVE THE DULL, MONOTONOUS, TOTALLY STRESSFUL LIVES YOU'VE ENDED UP WITH . . . . HA HA HA . . . . EVEN THE MONEY CAN'T TAKE AWAY THE PAIN !!!!!

***** PUSH THE NASTY BUTTON BELOW OR ON POST TITLE TO SIT BACK AND HAVE A NICE LITTLE CHUCKLE TO "THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS" . . . . . HE HE HE HE !!!!
They Might Be Giants - Don't Let's Start - YouTube

Sunday 4 March 2012

RADIO BIRDMAN - "ALOHA STEVE AND DANNO" 1978 . . . . A TRUE BLUE AUSSIE/NORTH AMERICAN COLLABORATIVE EFFORT . . . . A MAJOR LEAGUE CONTRIBUTOR TO THE IMMEDIATE POST PUNK MUSICAL ENVIRONMENT, SUDDENLY EVERYTHING ELSE BECAME OBSOLETE . . . . FEATURING THE HUGE TALENTS OF ROB YOUNGER, DENIZ TEK, PIP HOYLE, CHRIS MAZUAK ET AL, THESE GUYS DREW A LINE IN THE SAND THAT INDELIBLY MARKED THEM FOR LIFE AS MUSICAL GROUNDBREAKERS IN THE AUSSIE ROCK SCENE . . . . AND ULTIMATELY AROUND THE WORLD . . . . . RADIOS WOULD MOST CERTAINLY APPEAR . . . . AS WOULD RUMOUR, BULLSHIT GOSSIP AND BONAFIDE LEGEND . . . . BIRDMAN WAS FOR REAL, ASK NO QUARTER AND GIVE NOTHING BUT ALL THEY HAD . . . . FUCK THE WORLD AND ALL BE DAMNED !!!!

Nothin much more to say than that really . . . . . well, I lied, there's so much more . . . . plug in, turn up and let it rip . . . . talk about freak out the fucking squares, Birdman talked the talk and sprinted the walk . . . . 

Taking the best of influences from The MC5, Stooges, Dolls, Stones and a whole bunch of their own unique, soaked in napalm, dirty socks rock and roll, this outfit took no prisoners . . . . . they scared the fuck out of mainstream rock circles and blazed a trail that made it possible for the nascent Aussie post punk/indy rock scene to follow into the eighties and beyond . . . . make no bones about it motherfuckers, these dudes made most "so called" punk acts look like whimps . . . .

No more blabbing, cut to the chase, go and buy their shit, put it on, crank the volume and suck up the essence of rock and roll, do some research as well, once again, as The Saints implored thirty plus years ago . . . know your product !!!!!

***** CLICK ON BELOW LINK OR ON POST TITLE TO GIT SOME OF THE BIRDMAN WITH "ALOHA STEVE AND DANNO" . . . . BURN YOUR EYE AND YOUR EARS !!!!!
Radio Birdman - Aloha Steve & Danno (1978) - YouTube

THE FREAK . . . . MOTO GUZZI V8 GP RACER . . . . WHAT'S WILDER THAN A HONDA 250/6 GP ROCKET ??? THE GUZZI V8 . . . . ABSOLUTELY BLOODY BERZERK, NEVER TOTALLY SUCCESSFUL NOR SORTED BUT BEING ONLY 498 cc AND WITH EIGHT OF EVERYTHING IT WAS A FUCKING MIRACLE IT WENT AT ALL . . . . [HEY LOVEY, CHECK OUT THE EXPLODED DIAGRAM ON THIS ONE !!!]

I RAN A BLURB ON THE REMARKABLE WORKS HONDA 250/6 GP RACER A WHILE BACK AND HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING CONCISE AND WITH DECENT PICS TO GET THE IMPACT ACROSS THAT THE INSANELY ADVANCED GUZZI V8 MUST'VE HAD IN ITS DAY . . . . THERE ARE SEVERAL VIDS ON POOTUBE WORTH A SQUIZ AS WELL . . . .

