Radio Gonzo

As regular readers will know, late last Autumn I discovered the music of a remarkable little ensemble from the city of Engels called XNA, and like one of the more annoying Evangelists who come and knock on your front door while you are trying to do something else, and totally disrupt your morning's work I have been proselytising about them ever since. In these degenerate days it is rare to find a band like this and in my review of my favourite records of 2013, which for some years now I have been publishing over what is euphemistically known as the festive season, I described them as sounding like Nursery Cryme period Genesis with Judge Smith on vocals and gave a caveat, yes they are that good. I was particularly taken with the first track that they released, a sprawling piece of literate Fortean prog called The Flying Dutchman, which gave their take on the legend of the ghost ship which has been seen by so many people including a future British king and other luminaries sailing around the Cape of Good Hope

Gonzo Web Radio is chuffed to bits to present the world premier of a remarkable new radio show put together by none other than the lovely Jaki Windmill and the irrepressible Tim Rundall. An anarchic mixture of music, politics, current affairs and all sorts of other things really wrapped in a surreal miasma of post-psychedelic credibility. Sounds good? You bit sweet pondos it does. Tim approached me some weeks ago. Apparently before he died Mick Farren told him about Gonzo Web Radio and some of the plans Rob and I had tentatively began to put together. Would we like to broadcast some of the stuff he had recorded with Mick? I've heard some silly questions in my time, but this takes the biscuit. Of course we would. Mick Farren was one of my greatest heroes, and the fact that he took an interest in this magazine and helped me steer it into the direction in which it is currently sailing, meant that dear Tim's question was completely superfluous. So I waited to see what would happen. Soon after that I got

Strange Fruit is a unique two-hour radio show exploring the world of underground, strange and generally neglected music. All shows are themed and all shows set out to give the most hardened of sound-hounds some new delight to sample. The show is also unique in providing homework for undergraduate students on North West Kent College's Foundation Degree in Professional Writing (who dig up many of the odd facts featured in the links between tracks). Strange Fruit presenter Neil Nixon is currently working on a book about rare albums for Gonzo Multimedia. The show is broadcast on Miskin Radio every Sunday from 10-00-midnight. PLAYLIST FOR THIS EPISODE Lavender Country: Come out Singin' The War on Drugs: Red Eyes Black Sabbath: Planet Caravan Linda Perhacs: River of God Music Emporium: Gentle Thursday Miss Pat Collins: Turn On Lothar and the Hand People: Space Hymn Juxtavoices: Drawn From no Well Les Baxter: The Enchanted Sea Smokey: Strong Love Mica

As regular readers of my inky fingered scribblings here and elsewhere will be aware I have a soft spot for Dutch performance artist René van Commenée who performs under the nom de guerre of 'Mr Averell'. He wrote to me the other day giving details of a record that is imminently being released by Gonzo. In 1992, when he was halfway through his forties, the legendary Van der Graaf Generator saxophonist David Jackson left teaching full time to practice, write, record and play gigs again. He created a one-man show of new and old historic pieces; some he had reworked in his studio and were never performed live before. At that time, Jackson had been seeing and keeping up with his young Dutch friend René van Commenée and knew of his percussive powers at the time. "He had recently spent a whole night at our house in Wokingham in the room below our bedroom practicing for an immanent 24 hour Indian Tabla exam - which was a strange and exhilarating sound to wake up with!" (D. Jackson) Van Commenée invited his lege

Just as we were putting this issue to bed we had a phone call. In fact that was a lie, just as Corinna was putting this issue to bed and I was in my home studio recording backing vocals with the ever-talented Mike Davies, we had a phone call. It was our old pal the multi-talented and ever-entertaining Keith Levene, the original guitar slinger with both The Clash and Public Image Ltd. He has always been one of my favourite guitarists because he is one of the few purveyors of that instrument in the history of rock and roll who has actually gone out and done something different with it and in doing so re-defining both the instrument and the role of the guitarist for a new generation. Whilst not a virtuoso in the conventional sense of the word, to me he is up there with people like Les Paul, George Harrison and the dude from Radiohead who have all left their own idiosyncratic mark upon the culture that we call rock and roll. Keith wanted to talk about the latest developments in his ongoing quest to get his v

Gonzo Web Radio is chuffed to bits to present the world premier of a remarkable new radio show put together by none other than the lovely Jaki Windmill and the irrepressible Tim Rundall. An anarchic mixture of music, politics, current affairs and all sorts of other things really wrapped in a surreal miasma of post-psychedelic credibility. Sounds good? You bit sweet pondos it does. Tim approached me some weeks ago. Apparently before he died Mick Farren told him about Gonzo Web Radio and some of the plans Rob and I had tentatively began to put together. Would we like to broadcast some of the stuff he had recorded with Mick? I've heard some silly questions in my time, but this takes the biscuit. Of course we would. Mick Farren was one of my greatest heroes, and the fact that he took an interest in this magazine and helped me steer it into the direction in which it is currently sailing, meant that dear Tim's question was completely superfluous. So I waited to see what would happen. Soon

