Mama Madonna Knows Best

Found this over at:
http://www.radarmagazine.com/movie/madonna-knows-best.php

Bend Me, Break Me...Anyway You Need Me

The amazing and inimitable Shirley Manson has posted a new diary entry on garbage.com and of course it's a fantastic read. I heart Shirley.
I really hope she does record a solo album or a new Garbage record soon.

posted on 12.08.05
November 30, 2005
Okay ....so I had to write this down to commit it to memory so I figured I may as well shove it up here.
DRUM-ROLL...................

On wednesday night ,the 30th of November 2005 I went to see Patti Smith play Horses in it's entirety at the Brooklyn Academy of Music,NY in celebration of the album's 30th anniversary and it was a mind-blowing experience for me.Aside from the obvious highlights, Tom Verlaine and Flea were guesting with the band which was an supercalifragilistic bonus. Tom Verlaine is one of my all time favourite guitarists so to see an icon like Patti play with yet another rock 'n roll icon was heavenly. It was also pretty fascinating to watch Flea play outside his usual comfort zone and he absolutely unequivocally rose to the occasion.My admiration for him increased ten fold after watching him slide into the music as though he played these songs every night of his life.His musicianship and the energy he brought onto the stage was captivating and complimented Patti perfectly and oh lordy lordy when he played trumpet,which was obviously a mildly discomforting and nerve-wracking thing for him to do, he soared on wings and dropped into heaven for a moment. Yum yum delicious.

As for Patti......she was as inspiring and brave,valiant and provocative, touching and sweetly funny as ever.I started to cry (for reasons I am still not quite able to adequately explain) the very second she glided out of black and into the light at the front of the stage.I don't know what it is about that woman but she utterly and completely dismantles me. The show was so moving and mesmerizing,I was captivated from start to finish.When she sang Power to the People she invited a little boy up on stage....he can't have been much older than ten years old,strapped her guitar around his shoulders and left him to jam with the band which he did with great aplomb and not a hint of shyness and I have to say he had a jolly good, solid downstroke and a big shit eating grin on his face and once again I could feel the tears spring into my eyes as I thought about my own youth and what Patti Smith had brought into it.

The first time I ever met her was backstage at a festival in Athens,Greece.We were headlining and she was opening the show.The irony and stupidity of this situation was not lost on me and I was mildly embarrassed about it if the truth be told.
At the time both Patti and Garbage shared record company and our rep,knowing I was a huge and slavish fan,dragged me into Patti Smith's dressing room (Patti Smith's dressing room!!!!) shortly before both of us were due to perform and introduced me to her.And what the hell did I do? I lost my shit.That's what I did. She rose from the couch to meet me and I was struck by how much taller she was than I had imagined.She stood there with her hand outstretched to shake mine, looking so magnificent and dignified and gentle that I was quite shaken.

I began to stumble over my words as I struggled to articulate what she meant to me and my emotions just kind of overtook me and my voice began to gurgle and shake.Tears weld up in my eyes and I could tell that Patti was mildly discomfited by my obvious lack of composure.She was nevertheless completely gracious and kind and went out of her way to try to make me feel at ease by laying a hand on my arm and smiling warmly.I loved her even more for thatcher compassion palpable.
The last time I saw her was at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland earlier this year.Once again we were headlining the show that night and once again I was struck by the inappropriateness of the situation. Anyhow......

I had been living on a touring diet of nothing but champagne and chocolate for nearly a week previous to our arrival in Montreux (don't ask....it's a long story) and as a result I was ravished by hunger by the time I got to the venue.My sweet and lovely monitor engineer insisted that he go down to the pedestrian walkway on the lakefront which is lined with all kinds of exotic culinary delights and find me something substantial to eat.
By the time he returned I was practically chewing at my fingers and I immediately tucked into my food like a starved island castaway. All of a sudden there was a knock on my dressing room door and being that my mouth was stuffed with chicken and rice I think I only managed a half arsed "Come in".
So lost in my food was I that I ceased to notice or care that nobody did infact enter the room.
Once again there was a tap at the door.By this time I was midly irritated. "Come in" I said much more forcefully this time. Again no-one entered the room.
The third time a knock was heard I positively shouted "COME IN!!!!" and when the door ceased to open I lept up with the polystyrene container holding my food still in hand and yanked open the door loudly complaining "I thought I told you to come on in!" Oh the utter horror that crept all over me when I realized all too late that the person standing infront of me was Patti Smith. 'Oh"said I in a humiliated and humbled fashion. "Of course it would have to be you I'm shouting at"
"I just thought I'd come and say hello" she said quietly, in shattering and sharp contrast to my bellowing.
Suddenly some festival official accosted her and insisted she make her way to the press room.
"No.-Don't leave me" I exclaimed as I cranked up my ratings on the buffoon and hideous creep barometer.
"I have to" she said over her shoulder as she proceeded down the hallway.
"But but........" I stammered
And then she was gone.
So yeah...........my hero came to visit me in my dressing room and what did I do? I shouted at her and chased her away with the stench of a chicken curry..
I went back inside of my dressing room.Shut the door and checked myself in the mirror.How had I looked when I met my idol? Was my hair in place? Did I have lipstick on my teeth.
It was then that I noticed to my utter dismay, the curry sauce stuck in the crevices of my mouth .
Nice.

