Tuesday 15 May 2007

Things have been a bit hectic lately which is why I haven’t been blogging as much as usual. We had a rehearsal on Sunday for Athens which we are all looking forward to very much. It was good to see we were all still up to scratch with the arrangements and order of things. We jammed through Death Of An Electric Citizen and decided to play it for the first time in years. I am going around the house singing Woo hoo I a die – very weird but that’s the EBB.
It was Arts birthday yesterday so big hugs and kisses to him. He only looks about thirty any way ( the bastard).
It should be a lot warmer in Athens than we are used to so it’s go steady with the packing and keep it light and airy. Sandles and beads any one? We have quite a lot of gear and instruments to take even though we are only doing the one gig. We are using a hired back line ( amplifiers and so on) so I will be using a Marshall. I still love the old Marshall sound even though I use two vintage Peavey Bandits. Perhaps I should try to blag Jim Marshall to give me one for old times sake. Now there is a guy who knows what he is doing. Him and old Charlie Watkins probably influenced the sound of UK Rock more than any one and of course Jim has had a huge impact on the world with the Marshall marque.
We are currently planning a few UK dates in September which will be fun. We will be trying out some more new songs to add to Soldiers of the light as well as putting a few old ‘uns back including Death of and electric citizen and possibly There’s no vibrations (but wait - a bit longer ?)
We are about to revamp some of the web site and make a few new additions. One of the the areas to be updated will be the gallery so – if any one has a photo ( Only one ) they would like to have placed there then send it to me at edgar.broughton@btinternet.com and we’ll choose the best ones. Ok then if you think you have two good pics send ‘em both but no more than two o.k?

We all wait with bated breath ( not ) to see the style of the Deputy Prime Minister in a short while when he becomes the man. I don’t have very high hopes. I am afraid New labour have lowered my expectations quite drastically though let’s be fair and wait to see what is on offer from old Drop Jaw.
It will be good to see the back of Blair who obviously still inhabits that rarified plane where one is never wrong because one is trying to the do best for the country. New Labour has damaged this country and political life in general in spite of all their efforts to mitigate their actions or white wash the truth.

Next time you go into Asda remember Walmart, the owners, have been fined millions of dollars in the states for clean water violations. After a series of assaults including the rape of a young woman in their car park Walmart instigated a feasibily study to look at what effect patrols by staff would have on the situation. It was found that where ever this was employed the incidence of assaults and theft dropped to nothing. Walmart however, decided the cost was prohibitive. Chinese and Indian labour is used to produce many of the goods you see in Asda such as the George line, food and kid’s toys etc. A worker in China is paid some thing like 19 cents for making a toy while the price for the same toy in the USA is 18 dollars or more. Conditions and pay for workers over seas are disgraceful and while Walmart are constantly claiming eco awareness and a viable strategy they continue to appear in courts for violations against the ecology world wide. A worker in China at a Walmart factory works , on average, from 7 in the morning until 10 at night to make a living wage which allows for little in the way of even small luxuries.

I guess that is it for now. Wish us well on our first trip to Greece. Later.

PS - BOW WOW WOW and WUFF WUFF WUFF to the Chelsea boys and girls on saturday. A dogs chance ?


copyright e d g a r b r o u g h t o n 2007

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Rob
Looks like a great venue for the Athens gig. Could you see if you could pick me up a little souvenier of the Acropolis in a little plastic dome, that snows when you shake it?
On the topic of cheap labour:
It would be interesting to see how big a list one could compile of shops/companies etc , in this country, whose products are not connected with cheap (generally Far-East) labour. I saw an interesting sort of 'ducu' prog recently, about an English woman who had lost her factory job when the work went to the Far East. She travelled out to the factory that had since been doing the work she used to do. When she got there the workers told her that they were about to lose their jobs, as, you guessed it, the work hasd gone even further east to China, where they could undercut the labour costs even more. Still, when we become a third world country, it'll all probably come back here, having gone full circle!?
Actually, has anyone tried boycotting Chinese goods? I have tried and tried (out of anger re; Tibet) but I keep ending up with something with a little label I missed, with the words 'Made in China'.
My take on it - I want equal pay for all, even if that means I have to save for 2 years for a DVD player or whatever. Most of the stuff we consume so cheaply has also lost much of its value to us, it seems to me. Mind you, all said and done - we've still got a thriving arms industry!
Interesting that, mmmn?.
Pierced
ramblinmad x

Anonymous said...

have a great gig in Athens , have fun traveling and come back safe and sound....wait theres no vibrations here till september!

