West Nile Records: Guestbook
Mike
November 18, 2008
Ha!!! She texted me to say that she'd been speaking to youand was most chuffed that the band had invited her tojoin them for a drink in the Merchant City - she saidshe felt like a proper groupie! All this while herdaughter was in on Friday night watching Children inNeed! There's something wrong somewhere....! Thanks for playing it - she really was chuffed!Manders x --- MJ Barry wrote: > > > > Well it finally happend > Rock n roll revolutionaries (the true tale of Eddie> Cochran treading on Amandas mums shoes) was> performed at Barrowlands 2 in front of the rock n> roll lady herself.> > A great time was had by all > > Mike Barry> > mystified as to what on earth Im on about go to-> www.myspace.com/catcherglasgowindieband and listen> to the track yourselves.>
mike
July 28, 2008
JOE STRUMMER TRIBUTE NIGHT - Glasgow, King Tuts (22/12/06)
The 4th annual tribute night in aid of Strummerville, Joes charity foundation, kicked of with the Cool Jerks from Central Scotland (mainly Falkirk), playing it for the 3rd year in a row, opening the show saying this is how Joe started and ripped into the 101'ers Letsagetabitarockin, followed by an excellent working of Jimmy Jazz, Stay Free and finished by saying this is how it finished for Joe with Coma Girl from Joe & the Mescaleros. The Cool Jerks deserve credit for being the only band to attempt anything from the 101'ers & the Mescaleros and an early slot helped them as they got time for 4 numbers! They were well received and set the tone for what was to follow!
Next up were Dead City Riots (formerly Freeview), who had also played the tribute night previously, and blasted through their set including, appropriately enough White Riot & Career opportunities! The sell out crowd was fast filling the venue up and getting into the Clash vibe! DCR are mainly from Glasgow and have been getting a bit of local airplay on XFM and good live reviews and are worth checking out!
A word about the venue, for reasons that will become clear further on, King Tuts is a small, low ceilinged, initimate venue in Glasgow city centre, and is regularly voted venue of the year in various polls and was where Creation saw & signed Oasis. It doesnt feature as a main punk venue although I have seen the Dead Kennedys, Spear of Destiny & the Alarm, DMW in there, it caters more for indie and up and coming bands but not mainstream radio friendly stuff as such. The venue certainly helped the mood and vibe of the tribute night and the backing music of the Dead Kennedys certainly helped keep the good nostalgia vibe going!
The bands followed thick & fast with 10-15 minute sets including Glasgow legends The Zips who played a storming set. Also a band called Catcher, who were good, and paused to allow a woman called Lucy on stage to read out a letter from Topper who had also spoken to Joes wife, thanking us for our support of Strummerville and to say that like us, they cannot get Joe out of their heads and hearts. A poignant message. The show cranked on with bands called Sucioperro, Nibushi Shang Hong & the 10.1'ers! All doing quality covers of various Clash footstomping classics!
Next up were a band that played last year, Glasvegas, who are heavily touted up here as being a 'next big thing'. The singer looks similar in some ways to Joe! I saw them last year and they played one of the best interpretations of Bank Robber that I have heard, similar to Hawskley Workman on Uncuts cd tribute to the Clash. However, this year they only played two songs, Guns of Brixton & Brand new cadillac, which were good, but I expected more from them.
Next up were last years headliners, the Counterfeit Clash, who also put on a good show and I reckon one of the better Clash tribute bands on the circuit. By now Clash tunes had been banging out for a couple of hours, the beer flowing and the Kennedys on in the background to keep the mood 'excitable'! The Counterfeits played a good few numbers but had warn to crowd to calm down a couple of times!
The last band on were Combat Rock, who had the headline slot. They are a 4 piece tribute band from Glasgow who have been around for several years but various line up changes and work committments have limited their gigs over the years, to the extent tonight they were fronted by the lead singer from Rebel Truce, who also stood in at the recent 30th Anniversary of Punk gig Glasgow Carling.
