Shepherds Bush part 2, 19th November 2011
All photos taken by Dod Morrison. Thanks for sharing them.
You can see more of his stuff on his website or on my facebook page.
Just arrived, thinking what it will look like when it's full.
The luscious Mr Wilson.
It's behind you! No wonder he needed shorts.
Pushing it to the limit.
All join in - Heard Too Much About.
Berketex Bride. I think she means it.
Me and my old mate doing it one last time.
Eve Libertine performs Darling, the darling.
A unique version of that song.
Shine on them. Sea Palling Independent Lifeboat crew get some well deserved applause.
January 2nd, 2012 - 14:37
Still brings a lump to my throat mate!
January 7th, 2012 - 21:41
The most emotional gig I’ve ever been to Steve… fantastic response to Sea Palling lifeboat crew. Hope you liked the picture i framed up and belated happy birthday!
Gaz
January 2nd, 2012 - 14:48
Just bloody marvelous
January 2nd, 2012 - 17:24
THE highlight of my 2011, by a good distance. Cannot wait for the DVD…
January 2nd, 2012 - 19:31
Great Pics! Hope this comes out on DVD
January 2nd, 2012 - 21:42
Just looking through the pics puts the memories of that night bang, straight back to the front of my mind, as a reminder of what an amazing night it was. Cheers steve and all who were involved.
January 2nd, 2012 - 21:54
I had to pinch myself then, and I still do now. What an amazing experience it was. I started off the complete outsider, and finished up feeling as if I belonged to not only the event, but to the greater feeling of GOOD – a clumsy way to say it but I can’t think of anything better as I write this.
You were there? What a privilege, wasn’t it?!
January 2nd, 2012 - 23:29
And what a brilliant night it was, thanks again, so much. Much love
January 3rd, 2012 - 13:48
Hi Steve. It took me some time to write this letter. I want to tell you what I wanted to say in the last 14 years( the time I am listening to Crass). My name is Olga and originally I come from Russia-the country where everything is really fucked up. I was 13 when I first heard Crass and since that my life had changed. Punk rock became the way of my life, thanks to your songs. I became an open-minded personality who could stand and fight for my rights. But at the time I was 13 (I was born in 1984) punk was persecuted in Russia and it was impossible to find any Crass songs there. But I was lucky to know one journalist who could get some cassettes of your music from somewhere. They were so precious for me! As I knew that you stopped performing in 1984, I thought I would never have a chance to see you live again. Six years ago I moved to London and during my life here I could manage to find things with and about Crass which I couldn’t get in Russia. Two months ago I knew that you’re going to perform in London one more time. I couldn’t believe I would see you and hear all my favourite songs! I am nearly 27 now and to see you performing live after 14 years I had heard you for the first time meant so much to me! On my way to Shepherds Bush I was shivering! When you came on stage, I couldn’t even breathe. Your gig was the best show I’d seen, Steve. I was crying during and after concert on my way home. 14 years I have been waiting to see you! Thanks so much for giving the chance to see you live for those people like me (who were born in the 80s). Your music is so special to me. There are no words to express what I was feeling when you were performing that evening. Thanks for everything you had done, for putting all yourself in this gig and for making so many people happy ( especially me). Hopefully one day you come to London and I’ll meet you to say thank you. I wrote one poem for you and here it is:
I know you’ll not sing again
But your music for me is eternal.
Thank you for 34 years
I left Shepherds Bush in tears.
I saw you- I couldn’t believe
Steve Ignorant- simply Steve.
You gave me a chance at this age
To see you performing on stage.
To feel inspiration of Crass
The band which is truly the best.
14 years I waited-so long.
14 years I learned every song.
14 years-and this moment came
I saw your evening of fame.
Your songs overtook my soul
Your voice made me out of control.
Your every move was with passion
I can’t express my impression.
Thank you for the best ever show.
Thank you for bringing that joy.
Thank you for what you had done.
Thank you for having great fun.
Thanks for the best gig ever
My memories will stay forever.
I know you’ll not sing live
But Crass is the way of my life.
