MOdern comPASSION

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Biff Bang Pow Records have recorded new versions of The Small Faces 'What'cha Gonna Do About It' c/w 'Afterglow' for release as a CD single (Cat No: BBPCD0002) on 31st May 2005, with all resulting profits to be donated equally to the Tsunami Earthquake Appeal and the Band Aid Charity.

The single will also include a Promotional Video of 'What'cha' as well as an exclusive acoustic version by chart star Mark Joseph. Twenty years ago when the first Band Aid single was released, 'Spectrum' (featuring Steve Marriott, Chris Farlowe, PP Arnold etc) brought Mod musicians together to raise money for the Band Aid Charity and Ronnie Lane's ARMS Charity through the 'All Or Nothing' single and subsequent concert.

With the recent devastation and tragedy unfolding in South East Asia, and the continued starvation in Africa, the Mod Scene has once again come together with musicians who have been a part of, or associated with, the Mod scene over the last 45 years contributing their talents to raising as much money as possible for these appeals under the moniker, Mod Aid 20.

The recording sessions, which were undertaken in an electric atmosphere, were produced by Ian Page of Secret Affair and featured Ronnie Wood, (The
Rolling Stones/The Faces/The Birds), Steve Cradock (Ocean Colour Scene), Mark Joseph (Warner Records), Chris Farlowe, PP Arnold, Molly Marriott (Steve's daughter), Jimmy Winston (Small Faces), Emma Winston (Jimmy's daughter), Mike Evans (The Action), Art Wood (The Artwoods), Billy Nicholls (Immediate Records), Andy Ellison (John's Children), Dave Cairns (Secret Affair), Steve Rinaldi (Rinaldi Sings), Roger Dunbar (The Untamed), Fay Hallam (Makin Time), Buddy Ascot (The Chords), Simon Stebbing (Purple Hearts), Brian Kotz (Back To Zero), Rod Spark (Modus), Small World, Mark Le Gallez (The Risk), Paul Hooper-Keeley (The Threads), Andy Houghton (Yeh-Yeh), Brent Yeomans (17 Black), Trevor French (The Clique), Danny McAllister (The Boss), Dave Winthrop (Secret Affair), Tony Uprichard (Little Barrie), plus numerous bands of today such as Face, The Points, The Hideaways, Peathingy Avenue, Roundabout, Contrast, J60, Smashing Time & Grasp
etc.

One of the most poignant moments of the weekend was when Steve Marriott's daughter, Molly, sang a stunning vocal of her Dad's song, 'Afterglow', in
front of the women he wrote it for (PP Arnold) on what would have been Steve's 58th Birthday.

A promotional video was shot over the weekend of the recordings and captured a massive scooter cruise organised by the Bar Italia Scooter Club as well as an impromptu open air mini acoustic set by Mark Joseph, Dave Cairns and Fay Hallam to the delight of the large crowd that had gathered outside and remained there over the duration of the weekend.

For more information please email [e-mail] or visit
wwwbiffbangpow.org.uk

MUCH THANKS TO BAZZA

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Whats the Deal with Arkansas???


Recently there were some of us that had a great chance to learn about the West Memphis 3 Rally called Voices for Justice with the likes of Eddie Vedder (and his Pearl Jam Droogies), Johnny Depp,



Patti Smith, Natalie Maines (from Dixie Chicks), and a Fistful of Mercy.

The sacredness of the event and the seriousness surrounding the appearance move even the most jaded of folks to understand what can be done to change the lives of those who seem in hopeless conditions.



The WM3 face a serious of hearings with the Arkansas Supreme Court and we hope for their freedom as justice is reviewed and possibly one day served.


Depp read straight from Damien Echols journal to the audience so that they might understand how an innocent man feels after nearly 20 years on death row for a crime which he never had one shread of evidence placed upon him as his own during the trial or in all these years...




This is how you as a citizen can be inspired to support Justice and honor.... <a href="http://courts.state.ar.us/supremecourt/">check it out</a>

Its much more important that there is interest expressed by everyday folks to demand that the Arkansas Supreme Court to hear Echols case and review the sentencing as it stands.... people have got to understand that this is by no means an open and shut case as a part of being in one of the most ignorantly managed legal situations in current times....

