Rock and Roll Stories #42 - The joys of studio overdubs

Have you've ever wondered why the music you listen to at home sounds so different to the versions bands play live? If you are in a band you'll know, but just in case you are not, one of the main reasons is because the versions you hear on Spotify, CD's, vinyl records, etc, has been put together in a very different way to the music you hear being played live when you go to a gig (or at least it has if it was recorded after about 1955). Up until that sort of period, records were by and large live performances. In the mid 1950's, recording technology improved and adding tracks to records. In the early days, recording was done on reel to reel tape machines. Multi track recording made all manner of things possible for artists, such as singing harmonies with yourself, adding a triangle solo or the sound of cows mooing. All sorts of things.

This series of blogs isn't a historical document though, it is very much the story of one band existing in a period of constant change in the art of making rock and roll. Nowhere is this more true than in the way The False Dots record. Our first 'demo' if you can call it that, was recorded at a rehearsal on a portable mono cassette player. We knew no better. It sounded pretty rough. I can remember all being quiet at the start of each track. That was in 1979. Sadly the tape is long gone. At the time, we were quite proud of it. I played it to my mate at school, Boz Boorer of the Polecats. I saw him listening to something on his portable mono cassette playerinthe Orange Hill School common room. I asked if he fancied listening to The False Dots debut demo. He said OK. He put it on and this awful racket emerged from his player. He said "Did youy record that on a cassette player" I said "Yes". He said "If you want to do a proper demo you have to record it in a studio" and proceeded to play me the Polecats demo. I was gobsmacked. It sounded like a record. In fact it went on to be the Polecats first single, Rockabilly Guy, on Nervous records, an indie rock and roll label. 

I sheepishly asked where there was a studio we could make a demo in. Boz replied "Alan Warner from the Foundations runs one in Hendon". Immediately, my priority was to make a proper demo in Alan's studio. Events and band break ups meant that it took us a year to get it together. Homework was done. When I felt we were ready, we got Alan Warner down to listen. I thought that if we bought him a pint, he could give us some feedback. He did "Get rid of your drummer, he can't play". Alan arranged for a mate of his, Dav Davies to step in. With Dav, suddenly the False Dots sounded like a proper band. We recorded our first demo on Alans eight track tape machine. He gave us some great advice. As we had eight tracks, it meant two tracks of drums, a track ofPetes bass, my guitar, Paul Hircombes guitar and Pete's vocals. We had two tracks left. We double tracked Pete's vocals and I added an acoustic guitar to two tracks. The idea was to make it sound a bit more like seminal New York band The Velvet Underground. 

When it was done, we thought it was great and I took it into school to play to Boz and associated mates. They had expected it to be rubbish, like the first demo. They were shocked. It didn't really sound like anyone else. Pete left the band shortly afterwards, ace guitarist Craig Withecombe joined. We did a second demo at Alans studio. This time, I was more adventurous, adding a monophonic synthesiser to one track (Fog). If people were shocked when they heard the first demo, they were amazed by the second. Paul Hircombe had switched to bass and Craig had taken over lead guitar. Paul sang two songs and Craig two. The demo was really good and Chiswick Records boss Ted Carroll asked us to do another demo with more synth songs on. As I'd borrowed the synth and given it back, this never happened. 

The next demo was made at a 16 track studio in Sydenham in late 1982. It felt like we were in heaven, I added keyboards to the two songs, and we added some additional guitars etc. The result was "A Memory for you", which was our first song to be released, on a compilation record called "Directions" on 101 records. The real problem for me was that it was only after we finished the demos that I got my head around what we should have done with the extra tracks. It was an expensive process. 

In 1984, we went back into the studio, when Venessa Sagoe was in the band. We recorded three songs and our then 'manager' Dennis produced it. I thoroughly disliked him, but he was a great producer. He did things like getting Bill Pithers, who was then on lead, to play a guitar solo to Africa Morning with the tape reversed. His solo was backwards! It sounded great. The studio was a sixteen track in Reading.  Dennnis got some great backing vocals. Sadly, the rest of us had to sit in a broom cupboard whilst he worked. That was the only place to chill. Dennis also edited the tape with a razor blade. His work was very good and I think the demo stands up.

