November 2013

Revision notes for Sunday’s WIYE at the Lexington

November 27, 2013 David Hepworth 0

Here’s Rhodri Marsden’s piercing analysis of the umbilical connection between the words “waiting” and “aniticipating” This is “Build A House Of Love”, an Andy Gregory-arranged […]

We WIYEsh you a Merry Christmas

November 22, 2013 Alex Gold 0

Now’s the time to book your tickets for our very special seasonal Word In Your Ear show at The Lexington on December 1st. We’ll be […]

Word In Your Ear

David Hepworth, Mark Ellen and chums cast an occasionally jaundiced eye over the goings-on in the worlds of music and entertainment.

Dave Balfe was a key player in late ‘70s Liverpool, joined Big In Japan and the Teardrop Explodes, co-founded Zoo Records and, later, Food who signed and launched Blur. It’s fascinating to hear how he’s adapted to promoting music now with his new band Late Transmissions. We talk to him here about the landmarks moments that mapped out his life, among them …

… growing up in the Wirral and its patchouli-scented record shops

… seeing Wings and Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust tour in Liverpool

… how it felt to be immortalised in Blur’s Country House

… what he learnt making AI pop videos

… when your teenage band “goes punk”

… breaking and entering Rumbelows in pursuit of a synthesiser

… the curious link between Blur and JD Salinger in the days “they were all Kurt Weill and discordant”

… the Runaways at Erics – “I wasn’t entirely there for the music”

… Big In Japan with Bill Drummond, Budgie, Ian Brodie and Jayne Casey

.. is AI like the arrival of synthesisers: “this is not proper music?”

… “the old gag, innovation is not pastiching bands that have already been pastiched”

… and Mark’s interview with him 47 years ago.