The second new experience of this week was a visit to the Roller Derby here in town with my pal Wendy and oh my god it was fucking great. And really rather sexy-fuck too.Like a bunch of really cool suicide girls way more interested in aggressive competitive team sport than being wanked over.
Anyways.............I loved every second of it.The girls were SOOOOOoooo hot but tough and aggressive too. A most lethal combination as you can imagine.
The visiting team,the tent city terrors wore tiny little black and white striped shorts or mini skirts with stockings or sparkly knee socks over fishnets.Some of them wore WWF masks under their helmets which I thought was the coolest look of the night because it made the girls look super freaky.Some of them wore little suspenders and pink panties,had garters on their thighs or ribbons in their hair.Some had uber extreme make-up on which I LOOOOOooooved so much because it made them look like replicants or cyber cartoons. Some of them had their hair in bunches and some wore sleeveless or backless dresses that showed off their lovely tattoos.At one point two of the girls on opposing teams got into a lock and loaded fist fight on the floor.Roller blades and limbs entangled,skirts up over their heads,panties exposed.I hate to say it but it was pretty poker hot.

Gwen Stefani Is So Fucking Lazy...

Just kidding, I'm just in a really bad mood cuz CBGB's is closing and now I read that Stefani is not releasing a second solo album anytime soon. Poor thing I know she needs a break cuz she's been everywhere and has released five singles and videos off her record and has toured and the whole clothing line bullshit but I'm still bummed. But on the other hand I really want a good record from my lil' cupcake.
here's some great info. from mtv(blah).com
By collaborating with so many producers the first time around, Stefani had a lot of tracks that weren't used on the album; she's told MTV News about "Fine By You," "Wonderful Life for Him" (both with Linda Perry), "Parental Advisory" (with Rich Harrison), "You Started It" (with Pharrell), along with songs produced by Eurythmics' Dave Stewart and Depeche Mode's Martin Gore. Then she began work on new tracks with both Pharrell and No Doubt's Tony Kanal, and came up with "Fluorescent Lights," "Candyland," "Wind It Up," "Breaking Up" and "Orange County Girl," among others. If she were planning to release these songs by early next year, as she expressed interest in doing, she would have to shoot the first video and artwork during her current tour. No wonder she told the Chronicle, "I just need to hibernate for a minute."

Let Them Eat Cake...

I am so fucking depressed. CBGB's is going to close next year on October 31, 2006. It's a great idea they're closing on Halloween by why oh why do they have to close. This so fucking sucks. I need to get my ass on an airplane and get to New York and go to CBGB's NOW! I want to see a really good band when I'm there. I have to go to the joint that launched a 1000 bad punk bands. I have to go and see the stage that Blondie, The Talking Heads, Patti Smith, Television and last but not least The Ramones graced with their prescence. Why isn't more being done to keep it open? Opening in a new location isn't going to be the same. CBGB's should be above money and rent and politics. It's an American institution. I just can't believe this. I have to get to New York. I love New York (from a comfortable distance). I need my CBGB's t-shirt which I have held off of buying to get it at CBGB's. It's just not the same to get it at a Hot Topic. I need my I Heart NY tee too.

Read all about this bullshit at:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1517676/20051207/index.jhtml?headlines=true

here are some excerpts:
By this time next year, CBGB — the iconic hub of American punk-rock — will cease to be on the Bowery. Through an agreement reached between the club's owner, Hilly Kristal, and his landlord, the Bowery Residents' Committee, CBGB will
continue to operate in the same space it has occupied for more than three decades until October 31, 2006. Kristal has agreed to leave after that.

Muzzy Rosenblatt, the BRC's executive director and Kristal's nemesis throughout the entire lease dispute, said in his statement that the "BRC is pleased that we were able to reach an agreement and can now concentrate on helping the needy and homeless of New York City."