London Calling

Top photo: L-R Me, Glenn Tilbrook, Chris Difford
Lower photo: Colin Wallace, Geoff Travis, Me

Just got back from London Calling on Friday evening. This is a music trade event at Earls Court, featuring a large trade floor with all sorts of music related companies selling ideas, services and products. Tony Visconti, legendary producer of David Bowie was a keynote speaker. I took some time out to visit an old friend, Colin Wallace, who is currently International Manager at Rough Trade Records. (Since left to work with an old mate, Alan McGhee, on some interesting projects with Sean Lennon and Lisa Marie Presley...) We has some lunch and had a laugh about some of our teenage antics. Colin left the town we grew up in (although I was born in Glasgow, my family moved to Grangemouth when I was a toddler). Colin hung about with Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie, who formed the Cocteau Twins with Bill Heggie. I have fond memories of smoking lots of weed and watching Dario Argento's "Suspiria" on VHS loud as feck thru the stereo. Magic! As the career of the Cocteau's took off, Colin moved down to London. We kept in touch for a while, but over the years I only found out how he was doing from some other friends who went down to see him. So after 20 years, we finally met again. Colin was a victim of that 80's phenomenon, the BIG back-combed hair! So it was funny to see he had none left. But now due to a vegetarian diet and looking after himself, he's in fine form. His boss, Geoff Travis was in the office, so I couldn't resist a pic for the blog. For those thicko's out there, Geoff signed The Smiths many years ago, and has recently worked with The Strokes, Anthony and the Johnsons and Babyshambles. Indie music wouldn't have happened without him! So it was great to see Colin again. As well as his Rough Trade day job, he's managing Elizabeth Fraser as a solo artist.

Meanwhile, back at London Calling - lots of interesting panels on how to break into the market in India, the AIM AGM, and a really good session with a somewhat laid back Glen Tilbrook and Chris Difford of Squeeze, who, like The Police and a million other bands have reformed to tour. Lots of interesting background on the making of the "Cool for Cats" album. The producer of that album, John Wood. Always get the impression from these guys that the big pay cheque always eluded them, and whilst they are kind of cynical and humorous about this, it must piss them off big time. So I took a pic to cheer them up... :)