Little Madeleine McCann in my thoughts and hopes, may you be reunited safe and well with your family soon.

tony

Anonymous said...

Hi Rob,
I have a feeling that Mr Brown's 'drop jaw' might be his undoing in today's image obsessed political scene. My mother says it makes him look a bit 'shifty'.. and she remembers Hitler !
Best wishes in Athens to the band.
Great news that there will be some gigs in September - looks like we'll be out on tour from the Dales again.
Regards,
Paul

Anonymous said...

Have a great gig - will def catch EBB again in September especially if 'Death of an Electric Citizen' is on the playlist. Where did all those years go ?
I'm one of the few left in the UK still working in manufacturing.
We're working on prototypes for a new product at the moment. We've been told that if it becomes reasonably successful then we'll get the production work but if it becomes the great success they are hoping for the quantities will be high enough for them to transfer the work to China ! Soon we won't have a manufacturing industry left in the UK and we'll be purely reliant on selling arms or insurance. I'd like to think I'll be retired by then but I can't afford to do that either because my pension scheme is not worth the paper it's written on. Even a Chinaman would have difficulty living on it.
I try to be a political shopper - I single handedly brought about the end of aparthied in South Africa by not buying Jaffas for 10 years. I'm saving what's left of the rain forests by buying a table made from sustainable plantations, I planted a small tree to offset my carbon emmisions expelled when I drove to London to see EBB at the 100 Club and I paid over the odds for an unbleached T shirt from the Fairtrade company.
Meanwhile, Tescos have returned record profits again.
Hey, but I've got my FA Cup Final ticket so sod 'em all !

edgar broughton said...

I hope all you Chelsea folks have a great day out on saturday in spite of all my criticisms of Dog Boy. We don't seem to have any Man U First Supperists or do we? Long live football and more importantly football supporters.

Peace

Anonymous said...

I think Jose's image has been exposed as a fraud. Behind that arrogant, never say die, hard bitten exterior lies a man who goes home to a Yorkshire Terrier !
I never really believed the hype anyway.

I'm very concerned this morning that an invasion of the UK by American troops could be imminent. Gordon Brown is now, officially the only candidate for the Labour leadership and therefore will be the next Prime Minister without an election of any kind. Just like Saddam in Iraq - and the USA felt the need to invade to show them the meaning of democracy. Also, unlike Saddam, Gordon really DOES have weapons of mass destruction at his fingertips.
I'm building a bunker as I type !

Anonymous said...

I'm sure Tony Blair promised he would serve a 'full term'? Such breathtaking cynicism and complete contempt for the electorate.
Anyway, good riddance and Brown soon too.
I hope Steve's bunker is of better construction than Saddam's. I would hate to see him extracted, dishevelled and bearded, to have his teeth inspected on international television. Oh yes, then have a show trial followed by partial decapitation on hanging.
A 'despot' yes (Saddam not Steve) but when we force others to lose their human dignity we lose ours too.
Paul

Anonymous said...

G'day Rob,
Good to easy Electric Citizen, my fave, entering the repertoire, ditto There's No Vibrations (which comes in at number 2). How do you do that one live?
Have a great gig - is it coincidence that you're over there about the same time as Liverpool are going for the Champion's League???
Re. Fairtrade and cheap labour, it really is a case of looking at the label. Drinking my Fairtrade tea as I write, in fact - dead easy to find in just about any supermarket, by the way. Not much and - like my unendearing habit of picking worms off the public footpath so they don't get squashed - it won't change the world. But it's making a difference (I'm sure the worm thinks so).
As for Gordon Brown, I left the Labour Party when they started expelling socialists. My only grain of comfort is that Blair doesn't like him. This can only be a good thing.
Stop calling yourself ramblinmad - your observations, friend, are extremely sane and sensible.
Yours aye,
Storyjohn x

Anonymous said...