That was the last recording the False Dots did on tape. By the time we got back together and were doing demos, tape was old hat and now we record on a Mac Computer, with logic. There are no real constraints on what we can do. We can edit notes in and out of a solo, put 23 tracks of backing vocals on, etc. We spend endless hours "getting things right". I was out for a beer with Alan and I thought back to that first demo. We really reheased hard to ensure it was right. Now, we can edit bits of different takes together. I like a live vibe on tracks, so I try to avoid that. The big difference between our first demo and now is that we used to really rehearse properly for recordings, so we got a good version in one or two takes. Now, it is relatively easy to wing it and edit errors out. As a band, we are reasonably tight, but back in 1980, when we first went into Alans studio we were really on the button. 

In fact for all of our early demos, we were so well rehearsed that we always ended up with spare time to play with overdubs. As we'd booked and paid for the studio time, we thought we'd use it to the ultimate. Often this could be counter productive, as we'd put unneccessary frills on, then have to book another mix, and take them all off again. It was a much more communal thing back then. It was a day in the studio and all the band would be around. We'd all put some input into what was the best thing to put on the spare tracks. Occasionally, we'd have heated arguments about overdubs. When we recorded Fog and put the synth on, I removed Craig's guitar track. He was livid. I think he seriously considered quitting the band. Then he listened to it again and told me I'd been right. He was a good enough musician to see that it worked. Although I never really got on with Craig, I had a lot of respect for him as a musician. His response to what happened was to buy some extra effects for his guitar and write a new guitar part for the song. He felt that he had a point to prove. Sadly, shortly after, Dav left and his replacement didn't have the right feel for the song. When we were in Sweden in 1982, we had a long chat about the demo. Craig said that he felt that we should sketch out overdubs before we went in and not approach them in the spontaneous manner we had previously. I said that in principle that was a good idea, but often you only really hear the song properly in the studio and so you get ideas on the spur of the moment. We were both right. When we recorded A memory for you in Sydenham, the studio had a brand new Prophet V keyboard, that had amazing sounds. I said to Craig "Look I'll do one take and if you don't like it, I'll drop it" and we can try one of your ideas. Craig liked it and then did his guitar overdubs. Of all our recordings, it was probably, at that stage, the one we were happiest with, but listening back to it, I can still feel the frost in the room. 

I recently went to see the play 'Stereophonic' which is allegedly about Fleetwood Mac recording Rumours. I was disappointed. I had read about arguments about overdubs. It didn't really capture what I felt was the true nature of such arguments. The odd thing is that we'd get incredibly annoyed with each other, then as soon as it was clear that an idea worked, we'd go into back slapping mode. The dynamic changed when we got a female singer, who always sided with Craig, as she thought he was clever and a good musician and felt I was neither. Even when Craig had decided he liked my idea, she'd still be in his ear. Our bassst Paul Hircombe generally wouldn't get involved, but he did once say to her "you should listen to Rog, because he understands the feel of the song and he's usually right". I was quite shocked. Years after, Paul told me that when Criag and the singer left to set up their own band, they tried very hard to persuade him. Paul told them that you can't be a rock and roll band if you don't understand what rock and roll should sound like, and they didn't, wheras I did. 

Paul said that everything we'd ever recorded, good or bad, was rock and roll. He told me that his best memory of the band, was sitting up at 3am working our overdubs with me in Alan Warners studio on Fog. We were on a roll and it just seemed that everything we did worked. I am not sure, but in some ways, he may have been right. God Bless him up in heaven!

Anyway, we'll play out this episode with Pauls song. This song has more overdubs than anything I've ever recorded and doesn't eve have any singing! Paul wrote this in 1986 and we recorded it in 2007. Paul is on bass, Fil Ross plays lead, I play rythm, Keyboards and percussion, and Tony Cavaye played drums. Sadly, Paul never heard this. We played it at his funeral.

Rog T's Cancer Blog & Wellbeing Wednesday - Going in the right direction

 Back in February I outlined the challenges I had last year and my health targets for this year. Following my cancer surgery in August 2023, I had a follow up PSA test last week, so I thought now was an excellent time to give a round up. As mentioned in the February blog, a check up in November showed a few things that were not right. One of these was a raised thyroid level, as well as high cholesterol and an increase in my blood sugar, moving me firmly into the pre diabetic scale.

I responded to this by bringing in a pretty strict fitness regime. I've been doing an 18 hour fast 2-4 days a week. I've also cut out a lot of snacks etc from my diet. I don't drink 3-4 days a week (something I've been doing for a couple of years, but I've stuck to it more religiously).  I also set myself a target of doing 1,500km in the gym on the bike, rowing machine and treadmill. I also set my target weight as 14'7 by the end of the year. 