As I said the mood had become excitable or euphoric or call it what you like but what happened next, I have not seen at a gig for many many years. The plug was pulled by the venues management and the band taken off stage! Why I hear you ask? The band struck up a few songs and beer got thrown at the stage and light rig and the bouncers waded in to root out the culprits, but the guys took exception to being chucked out and fought back! So the band got taken off to much booing and whistling. They came back on and said that the had been told to say that if we didnt calm down, that would be it and the gig over. And sure enough the fighting continued and the band got hauled off! Gig over! I was unsure what to make of this. Who was right, the management or the punters? Anyone who was fortunate enough to see the Clash knows that trouble happened. I didnt see them but saw Joe when he kicked off solo after the split and anyone who has been to a gig at the barras will know how boisterous things can get and this wasnt anywhere near being like that. Anyone who has not seen The Clash or Joe but has seen Rude Boy will have seen that fighting with bouncers and trouble at Clash gigs in Glasgow goes hand in hand! And having just read Joes biography it is clear that he loved the chaos. But is this how we want to remember him? I'm not condoning what happened but I would take exception at about to being launched down a set of stairs by some bouncer, but it was a tribute and ultimately a charity night, so lets leave the fighting at home and enjoy and remember the music and the man. Hopefully it will be same time, same place next year for the 5th anniversary.
Punks Not Dead!
Reviewed by Ally From Punk and Oi Webscene
Mike
July 24, 2008
True Stories from Glasgow
This is a true story which just gets better.You will recall in my old flat in Catford we had a visitation from a Black Rat (Rattus rattus) in the middle of the night.
So in glasgow Im in the cupboard under the stairs and I notice my golf bag has been chewed open and golf balls have been half eaten.
around comes the Environmental Health and lays traps and poison for youve guessed it a rat/rats.
A couple of days later the poisin has been taken and the trap sprung
no rat though.
On saturday Im loading tracks onto my Hard disc Drive and decide to blast out Down in the Sewer by the Stranglers
fast forward to sunday and Im chasing my son Christy who has scarpered out of the kitchen door when who should walk boldly onto the decking but a rat.
Ok for all you tree huggers and animal lovers out there I fetched my baseball bat and smashed its brains out (they do carry disease you know)
One dead Brown rat.(Rattus Norvegicus)
I phoned the enviromental health and lo and behold the guy from the environmental health who turns up is about my age and a massive Stranglers fan.He even knows Baz Warne the current guitarist/singer
Turns out that he saw me support Hugh Cornwell last year too.He tells me he used to wear a Stranglers rattus T shirt until Glasgow city Council decided to enforce their Dress code.(Boo hiss) Hes going to watch several dates on the forthcoming tour.
he also tells me that rats have rights as to what poison you are allowed to use to kill them.
Er I guess that a baseball bat infringes on its civil rights but I have 2 kids and Rats aint allowed in my house
Mike Barry
True Stories From Glasgow Volume 1
mike
May 10, 2008
Ok Borders Books CATCHER instore gig 7pm friday 13th june 2008
get there early.
mike
March 17, 2008
and now west nile reaches Quebec
Cmon guys whats next China India Peru Catford email those relatives
Mike
February 1, 2008
Quite big in Japan!
Copies of Catchers new album Bi polar bear disorder reach the Apple Crumble record store in Tokyo
next stop the rest of the world!
Mike
December 19, 2007
The Strummer gig at Tuts is now sold out apologies to all who didnt get tickets.come to the gig on the 9th Janaury instead!
Mike
November 13, 2007
Sound of Leamington Spa now available featuring the Easter and the totem Track Acid Reign.
Catcher video Different city is now finally on the myspacewebsite
www.myspace.com/catcherglasgowindieband.
Mike
November 8, 2007
3000 plays on my space
Thanks to all who visited the Catcher site so far.
www.myspace.com/catcherglasgowindieband.
Dont forget the Easter and the totem site featuring a video of the South Bank Shanty Town
www.myspace.com/easterandthetotem25
Mike
October 17, 2007
Coming soon T shirts
Featuring the legendary Catcher logo or the new album cover
you choose
Mike
September 29, 2007
Acid Reign versus Acid Rain
What should pop through my letter box this morning but an ep called
Acid Rain by 32 Miles to Breakfast
West Nile fans will know that the Easter and the Totem 80s cult classic
Acid Reign is being reissued on cult 80s classic retro series
The Sound of Leamington spa in October 2007.
Knowing that the band 32 Miles to Breakfast are only 17 with a 15 year old drummer I have to say that they show great potential and the songs are nothing like each other.I can only wish them well.
Check out their site on the friends section of our site.
