Castlemorton recalled

 Todd L. Burns - who many will remember as the founder of the excellent music webzine Stylus and subsequently helmed various important publications - puts out an unmissable missive, a weekly newsletter called Music Journalism Insider. One of the regular features is called Notes On Process, in which he invites a music journalist to go deep into the background (the writing, editing, etc) of a particular piece.  

Todd asked me to do a Notes on the news story I did about the Castlemorton mega-rave at the end of  May 1992.  I realised that the article that ran in Melody Maker's news section on June 6 was significantly different (more newsy) than the fevered rave convert / eye witness thinkpiece I submitted. So we have both versions up there annotated with queries and comments, discussing the circumstances of the piece, the workings of a weekly music paper, the traveler-raver movement / moment, and the larger question of "the politics of dancing." 

Here are the other earlier installments of Notes on Process. And you can subscribe to Music Journalism Insider here.

The missus with a piece from 1994 about the Crusty-Raver-Traveler-Squatters versus the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill.

shoegazetronica slight return

with Emma from Lush on guitars and voice (although I can't hear either to be honest)

also (it says on Wiki) guitar on this



and (says Discogs) on this



and indeed much of the Everything Is Now album


De-Lushed!




sounds quite Slowdive-meets-One-Dove


The Drum Club were Spiral Tribe connected and had one really great tune



But after that nothing quite came together

It was all a bit wishy washy proggy housey and well yes Guerrilla Records

This verdict at Discogs is close to the mark I think -

"These guys are very floaty, hippy-esque, and loose...  No offense, but I have come to believe that pagans are weenies from listening to these guys, PWOG, and exquisite corpse. I like more oomph in my music. There needs to be more gusto to life than this."

Went to the actual Drum Club the club, at the Soundshaft on a Thursday ...     it was no Rage let's say (not that I ever got to Rage).  Mild and floaty. Probably heard records by Fluke and such like.

Nice chaps though -  shared a car with them (or one of them? can't remember), a whole bunch of us heading down to Castlemorton and not knowing what was in store for us

On the way, one of them explained what a "Doet" was -  as referenced in this track by the Tribe - or at least, what its effects were



Ah, didn't realise the name is actually the chemical abbreviation for a Shulgin creation, rather than a mangled injunction "Do It!"



Now that's actually a good track - I remember it from the Hardkiss comp / mix. Tasty bit of guitar. Crisp 'cussion.