In March 2006 I submitted a bunch of UED definitions, as heard on the wonderful "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue", to the BBC Radio 4 online message boards.
For no other reason than sheer vanity and self-promotion, I reproduce them here to show you just how bloody clever I am.
Solace: a really good gospel singer
Diversion: Welsh-language edition
Inspector: a member of a villainous, world-threatening organisation
Incorrigible: egg-on a male cow
Anagram: a stripper dressed as the Princess Royal
Sublime: a member of the citrus underclass
Intestate: survived test seven
Pomegranate: stone used to build the Australian Embassy in London
Syllabus: Scouse public transport
Indignation: everyone living like students
Catastrophe: prize-winning moggie
Indispensible: winner of One Man and his Cow
Yom Kippur: Jewish festival of the smoked herring
Valuable: bovine pricing
Pheromone: King of Egypt complaining
Prawn: a Geordie lying down
Vulcanised: gone pointy-eared
Flamboyant: floating candle
Uncanny: removed from its tin
Eulogy: a Christmas horse
Phlegmatic: having a head-cold
Ecstatic: moving
Implode: a bunch of goblins
Vagabond: shares in vagrants
Toulouse Lautrec: a long walk to the toilet
Atlas: bare-headed
Vagrant: a moan about nothing in particular
Diatribe: second-rate clan
Sofa: you're dumped!
Morning: Geordie complaints
Lift: on a Parade gound, the opposite of "rate"
Content: a fake marquee
That was then. I'm still at it thanks to a recent thread on Twitter (which didn't exist back then...).
incline: what a pen leaves
wok: Jonathan Ross's favourite kind of music
antipasti: down with Ginster's!
extractor fan: a former admirer of farm machinery
late: not heavy
effigy: how to spell "feg"
Thursday 12 August 2010
Tuesday 20 April 2010
Celebrating the losers
I'm not sure if it's a British thing or whether it's just my sense of humour, but I love the way we celebrate the losers, the odd and the plain weird. There are awards ceremonies and websites devoted to it and I find it all compelling, entertaining and yet also oddly comforting.
There's The Darwin Awards for stories of people who get themselves killed in odd ways, thus removing their particular strand of idiocy from the human gene pool.
The Razzies celebrate the worst clunkers in Hollywood movies - this year Sandra Bullock distinguished herself by winning both a Razzie and a Best Actress Oscar in consecutive days, and she attended both ceremonies! Good on you, San!
The Ig Nobels are awarded to the most spurious and pointless examples of improbable scientific research, going to the eponymous "they", as in "they say that x% of dental patients prefer waxed to un-waxed dental floss" This question was addressed by the winner of the 1995 Dentistry Prize, by the way.
Today, I discover the never-less-than-erudite Diagram Prize for the weirdest book title (adult non-fiction only, I think...). This year's winner, Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes (which effortlessly combines the gentle art of needle-based stitchery with the hard-core science of advanced geometry) joins a distinguished list of previous winners which includes The Joy of Chickens (1980), Versailles: The View From Sweden (1988), Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers (1996), The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage Frais (2008) and the grand-daddy of them all, the first winner, Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice (1978).
Roll-on, this year's ceremonies!
There's The Darwin Awards for stories of people who get themselves killed in odd ways, thus removing their particular strand of idiocy from the human gene pool.
The Razzies celebrate the worst clunkers in Hollywood movies - this year Sandra Bullock distinguished herself by winning both a Razzie and a Best Actress Oscar in consecutive days, and she attended both ceremonies! Good on you, San!
The Ig Nobels are awarded to the most spurious and pointless examples of improbable scientific research, going to the eponymous "they", as in "they say that x% of dental patients prefer waxed to un-waxed dental floss" This question was addressed by the winner of the 1995 Dentistry Prize, by the way.
Today, I discover the never-less-than-erudite Diagram Prize for the weirdest book title (adult non-fiction only, I think...). This year's winner, Crocheting Adventures with Hyperbolic Planes (which effortlessly combines the gentle art of needle-based stitchery with the hard-core science of advanced geometry) joins a distinguished list of previous winners which includes The Joy of Chickens (1980), Versailles: The View From Sweden (1988), Greek Rural Postmen and Their Cancellation Numbers (1996), The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage Frais (2008) and the grand-daddy of them all, the first winner, Proceedings of the Second International Workshop on Nude Mice (1978).
Roll-on, this year's ceremonies!
Thursday 4 February 2010
Old(er) faces on new shows
I'm a fan of the BBC TV series "Hustle", which features the great Robert Vaughn as Albert Stroller - a veteran con-artist lending his considerable talents and experience to a crew of young British long-con operators.
Every time the show comes on and we're treated to his effortless performances, I think how lucky we are to have him over here still putting out great work when he could easily have decided to draw stumps and head for the pavilion.
Then I'm reminded that another of my favourite programmes, "NCIS", features his erstwhile partner in the classic Men from UNCLE series David McCallum, whom we've lent to the American TV audience, seemingly in return.
How nice it would be for the writers of the respective shows to think of a way to get each character into each other's series so that we can see them on screen together again (twice).
Then NCIS gets Ralph Waite to play Jethro's dad and we have another classy older performer showing the youngsters how it's done.
Good on you, fellas. Keep it up as long as you like, because those of us who remember you from TV shows of the past are enjoying you again in the TV shows of today. That particularly appeals to those who, like me, are silly, sentimental sods who have a soft-spot for the nostalgic!
Every time the show comes on and we're treated to his effortless performances, I think how lucky we are to have him over here still putting out great work when he could easily have decided to draw stumps and head for the pavilion.
Then I'm reminded that another of my favourite programmes, "NCIS", features his erstwhile partner in the classic Men from UNCLE series David McCallum, whom we've lent to the American TV audience, seemingly in return.
How nice it would be for the writers of the respective shows to think of a way to get each character into each other's series so that we can see them on screen together again (twice).
Then NCIS gets Ralph Waite to play Jethro's dad and we have another classy older performer showing the youngsters how it's done.
Good on you, fellas. Keep it up as long as you like, because those of us who remember you from TV shows of the past are enjoying you again in the TV shows of today. That particularly appeals to those who, like me, are silly, sentimental sods who have a soft-spot for the nostalgic!
Wednesday 20 January 2010
My "NFL For Dummies"
As a UK-based fan of the NFL for over 20 years now, I'm increasingly aware that the number of very keen and well-informed UK fans and members of forums and Facebook groups like those for BBC Radio 5 Live and Channel 5 TV, plus others like the NFL Rants and Raves podcast show is greater than ever.
Now, I love the game and enjoy every aspect of it, but I'm feeling more than a little left behind in the raw knowledge department.
In the UK's Premier League we have, and have done for some time now, a select few big teams with well-heeled financial backers, a top-name manager and world-class squads, not to mention a long and glittering history of success. Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have consistently led the way and shared out the major honours between them, only occasionally being joined by others (Aston Villa and Manchester City, currently) who dare to threaten the quadropoly (did I just make that up?).
Who are the equivalents in the NFL? Which are the teams that would expect to do well and which are making up the numbers, or worse? Will the Oakland Raiders - my team - stop being the AFC West whipping boys any time soon and, if so, how?
