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Sex Pistols, Clash and Motörhead covered Celtic folk style by Vyvyan from ‘The Young Ones’
01.30.2014
09:25 am
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Dangerous Minds has checked in on English actor/comedian/musician Adrian Edmondson before, to talk about The Idiot Bastard Band, his group with Bonzo Dog/Monty Python habitué Neil Innes, and his beloved BBC comedy The Young Ones, on which he played the insane and violent postcard-punker archetype Vyvyan Basterd. But we’ve only given passing mention to his fine band The Bad Shepherds, and that’s just absurd. The band’s specialty is Celtic folk covers of classic punk, though songs like Elvis Costello’s “Shipbuilding” and Kraftwerk’s “The Model” have found their way into the repertoire. They’ve released three albums worth of such interpretations, 2009’s Yan, Tyan, Tethera, Methera!, 2010’s By Hook Or By Crook and last year’s Mud, Blood & Beer.
 

 
Given Edmondson’s history in comedy, you could be forgiven for assuming this was a joke band, an inversion of the tired old novelty punk covers trip. But before you leap to conclude that, hear Edmondson out in these excerpts from an excellent recent interview with Outline Online

The whole mechanic of taking on cover songs is a huge mantle for you to take on; has there ever been a song that’s been too difficult, that’s wriggled away from you, that can’t be tamed?

Oh, hundreds of ‘em. Loads of ‘em. Yeah, we try loads of stuff and what we do probably represents about a quarter of what we try to do. It’s not that we don’t like the ones that don’t work, it’s just we haven’t found a way of doing it. We generally take the songs completely to pieces and then put them back together again without thinking about the original and try and find instrumentation for them. Primarily they fall down on lyrics because I’m a middle-aged man and they’ve got to suit my age, and most folk and most punk songs surprisingly do because they’re surprisingly adult in content, most of the punk canon, y’know. They were written by people who were really thinking; they’re not just solipsistic, selfish kind of ‘ooh, I’m in love, I’m not in love’ songs. They’re about social commentary and social protest and things like that and it’s very exciting. But some songs, for example, we’ve tried a few songs by The Damned and none of them worked because they’re all – and I don’t mean this to deride The Damned but they’re all just a bit childish when you take them to bits and you read the lyrics without thinking about what the music’s about. It just doesn’t work. It doesn’t go anywhere. We tried moving up the years as well thinking there must be a load of stuff in the 80s with Tears for Fears and OMD and stuff like that, so we scoured through those and tried to work on that and again, that kinda falls short, lyrically. It’s too childish. I mean, they’re brilliant, original things but they don’t fit the ethos of our band; they don’t become folk songs.

What is it about those genres that seem to lend themselves so well?


Because they’re forgotten songs and people all imagine that that sort of era is full of jumping up and down, shouting and spitting and it didn’t mean anything apart from anger in the performance. They’re disastrously wrong; they’re some of the most complex songs. The idea that all punk songs are three-chord wonders is completely erroneous. There are vastly complicated chord sequences and tuning in some of the songs we play.

 

The Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy In The U.K.”
 

The Clash’s “London Calling”

After the jump, Motörhead’s “Ace Of Spades” and more…

READ ON
Posted by Ron Kretsch
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01.30.2014
09:25 am
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Righteous Motörhead Christmas sweater
11.07.2013
01:47 pm
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Motörhead Christmas sweater
 
It’s a little early to be grooving on Christmas merch, but this was too good to resist. The online store Shredders was offering this fucking fantastic Christmas sweater with the Motörhead hell-boar on it, but it’s been yanked. (They used to have a Wu-Tang sweater too, but that one too is no longer available.)

I’m guessing a stern message from Motörhead’s legal representatives put an end to that.

So hey, Motörhead—why don’t you offer an official one? I don’t want to support copyright infringers if I can help it…. I just want my own Motörhead Christmas sweater. Is that too much to ask?

Thank you Annie Zed!

Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Ace of Spades: Motörhead playing cards
Motörhead Beach Ball

Posted by Martin Schneider
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11.07.2013
01:47 pm
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Lemmy Kilmister being as Lemmy as he can be, a lesson in heavy metal semiotics
04.02.2013
10:13 am
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Not sure if it’s the sword, the “Daisy Dukes” cut-offs, the confused nationalist iconography or his absolutely manic, speedfreak smile, but the Motörhead frontman may have actually out-Lemmy-ed himself with this one. Yep, this is Lemmy at his Lemmyest.

Posted by Amber Frost
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04.02.2013
10:13 am
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The Motörizer Bunny: Lemmy celebrates Easter?
03.28.2013
12:24 pm
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Eat the rich, save the bunnies…

Posted by Tara McGinley
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03.28.2013
12:24 pm
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Robot band plays Motörhead’s ‘Ace of Spades’
01.05.2013
11:51 am
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Here’s Compressorhead playing Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades.”

If you feel inclined to “like,” this is their Facebook fan page.
 

 
Via Nerdcore

Posted by Tara McGinley
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01.05.2013
11:51 am
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All I Want For Christmas Is A F*cking Mötörhead Glitter Ball!
11.28.2012
11:44 am
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This Motörhead glitter ball ornament by ElectricLadyland1 can be yours over at Etsy.

With thanks to Cherrybombed for that title!

Posted by Tara McGinley
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11.28.2012
11:44 am
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Motörhead Russian nesting dolls
09.06.2012
06:43 pm
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According to the description on Amazon for these Motörhead Russian nesting dolls:

“Hand made hand painted ** Limited addition ** Quality - excellent. ** Very colorful, detailed artwork. ** Lacquer finish. *** Signature on the base. **”

They’re $31.00 + shipping for the 5 dolls.

Motorhead Russian Nesting Doll Hand Made 5 Pcs / 6 in
 
Via Cherrybombed

Posted by Tara McGinley
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09.06.2012
06:43 pm
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Bastards Lager: Motörhead launches new beer!
06.13.2012
01:04 pm
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Just in time for Summer BBQs, Motörhead unveils their latest beverage, Bastards Lager.

As Cherrybombed puts it, “I was hoping for a bit more than a 4.7% punch from a lager with the words “Motörhead,” and “Bastards” on it.”

Anyway, it looks like it’s only available in Sweden, but you can order it online from System Bolaget.

 

Posted by Tara McGinley
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06.13.2012
01:04 pm
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Motörhead trash a hotel room
05.17.2012
11:38 am
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Lemmy and Phil “the Animal” Taylor getting up to some hotel trashing shenanigans on French TV. They also put the French journalist in a headlock towards the end.

“We are not violent!”

 

 
Via WFMU

Posted by Tara McGinley
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05.17.2012
11:38 am
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A needlepoint portrait of Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister
03.28.2012
02:02 pm
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Etsy shop Defiant Damsel is selling a one of a kind 8x8 cross stitch portrait of Lemmy for just $50.00 + shipping. Maybe a nice housewarming gift?
 
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
Lemmy visits Glamor Shots
 
Via Cheryybombed

Posted by Tara McGinley
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03.28.2012
02:02 pm
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Motörhead Vödka!
12.12.2011
01:31 pm
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I was really hoping to promote Motörhead Vödka as a great stocking stuffer idea, but it appears that it’s only available in Sweden right now (which you can pre-order here).

(via Cherrybombed)

Posted by Tara McGinley
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12.12.2011
01:31 pm
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