Category: Community

Today’s Headline: ZFT vs Arf Society

Der Spiegel, on the day of the ZFT vs Arf Society/Zappanale trial:
Mother Of Intervention: Zappa Festival Defends Itself from… Zappa.

Quoth Goil Zeepee:

“One of the reasons you file a trademark is to protect the works of a person,” Gail Zappa told SPIEGEL ONLINE in a telephone interview. “I felt we were getting into territory where we were putting the audience at risk in terms of who Frank was. You become concerned.”

Thomas Dippel:

Dippel says that the Zappanale has long tried to get the kind of official rubber stamp that Gail Zappa insists is available. He claims that letters have been sent and that Zappanale people even met with Gail in Amsterdam at the beginning of the 1990s. He also says that he invited the Zappa family — including Gail, Dweezil and Moon — to an unveiling of a Zappa statue that now graces Bad Doberan.

Gail — who refers to the statue as an “impish creature” that “doesn’t look like Frank Zappa unless you argue that putting a moustache on any face looks like Frank Zappa” — says that very little communication has taken place with the Zappanale.

I guess you know where our sympathies lie, right?

Bat Chain Puller

Barry and I had a very interesting discussion the other day concerning why some Zappa fans also become big Captain Beefheart fans, while some do not. The crux of the biscuit, so to speak, comes down to Beefheart’s appeal, lyrically, since both Frank Zappa and Don Van Vliet are appealing musically. For example, I offer the following live version of Bat Chain Puller from the French Chorus TV show in 1980 (I suggest you turn it up loud, too):

Up From The Deep

For as long as I can remember I have always been a proponent of the D.I.Y philosophy, never more so than when I founded my own micro-press in the mid 80s. At that time, in Canada at least, publishing was largely controlled by two groups: large corporate publishing houses, and government funded, University based presses. They did not welcome my small, independent publications then, and still do not welcome them now. This, of course, has never stopped me from publishing. As I have witnessed media being concentrated in the hands of the corporate few (and manipulated by their agendas), never has the need for an independent, vibrant media been more important than it is right now.

Perhaps this is what attracted me to Kill Ugly Radio in the first place. While so much media was taking a hard turn to the right, KUR drove straight through all perceived hypocrisy with irreverence and humor.

As my chosen links attest, it’s my aim to bring a new and vibrant view of counter culture to the new KUR — not only through music but zines and micro-press publications in all their myriad manifestations (even a particular favorite composer will make appearances where relevant).

Of course, I’m open to any and all suggestions. KUR is a community best served when it drops the KUR Crew a comment about what it likes and dislikes.

This is going to be fun.

Where Are We?

Okay, you (we?) think you’re a “community”, right? But do we know where WE are at all? Here’s a quiz for you, a game with which you can “develop a mental map of Europe“. You think you know this continent, right? Now try to find Estonia (or the faraway country of Belgium – ever heard of that one?), or tell the name of the capital of Montenegro! Hah! The upper levels are really tough!

Okay, if you have some more time, you can go on with the 50 states of the USA  (me: 60%, average error: 252 miles…) – or play Statetris Europe!