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Dystopian Dominoes
152 Plays22 days ago
The world may feel dark, cold and dystopian, but the Domino boys are back again to spread a little off-kilter joy into your life.
Join them as they…
- Throw off their mental chains
- Swear unnecessarily
- Make unreliable reviews of some things
- Have a bit of a laugh
Includes music by The Deskimoes and Dusty 4 Track as well as some stuff wot we made.
Please take a look at the links that we have lovingly placed with great care and gentleness on the blog. They have been provided to enhance your listening enjoyment!
Visit the Johnny Domino website
Connect with Johnny Domino on Facebook and Instagram
Podcast artwork by Giles Woodward
Edited by Steve Woodward at PodcastingEditor.com
Recommended
Transcript
Identity and Societal Conditioning
00:00:00
Speaker
Well, you're not. You're not who you think you are. Well, we think that you are John or Dave, but you're not. You're not who you think you are.
00:00:12
Speaker
Jumbled mass of preconceived ideas. From our birth, we were given our identity. People told us we were great or small. From our birth, we were given rules of right or wrong.
00:00:25
Speaker
Not forgetting... the bullies at school. The world teaches us to think that life is full of limitations. The world tried to make us think that there were loads of limits.
00:00:40
Speaker
Welcome to conditioning.
Introduction to Johnny Domino Podcast
00:01:06
Speaker
Joy to the world. Hello and welcome. Welcome to the this, our Johnny Domino podcast. It's us again. It is. My name is Steve and that is my brother Giles. And on this podcast, we listen to songs that we have written and recorded.
00:01:23
Speaker
over the years And try and Oh, yes, we do. this rather dark and dank time of year. and basically just general chitchat and badinage and brotherly squabbling and we try and makeke something to brighten up your day oh yes we do on this rather dark and dank time of year who It's been particularly dark and dank today. It is, dank. And damp.
00:01:47
Speaker
Dank. So I was reading some lyrics there, as is yeah my usual habit. And I wonder if any of the listeners managed to locate where they were from. I doubt it.
00:01:59
Speaker
Well, I'm sure a lot of them will. I'm sure a lot of them will.
Howard Jones' Music and Influence
00:02:02
Speaker
I think, you know, people who are of a similar vintage as ourselves will know that that is track one, side one from Howard Jones' debut album, Humans Lib.
00:02:12
Speaker
Seminal. Yeah, it's bit wanky. Humans Lib, and that's the song Conditioning. It is conditioning. neutral is it Or is it total conditioning from the 12-inch album? No, it was definitely track one from Human's Lib.
00:02:25
Speaker
Yes. Right. And I've been getting into Howard Jones a bit recently. don't know why, really. I think I just saw the album cover and I just thought, that's a really weird album cover. Yep. That sort of weird pencil drawing on it.
00:02:40
Speaker
And I just remember hearing it coming out of your room a lot when you were like, I don't know, you were like 10 years old or something. 11. I got it for my 11th birthday. That's Yeah, yeah. And the best thing is i went to school on my birthday and I received that album in the morning and mum had to come and get me from school because I was feeling very poorly.
00:02:58
Speaker
and um she came and got me from school and set me up on the sofa and was like she left the room and I turned up that album quite loud and mum came in and she was not very impressed with me. Oh, it's your birthday. Yeah, I know, but i was clearly, as we used to say, capping off.
00:03:16
Speaker
Were you just mech it out? You weren't really that ill then? course I was. I wanted to listen to my Hojo album. So you just pretended you were sick? Yeah. No way, man. Yeah.
The Derby Band Deskimos and Their Legacy
00:03:27
Speaker
ah You know what? did you Do you know, do you remember that Howard Jones was basically the second gig that I ever went to see? I know. 1983 at the on a coach trip. Was Jed Hoyle in attendance? Jed was there. Doing his mime, throwing off his mental chains. Yeah.
00:03:45
Speaker
I have been kind of thinking about Howard Jones a bit. And I think we've got to like give them a bit of respect. I think respect is due to Howard because he's always been a bit of a figure of fun since his brief, well, it was fairly brief, wasn't it? is Pretty brief. It is fairly brief sort of period of of chart success. Yeah. People have sort like, oh, you know, Howard Jones, bit of wanker. he's not.
00:04:12
Speaker
He's good. I like his songs. They're like really positive. Listening to them again, at least he's singing about something. Yeah. I've been reading about him, you know, and he was a bit of a grassroots artist, you know. He started off just playing like local places. He was not yeah he was not an industry plant, you know what I mean? He just kind of started doing stuff, with him and his keyboard and his mate with his metal chains yeah and, know, jangling around. he you know, they had a vision of the future and it involved mime and synthesizers. yeah And they did it, you know, and they played like local gigs around High Wycombe and then he hired the Marquee Club.
00:04:49
Speaker
and did a And did a gig. And that kind of got him a little bit of attention. He got a Radio 1 session and he got some support slots supporting China Crisis and OMD, I think. Oh, Christ. And, the you know, that was it, really. even just It became like a big thing for a while.
00:05:08
Speaker
ah You know, and he just did it himself. So I kind of like got a lot of respect for him, really. I think he's good. But yeah, I don't know. I can only really listen to the first side of Humans Lib.
00:05:20
Speaker
The second side kind of gets... can't even remember what's on the second side. It's tits, to honest. But the first side has got some good tracks on it. Well, it's got all the hits, hasn't it? It's got Conditioning, Hide and Seek. It's got um the the aforementioned Throw Off Your Mental Chains.
