Sex Pistols - “On TV - The TV Interviews Uncensored” DVD

Cool set of TV clips

So, you’d think after all this time that all the Sex Pistols TV appearances would’ve been released, officially or not. Maybe they have, but this 2+ hour collection performs reasonably well as a kind of historical document of the Pistols, from their inception to the reunions nearly 40 years later.

Far from being any kind of comprehensive set of Pistols TV spots (that would take a serious bootlegger years to assemble), “On TV” pairs some moldy oldie UK TV interviews and news bits (featuring Rotten, Jones, Matlock, Cook, Vicious, McLaren, Vivienne Westwood, and other punk icons like David Vanian and Pete Shelley) with plenty of live footage and brings it all together in chronological order, up to the 2006 reunions and beyond. 

As well, we get a wealth of always-entertaining interviews with Lydon, including some from the early Public Image years and newer ones that reveal that he has all of his trademark cunning insults and cynicism still firmly in place. Maybe there’s a little too much regarding McLaren himself, but as it stands, “On TV” still should please staunch Sex Pistols fans, and those interested in this band’s meteoric rise and fall, especially in relation to the fickle British media.

Cool release, and worth the dosh, ya git!

MVD Visual

Sex Pistols official site

Jah Wobble and Keith Levene - "Yin & Yang" CD

A reunion of alumni from classic-era Public Image Limited, "Yin & Yang" is a definite harkening back to those great days of dub-influenced post-punk. The title track features huge Wobbly bass and Levene's dissonant guitars -- all that's missing are vocals by Lydon and it's virtually classic PIL, which is quite nice to hear. Wobble's vocals are adequate, but it's the music here that speaks loudest.

After a rather forgettable rock/dub crossover ("Strut"), the sharp spoken invectives and near-familiar bass of "Jags & Staffs" recalls "Religion" to some degree. "Mississippi" is an effective down-home pop song with a carefree Americana vibe (though Wobble's sub-sonic bass is still present), and "Fluid" touches on a dub/jazz fusion, with big brass alongside Wobble's stalwart bass. The brief dub of "Vampires" features Little Annie, before "Understand" and "Understand Dub" close things out, with spiky vocals from Nathan Maverick (who I'm not familiar with, but whose vocal style sounds eerily similar to Lydon). 

Wobble and Levene form a formidable post-punk duo here, and here's to hoping they can continue on this path if there are to be future endeavors. 

Cherry Red/30Hz Records

Cherry Red site

30Hz Records (Wobble's home)

Murder Global - Levene's site

The Punk Vault and MXV Photography

Long-time friend and ally of Goatsden, MXV (and curator of the famous Punk Vault), now is offering his professional concert photography for fans and collectors.

The site already has superb live photos for sale of artists like Skinny Puppy, Ohgr, Down, Public Image Limited, Jello Biafra, Social Distortion, Descendents, Adicts, Fishbone, Doro, Weedeater, Public Enemy, Weezer, Damned, Tesco Vee, Thrill Kill Kult, Ministry, Naked Raygun, Korn, The Prodigy, Cradle Of Filth, Anthrax, Ted Nugent, Billy Idol, Slash, System Of A Down, Disturbed, Gwar, TSOL, X, KMFDM, Dead Milkmen, Jerry Lee Lewis, and tons more. Check his page at:

MXV Photography

And while you're out and about, check his review site/blog at:

Punk Vinyl

Public Image Limited - "Live At Rockpalast 1983" DVD + CD

Packaged separately, this set of classic PiL sees John Lydon joined by a young Martin Atkins and some session musicians for a roll through the band's finest era. We get well-played classics like "Public Image", "Religion", "Flowers Of Romance", "Chant", "(This Is Not A) Love Song",, "Under The House", and even an odd cover of "Anarchy In The UK".

The band were at the end of their reign as innovators by 1983, with a move towards a more streamlined sound (hinted at by "Love Song", "Bad Life", etc.), but the tracks here are faithful to PiL's early and influential melding of dub, punk, and krautrock.

The DVD is a wonderful pro-shot, multi-camera presentation, capturing both Lydon's charismatic antics and Atkins' sinewy drumming. The CD is equally as superb, with a clear, well-recorded sound that could almost be mistaken for a studio product. Essential documents for Public Image fans, and far from the bootlegs that these may look like. (MIG Music)

