KOGEPAN ARM PILLOW BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: "The Body"

Did you know Kogepan (Burned Bread Boy) made a cameo on Buffy the Vampire Slayer television show ? Apparently Joss Wheldon is a huge Kogepan fan. Speaking of Wheldon, I guess the latest rumors is that he's going to be the writer to replace Grant Morrison on New X-Men. Can you already see Wolvie, the Sentinel Slayer ?

I got some pleasant xmas gifts in the mail: $80 Best Buy Reward Zone Certificates, and a Kogepan Arm Pillow (thank you Melinda!). Other stuff I got was a Morrissey Tour Poster (1991), "I Am Sam" Soundtrack, and The Strokes: Room on Fire CD.

Pretty good Christmas overall. Hope yours was as nice.

Also, I really need to stop buying stuff on ebay. They recently gave free listing on any items listed on 12/26, so basically there's a lot of crap that went up on sale!

It's not like I've got idle hands, but I have setup a site dedicated to you, Mel: www.belleandsebastian.tk.

FIVE VENOMS (EPI) FIVE VENOMS (Celestial)

Also, Celestial Pictures finally released the original THE FIVE VENOMS (1978) in December 2003. I don't want to stress how important this film is, it spawn about forty "sequels"! They're not true sequels, of course, but they did reprise the same five actors and director in different settings and stories. They are commonly known as "The Venoms" films in America and have quite a cult following.

Most of the Shaw Brothers' movies that were released in the U.S. are from poor quality source, and often edited. For instance, the NS/Ground Zero's version of SUPER NINJAS is edited out for nudity and extreme violence. I am assuming the version they had was for television broadcast. As you can see from the screen shot comparison, that is the case with EPI's FIVE DEADLY VENOMS (1978). Still, EPI actually at least had a widescreen version because most bootlegs are in full-frame.

By the way, Celestial Pictures are only releasing Zone 3 version, but you can pick up an all-zone player on Ebay for under $75. Miramax is actually supposed to be releasing 72 zone 1 Shaw Brothers movies, but who knows when that is going to happen. When it comes to Asian films, people nicknamed them "Mira-axed".

Books Of Choice
Date: 12/12/02
written by Jon Stewart
www.guitarist.co.uk

Jon Stewart takes a look at some music industry books you might want to own - or at least borrow from a mate and not return...

In recent years there's been a boom in the number of music industry books published. Just about every aspect of the business is now covered by at least one title, and the literature is getting ever more involved. If you are really serious about making it, however, you can't afford not to own at least one or two decent books on the subject...

n Ann Harrison
n Music: The Business. The Essential Guide To The Law And The Deals
n Virgin Books ISBN 0753504332
n RRP £20

Music: The Business has to be the most complete legal textbook on the music industry in the UK. Ann Harrison heads up the Music Group at leading law firm Harbottle & Lewis and won the Legal & Business Award for the Best Media & Entertainment law firm in the year of the book's publication (2000).

Ann has advised many well-k nown musicians, producers, managers and labels (including a certain extremely wealthy solo artist called Robbie Williams) and, as you can imagine, her work is exceptionally well informed. It's full of fascinating historical detail and penetrating insider information. Ann has a keen understanding of all the cases that have set precedents and defined modern music industry practices, and she is also able to explain the issues in a simple and relevant manner.

For example, when this book looks at how a management deal works you get a great explanation of what's what in a contract - but you also get fascinating inside information about why it's there. Even today, any binding management contract will include a clause stating that the artist has taken independent legal advice prior to signing the deal. This is because of a legal precedent set when Gilbert O'Sullivan and Joan Armatrading sued their respective managers two decades ago.

Harrison discusses several other important cases concerning well-known artists including Elton John, The Stone Roses, George Michael and Oasis. She explains how each case has affected the industry's standard practices and shows their relevance to anyone - whatever level they may work at in the industry. If you're only going to buy one of the books listed here, make it this one!

[ Read more Books Of Choice ]

PHILL JUPITUS Breakfast Show

ESSEX, DRUGS AND ROCK N ROLL

Celebrating the musical heritage and talent in Essex.

PHILL and BILLY BRAGG

THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS
Yes, folks, we came we saw and we heard some great music, stories and we marked some hotspots round the county as Liz Kershaw slapped her plaque all over. Local lad Phill Jupitus toured the county all week bring his special brand of breakfast wake-up calls and throughout we celebrated the new music from bands such as Celeste. Listen Again from the choices on the right and check back as we'll be adding more from our travels during next week!

Share your choice for new talent emerging from Essex, your thoughts and your memories using the 6 Music Message Board.