January 4th, 2012 - 12:09
Merci pour les photos,vous avez encore beaucoup de travail pour 2012,rien n’est jamais fini,belle année a tous,Francki
February 23rd, 2012 - 08:50
I should have posted this earlier, I know, but this is what I wrote on my blog – http://teaandrecords.blogspot.com
Tony Suspect – Suspect Device Zine – http://www.suspectdevicezine.co.uk
In 1979 I was 13, the punk bug had bitten and my record buying habit was just starting to take hold. At that time I didn’t have much money, so records would have to be begged for or bought when a few week’s pocket money had been saved. To keep me happy I’d make do with borrowing and taping records from friends or my cousin, recording the John Peel show onto cassette or searching out the few music shows on TV (One day I’ll tell you the story of how a chest infection, a trip to Lymington and 1970’s daytime TV caused me to became so attached to The Clash’s “Give ‘em Enough Rope” LP).
A friend had an older step brother who was going through his “punk phase”; he had a cool leather jacket with X-Ray Spex painted on the back, which I coveted and dreamed about nicking (I never did though). More importantly he’d buy records, and when he was out we’d sneak into his room and listen to his new purchases. One afternoon we discovered that he had two new singles, “In To The Valley” by The Skids and “Reality Asylum” by Crass.
I knew of The Skids, and had heard “In To The Valley” on the radio, so we gave that a spin and we loved it. At that time I hadn’t heard Crass, so “Reality Asylum” was a bit of a shock and we quickly flipped it over to listen to “Shaved Women”. I didn’t understand it at all, at that time I wasn’t ready for Crass’ message and didn’t grasp what this record was about at all. On that afternoon it certainly didn’t measure up to the punky greatness of The Skids, and pushed Crass to the back of my mind for quite a while. Little did I know that they, and the DIY philosophy they championed, would have a huge influence on me and what I’d spend a good part of my life involved with.
I can’t remember when I next listened to Crass, it was certainly a while before I bought any of their stuff. I have “Feeding Of The 5000” on Small Wonder, but I got that a couple of years after its release in a second hand shop. I did buy the first “Bullshit Detector” compilation when it came out, and I bought other bands’ records that Crass put out, I particularly remember getting, and loving, the Flux Of Pink Indians EP, but it was records by bands that Crass inspired that I was buying at the time, particularly Subhumans, Rubella Ballet, Hagar The Womb and then Lost Cherrees, Conflict and so on.
If initially the music of Crass didn’t inspire me, their DIY punk ideals certainly did, I loved it and both Gaz and me threw ourselves into it, leading to us starting Suspect Device zine and becoming involved with the local DIY punk scene.
Over 30 years later I found myself rushing up from Southampton to Shepherds Bush to see Steve Ignorant play Crass songs for one last time. I never saw Crass, they did play in Southampton, but only once and way before I’d caught up, and anyway I didn’t find out about the gig until long after it had happened.
I know some questioned why this Steve Ignorant gig was happening at the Shepherds Bush O2 Arena; playing anarcho punk songs in a corporate arena does seems strange at first, but seeing as the venue was packed it’s difficult to think of exactly where it could have been held to cater for that many people. Also, if this was Crass then I’d have had more of a problem with it, but this wasn’t Crass, and it was never billed as Crass, this was Steve Ignorant playing songs he’d sung while he was in Crass; I saw BIll Stevenson sing Black Flag songs in the same venue but I didn’t think I was watching Black Flag play.
I got there late after getting the 6pm train from Southampton, and rushed from the tube station to the venue, texting both Gaz and Pete Zonked to see where they were. Once I was in the venue I ran into the first security guard of the evening. Oddly enough he was friendly and good humoured. That negotiated I went into the venue to catch the last song and a half from Paranoid Visions, meaning I’d missed Andy T.
When they’d finished I ran into a couple of familiar faces, none of them had seen Gaz, so I wondered around avoiding the numerous old punks walking around slopping beer all over the place. It was good to see the Sea Shepherds stall at the back, sadly that sort of thing happens so rarely at gigs these days.
I finally saw Gaz with Spud at the Bar (surprise surprise). Pete had replied saying he was stuck upstairs, and wasn’t happy about it.
While talking to Gaz and Spud The Cravats started up. Spud wasn’t into them, but I quite liked them; they aren’t a band I listen to a lot at home, but they were pretty good live.
Nath and Michelle were the friendly faces we saw after The Cravat’s set. Gaz and Spud were telling beer induced nostalgic stories, and after getting another load of beer slopped all over me I started to wish I could swap places with Pete.
