I don’t know about you but every time I put on new shoes and new sneakers I get awful blisters on the back of my heel and its utter agony. Well here is a quick down and dirty easy way to break in new sneakers easily and avoiding blisters and pain:
As soon as you buy a new pair of sneakers immediately put them in a washing machine with just a pinch of detergent and nothing else in the washing machine and set the machine to “Delicate”. If you bought several pairs of new sneakers you can put them in as well. Once your wash cycle is finished do not put the sneakers in the dryer but instead just leave them to dry by themselves for several days in your home - I’d recommend 3 or 4 days. Then put them on your feet and they should feel totally comfortable and you shouldn’t be getting any blisters on the back of your heel and/or feeling any more pain. Just make sure they’re the right size to begin with! Please check out our large Online Discount Gift Store Click Here and our other Online Discount Stores below which helps support this politically incorrect blog. Thank you.
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I walked into my local Radio Shack looking for a Wireless USB for my desktop and I stopped in my tracks as I saw true beauty before me and immediately fell in love with an Auvio 3.5″ Portable Digital TV whose perfect TV picture was playing. I was shocked to be quite honest. I never saw a TV picture look so good on a hand held TV before. I immediately thought this must be one of those deals where you need to pay a company $20-40 a month to get cable channels and reception. I was even more shocked to find out it wasn’t. There were no monthly charges and the Auvio 3.5″ TV was only $80 on sale! I was shocked again and I immediately bought it.
Honestly, the only reason I bought it was in case of an emergency- a power black out, nuclear attack, earthquake, Tsunami and other disasters of that ilk and I wanted to have some way about keeping informed about what was happened, assuming I and the rest of the world was still alive! I want to survive and portable digital TV I consider a must for Survival! I definitely recommend the Auvio 3.5″ TV to anyone who wants to have a portable digital TV for emergencies.
Here are the the technical specs:
Dimensions
Product Height 2.84 inches
Product Width 1.34 inches
Product Depth 4.85 inches
Product Weight 0.35 pounds
General Features
Model 16-972
Product Type Portable TVs
Miscellaneous Features
Supported Languages English
Power Features
Power Device Uses AC or 4 “AA” batteries (Not included)
Battery Features
Size AA
Display Features
Type LCD
DVD Features
DVD Type LCD
Television Features
TV Diagonal Size 3.5 inches
TV Resolution 320×240
Image Aspect Ratio 4:3
TV Image Contrast Ratio 400:1
Brightness 250 cd/m2
TV Tuner Features
Reception System NTSC/ATSC
The TV itself takes about 1 minute to figure out how to use- you don’t need to be a rocket scientist and it takes 4 AA batteries. It will also work with a power adapter but doesn’t come with one. It lasts about 2-3 hours on batteries and is perfect for my purposes. If there ever was a power black out, I can use this to watch my TV show but I’m basically just keeping it on hand in case of a major emergency which I hope doesn’t happen.
The picture, sound and reception were great on the Auvio 3.5″ digital TV- I was astonished as I said how good TV reception was for only $80. The only criticism I have is that it does not come with a little bag or protector to put it in and I wound up buying a small GPS case in which it fit perfectly. I recommend the Auvio 3.5″ digital TV to everyone who needs a portable TV for emergencies. Please check out our large Online Discount Gift Store Click Here and our other Online Discount Stores below which helps support this politically incorrect blog. Thank you.
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“The Dating Game” TV Series hosted by Jim Lange is a great blast from the past and amongst those playing the dating game were Michael Jackson, yes that Michael Jackson and no I’m not going to make any cheap jokes- that’s too easy, a Serial Killer, Rodney Alcala who did some of his alleged Serial Killings before he showed up on the Dating Game- he actually won!, The Terminator Himself, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in his pot smoking days and American’s version of Paul McCartney Emitt Rhodes and his group The Merry Go Round who made some excellent records. Interesting enough, Bachelor Number 2 on the Serial Killer’s dating game show was actor Jed Mills who was on Seinfeld. It’s a small world! Here without further adieu is “The Dating Game” featuring the Famous and the Infamous.
