More sad news I’m afraid – Max Bode, one of my closest friends and the inspiration behind the song ‘Diffrability’ passed away Friday 1st November 2019 at the age of 25.
Listen for free on spotify to Diffrability: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5cfgbqj0YowAIiw0EkIGGQ
He always had a smile on his face and whenever we got together we’d always have a great laugh at the expense of those straights who couldn’t see past his wheelchair. Fucking lovely bloke and will be missed by many.
Max you’re not insignificant
You were not so uniform
I’m proud to have known you
And glad that you weren’t of the norm
All My love
Steve
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This is the video animation that he created in 2015 of the song ‘The Way Things Are’
Lets start with the final question: „ Steve, what‘s the story behind the book‘s cover?“ „One of my favourite paintings is called Grande Odalisque by Ingres. There‘s always been controversy about it, this woman lying on her side but the spine is too long for the human torso. Couple of years ago now, I was in the pub in Sea Palling and there‘s a woman called Caroline who lives there. Now, she‘s got a different ability – a difability – if I can put it that way: she walks differently to me or you. And she was standing at the bar and I looked over and was like, ‚my god, that‘s Odalisque‘, so I asked her if she‘d mind having a photo taken. She said ‚yes‘ and that‘s why she‘s on the cover.“
La Grande Odalisque
Now that this is out of the way lets focus on the rest, a book about Steve‘s lyrics. After a foreword by The Shend follows a conversation between Steve Ignorant and Matthew Worley. They talk about Steve‘s songs, the lyrics, what they mean, when they were written, why and how. It starts of with „Do they owe us a living?“ that was a Crass song, followed by 39 more songs, some of them Crass, others for Conflict, Schwartzeneggar, Stratford Mercenaries and his current band Slice of Life. For fans who want to know behind the scenes storys and anecdotes this is a great source, it is loosened with photos and original script. The reader finds out a lot about the person Steve Ignorant, where he is coming from and where he is at nowadays. In parts very interesting read, mixes with trivial and entertainment. 160 pages, 14,99 £ (Dolf)
Steve Ignorant’s Slice Of Life will be starting their Tour in April and will be playing songs from their new album ‘DON’T TURN AWAY’ that will be released later this year.
IGNORANT’S SLICE OF LIFE TOUR: DON’T TURN AWAY
APRIL
4 Devonshire Arms, Cambridge
5 Music Hall, Ramsgate
6 Lewes Con Club, Lewes
18 Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
19 The Rigger, Newcastle-under-Lyme
20 The Maze, Nottingham
21 Dementia Aware Fest at Dolls House, Abertillery
Steve Ignorant’s Slice Of Life new song S.A.D. Steve: “Anyone that suffers from depression or S.A.D. will probably recognise what I’m talking about. Hope it helps people to know that they are not alone.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3eVyxFQE9Y
Check out Steve Ignorant’s Slice Of Live on Iggy Pop’s BBC 6 radio show where he played Stretford Blue and SAD on 22nd July 2018 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b6ppqc
Only 4 weeks to go before Slice Of Life (postpunk kitchen sink music that kicks you in the gut) hits the stage with The Cravats (a sax-riddled dada punk combo) and Rubella Ballet (a powerful hit of vibrant colour in the punk world).
Limited signed posters, designed by The Shend, will be available at the gig.
Just having a couple of weeks of before our final gigs of the year in October and November. We’ll be playing with some amazing bands and at very different but great venues. See you there.
Photo taken by Simon Balaam at AB Brussels
October:
5th – Islington Assembly Hall, London
26th – The Grapes, Hereford (CANCELLED-sadly another venue in Hereford that closed their doors)
Rebellion is one of my favourite all ages indoor festival with 7 stages (including the Rebellion Introducing Stage), over 350 bands, art exhibition and tatooist it caters for everyone. But what makes this festival truly special is the Rebellion team/family that runs it and the people that come.
For me it’s the perfect place to meet up with friends from all over the world, listen to good music and make some new friends.
Here some pics of the many many people I met.
Biff of Sick On The Bus, me and Peter Jones of Paranoid Visions
Jamie and me trying to look cool 🙂
Always a pleasure to meet up again.
Lovely people.
We had a laugh and a cry.
Selfie!!
His arm didn’t stop him coming to Rebellion and having a good time.
I really enjoyed talking to Wayne Carey from Louder Than Words about the Islington gig on 5th October with the Membranes, Cravats and Wolfhounds, about books and other stuff.