00:05:36
Speaker
Oh, and what is love? So it's got all the hits on side one. It has, it has. Side two ends that ends with human's lib, doesn't it? you do Yeah, yeah, yeah. I seem to remember in my 11-year-old brain I was a bit perturbed by the fact that a human's lib seemed to be all about sex.
00:05:53
Speaker
Yeah. is isn't it? It just i was popped into my head. I don't know. But the song that I was quoting, Conditioning, I mean, that is very, and the word I'm going to use is prescient. yep Yeah. Yeah. Because it's, you know, it's about like people being brainwashed.
00:06:08
Speaker
Identity politics. Yeah. And people being brainwashed, right? By the conditioning, you know. The man. By TikTok, man. That's what I think. So go away, listen some Howard Jones. Yeah. And in, you know, while we're living in this dystopia.
00:06:22
Speaker
Absolutely. I'm feeling a bit dystopian today. I feel like this may be a bit of a theme today. Okay, good. so I'm thinking about this. I'm living in some sort of like 1980s dystopia. Okay.
00:06:33
Speaker
And it feels like when I look out the window and it's like kind of dark and raining. It's proper grim, isn't it? Yeah, it's grim. Anyway, welcome to the This Old Johnny Domino podcast. Yes. Here we are.
00:06:44
Speaker
Again, episode number, if you can believe this, 55. fifty five Hey, that's good, because I'm 55, like, next month. Hey, that's true. crazy On the 90s Derby scene I just want to be seen On the 90s Derby scene Where have you been?
00:07:05
Speaker
On the 90s Derby scene I just want to be seen What musical cuisine Stephen Jarvis are you going to serve today? willbrah Lovely there. Lovely Wilbraham's jingle invites us to travel back in time to the lesser spotted Derby music scene primarily of the 1990s, it's a returning feature.
00:07:27
Speaker
We look back at music from the past, and this time we are talking about a band called the Deskimos. Now, in April of last year, a YouTube clip appeared online, and someone was saying, I found this bit of music on a cassette,
00:07:44
Speaker
Does anybody know who it is? I think it's a derby band from the 90s. And I don't know anything about it. But I think it says, i think it was recorded in a studio in Michelover.
00:07:57
Speaker
So they knew quite a bit about it. And it was the Deskimos. I don't think we ever did any gigs with the Deskimos. But we kind of, I remember seeing them a couple of times. Mm-hmm. And actually, as part of this, our friend Frankie, he sent us a link to a web collection of a fanzine that was given out in Nottingham called Overall There Is a Smell of Fried Onions.
00:08:21
Speaker
And I remember getting that from Selectedisk. It was like a free fanzine type thing. And I kind of went through the whole back catalogue that was on this website. And there's a little article about the Deskimos in it.
00:08:33
Speaker
Someone read you that. Please do. Please do. Formed in Derby towards the end of ninety Obviously, they didn't have enough space to change the kerning on the letters, so they just put 90. After six months learning to play their instruments, they appeared in public for the first time in April 91 as support to antiseptic beauty.
00:08:52
Speaker
Anybody remember them? I remember the name. I can't remember anything about them. They have since played several gigs as far apart as Essex and Liverpool, including support slots with the Field Mice and Wonky Alice.
00:09:06
Speaker
After early line-up changes, they are now Bill Croson on drums, Anne Pearson on bass and vocals, Matthew Stack on guitar, and Nick Glyn Davis on guitar and vocals.
00:09:17
Speaker
Now, Nick Glyn Davis has appeared on this podcast in the past as a member of Boy Scout that we were talking about. Bird Scout. Bird Scout. Boy Scout. Boyland. but Yes, Boy Scout, Birdland. If you remember, we we were very jealous of them at the time because of getting lots of record company interest.
00:09:35
Speaker
However, it was all fine in the end because nothing happened. So and then we could listen to their songs and quite enjoy them. that was the That was Boy Scouts. Deskimos, they never did anything, so we didn't really like them anyway. ah but I do remember seeing them.
00:09:48
Speaker
And, yeah, eventually someone discovered what this song was, and it was a song by the Deskimos called Promise Me.
00:10:19
Speaker
No collection can be taken. You return and I'm mistaken.
00:10:51
Speaker
It's your choice, yours to be Felt so much, been far just want you to know where you are There's a morn in my head where the thoughts fall out No collection can be taken You return and I'm stankin'
00:11:48
Speaker
You won't forget I need a little bit I'll make you stretch It doesn't apply
00:12:06
Speaker
through it all. There's void in my head where the thoughts fall out. No correction can be taken. You return and I'm mistaken.
00:12:45
Speaker
That is how the recording ends. I think think it's a terrifically energetic song. I really like it. It's really good. It's an absolute cracker. It's got one of my favourite musical techniques.
00:12:55
Speaker
What's that? Here's a bit of boring theory. It's called a pedal. So that guitar bit, that duberumidido that basically stays the same and things move around it, mostly the bass line. So it reharmonises with that on the each return.
00:13:10
Speaker
i remember and I remember, what's the name telling me about that on Rock School? Oh, who was it? Was it tim was it Deidre or was it? just Oh, no, it wasn't Deidre. It was the guy, the bass player.
00:13:22
Speaker
Henry. Henry, it was Henry, the bass player. He taught me about the pedal. Anyway, Rock School digression. yeah um Yeah, Deskimos, really good. I mean, they're one of them bands that are kind of like has obviously disappeared and there's not much of their stuff for out there, is there, really?
