Radio Gonzo

Karnataka are a Welsh progressive rock band that was formed in 1997 by bassist/guitarist Ian Jones, vocalist Rachel Jones and keyboardist Jonathan Edwards. The band very quickly built up a strong and staunch following. Over a period of twelve years Karnataka has released a number of well-received albums including Karnataka, The Storm, Delicate Flame Of Desire and more recently, The Gathering Light. Despite undergoing a number of key line up changes, the band is still led by Ian Jones. The new line up features, vocalist Lisa Fury alongside guitarist Enrico Pinnas, keyboardist Gonzalo Carerra and drummer Ian Harris. In May 2010, Ian Harris, Gonzalo Carrera and Lisa Fury announced on their websites that due to personal reasons they would be leaving the band. It was announced in October 2010 that Ian Harris would be replaced by former Karnataka session drummer Louie Palmer, and in October 2010 multi-instrumentalist Colin Mold was revealed as having joined the band in a new role. In February 2011, it was ann

Annie Haslam is an English progressive rock vocalist, songwriter and visual artist. Annie is best known for her five-octave voice and for being the lead vocalist for the English Classical Rock band Renaissance. She was born in Bolton, Lancashire, a cotton-mill town. As a child Annie wanted to be a nurse, a ballet dancer, and later and more realistically, a fashion designer. She became a fashion student in Cornwall and ended up working for several clothing designers in London before ending up with a Saville Row tailor, where she admits that she learned much more than she had learnt being in the fashion houses! Then came the music… There was already music flowing through her family: her father George, who had been an amateur comedian singer (he was a tenor), and brother Michael, who was managed by Beatles manager Brian Epstein. He toured with the Beatles on their Christmas package-tour in the early '60s. But it was much later when Annie realised that she too was a singer. She began studying under opera singe

Date Published: 7th March 2015 In this issue we review a recent DVD featuring FZ between 1969-73; this particular era of Frank Zappa's career has always been dear to me, so I was very much looking forward to watching the DVD. Then I discovered that one of the major contributors was our old mate Billy James, PR Guru with Glass Onyon, and mainman of the ever shifting Ant-Bee project. So I gave him a ring......

Eliza Carthy (born 23 August 1975) is an English folk musician known for both singing and playing fiddle. She is the daughter of English folk musicians singer/guitarist Martin Carthy and singer Norma Waterson. Carthy was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. At the age of thirteen Carthy formed the Waterdaughters with her mother, aunt (Lal Waterson) and cousin Maria Knight. She has subsequently worked with Nancy Kerr, with her parents as Waterson:Carthy, and as part of the 'supergroup' Blue Murder, in addition to her own solo work. She went to school at Fyling Hall School in North Yorkshire. Eliza Carthy led the vocals as a member of Blue Murder on the song I Bid You Goodnight found on the CD tribute to the music of Joseph Spence & the Pinder family called Out On the Rolling Sea (1994) (Green Linnet). Along with Eliza are Lal Waterson, Norma Waterson, Jim Boyes, Martin Carthy, Barry Coope, Lester Simpson and Mike Waterson. She has twice been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize for UK album of the

Robert Wyatt started out as the drummer and singer for Soft Machine, who shared a residency at Middle Earth with Pink Floyd and toured America with Jimi Hendrix. He brought a Bohemian and jazz outlook to the '60s rock scene, having honed his drumming skills in a shed at the end of Robert Graves' garden in Mallorca. His life took an abrupt turn after he fell from a fourth-floor window at a party and was paralysed from the waist down. He reinvented himself as a singer and composer with the extraordinary album Rock Bottom that has brought him a loyal following not just in Britain but in France, Italy and Germany. For about a decade he was a member of the Communist party, and in the early eighties his solo work was increasingly political. October last year saw the release of Different Every Time: The Authorised Biography of Robert Wyatt by Marcus O'Dair. In promotion of the book Wyatt appeared at the Wire'?s "Off the Page" festival in Bristol on 26 September, and at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 23 November. A co

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 founding presenter Neil Nixon has just released a book about rare albums for Gonzo Multimedia. The show is broadcast on Miskin Radio every Sunday from 10-00-midnight. However, this week we introduce you to a new face, and as the two promotional pictures that he sent consisted as one of him covered in mud and the other of him covered in guinea pigs he is obviously mad as a bagful of cheese, which means he will fit in here just fine! We asked Jeremy Smith to introduce himself, and he wrote the following: I've been a huge music fan ever since my par

