Pub Meet Post-Mortem

So, I'm curious. Did you all seem cool? Were you fearful of seeming either cool or not cool? Any slang being thrown about? It seems like you'd necessarily have to be self-concious of these things, what with first impressions and all, not to mention the topic of choice as of late being about image and whatnot.

Cooler than liquid nitrogen, my friend. Please don't turn this thread into a warzone, OK?

Man. I wasn't trying to. Was that question loaded? I would've been totally concious of all that stuff.

I didn't mean to be confrontational, it just sounded like you were taking the piss. Sorry!

So, did you end up in The King Of Corsica then?

No, the Blue Posts. Not a bad little place, except...those toilets!

A good night.

It was intersting to put names to faces, a few commented they were expecting me to have long hair with dreadlocks ! not

Thanks to K Reg for recommending Luomo, Vladislav Delay house alter ego I will add to my ever growning list of to get CDs.

If Tom had not mentioned he still had his grizly beard I would have walked past him, are you sure that AICON photo was taken 2 and half years ago Tom? not the last year of your uni days?

The only person that matched what I perceived their image on ILM was the legendary pinefox Mr British Indie 1990/1991 vintage season.

(What is Harriet Wheeler doing now? maybe it is about time we had trance cover version of where the story ends remixed for the judge jules generation? not )

I was surprised that hardly anyone knew about the weekly music magazine 7, no wonder it never gets mentioned on the web.

There is a first division footie relegation scramble on ILM - Gareth 1471 (is in the Huddersfield corner) Robin (Crystal Palace) and myself (Portsmouth). With Stockport and Grimsby in the mix to, it may well go down to the last kick of the season, one goal scored or let in - late in the game a week Sunday could change the fortunes of all concerned for the next season.

I did not realy get a chance to speak to Robin, but I was expecting him to be more reserved and thoughtful - but he seemed to be in fine form voicing his opinions enthusiastically on the table next to me.

Also Tom tried to set me up with planting a Blur best of Cd in my Virgin Carrier bag, in court today wearing my imaginary Blur are Shite T shirt by Mogwai - I plead not guily your honour to unlawful possession of indecent music known as Blur.

for DG (and others who my find this useful) National Sound Archive where you can visit their library collection in the British Library in London - between Kings Cross/ Euston stations.

Where most back copies of Melody Maker/ NME are bounded into volumes streching way back including the 60s/70s/80s/90s and Sounds (from 1984 onwards to 1991 and some 197os are ready for inspection.

This is worthwhile if you want to spend a few afternoons selectively browsing through music history.

You need to bring 2 photos of yourself, and some ID, to apply for a British library visitors card - make sure you apply for a year card, not a day or month !, you have a short interview of a minute or so, to ask why you want a British Library Card - make sure you answer you want to research the colllection of The National Sound Archive - e.g say you are doing an ongoing personal research project into 70s/80s music and you need access to the indepth specialist resources of NSA that is not available elsewhere (as the British Library - is not an open all access public library) the NSA has an open access policy as they where in another building over in Kensington a few years ago. If you pass the short interview they will be issue with a card there and then. Then its up to the second floor of the gigantic British Library.

NSA also has a very extensive collection of albums/ singles released over the years - wher you can listen to music by appointment. More details on the website this includes a search engine of their collections.

Gareth - how can you form opinions on Killing Joke if you have never listened to them - get down to Sister Ray - to buy their retrospective collection - Laugh, I nearly bought one? (Honour the fire)

Wish I'd been there, sounds like a great night. Have another one in London SOON, and I'll be there come hell or high water. I got my hangover within hobbling distance of home, and I was in the Blue Posts in spirit anyway.

Discovered this morning that The Avalanches album is indeed as great as the ILM crew said. Nice one! It's gonna be a great weekend!

Oh and Palace are going down, Robin.

Thanks to K Reg and DJ Martian for strong recommendation of Luomo, Vladislav Delay house alter ego. Will remember not to buy next time am confused and susceptible in strange record shop.

What are you looking forward to music wise this year Pinefox? Surely there must be something !

(also PS have the Sundays released a best of yet?)

When did you arrive, Pinefox? Presumably it was after 10.10 pm when I left, unless you got lost in the crowds. Sorry to Mike and Stevie for not having any time to give them the attention they deserve.

I can see what you mean about my being reserved and thoughtful, Martian, but I have to admit I was rather more forceful than I'd normally be, being slightly out of my element in a pub. There is much I need to take up with Tom privately about future projects, but I have to say here that I'm on the same side as him; let FT be Labour and Elidor be the Lib Dems, and like them let us recognise the common enemy.

There have rarely been wiser words spoken about pop than David Stubbs's assertion that every single year is the greatest in pop history because every year something is added that wasn't there before; I suspect it was on Tom's mind, and it was certainly on mine. I don't believe it has to be "now vs. then" in a warlike fashion (though I appreciate that Tom probably regrets it now he's sober!) but if it does, I'm a "now person" unequivocably. When I read what sound to me like sentimental euologies to some lost "innovation" in the pre-internet, pre-multimedia age, I don't let them pass; a couple of days ago I started a whole thread to denounce what smelt to me like such an argument. That should tell you all you need about which side I'm on, Tom.