00:13:38
Speaker
But that was cracking. I really like that. Of that kind of thing, you know, indie relationship drama, pop music, yeah good lyrics as well for, you know, some really nice things in there.
00:13:50
Speaker
You know, Promises, always a good thing to write a song about. Yes. You know. Yeah. It's as good. It felt, cynical but optimistic at the same time I liked it very much it is it's a cracker um and that is where the tape ends I'll fix it in the edit I'll put an end on it okay don't worry about it
00:14:22
Speaker
But the name Deskimos well. It's just the right side of tortuous. It is a good name. I mean, desk obviously implies people who perhaps stay indoors a lot and perhaps not yeah outdoors, rugged, sporty types in a band with that.
00:14:39
Speaker
But then Eskimo, yeah obviously that's now a racial slur, apparently. That's what I read. You know, it's ah culturally insensitive and out date for indigenous people of the Arctic.
00:14:51
Speaker
So someone at a desk feeling a bit cold. Ooh. You know. It's got layers. Again, see, this is what I need you for because I'm not very sensitive to words and language and, you know, verbiage. So I need you to explain all this shit to me. Well, there you go. You see, the power of words. Mm-hmm.
00:15:11
Speaker
And I've got a poem about that, actually. Well, weirdly. This poem doesn't really need any explanation. Okay. The poet's long-term partner says, poems don't really do it for me, and if you ever get published, I'll probably just pack up and leave.
00:15:32
Speaker
The poet, now justly chastised, commits fully to chiselling verse. I could swear I just felt a romantic bone as he prods her and pokes her about.
00:15:45
Speaker
And on their May wedding day, the poet weighs up the word husband and he weighs up the word wife and he finds them both wanting, like leaking boxes puddled in the stuff of them.
00:16:00
Speaker
And she says, stop being a twat and come and cut the cake. I know you never want me to say anything after your poems, but thought that was great. Really great.
00:16:12
Speaker
I enjoyed that very much. It kind of sums things up at home. Good. Don't be a twat.
00:16:21
Speaker
yeah you've got You've got to have somebody. I mean, I don't know what other people in the um in our kind of milie position, or in our milieu, that's the word, in our milieu have in terms of their kind of living situation. But I live with somebody who is utterly unimpressed with pretty much everything I do in terms of like poetry and music. And I find it incredibly helpful, to be honest, because she's just really not interested in it.
00:16:51
Speaker
Yeah. I don't know. Is that is that just me? does that Does anyone live with somebody who's like their biggest fan? I don't know. I think it's nice to feel a a little bit of support, but you don't want someone to be like all over it.
00:17:05
Speaker
I think that would just make you not want to bother doing anything. Exactly. yeah I don't mind. I mean, honestly, you know, shes I feel supported, but she's not really not she's really not impressed by any of it, to be honest.
00:17:16
Speaker
Yeah. But there you go. I forgot to tell you, Giles, I've got a sponsor. um So we're going to go to a quick ad break. Now, it's ah it's a new product, and I think it's really going to take the world by storm.
00:17:29
Speaker
Quite exciting. Come on, call, chat 0891. 0891. 50. 50, 50,
00:17:40
Speaker
Yeah, what are they selling though, man? It's a chat bag. Oh, is it? Okay. If you're lonely at home in the evening, yeah in the late 80s, early 90s, just ring that number up and you'll be put through to a complete stranger. You'll be able to talk to them.
00:17:55
Speaker
That sounds like a really good idea. If I was living in the late 80s, early 90s, I would definitely do that.
Global Music Collaborations and PRF Tribute Series
00:18:02
Speaker
Hi, I'm Giles and Stephen's mum, and I don't listen to their podcasts. I think they're very silly boys.
00:18:11
Speaker
the PRF Tribute Series. Yes. Do we need to explain what it is again? i was just about to say, as a reminder, the PRF Tribute Series is a global group of musicians and every month an artist is chosen and for the rest of that month people submit their own versions of songs by said artist.
00:18:32
Speaker
ah Last month we didn't get involved with it. It was beyond saying, we didn't really have time to do it, did we? Well, know you had a good idea, but unfortunately it just didn't it wasn't happening at all. Time ran away from Time ran away from us. And last week we did talk about I Am Wilbraham and his submission, which was... um it was sexy It was It was unbelievably sexy. He was he was a naughty boy.
00:18:56
Speaker
It was a sexy six music dad. It was a great song. Unfortunately, Will didn't win. He didn't. And neither did one of our other friends. And that is Ian from Motorcade One and Frankie Machine.
00:19:10
Speaker
And they did a song together under the name of Density's Child. And they did a version of Boogaboo. Yeah, and it was really good. And we're not going to play the whole thing, but we're just going to give you a taste of it. And encourage you to go away and and listen to some more of the PRF Monthly Tribute series. Yeah.
00:19:38
Speaker
You make me want to throw my finger out the window. Tell MCI to cut the phone calls. Break my lease so I can move. Cause you're a bugaboo, you bugaboo. I want to put your notebook on the call.
00:19:50
Speaker
Brocap AOL, make my email stop. Cause you're bugaboo. You bugging what, you bugging who, you bugging me and you don't see it ain't cool. It's not hard that you've been calling me, stressing me, pay your repayment just non-stop.