Michael Jackson “Dating Game”
Convicted Murderer and Alleged Serial Killer Rodney Alcala. I heard he could be ABC’s Next Bachelor. Here’s Rodney
The Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger from his Pot Smoking days
The great American Paul McCartney, Emmit Rhodes and the Merry Go Round
Well I hope you enjoyed these blasts from the past. I’m surprised there haven’t been any “Dating Game” DVD releases. I wonder what happened to the (alleged) Serial Killer Rodney Alcala’s date? Please check out our large Online Discount Gift Store Click Here and our other Online Discount Stores below which helps support this politically incorrect blog. Thank you.
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While I love watching “The Office” on NBC other than Jim and Pam who I wish were killed off for aren’t we so cute blandness, I wouldn’t want to deal with the people from “The Office” in a real life situation. Having said that, I just did with a company that is 100 times more idiotic in my opinion, the Acer Computer Company. I’d like to share my Acer Customer Service Experience here to tell you what a bunch of “schmucks” they are in my opinion.
I bought a brand new Acer laptop for about $700 a week ago. The laptop worked great except the auto run function wouldn’t work (the function where as soon as you put in a CD or DVD in a Drive it plays) and I had some problems with the Blu-ray player. So I called up Acer’s customer service and 3 times I got a bunch of slow not very sharp, cheap contracted out computer tech’s from India who didn’t quite grasp the concept of Windows 7. The first 2 were so pathetic I wound up hanging up on them as I couldn’t take it. The last one was a nice woman who stated that this was a technical problem that I needed to take to Second Level and she gave me their number. She didn’t tell me that the second level charges $59.95 per half hour and the fact that I had just bought a new sealed Acer Laptop from one of their retail sellers didn’t matter. It was my tough luck, Acer’s Warranty only covers hardware not software. I was then told that the Acer technical Help is not equipped to handle software issues which they didn’t tell me after wasting 40 minutes of my time but they just do hardware problems.
The first person I was connected to at the $59.95 Acer RipOff in the USA, I could hardly hear on the phone and she refused to pick up another phone, call me back or make an allowance on the time I couldn’t hear her and I asked for a supervisor and she then said I’d be charged for the time it took for a supervisor to come to the phone and then talk to me. I said “Screw You” and hung up and then called again and someone wound up speaking to me for another 55 minutes for which he couldn’t solve a basic software problem and instead of just telling me in the first 10 minutes that I’d be better off just saving my money and rebooting the laptop to the original settings did not do so till the end. I intend to go to my bank and dispute the charges.
The laptop itself, whose problems were fixed by the reinstall, is excellent but Acer can go to hell! Am I the one who is being unreasonable? Please check out our large Online Discount Gift Store Click Here and our other Online Discount Stores below which helps support this politically incorrect blog. Thank you.
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As I just got a new laptop and plan to sell my old laptop, I thought I’d blog some advice for people who plan to sell their used computer in the future, especially for people who aren’t that computer savvy. The term computer will encompass computers and laptops for this blog.
When You Shouldn’t Sell Your Used Computer
Before I proceed, there are times when you shouldn’t sell your computer, at least right away. As a general rule you should own 2 working computers. This way if there is trouble with one of them you can always use the second as back-up. Also you can put your second computer in another room. If you are replacing your only computer with another one, rather than sell it, I would keep it as a spare computer.
You shouldn’t sell your old computer until you are 100% certain that you’ve transferred all your important programs, files and applications to the new computer.
Selling a Used Computer Best Advice
Assuming you are definitely selling your computer, the first thing you need to do is to remove all your private files and records from the computer including credit card and other personal information. You can do it yourself if you know what you’re doing or pay some computer place $35 - $50 to remove all this stuff. So if you have to pay someone just make sure its worth your while as you don’t want to sell a working computer and net $30. If that happens your better off donating it to charity and making more as a tax deduction or just keeping the computer or giving it to a friend or family.
Ideally the best thing to do if you can is just to restore the computer to its original default settings and programs. You might think that leaving some extra programs on the computer will be a better selling point though to distinguish your computer from others being sold. The same thing with extra memory and other extra hardware and software or you may just decide to take out the extra hardware and sell that hardware separately. You definitely need to remove all Adware, Spyware and Viruses from the computer. Again if you don’t know how to remove all this stuff you’re better off just letting a computer repair place just do it for $35-50 total for everything provided its worth your while.
