Maybe we should be getting too old to be getting so excited year after after, about the week where we get to jump on a stinky tour bus and travel the UK, filming bands in toilet venues... but the Gonzo Tour is unquestionably the highlight of our year.

I've been lucky enough to work on every single one of the 27 Gonzo Tour nights we've ever done and I'm as excited as ever about capturing some of the best bands in the world in tiny venues with fans going mental this year.

I can't tell you any of this year's bands yet, but all will be revealed by Zane on the first Gonzo of the series on Friday September 5th at 7pm. The dates are in October and there's a new city involved this year. Possibly in Scotland. Thats all I'm saying.

One of my highlights from G tours past...

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=166208...

CARMENSITA - DEVENDRA BANHART
SPROUT AND THE BEAN - JOANNA NEWSOM
I'LL MEET YOU AT THE CHICKEN LODGE - VICTORIA BERG & THE BLINDFOLDED MAN
FIRE EYE'D BOY - BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
I TOLD HER ON ALDERAAN - NEON NEON
GOBBLEDIGOOK - SIGUR ROS
SUMMERTIME COWBOY - HUSKY RESCUE
I HEARD WONDERS - DAVID HOLMES
FUJI - MINUIT
MEMORIZE THE CITY - THE ORGAN
DEATH TO OUR ENEMIES - THE OUTLINE
IN SHOCK - KRISTIN HERSH
WHAT WOULD WOLVES DO? - LES SAVY FAV
PURPLE - WHIRLWIND HEAT
LOOK UP - OPPENHEIMER
THE BIGGEST WASTE OF 3 MINUTES - RAZMATAZ LORRY EXCITEMENT
WHAT'S HE BUILDING - TOM WAITS
BUTTERFINGERS - BOMB THE BASS
TOUR DE FRANCE - SENOR COCONUT
VICIOUS CYCLE - CROUCHER & MYLES
ROSE ROUGE - SAINT GERMAIN
IN THE BLOOD - PIVOT
SWORDS OF TRUTH - THESE NEW PURITANS
BOSTICH - YELLO
MORE - JUNKIE XL/TOM HOLKENB
MAKE IT HAPPEN - THE TEENAGERS
YOU BRING ME DOWN - BLOOD RED SHOES
YOU GET GOODBYES - ROD THOMAS
YOU'VE NO CLUE DO YOU - KING CREOSOTE
ELECTRIC ALICE - GRINDERMAN
STAY WHERE YOU ARE - AMBULANCE LTD.
D.I.L.E.M.M.A - GRAMMATICS
11:11- FILM SCHOOL

For the Wave Pictures, no less.

Get the gist here:
http://uk.video.yahoo.com/watch/3229220/9114546

Or watch it properly here:
http://colectiva.tv/wave.mov

Sorry bit behind on 120 playlists

But here are the ones for the weekend, more on there way...

FRIDAY 1ST AUGUST
I WOKE UP TODAY - PORT O'BRIEN
WHITE WINTER HYMNAL - FLEET FOXES
LIPS LIKE SUGAR - ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
WAIT FOR THE SUMMER - YEASAYER
KIM AND JESSE - M83
NAKED AS WE CAME - IRON & WINE
SIPPING ON THE SWEET NECTAR - JENS LEKMAN
WRONG PLACE, RIGHT TIME - THE FALL
MAKE IT SO - DAEDELUS
LET'S TALK ABOUT IT - WHITE DENIM
FROM THE DEVIL HIMSELF - VIVA VOCE
WAITING - CITY AND COLOUR
THE HYPOCRITE - THEORETICAL GIRL
COCCOON - BJORK
LOVE THE WORLD - KAROSHI BROS
YOU CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN - DJ SHADOW
NO PINS ALLOWED - JAMES YUILL
ALL I WANNA DO IS BREAK SOME HEARTS - KREEPS
THIS BOY'S IN LOVE - THE PRESETS
AN EYE FOR AN EYE - UNKLE
SWEATY WET/DIRTY DAMP - GAMEBOY/GAMEGIRL
ROBOTMAN - THE ALIENS
LAST DAY OF MAGIC - THE KILLS
HEARTBEAT - LATE OF THE PIER
BREAKING STANDING - FORWARD RUSSIA!
DAFT PUNK IS PLAYING - LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
GEOMETRICAL LINES - PAUL DIXON
IT WON'T BE LONG - SUPERCOLLIDE/ JAMIE LIDELL
THE STEP AND THE WALK - THE DUKE SPIRIT
LOST AND FOUND - TAKEN BY TREES
SECOND CHANCE - LIAM FINN
NO MORE WORKHORSE BLUE - BONNIE PRINCE BILLY