LISTEN AGAIN: NEW - Louise Wener on Essex

Casualties of war
written by Elisabeth Mahoney Friday December 12, 2003
The Guardian

(excerpt)

This week, Phill Jupitus (BBC 6 Music) has broadcast from a different location in the county each morning. He has a laugh like Basil Brush, and a worryingly comprehensive knowledge of forgotten Essex bands. "There was a band in Tilbury called Angela Rippon's Bum," he thrilled. Thankfully, Sleeper-singer-turned-novelist and Essex girl Louise Wener couldn't match that. "No one formed bands in Gants Hill," she mused. "People went to see Kool and the Gang instead."

SELECT (1995), scan from Richard Morrison

SELECT (1995), scan from Richard Morrison

BOOK REVIEW (2002), scan from Richard Morrison

www.cdbaby.com/cd/chimp

www.chimpweb.com

CHIMP - CAN'T STOP, ON FIRE (Sep 02)

I thought you might want to know that a limited number of chimp's new album "can't stop, on fire" will shortly be available in the us via www.cdbaby.com at a discounted price of 9.99 US It's a nice record and I'm playing on some of it so if anyone's interested there it is. live review: magazine.brighton.co.uk

TASTY@www.sohostrut.co.uk

I was about to spend my last dollar at a snacks vending maching on Thursday, when I spotted www.wheresgeorge.com stamped on it. I was curious and decided to punch in the serial number to find out that it originated in South Dakota, 82 days ago.

I am reading Louise Wener's new novel The Big Blind. It is going well, and is very funny. Here is an excerpt:

THE BIG BLIND (Aug 2003)

Shortly after losing Little Louie, Big Louie was forced to bid on harrowing farewell to his wife. She choked to death on a cup cake the day after they moved into their trailer park; and even though Big Louie did everything in his powers to save her, his efforts were tragically in vain.

'It was horrible,' he says, shaking his soggy jowls from side to side. 'I was trying to perform the Heimlich manoeuvre but I couldn't get my arms around her. I tried punching her in the gut but there was too much fat. I'm telling you, Audrey, it was heart wrenching. Heart wrenching. The way her lips turned blue and her tongue lolled out her gasping mouth. And the noise she made. Jeez, I can still hear it now. A rasping, or was it more of a gagging… maybe it was more like a trickly cough. Anyway,' he says, rubbing his hands together, 'at least she died happy, God rest her soul - cup cakes were always her favourite.'

LIONHEART (14 Aug 2003), published by Black Isle

Anyway, I am playing Black Isle's Lionheart, but it's very buggy (especially if you get a companion in the game, it crashes). I wouldn't recommend anyone buying the game until they release a patch because when software do not work, it's just plain annoying.

Reading their troubleshooting messageboard, it seems that they are have a TON of bugs in the game. I wonder sometime if these games ever get tested on home systems before they give the green light to ship it out? Personally, I am disappointed because I have always loved Black Isle's games (Fallout, Baldur's Gate, Torment, Icewind Dale, etc).

Also, Michele finally sent photographs from 1997. I think I left a pretty bad impression on Michele, that she actually remembered who I (after seeing that I was a friend to her sister, Mandy on Friendster). This is funny because I've known both of them but did not know they were related.

"So, if it's not too much to ask, let's just let the moment pass, I have no wish to be reminded of how awkward I can be, please don't point that thing at me."

Vu at 23 (1997), photo by Michele

Michele (recently)

Mandy (2003)

More Troma madness:

Lloyd Kaufman	Lloyd with Swimmer's Ear Magazine	Lloyd with homemade videos
Lloyd signing to fan	Make Your Own Damn Movie	Diploma & Animation Cell awarded to the F*ck Ups

I skipped work to hang out with Lloyd Kaufman today!

Lloyd Kaufman	Lloyd and Jimmy	Andy as Noxie
Noxie vs Sgt Kabukiman	The Nick Atoms	Can you believe my head is bigger than Lloyd's ?

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5
FRED MacAULAY
0905
Fred’s special guest today is Louise Wener.

(Vu: Unfortunately their online archive only goes back 7 days.)

There is an 80s band I have interests in, who have recently released a greatest hits album on the Camden label here in the UK. Camden was, and is, a budget label offering CDs for prices of around 5.99 - 6.99 GBP (10 - 15 USD). The label is owned by BMG, who also now own Arista and RCA (who, as you will know, took over Indolent - Sleeper's label). On their website, at bmg-camden.co.uk, you can email them email me with ideas for future releases. Even with the possibility of you writing the sleeve notes. So I emailed them regarding a possible Sleeper release.

According to the guy at the label, they are already in talks with the band for releasing something soon. Although you have your own version of a greatest hits collection, displayed in the fine clutches of Ms Wener herself, Camden have access to ALL of the archives that BMG have accrued over the years. Therefore, could include rarities, b sides, remixes, live tracks, whatever will work.