Where to Sell it and How Much
Ideally the easiest and best way to get rid of a computer and pocket some cash is just to sell it to a family member or a friend. If you do, I would sell it at least $25 cheaper than you would online. Otherwise, I recommend you sell it on Ebay or Amazon and try to avoid Craigslist as you don’t want these people to have access to your home number and/or address or meet them in person. More trouble than its worth.
For asking price, I would see what the general going rate was for the same computer in a completed Ebay auction and then factor in your computers conditios and extras if applicable. If your computer isn’t listed in a completed Ebay auction, I would use the pricing of a similar type computer as a guide.
If you really want to get rid of the computer quick and it already has sold on Ebay, just take the lowest price it sold for on Ebay and make yours $25 less as a Buy it Now Auction! Something is better than nothing.
If your computer had damage, missing parts and/or is in less than decent working condition, you may be better off just selling the serviceable parts and see what they are going for. Alternatively, just give it to charity if you itemize your tax returns and claim a reasonable tax deduction or just give it to a friend or family member as a gift for which they’d be grateful.
Well I hope I’ve give you a good rough idea about what is involved with selling a computer and good luck with whatever you’ve decided to do. Please check out our large Online Discount Gift Store Click Here and our other Online Discount Stores below which helps support this politically incorrect blog. Thank you.
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The one thing I absolutely hate when I get a new computer is reinstalling all my applications, programs files and settings which takes forever and that’s when I can find the original (downloaded) software! Well I just brought a brand new laptop as I decided to go from XP to Windows 7 and I found one software product online that enabled me to transfer my many, and I mean many, programs, files (including all my music downloads) and applications in one felt swoop and it took me less than 90 minutes total and everything is working great. Best of all, the original programs, files, applications and settings on the Source Computer just stayed as they were so everything is duplicated on the new computer while remaining in the source computer! This fantastic PC to PC program transfer software is called PCmover Professional and I wish I carried it in my New and Used Discount Software Online Store featuring 2009 Tax Software but I can’t get it from my distributor unfortunately but you can find it online direct from the manufacturer, Laplink Software and that’s a free unsolicited endorsement with no financial remuneration or benefits to me other than doing my good deed of the year. It cost me with a discount coupon about $45 to download the software online.
My Experience Transferring All My Computer Programs, Applications and Files Using PCmover Professional from my XP Laptop to my New Windows 7 Laptop in 90 minutes and Some Advice PCMover Doesn’t Tell You
It was super easy and super fast to transfer all my programs, applications and Files using PC Mover Professional. Please note, this blog reflects my experience only with the Professional version and may not reflect the more inexpensive versions transferring computer programs. A few Secret Tips: You should copy the serial number of PC Mover and have it on hand because you have to re-input it on the original computer when you use the software. The Software is only good to use between two specific computers- it won’t work if you want to transfer to a third one or more unless you pay for a lower priced upgrade for more than 2 computers. Despite what Laplink seems to imply, I was able to transfer the files using a cheap Cat 6 Generic Ethernet cable. I didn’t need to use a Laplink Ethernet Cable. You can use a USB 2.0 Cable as well but the only ones I had on hand were the USB cables that you attach to a printer or MP3 player and those wouldn’t work because the outputs were different on both sides. You have to be able to attach the USB cable to both computers. So the bottom line is, any old Ethernet Cable should work based on my experience or at least a Cat 6 Ethernet Cable. Lastly you need to have Cleanup Registry Correction Software which you can get anywhere cheaply. This is because when you transfer your programs, applications and files to your new computer, the registry will change. So the bottom line is after you made your PC to PC file transfer, run your registry software to correct all registry errors.