PS Given that Kate nash nicked the tune to Acid Regin and the recent theft of the Catcher song Different City by Dundee band The View.
I am starting up a new site entitled how I invented modern music!!
Obviously im joking
Mike Barry
West Nile Records
www.westnilerecords.com
Mike
September 25, 2007
Easter and the Totem classic reissued
Acid Reign will appear of the next volume of the cult 80s retro release The Sound of Leamington Spa
Mike
September 4, 2007
Mike Barry lead singer with Catcher will play a 30 minute acoustic set this Friday 7th September 7.45-8.15 at the ABC Glasgow supporting Hugh Cornwell
Mike
June 30, 2007
Oh and forgot to say Fopps administators you owe West Nile some stock and some cash!!!
Mike
June 30, 2007
Well here we are at the cross roads folks.
Was Alan Magee right after all that the Cd is dead?
Speaking as an old timer I need more in terms of a product than an mp3.
Would love to see vinyl make a come back but I guess the postman (if you can find one after their management have laid them all off and shut all the post offices) will charge you a fortune to get it to your house.
I Feel bad about the Tesco/woolworths version of the record store.Takes me back to the "is it in the charts?" dumb assistant days of punk.
But I guess they are really putting the heat on the specialist independent stores.Music Zone /Fopp even HMV have felt the heat.
The indie scene has always suffered from the likes of NME ,BBC Radio refusing to review new non major label records/cds. Guess theres no free lunch in that eh boys?.Unsigned ,new band ?these are all tags to throw you out of the way until the next U2 release steamrollers around.
Do you think that the current music charts is not subject to massive marketing and hype? Think again.
This is a good way to strangle innovation at birth.
My advice is dont listen to the corporations,play your music, record your songs and enjoy it all along the way.They have the money but you have the music.
Good luck and good night
Mike Barry
West Nile
June 2007
Mike
June 13, 2007
Some Sad News
Kevin Tweedy ( Easter and the Totems
keyboard player)has recently suffered the bereavement of his son William aged 14 years.Our heartfelt sympathies go out to Kevin, Lorraine and all his family.
Donations can be made to the Liver Unit Ward 8 Birmingham Childrens hospital (UK)
Mike
June 9, 2007
Send for the Lawyers again!!
Thanks to Kevin Tweedy for spotting that the New Kate Nash Single has nicked the riff from Acid reign by Easter and the Totem this is getting beyond a joke.Ps shes 19 anyone in the Totes fan club want to own up to a daughter or has played the song around her mum and dads house!
coco
June 5, 2007
Congratulations Mike, all the best to all four of all. Miss playing good stuff love the new stuff. Hi to the other lads, more power to yooz!!! Coco
Andrew Barry
May 19, 2007
Congrats all around Mike!
I saw the pics of Christy at Mom's house tonight. He's good lookin' lad. Give Debbie our best to a speedy recovery and hats off to all the hard work.
You will be happy to know that I received all of your records a couple of days ago from 'cd baby',....awesome music. A few of my friends have heard you guys now and very impressed. Is there ever going to be a Canadian tour?
All the best from Andrew, Cathy and Caitlynd
PS I've got the beer out right now, cheers!
Mike
May 18, 2007
Born Tuesday 15th May my beautiful son
Christy Stephen Barry
Mum and baby doing well.
Get the guitars and beers out to celebrate.
Mike
May 13, 2007
Catcher international
The New album has reached.
Australia,Brazil,USA ,Canada,Ireland,England,Albania. Keep those countries coming!
John Wilson
April 10, 2007
Hello Mr Barry.... remember me? Been here in Torquay 12 long years... Nice to see your still playing. A man with talent and i always knew it. Did you keep in touch with big Alex? I occasionally get to Glasgow but never get the the chance to come and look for you. Hope your doing well and wish you loads of luck... Keep writing and love the stuff on the links on myspace etc.
Michael MacLennan
March 19, 2007
Hey there, haven't been able to listen to the album yet but thought it'd be rude to visit the website and not leave a comment! Hope the PR campaign is going well,
xxx Michael
Bruce
February 15, 2007
Looking forward to the new Catcher album. 'West Nile Virus' was one of my faves of 2005, so I can't believe the new one will top that, but I'm hoping to be pleasantly surprised! Keep up the good work.