Then it was time for the main event.
It was odd to hear the loud cheering when the band took the stage, it was like going to see bands before a DIY scene had sprung up in Southampton, when Stiff Little Fingers, Siouxsie & The Banshees etc would play to huge crowds in a “proper” venue and the crowd would be chanting the band’s name and cheering loudly as they took the stage. For that one moment it seemed I was a million miles away from DIY punk rock. But, when the band started I forgot all that as they played a superb set. Steve Ignorant’s voice was sounding a little horse, but I think the emotion of the occasion was getting to him. Carol Hodge, on the other hand, belted out her songs in a strong confident way and sounded really great.
As the set drew to a close members of Steve’s volunteer Lifeboat crew came on stage in full rescue gear while the band played “(West One) Shine On Me”, the old Ruts song. It was done so well that it was almost my favourite moment of the night. The lifeboat crew looked a little ill at ease, but then I guess none of them had ever stood on stage looking out a thousands of old punk rockers jumping up and down.
A further surprise was instore for everyone when Penny Rimbaud walked on stage and sat down at a little drum kit to play “Do They Owe Us A Living” with Steve, just vocals and drums they way it was played originally. Following that Eve Libertine walked on for a powerful rendition of “Darling”. Eve also returned during “Shaved Women” to sing part of it with Carol, and that was probably the highlight of the set for me as these days “Shaved Women” is one of my favourite and most played Crass songs.
In the end it all over ran, and although I’d arranged to meet Gaz at the back I kind of got caught up in a throng of people leaving and found myself heading for the exit. As Sarah was going to have to get out of bed to come and pick me up from the station in Southampton (engineering works meant trains didn’t go any further) I wanted to get a train back as quickly as I could. I sent Ga a text telling him I’d meet him on the station and hurried away. I got back to waterloo with enough time to grab a takeaway tea and got on the train. With minutes to spare Gaz arrived and we headed off home, both agreeing that it had been worth all the effort to get there, and we’d seen something special.
I still prefer smaller gigs, but I can’t deny that it was good to hear those songs played live, and played so well. I have to say I don’t think Crass ever played these songs as well; I know that wasn’t the point and that Crass were about much more that the music. Tonight was all about the songs and the performance, and the band Steve had put together were superb.
I don’t think it tarnished Crass’ name or message at all. This was a celebration, an evening for everyone there to think about what Crass meant to them while having a good time.
In the days following the gig I found myself thinking about how Crass influenced me, and how from that moment in 1979 when “Shaved Women” took second place to “In To The Valley” Crass had gradually, if indirectly, set a course for my life. I think even the people around me as I grew up were influenced by Crass, even if they never knew anything about them. My parents couldn’t tell you any of Crass’ songs, but I think that I was so annoying and self-righteous as a teenager that things slowly crept into their consciousness. They’re not ever going to be out on the street waving a black flag, it’s a little more subtle than that. They didn’t bat an eyelid when I became a vegetarian, they slowly turned into fanatical recyclers, had solar panels installed on their roof and my dad now drives a hybrid car. They’ve moved their money out of a bank and into a building society and this week my dad even spent some time searching the internet for vegan recipes so my mum could make me a cake. Anarchy and Piece (of cake).
February 23rd, 2012 - 10:13
The above comment (by Tony Suspec) turned up in my emails, and although it is a little long-winded I was intrigued enough to read it, as the memory of ‘The Last Supper’ is still a stirring one for me, even after the passing of three months now.
I am glad I did read it, because it is exactly what the whole thing was about on that incredible night. Tony’s experience was totally different to mine, and yet I feel that I am a new member of the ‘club’ that he subscribed to decades ago, with his best mate Gaz. It is never too late to join something worthwhile, and now having an affinity for what it was all about back in the day, I would just like to say that this gig (and I have seen my fair share since The Rolling Stones first ‘showcase’ tour in 1964 (when I bunked off school) was a privilege to be at. By that I mean it was not just the bands, not just the music, not just the audience. It was EVERYTHING all rolled into one, which gave you an overwhelming feeling of, well, fellowship (not brave enough to write ‘love’, but that it was it was!).
The opposite of hippiedom, but if you think of things being circular, then The Last Supper was at 1 degree, and hippiedom was at 359, thus back to back, but next to each other. Peace to all, brothers.