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What In The World

  What in the World? – Flagpole Sitta and the Paranoia of 1998 1998. The new millennium was just around the corner, and the world was busy preparing for the future. Computers were becoming essential. The internet was beginning to change how we communicated. A new search engine called Google was founded, and Apple unveiled a colourful computer that looked as though it had escaped from a science-fiction film. But beneath all that excitement, the world was looking decidedly unsettled. Financial markets were wobbling. Political scandals were dominating television. And while Northern Ireland was taking a historic step towards peace, conflicts and uncertainty continued elsewhere. Then came a song that seemed to sum up the whole bewildering mess. Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger. Released in 1998, it was a furious, funny, gloriously cynical blast of alternative rock. A song for anyone who looked at the world around them and wondered whether everybody had completely lost their minds. The Fu...
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Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting

  EVERYBODY WAS KUNG FU FIGHTING B-Side Man presents: The Dragon, the Guitar and the Missing Reel A VHS film noir rock 'n' roll fever dream PICTURE STARTS • TRACKING ERROR • DO NOT ADJUST YOUR SET The year is 1984. Or 1974. Or possibly Tuesday. The rain is coming down sideways. A neon dragon flickers above a nightclub called The Golden Pick. Somewhere in the distance, a guitar is making a noise that sounds suspiciously like a motorcycle being thrown down a staircase. I was looking for a song. Just one song. A little something to follow up that business with the octopus and Mother Earth . Something with a bit of mystery. A little international flavour. Maybe a hidden gem from the bottom of the crate. Then I found a trail. And the trail led straight into a world of Asian rock 'n' roll where the guitars are loud, the rules are questionable, and everybody seems to know kung fu. Or at least, they know somebody who does. Chapter One: The Case of the Missing Dragon It started ...
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Queens Of The South

  THE QUEENS OF THE SOUTH Twelve queens. Three continents. One hell of a rock 'n' roll journey. There is a tendency to look north when we talk about rock royalty. London, Los Angeles, New York. The familiar names, the familiar stories, the familiar faces on the posters. But rock has never respected borders, and rebellion has never required a passport. Down south, women have been plugging in, turning up and challenging expectations for generations. From Australia's sweat-soaked pub-rock stages to South Africa's alternative underground, from the psychedelic experiments of Chile to the fierce melodies of Argentina and Colombia, these queens have carved out their own territory. Some became household names. Others remain discoveries waiting to happen. Some sing in English, others in Afrikaans, Portuguese or Spanish. Their sounds differ, their histories differ, but they share one glorious refusal to play by somebody else's rules. Welcome to the southern court. Leave your ...
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All Aboard the Grand Funk Railroad

  One Band a Month – Grand Funk Railroad: The Band That Didn't Need Permission Some bands win over the critics. Some bands win over the record companies. And then there are bands like Grand Funk Railroad. They turned up, plugged in, turned everything up to eleven and got on with the business of making a racket. The critics weren't particularly impressed. The radio stations weren't always convinced. But the fans? They absolutely loved them. And while other bands were busy worrying about their reputation, Grand Funk were busy filling stadiums. Welcome to November's One Band a Month. All aboard the Grand Funk Railroad! Three Men, One Very Big Sound Grand Funk Railroad came together in Flint, Michigan, in 1969. The original lineup was Mark Farner on guitar and vocals, Don Brewer on drums and vocals, and Mel Schacher on bass. Three musicians. No fancy arrangements. No enormous orchestra of session players. Just a power trio with a serious appetite for volume. Farner brought ...
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The Bizarre, The Strange and the Weird

  Monday Madness: The Bizarre, the Strange and the Weirdest Rock Concerts Ever Rock and roll has never been particularly good at following instructions. Some bands play until the audience begs for mercy. Others walk onstage, make a noise, and disappear before anyone has had time to applaud. Some perform in ancient ruins, on rooftops or hundreds of metres beneath the earth. And occasionally, things go so spectacularly wrong that the audience becomes part of the show. Welcome to Monday Madness, where we're celebrating the bizarre, the strange and the downright ridiculous side of live rock. The Concerts That Barely Happened The White Stripes: One Note and Goodbye St. John's, Newfoundland | 2007 Jack and Meg White had set themselves the ambitious task of playing every Canadian province. By the time they reached Newfoundland, the duo had apparently decided that a conventional concert wasn't quite enough. For their free pop-up appearance, the White Stripes delivered a single C-sh...
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