PiL Official site

The Damage Manual "The Damage Manual" DVD

When Martin Atkins enlisted the considerable talents (not to mention pedigrees) of Jah Wobble (PIL), Geordie Walker (Killing Joke), and Chris Connelly for his Damage Manual project, the result was a startlingly powerful EP. What followed was a lesser LP, then a slew of remixes, dub versions, and recycled releases that really put some tarnish on this landmark post-punk 'band''s "public image".
This video is a collection of Atkins' handi-cam tapes from the original sessions. There's what seems like an endless array of in-studio footage, from raw takes, horsing around (leave the damned doorbell buzzer cam alone already!!), photo shoots, Geordie smoking, and unrecognizably muttered comments. Needless to say, regardless of anyone's involvement, this is a fairly tedious watch. Plenty of bored faces, people shuffling about, and unsteady camerawork. Granted, the couple of tracks that the band plays live in the studio are heavy and amazing (what an amazing collision of musicians), but overall this is one for the completists only, and much of it should've stayed in the vault. (Invisible Records /MVD Visual)

Martin Atkins China Dub Soundsystem - "Made In China" CD

Drummer extraordinaire (and Invisible Records/Pigface founder) Atkins documented his 2007 trip to Beijing not only in photo/video form, but by recording this album (as well as compiling the 'Look Directly At The Sun' comp). For 'Made In China', he assembled a troupe of China's finest indie musicians and managed to record alongside them and produce/mix these 11 tracks - essentially a Chinese Pigface album. It's an entertaining inter-cultural mix, with traditional Chinese instruments and melodies accompanying Atkins' drumming and scratch-n-dub production. There's funky hip-hop ('China MC Brothers vs. Martin Atkins', 'Re:Load'), electronica ('Mostly Hulusi', featuring Shao Feng on the bagpipe-like hulusi instrument), traditional Tibetan-meets-industrial rock ('Tibetans vs. Dirty Girl'), cynical indie rock ('Yellow Cab', with Chen Xi of Snapline sounding not unlike Mark E. Smith of The Fall), and other odd creatures that co-exist peacefully. The wonderful 'Beijing Taxi' is my favorite, with super-huge drums, dub effects, Dave Wright of Not Breathing's electronics, and traditional Chinese female vocals. A great cultural melding and a fun listen. (Invisible China/Bloodshot Records)

Martin Atkins - "Sixteen Days In China - A Documentary" DVD

When Invisible Records/Pigface honcho Martin Atkins visited China back in 2006, his intention was to 'sign some bands'. His trip ultimately found him in a club which reminded of some great scenes - London late 70's and New York early 80's. Tons of bands, unusual sounds, a diverse 'scene'...no restrictions, pressures, or concessions. Very cool, especially as China's highly restrictive government could easily squash all hope from these musicians (censorship in China is a way of life even more than in supposed 'free societies' like the US).

Along Atkins' way, he encounters trepidation (Westerners are viewed with skepticism to some there, apparently), but he makes some valuable contacts and friends, anyway. His interactions with Chinese rock kids are curious and sometimes a bit standoffish (maybe that's just the language barrier), but he does manage to meet some folks there who are familiar with his Public Image Limited/Killing Joke/Pigface heritage. That's got to be flattering, though you have to wonder how these kids got those records...

As a fascinating intro to the burgeoning Chinese indie scene, this superb documentary chronicles some bands who you will one day hear more from. Atkins is charming, talkative, and quite a fun character to see/hear (somebody give him a talk show already)! And his China Dub Soundsystem mixes smoke. Watch the trailer below to see/hear for yourself.

As in any road trip or extended vacation, there are hitches and problems. We're all entitled to a little bit of crankiness and jetlag. Even when he's tired and things don't go his way, Atkins genuinely wants to expose some of these Chinese bands, and this documentary is a great place to start. It's also a prime glimpse into a world that differs so much from the democratic USA/UK ways of life, but at the same time, it's much the same - artists want to create, and dream. And, of course, they want to rock just as much. Kudos to Atkins for this gem of a film. (Invisible Records/MVD Visual)

Martin Atkins - "Tour Smart - And Break The Band" DVD

Martin Atkins has spent the better part of 30 years touring, recording, performing, networking, running a label, screenprinting, and generally 'fucking it up (pigface)'. He's spent time with a number of pretty damned important bands. (look it up, or read my old Godsend Online interview with him here.)

In essence, Atkins knows his shit.

In-between all this musical work, Martin has been working as a lecturer, and he's now an author. His book, 'Tour Smart', has been hailed as an essential read for bands or artists who are looking at touring and building up a fanbase.

This DVD release, which basically collects a bunch of (mostly brief) clips of Atkins explaining and demonstrating his ideas and experiences, is an entertaining and oftentimes enlightening bit of work. From mapping out and strategizing a tour (his easy 'how-to' here could logically save new bands hundreds of dollars and many hours), to his no-nonsense marketing basics, this DVD is a wise investment indeed, for any musician or artist, regardless of genre or affiliation. Atkins' charismatic and animated personality is down-to-earth, and his tips are easy to grasp. This one's fun to watch if you're a fan of any of Atkins' many musical projects, but it's a must-have if you're starting a band, or even thinking about it. I, personally, am wiser for seeing this one! (Invisible/MVD Visual)