We at Gonzo Web Radio are very proud to bring you Canterbury Sans Frontières - a podcast dedicated to the music of the 'Canterbury Scene' and more. Creator Matthew Watkins writes: As with Canterbury Soundwaves, a new three-hour episode will be released with each full moon.I decided to wind down Canterbury Soundwaves so that I didn't end up (i) repeating myself, (ii) scraping the bottom of the Canterbury barrel, or (iii) becoming increasingly tangential. This new podcast broadens the musical remit, so it'll be about one-third 'Canterbury sound', together with progressive/psychedelic/experimental music from the Canterbury of today, the remainder being a mix of music from various times and places which I feel to be in a similar spirit of creative adventurousness. I'll be doing a lot less talking, and the programme will be less expository – so no interviews, barely-listenable bootlegs, etc. I also plan to include guest one-hour mixes from various musicians from the current music scene in Canterbury (Episode 2

Strange Fruit is a unique two-hour radio show exploring the world of underground, strange and generally neglected music. All shows are themed and all shows set out to give the most hardened of sound-hounds some new delight to sample. The show is also unique in providing homework for undergraduate students on North West Kent College's Foundation Degree in Professional Writing (who dig up many of the odd facts featured in the links between tracks). Strange Fruit presenter Neil Nixon is currently working on a book about rare albums for Gonzo Multimedia. The show is broadcast on Miskin Radio every Sunday from 10-00-midnight.

Mountain meets bioethics! Legendary Mountain drummer Corky Laing teams up with two internationally acclaimed philosophers (Prof. Matti Häyry and Dr. Tuija Takala) in this joint effort that brings together '70s style music and contemporary moral problems of gene technology. 'Playing God' is a concept album. 'Playing God' is a musical metaphor for today's attempt to attain perfection. Musically the album covers many feels and approaches from soft ballads to riff-driven guitar rock, from meditative instrumentals to operatic melody lines. At its core, the guitar-bass-drums combo is complemented with powerful singing. While Corky Laing, the drummer, is known - and his forceful, innovative and mesmerizing drumming features heavily on the album - 'Playing God' also introduces Corky Laing, the singer. There is such strength and depth to his voice that one can only wonder why the world has not, prior to this, known him as the lead singer he is. The main female leads are sang by Maya Paakkari (an entrancing raspy voic

Strange Fruit is a unique two-hour radio show exploring the world of underground, strange and generally neglected music. All shows are themed and all shows set out to give the most hardened of sound-hounds some new delight to sample. The show is also unique in providing homework for undergraduate students on North West Kent College's Foundation Degree in Professional Writing (who dig up many of the odd facts featured in the links between tracks). Strange Fruit presenter Neil Nixon is currently working on a book about rare albums for Gonzo Multimedia.

We at Gonzo Web Radio are very proud to bring you Canterbury Sans Frontières - a podcast dedicated to the music of the 'Canterbury Scene' and more. Creator Matthew Watkins writes: As with Canterbury Soundwaves, a new three-hour episode will be released with each full moon.I decided to wind down Canterbury Soundwaves so that I didn't end up (i) repeating myself, (ii) scraping the bottom of the Canterbury barrel, or (iii) becoming increasingly tangential. This new podcast broadens the musical remit, so it'll be about one-third 'Canterbury sound', together with progressive/psychedelic/experimental music from the Canterbury of today, the remainder being a mix of music from various times and places which I feel to be in a similar spirit of creative adventurousness. I'll be doing a lot less talking, and the programme will be less expository – so no interviews, barely-listenable bootlegs, etc. I also plan to include guest one-hour mixes from various musicians from the current music scene in Canterbury (Episode 2

Gonzo Web Radio is chuffed to bits to present the world premier of a remarkable new radio show put together by none other than the lovely Jaki Windmill and the irrepressible Tim Rundall. An anarchic mixture of music, politics, current affairs and all sorts of other things really wrapped in a surreal miasma of post-psychedelic credibility. Sounds good? You bit sweet pondos it does. Tim approached me some weeks ago. Apparently before he died Mick Farren told him about Gonzo Web Radio and some of the plans Rob and I had tentatively began to put together. Would we like to broadcast some of the stuff he had recorded with Mick? I've heard some silly questions in my time, but this takes the biscuit. Of course we would. Mick Farren was one of my greatest heroes, and the fact that he took an interest in this magazine and helped me steer it into the direction in which it is currently sailing, meant that dear Tim's question was completely superfluous. So I waited to see what would happen. Soon

