King Rocker – The mysterious existence of Robert Lloyd of The Nightingales – Official Trailer [Feb 6th, 9pm, Sky Arts]

**PREMIERES SATURDAY FEBRUARY 6th at 9PM. SKY ARTS** King Rocker (2019) A film about Robert Lloyd and The Nightingales by Michael Cumming and Stewart Lee. Produced by James Nicholls. Running Time: 90 Minutes (approx) / Colour Genre: Music Documentary Starring: Robert Lloyd, Stewart Lee, Frank Skinner, John Peel, Marc Riley, and many more King Rocker - Official Trailer [Feb 6th, 9pm, Sky Arts] - YouTube “The Second Best Music Film of 2020” MOJO MAGAZINE How does a working class autodidact, with no visible means of support, maintain his role as the leader of a cult British underground band into its fifth decade? Comedian and writer Stewart Lee (Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle) , director…

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John Sinclair – The Music & Activism that define his Revolutionary life

In Episode 26 of Essential Conversations, Ann Delisi spoke with John Sinclair about the music and activism that define his revolutionary life and career. This is one of the best interviews with John Sinclair I've heard to date. If you are an artist, writer, poet, musician or performer of any kind, give this a good listen. Turn off the Television, put your phone away. You may learn something. John Sinclair is an activist, poet, and writer whose life and work is connected by one theme – resistance. Sinclair co-founded the White Panthers, managed the MC5, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the possession of two marijuana cigarettes. His imprisonment…

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F23 Podcast E18 featuring Oliver Senton – October 9th, 2020

The F23 Podcast is a conversation based podcast with interesting,  inspiring, inter-dimensional beings of wonder who have chosen a human form for this incarnation. In conversation with Jamie Dodds (Pope Flag-dag the Brave) sharing their experiences, journeys, learning and un-learning from their off the map adventures through the counterculture. F23 is starting to look like some sort of Iron Man Records Patron Broadcasting these days. I can't believe it. It's brilliant. I haven't even started going through all the episodes yet, but I will. I had no idea so much has been going on while I've been working on other things like do these stairs go up? Or which way to…

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RETROPOPIC 435 – Poet John Sinclair Talks: Freed By A John Lennon Song & Other Life Stories

Alongside the music of Gil Scott Heron, MC5, John Lennon, Charlie Parker, The Clovers & John's own words set to music, in this 59 minute podcast The Saint of RETROPOPIC RADIO talks with the legendary poet John Sinclair. How does John remember his childhood? Why did he move to Detroit? What was so different about the music of MC5? How did he receive a prison sentence for possessing dope? What were the circumstances that lead to John Lennon campaigning for his freedom? How does he regard the 'John Sinclair' song that appeared on Lennon's album 'Sometime In New York City'? What relationship did he have with Lennon after his release? Why…

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Natacha Atlas on Sputnik E305 & George Galloway – The Mother Of All Talkshows – Episode 21

Watch Natacha Atlas talking to Adam Garrie and Gayatri Galloway on Sputnik 305 - Never-ending conflict and fusion music (E305) — RT Sputnik https://buff.ly/36VvYW3 (Natacha Atlas begins around 12 minutes in)  The Middle East continues to burn with the kindling of further conflict transpiring in Iraq, Syria and Libya. It seems like a never-ending war of occupation and terror for the people of those countries. But could there possibly be a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel?  To find out just what the current developments are in the region, we invited lecturer and journalist Sami Ramadani into the Sputnik studio to help unravel the knotted tangle of current…

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Transglobal Underground… A history…

Transglobal Underground had to happen. They refused to accept that dance music had to be four to the floor house. They refused to accept that something called ‘World Music’ ever existed. They slowed down hip-hop and sped up dub. They sang in whatever language they felt like singing in. they were DJs but they played live. Their influence is all over the place, sometimes benign, sometimes joyful, sometimes beautiful and sometimes bloody dreadful. But the price of innovation is often a trail of shite left in your wake. A thousand dodgy car adverts with colourful tribespeople, colonialised blanded out ethnic samples and ten year old beats…that’s not it at all… We’re…

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Where do you see Independent Record Labels heading in the future?

I have no idea where other Independent record labels are headed in future. Perhaps I can give you an idea of where I may take Iron Man Records if anything goes to plan. Which often, it doesn’t. But the quote “When all music is digital, all independence ceases” continues to permeate my thoughts. I want to keep the record label focused on releasing records, digitally and also on Vinyl. I want to leave the artists to work on writing, rehearsing, touring and recording. I’m not interested in getting more involved with the artists beyond releasing their music. I don’t like the idea of taking more control or involvement in what they…

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What are your thoughts on Vinyl? Are the costs of Vinyl production affordable to Independent labels?