How it Works- How To Transfer Files from One Computer to Another
You need to download the PCmover Professional Software into both your new and old software and follow the applicable Simple Easy steps for both. The PC Software identifies everything you can move and you have the option of not transferring things. For example, I did not transfer my Toshiba Manual or any other Toshiba related software because my new laptop was an Acer. So I unchecked the Toshiba items. It then basically took just 90 minutes to transfer everything. I can’t guarantee it will only take you 90 minutes, I saw one demonstration on You Tube for which it took about 4 1/2 hours which is still fantastic time. Everything that was transferred to my new computer worked perfectly. I didn’t have to setup or reinstall anything. All my Word files were transferred, my music files, all my programs, all my applications, basically everything. While PCmover doesn’t guarantee that everything will transfer 100%, I’d say 98% of all my stuff did! Once everything is transferred to the new computer you definitely need to use your Registry CleanUp type software and then you’re in business! Now the only thing I need to know now is how to master Windows 7! Please check out our large Online Discount Gift Store Click Here and our other Online Discount Stores below which helps support this politically incorrect blog. Thank you.
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Kathy Griffin “Lesbian Killer on the Loose” Law and Order SVU episode last night was the greatest SVU ever if you’re a straight male but I’m lesbians may have found the episode offensive to them. I almost expected to hear Thin Lizzy “Jailbreak” blast away when Kathy Griffin spoke her classic “There’s a lesbian killer on the Loose” line or something like that. Tonights Kathy Griffin Law and Order SVU was like a one hour Saturday Night Live sketch starting with Kathy Griffin’s character’s name, Babs Duffy.
This episode had everything: Stabler getting punched out by a tough Lesbian, Kathy Griffin insulting Elliot Stabler’s (Christopher Meloni) ass, Kathy Griffin making a pass at Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay), Kathy Griffin going ballistic on any male in the New York Police Department, Kathy Girffin’s SPOILER Babs Duffy coming out of the closet to reveal she’s bisexual, Vampire sex and so much more.
Kathy Griffin deserves an Oscar for her Law and Order SVU performance even though they don’t give Oscars for TV shows. They ought to give Cathy Griffin’s Babs Duffy her own TV Show. Awesome!
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In case no one has figured it out yet, The Smoke Monster can’t swim! Seriously if they want to get rid of the scary monster for good all the Others have to do is trick him into entering a Rocket Ship and then send it off to Mars! Those are more answers then have been revealed on this awful Final Season of Lost. Spoiler: Look for the Peach Pit after Dark to make a surprise appearance! Extra Spoiler: It’s going to be revealed that Since you last saw Andrea Zuckerman on Beverley Hills 90210 she had a sex change and she wound up in the temple of Lost as the “Number 2 Man”. Here’s proof:
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Here’s one I’ve never understood. Why haven’t the members of Brinsley Schwarz who are all alive gotten together for a bunch of reunion concerts? They’d draw a good crowd, certainly much better than their heyday as Nick Lowe and Ian Gomm both had considerable success as solo artists. It’s a no brainer yet for reasons apparently known to themselves a Brinsley Schwarz reunion tour hasn’t happened and at this rate probably never will. Almost as bad is there are hardly any videos of Brinsley Schwarz performing anywhere. Brinsley Schwarz performed a 16 song concert for the German TV Show Rock Palast that was broadcast on March 6, 1973, but from what I read, the tapes of this show apparently were erased or lost. What I wouldn’t give for a DVD of this show. Here are the numbers Brinsley Schwarz performed for this TV broadcast:
01. Country Girl
02. Love Is Gone
03. Range War
04. Run Rudolf Run
05. What’s So Funny ’bout Peace,
Love And Understanding
06. We Can Mess Around
07. You Got To Be Cruel To Be Kind
08. Private Number
09. Run Out Of Tears For You
10. Surrender To The Rhythm
11. Please Don’t Ever Change
12. Don’t Lose your Grip on Love
13. Falling In Love Again
14. Instrumental
15. Walking The Dog
16. Save The Last Dance For Me
If anyone knows more of the existence of this video, please contact this blog. In the meantime, I found 4 videos online of Brinsley Schwarz including a track, “Love is Gone”, they never released but did back Carlene Carter on. “Love is Gone” apparently is from the Rockpalast March 6, 1975 broadcast. “Country Girl” is a pure sendup from some German TV Show. The last video, Indian Woman, takes about 10 seconds to start- that’s whoever posted it on YouTube’s fault not mine! Please check out our large Online Discount Gift Store Click Here and our other Online Discount Stores below which helps support this politically incorrect blog. Thank you. Enjoy Brinsley Schwarz Video from the 1970’s:
Bonus: Cruel to Be Kind Starring Rockpile (Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner and Terry Williams) with Carlene Carter - I Love This Video - Kill “The Real World” and “The Hills”. I Don’t Want my MTV!!