00:20:02
Speaker
And it's not hard that you're leaving me messages every time in that year you stop by. When I first met you, you were cool, but it was game, you had me fooled. Cause 20 metres after I gave you my number, you already have a mailbox fool.
00:20:16
Speaker
So what? You bought pair shoes. What now? I guess you think I owe you. You don't have to call as much as you do. I'd give them back to you through.
00:20:28
Speaker
Lyrical skills, man. Lyrical skills. You said before you like it when an artist is really struggling to fit the words in. I think I've said it about a motorcade one. the window to themc lyrical stills most lyricric buries you've said before you like it when an artist is really struggling to fit the words in and and that's think i've said it about motorca but like I mean, originally he did an acapella version of it. Yeah, yeah.
00:20:54
Speaker
And then Frankie took it and basically sampled it all and put it all together. But I i like it when Frankie joined in as well because both of their voices could not be any more Derby.
00:21:05
Speaker
I wouldn't see a video for it. That's the problem. man. Them two walking down the street in a kind of a Beastie Boys kind of way, like camera low down. Yeah, and getting in the face. Shooting up at them and them getting in the face and coming. Like a Hype Williams thing with that massive fisheye lens. Exactly. Be amazing, wouldn't it?
00:21:22
Speaker
Anyway, we we're going to move on from that because they didn't win. And the artist for this month... Yeah. Was chosen to be the Eurythmics. Eurythmics. I think they're just Eurythmics. Eurythmics, right? Which is not an artist that I've ever really had much um major interest or love for, to be honest. But the the good thing about the ah PRF Monthly Tribute Series, I think perhaps it does make you investigate things a little bit when you're trying to find songs to get handle on. And...
00:21:56
Speaker
I listened to the first album in the garden from 1981. Yeah. Which I'd never listened to before. And it's a cracking album actually of that type, you know, it's very eighties dystopian sounding. Yeah. Yeah. And it's, you know,
00:22:12
Speaker
Glacial synths. I found out since it was recorded in Cologne by Connie Plank and it's got members of Cannes on it and and even Clem Burkes on it, believe it or not. And it's got some really good songs on it.
00:22:23
Speaker
So we got the thought that we would do one of those songs. Yes. I think we're going to give a little bit of a preamble before we play this track because i kind of want to give the the listeners a bit of a some tasty notes, really.
00:22:36
Speaker
So we've done one of the one of the songs from from that and it's called All the Young Brackets, People of Today. Closed brackets. Closed brackets.
00:22:48
Speaker
So we've recorded that and we've done a kind of, we've gone, i don't know, I think we were listening to a bit of Devo. Oh, yeah, possibly a little bit. Been listening to bit of Devo. Yeah.
00:22:59
Speaker
And also, i recorded the vocals on a day when I was very, very frustrated with work. Yes. So i was quite feeling quite angry. And I want to just say, i do not think that all young people are twats.
00:23:15
Speaker
I just, I don't know who this angry guy was. But he was there, right? So there's an angry guy on it. And then we've done a sort of like a little... Hidden track. little A little hidden track at the end of it.
00:23:32
Speaker
Anyway, it'll become clear.............
00:23:52
Speaker
Young men
00:24:40
Speaker
the young people of today All the young people of today All the young people of today
00:24:51
Speaker
All the young people of today All the young people of today All the young people of today
00:25:13
Speaker
Young man
00:25:48
Speaker
They are set to win
00:25:53
Speaker
with unmatched powers.
00:26:01
Speaker
All the young people of today. All the young people of today. All the young people of today.
00:26:13
Speaker
All the young people of today All the young people of today All the young people of today
00:26:36
Speaker
All the young people of today All the young people of today All the young people of today Yeah
00:27:15
Speaker
They are fucking twats.
00:27:41
Speaker
that's covering
00:27:46
Speaker
I'll show you something good.
00:27:50
Speaker
Oh, I'll show you something good. When you open your mind, you'll discover the sign that there's something you're longing to find. The miracle of love will take away our pain.
00:28:15
Speaker
Comes your way again When the miracle of love Will take away your pain When the miracle of love Comes your way again
00:28:42
Speaker
yeah I think we've taken the listener on a journey through the Eurythmics there. Yeah, I'm just looking at the Wikipedia page for the album that that is from, it's called Revenge. And I remember about we had a copy of that on tape in our house yes as we were growing up.
00:28:58
Speaker
And that was also, even though was like one of the later albums, not the last album, but it was also recorded at Connie's studio, Was it? West Germany, yes.
00:29:11
Speaker
Featuring Clemberg on drums. I think he was like a full-time member of the band at that point. oh But it is produced by David A. Stewart. Ah. So there you go. There you go. So the journey from the first ah of nineteen eighty one to what of this six album, sixth album, 1986.
00:29:29
Speaker
That's a lot of albums. It's a lot of albums, and they're not even done by that point. You see, I wanted to do The Miracle of Love because I think it's just a horrible song. Well, I think we did it justice. I think so too. Have you watched the video recently?
00:29:43
Speaker
What, of The Miracle of Love? Yeah. No, that's not what I mean. Horrible. Okay. Horrible. Wikipedia describes it quite well. The grainy video shows Lennox and Stuart separately in darkened rooms, surrounded only by candles, followed by a shot of Lennox against a tree, while historical footage of military violence is shown.
00:30:02
Speaker
The video ends with an extreme close-up of Lennox as she wanders around a park before acknowledging the camera by winking, smiling, and laughing. Mm-hmm. I've got a lot of time for Lennox, though.
