On Saturday night, I was watching Madness at Butlins as part of the House of Fun weekender. I am mates with the sax player Lee Thompson as well as his sons Daley and Kye. A friend who went with us asked me how many kids he has. I said I thought the nunber was three. She decided to google it and the Google AI search confirmed it. It also confirmed a rather more disturbing fact. It informed her that Lee had passed away in 2024, but his legacy lives on.
Now given that we'd just seen him perform on stage, this was quite disturbing news. Had Suggs roped in a doppleganger and not told anyone. In truth, there will only ever be one Lee Thompson. I have no idea how such a stupid AI algorythm could get it so wrong. I was chatting with a mate, who is an AI guru yesterday and they explained the problem. If someone starts a malicious rumour for a popular personality, it will get shared thousands of times and get millions of hits. AI engines see this and pick up on it. As people often realise immediately the information is a load of old cobblers, the truth is not propogated in the same way, so the false rumour appears to be the legitimate story. Of course, AI is developing all of the time. The people who work out the algorythms will get better at getting things right, but the sad truth is that if someone posts a fictitious story on Twitter that gets massivey circulated, current AI I models can get spoofed into making all sorts of nonsense up. As often such things trends, AI will pick up on it as people are wildly asking and will see the latest info. Now of course, my explanation is a very simplified view of what AI does and how it learns. But it is clear to me, as someone who sometimes uses AI to research blogs, you have to be really careful.
There was a fascinating article in the Guardian yesterday about AI, by Robert Booth. It seems that there is a South Sea Island boom in AI stocks. We all know what happens next, don't we?
BTW, just for fun, I asked AI if Robert Booth was the last President of the USA. This was the answer it gave me
AI Overview
No, Robert Booth is not the last President of the USA
; he is a fictional character from the Judge Dredd comic series who is a villainous former president. The last real President of the USA was Joe Biden, who succeeded Donald Trump.
Robert L. Booth: A fictional character in the Judge Dredd comic series who serves as the main antagonist in the "Origins" story arc.
Fictional role: In the comic, he is the last President of the United States and is responsible for the Atomic Wars of 2070.
Real-world President: The most recent President of the United States is Joe Biden.
So there you go, I am sure Robert will be pleased to learn that AI thinks that he is a fictional character.
To celebrate The False Dots first gig outside of London tonight at The Horn in St Albans,since 1985,when we played The Tiki club in Belgium, we are releasing a very special EP. We don't do the obvious things. We release songs we don't play to coincide with gigs!
We have put together a collection of great tracks that we no longer perform, featuring some amazing guests.
Spotlight, last played in 2011, written by Connie Abbe/Rog and Fil and featuring Connie on vocals. This is an alternative version which we think is pretty cool. This was used by the @Mancity website for their goal of the month show in 2011 and has had over 11 millions plays! Last performed in 2011 at The Mill Hill Music Festival
Saturday, this version features Lee Thompson of Madness on sax and amazing poet, sometime Hawkwind contributor Allen Ashley on vocals. Lyrics by Rog and Allen Ashley (still played albeit a different version and arrangement)
They cleared out your desk - Written for the #KickOutCapita#BarnetUnison campaign Allen Ashley on vocals. Lyrics by Allen Ashley and RogLast performed in 2019
I'm the man. Featuring top US vocalist Charles Honderick, Paul Hircombe on bass, Tony Caveye on drums and Fil and Alexander Sarychkin on Lead. :ast performed in 2009
Pauls song - Written by Paul Hircombe (RIP) in 1984 and rewritten by Paul, Rog and Fil in 2007. Featured on a charity EP in 2009, at Pauls last gig. Was considered as a theme tune for a BBC TV production! An Instrumental. Tony Caveye on drums
As regular readers will know, music is a central part of my life. I run Londons largest independent music rehearsal studios, so I get to see and hear what is going on at grassroots level. It is important to know the trends in music and to ensure that we are in tune with what London is doing. Twenty five years ago, our studios were full of aspiring indie rock bands, all wanting to be the next Oasis or Blur. Much ahs changed. Guitar based bands are not in vogue. Shows such as Pop Idol, the Voice and X Factor have changed the industry beyond recognition. This has had positive and negative impacts on the business. The most positive is the massive increase in female artists. Just about all of the major British artists to emerge in the last fifteen or so years have been female singers, those such as Amy and Adele are undoubtedly massive talents. The down side is that the concept of 'developing artists' has more or less gone out of the window. Labels used to allow artists to find their feet and develop over several albums. Now they want instant hits and move on to the next artist on the conveyor belt if this doesn't happen.
