There’s so many things to feel and see while you’re awake…

Don Van Vliet / Captain BeefheartCombining elements of free jazz, blues and rock, Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band produced what is commonly regarded by critics and fans as one of rock’s few truly original bodies of work.

Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart) retired from the music industry after 1982’s Ice Cream For Crow album to concentrate on his primary love – paint.

The Radar Station is a purely fan-run site which aims to document every twist and turn in the tale of this unique individual.

Header photograph copyright Anton Corbijn, used with kind permission.

Don Van Vliet: 1941-2010 – tributes and fond farewells

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Gary Lucas will be presenting his Beefheart Symposium show in the Netherlands in July. Date : Friday 7th July 2023 Venue : The Royal Cinema, Heerlen, Netherlands The Symposium will include “lots of guitar, rare clips and Don Van Vliet’s beautiful art”. There will also be additional special feature. Gary will be playing live his score accompanying Orson Welles’s rare silent surrealist classic  ‘Too Much Johnson’. More info here – https://filmhuisdespiegel.nl/programma/1604/orson-welles-captain-beefheart/?fbclid=IwAR2euGlMTDvlbpYBgNury8o1jfyoUyg1NIwgQDrgRAdlPGCQlp_jSpFQPic Related posts: Captain Beefheart Symposium: 13 January Beefheart Symposium in Liverpool 2015 Captain Beefheart Symposium comes to Mexico City Captain Beefheart Symposium: 10 SeptemberRead More →

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Our favourite Beefheart tribute band, Orange Claw Hammer, have a number of live shows booked. You can check them out reworking the music of Captain Beefheart for the 21st Century on the following dates : 2023 Fri 7th July, 8pm. The Old Hairdresser’s, 27 Renfield Lane, Glasgow. Fri 14th July, 11am. Zappanale (Exhibition Hall), Bad Doberan, Germany. Sat 15th July, 8pm. Zappanale (Mystery Stage), Bad Doberan, Germany. Sat 19th Aug, 8pm. Edinburgh Fringe, Bannerman’s, 212 Cowgate Fri 25th Aug, 8pm. Edinburgh Fringe, Bannerman’s, 212 Cowgate 2024 Sun 25th Feb, 8pm. Backstage at the Green Hotel, Kinross. Related posts: Orange Claw Hammer – new CD &Read More →

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The CD version has been long out of print but Rhino have announced the re-release of I’m Going To Do What I’m Gonna Do as a two disc vinyl album for Record Store Day 2023. The first time on vinyl this will be a limited edition of 5000 to be released on 22 April 2023 with a price tag of 39.98USD. At the time of writing it is not clear whether copies will be able from non-US outlets. Originally released back in 2000 in the Rhino Handmade Series this album is of the excellent 1978 My Fathers Place, NY show which was widely bootlegged backRead More →