Scootering Words and Sounds
Contained in music somehow more than just sound...
The best of Scootering words and music as reviewed by Nik & Sarge
Jerusalem by Pete McKenna pb New Haven Publishing (ISBN 9781910705865)
The recent fictional novel from the prolific pen of scooterist, soulie, writer Pete McKenna is a typically hard-hitting tale. Anti-hero, skinhead Johnny Hodges, the main character, has not long been released from a four-year prison sentence. A sizeable part of the story is spent on looking back at why he was sent down and his time spent behind bars. Under the mentorship of Northern Soul girl, prison officer Jackie Hayhurst, Johnny is teamed up with D-Wing daddy Micky Fuller, an association that has an eventual explosive influence on his future life. The book is set in a semi post-apocalyptic Britain portrayed as a bleak country plagued by cultural and racial differences, exacerbated by wars over drug-dealing 'rights'. Johnny Hodges is portrayed as an individual who is more than capable of looking after himself and his interests, yet even he, abandoned by the system he has paid into all his working life, struggles to cope with the black dog of depression that envelops him like a toxic cloud. Pete McKenna's Jerusalem is not for the faint-hearted and most definitely not for snowflakes! It is a brutal journey through recent, or near future times, with a team of Skinheads, scooter boys, football hooligans and soulies in a frenzy of violence fuelled by alcohol and drugs. As Jerusalem careers to its explosive conclusion, there are more twists to the plot than a spiral staircase in a corkscrew factory! It is reminiscent of the Richard Allen cult fiction books of the 70s, and comes complete with its own triple-x rating! Sarge
Piaggio Ape 70 Years by Giorgio Sarti pb NADA Editore (ISBN9788879116985)
Three-wheeled machines such as the Piaggio Ape are cheap transport options for recovering or growing economies. This hardback, coffee-table book written by Giorgio Sarti comes in dual language format – English and Italian. It covers the advent, development and progression of the Piaggio Ape over 70 years. There is more than a passing interest in three-wheelers manufactured by companies that also produced motor scooters in the UK, unlike Mediterranean counties, as well as western Europe initially, and since the 70s, and maybe earlier, in countries of the subcontinent. In the UK, while there are undoubtedly devotees of three-wheeled machines, it’s much, much smaller scale by comparison. This book is very informative, containing all manner of information, as well as publicity information, pictures and design drawings. My passing interest is grabbed by the earlier incarnations from the 40s, 50s and 60s. However, as things progressed, later Ape vehicles began to appear more like small vans and pick-ups, and the introduction of four-wheeled vehicles with diesel-fuelled engines is an example of how far from its humble two-stroke beginnings the Ape went. It is a high-quality, interesting book for the real enthusiast, and I just wish there was a cheaper paperback version also available, but I guess you can’t have everything! Sarge
Alexis Evans I’ve Come A Long way (Record Kicks CD)
Anglo/English singer, songwriter, musician Alexis Evans is being hailed as something of a soul sensation. As a teenager, Alexis was involved in an award-winning project called ‘Jumping To The Westside’, which opened all manner of doors for him. His career, built largely around incendiary live shows, went into overdrive. His acclaimed debut album, ‘Girl Bait’, which was released in 2016, saw his upward trajectory continue in style. Three years on, his brand new offering, ‘I’ve Come a Long Way’, which was recorded in his native Bordeaux, mixed in Sydney and mastered in LA, was releashed in early March. Soulful, funky and with a large shot of rhythm and blues, the 11-track offering worships at the twin altars of Daptone and Stax. Musical inspirations shine through at times with nods, winks and metaphorical cap-doffing to the likes of Sly and the Family Stone, Johnny Otis Show, and The Meters detectable, with hints of Bobby Womack and The Impressions amongst others shining out. Stand-out tracks from a high-quality collection are the so soulful opener ‘She Took Me Back’, alongside the scorching, stormer finale ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Healer’, with plenty of outstanding cuts in between. This is contemporary soul music which, whilst acknowledging and celebrating its musical roots of the 60s and 70s, is equally fresh and exciting, as well as on the money for right now. This is proper music from a proper musician, who, on the strength of ‘I’ve Come A Long Way’, without question is a rising, bright, shining star. Sarge