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This blog exclusive written primarily by David Clayton on the recent Mott the Hoople UK Reunion Concerts comes from the current February 2010 Issue 122 of The Free Appreciation Society magazine. It is edited from the full version of The Free Appreciation Society magazine which is available to buy individually or by Subscription. Details can be found at the bottom of this blog or at www.myspace.com/freeappreciationsociety You’ll also find details of how to order the excellent biography of Free ‘Heavy Load’ and also how to obtain T-shirts and other memorabilia. The Free Appreciation Society is one of the most respected of all the independent fanzines. Running since 1979 it has continued to review and support the careers of all the Free related artists with fair and balanced critique through its subscription based magazine. It is run and written by fans of the band for fans of the band and it deals with Paul Kossoff, Paul Rodgers, Andy Fraser & Simon Kirke throughout their different groupings in all eras. It also runs features and reviews on all the sisters and brothers of the Free unit. Back Street Crawler, Crawler, Bad Company, Sharks, The Law are all featured, as are the individuals that made up those bands and others, John Rabbit Bundrick, Terry Slesser, Snuffy Walden, et all. The magazines breadth and depth is its strength and it has also featured Cry Of Love, Gov’t Mule, Black Crowes and a variety of other acts that name Free as an influence. The magazine is a wealth of knowledge and information if you like this type of blues based Rock.
David Clayton is also an excellent Rock Guitarist and songwriter and his recording and performance with Rabbit Bundrick of The Who on the original “New in 3D Dot Com” can be heard on the promo 3D Video featuring a natural busty 3d Animated Hot Babe at the New in 3D Store (Click the Link!) which helps support this blog! I’ve added a few videos of the Mott the Hoople Reunion Concerts which I found on You Tube and assume that I can include on this Blog. You can find Mott the Hoople discount CDs including the 2009 Reunion Concerts CD Box Set, Videos and Other Mott the Hoople Items at our Discount Gift Store which helps support this blog. Just put in Mott the Hoople in the Gift Store Search Engine.
It has to be said that there are some bands that define our perception of certain record companies. Deep Purple and Pink Floyd are forever linked in my mind to the EMI ‘Harvest’ label. Black Sabbath and Status Quo to ‘Vertigo’, and it doesn’t matter who else they signed to later I always think back to those early 70s ‘File Under Progressive Rock’ (remember that?) labels. Island were the same, and when you mention the label most people ‘of a certain age’ will reel off Traffic, Free, Spooky Tooth, Nick Drake and possibly Jethro Tull too. What’s most interesting about this is that all of those bands could be said to have made their name with that label to be forever associated with it, but not so Mott The Hoople – who after no great success with Island in terms of chart positions and financial rewards went on to CBS and far greater heights. In reality however, and with hindsight, it’s the Island version of the band that people really loved. The original five piece. Success came at a price, and soon after they’d signed to CBS and ‘All The Young Dudes’ became a hit Mott lost Verden Allen, Hammond player extraordinaire and a big part of their sound, followed shortly by Mick Ralphs. The hits continued and the band made some more good records but even Ian Hunter agrees today, that when those guys left the soul of the band was destroyed. When Ian Hunter, on, I think, the final Hammersmith show of this reformation, turned to Verden Allen and told the audience that it was Verden who had actually set the seed for this resurrection of the original band, and then added something along the lines of ‘which is quite ironic as he was the first wanker to leave’ it was as much a prod in the chest with an accusing finger as it was a warm comment on the fact that they were all glad that he’d made the necessary moves to start the ball rolling. This was a reformation with few if any regrets after the event.