So where am I. Well lets start with the best news. My PSA is < 0.0, which means I can sleep easy for six months. I've been managing to go to the gym  4 times a week. I've already met my 1,500km target and I'm hoping to do 2,500km by the end of the year. I am back on the treadmill (just) although I am walking at incline rather than running at the moment. I am building up to that. My thyroid level has returned to normal. I read that if you are on Omnprazol, you should increase your selenium levels. I've been eating brazil nuts and this seems to have worked. As for the cholesterol and glucose levels? Well the surgery didn't do the tests, so I don't actually know. I asked for them, but that didn't happen. 

My weight is down to 15'12. As I predicted, the first stone and a half is easy to lose, then it gets hard. I've only lost 1lb since June, but that is still progress. My BMI is no longer obese. I am on the high end of fat. I must add that this is all without the help of any weight loss drugs. 

Mentally, I am in a reasonably good place. I seem to have a couple of days a month where I struggle a bit to motivate myself. Being in a band and making music helps. 

Anyway, that is all. Having had two days fasting and not drinking, today is a day off!

What have Bonnie Blue's videos got to do with sex?

 First, a bit of context. I am a dinosaur. I still have a couple of newspapers delivered every day and I read them, over a cup of tea before I get up in the morning. It sets me up for the day and I had always hoped it would give me an informed view on the issues of the day. My papers of choice are The Guardian and The Daily Express, to give me a range of views on both the left and right. There was a time when both papers had regular columnists who were brilliant writers and gave a unique perspective on the events that mattered. Since the passing of Frederick Forsyth, who wrote for the Express and was always interesting, just about the only writer left who I make a point to read is the Guardians sketch writer John Crace. The Express buys freelance articles that are occasionally interesting, Sadly many are written by befuddled cranks, who simply aren't capable of putting a coherent article together. One recently spelled out a dystopian future for England, where we were all forced to live in an Islamic state, St Pauls was the Mosque of the 7/7 martyrs, and, wait for it, we were all forced to be Transgender? I kid you not. The poor fool who wrote the article simply didn't understand that whatever radical Islam may or may not be, it isn't woke and if it ever took over, Gay rights would not be on the agenda. 

As for the Guardian. This morning, I was treated to an article by Gaby Hinsliff, about porn star Bonnie Blue making a video where she had sex with 1,000 men in 24 hours. The sad thing is that it was probably the most interesting article in a very dull edition. This time of year used to be called "the silly season and the article certainly fitted the title Hinsliff's premise is that as Blue is making a fortune from the men (they are not paid for appearing), she is not being exploited. As Blue has had a Channel Four documentary made about the project, she is doing rather well in what us music business types call hype. I did some quick maths. To meet her target, she would be servicing around 44 men an hour, which is less than 90 seconds per person. To facilitate this, she advertised for 'just legal' University graduates. I guess a  primary requirement is to be able to perform quickly. God only knows what was going through her mind when the 834 fresh faced young man delivered his load. Whatever it was, I doubt it was anything to do with how enjoyable and memorable the moment was. As for young man number 834? He probably will be telling all his mates 'she loved it' and celebrated his luck at bedding a porn star. Unless he picked up and STD, I doubt he'll come to much long term harm.

I am fairly relaxed about the issue of pornography, when there is not exploitation involved and everyone is a grown up. It is by and large unrealistic and devoid of fun. I grew up in an age when access to porn was not straightforward. When I was 18, porn videos had just started being circulated. Given that I was living with my folks, who were strict Catholics and video was in the front room, it was not really feasible to watch such things. By the time I had the opportunity to enjoy such materials, I had a girlfriend and felt I had no need for such things (yes I know that is an old fashioned view). Although in my teens, I was rather partial to spending time with as many females as possible, by the time I was 20, I had concluded that I preferred to just be with one person I liked. My view, again pretty old fashioned, was that sex was actually best with someone you liked and when you could take your time and enjoy the moment.

I can imagine no worse vision of hell than having to watch Bonnie Blue spending 24 hours with a long line of 16 year olds making out in a rather dull fashion. My guess is that in twenty years, she'll be presenting a knitting show on channel four and saying how dull it is when the next generation of Only Fans star has sex with 10,000 young men in an hour.

What has interested me more, when it comes to the issue of online porn, is the outrage of Reform MP Rupert Lowe at the online safety bill. This requires platforms that share porn to prevent accounts that are not properly verified to see hard core porn. To see it, you need to prove you are over eighteen. Clearly Rupert is not keen on sharing his age with such companies. Personally, I don't really think that stopping children from having easy access to porn is a bad thing. If you are 18+ and want to watch such things, then it seems easy enough to get access. If you are prepared to share your credit card with Only Fans, then surely a snap of your passport or whatever other mechanism they use should not really be an issue.