Well, the NFL is a very different beast from the English Premier League. For starters, there's the Draft that happens in the closed season each April, where the top performers from College football are picked by the NFL teams to add to their roster of players. The key point here is that the teams with the worst record from the previous season pick first so that the weaker squads get the chance to bring in good new players, so providing their scouting is accurate and they bid wisely, they should be in a position to benefit. A good rookie Quarterback or a speedy young running back with safe hands could make all the difference to a struggling franchise.
Then there are the owners - hugely powerful individuals (corporate ownership is not allowed) who can be involved to greater or lesser degrees in all decision-making, with varying levels of success and therefore popularity.
The format of the league itself is pretty complicated. There are two Conferences - the AFC and the NFC - each split into four roughly geographical Divisions - North, South, East and West. Play-off games are played between the divisional winners and the best-placed runners-up in a mini group format to decide the overall Conference champions. These two teams then play in the Superbowl to become NFL champions.
Statistically-speaking, the big three, if you like, are;
The last 10 years of the NFL have seen 3 Superbowls for the New England Patriots (2001, 2003-4), 2 for the Pittsburgh Steelers (2005, 2008) and 13 other different teams reaching or winning the Superbowl.
On current form the strongest teams would have to be the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Indiannapolis Colts, the San Diego Chargers, the Minnesota Vikings, the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints. After two Superbowl wins in the last 4 years, the Steelers had an average year with a 9-7 record. The Rams, Lions and Buccaneers were this season's strugglers.
As far as star players is concerned, out of a squad of 45-ish players, the big names are the Quarterback, the running backs and the wide receivers.
The big Quarterbacks are Peyton Manning (Colts), Drew Brees (Saints), Aaron Rogers (Packers), Tom Brady (Patriots), Philip Rivers (Chargers) and the evergreen Bret Favre (Vikings), still going strong at 40 despite his move from Green Bay to Minnesota.
The top Running Backs are LaDainian Tomlinson (Chargers), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Steven Jackson (Rams), Brian Westbrook (Eagles), Marion Barber (Cowboys) and Marshawn Lynch (Bills).
The best Wide Receivers are Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Andre Johnson (Texans), Randy Moss (Patriots), Reggie Wayne (Colts), Steve Smith (Panthers) and Anquan Boldin (Cardinals).
The main names as Head Coach are probably Bill Belichick (Patriots), Mike Tomlin (Steelers) and Tom Coughlin (Giants).
So, putting this all together, what do we get? Well, at the time of writing, we have yet to play this year's Conference games or the Superbowl, but the Jets play the Colts and the Vikings play the Saints to sort that out, and of these four the last Superbowl appearance was by the Colts who won in 2006. The Colts and the Saints would seem to be favourites for the Superbowl on current form, but the sentimental and the neutral may well hope the Vikings can win for Favre. However, at this end of the season injuries, fatigue and on-the-day tactics will all play a part as well as form and desire.
Remember, almost as soon as this season is done and dusted, the process of drafting new, young, keen college players begins, plus coaches and players out-of-contract (free agents) might well move around as well (some have already - Tom Cable's position at Oakland is not secure and Chan Gailey is new HC of the Bills) and the balance may yet change for next season.
That's just my assessment, but what do I know..?
Now, I love the game and enjoy every aspect of it, but I'm feeling more than a little left behind in the raw knowledge department.
In the UK's Premier League we have, and have done for some time now, a select few big teams with well-heeled financial backers, a top-name manager and world-class squads, not to mention a long and glittering history of success. Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have consistently led the way and shared out the major honours between them, only occasionally being joined by others (Aston Villa and Manchester City, currently) who dare to threaten the quadropoly (did I just make that up?).
Who are the equivalents in the NFL? Which are the teams that would expect to do well and which are making up the numbers, or worse? Will the Oakland Raiders - my team - stop being the AFC West whipping boys any time soon and, if so, how?
Well, the NFL is a very different beast from the English Premier League. For starters, there's the Draft that happens in the closed season each April, where the top performers from College football are picked by the NFL teams to add to their roster of players. The key point here is that the teams with the worst record from the previous season pick first so that the weaker squads get the chance to bring in good new players, so providing their scouting is accurate and they bid wisely, they should be in a position to benefit. A good rookie Quarterback or a speedy young running back with safe hands could make all the difference to a struggling franchise.
Then there are the owners - hugely powerful individuals (corporate ownership is not allowed) who can be involved to greater or lesser degrees in all decision-making, with varying levels of success and therefore popularity.
The format of the league itself is pretty complicated. There are two Conferences - the AFC and the NFC - each split into four roughly geographical Divisions - North, South, East and West. Play-off games are played between the divisional winners and the best-placed runners-up in a mini group format to decide the overall Conference champions. These two teams then play in the Superbowl to become NFL champions.
Statistically-speaking, the big three, if you like, are;
- the Green Bay Packers (3 Superbowls, 12 Championships - twice with 3 successive Championships, 12 Conference championships)
- the Chicago Bears (1 Superbowl, 9 Championships - twice with 2 successive Championships, 21 Conference championships)
- the New York Giants (3 Superbowls, 7 Championships, 21 Conference championships)
The last 10 years of the NFL have seen 3 Superbowls for the New England Patriots (2001, 2003-4), 2 for the Pittsburgh Steelers (2005, 2008) and 13 other different teams reaching or winning the Superbowl.
On current form the strongest teams would have to be the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Indiannapolis Colts, the San Diego Chargers, the Minnesota Vikings, the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints. After two Superbowl wins in the last 4 years, the Steelers had an average year with a 9-7 record. The Rams, Lions and Buccaneers were this season's strugglers.
As far as star players is concerned, out of a squad of 45-ish players, the big names are the Quarterback, the running backs and the wide receivers.
The big Quarterbacks are Peyton Manning (Colts), Drew Brees (Saints), Aaron Rogers (Packers), Tom Brady (Patriots), Philip Rivers (Chargers) and the evergreen Bret Favre (Vikings), still going strong at 40 despite his move from Green Bay to Minnesota.
The top Running Backs are LaDainian Tomlinson (Chargers), Adrian Peterson (Vikings), Steven Jackson (Rams), Brian Westbrook (Eagles), Marion Barber (Cowboys) and Marshawn Lynch (Bills).
The best Wide Receivers are Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), Andre Johnson (Texans), Randy Moss (Patriots), Reggie Wayne (Colts), Steve Smith (Panthers) and Anquan Boldin (Cardinals).
The main names as Head Coach are probably Bill Belichick (Patriots), Mike Tomlin (Steelers) and Tom Coughlin (Giants).
So, putting this all together, what do we get? Well, at the time of writing, we have yet to play this year's Conference games or the Superbowl, but the Jets play the Colts and the Vikings play the Saints to sort that out, and of these four the last Superbowl appearance was by the Colts who won in 2006. The Colts and the Saints would seem to be favourites for the Superbowl on current form, but the sentimental and the neutral may well hope the Vikings can win for Favre. However, at this end of the season injuries, fatigue and on-the-day tactics will all play a part as well as form and desire.
Remember, almost as soon as this season is done and dusted, the process of drafting new, young, keen college players begins, plus coaches and players out-of-contract (free agents) might well move around as well (some have already - Tom Cable's position at Oakland is not secure and Chan Gailey is new HC of the Bills) and the balance may yet change for next season.
