SUN ZOOM SPARK ZINE Online Archive: issue 1

BLOGGER: rogerSIMIAN
LOCATION: scottish borders
BAND: the stark palace
LABEL: shark batter records



In the mid-1990s, many of the good folks now associated with Shark Batter Records ran a glorified local fanzine, Sun Zoom Spark, that dun good and ended up becoming a full colour monthly distributed throughout the U.K. Sun Zoom Spark, named after a Captain Beefheart song, was based in the Scottish Borders town of Galashiels.

Distinctive design and band caricatures came from the 6 ft 5 bearded behemoth Grant Pringle, original drummer with Dawn Of The Replicants, who is now collaborating with myself and Cameron Jack in The Stark Palace.

My brother Mike Small and school friend Brendan McAndrew - the song-writing partnership behind The Stone Ghost Collective - were the publisher and editor, respectively.

Charles S. Bravo - currently frontman of Vacuum Spasm Babies - was the music editor and it was generally him who set up interviews for us: everyone from punk rock old-timers (eg The Ramones, Jonathan Richman) to the up 'n' coming Brit Pop whippersnappers (Blur, Radiohead, Pulp, Elastica, Supergrass, Manics, Echobelly, Oasis, Sleeper etc), various noisier American acts, who I usually much preferred to the Brits (Beck, Sonic Youth, Pavement, Mercury Rev), pop stars (Coolio, Erasure, Rolf Harris) and a gaggle of riot grrrl influenced female-fronted bands.

In the early '90s, my brother met Tom Baker lookalike and natural born Dadaist, Paul Vickers, at college in Carlisle. A few years later, he persuaded Paul to ditch the experimental music degree he was studying in Nottingham and move into our parents' converted church house so he could draw his Flag Woman cartoons and pen articles about the bands he liked. Which is basically how he ended up writing songs with Crunchy Joseph (a Borders three-piece featuring me, Mike and Grant Pringle: Sonic Youth guitar tunings and three-part vocal harmonies if you can imagine such a thing), and later fronting Dawn Of The Replicants, Pluto Monkey and Paul Vickers and the Leg, pretty much becoming an honorary Scotsman in the process.

The early team also included: Hector Prole and Dermot hACK ( long-time inhabitants of Amsterdam since SZS folded), Grant Kirk and Andy Foggin (now both teachers) and Hawick lass Vicky Davidson, who's had a healthy career in Scottish journalism and is now deputy editor of The Big Issue (in Scotland).

Well, after many years, we've finally built a website where we can archive some of the old material.

Here's a sampler of the first national issue (from Jan '94):

* SUN ZOOM SPARK issue 1 *

And a taster of the two early local zine versions of SZS (92 & 93):

* SUN ZOOM SPARK local zine *


"Pop Up Jesus" by Paul Vickers


Courtney Love by Charles S. Bravo

I've also uploaded two new galleries of photography to the Sparks From The Mothership by Paul Vickers ("Church of the Curious" in which he explores his unhealthy obsession with religious iconography and trashy culture) and Charles S. Bravo (rock & pop snaps including:: Courtney Love, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Kylie Minogue, Nick Cave, Beck, Thom Yorke, Joey Ramone, Bjork and Richie Manic):

* GALLERIES *

Hope you enjoy. I'll try and upload an issue's worth every month or two...

rS
x

SHARK BATTER SAMPLER w/ ROBOTS & ELECTRONIC BRAINS ZINE

BLOGGER: shark batter records
LOCATION: scottish borders & brooklyn, new york
WEBSITE: sharkbatter.com
MYSPACE: myspace.com/sharkbatterrecords

That lovely fella Jimmy Possession played the debut single by our very own Sarahjane Swan on his latest show (16/03/09) on Cambridge's local station, 209 Radio. Here's the bleeding blimey MP3 of his show if you want to listen in:

Jimmy Possession Show



Mr Possession is also the creator of the excellent long-running 'zine, Robots & Electronic Brains. The latest issue (18) includes a free Shark Batter Records album, Nachtmusik Sampler, featuring 16 tracks by Kono Michi, Vacuum Spasm Babies, The Stone Ghost Collective and The Stark Palace, and cover art by Edinburgh-based artist, Mary Trodden.



Visit the R&EB website to get hold of a copy now.