No obvious release date was mentioned but something could be coming soon.

The MS Blaster Worm hit me yesterday, so I spent the day doing research about it at work. If you're using WinXP or Win2000, you might get a Generic Host Process error message that looked like this:

Download this security update: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS03-026. Once you've installed that patch, download the removal tool.

If you want to remove it the old fashion way, do a search for "msblast" and delete those files. Next, click on START then RUN and type in "msconfig". Find the "Startup" tab and uncheck "msblast". You will still need to download the security patch, however.

If you are unsure of which version of Windows you have, you can always launch the Windows Update feature and find Critical Updates (it should be the latest update, about 5.1 megs for WinXP 64bit).

ELLE MAGAZINE (9/2003)

Item number 3541988436: Erin O'Connor Louise Wener Elle magazine NEW Ends Aug-10-03 17:23:28 PDT Seller: chellebelle1969 MINT copy of the new issue of the UK-only edition of 'Elle' magazine. Features LOUISE WENER (rock chick from Sleeper) in Las Vegas - 4 pages. ERIN O'CONNOR - the London model shows us around her NYC apartment - 4 pages. ED BURNS - Reluctant sex symbol Ed Burns gives UK Elle the lowdown (plus a little white lie) on relationships, fidelity and Christy Turlington. 2 page interivew including hot photographs. EMILY MORTIMER - on sex with Ewan McGregor. 2 page interview including photo. ORLANDO BLOOM and HEATH LEDGER, NAOMI WATTS and RACHEL GRIFFITHS - Elle UK goes on-location during the filming of "Ned Kelly". 6 pages of photographs of all the above, as well as interviews! BRITNEY SPEARS - stunning topless cover! Fantastic candid interview! Sizzling photos! Wonderful 6 page exclusive feature - interview plus 2 full page photos, plus other photographs of Britney in various states of undress - from black leather Gucci gloves, a D&G corset, to Sonia Rykiel briefs! Photographs by Mark Abrahams, interview by UK Elle's Kate Finnigan. Britney talks Justin, Colin, her new album...

Making Music (Apr 95), Photograph by David Tonge. From Andrew Hindman

Making Music (Apr 95), Photograph by David Tonge. From Andrew Hindman

Just to let you know that my local Borders store (in the UK) had Louise's new book 'The Big Blind' on the shelves on Saturday (26th July). Naturally, I picked up a copy and I'm well in to it :-) Might be worth checking your local store to see if they've also jumped the 4th August official release date. (Vu: Currently Amazon.co.uk has three in stock.)

Live Forever DVD (Zone 2) is out in stores now.

Related

LIVE FOREVER MOVIE

Sleeper Online is currently being re-designed & re-built. Louise has a new book out soon. The Big Blind is released through Hodder & Stoughton on the 4th August - Pre-order now from Amazon.co.uk

Jon is playing with a new band called Chimp as well as teaching at BIMM.

Diid manages bands for Bullitproof, and Andy was a bass player for a band called San Dusky that appear to have disappeared for now.

Whilst you wait for the new site...feel free to visit the old one here...
Please visit / write on the forum here...

Visit the only other Sleeper site online, Vu's page at louisewener.com

As a pre-lude to the new site, and available bandwidth, the Sleeper video's (courtesy of Vu) will be available to download at your own pleasure weekly. This week... Delicious.

If you want to request what the next video should be, e-mail in (please put Sleeper in the subject somewhere so I know it isn't spam).

Choices are: Swallow, Inbetweener, Vegas, Inbetweener (UK), Inbetweener (US), What Do I Do Now?, Sale Of The Century, Nice Guy Eddie, Nice Guy Eddie (Live), She's A Good Girl, Romeo Me.

Please note these are the same files as available with the PTMY Bootleg Video CD, the quality degrades the more recent the video. To view these videos, you will need the Quicktime Movie player.

Live Forever, the Britpop documentary that seemed to miss most cinema's early this year, is out on DVD this week.

news 02 july 2003.

can't stop, on fire.

our new album is to be released in august 2003.

...

Recording underway, it became apparent that another guitarist would be needed in order to help perform some of the more involved and technical arrangements, another short search led to Jon Stewart, formerly of the band 'Sleeper' and Granddaddy favourites ‘ufo bro’. Jon first became involved with Chimp a couple of years ago when he offered to help find the band a manager. Jon's input was to prove an essential aspect of the new Chimp sound so much so that previously mixed tracks from the new recordings have had to be reworked and re-recorded.

