Topic stalwarts, Martin Simpson and Eliza Carthy join a stellar cast of no less than 28 (!) brilliant folk artists taking part in the Festival of LOVEon Valentine's Day, over six hours of love songs and covers streamed via Folk On Foot's Youtube channel and Facebook page. The proceedings kick off at 2pm GMT time on, of course, Sunday 14th Feb.
The artists are: Bella Hardy, Beth Porter and the Bookshop Band, The Breath, Chris Wood, Eliza Carthy, Gwilym Bowen Rhys, Heidi Talbot, Jon Boden, Karine Polwart, Kerry Andrew/You Are Wolf, Kitty Macfarlane, Kris Drever, Lady Nade, Lisa Knapp and Gerry Diver, Martin Simpson, Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, O’Hooley and Tidow, Peggy Seeger, Rachel Newton, Sam Lee, Seckou Keita, Seth Lakeman, Steve Knightley.
Last year, Folk on Foot’s Festivals raised nearly a quarter of a million pounds for musicians who lost their livelihoods during the lockdowns. And the Festival of LOVE aims to add to that total. Half the money from the crowdfunding appeal will go to the charity Help Musicians and the other half will be divided equally between the artists who take part.
Hilton Valentine, guitarist and founding member of The Animals, has died at the age of 77 on January 29, 2021. A representative for ABKCO Records announced Valentine's passing on behalf of his wife, Germaine Valentine. A cause of death was not immediately made available. In 1963, Valentine was recruited by Eric Burdon, Chas Chandler, and Alan Price to join what would become The Animals. The UK band quickly made a name for themselves thanks to their high-energy concerts and rock 'n' roll covers of Nina Simone, Sam Cooke, and John Lee Hooker. They achieved their first No. 1 single in 1964 with "House of the Rising Sun", on which Valentine is credited with playing the song's iconic arpeggio introduction.
READING ROOM
THE DOORS GRAPHIC NOVEL
Morrison Hotel is the title of a graphic novel about The Doors. Published by Z2 Comics, the biographical adaptation is a collaboration between writer Leah Moore, daughter of comic book legend Alan Moore, and surviving band members guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. Artwork is by guest artists from around the world.
It will be officially released at the end of March and is available to pre-order here. Each copy of the Deluxe Edition comic will come with an exclusive 12-inch picture disc of the Morrison Hotel album. The set is priced at US$99. Just the standard graphic novel is US$19.99. The release is part of a celebration of their fifth album's 50th anniversary.
LOOK AT THE STARMAN
On February 12, David Bowie's 'Look at the Moon! (Live Phoenix Festival '97)' will arrive from Parlophone Records in 2CD and 3LP versions. Both formats are limited to one-run-only releases. Look at the Moon! was recorded on July 20, 1997 at the Phoenix Festival at Long Marston Airfield near Shakespeare's birthplace Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Bowie was backed by Zachary Alford on drums; Gail Ann Dorsey on bass, vocals, and keyboards (and lead vocals on the cover of Laurie Anderson's "O Superman" which made a rare appearance in this set); musical director Reeves Gabrels on guitars, synthesizers, and vocals; and Mike Garson on piano, keyboards, and synthesizers. Look at the Moon! is available for pre-order now on both CD and vinyl from DavidBowie.com and Rhino.com.
Anne Briggs eponymous 1971 debut album should need no introduction. A pillar of any serious folk collection, more recently it has found favour with newer generations of not just singer-songwriters but those bewitched by the quiet strength of these performances.
Largely unavailable for 48 years, it was re-issued in 2019 as part of the Topic Treasures series - the label's classic and notable albums expanded in deluxe format - with rare images, new liner notes (by esteemed journalist and Briggs authority, Ken Hunt). That limited edition gold pressing understandably quickly sold out - this newest re-press is a reversion back to classic black 180gm vinyl, keeping those sleeve notes by Briggs, A.L. Lloyd and Hunt intact.
“Listen closely and marvel.” - UNCUT 9/10 “All-in-all, this is one of the most significant recordings of the period. This is music to pass on to the next generations.” - FOLK RADIO “Make room for it on your shelf and between your ears.” - SONGLINES 5/5 “It sounds as fresh and lucid now as it did in 1971.” - RnR 4/5
Never one to sit still for very long, Martin Simpson wasn’t about to let last year’s lockdown stop him from making records. ‘Home Recordings’ - yes, that’s right, recorded at home - has quickly become one of his most popular albums, with praise from everywhere from Mojo magazine to his most ardent fans.
“Intimacy as art form.” -Colin Irwin, MOJO 4/5 “When future music historians write about reponses to this here first Covid period, Home Recordings should be there." - Ken Hunt, RnR 5/5 “Simpson is one of the world’s great fingerstyle guitarists, at home in American folk and blues and traditional English folk."- The Arts Desk 4/5
Marilyn Manson's record label, Loma Vista Recordings, has split with the musician after several women, including Evan Rachel Wood, accused him of abuse, Variety reports. In a statement, Loma Vista wrote: "In light of today's disturbing allegations by Evan Rachel Wood and other women naming Marilyn Manson as their abuser, Loma Vista will cease to further promote his current album, effective immediately. Due to these concerning developments, we have also decided not to work with Marilyn Manson on any future projects." Wood released her statement on Instagram Monday morning, February 1. In the post, Wood accused Manson of grooming her when she was a teenager and "horrifically abus[ing] me for years." She continued: "I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent."
Manson responded with this Instagram post, "Obviously, my art and my life have long been magnets for controversy, but these recent claims about me are horrible distortions of reality. My intimate relationships have always been entirely consensual with like-minded partners. Regardless of how - and why - others are now choosing to misrepresent the past, that is the truth."
SOON TO BE OUT OF WORK TOO!
System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan has claimed that companies won't work with him because of his right-wing views. The musician has previously expressed his support for Trump, backed an investigation into the results of the 2020 US election, and accused the Black Lives Matter movement of being "propaganda" for Democrats. Now in an appearance on a podcast centred around people who have been "cancelled", he said his political opinions have seen him lose support for his projects. He was referring to his comic book series Ascensia which he wanted made into a TV show. The agency helping him has decided "to take a step back".
Dolmayan compared the treatment he said he had received with suspected communists being blacklisted in the US in the 1950s. "So, I've already been a victim of this, and it's no different and no better than what happened in the '50s with McCarthyism," he said.
He went on to criticise Black Lives Matter once again, saying he didn't like the organisation and described many of the founders as "flat out communists". "I don't think they give two shits about Black lives. I think they're a democratic fundraising tool [with] a communist agenda. And if they really cared about Black lives, they would care about Black on Black violence in our inner cities."
While Dolmayan has backed Trump in the past, earlier this month the drummer criticised the Washington DC rioters that the former president had encouraged. "Our country is in need of sensible debate and a greater understanding of opposing views."
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