Hinsliff is correct to applaud the business acumen of Bonnie Blue. She has clearly twigged a way to make a lot of cash quickly. I can't imagine it was much fun, but then again, working as a plumber, removing turds and tampons from blocked drains is not much fun either. There is an old saying "where there's muck there's brass". Never has it been truer. 

Growing up in the 1960's - The joys of playing on the M1 as a kid

When I was a wee nipper, back in the mid 1960's, gardens were a treasure trove of interest to young boys such as myself. There were still homes with Anderson shelters in the back garden, many gardens around Mill Hill had detritus from the two railway lines and the recently constructed M1 Motorway. In our street, Millway, we had both at the bottom of the garden. In the no mans land between gardens and the recently built M1, you would find all manner of weird and wonderful things. The land had been railway sidings before the M1 was build and there were still plenty of artefacts lying around. 

Myself and my mates even built a 'base' in this no mans land, our of old sheets of iron and old water tanks. We christened it Ironbase. We'd but my mate Rick's little brother Luke in it and bombard it with rocks, bricks, stones and clods of dried mud. The dried mud clods were the best, as they'd explode like mortar shells if you lobbed them really high. Luke developed a fascination in 'iron base' and ensured it was constructed to the highest standards possible.  As he's now a top engineer, I think it set him up for life. Although it sounds awful, the base was more than capable of withstanding the bombardment and for us the fun was hearing the loud bangs as the lobbed detritus clanged on the base. Perhaps the most spectacular assault on Iron Base was when we found a gallon of petrol that had been disgarded over the M1 fence. We decided to see if Iron Base could withstand a molotov cocktail. A milk bottle was acquired and the plan was made to perform the test, when no parents were around. I had no idea what to expect, but the results were spectacular, beyond our wildest dreams, resulting in a fire engine being called by a neighbour. Sensibly, we'd not put anyone in the base for the test. I think we'd done it when Luke wasn't around, as we wanted to ensure that no one told on us. Some of the vegetation and shrubbery got burned The fire brigade put it down to a stray cigarette from the Motorway starting a fire. To be honest, by the time they got there, it has burned out. They just saw some smouldering shrubs and some blackened metal sheets, at the time there wasn't much to birn there. 

Oddly there was hardly a mark on it. The neighbour who'd reported it had been most worried that we'd been involved, but we'd legged it and were watching the telly, feigning innocence. He claimed that he'd seen us playing there earlier. In truth, my Dad wasn't terribly interested. He thought setting things on fire was a perfectly normal pursuit for bored boys. When my parents realised that we'd constructed Iron Base, we were forbidden from 'playing on the motorway. Fortunately, they were too lazy to actually dismantle it and we didn't listen.

Another favourite game was building bonfires and throwing lumps of asbestos on, which would explode, doubtlessly showering us all with dangerous particles. There was plenty of old sheets of asbestos just left when the railway buildings were demolished. We didn't know it was dangerous. It was quite spectacular the way it exploded. I wouldn't recommend it though. 

In truth, railways, building sites, bomb sites (of which there were still many), were places of fascination. We'd go exploring, as would most kids my age. Occasionally, we'd find the strangest things. The other boys at school were equally 'inquisitive'. Occasionally, we'd hear reports of guns and bullets being found. Even mundane things seemed rather interesting though. We'd go exploring on the Motorway embankment and deposit all manner of old signage, workmens lamps, bits of fences, etc in Iron base for later investigation, The old road works paraffin lamps were especially treasured. Often these would be painted and hung in sheds. It is odd, back in those days, there were all manner of perils we were warned about. There were even public safety films made, advising kids not to hide in fridges. At school, we were warned about playing on railway lines and also of the dangers of derelict houses. We never listened. 

As we grew up though, we lost interest in such things. As the cutting next to the M1 became overgrown, there was less to find. We had other things to interest us. Expeditions over the fence became more difficult as nettles and brambles grew. Iron base eventually rusted away. When I was about 14 Rick moved away. Like moved a couple of years later, I'd got into punk rock and Luke, who was a couple of years younger had discovered Motorhead. I didn't see him for a couple of decades. Through facebook, we eventually met for a drink. When we got chatting, the subject of Ironbase came up. We both agreed that it was a highlight of our youth. I am not sure either of us would be chuffed at the idea of our kids doing the same sort of things when they were 7 or 8. 