00:30:14
Speaker
She's good, isn't she? I mean, she and she's pretty sound, don't you think? You know what? I suppose she's all right. a bit you know, you're not going to win all those Brit Awards in the 80s and 90s without having something going for you.
00:30:25
Speaker
Yeah. And she was basically best British female for yeah all of the eighty s She was, basically, wasn't she? Dave Stewart. I don't know what I think about him, though. He's a bit more of a shady figure.
00:30:37
Speaker
The guitar solo on that song is just dreadful. but He's done a lot of stuff. But I did what find out one thing about him, apparently, which may be kind of nonsense, but it's off the internet. Apparently, he suffers from from so something called paradise syndrome, which is a feeling of dissatisfaction despite having achieved one's goals and often applies to successful people who feel like they have nothing left to achieve and i experience a sense of emptiness and ennui.
00:31:07
Speaker
Ennui. Okay. Something we'll never experience. Absolutely not. and We're going to keep striving, especially with our... quite like to have a bit of paradise syndrome. It'd be nice, wouldn't it? But, you know, you're just going to be fighting against your partner who's going just resolutely unimpressed by everything that you do. You have to be see, she's trying to create a striver.
00:31:28
Speaker
That's what she's trying to do. She wants you to keep striving. Oh, you see, you're analysing my relationship now. I need to not talk about this. Yeah, let's not do that. Okay. I think it might be time for another advert.
00:31:40
Speaker
Yes. don't be far call run what's the number
00:31:51
Speaker
yeah I know you're not going to do this like that often, but I quite like in the adverts, to be honest. Okay. I'm quite enjoying it. What was that one? That was from a different chat line.
00:32:02
Speaker
All right. So again, the opportunity to talk to a stranger. Over the phone. I don't know what the, year I should probably have made a note of how much it was going to cost. Try calling that number now.
00:32:15
Speaker
Try it, listener. What if there's just somebody in there waiting? They've been been on the phone and the wind's been blowing down the phone for the last 30 years. Still there. Somebody will phone me eventually. Hello.
00:32:31
Speaker
You see, that's very dystopian as well. You were right. There is a theme. There is a theme, man. There's definitely a theme. Well, more of that at the moment. But yeah, anyway, just to finish off with the PRF Monthly Tribute Series, that was our entry for this month. We'll see how it goes.
00:32:49
Speaker
i'm not I'm not betting the farm on it, I'll be honest. Steve's not holding his breath. Well, you never know. We might win. I think we tend to come at these things from a slightly...
00:33:01
Speaker
I mean, let's be honest. i would they might They might go for the hidden track thing though, Steve. Yeah, but maybe but maybe we're just finding out why we've been so resolutely unpopular in everything that we've ever tried to do.
00:33:12
Speaker
And maybe this is it. We're just going to keep doing it. And then eventually we'll go, all right. Yeah. It is us. it is us It is us. It's not everyone else. Yeah. Eventually you have to get to a point where you go maybe it's us. Yeah.
00:33:27
Speaker
True. and And now we're trying do this podcast thing. Yeah. And you'd think, right, a basic thing would be to sort of say, next episode, we're going review a film. Yeah.
00:33:41
Speaker
And then in that episode, we would actually be ready to review that film. But we failed, haven't we, Steve? Oh, absolutely. i say I said that i would I was definitely going to go and see the Bruce Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere film.
00:33:54
Speaker
And I've completely failed to go and see it and know nothing about it other than the rather mixed reviews that I've seen of it. Yeah. So can't really talk about that. So and i'm I'm feeling pretty, pretty sad about that.
00:34:11
Speaker
However, i did go and see another film okay about a working class guy who's sticking it to the man that's got nothing to do with Bruce Springsteen and Deliver Me From Nowhere. I went to see The Running Man.
00:34:28
Speaker
What, the new version? The new version of The Running Man. oh now Produced and directed by Edgar Wright. The second adaptation of a novel by Stephen King.
00:34:39
Speaker
Also very, here's the word again, prescient, dystopian, sci-fi. About reality TV, inequality, economic weaponization of media, everything. You know, basically, it's all there. You were telling me it's too much.
00:34:59
Speaker
Well, you know, I went to see this film. Okay. I went on Saturday, and I went on my own. Nice. Just for the podcast, really. Oh. Right? That's more than I would do.
00:35:11
Speaker
It's worth's more than you would do. Yeah. um And I've got quite fond memories of the Arnie version, actually, watching that on on video.
00:35:22
Speaker
Cracker. you. Yeah, and Dick. Yeah, and Dick. But I've never read the Stephen King novel, though I am a massive fan of Stephen King. Yeah. But the film is about a desperate guy who has no money. He's living in this terrible society where there's no healthcare and it's an authoritarian police state.
00:35:40
Speaker
And he's got a sick kid. So his only option really to save his kid is to go on reality TV and win some money. And he ends up going on this show called The Running Man, where runners are hunted by assassins, hunted to death,
00:35:58
Speaker
and no one has survived so far. And this is apparently, as I say, more faithful to the King novel because the Arnie version was like campus hell. Do remember you remember the the kind of the assassins in that? There was this one called Buzzsaw that was this big...
00:36:15
Speaker
guy in lycra with spikes on his helmet or thing or something so it's kind of funny it's a very kind of retro futurist kind of film it's interesting because it's kind of like it's set in the future but not in the far future and it's got also it's a future where people have to still record things on videotape and then the videotapes have to be posted into letterboxes which is quite bad. So I guess that's coming from like the the Stephen King novel. But Stephen King, when you watch this film, you realize he was so good at like looking into the future and accurate in kind of seeing how things are now.