Music Videos
This message was posted by zith, posted on May 11, 2003 at 02:15:38

mms://218.50.52.15/simjinet14/08_00_00_0000_sleeper - vegas.wmv

mms://218.50.52.15/simjinet02/sleeper - sale of the century.asf

mms://218.50.52.15/simjinet02/sleeper - nice guy eddie (mtv europe live).asf

to save it, use Streambox Vcr Suite 2

I hope i see other M / V (Delicious, and more)

T_T

(Vu: I couldn't actually view these as video on my dial-up connection, but the audio came through.)

GUITARIST MAGAZINE On sale 9 May Price £4.99 (UK) Editor Neville Marten www.guitarist.co.uk

Be Honest!
written by Jon Stewart

Jon Stewart takes up his pen again to ask whether, when you are trying to make your way in the music business, honesty is always the best policy

If you've been following Bruce's series of articles for the last year and a half, you should have learned a fair bit about the business side of music. You'll certainly know a lot more than I did when I signed my first record deal in the early 1990s.

Bruce has covered most of the important issues that face musicians trying to make it in this cut-throat world, but there's one area every aspiring rock star should know about that is rarely discussed, even in a magazine like Guitarist. It is the value of a well-placed scam, bribe, fib, untruth or an outright porky pie - and it could be the key to launching your career.

Scams in music are nothing new. You could argue that rock and roll was born when Colonel Tom Parker started promoting Elvis Presley, using the show business techniques he had learned from a lifetime's work in travelling carnivals across America. Inspired by legendary showman PT Barnum, whose motto, there's a sucker born every minute, could have been coined by the Colonel himself, Parker presided over the birth of the modern music business in much the same way as Don King ruled boxing.

Was he really a Colonel? Was he even an American citizen? Even today no-one can be sure, as Parker claimed to have been a foundling who didn't even know the date of his own birthday. One thing that we do know about him is that Tom Parker was an accomplished hypnotist, a skill he had learned in the circus. I wonder if he ever brought out a pocket-watch and asked RCA executives to look deeply into his eyes as he was negotiating one of the many back-handers he secured for himself?

[ Read more "Be Honest" Article by Stewart ]

Thought you may like these for your discog. I've not had a chance to read the book yet though!

(Trade: August 2003, Paperback: April 2004)

Related

February 28, 2003 | "The Big Blind" - Louise Wener's New Book

February 27, 2003 | New Wener Book Release Date

SLEEPER - TAKE 1 (Promo) Catalogue: Date: Format: Publisher: XPCD2227 1997 CD BMG Track Listing: What Do I Do Now? She's A Good Girl Romeo Me Sale Of The Century You Got Me Statuesque Miss You Motorway Man Scan and information from Ebay, thanks to Randy O.

19.3.03
Louise Wener discusses the journey her life has taken, from lead singer in the band Sleeper, to where she is now, a novelist who has just finished her second book. Her first novel, Goodnight Steve McQueen explored the desire for pop stardom from a male perspective; the central character, Danny, is given an ultimatum from his girlfriend, get a recording contract or a new girlfriend.

In association with Albino Music.

Sunday 11 May 2003
Time(s): 7.30pm
Venue: Pavilion Theatre, Brighton Dome
Tickets: £7
Booking information
Source item

The album Pleased To Meet You is now available to download and burn as you like via Dotmusic / BT Openworlds new 'Officially licensed' music facility. Since the album is out of print it is of no harm to the record label. For free, you'd be able to download three tracks - for more, you'd need to sign-up.

Related

March 8, 2003 | Louise at Brighton Festival 2003

GUITARIST MAGAZINE On sale 14 February Price £4.99 (UK) Editor Neville Marten www.guitarist.co.uk

After I'm Famous...
written by Jon Stewart

Sleeper guitarist and fellow BIMM tutor, Jon Stewart tackles the difficult question: what happens after I'm famous?

I can remember the last time I was recognised in public. It was a couple of years ago at a Buffalo Daughter gig in Los Angeles. A shaky hand on my shoulder and a nervous voice in my ear: "Excuse me, aren't you Jon Stewart from Sleeper? What are you doing in LA? I love your records. I'm, like, totally psyched to meet you. Can I buy you a drink?"

I was chuffed, but unfortunately my career in music had stalled a few months before and I knew that this sort of thing was about to become history for me. Sure enough, some months later, the final confirmation of my new ex-pop star status arrived in the form of a phone call from my accountant. "Jon," it went, "as your accountant it's my duty to advise you that you can no longer afford to have me as your accountant."

The big question in life became, to paraphrase one of our own hit singles, What do I do now? This is a question that most successful musicians have to face sooner or later. As far as I can see it's the only drawback to the lifestyle. You could call it the pop star's dilemma: being in a band is such indescribably good fun that the only thing that spoils it is the unavoidable truth that one day it will end.