THIS GREAT LITTLE ARTICLE, ORIGINALLY FROM 'MOTORCYCLE NEWS' AND POSTED ON 'OZEBOOK.COM' IS A PERFECT OVERVIEW OF ONE OF MOTORCYCLINGS GENUINE ACTS OF ENGINEERING INSANITY/GENIUS . . . . A TRULY WICKED PIECE OF KIT THAT NEVER REALLY GOT TO ITS ULTIMATE STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT . . . . NONETHELESS, JUST KNOWING IT WAS PRODUCED, RACED AND IS STILL AROUND TO MARVEL AT IS MORE THAN ENOUGH . . . . THE MOTO GUZZI V8 . . . . FANTASTICO !!!!!!!

****** CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW OR ON POST TITLE TO HAVE A PERVE ON THIS BIT OF MECHANICAL MADNESS . . . . OH YEAH !!!
Moto Guzzi V8

TREVELEN AND SUPERCO . . . . GONE . . . . . .???? . . . . . DEFINITELY NOT FORGOTTEN . . . . IN MY OPINION, ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE "BIKER BUILD OFF" CIRCUS WHO ACTUALLY HAD A FIRM GRIP ON TURNING OUT RIDES WITH PERPETUALLY ENDURING STYLE, . . . . AMIDST A SEA OF FUGLY, HIS BIKES WERE NOTHIN BUT CLASSIC CHOPPER . . . .

I KNOW IT'S ALL OUT PERSONAL TASTE AND PERCEPTION BUT THAT'S MY CALL . . . . WITH VERY FEW EXCEPTIONS, THE CUSTOM BIKES THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME AND ONGOING CRITICAL ACCLAIM ARE NOT THE HIGH END, MEGABUCK, SQUINT AND BLING JOBS, BUT RATHER, THOSE BASED ON DOING THE SIMPLE THINGS WELL AND SHOWING RESPECT FOR THE CLASSIC ELEMENTS FROM THE PAST . . . .

Trevelen's Build Off efforts always stood apart from the majority of the show's other contestants, along with Indian Larry, Cole Foster, Chica, Shinya and a few others, proudly tipping his hat to the era that was his inspiration and key influence . . . . . I ain't sledging the quality of workmanship and attendant skills of the others, merely suggesting that a huge chunk of their collective output will forever be tied to a very small window in time and styling cues, ultimately 'dating' the bikes almost by the relevant episodes conclusion . . . .

Surely the true 'test' of any piece of design, whether that be a car, a bike, a watch, a camera, a boot, a what fucking ever, is that it maintains a lasting aesthetic quality in combination with its ability to do its intended job with total functionality and ease of maintenence ???? Just because a bike is built to enter a show or contest, should that dictate all sense of purpose and practicality be abandoned to the point where all you end up with is slightly mobile, post modernist, mechanical sculpture . . . ???

Now, I've not read or heard too much of what this bad boy made good has been up to in the last couple of years, I suspect that like many of those who became involved with and caught up in the T.V bike wars of the last decade, the economy has slowed down, money has tightened up and customers might not be bangin on his door with the frequency of six years ago . . . . I had read somewhere a while ago he had stopped building and done a "Rodriguez" and just vanished . . . . [and I wonder ??] . . . . whatever it is, I don't give a fuck, I just wish him well for the future and I'll continue to get great delight and joy out of every time I lay my eyes on one of his God damn gorgeous, timeless bikes . . . . .

***** CLICK ON LINK TO TAKE A LOOK AT ONE OF SENOR RABANAL'S STUNNING PRODUCTIONS . . .

Saturday 3 March 2012

RANDOM ORANGE PRE UNIT TRUMPY PART II . . . . SAME BIKE AS PREVIOUS POST BUT IN A DIFFERENT GUISE . . . . WHICH CAME FIRST . . . . BUGGERED IF I KNOW !!!!

CLEARLY THE SAME TRUMPY AS THE PREVIOUS POST, JUST AS CLEARLY, EITHER DONE BEFORE OR AFTER THE OTHER VERSION . . . . I COULD UNDERSTAND BOTH FORMAT'S BEING THE FINAL RESULT . . . . PURELY DEPENDENT UPON PERSONAL PREFERENCE.

PRE UNIT TRIUMPHS, WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE ??? CHOPPED, BOBBED OR BOG STOCK STANDARD, WAY COOL POMMY KIT AND A LEGIT SHIT, TWO WHEELED LEGEND !!!!!

