Fanatics!
Another day, another cramped flight. Today's travel has had so far, an alarming lack of chaos. I still have a ways to go before I am done transiting for today. I am in Senegal, it is 01-01-10. I know tonight's show is a long way from now but I am pretty sure that tonight is the last night I will have internet access until days after our show airs, so I am taking advantage of the last of the internets before I go off the grid.
As you probably guessed, I am on my way to Timbuktu for the Festival Au Desert. http://www.festival-au-desert.org/. If all goes according to plan, I will overnight in Bamako, fly to Mopti tomorrow, take a boat up the Niger to Timbuktu and from there, into the desert for three days of great music.
Getting around in Africa, at least in my experience, is as unique as the continent itself. You have to pay attention, be patient and keep your sense of humor at the ready. Things can go awry very quickly. Flight schedules are mere outlines as to what was hoped for. If you have a connecting flight, you could have to make other plans as your next flight may be long gone by the time you get to the airport. On this trip, I have no connecting flights that are too close together but as I remember, the Timbuktu to Bamako flight was hours delayed, good thing I brought a book.
We do have a wonderful set of tunes for tonight though, that's for sure. I am glad that Joey was able to make one more record to say goodbye to all of us fans before he departed. Tonight we are playing my personal favorite from the record. I have a photo on my laptop of Joey, myself, and members of the Dictators. It was taken after their set at CB's on a freezing winter's night many years ago. It was the last time I saw Joey. We stood together on stage right and checked out the show. The Dictators were so great that night. Joey was always cool to me and I am honored that I got to speak to the man a few times. I first met him when Black Flag did two shows with the Ramones in 1984. Tonight's set is specifically designed for a good time winter's listening. Nothing too adventurous, not to us at least but great stuff nonetheless. Some great vocals in tonight's set, Curtis, Lightnin' Sid, TV, Chris Bailey of the Saints, Desmond-it's all great stuff. I think the single version of This Perfect Day is great, even better than the album version and The Fall's treatment of it is great as well. The Fall do a lot of covers and in my opinion, usually knock it out of the park. For some reason, I thought that PJ Harvey had done a version of that song but I looked and couldn't find it, perhaps it was just wishful thinking. Many Fanatics who like Thin Lizzy don't venture into the band's later albums, like many Sabbath Fanatics can't get past Sabbath Bloody Sabbath for some reason. In the case of both bands, there's some really good stuff to be heard deep into their catalogs, We Will Be Strong proves on the Lizzy front at least. I should take my own advice and get deeper into the Ethiopiques series. I have many of them but find that the first in the series offers up the best stuff for our show. I am sure you noticed that there are two Epsilons tracks tonight. It's a small apology to the band as I used to play them quite a bit and then just stopped. It wasn't because I stopped liking them. So, tonight we throw some well deserved attention their way by playing a track from each of their two albums.
I do hope you enjoy tonight's show. As you listen, I will be baking or freezing in the Sahara, depending on what time of day it is. Engineer X is a bit envious of this trip I am on as he is an extreme Fanatic for the bands at this festival. To console him, I told him that he got the good looks, the height and the brains and I got the passport, he was unmoved and went to the KCRW sauna to sulk. I am sure it will all work out in the end. Next week, I will write you from the little slice of heaven known as Leicester, UK. Until then, raise your glass of Tuareg tea high and STAY FANATIC!!!
--Henry
E-Mail address for Henry: HenryOnTheRadio@AOL.com
01. Joey Ramone - Don't Worry About Me / Don't Worry About Me
02. The Beach Boys - Don't Worry Baby / Good Vibrations
03. Boozoo Chavis - Don't Worry About Boozoo / Boozoo Chavis
04. Curtis Mayfield - If There's A Hell Below / Curtis Live
05. Animals And Men - I Never Worry / Revel In The Static
06. Lightnin' Hopkins - Worrying My Mind / The Tradition Masters
07. Sex Pistols - C'mon Everybody / Flogging A Dead Horse
08. Blue Cheer - Summertime Blues / Vincebus Eruptum
09. Thin Lizzy - We Will Be Strong / Chinatown
10. The Planet The - Envision My Zorb / You Absorb My Vision
11. TV Smith - Weak Glue / In The Arms Of My Enemy
12. Ramesses - Master Your Demons / We Will Lead You To Glorious Times
13. Archie Shepp - The Original Mr. Sonny Boy Williamson / On This Night
14. The Saints - This Perfect Day / single
15. Desmond Dekker - Israelites / Hits
16. Funkadelic - Super Stupid / Maggot Brain
17. Epsilons - Fever To Kill / Epsilons
18. Brian Eno - Here He Comes / Before And After Science
19. The Fall - This Perfect Day / Complete Peel Sessions (Disc 6)
20. Joy Division - New Dawn Fades / Still
21. Helios Creed - Dog Star / Planet X
22. Muluqèn Mèllèsè - Wètètié Maré Ethiopiques 1
23. Erase Errata - High Society / Other Animals
24. Epsilons - Sunshine / Killed 'Em Deader 'n A Six Card Poker Hand