Heart of a Punk - Soul of a Rasta

Welcome back to our music ghetto where we know what we like and we like what we know……. yeah more backdated blah blah blah blah blah blah

The month of May in the world HOAP SOAR was strange indeed. A month of choices, some of the choices we made were good whilst others were just completely and totally wrong.
We were forced to complain and moan and moan and complain about a musician we hold in the high esteem. We were forced to make contact with a musical legend on a matter of great urgency. On reflection perhaps we haven't conducted ourselves in a fitting manner. Why? Well because MOANING, COMPLAINING and INTERVIEWING are the main tools of the music journalist (spit) and we at HOAP SOAR don't wish to be tarred with that particular brush. To be lumped in with the blinkered, transitory, sycophantic, deluded, confused and general musician haters that make up the great unwashed music press is not the place where we want to be. No. We want to be lumped in with the dyslexic, disturbed, factious, fatuous, inane and dysfunctional. We don't want to moan and complain we want to spread a message of love. Unrequited dysfunctional love, yes, but love all the same. So in this months issue please try not to dwell on our moaning and complaining - it won't ever happen again, promise!

And now Mr Chemist my drugs please it's time to begin.

Choice No.1
"Rockst*r"
Heart of a Punk/Soul of a Rasta's drink of choice.

During May in an unprecedented move HOAP SOAR switched its energy drink allegiance from "Red Bull" to the "Rockst*r".

Hey Bigot in the USofA "Rockst*r" has got a truly fabulous range of products - which drink do you fancy?

Well personally Ed mine is a Banks's Mild.

John for F's sake just play with me here, we could get some free product.........

Personally John I like the sound of the Pomegranate what do you think?

Yes I like the sound of Pomegranate Ed.
In fact I love the sound of Pomegranates.
I wonder around my house continually whispering, nay shouting Pomegranates, Pomegranates, Pomegranates!
The only thing is I hate the fuckin' taste of them!

Ok thanks John I don't know why I bother.

Neither do I.

To conclude then - We at HOAP/SOAR believe wholeheartedly that "Rockst*r" is the No.1 energy drink for all sad old recovering alcoholics who write Fanzines.

HOAP SOAR has switched its allegiance purely on the off chance of getting some free product.
HOAP SOAR hates with a passion all the music found on the Rockstar website.
HOAP SOAR will be switching their allegiance back to Red Bull next month if no free product is forthcoming.

Sometimes you have to take the piss (sometimes it's being given away).

The "Belly Laugh of the Month" award went to Niall O'Keefe of the NME.

Savage stuff Niall! Savage stuff indeed! But please, please, please can some one inform poor wee Niall that Madness actually beat The Specials to the comeback by 17 years! Wakey wakey Niall, Madness reformed in 1992!

What do they teach these kids at school nowadays?

D Notice slapped on
"Journal for Plague Lovers".

In May the new album by the Manics' was released and immediately deemed inappropriate for display "in store" by Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys. The "inappropriate" front cover features a painting by Jenny Saville (yep "The Holy Bible" also). The supermarket warlords decided that "Journal for Plague Lovers" could be sold in their stores (that's nice) but only if displayed in plain slip cases.

What's your take on this Bigot?

Well The Manic Street Preachers don't need me to fight their corner for them they're pretty adept at corner fighting and definitely more articulate than wot I is. But I'll have me two penneth worth since you're asking.

The Supermarkets seemed to have pulled off quite a trick here. They have shown a Stalinist fear for the ambiguity of art and at the same time a Fascist like passion for obliteration. They say that the cover is inappropriate and of course they are they are right. It's inappropriate for the supermarkets to have displayed inside their temples of blandness a piece of artwork that is absorbing thought provoking and cerebrally confronting - It could rouse the general public from its slumber - It could make them reject the homogenised Soylent Green pap on the shelves. And that certainly would be inappropriate for the supermarkets.

We are passing through a time when album cover artwork seems of no importance to some. The "Journal for Plague Lovers" swims forcefully against the prevailing tide and for this reason alone the artwork should be applauded and flaunted. It also proves the old adage wrong. You can judge this LP by its cover - "Journal for Plague Lovers" is both outwardly and inwardly a rare and unique work.