Comments on: Steven Wells RIP

By: mark

mark — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:41:36 +0000

once described a vocalist who i cant recall, as haveing a voice like a gorilla with arse cancer.

By: Jack Shamash

Jack Shamash — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:02:13 +0000

If it’s of any interest, Steven told me that he went to Bradford Grammar School, which was an independent school – a bit like Manchester Grammar. Nice bloke. If you booked him for a gig, he always turned up, even if there wasn’t any money involved.

He did an ill-fated gig with myself and Stewart Home at the Moonlight club in West Hampstead. Nothing worked and no-one turned up. but it was fun.

By: mistertrippy

mistertrippy — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:35:04 +0000

I agree with you Colin, Swells’ background was never an issue. I never took him to be working class, and I didn’t meet him until after he got to be a ‘famous journo’… I didn’t always agree with his positions, his politics were too Trotskyist for me and less problematically his cultural stances were on occasion too populist for me, but he was sincere and I respected and still respect that. People can’t help where they’re from, it’s where they’re got too and are going on to that counts. Swells attacked privilege – he didn’t defend it. Sally might be right in saying he went to a comprehensive school in Bradford, but if he did that isn’t the whole story of his education as I got it from him on the one occasion Tommy Udo and me gave him the third degree about it. And like you say he never stopped banging his drum, which was one of the many things I liked about him.

By: colin

colin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:18:32 +0000

i knew swells when he first came to london in 81/82 and he stayed at our house rather too many times -considering his boundless energy, motormouth and personal habits. people have written some true, honest and touching things – especially people who knew him in before he became “famous journo”.

The only thing that really rankles is people banging on about his family background. it was blatantly obvious on meeting him that he was a middle class grammar school “sixth former” (which he seems to have remained most of his life) but he neither particularly played it down or lived it up. He said his dad being an MD … There’s so many other things that were OTT about him that that didn’t scratch the surface. but he stuckk to his GUN and kept on keeping on…

i haven’t seen him for over 15 years but still his early death has had quite an impact this week

By: Swells – The Sonofabitch That Refuses To Die « Old Rope

Swells – The Sonofabitch That Refuses To Die « Old Rope — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:14:23 +0000

[...] them all, but a few honourable mentions must go to to Stewart Home’s always excellent blog (and notably his touching Swells piece), the reliably funny David Quantick’s obituary, Loft and Lost for being a gent, Squares of [...]

By: sally

sally — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:10:42 +0000

David smith i am afraid you know nothing Steven went to a comprehensive school in Bradford,,,,very working class i can assure you and yes his dad did go to oxford on a scholarship a major achievement from a working class family don’t you think…no plums in Stevens family sorry to disappoint you mate..

goodbye Steven love you and miss you forever x

By: Sonia

Sonia — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:07:45 +0000

“Stewart Home’s sperm’n’blood-sodden scribblings make Will Self’s writings read like the self-indulgent dribblings of a sad Oxford junkie trying to sound hard.”

That just made me laugh so hard I think I did wee a little! So true as well, we both shared an vicious dislike for Will Smells.

One of my lasting memories of him is going to one of your readings in a dingy pub and demanding that you do that one about the buddhists, still one of my favourites.

Big love to you xxx

By: The Man in the Iron Mask

The Man in the Iron Mask — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 16:49:48 +0000

Western cinema gazes into the Heart of Darkness, aestheticising the horror, the horror wrought by imperialism while refusing to deal with the fact that it’s really gazing at its own navel. But there’s an umbilical link; it’s the highest form of capitalism, imperialism, which produced this Heart of Darkness. It’s then glossed with much hand-wringing in novel and film as some ineffable tragedy, Apocalypse even, which has nothing to do with Britain, Belgium, France, the US…

By: Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:35:06 +0000

They told him don’t you ever come around here
Don’t wanna see your face, you better disappear
The fire’s in their eyes and their words are really clear
So beat it, just beat it

You better run, you better do what you can
Don’t wanna see no blood, don’t be a macho man
You wanna be tough, better do what you can
So beat it, but you wanna be bad

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it
Just beat it, beat it

They’re out to get you, better leave while you can
Don’t wanna be a boy, you wanna be a man
You wanna stay alive, better do what you can
So beat it, just beat it

You have to show them that you’re really not scared
You’re playin’ with your life, this ain’t no truth or dare
They’ll kick you, then they beat you,
Then they’ll tell you it’s fair
So beat it, but you wanna be bad

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right
Just beat it, beat it
Beat it, beat it, beat it

Beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or who’s right

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right

Beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or who’s right

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Showin’ how funky and strong is your fight
It doesn’t matter who’s wrong or right

Just beat it, beat it, beat it, beat it
No one wants to be defeated
Just beat it, beat it
Beat it, beat it, beat it

By: howling wizard, shrieking toad

howling wizard, shrieking toad — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:53:26 +0000

I think JAR HEAD is the same ignorant perspective ,but not about Vietnam anymore, but Iraq — It’s still very much “hey dude Iraq was a bad war man, but hey, it wuz still a ROCK N ROLL war dude! Hey where’s my headband and AC/DC cassette dude! Thur’s lotsa towel heads out thur ta smoke maaann….hey, ya got a mary jane to toke on man?”