Johnny Alpha at the Go-Go Cage

To paraphrase Ornamental Conifer, Mondays aren't so bad, it's your music that sucks.

Making my Monday better way is the latest mix from Johnny Alpha, with help from Liverpool's Go-Go Cage DJs, Carl Combover and Andy Hoodoo.

The track list is below. Now cut a rug! G

The Go-Go Cage 9th Birthday Intergalactic Apocalypse Mix by Johnny Alpha on Mixcloud

 Johnny Alpha (left) and Carl Combover

 Andy Hoodoo and friend

Play loud, drink rum

A be-fezed Sir Johnny Alpha has been in his basement of beat once again to bring us the latest Killer Diller Radio Show. A young beatster asked Sir Johnny if there was any theme to this edition of the 90-minute aural orgasm. 'No theme man,' came the reply, 'just a load of random great records.' Eclectic brilliance from the likes of The Kneejerk Reactions, Nobody's Children, Arthur Crudup, Soul Inc., The Phantoms... Listen to the stream, or download as an mp3. Either way, have a quart of Mount Gay to hand. MP

New Killer Diller

Sir Johnny has raised himself from his velvet chaise longue, brushed aside adoring concubines and cracked a bottle of Yellow Tail Shiraz in order to bring us a new edition of the legendary Killer Diller radio experience. Ninety two minutes of essential listening. Track listing includes Les Jaguars, Jimmy Ricks & the Ravens, LaVern Baker and Tula Babies. Listen here or download for keeps. MP

The Go-Go Cage!

You all know Sir Johnny Alpha, Sideburn's resident DJ and fez-bedecked vinyl hipster, but maybe you've never made it to one of the legendary Go-Go Cage nights at Liverpool's Cabin Club. Well roll back the rug and get ready to frug* because the Go-Go Cage is coming
to you.

In a fit of utterly characteristic largesse, Sir Johnny, Carl Combover and Andy Hoodoo have uploaded a killer mix of 30 hip-shakers, mastered from original 45s, many as rare as a chopped Brough, ripped from the commemorative CD that was available for one night only at the recent Eighth Birthday Freakout. Ultra-treble twang, howling keyboards, filthy bass, seedy soul and more... from the likes of Takeshi Terauchi and The Bunnies, The Dave Clark Five, Nick Waterhouse, Andre Williams, John Lee Hooker, Era Of Sound, Jacques Dutronc, Ray Baretto...
Listen to the stream, or download direct. MP
*Sideburn magazine and The Go-Go Cage cannot be held responsible for hip dislocations, broken furniture or burnt toast.

Killer Diller x The Stags x Cherry Wainer x Don Storr

So, perhaps you have a party and no soundtrack. Perhaps you have no party. Perhaps you're washing dishes in the back of a restaurant this holiday season, working in a petrol station, guarding a warehouse, nightwatch in an old folks home or you're a Sikh (or one of the many other religions that don't celebrate Christmas). Perhaps you are just a music fan with similar tastes to me. Whatever you may be, animal, vegetable or mineral, your life will be enriched, by following the link below to listen to the latest instalment of Sideburn's official DJ, Mr Johnny Alpha's radio show - the Killer Diller Christmas Special. He has, as his guest, the partially-drunken Stags.

There are a few familiar (to me) tracks on the mix, but I was turned on to a new name - Cherry Rainer. I googled her and found this amazing film from a German TV show from the 1960s Beat! Beat! Beat! Cherry has a Sassoon bob so sharp it could cut 10mm MDF and her drummer, Don Storr, looks like a prison amateur dramatics society's casting of Richard Nixon. I have imagined whole back stories for Cherry and Don, but I know nothing of their real lives.

The show also includes The Stags playing Rollergürl, a 7in that was released by Sideburn. We have a few left... Follow the link to get your own ltd. edition Stags single. G

UPDATE: The Stags are playing Camden, London on December 28th, and the Hipsville Christmas Party. They're on first, so don't be late. More details here.

Hipster Halloween

Just 50p will get you 14 tracks of twisted twang, ghoulish guitar, screaming sax and... yeah, you get it. It's another of Jonny Trunk's bargain offers and worth the piddling price just for The Graveyard by The Phantom Five. Lovers of Sideburn's resident DJ Sir Johnny Alpha will recognise some Killer Diller faves. Available in .wav or .mp3 and it's all stuff released between 1958 and 1966. Grab it while it's still warm direct from Trunk Records. MP

Johnny keep a-rollin'

'What you got on that train, boy?'
'I got Bo Diddley, I got Jerry Lee, I got Plommons, I got R&B, punk, freakbeat. Man, I got...'
'Yes, yes, thank you Mr Alpha, I think we get the picture. Mind how you go now, there's a badger on the line at Tamworth and a temporary 40mph limit just this side of Wigan North Western.'