00:36:57
Speaker
I mean, he basically invented the self-driving car. He basically did. In Christine. In Christine, yeah. The guy is a visionary. Yeah. right um And invented feminism in Carrie.
00:37:13
Speaker
He did. did do What else did you do he do? He invented good reads in Misery. He really did, yes. Okay, so we're big fans of that.
00:37:23
Speaker
Yeah. But yeah, I would say this is a pretty good film. I would give it an 8 out of 10, really.
Review of 'The Running Man' Adaptation
00:37:33
Speaker
right You give it 8 out of 10, but you said it's a pretty good film. It's a pretty good film. I'm going to give it 8 out of 10. I'm generous. okay My scores are not anything that anyone's ever going run their lives by. right I'm just saying it's a pretty good film and it's got a happy ending.
00:37:52
Speaker
all At the end, it it all works out. you know He sticks it to the man. Good. So it's ah it's another million dollar film made by a huge media conglomerate about sticking it to the man.
00:38:06
Speaker
So it's the man who's telling us to stick it to them. He's making us feel like we're sticking it to the man by making films about sticking it to the man. That's nice. I went see at the Broadway cinema in Nottingham, and they have a very strong teaching adverts thing going on with the adverts before the film. It's all very much like, get into teaching.
00:38:27
Speaker
and And, you know, it's that kind of thing where the life you change... The most is your own, that kind of thing. You know, you've seen the adverts. Self-actualisation. That's it.
00:38:38
Speaker
I think it's a very bit of positive social engineering going on there because the sort of young people who go to ah the Broadway cinema, art cinema in Nottingham, they do basically need encouraging to go into teaching because...
00:38:52
Speaker
There's got to be somebody who's going to like, like I was saying in in the last episode, somebody's got to teach these kids. Somebody, somebody has got to open their eyes and lift their eyes away from sort the brainwash.
00:39:08
Speaker
You know, or we are going to end up in the running man. Yeah.
00:39:23
Speaker
We're making a podcast in the face of certain doom. We are this our Johnny Domino. We're making a podcast and we're playing off skill tunes.
00:39:35
Speaker
This is this our Johnny Domino. We're brothers, we wear glasses. We've got medical conditions.
00:39:47
Speaker
We've both been alive for a while.
00:39:53
Speaker
We're making a podcast in the face of certain dew. It's time for This Our Johnny Domino. Oh, something like that. Anyway. This podcast is called This Our Johnny Domino. The original idea was for me and Giles to listen to songs that we recorded under that name from 1992 onwards. back.
00:40:15
Speaker
and i'm going all the way back All the way back. All the way back. To the summer of 1992. To the first songs that we recorded under the name Johnny Domino.
00:40:28
Speaker
It's a song which I haven't told you about. i had three songs to choose from. Yes. Because you wanted me to choose a song. And I put them into an online decision maker. Oh, you're so decisive, man.
00:40:39
Speaker
Oh, it's pathetic, isn't it? And um this is the song that was chosen. Now, I know... you're going have a specific problem with this. I just want you to get over yourself because there's a particular reason why I was quite pleased that this one came up.
00:40:56
Speaker
Yeah. So here it is. Go. One, two.
00:41:42
Speaker
And I'll be sweet.
00:42:30
Speaker
going all the way back to 1992. Okay, let me hit you with the reasons why like it. It's an early Mumford and Sons track, that, wasn't it? Yeah, but you know, I'm going to hit you with why I like it and I enjoyed listening to it today.
00:42:44
Speaker
Yeah. Can I just say, recording songs for the PRF Tributes series is very nice. Recording on ah on a computer is a bit of a pain in the arse. Now, that, we set up at the four track in John's front room.
00:42:59
Speaker
John on drums. He had a stereo microphone, and we used a stereot we only used two tracks on that. Everything's recorded into the one microphone. piece of piss enjoyed it the fact is we just made the song up I think I had the music and then you wrote some words and that was the first time you sang it and the first time I'd heard the words so it was like okay that's done I like the fact that that I think might be Albert on harmonica mean And it reminds me of Captain Beefheart. In what way? Because only in the sense that apparently he saw Ornette Coleman playing the the saxophone and said to himself, that looks easy. And and I think there's a bit of that about the harmonica playing. yeah And I like that. And, ah you know, it's naive and it's a bit gauche, but you know what?
00:43:52
Speaker
We'd been in a grumpy guitar noise, hardcore type band, and we decided wanted to write some very simple songs. Can't get much more simple than a song with GDC and a bit of an E major, just to mix things up.
00:44:05
Speaker
You know what i mean? And it was a great summer. Because we were just creative with our mates and I loved it. There you go. It's kind of like a nice window into the past. Yeah.
00:44:17
Speaker
Yeah. To a less dystopian time. It all ties together and that was a completely random choice. I'm going to say ah quite liked it.
00:44:27
Speaker
Yeah. I'll give it 8 out of 10. 4 out 10. and eight out of ten four You can't say I quite like it one thing and give it 8 out of 10. Then you quite like another and give it 4 out of 10. Yeah, can.