SATURDAY 2ND AUGUST
I CAN SEE YOU, CAN YOU - REX THE DOG
SCOTCH BACH - DJ SCOTCH EGG
DONKEY RIDE - MR SCRUFF/QUANTIC
FANCY FOOTWORK - CHROMEO
DAS MODEL - KRAFTWERK
SHAKE IT TO THE GROUND - RYE RYE
HOT FLASHES - 33HZ
NIGHT - BENGA/COKI
HIGHER STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS - JOSH WINK
OH YEAH, ALRIGHT - ONE-TWO
WHY WON'T YOU - THE ROGER SISTERS
ROCKIST - SCHOOL OF LANGUAGE
GOLDEN CAGE - WHITEST BOY ALIVE
PRESCILLA- BAT FOR LASHES
ONLY YOU - XX TEENS
TONIGHT I HAVE TO LEAVE - SHOUT OUT LOUDS
SHOCKER IN GLOOMTOWN - THE BREEDERS
THIS GIFT - SONS AND DAUGHTERS
I HEARD WONDERS - DAVID HOLMES
KNICKERBOCKER - FUJIYA & MIYAGI
SPACEWALK - LEMON JELLY
HEARTS A MESS - GOYTE
GOSPEL WITH NO LORD - CAMILLE
AVERAGE MAN - SIMPLE KID
KISS WITH A FIST - FLORENCE AND THE MACH
ALL THAT YOU GIVE - CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA
STRANGE FRUIT FOR DAVID - THE WAVE PICTURES
THE SWEETNESS LIES WITHIN - HEFNER
LOVE LIKE NICOTINE - DARK ROOM NOTES
BORING LIFESTYLES - TWISTED CHARM
THE DROWNED & THE SAVE -OX.EAGLE.LION.MAN
CEASE AND DESIST - THE BRAKES
YOU CREATED A STORM - LABORATORY NOISE
WE GO HUNTING - ILIKETRAINS

SUNDAY 3RD AUGUST
JUST LIKE A DRUMMER - THE WAVE PICTURES
WORK IT - THOMAS TANTRUM
SCRATCH THE SURFACE - THE WEEK THAT WAS
ON YOUR WAY - THE ALBUM LEAF
MOW THE LAWN - GORKY'S ZYGOTIC MYNCI
SAX ROHMER 1 - THE MOUNTAIN GOATS
NEON - CLEARLAKE
MAYBE LATELY - MIRACLE FORTRESS
SEMI BABE - POP LEVI
HOME - ENGINEERS
CROSS YOUR FINGERS - LAURA MARLING
SHAPE OF MY HEART - NOAH & THE WHALE
COURTSHIP DATING - CRYSTAL CASTLES
RUBICON - ALAN BRAXE & FRED FAL
TONGUE TWISTER- ENVY
BLACK MAGS - THE COOL KIDS
JUGGLE TINGS PROPER - ROOTS MANUVA
LOVLEY ALLEN - HOLY F***
PLUG ME IN - ADD N TO (X)
LITTLE BIT OF FEEL GOOD - JAMIE LIDELL
HOW DOES IT MAKE YOU FEEL - AIR
TOWNSHIP FUNK - DJ MUJAVA
SWEATBOX - MOTOR
PLAYBOY - HOT CHIP
ARANDA - EGO EXPRESS
NERVES - MATHS CLASS
LIT UP - THE NATIONAL
THINK I WANNA DIE - SOMEONE STILL LOVES YOU BORIS YELTSIN
TURN ON ME - THE SHINS

There you have it.
I bet McCain wished he was in Paris now.
At least Ms. Hilton has made it clear that she is up for a good drilling.