If Benjamin Netanyahu really cared about Israel he'd resign as Prime Minister

 Whatever you may or may not think of Israel, wherever your sympathies lie in the Palestine/ Israel situation, anyone who looks at the record of their Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can only conclude that the man has been a disaster all round, he is an obstacle to any settlement and peace and that nothing good is likely to happen whilst he is in charge of Israel. In two months time, it will be two years since the 7th October 2023 attack. Hamas has not been destroyed, innocent Israeli citizens are still held in tunnels, people on both sides are still dying. When the attack first happened, an Israeli friend told me with absolute certainty "within six months, Hamas will cease to exist and every hostage will be freed". He is as hard line a Zionist as you are likely to meet. I bumped into him yesterday and we had a long chat. He reminded me of all of the successes of Mossad, etc over the last two years. They decapitated the leadership of Hezbollah with the exploding pagers. They have effectively emasculated Iran and their nuclear programme. But the difficult truth is that Hamas still exist. The hostages are still in tunnels and even my friend admitted that Hamas had proven a harder nut to crack than he ever anticipated.

I asked him what he thought of Netanyahu as Prime Minister. He finds it very hard to be critical, I suspect he feels that it is an act of disloyalty to criticise Israel when they are at war, but he did say "We need a new Prime Minister, however you look at his record, history will not judge him well". I was actually gobsmacked at this response. He explained that he was worried that Netanyahu had lost the trust of Donald Trump and that is something that Israel simply can't afford to happen. I know little of Israeli politics, I have no idea who would be a good or a bad replacement should he go, and it's not really my job to advise Israelis. My friend mentioned a couple of people. I thought I'd ask Google, rather oddly, all I got was links to rather old articles. I asked @Grok on Twitter and the answer I got seemed to follow the logic and views of my friend yesterday

As of August 2025, with Netanyahu's coalition fracturing and early elections likely, Naftali Bennett emerges as a strong successor candidate. Polls show his leadership could secure an opposition majority. Bennett opposes Palestinian statehood, favors annexing West Bank areas, and supports aggressive policies against Hamas.

Reading this brought to me, the old adage "Careful what you wish for", in respect to those who support Palestinian causes and wish to see Netanyahu booted out. It rather sounds as if Bennett is more, rather than less hard line. Having said that, he would not have the baggage that surrounds Netanyahu. Of course a major realignment in Israeli politics is the only way that there will be a major change in the direction of Israeli/Palestinian relations. That will only happen if an election delivers a significant change in the balance of the Israeli Parliament. I suspect that will only happen if the Israeli electorate actually believe that any peace process will not fundamentally put the existence of Israel at risk, which has always been the Ace up the sleeve of Netanyahu. 

There is a view that Netanyahu is hanging on to power to avoid criminal charges. Personally I doubt that he will ever face a court, but he clearly doesn't fancy taking the chance. If, however, the people and small parties that support him, decide that someone like Bennett would have better electoral prospects and could rebuild the trust between Israel and Trump, Netanyahu may have no choice in the matter. As far as I can see though, his tenure as Prime Minister is no longer about what is best for Israel. That is never a good situation for anyone. 

Talking to other friends who are sympathetic to the Palestinian cause recently, some of whom are also Israeli's, they passionately believe that Netanyahu will ultimately end up before the court at the Hague charged with war crimes. This can only happen when he is no longer Prime Minister and loses the immunity from prosecution that comes with it. When I suggested that they may get an even more hardline PM, they said they would happily accept that if it saw Netanyahu in court. Personally, I doubt Israel would ever give up an ex PM to the Hague, whether he was guilty or not. Even his biggest enemies in Israel understand the precedent that would set.

The most depressing for me when writing about the Middle East is that the more I read about the situation, the less I see a way that the area will ever see any degree of peace. For all of my life, the best that can be hoped for is that fragile ceasefires give people in the area a modicum of normality. I am an optimist and dearly hope that a new generation of leaders emerge on both sides, that can actually deliver a just and lasting peace. I suspect that I'll be a very old man if I ever see that. One thing I am absolutely certain of, is that when we read the history of the Middle East in a hundred years, it will not judge the tenure of Benjamin Netanyahu kindly, whatever happens. The man has been a complete disaster for Israel, the Palestinian people and the world. I suspect that he is the main reason that some people, in my opinion rather misguidedly, see Hamas as a credible force for peace. As far as I am concerned, Hamas is a major reason why Israeli's vote for Netanyahu and he knows it. As for Hamas, their grip on Gaza has git stronger, not weaker since Netanyahu took power. I can only conclude that If Benjamin Netanyahu really cared about Israel he'd resign as Prime Minister.