00:44:42
Speaker
Okay. can. You can do what you want, obviously. My name is Caprice. i did it I did quite like it, Steve, actually. And I like the fact that you surprised me with a song. Yeah. And I think you should continue to do that. I will do. Dig it into the old back catalogue. And the old back catalogue. Weird old recordings.
00:45:00
Speaker
And um that was the initial, and the raison d'etre. for the podcast, really, wasn't Yeah, was. When we first started this back... couple of years ago now. Yeah. So I'm just trying to yoke you back to the the original premise.
00:45:15
Speaker
Yes. and And that's all right. You know what i mean? But ah we are going to do another episode soon where we're going to choose another selection for a best of, aren't we, of the old tracks. Volume three.
00:45:32
Speaker
I'm not saying playing with bones is going to be on it. But i just wanted to to play it. All right. But just flagging that up, there might be a volume three coming up soon, believe it or not. I mean, how many ah many unknown bands have three volumes of Best
00:45:52
Speaker
you know we're going back to the the old hubris thing again aren't we here let's face it but to comical levels really yeah yeah definitely exactly you know exactly it's all self-defecation really we're aware we're aware we're aware we are actually having our cake and also eating it and admiring the cake i wasn't sure about the johnny domino podcast but i gave it a chance and now i think i love it have you got another
Music Recommendations and Insights
00:46:18
Speaker
poem?
00:46:18
Speaker
I've not got another poem, but I'm going to talk about some recommends because last episode do you recommend some songs that you like. Yes. Or some albums that you like. Yes. well unfortunately, I'm not a big album buyer and I haven't really bought many new bits of vinyl recently. The only bits of vinyl I've bought have been from the cherry shop, but I've been listening to some new stuff.
00:46:39
Speaker
been listening to some new stuff. So I've got a couple of new new music recommendations. I would definitely recommend listening to somebody called Florence Aduni, A-D-O-O-N-I. She is kind of an Afrobeat artist, and she's got an album out, a new album called A-O-E-I-U, An Ordinary Exercise in Unity.
00:47:03
Speaker
And it is a really, really good album. And there is a track on it called Mam Père la Sûre, in which the harmonies, the vocal harmonies, make me feel like my head is lifting off my shoulders. Nice.
00:47:21
Speaker
Please go and listen to that and have your head lifted off your shoulders. I've also been listening to the band Geese. Oh yeah. Which is Cameron Winter's band, who's pretty current guy, you know. And um I think it's a really good album. It's not the sort of album that you can listen to in one go, perhaps.
00:47:42
Speaker
It's one of those things that's sort of quite dense and you kind of have to like dig your way into it gradually. But there's some really, really good songs in there. It's lyrically interesting. It's musically, harmonically and rhythmically kind of interesting. It's the sound of like...
00:47:58
Speaker
young people making music in dystopian America, i think, for a way in, watch the video to the song Taxes, which is really good video, actually.
00:48:10
Speaker
And it starts off all kind of lo-fi, and you're kind of like at the back of this club, and it's like, you know, first person view of like trying to get through all these people push yourself way through this club and you finally get to the front and all the music's all kind of lo-fi and then it all kind of kicks in it's really good so watch that video the other thing i can recommend is it's not a new thing but i believe i've been reading the book earth to moon which is a book by moon unit zapper Oh, cool. Frank Zappa's daughter.
00:48:42
Speaker
And it came out, I think, a year or so ago, but it's pretty decent, actually. It's a good book. you know, she writes really entertainingly about this completely messed up childhood that she had, um you know, living in Laurel Canyon with a father who's like this crazy, incredibly creative man who's terrible things.
00:49:07
Speaker
Being a parent. Having a relationship with his kids. Just awful, really. And a mother who gets increasingly more insane. And there's all this stuff about... you know Do you remember that she became she she became a bit of a pop star? she had a song She did a song with him called Valley Girl. And there's a whole thing about that in it.
00:49:27
Speaker
I think he did probably kind of resent the fact that his only real hit... was a song with his daughter talking all over it. So it's ah it's an interesting in book, but it did make me kind of question whether I ah really like it. I'm struggling to listen to Frank Zappa's music after reading it, to be honest.
00:49:46
Speaker
I can't believe it's taking you this long to join me on the bus. No, I mean, he's a man whose music I find incredibly entertaining and interesting. But, you know... That documentary, the ale was it Alex Winter documentary? Yeah.
00:49:59
Speaker
I just thought he was horrific. Yeah. So, you think there you go. That's my recommendation. But also, final recommendation. Yeah. I went to see a band called Dusty Four Track from the Nottingham area. And if you see them playing live in the Nottingham or Derby or Midlands area... you should go and see them. They're a pretty good band. And I thought, when I saw them, I thought, this is a definite thing for the podcast because of the name, of course, Dusty Foretrack.
00:50:28
Speaker
And also, they're a couple of older guys and they were playing a gig with the with our Fred. So they were kind of in a doing a gig to a bunch of callow youths really yeah and uh they held the room they were they're a great band and they do this stripped down bluesy kind of thing live with just two guitars and a keyboard and they're great musicians and i just wanted to play a track and this is a track called metronome
00:51:08
Speaker
The waves will wash your dirty souls, where we find a way back home. The tide has covered up our tracks, where we find a way back home.
00:51:23
Speaker
Take us to the higher ground, where we find a way back home. The sky has gone from blue to black, the moon will guide to our
00:51:44
Speaker
Soldier on, soldier on to the side and let you know To the metronome All we do is Soldier on, soldier on, soldier on to the side and let you know To the metronome
00:52:09
Speaker
So that was a Dusty 4-track with Metronome and they've got some stuff online to discover but I really, really like their live sound.