Being 'famous' is a truly overwhelming experience, but popular music is a notoriously disposable art form. Fashions change (if they didn't they couldn't be called fashions) and what's cool one month is dull as dishwater the next. Kids grow up, swap their skinny ties and Britpop Adidas for hooded tops and combats, and find more exciting things to spend their money on than your albums. So what happens to the ex-pop star who suddenly finds himself asking the question, Where else can I find a job where I just have to turn up, get ratted and lark around with a guitar?

Option 1: Live in denial
You keep flogging your dead horse of a career, unable to accept the fact that no-one wants your tunes any more. Few people know or care who you are and no-one can remember the words to your hits, but you keep plodding on. You're gigging a toilet circuit you thought you'd left behind years ago, and selling home-recorded albums direct to your dwindling 'fanbase' online because you can't get a proper deal.

Denial, as the lady says, is not a river in Egypt. In fact, it's in the far corner of the rock and roll boating lake, where bands huddle out of sight as pop's park keeper shouts through his megaphone: "Come in Number 22! Your time is up!"

[ Read more Stewart: What Happens After I'm Famous? ]

Thanks to Neil for giving me this idea to use a camera to grab images off of the Real Audio file:

10 Mar 2003 13:16:51.0538 (UTC)

Don't know if you know but Louise appeared on a local radio station in London yesterday, BBC Radio London 94.9, to plug the paperback print of 'Goodbye Steve McQueen' that comes out in the next few weeks and mentions having finished the next one, the inspiration about a female cards player etc etc and of course her days in Sleeper.

Normally their interviews are archived on their website: www.bbc.co.uk/london (head for the radio signs) and there is one already on there from July.

'Live forever': director's notes
10th March 2003

John Dower set out to do 'something revolutionary' about pop music culture. The result was an affectionate look back at Britpop, Cool Britannia, and Lad Culture...

Why Britpop and "Live Forever"?
We thought there hadn't been that many contemporary music films with ambition. I, for one, was fed up with the way music and British popular culture was packaged into clip shows like I Love the 70s or 80s with celebrity chefs talking about albums. We thought we'd do something revolutionary and actually speak to the musicians.

VIDEO WATCH our report on 'Live Forever', which includes interviews with director John Dower, Goldie and Sleeper's Louise Wener: click here (2,435 Kb/ 02'14") Real Player required

How important was it to get the co-operation of Britpop's leading figures?
We made a pact that we had to get the big three - Oasis, Blur, and Pulp. We got Noel [Gallagher] first, and we were still waiting for the other two. I was very much willing to press on and do the film. But my producer John Battsek said, "No. We've got to get all of the big three." So we held out. We got them by stalking them really.

Were you worried that your focus on Britpop was too narrow?
We are going to get a kicking from some quarters on this film. People are going to say, "Where are Radiohead?" or, "Where are The Prodigy?" But we put our hands up. We wanted to be selective. We wanted a steady focus in the film. Liam Gallagher Liam Gallagher as seen in 'Live Forever'

What was the thinking behind the settings of the interviews?
We didn't want the usual, "He's a musician, let's plonk him in front of a mixing desk." We were trying to make them a little bit evocative. Noel did suggest Knebworth. A lot of people think that's Noel in his home. But he doesn't actually own 17th-century oil paintings, I believe. Jarvis [Cocker] in a sleazy hotel in King's Cross is how he felt on "This is Hardcore". He felt a little bit dirty. And Damon [Albarn] sitting in front of that dartboard in the pub is particularly "Parklife".

"Live Forever" makes the point that the Britpop explosion coincided with a period of political optimism. Are there any similar links today?
I think Pop Idol is the ideal soundtrack for New Labour. It's music by focus group. I'm sure they love it.

7.3.03
Louise Wener will appear at the Brighton Pavilion Theatre as part of the Brighton Festival this year, in which she will talk about her life from Sleeper to her novel writing on May 11th (Date subject to verification). Tickets cost £7. (as of yet there is no information about this on the websites - this information was taken from the Brighton Festival programme).

Pavilion Theatre
29 New Road
Brighton
East Sussex
BN1 1UG
Tickets/Info: 01273 709 709

The soundtrack CD accompanying the Britpop is dead docu-movie features that collection that those who loved Britpop would die to prevent the RSI from overuse of the CD changer they are suffering. Of course, most will have all this stuff already...tracklisting is...