I have thought quite a lot recently of how the heroes from my record collection are now falling and how some of those bands are, in truth, gone forever. Pink Floyd could go out and play without Rick Wright, but it wouldn’t really be Pink Floyd would it? The same as it wasn’t when they continued without Roger on board, but at least he wasn’t dead! Alice Cooper continues to tour and record, but there’s no way that seminal band (for Alice Cooper was a band, not just one man) could go out without Glenn Buxton. Bad Company without Boz Burrell seems to give some people problems and Free without Paul Kossoff is just unimaginable to most fans. So I was really pleased to see Mott The Hoople sort themselves out and get back out there, if only for a short while (I’m not sure staying together would be such a good idea in the long term). It gives the fans a chance to hear the songs played by the original, guys, gives them a chance to say ‘thank you’, and possibly even ‘goodbye’ to musicians who sometimes forget how much music can affect and shape peoples lives and memories.
The following review of the Mott reunion consists of some of Bob Davis’ on-line blog of the shows (This section is not reproduced here. You’ll have to buy a copy of the magazine to read this), as Bob and I went together and he did a good job of rounding up the first few days and the events backstage at Hammersmith, then I’ve rounded out the events where I felt there were other things to say. When Pete Watts said, while we were chatting at Rockfield studios in Wales,’ “what if we’re crap” he was being both humorous but also quite sincere in the fact that he’d always been concerned the band couldn’t live up to the reputation that had built up over the 30 plus years they’d been away. He need not have worried, I think many of the audience would have paid to see them just walk on and then off the stage without playing a note! Such was the sheer feeling of joy every night when they came on the stage. It was a great few days and I know for everyone in that audience the years just peeled off and rolled back like flipping the pages of a well-read book. It was good feeling like that again, even for just a few days, and any cares of the world were left outside the venue while Mott The Hoople filled us up inside.
I remember when I spoke to Pete ‘Overend’ Watts in 1999 I mentioned that Mott should reform before one of them died and then they were all left to regret it, but the timing wasn’t right or the stars weren’t aligned or whatever and so nothing happened. They had talked about it but… I was always a fan of early Mott and Pete was my favourite. I mean, thigh length boots, a bass shaped like a Swallow and Rolls Royce silver hair along with that flamboyant dress sense… what wasn’t there to like! I last saw him at ‘The Skybird Club’ in Nottingham with British Lions (after the excellent AC/DC support dates) and then, rather like that club – he vanished. I’d never really met him, and I don’t think drunkenly yelling “Overend! I love you!” at the British Lions show really counts, even though he did laugh! When Todd and I chased the Mott guys for interviews for ‘Heavy Load’ in 1999 Ian Hunter refused and Mick Ralphs never returned my calls. Peter Purnell from Angel Air (who handles most of the Mott releases these days) told me it was unlikely Pete would speak to me, and that he hated taking about Mott The Hoople (“Don’t even go there!”) but as there was nothing to lose… I rang the number and left a simple and brief message asking if he’d like to talk about Free for my book, NOT Mott The Hoople. Pete doesn’t answer the phone anyway; you have to leave a message. I wasn’t too hopeful. I hung up and went to make a coffee and the phone rang almost immediately, and there he was. We then spent a couple of hours on the phone right then and followed up with a couple more long calls as well. We spoke about Free and we spoke about Mott, fishing, his old shop in Notting Hill, you name it. In fact we spoke quite a bit about Mott I recall. And I liked him a lot. Pete ‘Overend’ Watts is a genuinely nice guy. Since then I’ve had no contact with him but have enjoyed reading about his walking exploits in the excellent ‘Two Miles From Heaven’ Mott fanzine. He’s now pretty much walked the entire UK coastal road. Not bad for someone who actually doesn’t like walking! I never really thought I’d meet him being as he doesn’t play anymore. Pete hasn’t played in a band for over 30 years. This man definitely retired!
