Musical Pearls
This Side Of Life
This Side Of Life is a country rock band formed by four inmates currently serving life sentences in a maximum security prison. They have been given special permission to record their music and distribute it via the internet. This is part of a unique pilot program to help rehabilitate some of the country's most dangerous criminals who up to now have been segregated from other prisoners and kept in continual solitary confinement.
Maximum security prisons are extremely controversial and there are claims that the living conditions in such facilities violate international law with their “cruel and unusual punishments” and “inhuman and degrading” conditions. Prison officials have been accused of chronic abuse and the neglect of prisoners, many of whom have serious mental health problems. <Watch video>
Trust Me One More Time
Joey Blake was my cousin, although I never met him. His father emigrated to Canada as a young man and Joey was born and brought up there. A world away from the bleak industrial North of England that I grew up in. Still he also knew some hard times. He was a bit wild and reckless, but he wasn't a bad kid. He was just young and full of life and liked having a good time. Yes, he'd been in trouble a few times. Disturbing the peace, drink driving and that sort of stuff, but nothing really serious. Vanya had been his long suffering girlfriend since they were at high school and much against her parents advice, kept putting up with his wild behaviour. That was until the final time when he had a fling with her best friend. She made her mind up not to see him anymore.
Joey drifted for a while and found himself one night in a bar in Porterville where he got into a fight with a local man. The man drew a gun but Joey made a grab at him and in the struggle, the man was shot and killed. Unfortunately, that's not the story the witnesses gave when the police arrived. Joey was arrested for murder. But then he escaped police custody and went on the run. That made things look even worse.
He holed up in a deserted shack near Stockley Ridge, a small mountain town in Yellow County. He'd managed to make a call to Vanya explaining everything and asking her to come up and meet him. Vanya didn't hesitate and quickly made plans to travel there. However, the police were keeping a watch on Vanya and when she left on her journey, they were following close behind. On the appointed day, Joey was waiting out on Rainbow Bridge. He was really excited when he saw Vanya approaching, but then he saw the police stalking behind her. Maybe he thought Vanya had betrayed him. Maybe it was just a desperate attempt to escape. But Joey jumped from the bridge and was killed on the rocks below. <Watch video>
The Joicey Project
Joicey started out as an underground British rock band and has since progressed beyond all recognition to become a whole new alternative lifestyle. The original band came from Stockton on Tees but moved to London where they occupied a disused warehouse building. Over the years, their numbers and stature have steadily grown. They have bought and developed a large area of real estate to the extent that they are now a small 'city within a city'. There are now several thousand families involved in the movement which has become a thriving community. In contrast to the rest of London, 'Joicey City' house prices are extremely affordable. The streets are clean and safe. There is no crime or unemployment or the deprivation that plagues all other boroughs. London is now a cesspool and this small community is an oasis that is rapidly expanding as more people are buying into the Joicey philosophy. The movement has become a total embarrassment to government officials by managing to achieve in a few years what successive administrations with all their resources have failed to do for many decades. Joicey have recently brought the Joicey Project to Newcastle and have plans to extend to other major cities across the UK. <Watch video>
Juice 'Live and Kicking'
Venues such as Newcastle Mayfair and Sunderland Locarno (Mecca) have become legendary in North East rock history. Almost every major band played there at some point in their careers, mainly thanks to the efforts of promoter Geoff Docherty. On the bill supporting them would be local heroes Juice who had become the 'resident band' for these occasions. The tracks on this album were recorded live at these and other North East venues way back in the early 1970's. Considering the technology available at the time, this was not an easy task for a struggling young band with very limited resources. However, I am thankful they made the effort and are now able to transport us back to those great days and hear a band that was there, appearing at some amazing events with many famous names that have since become world renowned and celebrated in rock legend. <Watch video>
Victoria and Lorraine
I met Victoria while researching for a magazine article on prostitution (see On The City Streets). She works as an exotic dancer in a men-only night club in Birmingham. She also gives private lessons to paying club members. Although she has nothing but contempt for her punters, she told me of one customer who has touched her heart. John (not his real name) regularly uses Victoria's services but insists on referring to her as Lorraine. Apparently Lorraine was his childhood sweetheart who died in tragic circumstances. John has Victoria play out a game of masquerade in an effort to fleetingly bring back his beloved girlfriend and shut out some of the pain. There is no sex involved. John returns every week and only asks Victoria to wear a certain perfume and hold him close for a short while to help him through his grief. Of course, the more cynical among us will simply dismiss John as some sort of a pervert. But Victoria believes in him. In her world, she meets her fair share of deviants and admits that John is the only customer she has who doesn't turn her stomach. <Watch video>
Take What You Want
"Doesn't the Lord work in mysterious ways? When I was a young boy, I wanted a bike. All my friends had bikes. But my family were poor. My father was out of work and couldn't afford to buy me a bike. So every day in the weeks leading up to Christmas, I prayed hard for a new bike. Imagine my disappointment when Christmas Day arrived and there was no bike. I was devastated. How could God let me down? My father saw how upset I was and explained to me that God simply doesn't work like that. He helps those who are prepared to help themselves. So I went out and beat up another boy in the street and stole his bike. Then I prayed to God to forgive me. Isn't God wonderful? I was so happy. I was forgiven and I had a new bike. I have since lived my life by God's rules and because of His help and forgiveness, I am now a very rich and successful businessman and head of a large, multi-national corporation. If only more people had the same faith and belief in the Lord, the world would be a much better place."
Slaves are those forced to work, held through fraud under threat of violence for no pay beyond subsistence. THERE ARE MORE SLAVES IN THE WORLD TODAY THAN AT ANY OTHER POINT IN HISTORY. <Watch video>
Lass On The Bankies
This is a story related to me many years ago by a friend who had been an apprentice in a large engineering works on Tyneside. As a young 'Geordie' teenager, he was looking forward to a bright and exciting future, totally insensitive to his previous generation who had just fought a world war to enable him to have this freedom. It's a simple story and typical of those who were affected by world events that completely overwhelmed them and through no fault of their own were left with personal battles to pick up the pieces of their lives. How must they have felt when they'd sacrificed everything and no one cared? <Watch video>
Breaking All The Rules
Kadence is a member of the free theatre group Breaking All The Rules who tour major cities and perform a variety of unusual entertainments on the street. She is very talented with an incredible persona and stage presence. You know the kind of person I mean. Really daring and lots of attitude. So sharp it's a wonder they don't cut themselves. You might be a bit wary of such people, but don't you secretly admire them? Wouldn't you like to be a bit like that? Have more excitement in your life? Live on the edge a little? Take a few risks? Well, why not? You're only here once. Go ahead and break the rules.
Golden Days Of Ours
There have been many great achievers who have found fame and fortune. They become household names and we seldom think that these people once led quite ordinary lives. What happened to those who knew and loved them before they stepped onto the world stage and became famous? How do those left behind cope with the rejection? How do you continue with your life when someone who once played such an important part in it no longer needs you? Do they ever think about you? Do they ever miss you? Probably not. Why should they? What have you to offer? They're up there in the clouds and you're down on the ground. <Watch video>
Hiding To Nothing
"Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have been sleeping with his wife while he was at work. Maybe I shouldn't have been eating his food and drinking all his booze. Maybe I shouldn't have accepted expensive gifts that she paid for on his credit card. But nobody's perfect. We all give in to temptation now and again. So was that any excuse for him to break my f***ing legs and put me in hospital for six weeks?"
