Saturday 31 December 2016

JON ANDERSON SAYS YES LEFT HIM, CLOSE TO THE EDGE



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO

Survival And Other Stories
CD - £9.99

Gilligan's Island Theme Song

THOM WOODRUFF: EVEN GILLIGAN! (gone)

2016. You ruthless murderer. Sail on little buddy. Tell the skipper and professor i said whats up.
Best Known For Portrayal of Gilligan On 'Gilligan's Island'
cbsnews.com

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: George Harrison - Ding Dong, Ding Dong

THOM THE WORLD POET:

Rob Ayling, yer Gonzo Grande Fromage, writes: 


"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Thom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied within seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not?"

YOU ARE AHEAD OF US
Spiritually,psychically,time -zone wise
And we have yet to pop the bubbles of a "New"Year
Yet you have survived,and this is the great Art-
to be able to make/create/advance upon the future
and to take part in something New and Fresh and Yes!
As you incubate ,recuperate,rehabilitate
We stand with you-healing,learning,adapting
to News Cycles that accelerate and compound
so we learn more about WHAT IS&WHAT WILL BE

And share our love with you as human family!


Thursday 29 December 2016

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

Rob Ayling, yer Gonzo Grande Fromage, writes: 


"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Thom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied within seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not?"


IMAGE TO WORD UP!
ALWAYS THE CARRIER OF WORDS
spills them carelessly over seated persons
Photographer snaps.Dancer moves.
Film maker makes images leap sequence
And all three become a slim song of sorts-
a blessed biography of possibilities/
a way out of daily prosaic/Prozac.
Any menial can scribe .To stay alive-ONLY CONNECT!
All art is a distillation of experience.CONCENTRATE.FOCUS
Chants,prayers,affirmations=word smoke from living fires.
Sign on the bus says FORWARD! FOREVER!
Each fisherperson steals facts and melts them into cheese fantasies
Batteries wear out when hearts no longer shine
The hand that writes this poem is mine.
"These people are like innovators and rebels. They deal with changing your consciousness. Their form is not a commercial one. Show me a poet that does it for the money, you know? I still think poets are like, for me, like rock stars. They're kind of magical people. They should just be given whatever they want.”
Jim Jarmusch - director of Paterson, a film about a poet/bus driver, released in November of 2016.

Paterson's main character is a bus driver who writes poetry on his lunch breaks. It was inspired, in part, by an epic William Carlos Williams poem.
npr.org

Tuesday 27 December 2016

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Antonio Vivaldi - Winter

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

Rob Ayling, yer Gonzo Grande Fromage, writes: 


"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Thom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied within seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not?"

Rabbits screaming in fear and pain
YESTERDAY,THE AUTHOR OF "WATERSHIP DOWN"DIED
Anyone who has ever loved the quixotic nature of rabbits
grew up with that book-and maybe moved on to ANIMAL CRUELTY texts
as we are so edible when it comes to companion animals
(Rabbit is a star in French cuisine-less so in American stomachs)
It is less the killing-more the manner of-like cosmetic research
we blind and torture animals so we suffer less.We suffer more
by causing suffering.Long ago,animals may have eaten us..
It would have been for food for self-defense.Now we are mass killers,
making birds extinct in hunting seasons and turning deer into venison.
We are feral omnivores.Our meat diets change the balance of Nature.
Plants and beans cause less damage to environment.We are changing
Maybe we can change before the hormones in cows change us.

"You are what you eat"Would you rather be a cow,a plant or a has-been?

Monday 26 December 2016

British singer, George Michael, has died at the age of 53

Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt dies aged 68

NORMAL SERVICE BLAH BLAH BLAH



No automatic alt text available.
The ISP who hosts the CFZ and Gonzo Weekly sites is down, and as it is teatime on Christmas Eve I strongly suspect that things may not be back to normal for some days. You can read the current issue of Gonzo Weekly here:
and all the CFZ stuff you might want can be found here:
Nollaig shona duit go léir
Slainte
Jon Downes and the gang

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

Rob Ayling, yer Gonzo Grande Fromage, writes: 


"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Thom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied within seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not?"