As we emerge from the pandemic, it seems likely that the music industry will go through an inevitable period of change. Sadly, we will have lost some of our venues, artists have spent the best part of two years not performing. I wnet to see Echo and The Bunnymen at the Roundhouse on Monday and it almost seemed that the audience had forgotten what to do. It was a great gig, but the atmosphere was a bit odd. Many artists, with time on their hands, will have come up with new material. Generally the first couple of albums by artists who write their own material are the best, simply because they have a few years worth of music that they put a long time putting together and honing in smaller venues. By the time they get the third album, it's all been used. In between touring, it is difficult to keep the standard up. I fully expect some absolutely cracking music to emerge.
Which brings us to todays list. When I started think about this, I realised just how much the industry has changed. In the 60's and 70's, there were band managers who were nearly as famous as the artists they managed. Brian Epstein was well known as the Beatles manager, as was Andrew Loog-Oldham who managed the Stones. Malcolm McClaren was almost a household name as manager of the Sex Pistols. Such celebrity managers are most definitely a thing of the past, as are the stunts they would pull to ensure that their artists were in the public eye. The 70's, 80s and 90's also saw celebrity label owners. They were not musicians, but people such as Dave Robinson at Stiff Records and Alan McGhee at Creation records were well known. Artists would sign to their labels as they felt this would bestow credibility on them. Lee Thompson of Madness told me that the reason that they signed to Stiff was because Dave Robinson took them to the pub and they instantly knew they could work with him. Apparently there were better offers on the table, but they knew they would prosper on Stiff. We don't have such figures anymore. So who are the important figures in the London music scene? In no particular order, here is my selection.
1. Jool Holland.
Every major artist to emerge in the UK in the last 20 years has had their breakthrough moment on the Jools Holland show. It is alost unique with its eclectic selection of artists and genres. It is almost a throwback. I don't think anyone can call themselves a genuine music fan if they don't watch the Jools Holland show.
Crowley's show on BBC Radio London has been the first to play just about every indie artist over the past few decades. Crowley is one of the good guys and has always made a point of supporting new artists. His show is well worth a listen if you like great music.
Another BBC London legend. Elms has been at the heart of London's music culture. Whilst Crowley is slanted towards the Indie sound, Elms is more into Americana, Jazz, Blues and anything that is generally less rocky. The first London Radio presenter to play Amy Winehouse. When his show was a daily event, pre pandemic, he'd have artists in the studio every day playing live slots, many on a beaten up old piano he claims he'd rescued from a skip!
These two North London vocal coaches present the BBC Radio London Saturday morning show and also feature new artists. David is also a MOBO award wining singer, Carrie is a reporter on the One Show. They are also highly respected vocal coaches and have helped many singers develop.
7. Sean Flowerdew
Sean has run the London International Ska Festival for a couple of decades now. This brings some of the finest reggae and ska acts to London, as well as organising Ska cruises on the Thames. Everyone from Desmond Dekker to Georgie Fame has played at the Festival. This year we will see Ska Legends The Pioneers play the festival. In my opinion Sean is the finest independent festival promoter around.
Peggy is the Landlady at The Dublin Castle at Camden Town. The Dublin Castle is perhaps the most Iconic pub venue in London. Peggy's husband Alo recognised that music would bring the punters in and they never looked back. Alo died in 2009 but thankfully Peggy has kept the place going and it is still at the beating heart of the London Music Scene. I doubt too many artists have emerged from London who haven't played at the Castle at some point.
9. Gaz Mayall
Gaz's rockin blues club is a legendary music club. Based currently at St Moritz at 159 Wardour St. Gaz also has his own band The Trojans and his own label Gaz's Rockin Records, who's first release was by the Potato 5, a London Ska band who I loved so much I went to see them play in Amsterdam! To me, Gaz sums up the spirit of the underground London music scene.