That's just my assessment, but what do I know..?
Friday 8 January 2010
An Iain M. Banks tribute page (from my ex-website)
Welcome to an unofficial page intended to introduce you to the science-fiction writing of Iain M. Banks.
About Iain M. Banks
Iain Banks was born in Scotland in 1954 and came to widespread and controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984. Consider Phlebas, his first science-fiction novel, was published, as are all his science-fiction books, under the name Iain M. Banks in 1987. He has since gained enormous popular and critical acclaim and in 1993 he was acknowledged as one of the Best of Young British Writers. He lives in Fife, Scotland.
About "The Culture"
"The Culture" is Iain's vision for humanity in the far future - a complex expression of a mixture of social, cultural and moral philosophies, forming the backdrop for much of his science-fiction writing. All kinds of almost miraculous developments are taken very much for granted:
* intergalactic space-travel, the colonisation of distant systems and the construction of vast space-borne habitats
* advanced medicine that makes possible mending, prolonging, re-vitalising or simply changing one's body to suit individual preferences (like changing sex for a few years, or replacing a damaged head)
* widespread use of the almost magical force field in everything from propulsion of space vehicles down to keeping a drinking glass suspended handily within reach
* machines with sentience - the achievement of free thought - as demonstrated by the Minds that control and regulate space vehicles and habitations, and the robotic characters that are the constant companions, servants and mentors of both human and other biological life forms
That's only my assessment, though. To get the real story behind the Culture, read "A Few Notes on the Culture" by the man himself, courtesy of www.phlebas.com.
Consider Phlebas (1987)
Iain M. Banks' first science-fiction novel. Set against the colossal Culture-Idiran war, a fugitive Mind, hidden in the depths of a labyrinthine dead world, is sought by both sides. A Changer called Horza and an unlikely band of mercenaries are also keen to track it down, risking their own lives in the process.
The Player of Games (1988)
Jernat Gurgeh is a master of board games, card games, strategy games and other types of game so alien and complex in origin as to almost defy classification. His skills and reserves of concentration and will to win are stretched to their limits when, somewhat blackmailed into doing so by a mischievous machine, he journeys to a distant galaxy to take part in a game almost as important, and challenging, as life itself.
Use of Weapons (1990)
Special Circumstances agent Cheradenine Zakalwe is manoevred by his mentor Diziet Sma into taking over control of a war he's destined to lose, all the time dogged by traumatic childhood memories of his family and the incident that haunts him with memories of The Chairmaker.
Incidentally, Dizzy Sma and her drone Skaffen-Amtiskaw also appear in their own story which gives its name to The State of the Art.
The State of the Art (1991)
A collection of short stories, some Culture, others very definitely not; all thought-provoking and absorbing.
Against a Dark Background (1993)
His first non-Culture sci-fi book. Sharrow, former leader of a team of mercenaries, fights alongside her old comrades to recover a missing sentient super-weapon, whilst trying to avoid the Husz cult who, as well as also wishing to possess the gun, believe her to be the final barrier between them and their ultimate spiritual enlightenment.
Feersum Endjinn (1994)
It is the Encroachment, and old Earth is about to pass through a dust cloud that will blot out the dying sun. The King's war against the clan Engineers, The Count Sessine's final life, Gadfium's message from the Plain of Sliding Stones, the crypt's messenger Asura and Bascule the Teller's search for an ant are all played out in the face of imminent darkness, unless an escape from the Encroachment can be found.
Excession (1996)
A mysterious and seemingly omnipotent sphere reappears after a millennium near an ancient star, and all manner of ships, species and individuals find themselves drawn together, not always willingly or benignly, by a mystery that might just threaten every one of them. The one person who may know more is aboard a Culture vessel that's not about to allow the others to take her.
Inversions (1998)
A non-Culture novel; two separate stories, set concurrently on the same medieval-esque world, intertwine around common themes of love, secrecy and jealousy. She's the enigmatic doctor to a King, he's bodyguard to a regicidal military leader. Both have enemies and secrets and a love of whom neither can speak.
Look To Windward (2000)
Ziller, a Chelgrian composer in self-imposed exile aboard the orbital Masaq', learns of the impending visit of an emissary from Chel and fears that he is about to be repatriated. However, the emissary has a further, secret purpose to his mission rooted in an ancient conflict that led to the destruction of two suns, whose last rays of light are only now becoming visible to the inhabitants of Masaq' and the hub Mind, which itself has a secret past.
The Algebraist (2004)
When Seer Fassin Taak of Sept Bentrabal of Eglantine finds himself unwittingly co-opted into the Mercatorial military, his experience with the ancient gas-dwelling Dwellers is put to use finding information that many believe doesn't exist and that others would kill for. His search takes him both to unimaginably distant systems and very close to home indeed.
Latest News
[3.11.04] Following a break from sci-fi writing, the new Culture book "The Algebraist" is out on 4 October 2004.
[6.11.00] After the success of Look To Windward, don't expect a new sci-fi novel in 2001 (of all years!). Don't panic (no pun intended, but welcome nonetheless) - Iain's just having a break and will be back...
[15.8.00] Look To Windward, the new Culture novel, is out now in the UK in hardback from Orbit Books. The title comes from the same T. S. Eliot quote (from "The Waste Land" IV) that gave us the phrase "Consider Phlebas", the title of the very first Culture novel some 13 years ago.
[20.7.99] The next sci-fi book is scheduled for publication in late May or early June 2000, but at the time of writing no plot or subject matter have been finalised.
[20.7.99] The people who made the movie The Fifth Element are considering a big-screen adaptation of The Player of Games, although no firm news is currently available.
[18.6.99] The latest SF book, Inversions, published in 1998, is out now in both paperback and hardback through Orbit Books.
How To Contact Iain M. Banks
Write to him via his publishers;
Iain Banks
c/o Publicity Department
Time Warner Books UK
Brettenham House
Lancaster Place
London WC2E 7EN
Email: mail@iainbanks.net
Iain also has an official website that covers his sci-fi and other writing. Visit it at www.iainbanks.net
There are in fact quite a few sites on the Web about Iain, such as reprints of interviews and articles about the author, the culture and other aspects of the worlds and races he's created, not to mention plenty of input from fans of his work. Much good stuff can be found at www.phlebus.com and members.nbci.com/_XMCM/TheCulture, to name but two. Check them out.
Thanks for looking at my contribution, and I hope you get as much pleasure from reading the challenging but rewarding books of Iain M. Banks as I have.
Since writing this, another wonderful Culture novel called Matter was published in 2008.
About Iain M. Banks
Iain Banks was born in Scotland in 1954 and came to widespread and controversial public notice with the publication of his first novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984. Consider Phlebas, his first science-fiction novel, was published, as are all his science-fiction books, under the name Iain M. Banks in 1987. He has since gained enormous popular and critical acclaim and in 1993 he was acknowledged as one of the Best of Young British Writers. He lives in Fife, Scotland.
