An Fleghes Hager-Na Yu Canjeon s

August 2010 – 1.1 Holiday Sensawunda Ugly Children Pyramid, I remember featuring heavily in Later in California, Spike and Tom Becker did Before I kick off this issue proper I felt it best I almost every establishing exterior shot in the their best to keep this trend going. AT&T Park do a bit of explaining about the title of this 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body converted me to baseball, while the amount zine, and give some proper credit to its finder Snatchers. I’ve not seen the film since being a and quality of good wine available everywhere and donator - step forward Steve Brewster. teenager – someday I’ll have to re-watch it to we went was just awesome. And I haven’t even make sure my memory isn’t cheating me. mentioned pie, the wall of tequila or the Steve is a Bristol fan who has more of less or margarita list, or giant trees. less stopped attending conventions which is a Kerouac has long been an obsession of mine, a real shame as his interest in the genre, reason and an inspiration for writing and Right up to our last day in the States I was fanzines and fanhistory means he’d be precisely travelling. Stopping for a drink in Vesuvios, I overwhelmed by wonderment. The drive up to the sort of person Peter Weston would line up could feel a deep connection to one of my most Robert Lichtman and Carol Carr’s mountainside to be the next “future hope of fandom”. One of formative literary heroes, even if in the Beat house was as scenic as it was windy. But there his major non-fannish interests is learning days the staff were probably wailing over some I saw one of the most marvellous sights I have languages, and it was his relentless scouring of wild bebop and not going mental over Mexico ever seen - Robert’s legendary fanzine second hand shops that turned up P.A.S. Pool’s beating France in the World Cup. collection. Yes, I am that fannish that after all Cornish For Beginners from which the title of the glories that California and Washington State this zine is taken. Mr Pool’s book dates from Sensawunda followed me everywhere on had to offer I was most boggled by all those 1965 (price 6/6) and contains many phrases holiday. On our first day Stateside, it was the orderly filing cabinets carefully filled with which although interesting, would be of little or enormous pancakes in Seattle’s Mecca Cafe, precious zines. I should point out that I was a no use in contemporary Cornwall. The one that but later on in that leg of the trip, my mind was little bit jealous too. drew our attention was An Fleghes Hager-Na repeatedly blown by such things as Mount Yu Canjeons (Those Ugly Children Are Rainier, Randy Byers taking us to yet another After that there was only one way for the day Changelings). Not only is it a cool name, but it fantastic real ale bar full of delicious porters to go, by drowning my sorrows in a distillery on evokes a sense of place and culture, and I like and stouts, and finally meeting carl juarez. a disused airstrip looking out towards that that, and that’s something I hope to embody in damned Transamerica Pyramid across the bay. this little publication. So, thanks Steve, I owe I had my obsessive fan mind destroyed several you big time! times in one morning at the Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum. Seeing Neal Stephenson’s handwritten draft of The Baroque - X - Cycle was as mind-boggling as it was

unexpected, but actually seeing old zines on Holiday Sensawunda display in there was something special. About I took the cover photo on our recent holiday to an hour earlier I was marvelling over a bass San Francisco and Seattle. It shows San owned by Fang from Paul Revere and the Francisco’s unique Transamerica Pyramid taken Raiders, Mudhoney’s Big Muff distortion pedals from just outside City Lights Bookstore and and too many cool artefacts from the includes the sign for nearby Jack Kerouac Alley. Seattle/Tacoma Garage Band scene. In some ways it sums up that sensawunda feeling I get when visiting the States. The

24 fps: Edited for Content the “ESPN 8 – The Ocho” theme music started Despite Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt trying I’m going to miss the obvious big cinema up. their hardest the film just felt flat. talking points this issue (i.e. Inception) and skip to something else entirely different – - X - airplane movies. Future Sounds: Ichi and The Hand Back in my days of living in Auld Reekie, I used We don’t get many gigs in Cornwall so over the to take a couple of weeks holiday a year and past couple of years I’ve tended to go and see go and watch lots of movies at the Edinburgh anything that sounds vaguely interesting. I Film Festival. I loved it as I could sit in the dark hadn’t heard of Ichi or The Hand but I had watching cool films for half the week, and heard of Rachael Dadd (one half of The Hand) spend the rest hanging out in the Cameo or through a connection with my favourite record Filmhouse bars trying to decide if that bloke label, the Anstruther based Fence Collective. swigging single malts at the bar was really Tim Roth. So sitting on long haul flights to the Christina and I arrived early enough at the gig

