On this day

50 years ago today, in Chichester, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were sentenced to jail for drug offences. Both sentences were subsequently quashed, and the Times ran a leader quoting Alexander Pope “Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?”

The Birdcage, in terminal decline, was closed all week and weekend, although the first Solent boat cruise was launched with the Talismen.

Sgt Pepper went to number one in the album charts and the Incredible String Band released their album 5,000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion

(Sunday) The Monkees played Wembley’s Empire Pool to 10,000 fans and wore black armbands for the two imprisoned Stones. Pete Murray was MC and Lulu played support

Autumn of Love (to buy)

In Portsmouth, it is available at £9.95 from three locations

The Guildhall Reception (all sales there go straight to their projects)

Blackwells University Bookshop

Pie & Vinyl in Castle Road (from later today*)

*PS Probably go to Pie & Vinyl tomorrow (Thursday). I’m ready to walk down with them but it won’t stop raining …

There is now a website where you can buy it (with p&p) at a discounted price:

http://www.moyhill.com/aol/

Finally, any day now it will be available on Amazon – the hold up is with the distributor.

 

So maybe after all these years

I’m really just a pop/funk/disco fan

I’ve dipped in and out of Glastonbury on the TV this weekend and I have two thoughts

The sun shone for much of the time. I’ve been to two Glastonburys and never saw the sun

Among the new acts, I rather liked Rag & Bone Man, while Shaggy was lively, but of the other acts I saw, my favourites were (in this order I think) Nile Rodgers & Chic, the Jacksons and Barry Gibb (nice band).

By contrast, I don’t really get Radiohead (yawn), the Killers were noisy and the Foo Fighters epitomised most of what I hate about ROCK.

Did you watch anything?

Mistakes?

I’ve made a few

And so I guess, I’d better mention

I’ve yet to publish anything without a goof somewhere. I read, and re-read Autumn of Love more than anything previously, but there are still bits and pieces emerging:

I guess I can be forgiven for my remarks about Pompey no longer electing Labour MPs – who’d have guessed it? (Not the MP)

In the Acknowledgements, I mention Andrew Sclanders’ treasure trove at Beat Books but in the website list I call it Better Books for some reason. No idea why, but it’s wrong. Beat Books it is

Ron tells me I’m still getting the Keyhole coffee bar in Osborne Road wrong, for which my apologies (I’m too young to remember you see)

(234) Numbers in brackets indicate page number references from my research (I was asked). I tried to eliminate the old way of writing, adding p for page/pp for pages (p 234) or (pp 234-5) but missed a couple

About a third of the print run of 300 have gone already, but I’m not anticipating a reprint. If there is, I’ll correct those things. If not, I’m happy to apologise and publish corrections here, so let me know if you spot any more.

Thanks

Next?

Phil Freeman rightly praises Nigel’s documentary (below) and then asks “Next?”

I don’t know whether Nigel has further plans beyond making his film available – if and when that happens, I’ll hope to post info here and on the Pompey Pop Facebook site

I have been chatting to Mick about a project he’s thinking of pursuing. If that happens, I’ll help and I’ll let you know. For myself, there are two further ‘Summer of Love’ projects to see through this year. The first is an exhibition I’m preparing for the University’s space on the first floor of the Guildhall (Freda Swain Business Lounge), from mid-September.

The second is that we are hoping to put back together Pompey’s original, regular lightshow from the late 1960s (Martin & Geoff) with a young psychedelic band (the Melt Dunes), some poets and young musicians etc. on a late Autumn afternoon in the Harlequin, preceding a John Mayall gig that evening. There are some technical challenges with the lightshow project but I’ll confirm it, if everything is sorted.

Other than that, I’m pretty content to lead a quieter life for a bit – I’ve certainly used up most of my words for now, although I’m always happy to sing some!

Gigs

My Scarlet Three of Tuesday expands to the Scarlet Four tomorrow afternoon at 5pm as part of a weekend of festivities at the Rose in June (between the old Prison and Copnor Bridge) – with some Tim Buckley again!

Then on Sunday afternoon, Tuxedo Junction are appearing at Restaurant/Bar 69, Palmerston Road from 2pm – 5pm.

Autumn of Love

The book launch on Tuesday went very well, so thanks for that. The book is mostly but not exclusively about popular music (in Pompey) – it’s also more broadly about the political, cultural, social, spiritual counterculture.

It now retails at £9.95 and can be found currently in Blackwells University Bookshop, & the Guildhall Reception. I’m trying to place it elsewhere, and it will be available online very soon.

Any profits will go to music projects at Portsmouth’s Cultural Trust in the Guildhall.

Picture Post

MRA, my marketing manager, and a pile of books that went down nicely during the day (60+ sold – thanks)

So how was Monterey Bruce?

The Scarlet Three ‘Goin’ Back’

Bruce performing with his lovely assistant …

More too, from Dave Mussell (thanks Dave) who posted:

https://www.facebook.com/david.mussell/media_set?set=a.10212457193678600.1073741857.1044526712&type=3

 

Yesterday

Some of us went out to Play

I had a delightful day, from Skiffle at midday through to the various activities in the evening. If you came, many thanks. I hope you had fun too.

Flower Power

Taken just five minutes ago, sitting in an English Garden (created by Mr Resident Astrologer) … Bruce Barthol catches up on all the news he needs, Spider Man checks his texts and eats some crisps. Next up, an Indian takeaway and tomorrow lots of music