Welcome back to the Disposable Underground newsletter, a companion to my blog of the same name. Read on for some music news bits, tributes, and what’s new at the blog. Thank you! —Richard
Music News
Headbangers Ball, the specialty show from MTV, is remembered a lot on YouTube, but someone has created a “best of” over four collections. The first of the bunch is interesting for me because it features several videos that I never new existed. There’s also some good stuff in the collection like Exodus, Testament, Morbid Angel, Sodom, Celtic Frost, Candlemass, Vio-Lence, and Gorefest among other heavy hitters, and some more obscure selections like Gothic Slam, Channel Zero, Cemetery, and Evil Dead appear. One takeaway from watching all these videos is that a lot of bands shot their videos in black and white. Check out the first of four video collections below.
In a bit of good news and another reason why Willie Nelson rules, Live Nation is stopping the practice of taking merch cuts from bands and will raise its minimum wage at all of its clubs in the U.S. The plan was co-created with Willie Nelson. Murray Stassen has the story at Music Business Worldwide.
The Orb and David Gilmour are getting out in front of AI by inviting fans to remix their music and remake their cover art from their collaborative album Metallic Spheres. Users can use AI tools at a website to make their own versions and share them. As with the story above, Murray Stassen has the details at Music Business Worldwide.
Right Here Right Now Climate is a campaign to raise awareness about climate catastrophes and pressure policy makers at COP28, the summit that is going on now as I write this. Some big names in music are sharing the message, such as LL Cool J and Annie Lennox. Katie Bain wrote about it at
Billboard.
Rest In Peace
Geordie Walker, the guitarist of Killing Joke, died in Prague in November. As when Piggy from Voivod passed away in 2005 and Jesse Pintado of Napalm Death and Terrorizer passed in 2006, this was upsetting because Geordie was a major, major influence on me as a guitarist and songwriter. The band made the announcement on Facebook.
Shane MacGowan, the singer of the group The Pogues, died last month. Photos of him in the hospital had been circulating online recently. He also played with Shane MacGowan and the Popes and, early on, The Nips.
Brian Murphy has the story at The Washington Post.
Scott Kempner was a co-founding guitarist for The Dictators, an early punk rock band. He played later in The Del Lords. He died at 69 in November.
Rebecca Carballo has the story at The New York Times.
New at the Blog
False Fed breaks heads with Let Them Eat Fake
Suppressant is as nasty as they wanna be on a new 7″
Gendo Ikari throws in everything but the kitchen sink with Rokubungi
And on the Disposable Underground Tumblr:
Radiation Blackbody playing the Pie Shop in Washington, DC
No Better Off playing at an Arlington VA Farmer’s Market
Colonel Josh and Paisley Tonk playing at the Acme Pie Shop festival
Stop by the Disposable Underground blog for more.
December 2, 2023 newsletter