EVERYWHERE I GO-ART FOLLOWS
Staring out from HOW ARE YOU ?frog murals
I LOVE YOU SO MUCH !on the wall of Joe's Cafe
Many a temporary shrine to those killed by cars-
plastic flowers and a cautionary RIP(on South Lamar)
Then the tagging-of trains,vacant buildings,streets
Territoriality stretches as far as an aerosol spray can
High above us-on bridges and freeways-daubings by  outsiders
with messages that only Art  can carry-the crocheting of bike racks,
making sweaters for lamp posts and poles/the changing of road signs
like (temporary)DAVID BOWIE Street when Bowie died
Art affirms and attacks simultaneously-it defines us and defies us
Soon new graffiti will challenge and confront us.Soon we will be provoked

into being fully ALIVE!

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: Gayla Peevey - I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas (1953)

Sunday 25 December 2016

MY GRANDCHILDREN AT CHRISTMAS



I don't usually do happy at Christmas: I do wistful, miserable, drunk, withdrawn, putting on a brave face, cynical  and - since I have been with Corinna - content. But seeing those pictures makes me Christmas Happy for the first time since I was a boy. 

And it hurts my dears.

But I wanted to share this with you all.

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: O Come, O Come Emmanuel - Traditional Choir

Being Sunday I always post sacred music. The name of the deity may change, or even the deity Him/Herself but the spirit remains the same. And being Christmas Day, what do you EXPECT me to post?

Happy Christmas to you all

Wishing you all a Very Happy Christmas


THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

Rob Ayling, yer Gonzo Grande Fromage, writes: 


"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Thom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied within seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not?"





SPIRIT OF AUSTIN MUSIC
IT IS CHRISTMAS EVE@THE WHITE HORSE
Carson McHone has assembled 25 singer-songwriters
to play two songs apiece as a Christmas Eve Benefit for SIMS
While it is nominally FREE to come in,donations are welcomed,
and a HUGE (free!)Buffet has been spread out on a table down the back.
This is a uniquely Austin night-those with bands play solo.
Those who have collaborated before get to take risks LIVE
and musicians whose sole public gig is this Annual Benefit
get access to a packed audience @the White Horse.
Carson herself plays a John Prine song,and others also
choose holiday songs by others ,as well as their original creations.
Improvisations and adaptations are real and fresh,and the two song limit
cuts the flab from those who sing only for themselves.
Carson's mother,grandmother and brother are present,prescient and attentive
and i saw her slip plenty of her own dollars into the SIMS bowl.
It is now Christmas Day(One am Sunday 25 December,2016)-
and hundreds have been given a gift of harmonies fresh and alive
as the plenitude of performers who made Christmas Eve
the best example of sharing delight for a good cause

and for the solidarity of singing together..for SIMS

Saturday 24 December 2016

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SUCH THINGS: The CFZ Annual Report

http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2016/12/cfz-annual-report-2016.html

Dalai Lama Extended And Open Interview With Piers Morgan | Good Morning Britain



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO

Walking the Path of Peace
DVD - £7.99

Avalokiteshvara Initiation (Chenrezig Initiation)
DVD - £7.99

Towards a Peaceful World
DVD - £7.99

Universal Responsibility in the Nuclear Age
DVD - £7.99

In Conversation with the Dalai Lama
DVD - £7.99

A message of Peace and Compassion
DVD - £7.99

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

Rob Ayling, yer Gonzo Grande Fromage, writes: 


"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Thom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied within seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not?"

LIFT YOUR VOICE
IN SONG &PRAISE,MAY WE PROCEED
Through the passing of each year
until the weather turns as clear
as our desire for futures/together
is the way to see/that time will stop/eternities
when we are flowers as well as weeds
both fulfilling different needs
Time 's harvests/Seasons too
take a tithe from me and you
We do not know what else to do
Proceed on with songs anew
Welcome in 2017-may we be worthy of our dreams
And one by one,and two by two

We will sing our way/through this Year,New..

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: I Believe In Father Christmas - single by Greg Lake

Friday 23 December 2016

NIC POTTER Interview




Nic Potter was probably best known for his work with the British rock band Van Der Graaf Generator. Initially, however, Nic played in a band called The Misunderstood along with Guy Evans who would als..