LIVE FOREVER (CD) (14 Feb 03)

Disc: 1 Live Forever - Oasis Common People (7' Edit) - Pulp Parklife - Blur Alright - Supergrass Girl From Mars - Ash Waking Up - Elastica Mulder And Scully - Catatonia Fine Time - Cast The Changing Man - Paul Weller Stupid Girl - Garbage Everything Must Go - Manic Street Preachers The Riverboat Song - Ocean Colour Scene Atomic - Sleeper Tattva - Kula Shaker Come Back To What You Know - Embrace Wide Open Space - Mansun 6 Underground - Sneaker Pimps Female Of The Species - Space You're Gorgeous - Babybird Angels - Robbie Williams

Disc: 2 The Drugs Don't Work (Radio Edit) - The Verve Protection (7" Edit) - Massive Attack featuring Tracey Thorn Street Spirit (Fade Out) - Radiohead The More You Ignore Me The Closer I Get - Morrissey Beautiful Ones - Suede The Life Of Riley - The Lightning Seeds Inbetweener - Sleeper King Of The Kerb - Echobelly Getting Better - Shed 7 Ready To Go - Republica Setting Sun (Radio Edit) - The Chemical Brothers Nancy Boy (Radio Edit) - Placebo Breathe - The Prodigy Weak - Skunk Anansie Born Slippy - Underworld Loaded - Primal Scream Step On - Happy Mondays The Only One I Know - The Charlatans Champagne Supernova - Oasis

THE BIG BLIND

1.3.03
New book "The Big Blind" on way.

Louise's next novel will be released this August - to follow from her previous novel Goodnight Steve McQueen. Here is the synopsis:

Audrey Unger hasn’t seen her father since she was a child. A professional poker player and compulsive gambler, he left home when she was eleven years old and disappeared from her life for good. Now in her early thirties and poised on the edge of her own mid-life crisis, she makes the decision to try and find him. To discover what it was that made him gamble. To discover what drove him to give her up. Big Louie is the key to her father’s world. An agoraphobic, card playing, Hans Christian Anderson sized giant, who hasn’t left his flat in over three years. Fighting a battle with his own phobias, he takes Audrey on a journey of self discovery. He guides her through the subtleties of professional poker; the thrill of high stakes gambling; and on towards a final hand of cards that will change both of their lives for good.

For more info see Mad About Books

Baby Juice Express (the movie Jon Stewart has worked on the soundtrack of) has completed post-production and awaiting release. For more info see ArcLight films website for a trailer, stills and cast info.

Untitled
Louise Wener
Our Price: £10.99

Not yet published: you may still order this title. We will dispatch it to you when we receive it from the publisher.

Category(ies): Fiction

Paperback (4 August, 2003)
Flame; ISBN: 0340820314

Live Forever
written by Steve Sealink

Released: London - 14/02/03, Nationwide - 28/02/03

(4 stars)

You'll chuckle all the way through this pacy biopic of the Britpop years, particularly at the Gallagher brothers and their natural waggishness.

All the major players of the mid-Nineties era after the Stone Roses blew it are here: Albarn, Cocker, some lagered-up sub No waysis-type no-marks from Rochdale called Wonderwall...Peter Mandelson.

And we bet you never knew Liam was a fan of S Club Juniors. You soon will. Well, it's good to see his wind-up faculties are as sharp as ever.

Live Forever documents the now-trashed Cool Britannia phenomenon and Loaded lad culture, up to the time Princess Tone plugged in the Marshall amp in the spare room at No10 and started some ugly rumours.

There are interviews with forgotten Brit-part players, such as Louise Wener from Sleeper, studiously sounding off about the glory days in a chi-chi Soho transport caff.

And a curiously becalmed Albarn sits and twangs a toy guitar in what looks like the boozy epicentre of those bleary, boyish years - the Good Mixer pub in Camden.

Strangest thing of all, though: that Jarvis Cocker, for all his dosh, still chooses to live on the set of Kes.

You'll need earplugs to deal with that loud wallpaper.

Future Releases

Live Forever (Released: 7th March and opens wide from 21st March 2003 )

The confirmed theatrical release date for John Dower’s Live Forever, a brilliant and hilarious insight into 90’s Brit Pop, has been re-announced as 7th March 2003.