Lee is the sax player with Madness. Most people know Madness for their quirky Ska music, but there is so much more to the band. For decades, they've been organising Madstock festivals. These are not simply Madness gigs, they deliver amazing acts, DJ's etc. The last one we went to in 2019 saw Ziggy Marley, Paul Weller and Jerry Dammers on Stage, as well as a DJ tent with the likes of Don Letts. The thing I love about Madness is that they always ensure value for money and a great night. However there is more to Lee Thompson. Whereas many stars would put their feet up, Lee also plays sax with his son Daley's band, The Silencerz, at various North London pubs, just for the love of it. He put together The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra and got Ska legend Bitty Mclean to sing on their version of Desmond Dekkers Fu-Manchu. He's produced a film of his life and a book recently. What I love about Madness and Lee in particular is that they are what a band should be, a celebration and an organisation that puts something back. They've given dozens of artists a leg up over the years. Long may it continue.
In association with Mill Hill Music Complex,
Colindale’s most community spirited pub, Chandos Arms is hosting a day
in aid of McMillian Cancer Trust with a evening of live music, starring
Lee Thompson the renowned Saxophone player from Madness. The eveninhg will feature a selection of Lee's own compositions, Ska classics and covers of such classic artists as Marc Bolan and Ian Dury. This will be a night to remember, entrance is free, we just ask a donation for MacMillan, as we've all been touched by cancer at some point. It is Lee's birthday and will be a very special night
It all kicks off at 11am with a coffee morning and
children’s activities, including bouncy castle, children’s entertainment
and face painting.
At 8.30pm Lee Thompson will present an evening of ska, soul, motown,
funk and music from his roots, with The Silencerz, a slick crew of local
musicians. Lee is a remarkable entertainer and this is sure to be an
evening of magical music.
Entrance is free, there will be a raffle with numerous Madness memorabilia as prizes and a fantasic VIP pass for a Madness gig of your choice as the first prize.
those of you who haven't read my dyslexia blogs before, here is a
little preamble and introduction, so you know who I am and what I do
and why I write this stuff. For those of you who know the story, skip to
the end of the paragraph for todays installment. Let me give you a bit
of Background so you know who I am and what I do. I was born in 1962. I
didn't start talking until I was 4 years old (at all, not a single
word). My parents thought I was deaf. My reading age at eleven was 5.
When I was fifteen I started a rock and roll band called the False Dots,
the band is still going strong. When I was 16 I started a business
called Mill Hill Music Complex
(although then it was simply called the studio), a rehearsal studio, as
we had nowhere to rehearse. The business has grown into a very
successful enterprise, one of Londons biggest and most well respected
independent studios. We now have 16 studios and a music shop and also
have a photography/video studio and a dance studio. I also have done IT
work, mostly on a freelance basis since 1983. In 2012 I also moved into
film production, producing two highly acclaimed documentary films, both
of which had screenings at the House of Commons. When I was 31, a friend
suggested I had a dyslexia test. To my surprise I was told I was
moderately dyslexic. This made me interested in the subject. To my
amazement, what I have learned over the years is that my lack of
educational aptitude, my feelings of anger and injustice and the core of
my personality have been formed by the fact I cannot read words in a
linear fashion. In 2013, I have set one of my objectives to use this
blog to let dyslexics know they are not alone, to suggest that people
who think they may be dyslexic to get an assessment and toget people who
have dyslexic children or siblings to understand the issues that they
face.
As the Barnet Eye blog draws ever closer to it's millionth hit, at the current rate this will happen sometime towards the end of May, I can only chuckle at the career advice I received at Finchley Catholic High School back in 1978. Schooling in the 1960's and 70's was a cruel place for the dyslexic bretheren. Over the course of my schooling, my teachers seemed to be in competition to find the wittiest jibe to humilate me as homework or classwork were reviewed. "Tichborne, are you one sausage short of a barbeque?", "Tichborne, is there an village somewhere which is missing it's idiot?", "Tichborne, are you struggling to complete the application form for the national society of imbeciles?" were just a few that stuck in my memory.
Did this inspire me to be less dyslexic? I think you can imagine the answer to that. So what did inspire me? What did give me self belief? There were two things and the answer may shock you. The first was the lyrics of punk rock music. Minimalist lyrics such as the Ramones, made me realise that you could get the message over in two lines. Given the choice between a nine minute classic with all manner of "interesting" words and lyrics, such as Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen or "I don't want to walk around with you" by the Ramones, I'd pick the Ramones every time.