Barbara Dickson - Time And Tide interview (2008)



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Live in Concert 1976/77
DVD - £10.99

7 Ages of Woman
CD - £9.99

Barbara Dickson in Blood Brothers
CD - £9.99

Spend, Spend, Spend
CD - £9.99

John, Paul, George, Ringo and Bert
CD - £9.99

More Brecht Than Broadway
4CD Boxset - £49.99

Morning Comes Quickly
CD - £7.99

Answer Me
CD - £7.99

Che Faro
DVD - £10.99

B4 74 - The Folkclub Tapes
2CD - £10.99

Full Circle
CD - £7.99

Into The Light
DVD - £10.99

Time And Tide 
CD - £9.99

Black Country Rock Show - Full Interview with Al Atkins



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Reloaded
CD - £9.99

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

Rob Ayling, yer Gonzo Grande Fromage, writes: 


"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Thom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied within seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not?"

ART 2017
ALWAYS,AHEAD OF OUR AGE
Ever,a perennial.Ally,friend,companion-
torchlight in the darkness-to see with vision and context
Each person has hands and eyes-to share divergence
Tagging,murals,sculpture,tech/art-all add to and inform us
with a perspective beyond all that has gone before.
Influenced via all,adding and amending data
from the complex days we find ourselves in now.
Without art we are cave and fire.With art,we have walls daubed
with hunting tracks and initiation rituals.Time cannot stop art-
bee in amber,dinosaur feather,homeless art,Banksy to Beauty
in our own lives-our homes,our walls ,our inner artist
creating and extending with every brush stroke/every brave failure
to describe this world while living within it-as it (and we)change everything
just by responding to stimuli(like this ..yes..like this..

 
The future of the Biennial.
paidpost.nytimes.com

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: WIZZARD - I WISH IT COULD BE CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY

Thursday 22 December 2016

Margot Fonteyn interview 1984



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Tony Palmer's Margot Fonteyn
DVD - £7.99

Borderlands, Archie Fisher on Celtic Roots Festival



CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FROM GONZO
Archie Fisher
CD - £9.99

THE GONZO WEEKLY #213-4

Gonzo Magazine #213-4
THE SUPER DUPER YULE DOUBLE ISSUE
 
In this bumper holiday issue, Doug goes to see ARW (Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman) in words and pictures, Jeremy goes to see Jimbob late of Carter USM, Alan enthuses over the Bollywood Brass Band, Jon rails about Nostradamus and presents his top ten records of the year. We also meet the mighty Sensorium Girliebox, Tony Henderson has more Pink Fairies sculptures, there is a competition to win ARW tickets, and Doug, Alan and John make some surprising choices when writing about festive music. And, yes, Corinna tells a story.
 
And there are radio shows from Strange Fruit, Mack Maloney, and Friday Night Progressive, whilst Canterbury Sans Frontieres is back ‘cos there was a full moon last week. We also have columns from all sorts of folk including Roy Weard, Mr Biffo, Neil Nixon and the irrepressible Corinna. There is also a collection of more news, reviews, views, interviews and pademelons outside zoos (OK, nothing to do with small marsupials who have escaped from captivity, but I got carried away with things that rhymed with OOOOS) than you can shake a stick at. And the best part is IT's ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!
 
This issue features:
 
Sensorium Girliebox, David Bowie, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Kula Shaker, The Divine Comedy, Shirley Collins, The Rolling Stones, Black Angel Drifter, Radiohead, Sexwitch, Leonard Cohen, Chic, Thom Yorke, Mick Jagger, CeeLo, David Bowie, Marillion, Elton John, Yes, Strange Harvest, Friday Night Progressive, Canterbury sans Frontieres, Mack Maloney's Mystery Hour, Robert Alan "Bob" Krasnow, Bunny Tekokiri Miha Wahi Walters, Elizabeth Taylor Pecanins, Barrelhouse Chuck, Mark Fisher, James Ellsworth "Jim" Lowe, Lionel Blue, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Henry Judah Heimlich, Spirits Burning and Clearlight, Vangelis, Al Atkins, Atomic Rooster, Rick Wakeman, Martin Stephenson and The Daintees, Archie Fisher & Barbara Dickson, The Pink Fairies, Tony Henderson, ARW, Alan Dearling, Gary Glitter,  John Brodie-Good, Gary Duncan’s Quicksilver, Lindisfarne, Lemmy, Bollywood Brass Band, Jeremy Smith, Jim Bob, Chris T-T, Mr Biffo, Roy Weard, Hawkwind, Xtul, Martin Springett, Muse, Prince, John Entwistle, The Beatles, Connie Converse
 