It was a complete surprise at the beginning of this year to read the ‘Original Mott The Hoople Reform’ headlines. My initial response to the announced shows was ‘F*****g hell!” actually. I’d only just read the news when there was a ‘ping’ in my email box with a message from Bob Davis, who determined to see all of them. Sounded like a plan to me. Many of you will remember Bob from his involvement with the much-missed Cry Of Love (he was their tour manager), he’s also about the biggest Mott The Hoople fan I know. Over the year we planned and schemed and the two shows sold out and became three, four, and then five. No problem. If they play five we go to five. Then they added the warm up in Monmouth - I was on the phone when the box office opened to sell them that day, and then they sneakily added another show before that. Almost missed that one but the very helpful Blake Theatre box office staff managed to get me a couple of returns. So, seven shows it was. Tickets for the Mott Reunion Concerts were generally between $60 and $80 depending on where the seats were with some more expensive ones. Bob was lucky too. His touring with Coldplay ended in London the week before so his annual visit here now coincided with his ultimate gig fantasy! Nice! You can read about the rehearsal and the Monmouth shows more fully in Bob’s blog (reprinted here for you). Once I heard they were rehearsing in Wales I knew that meant Rockfield Studios, and having never been that was an exciting day. Rockfield has a real history with Rock, and Budgie recorded one of my favourite albums right there (Squawk). I wasn’t expecting Pete to remember me at all, but I certainly wanted to shake his hand and say ‘thanks’. It was a surprise to meet (briefly) Mick (nice guy) and the iconic Ian Hunter, still looking good at 70 and nothing like talking to someone of his age (no disrespect meant there). Ian stood and chatted with us for an age and he told us how much he’d enjoyed the rehearsals. “Even if we never did the shows, this last few weeks has been great,” he enthused. He kindly invited us in and there was Pete and Verden, but no Dale ‘Buffin’ Griffin. Dale had been at some of the rehearsals but his ill health had meant Martin Chambers had been drafted in to help. No one at that point seemed sure if Buffin would play at all, which seemed so sad considering how long he’s been waiting for this. I introduced myself to Pete as I shook his hand for the first time, and he smiled from ear to ear when I told him who I was. That made my year! And off we went, chatting away. Great fun.
I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed ALL the shows but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The warm ups were definitely a good idea. At the first show Mick seemed to spend most of the gig looking at his shoes or the wall. And his lead playing was mostly poor – a great disappointment. Ian was counting out the bars for Verden so he knew when to come out of his organ solos (but he played great!) and the set was missing (I felt) some real important material, especially Thunderbuck Ram, which Ian had explained Mick couldn’t sing anymore – fair enough as it’s right ‘up there’. Perhaps they should have considered an instrumental medley opening with the bulk of Ram and going into things like Whisky Women and some of the other absent material. Still you can’t have it all and there was something for everyone in the set. The best bit however was watching Pete Watts step out onto the stage for the first show in Monmouth and immediately picking up his ‘Overend’ persona. That was just brilliant, and brought in tear to my eye, literally before they even played a note.
The London shows were a gas overall, and I was amazed to speak to people who had travelled from all over the world. Europe, America, Japan, Australia. It was amazing really. Here they improved things a bit and had some back projection but I wished someone would have had a word with the twat doing the lights as continually having them shining out directly at the audience was a pain in the ass every single night without exception. The lights should be on the band, not in the audiences’ eyes you tosser. That really pissed me off and wherever we sat it was the same, every single night. The first night was the only one recorded for the ‘Instant live’ release, and I thought that was a mistake – as was only filming the last night. The first night was better than Monmouth and the band looked better. Over the period Mick became far more animated – more than I’ve ever seen him in fact, and it was great to watch him enjoying himself. It was just a shame that he constantly blew the solos, and I couldn’t understand it. He was flat or sharp, in the wrong key (For Gods sake!) and fumbled most of them. It was like watching Kossoff on a bad night! Sometimes it was a real train wreck. His ‘tone’ wasn’t great either. Everyone we spoke to mentioned it, and while it didn’t ruin the gigs I’d expected more from a professional musician on a series of shows like this. But the biggest surprise was that some of his chord work was great. Sometimes his timing wasn’t too hot but every single night he brought a tear to my eye with his lovely ringing chords on the quiet sections of The Journey. That was fabulous every night, and on the heavier stuff like ‘Sucker’ and ‘The Moon Upstairs’ he really roared in the body of the song. Seems he needs to get some practise with a backing track and get those solos into some kind of shape though.