I don't wanna walk around with you
I don't wanna walk around with you
I won't wanna walk around by you
So why you wanna walk around me?
I don't wanna walk around with you
I don't wanna walk around with you
I won't go out with you
I don't wanna walk around with you
I won't walk around by you
So why you wanna walk around me?
I don't wanna walk around with you
I don't wanna walk around with you
I don't wanna walk around with you
I don't wanna walk around with you
I won't walk around by you
So why you wanna walk around me?
I don't wanna walk around with you
I don't wanna walk around with youAlright
I won't go out with you
I don't wanna walk around with you
I won't walk around by you
So why you wanna walk around me?
I don't wanna walk around with you
I don't wanna walk around with you
Whilst the Ramones song only contained two lines, you knew exactly what the song was saying. It did what it said on the tin. Bohemian Rhapsody is nine minutes long and to this day I haven't got a clue what it's about. It may be very clever, it may have lots of interesting bits in it, but I have no connection at all with it.
At school, I'd been force fed a diet of poetry I couldn't relate to and couldn't understand, books which I didn't enjoy and didn't really seem to say anything and subjects which bore no relation to my daily life. At age 14, when taking my O level options, I chose Building Studies - Decoration and Design. The only reason I chose this was it allowed me to spend half a day a week out of school, at the curriculum centre in Byng Road, Barnet. It was the only lesson where I actually learned anything which earned me money.
The other thing which inspired me was 2000AD, a comic which started in 1977, featuring Judge Dredd. This gave a glimpse of a future world, ruled by a fascistic and undemocratic state, policed by Judges, with the power of life and death over its citizens. The judges were pitted against such villains as graffiti artist Chopper, who's only release from a humdrum life was risking life and limb and a long sentence in the cubes to place his graffiti in ever more dangerous and high profile places. The glory of leaving his tag under the noses of judges who would cut him down in an instant, for simply spraying his name was a purpose in a pointless life.
As Thatcherism bit and the economic situation worsened, the storylines seem to reflect the mode of the time. The height of the Thatcher economic gloom was 1981, around the time I left school. I'd had enough of the UK and left London to live in Stockholm for six months. I felt I needed a complete change of scenery and a change of attitude. My plan was to spend six months writing a punk concept album, which I'd come back and record and this would make the bands name. Every day, I'd write a bit of a song. The story was in some ways a mirror of the theme of Quadrophenia by The Who, but sent with a punk backing. The story was one of alienation and redemption. Much of the story was autobiographical. The key moment was to be standing on the bridge over the M1 in disarray and distress and being saved by the love of a friend who happened to be walking past. The end of the film would be the start of the band. For me, the moment my band "The False Dots" had their first rehearsal was the day my life changed. Up until then, I'd been pretty unhappy. Myself and Pete Conway spent three months writing songs, bought instruments and then recruited drummer Dave Edwards and singer Mandy Spokes. Our first rehearsal was the 14th Feb 1979. Although we were completely crap, it was the moment I knew what I wanted to do and that I could do it.
This was important. Knowing you can do something you want to do. Knowing you can enjoy yourself and being in a band is a fantastic feeling. Collaborating with a talented lyric writer was also great. It gave me confidence to write my own songs and develop my own capabilities as a lyricisit. Changing schools and finding myself in the more creative environment at Orange Hill Senior High School, surrounded by the likes of Boz Boorer (musical director of Morrissey and Lead guitarist of the Polecats) was a joy.
After an initial six months, the original False Dots line up split, following a terrible incident where Dave was thrown through the window of WH Smiths in Mill Hill Broadway, severing a tendon in his arm. Shortly after the band had a massive row and it finished. A couple of months later, Pete Conway and myself decided to give it another go. We threw out all of the old songs and started again. we recruited Hank Marvins son Paul and talented guitarist Paul Hircombe. We've been going ever since, Pete Conway departed six months later, Paul Hircombe stayed until 2008. Sadly he passed away ago from the big C a year ago.
Although the band never had any commercial success, it has been a fantastic artistic success and a brilliant experience for me personally. We've raised tens of thousands of pounds over the last 34 years playing gigs for various charities. Our songs have cropped up in the strangest places, most recently Spotlight was used by Manchester City TV as the theme tune for their November goal of the month show.