**** SAME AS BEFORE, ONLY THE POST TITLE WILL GET YOU INTO THIS ONE  -  GO TO IT AND CLICK !!! THANKS TO CLASSICSOLUTIONSUK FOR THE PHOTO AGAIN

RANDOM ORANGE PRE UNIT TRUMPY . . . NICE LINES, COOL STANCE AND A COLOUR THAT NORMALLY I WOULDN'T REALLY GO FOR . . . . KEEP IT SIMPLE, ALWAYS A GOOD CALL.

JUST STOLE THIS FROM A SITE CALLED 'CLASSICSOLUTIONSUK' . . . . COULD HARDLY MISS IT WITH THAT NEAR DAYGLO ORANGE PAINTWORK . . . THOUGHT IT LOOKED SWEET SO STUCK IT UP . . . . IF ANYBODY OWNS IT OR KNOWS WHO IT BELONGS TO, LET ME KNOW AND I'LL PUT UP THE DETAILS

***** CLICK ON POST TITLE TO GET SOME SOME ORANGE CRUSH . . . .

"ON ANY SUNDAY" . . . . "BECAUSE IT'S WHAT I LIKE TO DO" . . . . FLAT TRACKIN, FLAT OUT AND FULL ON !!!!! THERE WOULDN'T BE A MOTORCYCLE LOVER BETWEEN THE AGES OF FIFTY AND SEVENTY WHO WASN'T AND STILL IS AFFECTED BY THIS CLASSIC BRUCE BROWN DOCO . . . THE U.S FLAT TRACK SEGMENTS WERE THEN, AND STILL ARE, MY MOST LOVED IN THE FILM . . . BIG BIKES, BIG SPEED, BIG TALENT AND BIG BALLS . . . . THIS SHIT IS THE 'REAL DEAL' . . . . BREAK NO BONES ABOUT IT !!!!

YEAH, I KNOW I'VE COVERED IT BEFORE . . . AND I'LL PROBABLY TOUCH ON IT AGAIN, IF THERE IS A SINGLE, SIGNIFICANT, PIVOTAL MOMENT WHEN MOTORCYCLES BECAME THE BE ALL AND END ALL IN MY LIFE, SEEING "ON ANY SUNDAY" AT THE CINEMA AS A TEN YEAR OLD BACK IN 1971 WAS IT . . . . WHEN I CAME OUT OF THE THEATRE AT THE END OF THIS EPIC FILM I KNEW THAT THIS 'FEELING' WAS ONLY GONNA GET STRONGER AND THERE WASN'T ANY TURNING BACK . . . . IT WAS A CONCRETE CONFIRMATION IN MY TINY MIND THAT MOTORCYCLES AND THE RUSH THEY DELIVER WOULD STAY WITH ME AND CONTINUE TO FESTER FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE . . . . .

The portion of the film I've included in today's post is the final of the year's flat track championship at the Sacremento Mile . . . . Romero, Mann, Lawill, Aldana, Rice and company battling it out for the Grand National Title and the number 1 plate . . . . unfortunately, it wasn't a type of racing that existed in Australia at the time, still doesn't really, a bit of historic action and that's about it . . . . anyway, the coverage of this kind of racing was the highpoint of the film for me . . . . the speed they were obviously going and the control these guys had over their bikes had me by the sac, not to mention the human aspect of the get offs, the failures, the travel and the perception of classic old time cool was palpable . . . . it was also the last great days of Beezers and Trumpy's against the might of Milwaulkee, a few years later and the British motorcycle industry was all but fucked !!!

Bruce Brown's cinematography still holds up today and is part of the film's timeless appeal, the shots capture completely the downright speed these freaks are travelling at when they drop into a turn, the micro second adjustments they make with 'bars and body weight, those hefty steel shoes attached to the left hoof, the pain of Dick Mann riding with a still broken leg, a young Jim Rice competing after mashing his face up earlier in the day . . . . and the seasons continued mechanical failures for Mert Lawill . . . .

I probably watch all or bits of On Any Sunday once every couple of months . . . . I feel very much as I did as that young kid seeing it for the first time forty years ago . . . I hope that never changes, ever. It is a "must see" piece of motorcycling history, especially for any of today's young crew, there is a real and enduring "quality" this masterful bit of cinema posesses . . . . pass it on whenever and wherever you can . . . .

***** click on the link below or on post title to reacquaint yourself with some butt puckering action from possibly my favourite movie ever . . . "On Any Sunday" . . . yee ha !!!!
On Any Sunday (1971) part 7 - YouTube