The Saturday List #493 - My top ten female Londoners

To celebrate the success of the Lionesses last Sunday, I thought I'd do a Saturday list of my top ten female Londoners. ALthough I could make a list of singers, I have decided to choose one outstanding female from different walks of life. 

1. Amy Winehouse. Had to start with Amy, the voice of a generation and a much loved customer of Mill Hill Music Complex. As someone who runs a studio and sees hundreds of female singers pass through our doors, it is 100% clear just how influential Amy was and still is. 

2. Elizabeth Taylor. Liz Taylor was born in London to American parents in 1932 and was raised in London until the second World War started. Taylor was a brilliant actress as well as a thoroughly decent human being, championing AIDS causes when it was still very much a taboo subject. She was also very beautiful (with a passing resemblance to my missus to boot!).

3. Kelly Holmes, Olympic medalist was raised in London. A double olympic champion. There are plenty of sports women to consider, but for me Kelly Holmes was a real ground breaker.

4. Dianne Abbott. Again, there are plenty of female politicians born in London. I picked Dianne Abbott for several reasons. She was the first black female MP. I really admire her. I doubt anyone on the planet has had more abuse thrown at her. Sure she makes mis-steps, sometime says silly things, but she has balls and I will always side with the person being bullied. I know few people who seem to attract such abuse. The fact she takes it and carries on is something that those who criticise her should appreciate. 

5. Verity Lambert. Lambert was a film and TV producer. Her work included Budgie, Rock Follies,  The Naked Civil Servant and Minder. This was at a time when women didn't do such things. I met her a couple of time, as she was a mate of my cousin, film director Midge McKenzie.  Midge once told me that if I ever had daughters, make sure they were aware of the work of Verity Lambert, who was a shining example to everyone.

6. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (1836-1917) Elizabeth Garrett Anderson was a pioneering physician and political campaigner. She was the first Englishwoman to qualify as a doctor. Female physicians were unheard of in 19th century Britain and her attempts to study at a number of medical schools were denied. In 1865 she passed the Society of Apothecaries examinations and gained a certificate which enabled her to become a doctor. The society then changed its rules to prevent other women entering the profession this way. How could I not include her! I used to walk past the hospital she founded on the way to work.

7.  Elizabeth Webber-Harris. The only woman ever to receive a Victoria Cross. Sadly, the ridiculous conventions of the day, meant that it was not an official VC, it was a replica for ceremonial purposes. I am amazed that there has never been a campaign to upgrade it to the full VC. It was presented with the full blessing Queen Victoria herself. 

8. Pauline Boty. I've written before about Boty, my favourite female artist. Sadly largely forgotten, one day I will write a song and make a video about her. To my delight, a TV documentary was shown about her last year.

9. Emmeline Pankhurst. Although born in Manchester, she is an adopted Londoner, and is buried in the City. The leader of the Suffragette movement, who got women the vote. How could I not include her

10. Poly Styrene. Rules are made to be broken. I know I said one person from each category. For me though, Poly Styrene was too important to ignore. I doubt Poly would have become a Pop star at any other time except during the punk movement. Poly made no concessions to the industry. Her songs were about subjects that most people never even thought of writing songs about. Even more important though was her anti fashion stance. She was very female but not in a sexualised way.  I think Poly probably inspired more people to be themselves than anyone.

And finally. I will finish on a personal level,  with Connie Abbe, former singer of The False Dots. You may not have heard of her, but if there was any justice in the world, she'd be a superstar. A brilliant singer and a  joy to work with. 

Rock and Roll Stories #41 - The Other side of Rock and Roll's wild things!

 This week saw the passing of a Rock and Roll legend, Jock McDonald, a great mate of The False Dots. There were many myths and fables about Jock. Whatever you may have thought about him, it was never dull to be in his company. Jock was one of a number of movers and shakers of the rock and roll scene that I have the privilege to know and to have spent time with. When I got over the shock news of Jock's tragic passing in a swimming accident, I reflected on a few of the fun times we shared. But it made me also reflect on the fact that Jock, like many of the wild things of Rock and Roll, had  a fearsome reputation, but in person he was a great person to be around. As someone who has dabbled in both the world of politics and rock and roll, I reflected on the differences between the two. Whereas politics is (supposedly) built on the principles of integrity and honesty, the individuals you meet in that world almost never live up to those principles. Rock and Roll is built on hype and bullshit, but you actually get very little of that from rock and rollers. Politicians seem to despise and resent the people who support them. Rock and Rollers love them. I am always shocked by just how much politicians, who are almost invariably totally without talent, think we are lucky and should be grateful to have them. Rock and Rollers are the opposite. We are always lucky and grateful to have fans.