States watching nothing but movies should be venue Miss Peapods to grab a table and settle a breeze then? Wrong. From Newark to Seattle I was dead tired so down with a bottle of Skinner’s Cornish decided to give Valentine’s Day, the one film Knocker. I started to worry about the gig On part one of the outward flight (Bristol to showing on the big old fashioned ceiling-TVs, a immediately as the cheery waterfront café bar Newark) there was one of those back-of-the- miss. Nevertheless I soon found myself seemed to be stuffed full of yummy mummies seat on-demand screens. I settled for the watching it without headphones trying to make eating cake and not drinking enough - is this recent remake of The Crazies, a film which I up the plot and dialogue in my head. I think really the state my rock and roll lifestyle has was quite keen to see at the cinema but had let this may have been the best way to enjoy it. descended down to since migrating south of slip by. I’m a fan of Romero’s original version the Tamar? It now seems the days of risking and had heard enough moderately encouraging I watched The Ghost Writer flying out of San life and limb in some of Scotland’s seediest and reports to give it a try. It started strongly Francisco on the flight home which was pretty sweatiest dives thrashing about to bands such enough and was competently done, but I good. It was an enjoyable way to spend a as nomeansno or The Misfits are long gone. couldn’t settle into it, mostly due to the small couple of hours but the ending started to Mostly though, what kept me worrying wasn’t screen size which made scenes set in the dark become obvious as the film wore on. The most the loss of wild crowded venues but the fact almost impossible to follow. One to revisit I interesting aspect was speculating whether that one of the nearby ladies kept leaving her think when it comes on TV. Tony and Cherie Blair had seen the film and cake on our table. I have never seen anyone what they thought of it. take so goddam long to eat a chocolate sponge I fared better with my second choice before...or a cake that winked at me as much Dodgeball. I’ve seen this movie god knows how The last film I watched was the recent as that one did. many times it should have ceased to be funny Wolfman flick which I found an incredible by now; it seems to be on a continual loop on waste. I’m predisposed to like retro-monster Almost without noticing, the music started. Film4. But it got me good again - I was getting movies but with this one I just let the action Drawing my attention from the cake, the small odd looks from Christina as I struggled to wash over me in a completely unengaged way. temporary stage had been occupied by a tall breathe, with tears rolling down my cheeks as gangly but well spoken chap singing solo with his acoustic guitar. He announced himself as With the end of the warm-up it was time to song was just as good as the last! I didn’t even Vashti Bollocks but eventually revealed his real change to Skinner’s own lager just to liven get to the end of the gig before emptying my name as Andy Skellam, who sang and played in things up a bit. If that wasn’t enough the next wallet at the merchandise table, that’s how a soft Nick Drake kinda way. I was warming to act Ichi, a small Japanese guy arrived on stilts good the whole set was. the music, especially when he invited a few of wearing a fez and fake moustache whilst the other musicians on the bill to accompany playing the harmonica. The stage was gained Towards the end of the gig the audience had him on a couple of tracks. These arrangements and stilts jettisoned without missing a beat, thinned down to a tiny group of admirers who completely added depth to his intimate songs, drum loops started and Ichi started playing a were listening intently to every note or breath though you had to concentrate to hear the variety of wind instruments via balloons, firing with wide-eyed wonder. Simultaneously I lyrics; the music was getting in the way of all of party-poppers hidden in his hat and banging wanted to slap all those people who had left the cake-eaters conversations. around on all sorts of makeshift percussion early for missing out on something special, but including typewriters, alarm clocks and god I also wanted to thank them for leaving as this knows what else. What impressed me most made the whole event one of the most intimate though wasn’t the showmanship but the quality gig’s I’d ever attended. I am a complete and mixture of music, which ranged from convert to the way of The Hand now, catch delightful soft lounge/exotica to Japanese folk them if they come near you and you won’t be and onwards to electronica. disappointed.