What I intended to say about late-period Radiophonic music was that it was bad library music combining melodic structures straight from bad Mike Oldfield records, with off-the-shelf rhythms and basslines not worthy of Howard Jones records. To be brutally honest, the RW had run out of innovation 20 years before it was closed in 1997, but they had 15 or so years of fantastic work and nothing can detract from that. I am quite romantic about the RW in that my collection stops at 1979 and, with the exception of the "Aliens in the Family" soundtrack (and then only because I loved it aged 7) I *never*, *ever* want to hear anything after that. But you're right, Tom, *if you've just discovered them*, the context of the RW is now.

Incidentally, Martian, what about the British Library Newspaper Library at Colindale at the furthest expanse of the Northern Line, way out in 0208 territory (injoke)? The majority of newspapers and magazines are held there these days, and I did once look through 1987 Melody Makers there, though admittedly they were on microfilm.

1990-1991 season, Martian? Is this a reference to Palace's highest ever league position? As I write they are two down at home to Wolves. This is their lowest ebb in my lifetime. Ah well ...

Spent rest of the night deciphering my scribbles on my rizla packet then banging them into search engines. Thanks for everyone for the recommendations : Piano Magic [1471] / Zan Lyons [DJmartian]/ latest RnB [Tom]. Scatty Tune - Jimmy C Newman [tim] and the Serge Reggae album are amongst the many others I can't find yet.

K-reg: was it you or Magnus congratulating me so glowingly as "a star" when I left? Whichever it was, thanks. K-reg, especially, you were great company.

Magnus was interesting to meet [tom's friend from Uni], the man behind the man behind ILM. And it only took us minutes about realise how innappropriate it was to use our pseudonyms in a 'real' situation. How does Sting deal with it?

Robin

NSA Archive library is a unique specialist collection, see the website for its history, old copies of MM/NME/Sounds are bound together in volumes - on open display shelves - so more convenient and interesting to browse through, select what you want to look for and take to a reading area - rather rather than playing about with microfiche, and staring at an image.

The reading area desks are spacious, the building is modern with high ceilings the atmosphere is fairly quiet - NSA library collection is highly recommended occasional afternoon visit. (although i have not visited it for about 18 months)

Thanks, Martian (or can I call you Martin now?). I should go there soon ...

Martian - where is the N.S.A.? Also do you know where there is a public-access sound library? Or Image library?

K Reg

There are two seperate services, the library part once you have the British library card pass you can use anytime the Humanities 2 reading room is open.

The section to listen to recordings, you need to make an appointment to listen to a particular album/ single.

http://www.bl.uk/collections/sound-archive/

Welcome to the British Library National Sound Archive (NSA), one of the largest sound archives in the world. Opened in 1955 as the British Institute of Recorded Sound, it became part of the British Library in 1983.

http://www.bl.uk/collections/sound-archive/ias.html

The library part of NSA is known as Recorded Sound Information Service, its is located in Humanities 2 section of the British Library

Recorded Sound Information Service

How to use the Service at the British Library

The service is based in the Humanities 2 reading room of the British Library, where personal users have access to an unrivalled reference collection. The printed material relating to sound recordings includes books and periodicals from around the world, an extensive collection of discographies, and one of the largest collections of commercial record catalogues dating back to the early 1900s. A selective listing of the holdings can be viewed in Library materials.

The British Library National Sound Archive 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7440 Fax: +44 (0)20 7412 7441 E-mail: nsa@bl.uk

Listening and Viewing Service

Then you will need to make an appointment. Appointments for the Listening and Viewing Service can be made by phone, fax, post or e- mail..

Users of the service need to hold a valid British Library reader's pass. Please contact the Reader Admissions Office (tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7677) in advance of your visit if you do not already hold a pass. NSA staff will be pleased to assist in authorising the applications of those wishing to use the collections of the NSA.

Contact details are as follows:

Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7418 (Listening and Viewing Service) Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7440 (Recorded Sound Information Service) Fax: +44 (0)20 7412 7441 E-mail: nsa@bl.uk

You can search the catalogue of what they have here Catalogue

Directions

Go to King's Cross station then walk in the direction of Euston you can't miss the British Library building it is on right side of the street approx 300 metres up from King's Cross.

Opening hours

Note the listening and viewing service has slighty different opening times compared to the library part - Recorded Information Sound Service in the Humanities 2 reading room.

Clarification

Listening and Viewing Service - is public access - you just need to have a British Library card, becuase of security purposes of wandering around the building.

(to recap a few years ago NSA was located in any other building - and was open access, it moved into the brand new British library - which as a whole is not open all access - however the NSA services are still open access - however you know need a British library card for security purposes because of the new location, this should be a formality if you specify in the readers admission office - when applying for a card pass - that you need to access the NSA services)

Gareth, DG, Martian and K-Reg, lovely to meet you.

And hello to the usual suspects who I knew anyway. Your presence was as usual extremely welcome - also special thanks Stevie & Tim for hospitality.

I had a fine evening - as Robin suggests I was very drunk. Watch this (forum) space for further announcements.