All aboard the Killer Diller Locomotive Special, curated by Sideburn favourite, Sir Johnny Alpha. An hour and 24 minutes of pure aural pleasure. No buffet car. Toilets out of order. MP

Killer Diller is Back

Broadcast from a bunker in Wigan, Sir Johnny Alpha's radio show is back!
For the uninitiated, the show is 90-minutes of soul, garage punk, popcorn, spy themes, jungle exotica, blues and wild titty shakers. It is presided over by Sideburn's official DJ, Sir Johnny Alpha, a DJ and record collector of impeccable taste.
Killer Diller has been off the air, because the underground bunker became an underwater bunker due to a catastrophic flood.
The now-monthly Killer Diller is the perfect soundtrack to your working day or sophisticated evening. Listen to it here...

Johnny Alpha's Killer Diller

Photo: Paul Bryant Photography

Gumnaam Style

In the sweaty post Shook Ups! come-down, Sideburn's house DJ (as in our stable favorite not boomcha handbag), Johnny Alpha delighted the crowd with his rare vinyl. Skinhead; Suedehead; tattooed faced Punk; Rocker; Cidernaught (Thanks to Redface Dave for drawing my attention this local anthropological group); braided East Coast Rapper; Traveler; Mod; Beatnik alike, none can resist the dancefloor gravity of a Shankar Jaikishan original Angel Records pressing from the 1965 Indian film Gumnaam. BP

(see also Ted Lyons And His Cubs)

The Shook Ups!

Tonight in Bristol, Skooter Farms Dave's other band are headlining a Frathouse night, organized by the Hi Class Joe's, at the Stag and Hounds pub 74 Old Market Street, BS2 0EJ.
Beloved DJ Johnny Alpha will be spinning vinyl too. Twanging Surf Garage Wahwahliciousness. BP

Men's File Pop-Up

Nick Clements, the creative dynamo behind Men's File magazine, opened a pop-up shop for just two weeks in London's Lamb's Conduit Street, from Monday of this week. It's showcasing a bunch of stylish clobber his magazine promotes and also selling the newly printed Men's File 6.
It's another great issue with loads of our friends and connections and satellites from the Sideburn universe inside (Hiro from Lewis Leathers, Toshi, Nick Ashley, Dimitri Coste, Hotrod Hayride, Goodwood, Maurice (the Flying Dutchman), the Vintagent..). I have written a short feature on Johnny Alpha for the magazine, with great portraits by my mate Paul Bryant, and there's a spread of Nick's own photos from Rollerburn.

STOP PRESS: We'll have a few copies of the latest Men's File to sell at Verona. Come to Hall 3. G

Making Shapes

Snaps from our Rollerburn pre-party at the Navigation in Nottingham. Small stage (well just a corner of the bar), but big noise and big shapes - Chris Watson busted out some Yoyogi Park moves.

Thanks to the bands: The High Class Joes, The Ricky C Quartet and El Toro. Plus DJs Johnny Alpha and Liz Lava Lounge (and Austin and Dave for organising). BP

Rollerburn Pre-party and stuff...

So, it's nearly here. Time for a last catch-up.

PRE-PARTY
We start the set-up tomorrow, then over to Nottingham for the pre-party. We have three killer bands:
The High Class Joes from Bristol
Ricky C Quartet from London
El Toro from Liverpool

For FOUR quid! It's like 1983 or something. The Venue is The Navigation, 6 Wilford Street, Nottingham, NG2 1AA

Before the bands play there'll be food to buy, till 8, in the venue from Annie's Burger Shack. 40 different burgers, we're told. I reckon I'll only manage four or five.

First band is on at 9, bar is open till 1.

PLUS Sideburn's official DJ, Johnny Alpha. Man, it's worth £4 to hear just one of his records.

THE PROGRAMME
We've made a 16-page programme, £1 on the day. We think some SB completists might be clamouring for this.

CONRAD LEACH ART
Picked it up from his studio yesterday. It's incredible (apologies for crappy phone pics). The biggest thing he's ever painted and it's going on our ramp. I could hardly fit it in my van. It will be sold off for charity after the event (skateboard skids and all). If you want to bid, contact Conrad Leach (or email us). Expect to pay thousands, not hundreds. The charity is a young person's hospice.

Check out the rider's helmet. It's all in the detail!

GI on Killer Diller again

I travelled up to Wigan on Tuesday for another guest slot on Sir Johnny Alpha's Killer Diller radio show. I went with my good friend Paul Bryant (who shot Project FT for Sideburn 6's cover) and he took some great photos.