“When all music is digital, all independence ceases.” I suppose, what I’m trying to say is that whoever controls the digital platform controls the market. Whether it’s Google, Apple, Spotify, YouTube or Amazon, if all music is digital then at some point you will have to engage the digital platform for access. If you lose access to the platform, you lose access to the music. From an artists perspective, either you place your music where the people are, or you have to encourage people to find your music where you are. The first one is easy, the second is not so easy. But either way, the lack of scarcity in the…

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How has Iron Man Records adapted to the growth of digitalisation?

Iron Man Records has had little choice, it has had to learn to adapt to digitalisation regardless. From 2004 until 2014 the label has seen a steady decline in physical sales both online and through physical outlets. From 2014 until 2017 this has continued at a faster rate and from 2017 to 2018 there has been a sharp drop, the decline has got much worse and deteriorated rapidly. This decline, which has accelerated in recent times, has effected not just Iron Man Records products, but all physical products the label makes available for sale. The physical distributors who take stock from Iron Man Records and distribute across the UK, Europe and…

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What does the term ‘Independent’ mean to Iron Man Records?

“In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: Not necessarily to Win, but mainly to keep from Losing Completely.” Hunter S Thompson — Gonzo Papers, Vol. 1: The Great Shark Hunt: Strange Tales from a Strange Time (1979) Hunter S. Thompson had many wise words that can be useful to anyone wanting to work in the music business. But I’ve always puzzled over a simple question “How did he know?” Independent can mean many different things. For Iron Man Records, an independent record label, it often means working hard and trying to turn available time and resources into…

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Police Bastard – Confined: Death, doom, despair and TERRIFYING NOISE… discussed.

Here's part of an interview With 2 members of Police Bastard conducted by Robin Valk who spends his time writing about Music, Musicians, Music Business and Radio in the UK's West Midlands. Robin: As a bumbling young rock DJ, I covered the decline of progressive and hard rock throughout the 70s. Pub-rock rose and fell, global forces like Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac emerged, and Birmingham moved from Monsters of Metal to cross-cultural mixes, (UB40, Apache Indian, the Beat, Ruby Turner). Oh, and let’s not forget the New Romantics. On second thought, let’s. By the end of the decade, Punk Rock emerged, to be rapidly commoditised as product and fashion trend (Generation…

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How to live a psychedelic life with the poet and activist John Sinclair

Psychedelia with John Sinclair Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone Stuart finds out how to live a psychedelic life with the poet and activist John Sinclair as BBC Music's My Generation celebrates the 1960s. John Sinclair is best known for his jazz poetry, managing the rock band MC5 and being a founding member of the White Panther party in the late 1960s. Stuart chats to him about the creative philosophies behind psychedlia and how to open your mind. John Sinclair in the Iron Man Records shop

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Robert Anton Wilson meets Steve “Fly Agaric” Pratt

WORDS: Robert Anton Wilson and Steve ‘Fly Agaric 23’ Pratt MUSIC: Steve Fly, Tim Egmond, Martin ‘Youth’ Glover, Rick Rasa, Hagbard Celine, Garaj Mahal. ARTWORK: CHU PRODUCED BY: Mark Sampson and Steve Fly Pratt MASTERED BY: Simon Reeves at Framework Studios, Birmingham RELEASED on IRON MAN RECORDS June 23rd 2016. Special thanks to: Robert Anton Wilson, Christina Pearson, Rick Rasa, Chu, Mark Sampson, Kai Eckhardt, Matt Black, Martin ‘Youth’ Glover, Paul Krassner, John Sinclair, Tim Egmond, Toby Philpott, Prop Anon, Nick Larson, Caleb Selah, Pete Maybe, Jenni Vyskocil, Faustin Bray, Bob Tesch, Lance Bauscher, Jack Sarfatti, Nigel Blunt, UB40, Robin Johnson, Tom Jackson, Raymond Wiley, Daisy Eris Campbell, Janne Svensson, Gregory…

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A small donation could help Iron Man Records to release more music on Vinyl

I want to invite you to support Iron Man Records releasing more music on Vinyl via Patreon. I have been running Iron Man Records since 1996. I have never earnt anything, of any significance, from the work I have done so far, and neither have the bands. In fact the debts are what the label’s worth. It has been a true labour of love, and I like to think the music has made a lot of people happy. The label has released over 30 records by some fantastic bands and artists and continues to work hard on a daily basis. Iron Man Records wants to make all new releases from the…

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Independent Record Labels of the Internet Era by Kristian Evans

Few people ask me questions these days. I'm probably deluded thinking anyone would actually want to know what I do for a living, and if I told them honestly they would probably think I'm mad. In truth, I like to be left to get on in peace so I don't really care. I think the last time I faced 20 questions was a round of "German Traffic Police Roadside Mastermind," but that's another story. A few months ago, I spent some time on Skype talking to Kristian Evans and answered as many questions as I could, probably more than 20, on the subject of Independent Record Labels in the age of…

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