Hi Rob...so what was Death of an Electric Citizen about anyway? 38 years of listening & still haven't figured it. Something about Zappa Zappa & spinning heads? Mine still is spinning. Go on, print the lyrics on the site & put my mind at rest, please!

Tony H.

Anonymous said...

Hee hoo!

StoryJohn - Allow me to ramble a mo' -The 'ramblinmad' became a nickname, back in the 70's, because I talk, sometimes incessantly (some crap), and I easily go off on a tangent because... well, my brain just does that - plumfootedspacetrotters.
I was 1st called 'Mad Dave' by an old (gone now, bless him) ex band leader named Billy Kaye (not the yank), not because he thought I was mad (crazy yes), but, because, in his words 'he's one of the sanest people I've ever met'. I should mention that he was one of the most hustling, crazy and exasperating people I have ever met. Also, one of the most loveable. A very interesting man, with a vast array of intrigueing stories, particularly to do with the London Jazz scene in the 50's and 60's. At one time, he had both Ronnie Scott Wee Willy Harris, Phil Seaman and Rudy Jones in his band! His stories of the villains were amazing.
Anyroadup, I'm quite happy with the 'ramblinmad', it doesn't hurt unless I want it too.I think it would make a good name for a Country and Western singer, if you don't believe me, check out Nervous Norvus 'Transfusion'. Look it up on a search engine, there's a download, it's very funny, from the 50's, weird singer, weird song!
Much gladness to find someone else here who sidesteps little creatures - big hug, no tongues!
Maybe that's 'ramblinmad'?!

Tell InI the story behind your own moniker, or not depending iffn you don't want to. These names become a small but significant part of us, like my nickname for Blair is Bastard (the derogatory, of course), and my feeling is, you probably are what your called. I never new my fathewr, but noone's ever called me a bastard. If this were any other blog, this message would be followed by a hundred 'bastards'.

Shoreham - I feel for you my friend, what a crazy world, where success means unemployment. I just had a terrible thought - If they end up losing all that money when everyone stops smoking and are driving electric cars, might someone suggest and maybe get a vote on (being as our arms industry will be the only industry left by then) a 'Right to bear Arms', think of the revenue? I'll shut up.

Gooooood Vibrations, but... a wish:
A Grand journey to the EBB, return home safe and sound, only get arrested in a good cause, kick some fekkin' a-r-s-e, and break their fekkin' hearts!! y'all!

Re; the footie fan imbalance. As I'm only a vague footie fan (cycling's really my thing), would it be helpful if I became a Man U fan, so as to balance this footie nation thingy out? I could savvy-up on it. I'm sure my son/boy could give me enough to get by, evem tho he's Liddypool froo an' froo! I could do it until a real one joins thee fray here?


Love and pleasings

ramblinmad (David or anything you like - maybe I need a new one - what's that Chelsea chaps name?)

P.S. I do hope one hasn't snagged ones britches on some barbed Blogging protocol by going orf on a ramble about things of a possibly egocentric nature.
I blame it on a gross intake of chocolate, and accidently buying some Mars confectionary, when I was supposed to be boycotting it 'cos of the meat!!

edgar broughton said...

OK Tony H and all - imagine this - The electric citizen has been shopping in the new mall where every thing is for sale - a zealous cleaner has been mopping and soaping the floor ( I know wrong order - knew you'd notice). The electric citizen falters looking down at the soapy floor just as a beautiful soapy bubble rises from the pristine ersatz granite. He is distracted. His arms laden with purchases spread to stabilise him as he begins his slippery descent. Purchases fly in all directions from the bags he is carrying . As he hits the deck his janmatron excorporator is fused with the telazkqope nuerators and he is dead in nano seconds. He lies on the floor buzzing and twitching his leaking hydraulics join with the soapy suds and a little girls salt tears. She saw the whole thing. Her mother tries to comfort her. " It's only a machine darling". These are the after light thoughts of the electric citizen >