About "The Culture"
"The Culture" is Iain's vision for humanity in the far future - a complex expression of a mixture of social, cultural and moral philosophies, forming the backdrop for much of his science-fiction writing. All kinds of almost miraculous developments are taken very much for granted:
* intergalactic space-travel, the colonisation of distant systems and the construction of vast space-borne habitats
* advanced medicine that makes possible mending, prolonging, re-vitalising or simply changing one's body to suit individual preferences (like changing sex for a few years, or replacing a damaged head)
* widespread use of the almost magical force field in everything from propulsion of space vehicles down to keeping a drinking glass suspended handily within reach
* machines with sentience - the achievement of free thought - as demonstrated by the Minds that control and regulate space vehicles and habitations, and the robotic characters that are the constant companions, servants and mentors of both human and other biological life forms
That's only my assessment, though. To get the real story behind the Culture, read "A Few Notes on the Culture" by the man himself, courtesy of www.phlebas.com.
Consider Phlebas (1987)
Iain M. Banks' first science-fiction novel. Set against the colossal Culture-Idiran war, a fugitive Mind, hidden in the depths of a labyrinthine dead world, is sought by both sides. A Changer called Horza and an unlikely band of mercenaries are also keen to track it down, risking their own lives in the process.The Player of Games (1988)
Jernat Gurgeh is a master of board games, card games, strategy games and other types of game so alien and complex in origin as to almost defy classification. His skills and reserves of concentration and will to win are stretched to their limits when, somewhat blackmailed into doing so by a mischievous machine, he journeys to a distant galaxy to take part in a game almost as important, and challenging, as life itself.Use of Weapons (1990)
Special Circumstances agent Cheradenine Zakalwe is manoevred by his mentor Diziet Sma into taking over control of a war he's destined to lose, all the time dogged by traumatic childhood memories of his family and the incident that haunts him with memories of The Chairmaker.Incidentally, Dizzy Sma and her drone Skaffen-Amtiskaw also appear in their own story which gives its name to The State of the Art.
The State of the Art (1991)
A collection of short stories, some Culture, others very definitely not; all thought-provoking and absorbing.Against a Dark Background (1993)
His first non-Culture sci-fi book. Sharrow, former leader of a team of mercenaries, fights alongside her old comrades to recover a missing sentient super-weapon, whilst trying to avoid the Husz cult who, as well as also wishing to possess the gun, believe her to be the final barrier between them and their ultimate spiritual enlightenment.Feersum Endjinn (1994)
It is the Encroachment, and old Earth is about to pass through a dust cloud that will blot out the dying sun. The King's war against the clan Engineers, The Count Sessine's final life, Gadfium's message from the Plain of Sliding Stones, the crypt's messenger Asura and Bascule the Teller's search for an ant are all played out in the face of imminent darkness, unless an escape from the Encroachment can be found.Excession (1996)
A mysterious and seemingly omnipotent sphere reappears after a millennium near an ancient star, and all manner of ships, species and individuals find themselves drawn together, not always willingly or benignly, by a mystery that might just threaten every one of them. The one person who may know more is aboard a Culture vessel that's not about to allow the others to take her.Inversions (1998)
A non-Culture novel; two separate stories, set concurrently on the same medieval-esque world, intertwine around common themes of love, secrecy and jealousy. She's the enigmatic doctor to a King, he's bodyguard to a regicidal military leader. Both have enemies and secrets and a love of whom neither can speak.Look To Windward (2000)
Ziller, a Chelgrian composer in self-imposed exile aboard the orbital Masaq', learns of the impending visit of an emissary from Chel and fears that he is about to be repatriated. However, the emissary has a further, secret purpose to his mission rooted in an ancient conflict that led to the destruction of two suns, whose last rays of light are only now becoming visible to the inhabitants of Masaq' and the hub Mind, which itself has a secret past.The Algebraist (2004)
When Seer Fassin Taak of Sept Bentrabal of Eglantine finds himself unwittingly co-opted into the Mercatorial military, his experience with the ancient gas-dwelling Dwellers is put to use finding information that many believe doesn't exist and that others would kill for. His search takes him both to unimaginably distant systems and very close to home indeed.Latest News
[3.11.04] Following a break from sci-fi writing, the new Culture book "The Algebraist" is out on 4 October 2004.
[6.11.00] After the success of Look To Windward, don't expect a new sci-fi novel in 2001 (of all years!). Don't panic (no pun intended, but welcome nonetheless) - Iain's just having a break and will be back...
[15.8.00] Look To Windward, the new Culture novel, is out now in the UK in hardback from Orbit Books. The title comes from the same T. S. Eliot quote (from "The Waste Land" IV) that gave us the phrase "Consider Phlebas", the title of the very first Culture novel some 13 years ago.
[20.7.99] The next sci-fi book is scheduled for publication in late May or early June 2000, but at the time of writing no plot or subject matter have been finalised.
[20.7.99] The people who made the movie The Fifth Element are considering a big-screen adaptation of The Player of Games, although no firm news is currently available.
[18.6.99] The latest SF book, Inversions, published in 1998, is out now in both paperback and hardback through Orbit Books.
How To Contact Iain M. Banks
Write to him via his publishers;
Iain Banks
c/o Publicity Department
Time Warner Books UK
Brettenham House
Lancaster Place
London WC2E 7EN
Email: mail@iainbanks.net
Iain also has an official website that covers his sci-fi and other writing. Visit it at www.iainbanks.net
There are in fact quite a few sites on the Web about Iain, such as reprints of interviews and articles about the author, the culture and other aspects of the worlds and races he's created, not to mention plenty of input from fans of his work. Much good stuff can be found at www.phlebus.com and members.nbci.com/_XMCM/TheCulture, to name but two. Check them out.
Thanks for looking at my contribution, and I hope you get as much pleasure from reading the challenging but rewarding books of Iain M. Banks as I have.
Since writing this, another wonderful Culture novel called Matter was published in 2008.
Wednesday 6 January 2010
Music (from my ex-website)
Music
This bit gets its own dedicated section because it's the thing I'm most interested in and get most out of. I love listening to music and making it too. The only thing better than going to a gig would be to play in it!
I'm from a musical family; my father was a church organist (the proper sort that uses the pedals as well) and long-time timpanist/percussionist with the amateur Tonbridge Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as having a fine tenor singing voice. Rarely did he do all three at once. My mother is a singer (in church and with the Philharmonic choir) and pianist. My brother is a singer, bass guitarist, songwriter and now a DJ.
Having started with piano, violin, viola and singing, my instrument is the drums, which have always attracted me ever since I started listening to music. I've not inherited my parents' love of classical music (not for their lack of trying!), although I can appreciate what's going on. Many a happy childhood hour was instead spent pounding a pillow with a pair of my father's drumsticks so as to make as little noise as possible, trying to emulate Phil Collins, John Bonham, Neil Peart, Bill Bruford and Iain Paice (via my brother's extensive record collection, played at high volume!).
In April 1997 I spent what, for my wife and me, was a small fortune on a three-month drum course at the renowned Drumtech school in Acton, west London. I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven! I had top pros as tutors, soundproof rooms for practice and loads of musos from all over the world to trade stories and licks with. As a self-taught player, I was pleased to find that I hadn't developed as many bad habits as I'd feared.
As indicated earlier in the Personal section, I have fairly catholic tastes but mainly my listening falls into two camps: progressive rock/metal and electric jazz/jazz-funk.