Billy Sherwood is a remarkable man. Of all the people that I have interviewed since I first started my association with Gonzo Multimedia over two years go, I think that Billy is one of the most interesting. He does so many projects. Just a brief look at his recent workload reveals records with Gene Loves Jezebel, Days Between Stations (on which he proves himself to be a remarkable drummer as well as bass player, guitarist and producer. He also produced the astounding debut album by XNA which has been one of my favourite albums of this last year. He is possibly best known as having been a member of Yes during the 1990s, and his long-standing relationship with Chris Squire has come back into play recently as he was called back into action with prog rock's longest running soap opera, to do production work on the backing vocals on the band's eagerly awaited new album which is out in July. He was kind enough to agree to our second interview some weeks ago, but events conspired to thwart us. Everything that c

Strange Fruit is a unique two-hour radio show exploring the world of underground, strange and generally neglected music. All shows are themed and all shows set out to give the most hardened of sound-hounds some new delight to sample. The show is also unique in providing homework for undergraduate students on North West Kent College's Foundation Degree in Professional Writing (who dig up many of the odd facts featured in the links between tracks). Strange Fruit presenter Neil Nixon is currently working on a book about rare albums for Gonzo Multimedia. The show is broadcast on Miskin Radio every Sunday from 10-00-midnight.

Strange Fruit is a unique two-hour radio show exploring the world of underground, strange and generally neglected music. All shows are themed and all shows set out to give the most hardened of sound-hounds some new delight to sample. The show is also unique in providing homework for undergraduate students on North West Kent College's Foundation Degree in Professional Writing (who dig up many of the odd facts featured in the links between tracks). Strange Fruit presenter Neil Nixon is currently working on a book about rare albums for Gonzo Multimedia. The show is broadcast on Miskin Radio every Sunday from 10-00-midnight.

Strange Fruit is a unique two-hour radio show exploring the world of underground, strange and generally neglected music. All shows are themed and all shows set out to give the most hardened of sound-hounds some new delight to sample. The show is also unique in providing homework for undergraduate students on North West Kent College's Foundation Degree in Professional Writing (who dig up many of the odd facts featured in the links between tracks). Strange Fruit presenter Neil Nixon is currently working on a book about rare albums for Gonzo Multimedia. The show is broadcast on Miskin Radio every Sunday from 10-00-midnight.

Erik Norlander is an extraordinarily talented musician and composer. I have been following his career for the last couple of years ever since Gonzo released his two Galactic Collective DVD sets. I interviewed him first a couple of years ago, and within minutes realised here was a chap with whom I felt an extraordinary affinity with. We have similar tastes in music, curry and books, and whenever we talk the conversation ends up going off onto arcane tangents that no body could have foreseen. He has just resurrected his band The Rocket Scientists who have just released an extraordinary new record called Supernatural Highways. He was kind enough to send me a copy, and it arrived on the day that some of the prophets of gloom were predicting that unusual activity amongst the wildlife at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming meant that the long dormant super volcano situated beneath the park was about to erupt for the first time in seventy thousand years. The projected result of this will be catastrophic for th

Strange Fruit is a unique two-hour radio show exploring the world of underground, strange and generally neglected music. All shows are themed and all shows set out to give the most hardened of sound-hounds some new delight to sample. The show is also unique in providing homework for undergraduate students on North West Kent College's Foundation Degree in Professional Writing (who dig up many of the odd facts featured in the links between tracks). Strange Fruit presenter Neil Nixon is currently working on a book about rare albums for Gonzo Multimedia. The show is broadcast on Miskin Radio every Sunday from 10-00-midnight

Strange Fruit is a unique two-hour radio show exploring the world of underground, strange and generally neglected music. All shows are themed and all shows set out to give the most hardened of sound-hounds some new delight to sample. The show is also unique in providing homework for undergraduate students on North West Kent College's Foundation Degree in Professional Writing (who dig up many of the odd facts featured in the links between tracks). Strange Fruit presenter Neil Nixon is currently working on a book about rare albums for Gonzo Multimedia. The show is broadcast on Miskin Radio every Sunday from 10-00-midnight

Strange Fruit is a unique two-hour radio show exploring the world of underground, strange and generally neglected music. All shows are themed and all shows set out to give the most hardened of sound-hounds some new delight to sample. The show is also unique in providing homework for undergraduate students on North West Kent College's Foundation Degree in Professional Writing (who dig up many of the odd facts featured in the links between tracks). Strange Fruit presenter Neil Nixon is currently working on a book about rare albums for Gonzo Multimedia. The show is broadcast on Miskin Radio every Sunday from 10-00-midnight. PLAYLIST FOR THIS EPISODE THE TOWERING AND OVERLOOKED GENIUS OF THE TWIGGS 02-02-14 Oasis – Supersonic Leftfield and Lydon – Open Up (Vocal Mix) Terrorvision – Pretend Best Friend The Twiggs – Fly So Hard Jah Wobble's Invaders of the Heart – Angels PiL – Cruel Sugar – Changes Belly – Gepetto The Lemonheads – Learning the Game Teenage Fanclub – Burned Neil Young – Pri