I thought I heard a rain drop fall
Trickle di dum dee dee
And a trickle was a stream
And a stream was a river
Running runnin running to the sea
And the sea meet the sky
You know you know you know
The sky had no end No end a no end no end

Aura Borealis
And a chu chu bone
A chu chi hoo a di
Your not going home
Got a sappa sappa and a hex spin
Like a crying out for water
Like a body thin

In the sky was a city
City palace all around wall
And a 12 guards where Bacchus fall
Aphrodite play with -
sheep from the out the den
theres a lion roar in my head
electric bim bam bim bam
Like I gotta woooo
And I gitta woo ooo
I gotta woo chu chi
Moan a bit moan a bit cry a bit sleep a bit die a bit
If you wanna if you like it

Theres a one tall maiden with a green eye
She says this is my heaven
You can make it if you try
Theres a woo ooo theres a woo oo
I die
Theres a woo oo I die
You hear the promises
blowin on the wind
The wind is a vehicle for a bad
mans sins
And The pearly city opens
you got a ticket on the town
stop- go stop go stop go stop ----go
you know you can go
With a black bone and the blessings of and the blessings of Belial
and that’s just about the death of the electric citizen

Peace

Anonymous said...

Hi Rob.
Thank you for taking the time to do that. It means a lot to me. I can't imagine Bob Dylan taking the time out to explain his lyrics to the people who care.

Tony H.

Anonymous said...

Hi there Rob.
Thanks a lot for the lyric.
Over the years it has been analyzed over and over, and my oh my I've been far far away in my guesses...:)
Have a safe trip to Greeceland and back you all.
Jarle.

Anonymous said...

Hi Rob.
Speaking of mis-heard lyrics: I read a review of one of your gigs & they mentioned the famous song 'American Voice-over'. In a way he was right, considering the start of the song.
I'm not sure if I already mentioned it but I noticed that the single version of Evil is different to the album version. That must make it quite a collectors item!

Enjoy Greece

Tony H.

Anonymous said...

Ramblinmad,
You asked about the Storyjohn moniker - dead boring, really. My name's John and I'm a professional storyteller. Sorry it's not more mysterious. If it makes you feel any better, I was once half of a duo called "Positively Revolting" (as in revolting positively), which was much more exciting.
In fact, if you go to the EBB MySpace page, you can hear me rambling madly ("Surfing Broughton") about how the band continues to play an important part in what passes for my career.
(Thanks, Rob, by the way, for giving us the lyrics and commentary to my favourite EBB song. Rather like Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time", it makes me no wiser but I'm very glad it's there.)
Yours aye,
Storyjohn

Anonymous said...

Rob,

Jim marshall = top bloke lives not to far from me, done a alot for music and even more for local charities a true legend, and a nice guy as well.

Thanks for the lyrics, how about explaining Dawn crept away next time?

Hope you enjoy Athens, drink plenty of Ouzo and Retsina, AND rock the Greeks.

Lets hope my beloved blues are triumphant tomorrow, Ramblinmad offering to become a Manu fan is so wrong:-(

Gordon Brown? well we wait and see, he can't be any worse can he?

Oh and Liverpool, good luck (cough) for Wednesday.

Larry

Anonymous said...

Goodmorning guys,
Yesterday I was there... In the greatest concert of yours I want to believe. I was there in Athens (Gagarin 205 Live)and you were absolutely great. It was the best Saturday night for me of the last decade of my life. You entered the stage with my love one song, "THE HYMN" of you band Evening over Rooftops and the place immediately got fire...
Anyway we didn't want you to stop yesterday night as you saw and of course we wanted to keep on rockin' all night long. It was great!!!!!
Thank you for the magic night that you gave us here in Athens and we wait you to come back for another one as soon as possible.
Thank you guys and keep up the good work
Cheers
VANGELIS - ATHENS

Anonymous said...

Hi, and Welcome Vangelis Simonidis
Glad to hear that Athens was good - we new it would be!. Fortunately we have more gigs to look forward to here in the UK.
Please join our occasional discussions (EBB related) at this link http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/edgarbroughtonband/
I'm sure all will make you welcome.

Peace

ramblinmad x