The progressive camp is given over to The Flower Kings, Dream Theater (of whose fan club I was a member), Rush, It Bites (who used to have an excellent fan club - Hi, Maggie...), Yes, Genesis, The Dixie Dregs, Planet X, Transatlantic, Spock's Beard and anything else of a similar ilk. I wrote a potted history of It Bites for the website mentioned above. Read it here if you're interested, or check out the site for more info.
Jazz-funk-wise, we have Level 42 (again, a good fan club), Incognito, Spyro Gyra, The Brand New Heavies, and jazz-rock fusion bands like Vital Information, Chick Corea's bands and even Sting. Check out ex-Level 42 bass-man Mark King's solo stuff; the man's a genius. Read my review of his Jazz Cafe gig of November 1999.
Favourite drummers are legion, but the list will always include:
Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
Neil Peart (Rush)
Phil Collins (Genesis, solo artist)
Phil Gould (Level 42)
Dennis Chambers (Parliament, John Schofield)
Stewart Copeland (Police)
Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs, Winger, Rudess/Morgenstein Project)
Gilson Lavis (Squeeze, Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra)
Virgil Donati (Planet X)
Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree)
Best gigs ever attended:
Genesis - Wembley Stadium, London; July 1987
Level 42 - Wembley Arena, London; January 1989
It Bites - Town & Country Club, London; June 1989
Dan Reed Network - Astoria Theatre, London; January 1990
Yamaha Roadshow, featuring Dave Weckl, John Patitucci & Carlos Rios -Astoria Theatre, London; March 1991
Yes - Wembley Arena, London; June 1991
Flaw - The Rock Gardens, Covent Garden, London; December 1997 (with me on drums
- I was brilliant!)
Dream Theater - The Forum, London; June 1998
Mark King - Jazz Cafe, Camden, London; November 1999
Favourite albums: (or at least, some of them...)
Flower Kings: Retropolis, Unflod The Future, Space Revolver
Level 42: The Pursuit of Accidents, True Colours, A Physical Presence
Rush: Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures
Dream Theater: Images and Words, Falling Into Infinity, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Spock's Beard: Don't Try This At Home, V
The Flower Kings: Adam and Eve
Transatlantic: Bridge Across Forever
Yes: Close To The Edge, Keys To Ascension
It Bites: Once Around The World, Eat Me In St Louis
Incognito: Tribes, Vibes & Scribes
Toto: IV, Tambu
Genesis: Duke, A Trick Of The Tail, Seconds Out
Van Halen: 1984, F.U.C.K.
Marillion: Season's End, Holidays In Eden
Dixie Dregs: Bring 'em Back Alive
Steely Dan: Live In America
Flaw: 1998 Demo (that great drummer again...)
Mark King: Trash, Live at the Jazz Cafe
Planet X: Live In Oz
Keane: Hopes & Fears
Metallica: Black Album
Porcupine Tree: Deadwing
The Feeling: Twelve Stops And Home
This bit gets its own dedicated section because it's the thing I'm most interested in and get most out of. I love listening to music and making it too. The only thing better than going to a gig would be to play in it!
I'm from a musical family; my father was a church organist (the proper sort that uses the pedals as well) and long-time timpanist/percussionist with the amateur Tonbridge Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as having a fine tenor singing voice. Rarely did he do all three at once. My mother is a singer (in church and with the Philharmonic choir) and pianist. My brother is a singer, bass guitarist, songwriter and now a DJ.
Having started with piano, violin, viola and singing, my instrument is the drums, which have always attracted me ever since I started listening to music. I've not inherited my parents' love of classical music (not for their lack of trying!), although I can appreciate what's going on. Many a happy childhood hour was instead spent pounding a pillow with a pair of my father's drumsticks so as to make as little noise as possible, trying to emulate Phil Collins, John Bonham, Neil Peart, Bill Bruford and Iain Paice (via my brother's extensive record collection, played at high volume!).
In April 1997 I spent what, for my wife and me, was a small fortune on a three-month drum course at the renowned Drumtech school in Acton, west London. I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven! I had top pros as tutors, soundproof rooms for practice and loads of musos from all over the world to trade stories and licks with. As a self-taught player, I was pleased to find that I hadn't developed as many bad habits as I'd feared.
As indicated earlier in the Personal section, I have fairly catholic tastes but mainly my listening falls into two camps: progressive rock/metal and electric jazz/jazz-funk.
The progressive camp is given over to The Flower Kings, Dream Theater (of whose fan club I was a member), Rush, It Bites (who used to have an excellent fan club - Hi, Maggie...), Yes, Genesis, The Dixie Dregs, Planet X, Transatlantic, Spock's Beard and anything else of a similar ilk. I wrote a potted history of It Bites for the website mentioned above. Read it here if you're interested, or check out the site for more info.
Jazz-funk-wise, we have Level 42 (again, a good fan club), Incognito, Spyro Gyra, The Brand New Heavies, and jazz-rock fusion bands like Vital Information, Chick Corea's bands and even Sting. Check out ex-Level 42 bass-man Mark King's solo stuff; the man's a genius. Read my review of his Jazz Cafe gig of November 1999.
Favourite drummers are legion, but the list will always include:
Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
Neil Peart (Rush)
Phil Collins (Genesis, solo artist)
Phil Gould (Level 42)
Dennis Chambers (Parliament, John Schofield)
Stewart Copeland (Police)
Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs, Winger, Rudess/Morgenstein Project)
Gilson Lavis (Squeeze, Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orchestra)
Virgil Donati (Planet X)
Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree)
Best gigs ever attended:
Genesis - Wembley Stadium, London; July 1987
Level 42 - Wembley Arena, London; January 1989
It Bites - Town & Country Club, London; June 1989
Dan Reed Network - Astoria Theatre, London; January 1990
Yamaha Roadshow, featuring Dave Weckl, John Patitucci & Carlos Rios -Astoria Theatre, London; March 1991
Yes - Wembley Arena, London; June 1991
Flaw - The Rock Gardens, Covent Garden, London; December 1997 (with me on drums
- I was brilliant!)
Dream Theater - The Forum, London; June 1998
Mark King - Jazz Cafe, Camden, London; November 1999
Favourite albums: (or at least, some of them...)
Flower Kings: Retropolis, Unflod The Future, Space Revolver
Level 42: The Pursuit of Accidents, True Colours, A Physical Presence
Rush: Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures
Dream Theater: Images and Words, Falling Into Infinity, Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
Spock's Beard: Don't Try This At Home, V
The Flower Kings: Adam and Eve
Transatlantic: Bridge Across Forever
Yes: Close To The Edge, Keys To Ascension
It Bites: Once Around The World, Eat Me In St Louis
Incognito: Tribes, Vibes & Scribes
Toto: IV, Tambu
Genesis: Duke, A Trick Of The Tail, Seconds Out
Van Halen: 1984, F.U.C.K.
Marillion: Season's End, Holidays In Eden
Dixie Dregs: Bring 'em Back Alive
Steely Dan: Live In America
Flaw: 1998 Demo (that great drummer again...)