September 30th is going to be a huge day for everyone associated with this event and showing up with a sign or screaming wildly in an uneducated manner is nothing compared with knowing that an innocent man will quietly be sucked under as a part of a huge injustice...

...send letters... make repeated phone calls daily.... let them know that the nation is watching this case... if you know any senior officials such as judges or congress people... ask them to endorse the review and clear admission of juror misconduct as a part of the injustice which convicted these kids without a shred of proof positive evidence.... these are the actions that will heal all wounds... seriously

Justice Building
625 Marshall Street
Little Rock, AR 72201

Clerk of Courts - 501-682-6849

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While we are on the subject of Character and Prejudice as perception of values or profiling as a means of evaluating individual or expression. I think bringing up the issue of Cross Dressing or Transgender Values is entirely relative to the ideas of how people are forced to live with social pressues to extreme degrees.

In the case of these guys who were wrongly imprisoned for a good portion of their life... adult life come early if you will... Imagine how hard it will be for them to adapt all their understandings and knowledge of life as an adult in prison to something that fits the parameters of blue collar sustainability.

What is it that they will have to hack away from their sense of self knowing to keep clear of elements which will either land them in dangerous circles or keep them associated with the successful circles of 'acclamated careers' held in high esteem in todays economy?

Some cultures actually have a formal process of acknowledging gender and the expression of oneself creatively beyond such limitations. One has to wonder if it is a means of incorporating diverse values into the mainstream processes of social decorum or if it is a deeper acknowledgment that all character needs refinement due to complexity.

Clearly some actors are truly gifted with the sort of subtle expression and compassion which allows them to play nearly any role given to them should they choose that to be within their range. Personally it seems to be both blessing and curse once smaller minded people extend some judgment into the range of what 'sensitivity' means.

Lets take the Mad Hatter for instance...there is Muchness as Poetry in Motion to the way he is played out but also decidedly some character affectations which alert us to his preferences of attention to detail and also his place socially which trap him from fully realizing the true nature as a being should have. We ask ourselves is he a man or is he a 2-Dimensional Character with less than a truly sustainable set of personal identifications. What is he really?

Ultimately there is a sense of both humor and great willingness to allow ones self to be objectified into roles and situations. Its pretty clear that the best actors are ok with this sort of ambiguity and often serve as the social butterfly or bee (if you will) that cross pollenates a massive range of values and expressions just for this purpose. Often times it comes down to archetypes and antecedents which form character and studying these is all one needs.

The formation of character and its processes of identification are specifically both responsibility and process of maturation. Those of us who understand the value of the roles that we take on should make a place in our conversations and view of the world for the range of this idea as application. Its our job to understand what we choose and own and also set boundaries against and why.

Let X=X

I met this guy -
and he looked like might have been a hat check clerk at an ice rink.
Which, in fact, he turned out to be.
And I said: Oh boy. Right again.

Let X=X. You know, it could be you.
It's a sky-blue sky. Satellites are out tonight.
Let X=X.

You know, I could write a book.
And this book would be thick enough to stun an ox.
Cause I can see the future and it's a place - about 70 miles east of here.
Where it's lighter. Linger on over here.
Got the time?
Let X=X.

I got this postcard. And it read, it said:
Dear Amigo - Dear Partner.
Listen, now - I just want to say thanks. So...thanks.
Thanks for all the presents.
Thanks for introducing me to the Chief.
Thanks for putting on the feedbag.
Thanks for going all out.
Thanks for showing me your Swiss Army knife.
Oh and uh -
Thanks for letting me autograph your cast.
Hug and kisses. XXXXOOOO.

Oh yeah, P.S.
I - I feel - feel like - I am - in a
burning building - and I gotta go.
Cause I - I feel - feel like - I am -
in a burning building - and I gotta go.

My thanks to actors and teachers and believers brave enough to acknowledge these truths we hold to be self evident for the case of communicating self knowing as a process rather than product or limited outcome only... Live and let love...