The band inspired me to start Mill Hill Music Complex. We now have 18 studios and we have helped all manner of artists over the last 34 years. Last week, Lee Thompson from Madness launched his new project, The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra, with a video filmed in our brand new video studio. (Check it out here).
Which brings me back to how I started this blog. Back in 1978, my then careers teacher at Finchley asked me in for an interview. He asked what I'd like to be. I replied that I'd like to be an astronaut or a rock and roll guitarist. He replied that as I wasn't American, I couldn't be an astronaut and as I couldn't play guitar, I'd never be a guitarist. He suggested I work for the London Borough of Barnet sweeping roads or gardening for the parks service. What an irony as my blog heads towards the 1,000,000 hit that I spend my days writing about why jobs such as these should remain as part of the London Borough of Barnet and not be outsourced to private contractors.
When I consider all of these things, I can't help but laugh at the irony. Of all the people who went through that office, went on to University, went on to great things, it is the dyslexic who is one sausage short of a Barbeque, who ends up writing the most read blog in Barnet and running the biggest and most successful independent studio in North West London. It isn't a happy ending really, but there is a sense of cold satisfaction at the fact that despite all of the sh*t heaped on me, I feel I've done something useful and worthwhile.
As we commence work on the sequel to A Tale of Two Barnets, here's a list of a few famous people with links to The London Borough of Barnet. It is not exhaustive, feel free to add anyone you think warrants a mention.
1. Charles Dickens - the workhouse in Oliver Twist was based on Barnet workhouse
2. Simon Le Bon - Used to live in Hendon
3. Lee Thompson - the flying sax player from the band Madness, lives in Barnet
4. Patrick McGoohan - lived in Mill Hill in his 1960's hayday
5. Amy Winehouse - Local girl, regularly rehearsed at Mill Hill Music Complex
6. Paul Gascoigne - used to train at Chase Lodge training fields with Spurs
7. James O'Shea - Paralympic Swimmer is a member of Barnet Copthall Swimming club
8. David Bedford - member of Shaftesbury Harriers atheletic club
9. Ken Loach - Award winning film director appeared in A Tale of Two Barnets
10. William Wilberforce - Built St Pauls church on the Ridgeway
This list is not exhaustive. There are many other famous people but my criteria for choosing this list is that at least once, everyone on this list has made me extremely happy through their exceptional talents and brought a ray of sunshine into my life.
So having braved the damp streets of London yesterday to see numerous shut roads and traffic diversions, but no actual boats, I thought we'd stay in and watch the Queens concert on the telly. Being a punk rock fan, there wasn't a lot to my musical tastes, although I will say that Grace Jones was excellent. Maybe I should try the hula hoop trick at my next gig. She is clearly in great shape. I once saw Ms Jones in the lobby of a hotel, clearly in a chemically assisted state of mind. I am a fan, but I can truly say she was the most intimidating person I've ever seen. Robbie Williams was Ok opening the show with "Let Me Entertain You". Another big highlight for me was Paul McCartney doing "Live and Let Die". I've always had a soft spot for the song, since I saw Wings in the Early 1970's. Live and Let Die was the highlight of that show and it was the first time I'd seen a mirror ball in action. That blew my mind. That was my first ever gig. I must say that the lights and the pyrotechnics were the real stars of the show. If I was Macca I'd have ended the show on this note. Ob La De was a definate anti climax. I must say that the only good thing about it was that it wasn't the almost obligatory "Hey Jude". He should have finished with "Helter Skelter" which is his best tune (mind you I suppose that is one of many reasons why I'll never be asked to organise a gig for Her Maj).
And the highlight ! The Madness version of "Our House" was awesome, with Buckingham Palace being transformed into a row of terraced houses in Cricklewood. Lee Thompson of Madness is a mate and a regular user of the studio, so it was great to see him up there. The band are superb and did Norf Lundun proud !
Guess what. I've just started a new blog. I'm sure that many people in Barnet will be think "Hasn't he got anything better to do with his time?". Well this new blog is all about what I do with my time, when I'm not banging on here. I've launched a blog for my business - Mill Hill Music Complex. We get so many interesting characters passing through that I thought it would be a great forum for keeping track of what is happening.