Mark King: Trash, Live at the Jazz Cafe
Planet X: Live In Oz
Keane: Hopes & Fears
Metallica: Black Album
Porcupine Tree: Deadwing
The Feeling: Twelve Stops And Home
Home, Sweet Home (from my ex-website)
No Place Like Home
Home, to me, is Tonbridge in Kent, in the south-eastern corner of England - about thirty miles south of London and more or less between the capital and Hastings on the south coast.
Known as the "garden of England", the county of Kent is best known for its crops of hops for brewing (and therefore its beers and ales) and orchard fruits, as well as seafood and the kind of pastoral villages that often appear in movies and on TV as "typical English" villages.
Tonbridge is a town of around 50,000 situated on the river Medway. Its name - tunbridge - means "the town of bridges"; however, another reliable source reckons it's from "dun" meaning hill and "brid" meaning castle and derives from the nearby Iron Age fort remains at Castle Hill. Take your pick! The spelling of the name is also historically variable - the use of an "o" instead of a "u" was eventually decided for us by the Royal Mail, so as to avoid confusion with the nearby Tunbridge Wells.
The river flows from its source in the west on the edge of Ashdown Forest to its estuary at the city of Rochester on the east coast. Tonbridge castle, built by William the Conqueror to discourage that well-known French villain Norman Conquest from sneaking upstream and worrying the townsfolk, still overlooks the river and is a feature of the town's crest.
Its chief claims to fame seem to be its former cricket ball-making industry, having a kind of dartboard named after it and claiming as one of its own double-Olympic gold medal-winning athlete from the Athens games Kelly Holmes, although strictly-speaking she's from Hildenborough which adjoins the north end of the town.
The town's upstart offspring Royal Tunbridge Wells, built around a natural mineral-water spring up in the hills about 5 miles to the south-west, has eclipsed it somewhat in the national fame stakes, what with the royal patronage and all that (although this could easily mean that Queen Victoria went through the town on the train by accident once), to the point that Tunbridge became Tonbridge so as not to disappoint those searching for the wells when they "only" found a Norman stronghold and loads of pubs. It also probably gave a welcome boost to the guy who painted all the road signs.
For more details, you could do a lot worse than visiting the official Tonbridge council website, or even Tonbridge On The Internet (TOTI), both of which probably contradict everything I've just told you.
Home, to me, is Tonbridge in Kent, in the south-eastern corner of England - about thirty miles south of London and more or less between the capital and Hastings on the south coast.
Known as the "garden of England", the county of Kent is best known for its crops of hops for brewing (and therefore its beers and ales) and orchard fruits, as well as seafood and the kind of pastoral villages that often appear in movies and on TV as "typical English" villages.
Tonbridge is a town of around 50,000 situated on the river Medway. Its name - tunbridge - means "the town of bridges"; however, another reliable source reckons it's from "dun" meaning hill and "brid" meaning castle and derives from the nearby Iron Age fort remains at Castle Hill. Take your pick! The spelling of the name is also historically variable - the use of an "o" instead of a "u" was eventually decided for us by the Royal Mail, so as to avoid confusion with the nearby Tunbridge Wells.
The river flows from its source in the west on the edge of Ashdown Forest to its estuary at the city of Rochester on the east coast. Tonbridge castle, built by William the Conqueror to discourage that well-known French villain Norman Conquest from sneaking upstream and worrying the townsfolk, still overlooks the river and is a feature of the town's crest.
Its chief claims to fame seem to be its former cricket ball-making industry, having a kind of dartboard named after it and claiming as one of its own double-Olympic gold medal-winning athlete from the Athens games Kelly Holmes, although strictly-speaking she's from Hildenborough which adjoins the north end of the town.
The town's upstart offspring Royal Tunbridge Wells, built around a natural mineral-water spring up in the hills about 5 miles to the south-west, has eclipsed it somewhat in the national fame stakes, what with the royal patronage and all that (although this could easily mean that Queen Victoria went through the town on the train by accident once), to the point that Tunbridge became Tonbridge so as not to disappoint those searching for the wells when they "only" found a Norman stronghold and loads of pubs. It also probably gave a welcome boost to the guy who painted all the road signs.
For more details, you could do a lot worse than visiting the official Tonbridge council website, or even Tonbridge On The Internet (TOTI), both of which probably contradict everything I've just told you.
Review of Mark King Group at the Jazz Cafe (from my ex-website)
Mark King - live in London
Jazz Café, London - 26 November 1999
A noisy, international audience jammed themselves into the diminutive Jazz Café and went wild for the ever-popular Mark King and his band of ex-Level 42 sidesmen. They were treated to an enthusiastic rendition of songs from across Mark King's career, from the early-ish Level 42 song "Kansas City Milkman", through the stadium favourites like "Hot Water" and "The Chinese Way", and into the post-Level42 "One Man" album and the brilliant mail-order-only "Trash" demo collection.
Keyboard riffs, brass stabs, backing vocals and guitar solos were all sung by the audience, to Mark's clear amusement and, being the last night of a five-day residency, everyone onstage (such as it was, apperaing to be barely larger than a king-sized bed, no pun intended) seemed relaxed and in a mood to have a good time. Not even the announcement halfway through that the show was being recorded affected the relaxed performances and interactions, and as a unit the band were excellent. I was particularly impressed with Nathan King, who I'd not seen before and whose tone and skill on the guitar coupled with his stage presence were great, a disintegrating pedal-board notwithstanding.
All in all, a great night's entertainment, sadly in a small venue because more people should hear this fine, danceable, funky, rocky, infectious yet skilfully-crafted and intelligent music. I look forward to hearing the results of what was recorded.
If there's any justice, this will lead on to solid record company support for a man who is still one of this country's finest writer/performers, and who, although the wrong side of 40, commands a loyal and vociferous fan base that many a new fly-by-night act would never get.
The Songs (possibly not quite in order):
Just Like That, Stronger, Changing The Guard
Kansas City Milkman, Throwing Sevens, Something About You
Outstanding, Hot Water, Keep Climbing
The Chinese Way, To Be With You Again, Sooner Or Later
Love Wars, World Machine
The Band:
Mark King - Bass, lead vocals
Jakko Jakszyc - Guitar, vocals
Nathan King - Guitar, vocals
Lyndon Connah - Keyboards, vocals
Gary Husband - Drums
(c) Martin Best 1999
Jazz Café, London - 26 November 1999
A noisy, international audience jammed themselves into the diminutive Jazz Café and went wild for the ever-popular Mark King and his band of ex-Level 42 sidesmen. They were treated to an enthusiastic rendition of songs from across Mark King's career, from the early-ish Level 42 song "Kansas City Milkman", through the stadium favourites like "Hot Water" and "The Chinese Way", and into the post-Level42 "One Man" album and the brilliant mail-order-only "Trash" demo collection.
Keyboard riffs, brass stabs, backing vocals and guitar solos were all sung by the audience, to Mark's clear amusement and, being the last night of a five-day residency, everyone onstage (such as it was, apperaing to be barely larger than a king-sized bed, no pun intended) seemed relaxed and in a mood to have a good time. Not even the announcement halfway through that the show was being recorded affected the relaxed performances and interactions, and as a unit the band were excellent. I was particularly impressed with Nathan King, who I'd not seen before and whose tone and skill on the guitar coupled with his stage presence were great, a disintegrating pedal-board notwithstanding.