DAILY BUZZWORDS
by Andrew Gallix
COPYRIGHT © 2003, 3 A.M. MAGAZINE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

LIVE FOREVER 02/06/2003

Nicholas Barber in the Independent on the new documentary about Britpop which is released on 14 February in Britain: "For those of us who feel as if Britpop happened only yesterday, or last week at most, it's unnerving to learn that the producers of One Day In September have followed their Oscar-winning documentary with a film about a bunch of bands who hung around Camden in the mid-1990s -- as if Blur, Oasis, Pulp, Elastica and co had assumed the historical significance of the 1972 Olympics. But it's happened. With the impending release of Live Forever, Britpop has been officially consigned to the past. . . . As the term might suggest, Britpop had a lot to do with Britishness -- singing, in an English accent, about chip shops and bank holidays, and being rudely awakened by the dustmen on a Wednesday. But it had at least as much to do with pop -- a radical concept at the time. In the early 1990s, pop was something that New Kids On The Block did. . . . But then, round about 1994, Britain's guitar bands began to see things differently. Their ambitions no longer peaked with a Peel session and a tour of the student union circuit; their idea of a show stretched beyond covering their faces with their fringes and keeping their eyes down on their effects pedals. While their direct forebears, the Smiths and the Stone Roses, were lucky to get a single in the UK top 10, the Britpack wanted to top the charts around the world. They wanted to be pop stars. . . ."

Kevin Young writes on the BBC's website that ". . . Politics also features in Live Forever, especially the drinks reception for celebrities hosted by Tony Blair in 1997. The former lead singer of Sleeper, Louise Wener, describes Oasis as 'their own nation state' but adds: 'It was so depressing when Noel went to Downing Street. In that very instant he was neutered.' One of the funniest moments of the documentary occurs when Liam Gallagher is asked to comment on his 'androgynous appeal'. After several attempts to explain what this means, the swaggering singer agrees that he has feminine qualities. 'I take care of me hair. You've gotta have a decent haircut if you're the frontman of a band.' . . ."

Interview with Louise Wener
Written by: Ian Parker and Jack Doyle

As the singer/songwriter leading Sleeper, Louise Wener became Queen of the Britpop era. Will her new foray into literature be similarly successful? Ian Parker and Jack Doyle ask.

It's a bit like bumping into an old school mate. On the pages of the NME, odd appearances on television, and in poster-ised form in pride of place on the bedroom wall, she was someone that you saw almost as often as your friends during your formative years.

Sitting outside a small cafe in her home suburb of Crouch End, immersed in the feature pages of the Guardian, sits Louise Wener, former leader singer of Sleeper, newly published novelist, and graduate of the University of Manchester.

She has a new blond-rinse look, and a quieter demeanour than one might expect from the former rent-a-quote of her time, but, after all this time, it's a remarkably familiar face sipping on a cranberry juice.

The original plan had been for this interview to take place over the phone, but as one who was always at the front of the queue buying any record or magazine that happened to have her face on it, I insisted on a 400-mile round trip and a meeting.

After taking six years out of the spotlight she once so revelled in, Britpop's favourite pin-up has exchanged sex, drugs, and rock `n' roll for a nice cup of tea and a good book.

Louise, without wishing to dwell on the past, has put her experiences with Sleeper to good use with Goodnight Steve McQueen, her debut novel. It takes as its subject, you guessed it, the life and times of a band trying to land a record deal while still paying the rent.

Guitarist Danny McQueen is given six months by his girlfriend (note: not his parents) to either land a record contract or find a `proper' job, as opposed to his part-time position down the local video shop.

But according to Louise, there is only so much Sleeper history to be found in the book. "There's not a huge amount of us in there. It did take us quite a long time, I think it was about four years to get a record deal so there was a lot of time sort of doing crappy jobs.

"The first tour that we did was kind of like the one in the book, where you play and then go back to these really shabby little bed and breakfasts. The kind of place where you get back late at night and someone else is sleeping in your bed. It was that kind of level. A lot of the characters in the book were part of coming up from that sort of thing."

[ Read more February 17, 2003 | Student Direct Interview Louise Wener ]

"LIVE FOREVER"

LIVE FOREVER SOUNDTRACK

John Dower's, LIVE FOREVER is a brilliant and hilarious insight into 90's Brit Pop, opening on 14th February 2003 in London. It will then go on nationwide release 2 weeks later. We are going to be giving away tickets to the screenings and all sorts of competition prizes so sign up below if you want to get the latest info on 'Live Forever'. We'll let you know where you can see the movie and when the competition to win tickets is live.

At the beginning of the Nineties something happened in Britain and it was great. The eighties had been crap. Crap politics and crap music. And then in 1990 there erupted a spirit of Euphoria, culminating a few years later in an explosion of creativity in British popular culture. In the mid-nineties, across the globe, music, art, fashion and film, if it was British, then it was cool. Liam and Noel Gallagher, Damon Albarn, Jarvis Cocker, Damien Hirst, Ozwald Boateng... our homegrown talent flourished in all creative fields. This funny and revealing new film documents this phenomenon. It tells the story of a Labour Government who seized upon 'Cool Britannia' and used it to rebrand the country. British Culture rocked especially its bands and a bright new Labour Government apparently wanted to rock along too.

