MR LOVE & JUSTICE
Some say MR LOVE & JUSTICE is an English thing. An acoustic thing, a folk/pop thing, the musical love child of discerning parents who remember the good old days when you could go out with a fiver, watch a band of like minds playing blocks of stringed wood they called guitars, and still have enough money to buy a bag of chips and a 7-inch single on the way home.
They made noise in short bursts for 3 minutes or so, then they'd say something, twist the strings round the blocks of wood a bit then play for another 3 minutes or so. And so it continued.
In each 3 minute burst (they called these songs ) there were sections called verses where a story of sorts would be told and this would be followed by some words you could sing along to.
They called this a chorus. In the middle were 8.
This was a simpler time when DJ's were either something you wore once a year to the office party...
or a distant verbal excretion from your radio that talked over the intro of the records you liked. The grinning hawaian-shirted electronics engineer, stood behind a box, long arms held aloft, hand twisted in three-fingered salute - to acknowledge the misguided adulation of their crazed and dazed admirers - these were just blurry visions of a future hell that no-one really believed would actually happen.
Like 1984 and the year 2000, these were distant fears.
Also, like 1984 and 2000 they did happen. On the +ve side of the battery though we came through all 3 of these feared times and some of us are still standing (no, not you Elton), blocks of wood strapped over our shoulders ready to pay our dues to the ongoing development of the English folk song. Or pop song you may call it. Whatever... after all is sung and done as our fab four fathers nearly said before exiting stage left, right, front and back ....
"the love & justice you take is equal to the love & justice you make"
Steve Cox : Vocals, guitars, dress code : rural chic
Andy Jones : Bass, guitars, backing vocals, dress code : sports casual
Marcus De 'Freitas : Frequent guitar, occasional bass, dress code : world of leather
Brendan Hamley : Drums, dress code : designer beatnik
Alumni association
Chris Annis : Pine & Cane Drums, dress code : racing green
Mark Stevenson : production, keyboards, backing vocals, surreptitious guitar on Summer Madness, dress code : urban behemoth
Stewart Palmen : Thrashing guitar and rhythm method concepts donated to What If... and No Limits, dress code : country bohemian
Rob Beckinsale : Jazz Guitar, dress code : blues brother
Nick Weaver : Guitar, dress code : hemp streetsmart
Nick Ruddle : Percussion, dress code : timberland executive
Sam Hickling : Drums, dress code : man about town
Yamaha RX15 : Tight Drumming, dress code : black
Matt Wood: Bass, dress code: Rugby Chic
It was the summer of ambivalence
Endless rain, endless drought
Tuscan blue mixed fire red
Waves breaking and mending
Shouting in whispers
Someone, somewhere, are you listening ?