Back in 1987, I found myself at a gig and standing next to me, at the bar was Bob Geldolf. We had a brief chat, I asked him if his next move would be into politics "No, they are all C**ts" was his reply. It took me three more decades to realise just how right he was. It is quite remarkable really that the greatest thing Great Britain acheived in my lifetime was Band/Live Aid. It was put together by a bunch of scalliwags, who less than a decade earlier had been seen as "the enemy within". Whilst I accept that it wasn't perfect, it was a serious attempt by the musical community to try and make the world a better place. At the time, I went to the alternative Live Aid at Dingwalls. I didn't see Queen or McCartney. I was bopping alng to Johnny Thunders, Mari wilson , Edwin Starr and The Glitter Band (minus Gary!). To this day, musically I think I made the right choice. One of the nice things about that day was that all of the bands hung around and chatted to fans.

It was one of many benefit gigs that I've been to, organised by musicians over the years. I've organised a fair few and the  likes of Lee Thompson from Madness, Chris Spedding, The Foundations and Kate Nash have all jumped in and donated their time for free. In fact often what started out as a gigs for the False Dots, where we raise a few quid, became a major fundraiser and we ended up bottom of the bill, as the likes of Lee Thompson roped his celebrity mates into doing slots! Of course our efforts are miniscule in comparison to what Live Aid raised, but many charitys are kept running by such things. It is important to keep doing such things. 

One of perhaps the most illuminating stories was when I was asked to be a character witness for the former bassplayer of The False Dots in a major trial. He'd been on crimewatch as part of a gang that stole hundreds of thousands of pounds from gaming machines in in motorway service stations. When he was caught, I was asked to say something nice about him. I wrote a a speech and ran it by Pauls lawyer. I listed all of the charity gigs Paul had played at over the previous six years and the money raised for charities. Paul gave his time and talent for free and helped make sure it all happened. His lawyer told me to go and rewrite my speech, deleting all references to the gigs. He explained that the court would simply assume Paul was pocketing the cash. I objected and said that he didn't have anything to do with the cash, but they were insistent. The British establishment simply couldn't understand that a scalliwag like Paul was capable of compassion and caring. 

People often ask me about the celebs that come through the studio and want to hear tales of larceny and bad behaviour. It is so rare as to be almost unknown. The likes of The Damned, Tom Jones, Amy Winehouse, Lee Thompson, Raye, Flo, etc have been regular customers over the years. All have been lovely and a joy to have around. The last time I saw Amy was in 2008 in a Camden pub. I was out for beers with my football mates. I saw Amy, worse for wear in the corner, with a group of hangers on. I didn't want to intrude on their fun. One of my mates said "I thought you said you knew her".  I replied "I don't bother people when they are out with friends". I was at the bar and got a nudge. It was Amy, despite having been, shall we say, over enjoying herself with substances that may or may not have been legal. she made the effort to come up. She said "How's the studios, give my love to Fil and Darren". We had a little chat and she returned to her mates. As stories go, it is rather boring, but that is how it is.

I'm not saying we've not had shenanigans and naughtyness, but it has almost always been good humoured. The worst, most horrible customers are usually people who are not professional musicians, but have a lot of money, not much talent and think it is Rock and Roll to be a twat. I am old enough and wise enough to have none of that. One particularly obnoxious customer reacted to being banned from the premises by announcing "You can't ban me, I'm a lawyer". I replied "I am not banning you for being a lawyer, I am banning you for being a twat". I genuinely don't think anyone had ever spoken to him like that. About two years later, I saw him at a gig and he humbly apologised. He has been well behaved since then and is allowed back in. It is perhaps funny to think it takes a bit of rock and roll to educate such people. 

I have a theory. I believe that you can't really make great rock and roll music in a band without some level of human empathy and the ability to work together. When we mix with our own, we remember that!