LIVE FOREVER charts the sounds that defined these times. Not only giving outrageous banter from the Gallagher brothers, but also 3D from Massive Attack, Jarvis Cocker, Damon Albarn, among others take us from the Stone Roses Spike Island gig, to the manufactured bands of today, to offer a more intriguing vision of Britain and itís music. LIVE FOREVER is John Dower's theatrical directorial debut. His deserved reputation stems mainly from his work with Channel Four, which was described by The Guardian as "the future of television". The Film is produced by John Battsek of Passion Pictures, responsible for the Oscar and Emmy Award winning ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER, which was also distributed in the UK by Helkon SK Film Distribution. The film recently screened in the Regus London Film Festival. LIVE FOREVER is a Passion Pictures Production for the BBC, Film Council and Horsebridge Productions, released by Helkon SK Film Distribution on 14th February 2003.

The music from & inspired by the film 'Live Forever' is available from February 2003 (EMI/Virgin TV). Confirmed tracks so far are Oasis 'Live Forever', Happy Mondays 'Step On', Charlatans 'The Only One I Know', Placebo 'Nancy Boy', Cast 'Finetime', Oasis 'Champagne Supernova', Embrace 'Come Back To What You Know', Chemical Brothers feat. Noel Gallagher 'Setting Sun', Sleeper 'Inbetweener', Mansun 'Wide Open Space', Ocean Colour Scene 'The Riverboat Song', Dubstar 'Stars' Radiohead 'Creep', Morrissey 'The More I Ignore Me (The Closer I Get)', Lightning Seeds 'The Life Of Riley', Republica 'Ready To Go', Space 'The Female Of The Species', Catatonia 'Mulder And Scully'.

Related

January 29, 2003 | Britpop Lives Forever

[Sleeper stuff] Sleeper on tv and radio
Fri, 31 Jan 2003 14:47:35 -0000

There's a program called the afternoon play on BBC1 in England and they've just used what do i do now as some backing music :oD

Inbetweener also got a mention on Radio 1 a few months ago when people were phoning in song names to describe a news story, this one was about a guy who'd got drunk and fallen onto some train lines underneathe a train, and the train had to be winched off him or something.

scan from Mile High Comics

This has actually nothing to do with Louise Wener or Sleeper, but I thought it was kind of funny. Apparently DC Comics have published a comic book called: Sleeper #1.

BRITPOP LIVES FOREVER
Tue 28 Jan 2003 10:38

Last night (January 27), dotmusic was treated to a preview screening of the new Britpop film Live Forever and we can happily report that the insights of the Gallagher brothers are just as hilarious as expected.

Live Forever charts the rise and demise of nineties music focusing on the Britpop movement of bands including Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Massive Attack and many more.

The film's strength lies in its ability to confront the stars of the day and probe them about their actions raking up some pleasant and not so pleasant memories. The majority of the genre's main protagonists make an appearance - Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, the Gallagher brothers, Sleeper's Louise Wener, Massive Attack's Del Naja, and Blur's Damon Albarn - as well as representatives from the world of fashion, art and journalism.

The star of the show is without question Noel Gallagher whose frank anecdotes and witty comments on the time had the audience laughing throughout. Among his personal highlights (and the film was littered with them) were his thoughts on his visit to Downing Street and the Blur/Oasis chart battle.

On the other hand, Blur's only representative Damon Albarn (Oasis' arch enemy at the time in the eyes of the media) came across as defensive, struggling to articulate his opinions.

Liam was on hand to provide some typically amusing and uncomplicated observations (he looks after his hair, he didn't realise the band were playing two nights at Knebworth etc) and Jarvis Cocker spoke about the celebrity life he was suddenly thrust into which led to, what he described, as the worse period of his life.

Despite obvious omissions and the awkward fit of a political and social framework which sometimes overshadows the music, the film is a fascinating insight into Cool Britannia.

Live Forever opens on February 14 in London and regionally on February 28. If you haven't seen the trailer yet, click on the link at the top of the page.

Related

November 13, 2002 | Britpop Lives Forever

Guestbook Entry number 314
Date: 2003-01-18 06:56:13 (Pacific Time)

Comments: Hi I'm Dave Potts - used to be in a band called Monaco (around the same time as Sleeper) and now have a new band RAM. I've just finished the excellent new book and wanted to say it was great. A thoroughly enjoyable read and hit home many times! Thank God he didn't go to Bruges! Excellent

(Vu: You can't seem to navigate into their website on their front page, click here to see their news section - as well as links to pictures and eps, etc. Their next gig is at 23/01/2003 Manchester, Life Café (Manchester AD Bars Guide).)

EMPIRE #22
Jan 2003
$7.95
www.empireonline.com.au

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