BAD HAND CD CLUB

During the Bad Hand Records era briefly we started up a Bad Hand CD Club. My mix CD became disc M and here are the covers I used.

GREEN MAN ROUNDABOUT FESTIVAL

In August 2006 when Justin, Helen and Mark hosted the Green Man Roundabout Festival in Leytonstone featuring sets by Rothko, Yonoquiero and Share The Shame we were all given the opportunity to DJ and these were the discs I prepared for the occasion.

The event was a Bad Hand Records joint given a catalogue number of badhand004.

JUSTIN’S STAG WEEKEND DISC 2

Also for Justin Front And Follow and his stag weekend I compiled a hip-hop party disc.

Braap!

JUSTIN’S STAG WEEKEND DISC

When Justin (Front And Follow and Bad Hand Film) held his stag weekend in a converted barn cum cottage in Suffolk over the weekend of 21 April 2006 I was requested to compile some discs of rock classics in order to build up a party atmosphere for the stag weekend album we were to record en mass into the night.

Despite my PC and iTunes doing everything in their power to prevent me from completing a disc I just about managed to hit a home run with this compilation even if I did in the midst of a drunken frenzy put “Louie Louie” by The Kingsmen on a continual loop for almost half an hour in tribute to the toga party from National Lampoon’s Animal House.

The later tracks on the disc (17 through to 20) were by request from the best man (Racton) but with “Sweet Freedom” by Michael McDonald the disc possessed one of the greatest chorus hooks in Yacht Rock history. Likewise “I’m Alright” by Kenny Loggins would serve to give us a fever for golf and “Back To Paradise” by 38 Special for one weekend only was our Revenge Of The Nerds soundtrack.

Best of times.

BAD HAND RECORDS CD EXCHANGE

While the Bad Hand Records website Bad Hand Writing was flourishing a CD Club exchange/competition was arranged and this was the DJ Gram effort.

JOHN PEEL A CELEBRATION

In 2005 a few short months after John Peel sadly passed away the Colchester Arts Centre held a free tribute show to celebrate his existence featuring a fine lineup of local acts that had recorded Peel Sessions and generally been treated thoroughly decently by the man before his untimely death.

The day before the gig when I went to pick up my tickets for the event Staff the promoter if I could do a little DJing inbetween bands. I was truly thrilled and terrified by the request. In addition to my usual set of discs I pulled together these two discs choc full of the best The Fall songs with view to giving any kind of set a true Peel feel.

The event was a true success. The Arts Centre was full to the rafters and the idea of playing songs to so many people terrified me. In the end for the majority of the evening a documentary about John Peel was played behind the stage in between bands before Steve Lamacq turned up and did a genuinely touching tribute speech to the man before launching into a set opening with the same Mudhoney track I had burned/ripped from the Sub Pop Peel Sessions CD too.

Towards the end of the night Staff came up to me asking me if I had “Teenage Kicks” by The Undertones on my discs and I had to concede I didn’t because I find it a truly awful and cheesy song despite the late Mr Peel’s obsession with it.

After Steve Harley finished his set I got the opportunity to close out the night after Lamacq had packed up. I managed a two song set. I opened with “I Want You” by the Inspiral Carpets with Mark E. Smith on vocals. Off the back of this a punter came stomping up to me happily disbelieving that I was playing the song. Together we celebrated. Afterwards I think (and I might be wrong) I put on The Fall version of “A Day In The Life”, which may have been a selection more inspired than my actions that evening.

I believe sadly that this was the last time I had the opportunity to DJ at the Colchester Arts Centre (work commitments etc).

THE DAY AFTER

The day after I found myself dismissed for blogging by Butt Road I was given the opportunity to DJ at the Macrocosmica show at the Colchester Arts Centre. For the occasion I pulled together an “I Hate My Job” setlist. I opened the evening with “I Can’t Wait To Get Off Work” by Tom Waits and made a most futile gesture against my now ex-employers. It felt ironic that only six months earlier one of the bosses had come up to me following my set at the final Hirameka show at the venue. Go figure.

This is the disc that I traded with Dead Or American when I DJed at their Colchester gig in 2004

They mainly wanted it for the inclusion of “Uzi Lover” after hearing it being played out during my “set” and in the process of the trade they got “Hot Cosby” and “Big Black Baldwin” thrown into the deal. Those lucky bastards.

DJ GRAM can be found at

MYSPACE

and

REMIX HERE