Genesis Breyer P-Orridge

I'd not been awake long this morning before I found out that the former Mancunian and citizen of nowhere had shuffled off h/er mortal coil and transcended. A person who throughout at least 30 years of my life has filled me with fascination and indifference, confusion and clarity and joy and fear. Sometimes at the same time.

A unique human and the world seems a bit smaller without h/er in it.

Throbbing Gristle - The Second Annual Report

Throbbing Gristle had terminated their mission just before my time so I never had a chance to see them live. I was left to buy the Mute vinyls and then wonder what the fuck they were doing inside my head ... sometimes pleasure takes some perseverance.

I totally recommend the Wreckers Of Civilisation book ... it's a great thing that is now more accessible given that there was a recent-ish second edition. When I bought the original book, I went to the counter and a matronly lady scanned it in, looked at the display and very loudly said "OOHH!! Throbbing Gristle". As is well known in Catholic circles, you can't take the boy out of the man and all I could think of was Kenneth Williams ... Carry On Throbbing indeed. It still cheers me up.

This is the double CD remastered reissue from Industrial Records in 2011.

The Second Annual Report

Psychic TV - Force The Hand Of Chance

The first time that I saw PTV was at Manchester Polytechnic (as was). These were the pharmacology years so somewhere around 1988/9 feels about right. Just as the Microdots started to peak, they came onto the stage and about 10 of the audience took off their clothes, clambered on stage and danced around for the entire gig. Presumably they were the amateur wing of the TOPY sex magicians (they really exist). All of the blokes had a Prince Albert obviously which doesn't make it any better when it's waving in your face (admittedly a personal perspective). Anyway. It was a complete sensory overload and I stood right in front of the stage transfixed with an entirely probable what the fuck is going on facial expression. For what still seems like forever, Genesis stared right at me with a look of disgust and screamed the lyrics into my face. Emotionally, I still have all of it but the memories of the gig hit like a rapid series of static frozen moments. It was exhilarating and horrific. When I saw them after that I took less acid beforehand.

This is the Japanese double CD reissue that includes the bonus 12" that came with initial copies of the 1982 vinyl release.

Part 1

Part 2