Out of all the shows the best was the Saturday (3rd). The mix was great from where we were, the band was at its tightest and Mick had his best night too. The Monday show (5th) was the worst for me, and that was when Mick really was poor. After that show Bob was all for sacking him (!) and a number of people mentioned that Ariel Bender (Luther Grosvenor, Mick’s original replacement) would have been better! Ouch! I was lucky enough to see all the shows but I think if I’d travelled from Japan and only got the chance to see one show and it had been Monday’s I’d have been a bit disappointed if not annoyed at Mick specifically. Ian Hunter was amazing for all the shows. I’ve never been a big fan of his solo stuff but he nailed it every night and what a great front man too. He’s still a cocky git and he’s a dry wit but I was on his side every night. Verden was great (even if Ian was still counting him out every night) and his Hammond playing was fantastic. He also clearly loved it all. He had the biggest smile of anyone on the stage, and it was apparently Venden who sparked this reformation in the first place. Overend, for it was never Pete once he was on the stage, was fantastic and I did spend a good deal of time watching him. He never missed a note and lurched around like it was 1972. He didn’t need the boots or the silver hair. It was great. The Swallow bass made an appearance every night, but having seen it at rehearsals there’s no way he could play it as the strings are half a mile off the fretboard (due to Overend breaking the head off in an irate moment with a safety curtain during a show somewhere long ago). The band was actually a joy to watch. They were all over the stage like teenagers, in front of the monitors and all.
In Wales at the warm up shows there had been something missing. Martin Chambers had done a good job, and got better every show, but without Buffin – and lets be honest here – we were watching Mott The Hoop. There was a piece missing, an important piece too. Over all these years it’s been Dale ‘Buffin’ Griffin that’s continued to push the Mott name. He has been involved in all those great compilations with all that unreleased material, and even written sleeve notes for the majority of the re-issues and releases. He’s the Mott historian and archive keeper and only when he took his seat on a second drum kit and joined in did this really become Mott The Hoople. Every night at Hammersmith when he joined for the encore the place went bananas. There could be no doubt that his health isn’t good, and he did look frail too – even though I think he’s actually the youngest of them – but when he got behind the kit FINALLY it WAS Mott The Hoople, right there at Hammersmith! There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and it was great. He didn’t play his best, and Martin really did well to hold it all together but having Buffin there meant everything to the fans, and to the band themselves.
It was funny watching the audience every night. The variety of people, many celebs just took their seats every night with the punters, and that included the charming Joe Elliott, who chatted with everyone, no ego, no problems – just another fan in the crowd. Lots of age differences too, generations apart. I enjoyed that. I’m not embarrassed to say that certain sections of the show brought tears to my eyes. Some of those songs were just a delight to hear, and I mean they really got the hairs on the back of my neck standing up like they’ve not done for a LONG time. I watched lots of people in the audience hugging their friends and wiping tears away from their eyes but my overwhelming vision is of the guy on the final night one row in front and to my left. As we all stood up as the Jupiter suite from Holst’s Planets blasted out the familiar Mott intro he had tears streaming down his cheeks. They hadn’t even come on yet! I guess he was in his sixties. He regained his composure briefly but then every time he tried to sing along the unbridled joy of it all was too much and he was in floods. It’s remarkable that a band can do that. If those guys ever needed any justification for doing these shows, then he was it. He was the happiest man in the world, right then, right there and nothing else mattered to him for those two hours. NOTHING. And I think that’s really something. That kinda sums up the whole thing. It was a joy guys, and thank you. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Sadly I didn’t get to tell Pete (or Ian or Mick) how much I’d enjoyed the shows. Pete only showed up backstage once and he was constantly surrounded by people, old friends and probably family too – so I didn’t want to interrupt. Ian and Mick I didn’t see at all after chatting to them at Rockfield. Martin came backstage most nights and was as friendly as could be, and it was also nice to see Buffin in the backstage bar, all smiles and chatting away to friends and fans.
From what I gather this isn’t the end, and it seems they may be planning a few more shows, and possibly some in America. And so they should. If you get the chance then make sure you go and see them. I had a great time and I’m sure you will too. These were without doubt the shows of the year as far as Bob Davis and I were concerned
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