And if you want to read more about the forthcoming albums from Vacuum Spasm Babies and Kono Michi (both May) and Sarahjane Swan's debut single (mon 13th april), GO HERE.

THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF FLAGWOMAN

BLOGGER: paul vickers
LOCATION: edinburgh
PAUL'S BANDS: paul vickers and the leg, dawn of the replicants
LABEL: sl records

VACUUM SPASM BLOG March 2009

BLOGGER: charles s bravo
LOCATION: scottish borders
BAND: vacuum spasm babies
BLOG: vsb blog
LABEL: shark batter records

Video killed.....



It’s not enough to write songs, record them, put them in order and onto a CDR, get someone interested in them, design the artwork, play them live to people, write a press release, and smile for a photograph, but then you are almost obliged to make a video. “A good strong concept that won’t cost any money to make” the fella from the record label told me this week. Why not?

The golden age for music videos for me was 120 minutes on MTV in the early 90’s where there seemed to be a whole bunch of really good bands both here and in America, with cash for a decent video, and a platform like MTV’s night-time nod to indie cool in 2 hours. Our experience of video making however stops quite short of the mark, even the mark as it existed in 1992. Our video for Punch in The Face (see above) took about as long to make as the track itself, and focused heavily on matchstick drawings rather than us. Likewise, Mr Simian at the record label mixed some random vintage black and white footage with Machinima and came out with something quite brilliant for our toe tapping instrumental MHz.

The latest signing to Sharkbatter Records Sarahjane Swan has already made a video for her forthcoming single “I Am Just the Past”. Sarahjane is a songwriter and artist based in the Scottish Borders and this track was produced by Shark Batter's co-owners, Glimmerfin (The Stone Ghost Collective) and rogerSIMIAN (The Stark Palace). They also made the video, which is set mostly in a cage, features fairy lights, fairy wings, pink hair and Sarajane cutting some moves. When Kono Michi made her video for "When I Don’t Come Back” she sang the song in the bath. My brother and I can’t complete with this, although still have to come up with something for our track “On the Brink of Tears”. The only thing we’ve thought of is hobo chic with clown undertones, and a bit of a funny dance. If anyone has any great ideas, or wants to come up with a story board, find a location and props, star in it, get someone to shoot it, then edit it, then give me a call.

VACUUM SPASM BLOG Dec 2008

BLOGGER: charles s bravo
LOCATION: scottish borders
BAND: vacuum spasm babies
LABEL: shark batter records

Kono Michi gig and drummer update

Vacuum Spasm Babies went to see Kono Michi play at Henry’s Cellar Bar in Edinburgh a couple of weeks ago, a great little venue, which as well as hosting the show and giving us the chance to hear Kono Michi live, also acted as a venue for a kind of twisted and accidental convention attended by some of the most creative people I’ve know over the past 20 years.

Some time in the early 1990’s a few guys were playing together in a local band that were actually quite good, a rare thing in the Scottish Borders then. At the same time I was playing records and demos from bands I knew on a local radio station, including those guys, and not long after that a few more people came together to launch a fanzine that eventually mutated into the now cult Scottish publication Sun Zoom Spark. Most of the people who made this amazing and unlikely publication happen were at Henry’s on this night.

The timeline and rock family tree that links the people around Sun Zoom Spark magazine to Sharkbatter Records and then Kono Michi is vast and impossible to record, but this is a starting point.

Simian, Small and Pringle were Crunchy Joseph, Simian, Small, Pringle and Vickers were lots of things and then Dawn of The Replicants. Simian and Vickers were Pluto Monkey, Simian and Jack are the Stark Palace, Small and McAndrew and others are the Stone Ghost Collective, Vickers joined The Leg at the hip, me plus one make Vacuum Spasm Babies. Most of them were Sun Zoom Spark, Small, McAndrew, Jack and Simian run Sharkbatter Records now, many record and release records for the label, and on this night Michi Wiancko brought them all together. Kirk and Coyle were also present, with many others from our neck of the woods who’d played a part. Aitken and McNiven currently overseas were present, at least in our minds.

