Carla Bozulich in London

[JCN]

Hello to all...

I just found out my friend Carla Bozulich (ex-Geraldine Fibbers) is doing what promise to be some amazing shows. It occurred to me that I should have mentioned her stuff here already, because I think many of y'all would enjoy her stuff. Anyway, here's her newsletter with the details... (And if you talk to her, tell her I sent you.)

"Hi, I'm off to Europe! The tour falling through worked out great.
Anthony, who is arguably the coolest fan a musician could ever want, saw my last newsletter about the canceled tour and wrote back saying it was a
long shot but… “didn’t you write an article about how Patti [Smith] was so
important to you and didn’t she mention you in a Czech interview years
ago…” Something like that. Meltdown Festival, London, 2 weeks in June,
Patti curating the whole thing, check it out, he said. Long and unlikely
story short, I’m performing a couple of songs on a night of amazing
people singing songs by Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht. The London
Sinfonietta is performing the music and it’s all just too much. Really looking
forward to hearing Patti do “Lost In The Stars” and “Pirate Jenny” and to
hearing Antony (The boy is a bird, after all!) do “Suribya Johnny.” I’m
singing “The Ballad of Lily Of Hell.” That news, plus the Beefheart
connection below - it’s sometimes good when things fall apart.

Part of what I’ll be doing at these gigs is variations on this intense
evangelista wailing sermon to backwards, droning Calliope and other
samples I’ll be triggering - largely with my toes. Really guttural and
moving when I do it right. Plus some songs.

Hello, here’s a list of shows, check website for more info:

The Swiss shows:

10th June: Dudingen (near Fribourg) @ Bad Bonn Festival
www.badbonn.ch
11th June: Luzern @ BOA Kulturhallen

Amsterdam: I stay on a houseboat and write music. A couple of shows:

13th June: 2 venues, 2 short sets:
Winston @ Warmoesstraat 129 www.winston.nl
Bitterzoet (a club from the same promoter) www.bitterzoet.com

London:

17th June: Opening for Morris Tepper of Captain Beefheart fame
Downstairs at The Kings Head, 2 Crouch End Hill, N8. 8pm.

21 June: a tentative happening at
Barden's Boudoir www.bardensbar.co.uk
38-44 Stoke Newington Road, London N16 7XJ

23rd June: with the London Sinfonietta on Bertold Brecht night
@ Patti Smith’s Meltdown Festival
The Royal Festival Hall
www.rfh.org.uk/main/series/202.html"

[Steve]

17th June: Opening for Morris Tepper of Captain Beefheart fame
Downstairs at The Kings Head, 2 Crouch End Hill, N8. 8pm.

Almost went to this one, mostly on the strength of a certain friend of Morris' being rumoured to fill in on bass but also partly on your recommendation, JCN. Alas, I had another gig the same day so couldn't make it in the end! Bass player didn't show either

Have since had a bit of a listen to Carla Bozulich but initially not sure if I like her stuff or not. Maybe a bit countryish (probabaly not a real word...) for me - hmm

It was only a quick listen though so not really a fair one. Any particular songs you'd recommend?

[JCN]

For whatever reason, I didn't get the e-mail that was supposed to tell me I had a reply....

A lot of Carla's stuff has a country element, from just a tinge to full-on country songs. But she brings it back to the dark heart of the real country, where Johnny Cash sings a line like "Shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die." (And it gets darker than that.) Her last full-length album was a complete cover of an old Willie Nelson album, "Red Headed Stranger," which some people consider to be the "Sgt. Pepper" of country. But she radically re-works much of it - her version is not all country.

If you're not down with the country element, I recommend you check out the second Geraldine Fibbers album, "Butch." It's a very intense, emotional record and it's brilliant.

Now I realize you asked for songs.... I recommend "California Tuffy," "Outside of Town," "Lilybelle," "Dragon Lady," "Trashman in Furs," "Swim Back to Me," "Seven or in 10," "Arrow to My Drunken Eye" - all Geraldine Fibbers songs. Solo - you might enjoy "Remember Me" from "Red Headed Stranger."

Let me know what you think!