00:52:20
Speaker
I think it's really, really good and I think he's got a great voice. You say and he sounds a bit like... It's it's got a bit of the Gomez about it, about the vocal, a little bit.
00:52:32
Speaker
How did they go down with them Fred and his young friends? Yeah, they they they were great. Like a say, you know, they they kind of really, yeah they really went down really well. The young people like the blues. Yeah. It turns out.
00:52:46
Speaker
And they're putting out some vinyl soon. So we're very excited about that. that I don't know. haven't got any dates for that, but they're on about like putting out a piece of vinyl with some of their songs on, which is exciting.
00:52:58
Speaker
But, you know, they're on social media and stuff. So check them out. They're they're really good. and if you live in the local area, they are playing quite a few gigs. So, Dusty 4-track.
00:53:09
Speaker
Lovely stuff. I think that's the end of the podcast, isn't it? I think it is, Steve. I think we've, I think, have you enjoyed it today? It's been delightful. It has been snappy. It's been positive, but we've we've dealt with some heavy subjects.
00:53:23
Speaker
Yes. You know, we've got... Dystopia. Dystopia, and you know, it's been, you know, so it's it's got some depth, right? Giving people something to chew on. Anyway, that's about the end of the podcast. Thanks very much for listening, everybody. and and if you'd like to get in touch with us. Whoa, whoa, whoa. What?
00:53:43
Speaker
well Steve, come on, man. Whoa, whoa. What hell are you doing? You interrupt me every time we do this recording. i thought it was time there was medicine that you were taking. It was your own. kim And I was giving it back to you. I'm going to use the word twat again.
00:54:00
Speaker
Okay, we used it enough. All just want to is um in my work as a podcast editor, I use a particular podcasting service quite a lot called Buzzsprout. And one of the things they do is you can put in a description of your podcast and it will recommend some titles to you. So I thought I will put a description of this, our Johnny Domino.
00:54:25
Speaker
Could they come up with anything which is a little bit less willfully obscure? Hold on a second there, right? Yeah. Let's just point out the fact, if you need a podcast editing, this is the guy. Yeah, well, I am a guy, yes. No, you this is the guy. That's very kind of it, say so. He's a very, very good podcast editor.
00:54:46
Speaker
He makes this work, which, you know, if he can make sense of this, And it does kind of make sense when he's edited it. Yeah. Right. He can do anything basically. So yes, tish use, use the guy, use Steve Woodward, podcast editor, right? Podcast. but you What you're telling me is that we could consider changing the name of the podcast. Oh, you know, it depends on what you think of some of these. I'd quite like to. There are some quite quite tasty ones here in this particular list. um So these are the titles that it threw out at me. and I won't go through them all.
00:55:23
Speaker
Okay. A few. um Chorus Banter. It's bit. Yeah. I actually quite like that one. Chorus banter. Chorus banter. I think this one's a little bit on the nose. Yep.
00:55:36
Speaker
Underdog anthems with brothers. i mean, it says what's on the tin, doesn't it? Maybe that's what we need, something more literal. Okay. well Maybe that might get us more listeners.
00:55:47
Speaker
What, rather than this are Johnny Domino? Which means nothing. Okay. um Tape spools and tin crowns. I like that one. That's like kind hearts and coronets. Oh yes, I quite like that. and It's got a bit of an Edwardian feel to it.
00:56:05
Speaker
I mean, this one's a little bit, it's like the Silver Jews, I think this one is. god Broken jukebox, bright hearts. Yeah, that sounds like, doesn't sound like us though. We haven't got any jukeboxes and bright hearts. is No, absolutely not. i be Dark hearts. um From mist to charts to mythic starts. I think that's quite difficult.
00:56:27
Speaker
Welcome to from mist charts to mythic. You see, you've got to say, welcome to another episode of... Indie deep cuts. Indie deep cuts. That's another one.
00:56:37
Speaker
I like that one. see that You see that one again, that might just get people listening because it's like, indie deep cuts? I like both of them. Yeah, there's deep cuts and then there's subterranean cuts. Well, okay. What about that then? Okay. Indie subterranean cuts.
00:56:55
Speaker
um How about quiet versus loud laughs?
00:57:04
Speaker
No, not that one. Not feeling that one. No. How about, don't think I've said this one, crate mate debate. Yes. great ma Great mate debate. crate How about the great crate mate debate? There you go. Oh, Jesus.
00:57:23
Speaker
The great crate mate debate. Yes. I think that's good, but I think we should think about it seriously. Listeners, let us know if you think any of these suggestions might fly. Okay. um And get in touch.
00:57:36
Speaker
And ah if you don't, we'll still be here. Yeah. Focus. And we're going to be recording another episode soon, so you'll be able to hear us again. Yes. But do get in touch with us if you've got any music you want to play on the podcast.
00:57:51
Speaker
We'll be kind, we'll be supportive, we'll be critical. And but hopefully we'll enthusiastic and encouraging. And kind. And kind. And gentle. Join us again on the Great Crate Mate Debate.
00:58:07
Speaker
Please do like and subscribe to our podcast and recommend it to someone who you think might like listening to all this kind of weird shit. Send us some of your old music and enter the eternal halls of the four track gods.
00:58:20
Speaker
The
00:58:26
Speaker
fucking twats.
00:58:31
Speaker
They are fucking twats.