An amazing show, with Small, Simian, Jack and Coyle backing Michi through a complex and staggeringly impressive range of songs, hell even the man from The Scotsman was impressed. The night was made even better by the chance to catch up with a lot people who I just don’t see enough of, including the previously mentioned Pringle, not just a fine artist, but a superb drummer, who I think we have successfully managed to recruit into the Vacuum Spasm Babies live band, for a short time at least. With Simian and Jack my brother and I have been putting together a live set, with songs from our album Whipping Clowns, and some new songs. The prospect of playing with drums on a backing track isn’t a fun one, and leaves us vulnerable to all kinds of on stage embarrassments, but with a drummer of the calibre of Pringle in the band, there’s less to panic about. All we need to do now is find a rehearsal space where 5 people from 5 different parts of the country can get to without too much trouble.

THE STARK PALACE ON “A VERY CHERRY CHRISTMAS 4”

BLOGGER: shark batter records
LOCATION: scottish borders & brooklyn, new york
WEBSITE: sharkbatter.com
MYSPACE: myspace.com/sharkbatterrecords



The Stark Palace's Saw What Your Momma Did – “surely the Xmas crowd-pleaser Captain Beefheart forgot to write” is included on volume four of Cherryade Records's annual A Very Cherry Christmas. It's a cracking good Crimbo CD with 18 tracks of lo-fi wonder to enjoy whilst sipping your advocat as the poor old turkey is gently roasting in the kitchen. Only six quid, so why not order your copy via the Cherryade WEBSITE?

KONO MICHI BLOG Dec 2008

BLOGGER: kono michi
LOCATION: brooklyn, new york
MICHI's MUSIC: kono michi
LABEL: shark batter records
WEBSITE: myspace.com/konomichi



DEC 5th: My First Tour Blog + 4 Star Review
Well, I'm back. Tour was awesome and totally consuming. I ditched most of my horsehair and explored a new electric sound with my bandmates, who worked their asses off memorizing parts both instrumental and vocal. It was like going on the road with built-in barbershop quintet slash bodyguards slash brothers.

The crowds were small but appreciative and I found my love for singing growing and growing, especially after playing the venerable Roadhouse in Manchester where the sound guy basically sprinkled some powdered sugar all over my voice before sending it back through the monitors. My drunk self accosted him after the show to tell him he was "SOOOOOOOO talented!" and for a tough guy all done up with tatts and piercings, he seemed to reach for his pepper spray pretty quick.

The sound we explored ranged from atmospheric to hardcore gypsy power drones and it was creatively fascinating to interpret all my violin, viola and and cello parts for those instruments largely reserved for wanking. Yes, I'm talking about guitars all you Erik Klaptons and Ginny Pages. One of the sound guys asked which was the lead guitar and I was all like "Um, there IS no lead guitar!"

I got a great review at one of my least-populated gigs, thus turning a potential loss into a welcome trade-off. Word on the cobblestone street says 4 stars is good:

SCOTSMAN: 4-STAR REVIEW OF KONO MICHI'S GLASGOW GIG

Thanks to all you who attended the shows. If you bought a T-shirt, send me a picture of you wearing it and I'll post it for all to see. If you bought a Kono Michi soap, send me a picture of you looking spectacularly clean and sweet-smelling.

Most importantly, thanks to my boys and rockstarz Mike Small, RogerSIMIAN, Cameron Jack, Dave and Craig who made it all happen, and happen good.



DEC 8th: Pretend To Be a Time Traveler Day
Blog on the Theme of my MySpace Status Update. Today on the Staten Island Ferry I sat across from a man sporting loud-print neon MC Hammer pants, Reebok high-tops and a flat-top haircut. What I didn't have room in my status update to add is that he also had a 360 band of pictures and shapes shaved into and around his head, downstairs from the flat-top. He was also wearing a fanny-pack, the material of which was made out of purple old-school bandanna.

(I'm obligated to point out to my British friends that I'm well aware of what "fanny" means over there. That's not what I mean. You know what I mean.)

An observant fellow MySpacer pointed out to me in my comment box that today was Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day. I thought he was making it up, but he's not, it's today - December 8th. The reason I'm blogging about it isn't because I'm a blogger but because I believe this man came to us from 1988 to celebrate Pretend To Be a Time Traveler Day, except the weird thing is that I don't think he was pretending. It wasn't retro, it wasn't ironic, it wasn't vintage. It was 100% sincere.

How does that happen? And does it only happen on Staten Island?

XO,
KM