I have been a rock and roll journalist, man and boy for over three decades now, and have been privileged enough to interview many luminaries from John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin to Dave Brubeck, and from Steve Ignorant to Ken Campbell, and I wouldn't even presume to try to rank my interviewees in importance. But in the two years since I have been doing my own particular brand of Gonzo Journalism there is one artist who far more people want to know about and are impressed that I have interviewed, than anyone else. It is Barbara Dickson. During a long and stellar career, she has been the doyenne of Scottish folk music, the queen of light entertainment, collected songs of the Jacobite rebellion, and the First World War, and has carried a torch for the songs of Gerry Rafferty (amongst many other achievements). Sadly, whenever I mention on Facebook that I have spoken to her, one or other of my more idiotic family, friends, or acquaintances always ask whether that means “I Know Her So Well”. Actually, we have

Last week, along with most of the musical publications in the western world, we bade our farewells to Joe Cocker. He was undoubtedly a giant of the musical genre with which we are dealing in this magazine, but to leave it at an obituary culled from Wikipedia didn't sit well with me. Then, the other night I was pootling about the Internet on my iPad, which is something I tend to do quite a lot these days as I am now free to surf the net from the comfort of my armchair, rather than from the relative austerity of my office. I was reading David Hepworth's blog when I came across this post from the shortest day of last year: "I got a few calls this evening to talk about Joe Cocker. I don't really have anything pat I wanted to say and I wouldn't have had time to do any revision so I passed. I just heard the BBC's Arts Correspondent on the 9 o'clock bulletin on Five Live. He said something like "Of course, Joe broke through with that amazing version of 'With A Little Help From My Friends' at Woodstock in 1968 an

Gonzo Web Radio is chuffed to bits to present a remarkable 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 bet yer 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 approached by Jaki.

Gonzo Web Radio is chuffed to bits to present a remarkable 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 bet yer 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 approached by Jaki.

Merrell and I share an interest in esoteric subjects. I directed a video for the title song of his 2012 album Area 51 Suite, and also typeset his remarkable autobiography, an extract from which follows. However Merrell has recently embarked on a new esoteric project which brings together various strands including aliens, ancient folklore and the lost continent of Mu. How could I resist? I gave him a ring...

Date Published: 13th December 2014 Merrell Fankhauser has led one of the most diverse and interesting careers in music. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and moved to California when he was 13 years old. Merrell went on to become one of the innovators of surf music and psychedelic folk rock. His travels from Hollywood to his 15-year jungle experience on the island of Maui have been documented in numerous music books and magazines in the United States and Europe. Merrell has gained legendary international status throughout the field of rock music; his credits include over 250 songs published and released. He is a multi-talented singer/songwriter and unique guitar player whose sound has delighted listeners for over 35 years. In the early '60s Merrell led the instrumental surf group The Impacts who had a hit with their album titled Wipe Out, which was reissued in 1994 on Del Fi Records in the United States and in 1995 on Repertoire Records in Germany. They returned in 1996 and 1997 with two stunning CDs tit

Billy James is an author of rock biographies and a musician in his own right. As Ant-Bee he has reassembled great musicians from the psychedelic era. Featuring contributions from The Mothers of Invention, the Alice Cooper group and members from Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, amongst others, Ant-Bee has recorded several albums of material that bring together the styles of several branches of late-60s experimental rock music. He has made the editing of tapes an art form in itself, and utilises the decay of analogue recordings in a unique fashion. There truly is no-one else like Ant-Bee. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, Ant-Bee began in 1987 in Los Angeles as a venue for James to showcase his musical affinity to the psychedelic and experimental music of the late '60s. Signing to Voxx/Bomp! Records in 1988, Ant-Bee released Pure Electric Honey, which featured guest appearances by former members of The Mothers of Invention and Captain Beefheart. Sounding like a cross between the Smile-era of The B

Gonzo Web Radio is chuffed to bits to present a remarkable 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 bet yer 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 approached by Jaki.