Read the previous few issues of Gonzo Weekly:
 
Issue 211 (Phil Collins)
Issue 210 (Nico)
Issue 209 (Pink Fairies)
Issue 208 (Leonard Cohen)
Issue 207 (Tibet)
Issue 206 (Raz)
Issue 205 (Pink Fairies)
Issue 204 (Gas Tank)
Issue 203 (The Gardening Club)
Issue 202 (Gong)
Issue 201 (Auld Man's Baccie)
Issue 200 (Deep Purple)
Issue 199 (Yes)
Issue 198 (Steve Ignorant)
Issue 197 (Gilli Smyth)
Issue 196 (Paul May)
Issue 195 (Dave Brock)
Issue 194 (Auburn)
Issue 193 (Genre Peak)
Issue 192 (Rick Wakeman and Brian May)
Issue 191 (Karnataka)
Issue 190 (Erik Norlander)
Issue 189 (Rick Wakeman at the O2)
Issue 187/8 (Yer holiday special)
Issue 186 (Beatles)
Issue 185 (Judge Smith)
Issue 184 (Mick Abrahams)
 
All issues from #70 can be downloaded at www.gonzoweekly.com if you prefer. If you have problems downloading, just email me and I will add you to the Gonzo Weekly dropbox. The first 69 issues are archived there as well. Information is power chaps, we have to share it!
 
You can download the magazine in pdf form HERE:
 

SPECIAL NOTICE: If you, too, want to unleash the power of your inner rock journalist, and want to join a rapidly growing band of likewise minded weirdos please email me at jon@eclipse.co.uk The more the merrier really.

THE GONZO TRACK OF THE DAY: John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

THOM THE WORLD POET: The Daily Poem

Rob Ayling, yer Gonzo Grande Fromage, writes: 


"Thom the World poet is an old mate of mine from way back in my history. Even pre-dating Voiceprint, when I was running "Otter Songs" and Thom's poetry tapes and guest appearances with Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and Mother Gong are well known and highly regarded. It just felt right to include a daily poem from Thom on our Gonzo blog and when I approached him to do so, he replied within seconds!!! Thom is a great talent and just wants to spread poetry, light and positive energy across the globe. If we at Gonzo can help him do that - why not?"

OCCASIONALLY,ENTRANCE IS FREE@STONEHENGE
Usually,for a ceremony led by Druids
Yesterday,families sat on stones and filmed each other
There were more iphones than guitars and drums-
more passive witnessing than active participation.
Of course,one also saw meditators,stone-huggers,eerily dressed pagans
but they stood as visual contrast to the rugged up,capped and camera-ready spectators.
A line of women in red chanted"BE AWARE!THE LAND THAT WE WALK ON IS SACRED"
as they proceeded into the center of the space inside the stone circle.NOTE!This was all filmed
LIVE from Stonehenge,so the paradox of filmmakers being filmed was a constant reality.
Faerie children stared at the drummers ,who kept beat from various locations around and within.
Clouds were British gray and dull.It would have been chill.Coats were as thick as clouds.
Ritual was observed in many ways(individually and collectively)
The openness and documentation via live feed were unique.
I felt i was given a gift of 43 minutes within Stonehenge itself

So i rugged up,adopted a Brit accent,and prayed for Sacred Stones to save us!
...BECAUSE SOME OF US THINK THAT THIS STUFF IS IMPORTANT
What happens when you mix what is - arguably - the world's most interesting record company, with an anarchist manic-depressive rock music historian polymath, and a method of dissemination which means that a daily rock-music magazine can be almost instantaneous?

Most of this blog is related in some way to the music, books and films produced by Gonzo Multimedia, but the editor has a grasshopper mind and so also writes about all sorts of cultural issues which interest him, and which he hopes will interest you as well.