John French, Magic Band Reunion

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John French has just confirmed these dates for a Magic Band tour at the end of the year: Wednesday 30 November – The Scala, London Friday 2 December – Button Factory, Dublin Saturday 3 December – The Kazimier, Liverpool Sunday 4 December – All Tomorrows Parties, Minehead Monday 5 December – The Pavilion, Falmouth Wednesday 7 December – The Rescue Rooms, Nottingham Thursday 8 December – The Irish Centre, LeedsRead More →

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In: Art, Memorabilia
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I know there’s a few other collectors of Don’s exhibition catalogues out there. So I thought you might be interested to know that a friend of the Radar Station has decided to sell his collection on ebay. He’s just put nine catalogues up there – view the items ps: I’m happy to let you know about this because I’ll not be bidding as I have these already!Read More →

The Nan True's Hole Tapes Volume 2

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Here’s a few Beefheart bootlegs that have been sighted recently. Follow the links for the usual Radar Station overview: A Whirlpool of Korn and Meat – an incredible eight discs in two volumes of all manner of goodies – volume one – volume two Muffin Man Goes To College – a two disc set of a show from the Bongo Fury tour The Nan True’s Hole Tapes Volume 2 – the latest offering from the lads at OzitRead More →

Wrought Iron Cactus

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Flowers for Summer is a group exhibition being held at the Michael Werner Gallery, 4 East 77th Street, New York, NY 10075. Starts 30 June 2011 and finishes 10 September 2011. At least one of Don’s canvases – Wrought Iron Cactus – is being shown. Other artists include: Hurvin Anderson, Georg Baselitz, James Lee Byars, Lovis Corinth, Aaron Curry, Enrico David, Peter Doig, Thomas Houseago, Jörg Immendorff, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Per Kirkeby, JeanFautrier, Lucio Fontana, Fernand Leger, Eugène Leroy, Markus Lüpertz, A.R. Penck, Francis Picabia, Pablo Picasso, Sigmar Polke, Kurt Schwitters and FélixVallotton. “With painting and sculpture, the artists in Flowers for Summer engage theRead More →

Don Van Vliet and Gary Lucas

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The Bowery Poetry Club in New York is the venue for another Beefheart tribute concert. Gary Lucas will be heading the event but it’s not one of his Symposium shows. This is going to be a musical tribute covering all albums from Safe As Milk to Ice Cream For Crow. It’s on Saturday 4 June, starts at 8pm and costs only $10 (all proceeds to The National Multiple Sclerosis Society). Check out the Bowery website for more details about who else will be performing. It’s also going to be streamed on the web.Read More →

Robyn Hitchcock

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Graham’s already tweeted about this but I thought I’d pull it together into the blog. Robyn Hitchcock is running round the country with a Captain Beefheart tribute … he’s performing the Clear Spot album in its entirety with his Imaginary Band. The dates and venues are: 3 June – London The Garage 4 June – Cheltenham Wychwood Festival 5 June – Bath Spiegeltent 26 June – Glastonbury Festival Hitchcock is a great Beefheart fan and you can watch an interview with him on the Wychwood Festival site where he talks about Don and his other influences. He’s already covered a few of Don’s songs inRead More →

Still of the Trout House from The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart

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In: 1941-2010, Life
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The Woodland Hills house on Ensenada Drive was the venue for the Magic Band’s endless rehearsals of Trout Mask Replica, and also where the Trout Mask Sessions on Grow Fins were recorded. Its inclusion at the Radar Station is a must! So many legendary stories surround this magical-looking building, which appeared to have been left to decay. Then in 2006 it was put up for sale, and in 2010 as well. Angel’s photographs of her & Chris’ trip to the Trout House John French’s response to these photographs … Stills of the Trout House from The Artist Formerly Known As Captain Beefheart See also: ConfluenceRead More →

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In: 1941-2010
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My first meeting with Don Van Vliet–whom I’ll just refer to as Beefheart–came on a rainy night about 12 hours before his wedding. It was November 1969; I was 19 years old. I was at my parent’s home in Northridge, California when the phone rang about 9:30 p.m. I thought it was my girlfriend whose house I had left an hour before. But it was my friend, Jan Jenkins. Jan had just been in a traffic accident while driving alone in Beefheart’s Volvo. She was not injured, but the Volvo had been towed. She needed a lift back to Beefheart’s house where she’d been livingRead More →

Don Vliet's graduation photograph

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In: 1941-2010
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Yes, it’s real. This is the graduation photograph listed for one Don Vliet in the high school yearbook at Antelope Valley High School, Lancaster, CA. Having jokingly claimed to have only spent half a day at kindergarten, this photograph would suggest otherwise. However, it is still possible that he did drop out as claimed. When I asked one person who was actually at school with both Don and Frank Zappa about this photograph, she replied: “Don dropped out sometime during his senior year and probably didn’t actually graduate. Knowing him, he probably found a way to don the cap and gown and get his pictureRead More →

Benoit Delaune - Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band(s)

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There’s a new book just been published (in French) called Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band(s) written by Benoit Delaune. It looks at how some of the most amazing ‘free’ music ever made was produced under the most controlled of conditions. Find out moreRead More →

Mode 7 Media Ltd

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In: beefheart.com
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I have recently taken the plunge and become a freelance web designer and information architect. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and now the opportunity has arisen, I’m delighted. My new professional website is now live (though still a little rough around the edges) and available at www.mode7media.co.uk I’ve just published my first blog post there called Keep It Simple Smarty-Pants about the importance of simplicity on the web. If you or anyone you know needs the services of a freelance web designer / information architect please do get in touch, I’d be delighted to hear from you. Now that IRead More →

Victor Hayden artwork

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If you don’t get the chance to visit the exhibition – INK – of Victor Hayden (aka The Mascara Snake) artworks at the East Austin Art Gallery in Texas then you can get a look at some of them which are currently being sold on ebay by the gallery. Here’s the series of recent ink drawings being sold at a reasonable price and here’s some older more elaborate stuff for those with deeper pockets I blogged about this rare exhibition of Victor’s work last month.Read More →

Don Van Vliet and Gary Lucas

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Friday 8 April at the Knitting Factory Brooklyn. Featuring Gary Lucas “Ice Cream for Crow” video clip producer (and uncredited director) Ken Schreiber UK journalist Vivien Goldman CultureCatch.com’s Dusty Wright Fireparty’s own Brainpang avant-punk icon Genesis Breyer P-Orridge Film Society of Lincoln Center director Richard Pena Ramones/Iggy Pop manager Danny Fields vocalist Felice Rosser journalist Billy Altman pundit Byron Coley music and film critic Glenn Kenny poet Bob Holman and more Full info, tickets, etc at The Knit.  Hurry!  It’s tonight!Read More →