On Wednesday morning, by a roundabout route I received this email from noted record producer David Mackay... Dear Friends Unashamedly I am sending a begging email!!! Here is a link to a Christmas record I have produced. It features our friends John Parr (St Elmo's Fire) Lorraine Crosby (Meatloaf's Bat out of hell girl) and our lovely grand children Charlie, Millie, Eve and the children of St. Catherine's School. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhLynZqlnKs A royalty from each sale will go to Great Ormond Street Children's hospital so it is in a good cause. Christmas records have a limited time to make an impression. Here is where we BEG for your help. If we can sell enough downloads in a short space of time, we could grab the attention of TV and radio and maybe even make the charts. To do it we need a concentrated number of sales over 3 or 4 days on iTunes Here is the link to buy the record on iTunes. https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/ring-out-bells-feat.-john/id935888302 IF you can support this e

Dave Bainbridge is best known as one of the founder members of Celtic Rock band Iona, of which he has been the mainstay since its formation in the late eighties. As a solo artist Dave Bainbridge is a relative newcomer, only taking the plunge when Iona had a sabbatical in the early noughties. This break was due to the band's vocalist taking time out to concentrate on her family. In late 2003 Dave wrote and recorded his debut solo album 'A Veil Of Gossamer'. The album was critically well received and this encouraged Dave to begin work on another album. This will be completed as soon as there is a gap in the now reconstituted Iona's schedule. In the meantime Dave has formed a working partnership with Troy Donockley, also of Iona. The duo has made two albums and a live DVD recorded at Lincoln Cathedral. They also toured Japan in late 2004, performing a mixture of their own solo material alongside traditional and newer songs, plus selected items from Iona's vast back catalogue. Dave, using the very 21st Ce

I first met Steve Ignorant in person during the autumn of 1982 when I was a student nurse at the now defunct Royal Western Counties Hospital for the Mentally Handicapped, in South Devon. The story of how I managed to blag the authorities to let me take a group of mentally handicapped children and young adults to see a performance by Crass (I told the powers that be that they were going to see a youth orchestra) has been told on many occasions, most notably in Steve's autobiography The Rest is Propaganda, and I won't repeat it here. Some weeks later I went to visit Crass at their legendary open house in Essex. I met Steve again, and we talked briefly about the state of the nation, his plans for the future, and whether Margaret Thatcher was going to start World War III. Fast forward thirty something years and through a series of coincidences I find myself working with him for the first time. He has released two CD/DVD packs celebrating firstly his 2007 show at The Shepherds Bush Empire where he and a pi

When original Yes guitarist Peter Banks died back in 2013, his friend, musician and publicist Billy James )aka Ant-Bee) wrote this: Guitar Legend Peter Banks Passes – July 15, 1947 – March 8, 2013 London, UK - Best known for his innovative and unique guitar work with YES and Flash, as well as his own critically acclaimed solo albums, guitar legend Peter Banks passed away at his home in London on March 8, 2013. Banks, a founding member of the ground breaking progressive rock group YES, performed on the band's first two albums, 'Yes' and 'Time And A Word'. He would go on to form Flash and release 3 well-received albums (Flash, In The Can, Out Of Our Hands), along with several successful tours of Europe and the US, culminating in an appearance on the widely watched late night American TV show 'The Midnight Special'. With an admitted fondness for improvisation, music critics touted Banks as a cross between Pete Townshend and Wes Montgomery. Even Pete Townshend, one night after witnessing a YES performance, walk

I first heard that The Pink Fairies were planning to re-form nearly a year ago at the Mick Farren memorial concert, which was held – fittingly enough – in London's Ladbroke Grove. It was the last show that The Deviants were ever going to play, and – as far as I know - the only one that they ever did without Mick Farren. After Mick's death, it seemed the logical move to re-create – in a bizarre sort of way – what they had done over four decades before in 1969 when Sandy, Russell, and Paul Rudolph from The Deviants found that Mick was far too out to lunch for even them to deal with and sacked him during a disastrous tour of the West Coast of the United States. They formed the legendary people's band, 'The Pink Fairies' and proceeded to carve a swathe of chaos through the music business for the next few years. Their brand of rock and roll madness was the perfect soundtrack to some very insane times. This time around, however, the reason for being without Mick was a sadder, and far more important one. Paul

Date Published: 15th November 2014 Gonzo Web Radio is chuffed to bits to present a remarkable 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 bet yer 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 aft