All the theatrics were over for the evening with - X - the passing of Ichi’s set; it also seemed to be the end for much of the audience too despite Locs their high sugar consumption, which was a real The first issue brought a handful of responses pity as The Hand were quite magical. which I am incredibly grateful for as I didn’t know how much of an audience there would be The Hand is essentially Rachael Dadd on banjo, for this Ugly Child out there. First up John guitar, ukulele, percussion and vocals and Wig Purcell, who gave me great words of Smith on kora, ukulele and vocals. I’d never encouragement and came up with a couple of seen a kora before and wasn’t quite sure what great suggestions for shortening the zine’s title. this strange African instrument would sound like. Played though it had a clear harp like “According to Bill Burns' announcement of sound that worked surprisingly well in combo this zine's posting to efanzines, the title with the Dadd’s carefully soft plucked banjo. means "Those ugly children are changelings." Completing this was the delightful mixing of the two strong voices in exquisite harmonies. I Okay... I'll buy that. Personally, I don't think took to this group immediately. The songs this particular child of yours is ugly or even a themselves were delicately beautiful changeling. An Fleghes - or is that AFHNYC? constructions almost the aural equivalent of Geez, that's a cumbersome acronym; I'm watching some ingenious hand-made clockwork flower open...and what was more, every damn sticking with An Fleghes for short - looks will be soon if it's in the theatres right now. Those are The Gatehouse Gazette and pretty good for an initial e-zine.” Steampunk Magazine. The 13th issue of If you've read my zines over the past five Gatehouse Gazette‟s just come out. There is a little overlap with our fandom and theirs, I like An Fleghes and I think I’m going to be years you might remember that I've been in and while the editor of GG has set up a page using this as the official abbreviation. John bands, so your review of The Phantom Band's continues on to discuss some of the reasoning for letters to the editor, Steampunk debut album interested me. I love the title: Magazine‟ editors still won‟t. That‟s okay, behind ezines Checkmate Savage. Lately my musical tastes they get the feedback they need, and they seem to be aware that SF fandom knows “That being said, An Fleghes resembles a have been quite eclectic, encompassing blues, about them, and mission accomplished. Garcia zine. Is that a good thing? Possibly. It folk, blue-grass, jazz, acoustic rock, zydeco, and world music. Like you, I enjoy a band is good in the sense that these little zines are The fun and frolic behind a minority with its "own voice, great musicianship, good quick and easy to produce. Another good government…a coalition government seems thing is that is a zine like this is, like you songs", and that right there gets me to be best for you. We‟ve had so many say, a good place to get ideas down and work interested. To the Internet I go to see if The elections over the past decade or so, we on them, maybe turning brief articles here Phantom Band has a website with samples of wound up with a minority government that the other parties are propping up because into more thoroughly developed pieces for their music.” they know the idea of yet another election is Head! I use my SNAPS zine sometimes as a No new zine would be launched successfully unpopular. Our government right now is drafting ground for writing that eventually without a loc from Lloyd Penney: right-wing, and heavy handed with lots of finds its way into Askance or some other people, so an election may be just what we fanzine, so this tactic of yours makes good “Many thanks for An Fleghes Hager-Na Yu need to clear out the Tories and bringing in sense to me. It's your zine, so you can do Canjeons 1. Ah, the spellchecker will have a the Liberals again, and perhaps we‟ll have what you want with it. I sure as heck am not fine time with this. some intelligence and common sense in Ottawa. “ going to complain.” I‟ve been to two Corflus, and I have been told The last shout out this ish goes to Steve Green, John also continues with the fallowing thoughts that the ones I attended were kinda quiet, and that I need to get to some more. one of my fannish heroes. on last issues film and music reviews. Something tells me that I probably won‟t get to any more Corflus, so I will carry on as I do “I shall have to keep an eye open for “Congratulations on An Fleghes Hager-Na Yu with writing locs, and leave it to that. I can‟t „Centurion’; it sounds interesting even if it Canjeons #1, an entertaining bite-size really afford to be lazy, but I do find that I perzine. Like yourself, I prefer the printed does cater to the current theatre crowd's often need an assignment editor when it format, but The Fortnightly