All in all, a great night's entertainment, sadly in a small venue because more people should hear this fine, danceable, funky, rocky, infectious yet skilfully-crafted and intelligent music. I look forward to hearing the results of what was recorded.
If there's any justice, this will lead on to solid record company support for a man who is still one of this country's finest writer/performers, and who, although the wrong side of 40, commands a loyal and vociferous fan base that many a new fly-by-night act would never get.
The Songs (possibly not quite in order):
Just Like That, Stronger, Changing The Guard
Kansas City Milkman, Throwing Sevens, Something About You
Outstanding, Hot Water, Keep Climbing
The Chinese Way, To Be With You Again, Sooner Or Later
Love Wars, World Machine
The Band:
Mark King - Bass, lead vocals
Jakko Jakszyc - Guitar, vocals
Nathan King - Guitar, vocals
Lyndon Connah - Keyboards, vocals
Gary Husband - Drums
(c) Martin Best 1999
A Potted History of "It Bites" (from my ex-website)
This post originally appeared as a page on my website before Yahoo pulled the plug on Geocities without warning me. It's out of date now but is still valid as a historical record of how It Bites began and what happened in those early years:
A History of It Bites
A History of It Bites
INTRODUCTION:
Single releases - The Big Lad In The Windmill:
All In Red
Calling All the Heroes
Whole New World
It Bites toured Britain in 1987 to showcase TBLITW, at which time the It Bites Appreciation Society was established to cater for the ever-increasing requests from fans for information about the Band and any up-coming gigs and recordings. Dick's sister, Maggie Ward, was its superb and tireless Secretary; Joanne Slater, John's girlfriend, ran the London office. The Band then booked into the Manor recording studios, Oxford, to record their second album, "Once Around The World". The rest of Summer 1987 was spent playing the major European outdoor festivals, including the Montreaux Jazz Festival, broadcast live across Europe by Swiss TV,
and a support slot for Marillion at Loreley, Germany.
On 31st August 1991, Navajo Kiss left the stage of the
Marquee, London, to an enthusiastic reception, not least from
myself because the set had been great and I'd been able to get some
decent photographs as well. They had survived the sudden departure
of their vocalist, front-man, guitarist, focal point and life-long
friend and were setting out on a new venture with good material and
a bright future. It Bites may have come to an end, but
Navajo Kiss was just starting out.
Personally, there ends the story of one of the most influential
musical influences on my life so far, and one of the most intimate
and enjoyable associations between fan and band that I have ever
known.
Some five-or-so years have gone by since that Marquee gig, but
the impact of It Bites is still as strong as ever, kept
vividly alive through their recordings and the lovingly-treasured
files of correspondence that I've kept safely up in my loft.
However much my life changes, and it has certainly changed a great
deal in those five years, It Bites are still there, giving their
all and never ceasing to make the hairs on the back of my neck
stand up with a potent mix of excitement at the music and the happy
memories it all brings back to me.
I know that somewhere out there the band members must be earning
their living, be it still in the music business or not, perhaps
launched on their way by the It Bites experience. It may
be just a fading memory to them now, or it may be the foundation upon
which they have built their careers since, but I suggest that I may
not be the only person to whom their lasting legacy is fantastic
music that continues to provide many hours of listening pleasure,
even all this time later. Backward-looking remeniscence this may
be, but it still has the ability to make the present day a lot more
fun! Here, then, is my summary of the life and times of It
Bites.
- Francis Dunnery - Guitar, Lead Vocals
- John Beck - Keyboards, Backing Vocals
- Dick Nolan - Bass, Backing Vocals
- Bob Dalton - Drums, Backing Vocals
Frank, Bob & Dick all come from Egremont, Cumbria, and have
known each other since an early age. Frank and Bob met at junior
school, later transferring together to the local comprehensive
school where they met up with Dick and found a common desire to
pursue music rather than their academic studies.
Frank's elder brother, Barry, had known success in the music
business as guitarist with Ozzy Osbourne and
Violinsky, a spin-off from 80's art-rock band The
Electric Light Orchestra. Dick, Bob and John all followed in
the footsteps of musician fathers, John having already got a taste
of the local club scene playing accordion with his father's Country
and Western act.
John himself hails from Whitehaven, five miles or so up the
Cumbrian coast, and joined the other three a short while after
they'd all left school. They spent their formative period in the
early 1980s as a covers band on the tough northern England club
circuit playing contemporary chart hits from bands like Level
42 and Haircut 100. The name they chose, It
Bites, makes reference to a dog owned by one of their
roadies.
The fledgling band re-located to London in 1984 to further their
chances of making a successful musical career, spending two years
squatting in Peckham whilst putting together demo tapes of their
songs to send to the big record companies. The all-important first
big break came in 1985, when they met the man who was to become
their first manager, Martyn Mayhead, as they tried to blag their
way into the offices of record label WEA. Mayhead listened to their
tapes, saw their potential and secured an eight-album deal with
Virgin Records plus a support slot with Go West on their
UK tour. The first album as It Bites, released in August
1986, was exotically entitled "The Big Lad in The Windmill".
All In Red
Calling All the Heroes
Whole New World
It Bites toured Britain in 1987 to showcase TBLITW, at which time the It Bites Appreciation Society was established to cater for the ever-increasing requests from fans for information about the Band and any up-coming gigs and recordings. Dick's sister, Maggie Ward, was its superb and tireless Secretary; Joanne Slater, John's girlfriend, ran the London office. The Band then booked into the Manor recording studios, Oxford, to record their second album, "Once Around The World". The rest of Summer 1987 was spent playing the major European outdoor festivals, including the Montreaux Jazz Festival, broadcast live across Europe by Swiss TV,
and a support slot for Marillion at Loreley, Germany.
Thames TV broadcast a specially-recorded gig for its "Meltdown"
Single releases - Once Around The World:
The Old Man and The AngelKiss Like Judas Midnight
As a thank-you to the ever-loyal and enthusiastic membership of the Appreciation Society, the Band played a one-off, membership-only gig at the Tabernacle, west London, on the 14th January 1988. An
appearance on the BBC1 "Wogan" TV show was broadcast on the 12th
February 1988. The Band played four gigs in February 1988 (Trent
Polytechnic, Nottingham; Warwick University, Coventry; Surrey
University, Guildford; The Marquee, London).
It Bites also secured a support slot as "special guests" on Robert Plant's "Manic Nirvana" tour in March-April 1988. Their own mini-UK tour followed late April-mid May 1988, then they played at
a two-day open-air music festival at the Nurburgring motor-racing
circuit, Germany in July 1988. At this time, Dick contributed bass
parts for three tracks on Genesis keyboard-player Tony
Banks' 1989 solo album Bankstatement.
Single releases - Eat Me In St Louis:
Still Too Young to Remember
Sister Sarah
Underneath Your Pillow
In Summer 1989, It Bites played European dates supporting The Beach Boys. They played three gigs in Tokyo, Japan, mid September 1989 then the USA and Canada in the support slot for Jethro Tull late October - early December 1989, plus six UK dates mid December including a first-time headliner at the Hammersmith Odeon, London. The first and only It Bites Appreciation Society convention took place at The Rock Garden, Covent Garden, London, on the 17th December 1989. Frank took time out from rehearsing for a gig at the Hammersmith Odeon to make an appearance, answer questions, play a couple of songs and demonstrate his new Tapboard guitar.