 

Two days after the Lionesses made us proud, Barnet's Labour Council is to be taken to Court for sex discrimination

File under "You couldn't make it up". The Labour Party was founded by Trades Union members and the Unions pay the bills for the party, regardless of whether the Leader is Jeremy Corbyn or Tony Blair. Whilst the root and branch membership of the Labour Party are proud of this association, it seems that as soon as Labour Politicians get their hands on the levers of power, they somehow seem to have a conscience bypass. Back on the heady night in 2022, when Labour took power and booted the Tories out, I spoke to the rather shell shocked Leader of the Barnet Labour group and the new leader of Barnet Council, Barry Rawlings. I made a note of his exact words. I didn't do this so I had a rod to beat him with, but because I thought what he said was important and I was impressed by his sentiments.

Barry said "We won't get everything right, I am sure we will make a lot of mistakes on the way, but whatever we do, we will put fairness, equality and decency at the centre of it" He then went on to say "I expect you to hold us to account and remind us of this when we do get things wrong". Although Labour has made many mistakes, I've had no reason to remind Barry of his pledge. Until now. Today, two days after the Lionesses amazing victory, where we are all basking in the reflected glory of our amazing female team, a dispute has been launched by the Public sector workers union UNISON, alleging that Barnet Council and its Labour bosses are acting in a discriminatory manner towards their own female employees. The Press Release says:-

"Barnet UNISON is urging its female members in the London Borough of Barnet (LBB) to come forward as the union prepares to launch a collective legal challenge over potential equal pay breaches by the Council.

The move follows extensive investigations into pay practices within LBB, particularly in relation to the use of “task and finish” arrangements in the Waste & Recycling service. UNISON believes there is now sufficient evidence to support equal pay claims with reasonable prospects of success.

John Burgess, Branch Secretary of Barnet UNISON, said:

“The possibility that staff – the majority of whom are women – may have been underpaid for years is deeply concerning, especially in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. Equal Pay is not just a legal right, it’s a fundamental matter of fairness. UNISON is committed to ensuring our members receive the pay they are legally and morally entitled to.”

The union is now asking affected members to complete an Equal Pay case form detailing their job roles, grades, and employment history. This information will allow UNISON to assess each claim and proceed with legal and procedural steps, including lodging a collective grievance and initiating early conciliation.

Barnet UNISON is also reminding staff of the strict six-month legal time limit for making an Equal Pay claim. Anyone who has recently left the Council or changed roles is urged to act quickly.

UNISON has led the fight for Equal Pay in local government for over a decade, winning millions in compensation for underpaid workers. The union will continue to engage in constructive dialogue with Barnet Council while preparing to take legal action where necessary."

It really is appalling that now, of all times, such inequality is happening in Barnet, especially with a Labour Council. Now we all know there is no magic money tree and with cash tight at Barnet Council, it is hard to sort these sort of matters out. However, not only is it morally wrong to pay discriminatory pay rates, it is against the law. Any legal action will cost taxpayers money, and I for one, resent my hard earned cash being spent to defend the indefensible.

I sincerely hope that Barry Rawlings now picks up the phone to Unison branch secretary John Burgess, who is decent man and an excellent Union Rep and gets him around a table to resolve this. The people who are suffering as a result are amongst the lowest paid employees on the Borough payroll and if Barry really is a Labour politicians, he should start acting like it and sort this out. If you see Barry out and about, please ask him if he still believes what he told me on the night he was elected. 

Guest Blog - From the Our North Finchley Campaign - Our North Finchley Campaign Launch

 

Our North Finchley: Launch Event! Wednesday 30th July 2025 at 7pm St Alban’s Church Hall, Nether Street (Entrance to the hall is to the left of the church) We are holding the official launch of OUR NORTH FINCHLEY next Wednesday! + Find out more about the campaign + Collect leaflets to deliver in your area + Meet others taking action locally Whether you can help a little or a lot, we would love to see you there! Let’s stand up for our town together!

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Jock McDonald RIP - A true punk legend and good mate of The False Dots

22nd June 2024 flyer

Devastated to hear the tragic news that one of our great mates, Jock McDonald of punk legends, The Bollock Brothers has passed away. The False Dots played with the Jock and the Bollock Brothers many times over the years, at such Camden haunts as The Dublin Castle and The Purple Turtle, as well as other venues around town, most recently on the 22nd June last year at the Charly Records 50th anniversary party at the Dublin Castle.

The band, especially our drummer Rambo were involved in all manner of rock and roll shenanigans, going back to the 1980's with Jock. Life was never boring with Jock around!

Anyone who knew Jock will know he was a larger than life character, who embraced the punk ethic and chaos. He was also a great front man and someone who made things happen.

We'll not see the likes of Jock again.

www.donegaldaily.com/2025/07/27/shock-and-sadness-at-tragic-death-of-punk-legend-jock-mcdonald/