Fix would be an taste in action-adventure films. If those are comes to writing articles. impossible project were it not for eFanzines. done well they can be quite entertaining. Your write-up makes Centurion sound like The closest I‟ve come to fanzines from other Ref the General Election, even ignoring the there's actual thought behind it, and that's fandoms are the couple of steampunk numbers for a moment, the basic fact fanzines that we‟ve been able to contact an added plus. I am assuming it's on DVD, or remains that Labour weren't interested in through Chris Garcia‟s Exhibition Hall. making a deal. It would have been suicide for both Labour and the LibDems to stagger on This Month... Been a bit light on the old film front – I have with Gordon Brown as PM, but he was Right, this month has seen a smattering of seen Inception and am still digesting that one. refusing to budge and there was no prospect holiday reading including finally settling down Oh, Predators - am I the most wrong person in of any real role for Clegg's team. The final to the Scroll version of Kerouac’s On The Road. the world for thinking Predator 2 is the best outcome may not be ideal, but at least certain I’ve read and re-read the original published film of the franchise? of the harsher Tory policies may be reined version many times over the years and despite back, and a handful of LibDem policies picking this up a number of years ago (in I managed to miss nearly all the World Cup, placed on the table. (Should I declare an Shakespeare and Company in Paris no less) I although have fond memories of watching interest here, given I was a part-time 'spin hadn’t found the right occasion to read this Japan play somebody at San Francisco airport. doctor' during the campaign?)” before now. I’ve always thought of On The I did catch a fair bit of Le Tour, Mark Cavendish Road as a bit of a marmite book, you either did well picking up a whole buncha stage wins I have to admit I left the fact there was no love it or will hate it and the scroll’s unedited after a slow start, Contador looked not as appetite amongst the Labour Party for a Lib nature amplifies that further. Some parts don’t unbeatable as he did last year, Rabobank and Dem/Labour coalition for space considerations, work as well as they do in the polished original, Denis Menchov placed high (I tend to support as I was trying to keep the first ish size to 4 but there are moments of dazzling writing the Rabobank and the Euskatel teams) and the pages, something I have abandoned with this where Kerouac somehow plucked moments of challenge of Armstrong faded away to nothing, one. profound beatific wonder out of his continual which is only good for cycling as a sport. Finally benzedrine stream of consciousness writing. It I don’t care what anyone else says Mark “I caught Centurion back in late April, at also doesn’t help that there is no ending – Renshaw’s disqualification for head-butting and which time I wrote: "Brutal military drama Lucien Carr’s dog ate it. That aside with the strategically barging people in one sprint finish from Dog Soldiers director Neil Marshall, set names of the original Beats being used rather was well over the top considering some of the during the twilight years of the Roman than the later invented pseudonyms used in the hijinks we’ve seen over the years, and if you occupation of Britain. The pace drops original version this offers a valuable insight have a problem with that I’ll see you outside occasionally, but the battle of a small group into not just the lives of the small group of now! of soldiers to survive behind enemy lines writers but also into the creative writing certainly holds the attention." On the subject process itself. Accompanying this I bought The Jesus, this mother actually made it to issue 2! of gore, though, have you seen any of Illustrated Beats in San Francisco, and sadly Stay tuned for another exciting ish of An Spartacus: Blood and Sand? It's like finished reading it about three days before the Fleghes Hager-Na Yu Canjeons coming watching a live-action comic strip.” death of Harvey Peckar, the main writer in this atcha soon! collection.

Not seen Spartacus: Blood and Sand yet but Special thanks to the great Bill Burns for checked it out on YouTube...looks fun in a Other fun reads this month have included hosting this ugly child on efanzines.com. bloody sort of way. Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon and

Richard Morgan’s Altered Carbon. Somewhere Any comments, abuse, etc drop me a line at WAHF: An Fleghes was also recently name in there I also had time for Moneyball by [email protected] or follow me on checked in Ian Millstead’s second issue of Griff. Michael M Lewis and The Angel’s Game by Twitter or Facebook as dhunterbell. Thanks Ian, I owe you a loc! Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

- X - A Kernow TruFan Production.