An eight-date UK tour from late March - early April 1990 showcased new EMISL material. The Band then travelled to Los
Angeles, USA, in June 1990 to start writing and recording the next album. At that stage, a producer had not yet been confirmed.
series, shown on the 18th September 1987. Channel 4 TV's "Equinox"
programme documenting the history of the electric guitar, "Twang,
Bang, Kerang", shown 20th August 1987, featured Frank, as an
up-and-coming young British guitarist, comparing his Japanese and
American Fender Strats, and also footage of It Bites
recording OATW at the Manor. The Band also toured as support to
Marillion on UK dates in mid-late December 1987.
The Old Man and The Angel
appearance on the BBC1 "Wogan" TV show was broadcast on the 12th
February 1988. The Band played four gigs in February 1988 (Trent
Polytechnic, Nottingham; Warwick University, Coventry; Surrey
University, Guildford; The Marquee, London).
a two-day open-air music festival at the Nurburgring motor-racing
circuit, Germany in July 1988. At this time, Dick contributed bass
parts for three tracks on Genesis keyboard-player Tony
Banks' 1989 solo album Bankstatement.
1988 also saw several tours cancelled; America, supporting Robert Plant, Japan, and Europe, supporting Brian Adams. The Band
also got a new manager, Brian Lane, who also managed Yes, Jon Anderson, Asia and GTR - the link with the Band's musical tastes and influences being clear. Not only this, but Frank managed to conceal two operations he'd undergone to fix a perforated ear- drum.
In early 1989, It Bites recorded their third album, "Eat Me in St Louis", at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany, produced by Mack (who'd previously worked with Queen and
the Rolling Stones). B- sides for singles from the album were recorded at Town House Studios, London.
The Band made a brief promotional visit to the USA with Virgin Records staff. There followed a UK tour mid June - early July 1989
to promote EMISL, which was duly released on the 12th June 1989. The album reached the British Top 40. One of their more exotic and unusual gigs saw them play a 15,000-seater ice rink in Moscow, Russia.
Still Too Young to Remember
Sister Sarah
Underneath Your Pillow
In Summer 1989, It Bites played European dates supporting The Beach Boys. They played three gigs in Tokyo, Japan, mid September 1989 then the USA and Canada in the support slot for Jethro Tull late October - early December 1989, plus six UK dates mid December including a first-time headliner at the Hammersmith Odeon, London. The first and only It Bites Appreciation Society convention took place at The Rock Garden, Covent Garden, London, on the 17th December 1989. Frank took time out from rehearsing for a gig at the Hammersmith Odeon to make an appearance, answer questions, play a couple of songs and demonstrate his new Tapboard guitar.
Angeles, USA, in June 1990 to start writing and recording the next album. At that stage, a producer had not yet been confirmed.
However, news reached the Society membership in mid October 1990 that Frank had left It Bites the day before rehearsals were due to start in Los Angeles. Rumours about Frank's musical differences, his desire to be the sole band leader, love interests and other personal aspects have still to be satisfactorily cleared up. What is known is that he set up home with a female partner in LA. John, Dick and Bob stayed on and continued writing, with John taking on more guitar-playing than his usual keyboard role. Whilst still in the States they tried, unsuccessfully, auditioning for a new vocalist. On returning to England, without Frank, they recruited Lee Knott, singer from Innocence Lost, who had played support slots to It Bites on previous UK dates, and continued working on material for a new It Bites album initially scheduled for early 1991.
With John now focusing on guitar, leaving the bulk of the keyboard parts to sequencers, the music took on a harder edge and therefore something of a new identity, so the name It Bites was dropped in favour of a new one to reflect the change. The name they settled with was Navajo Kiss. In the Spring of 1991, they played their first gig as Navajo Kiss at the Cat Club, New York, USA, then played four UK dates in late August 1991 (Duchess, Leeds; King Tut's, Glasgow; Boardwalk, Manchester; Underworld, Camden, London). The Band also took the bold step of parting with Virgin Records to pursue a fresh, new record deal in their own right.
Virgin Records subsequently released a live album, "Thankyou and Goodnight", consisting, somewhat to the Band's dismay, of most of the Thames TV Town & Country gig. Whilst not a bad gig in itself, this meant rejecting much live material which may have better represented It Bites live in concert, even if it had not necessarily been recorded with a live album in mind.
THE FUTURE:
Frank has gone on to release three solo albums at the time of writing: "Welcome To the Wild Country", "Fearless" and "Tall Blonde Helicopter". John and Bob are rumoured to have supported John Wetton, formerly of UK and Asia, on a recent tour
to Japan. There is no evidence of Navajo Kiss having been recording or playing live since the Marquee gig of 31st August 1991. Further rumours suggest that the Band's name later changed again to Sister Sarah before they finally split for good.
In an interview with Guitarist magazine, Frank said that he'd
re-join the others as It Bites in the future, if they'd have him, but not for at least five years. Those five years have come and gone: those of us out here who are still fans can only wait and hope...
© Martin Best, 2-3.1.97
THE PRESENT:
July 2000: More can now be added to update the above.
John and Bob were indeed part of John Wetton's band and appear
on the LP "Chasing The Dragon". Now they have another band of their
own called Unicorn Jones, who have recorded one album to date - "Let's Go Do
A Million Interesting Things". Frank has released another solo
album, "Let's Go Do What Happens", and continues to gig around
America and Europe.
...and it doesn't end there!
Gradually, since late 2003, the four members of It Bites have begun to co-ordinate various tour dates to include appearances by other band-mates and performances of It Bites songs. The success of the release of a DVD and live CD via www.itbites.com has galvanised interest both in us loyal fans and the band themselves to the point where, sometime in 2005, they plan to get together and write new material and possible even go on tour again as It Bites.
April 6th (from my ex-website)
April 6th and all that..!
I share my birthday with...
Oh, and before I go any further, may I wish you all a very happy...
Feast Day of:
...and who could ever forget;
Tuesday 5 January 2010
New decade, same issues
I'm sitting at home watching live TV pictures of the repatriation of two more British servicemen killed in Afghanistan, their cars being covered in flowers, flags and football scarves as they make their way slowly past ranks of ex-servicemen through the town of Wootton Bassett - the nearest town to RAF Lyneham where these soldiers are now flown to.
I'm struck by how our reaction and attitude to our fallen soldiers has changed of late in the UK, no doubt influenced to some degree by the way America does it. We might not all agree with where and why we are fighting, and I count myself among these, but we have learnt to overlook this and see every fatality for what it is; an example of the ultimate sacrifice, a personal tragedy and yet, somehow, a source of pride for the family and friends, and a humbling example to the rest of us.
I'm struck by how our reaction and attitude to our fallen soldiers has changed of late in the UK, no doubt influenced to some degree by the way America does it. We might not all agree with where and why we are fighting, and I count myself among these, but we have learnt to overlook this and see every fatality for what it is; an example of the ultimate sacrifice, a personal tragedy and yet, somehow, a source of pride for the family and friends, and a humbling example to the rest of us.
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