We played a mixture of garage punk, surf, rock and roll, R&B, footstomping instrumentals and mariachi from: Shu Swanson & The Savoyards, The Ramrocks, The Untouchables, Bobby Williams & his Nightligfters, The Ideals, The Tornados, The Charles Blackwell Orchestra, The Eyes, The Chocolate Watchband, The Revellions, The Chesterfield Kings, Black Belles, The Trashwomen, Jonna Gault, Reverend Horton Heat, The Cramps, The Monomen, Jimmy Seldar, Ike Turner, The Robins, Dusty Wilson, Thee Cormans, The Vicious Cycles, The Stags, Les Terribles, Esquirita, Elvis Presley, Maddox Brothers & Rose, Nick Jaguar, Calexico, Ennio Morricone

We also gave the first airing to a 7in single The Stags have recorded especially for Rollerburn that will be released on Sideburn Records. It'll be on sale on the day and online soon.

Johnny Alpha is DJing at both the pre-party and Rollerburn. Click the flyers at the side for details.

Johnny Alpha's Myspace
Download the show here.

Click the Killer Diller label below for more shows if you like this one. G

Rollerburn Pre-Party news

It's going to be great. Only £4 entry on the door and plenty of time to recover before the 2pm start of Rollerburn the next day.
El Toro and the Ricky C Quartet live. Sir Johnny Alpha spinning floor-filling titty shakers. Yeah! Spread the word. G

Rollerburn Pre-Party

Make a weekend of the Rollerburn extravaganza by attending the rockin' pre-party in nearby Nottingham. Three killer bands including El Toro and the Ricky C Quartet plus the mighty Sir Johnny Alpha and Liz Lava Lounge Dj'ing. Held on Friday 18 November. Tickets on the door. It's going to be great. More details to follow. G

Killer Diller x GI V.3

I was working up in Manchester last week, so I dropped in at Sir Johnny Alpha's bunker to play some of my record collection on his internet radio show - Killer Diller. I took a mixture of South American freakbeat, Japanese punk, French yeh-yeh and 60s garage, plus some Medway spy soundtracks and a dash of Georgia flower punk. Basically a bunch of weird stuff to tap your bongos along to.
Download it here and peruse the track list here. G

Sado Maso

Links links links. The other day, a mate emailed me to say he was listening to FIP, a French radio station that you can tune into online. So I did. There was some OK stuff, but then a stand-out track made me go hunting to see if I could find it on YouTube, and here it is in all its whip-kitsch glory. So, I sent the link to GI and he immediately recognised it from an edition of Sideburn resident DJ Sir Johnny Alpha's Killer Diller show. Download that show in its 90-minute entirety right here. You really should. Meanwhile, I'm late for my appointment for enslavement by agreeable Gallic vixens. MP

Killer Diller is Two

Killer Diller is a weekly radio show hosted by Sideburn's official DJ, Sir Johnny Alpha, and this week it's two years old. Killer Diller is the soundtrack of my life. What is it? A 90-minute mix of freakbeat, French yeh-yeh, sleazy tittyshakers, popcorn, surf instrumentals, 60s soul and R&B, doo-wop, garage punk, 70s and 80s punk and countless other genres I'd never heard of previously. It's all strung together with Sir Johnny's dulcet Wigan tones. He really let's the music do the talking, not like some of garage punk internet DJs and they're crap reverb soaked schtick. I love Killer Diller.
Listen or download at Sir Johnny Alpha or listen live to wirelesfm.net on Tuesday nights. If you like them, there are, well, about 100 to catch up on. G

Carol Doda Photo: Leadpipe Posters

Jaan Pehechaan Ho

Ok, so I'm sat here, it's gone 10pm, and I'm supposed to be working to hit a few deadlines, like I have been since 9am. As usual, I'm listening to the Killer Diller radio show. A new one was posted tonight so I downloaded and listened. First, Sideburn gets a shout out (for turning Sir Johnny Alpha onto a rare garage track he'd never heard), then he plays this song by Mohammed Rafi. He'd played it before, but I kept missing the artist, but this time I could research it straight away. I meant to type it into eBay, instead, I clicked YouTube and this video came up. I've never done illegal drugs, but this makes me feel like I have. It is just about the most intense, whacked-out 5:32 I've ever spent. My body is aching with all the joy it has just fed into me via my eyeballs. I love every single thing about it. And it was free and I don't feel paranoid after it.

Thanks Johnny Alpha! GI
PS If any of our Indian friends can find this song on vinyl for me I want it. Also, any info. What's he singing? What's the film? Did Rafi do anything else this brilliant?

UPDATE: Right, I didn't know it had been used on the Ghost World film (I don't get out much). Anyway, it's still incredible, but it might not be so new to all of you culture vultures.