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I got the nickname 'Nod' in 1965, when I was 11 in the Second Forest Hall scout troop. I started performing in the late 1970's, when punk got going in Newcastle. The Big G. were one of the town's first punk bands, (they practiced in our living room), and when they split, the Weights arose from the ashes. I used to support the Weights in gigs around the Quayside and around the North East. I got involved in anti-nuke politics and helped occupy the site for the future Torness Nuclear Power Station. That was a fantastic experience, although in the end, the cottage we lived in was bulldozed into the sea. When Ronald RayGun sent his Cruise Missiles over to Greenham Common, there was quite a developed and organised network of protest. There were a lot of big CND marches. As well as performing in clubs, I also did work for the anti-nuke movement on Tyneside and I was a member of the Red Umbrella collective. I even got on local Television - and John Walters programme on Radio 1. I did an early Glastonbury, in the theatre tent, but my prize gig was supporting the Clash at Newcastle City Hall. Most of my work was delivered in a broad Geordie accent. I hope there is some value in sharing these - as the product of a particular time and place. Nowadays I take photographs and make videos and teach. I have a dream of combining live performance with video. You can see what I'm up to on the front page at http://www.apclark.com. Thanks for listening. Love to anyone who was There, man. You know There with a capital 'T' Alan Clark - aka Nod. University of Herts. Jan. 2009. email: alanpclark@gmail.com
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Audio From Soundcloud |
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| Daz Proctor and Gamble, a big American multinational, who also played a role in the management of US nuclear weapons, had a factory in Newcastle. They make 'Daz' only for the UK market it seems. This was often requested. Here is the single version I did for Red Rhino Records, with Jane Wade sharing vocals and Len Frame on Guitars. You can still get it on Vinyl in London or Japan. |
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| Dad This was actually the A side of the single. I guess it was a bit arty and Beatles-ish. I recorded some of the radio samples from Radio Moscow on my short-wave. This piece was published in Iron Magazine. Patrick X was studying at the Royal College of music. He was a friend of a friend and he came up to arrange the strings. Ali Church plays Viola and Rob and Penny, two art student friends played guitar and cello respectively. |
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| North Sea Oil There was so much hype about NS Oil at the time. It was the early days of milk-snatcher Thatcher's reign of terror. Len Frame and Jim Bennett, a friend from Dublin, on guitars. |
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| I Got Born Part one of my surreal Geordie autobiography, very influenced by Ivor Cutler. When John Walters broadcast it on Radio 1, I actually had a letter of encouragement from Ivor himself. I was very proud of that. I recorded this at Spectro Arts Workshop in Newcastle, with a grant from Northern Arts. Sid Smith produced this and wrote the synthesiser parts. |
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| Everybody Wanna Be a
Nartist Recorded in Andrew Leon's living room in Jesmond. It's me on guitar and Andrew on Harmonica. His girlfriend played claves. I was a nude model at the Polytechnic in Newcastle at the time, and we had lots of friends who were studying Fine Art. Some were a little full of themselves and this was an attempt at criticism! A more polished version was broadcast by BBC TV. |
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| Where You Been? Live and drunk in the students union bar at Newcastle University. |
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| If I Had a Bomb Sid Smith helped me with this one too, which was also recorded at Spectro. I played guitar and Sid tweaked it. |
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| The Conversatron Also live and drunk, this time at the Buddle Arts Centre, Wallsend. |
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| War On The Scroungers Recorded at the same time as the Red Rhino singles, but not released at the time. This was the paranoid view from the dole queue at Swan House in Newcastle. Len Frame on electric guitars this time, with Dave on bass, Norman Emerson on drums and the lovely Stella Artois on sax. The spirited rendition at the end features Christopher, Angela and Eunice Acolatse. |
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| Love and Peace/English Disease Young geordie meets hippies/communists/anarchists and New Age people from Jesmond! |
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| My Personality Crisis Part two of the autobiography, where the water turns black... |
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| Sexuality Part three, where the young lad tries to get his oats. |
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| Talking To Trees Part four where the world spins round and round... |
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| The Figures A Bit of a rant really, but I do look back and wonder how and when the FT Index became as important for TV news as the weather. Recorded at the Uni. in Newcastle. |
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| Arms Performed badly once in York. An echo of the pain of incarceration in Medomsley Detention Centre as a 17 year old at the start I guess. Written and recorded when I moved from Jesmond to Whitby around 1982. It was love that made me do it. |
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| Conspiracy Another one recorded in Andrew Leon's flat in Jesmond. It's Andrew on the marracas. I did an amended version of this for BBC TV North East later. |
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| I Sign On Oh the joys of juxtaposition. This one was recorded in Benwell, with the words set next to sections of George Harrison's music for the film 'Wonderwall'. I talked with George a few times in my Hare Krishna days later, but forgot to mention this one! |
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| Daz - Spectro Version Len Frame on guitar on the original recording, made when I got a grant from Northern Arts. Sid Smith at the controls. Willie Whitelaw introduces it. |
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| Dad - Spectro Version Sid Smith plays a haunting bass line. He tells me that he's given up playing. Sad. |
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| War on the Scroungers - Spectro Version I. Robot on drums, Dave on bass and synth, Len on electric guitar. Sid at the desk. |
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| Daz - Live In Bradford I had a few goes at reviving Nod after I left the North-East in 1984. I was ranting with some anarchists in the East End of London for a while and then I got back in touch with Keith Armstrong. I've done a few readings with Keith in Newcastle, Holland and here in Bradford, at the Irish Centre in August 2007. |
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I Got Born - Live In Bradford |
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Looking a bit full of myself |
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