And other gags... Etc... etc...

Via a myspace bulletin:

Dear Friends,

Although I cannot boast a lifetime of keeping my views to myself, I have seldom taken on the responsibility of trying to change someone (alright, maybe a few girlfriends, but you’ll never hold me to that). However, this year for me has been one of aggressively shifting from a reluctant pursuit of change and growth to taking a proactive stance on what I believe in times that I see as clearly representative of a societal paradigm shift both necessary and urgent for our country and world.

I received a lot of questions from some about why I would allow my song ‘List of Demands’ to be used in a Nike campaign. Ironically, half of the people now reading this post never heard of me until that commercial aired. That, indeed, was one of my reasons for allowing it. A small circle of poets and conscious do-gooders are not enough to effect the change necessary to shift our planet in peril. We must enlist people from all walks of life, people not accustomed to questioning the norm, people who may simply want to dance uninterrupted without message or slogan. I see no glory in ‘preaching to the converted’. Furthermore, I believe fully in the power of music and have branded my work with it’s own conscientious stamp and stomp of attitude fueled to steal the show in the face of the nonsensical. Quite simply, it was clear to me that people would not be rushing to the store to buy Nikes after seeing that commercial, but rather rushing to youtube or itunes to hear or download the song. I even imagined those who would be rushing to blogs to question how I could allow this to happen and the subsequent discussion of the ethical treatment of factory workers and how new minds would be informed and enlisted in the struggle for ethical change.

As an artist that characterizes himself and his work as a hybrid synthesis of creativity and responsibility I am forced to make politicized choices, weigh evils, and work strategically to make a living and contribute to the change I wish to see in my lifetime. For instance, the groundbreaking digital release of The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! wasn’t done simply because I wanted to give my album away for free and maintain my independence as an artist, but also because record companies left me little choice. As a musician I have been signed to both Columbia/Sony and Island/Def Jam rosters and have faced consistent naysayers who have basically insisted that I choose the type of music I am going to make and if the choice wasn’t according to their definition of hip hop showed little faith in it or in the possibility of a wide public supporting it, without realizing their role in determining what the public supports. Radio stations followed suit in determining my music not urban, alternative, or rock enough. Of course my music showed more rock influence than Eminem but the KROQ’s of the world seemed to be basing their definition of rock on something a little more surface than sound, at the time. Thus, I have always found myself with fans that have through their own hard work and diligence fought through the norm to find me, yet still voice surprise that more people haven’t.

The compliment “you’re ahead of your time”, often feels more like a curse than a gift from a well-wisher. I have never considered myself ahead of my time simply because a few executives may not have been visionary enough to determine where music or antiquated ideas of race are heading or to realize their role in continually underestimating the intelligence of the listener and our generation. Rather I have seen those ‘powers that be’ as behind the times and perpetuators of an old cycle. Likewise, I have seen their over-turn as inevitable. Thus, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust! simply came at a point when I realized that we were, indeed, living at a crossroads and Victor Hugo’s saying, “There’s nothing more powerful than an idea whose time has come”, came to life.

Without question, we are living in powerful times, a time where the powers of being will truly prevail over the powers that be. This is evident in the political sector where it has become clear, at least to me, that my support of Barack Obama is not because he’s black, but because he seems to represent both symbolically and ideologically many of those ideas and ideals whose time has come. Ideas of the divine need for change (“God’s just a baby and her diaper is wet.” Get it?) in how we look at the world, ourselves, and at our individual and communal powers. The idea that might is right, that we demonstrate our power with aggressive force is great for football teams, but hardly the best idea for a country whose running source of pride has historically been the evidence of our collective imagination: our music; our films; our amusement parks; and the technology we create to share it. These products of peace are the things that made the world initially fall in love with us. We have rooted ourselves in a growing sense of independence as evidenced through our historic social movements, always upgrading our beliefs and laws to reflect our broadening understanding and vision. Of course, many, if not most, would label this a very optimistic perspective of the ongoing struggle for justice and equal opportunity for all people in this land. There is still a fight to have our voices heard and many of us when given the opportunity to speak seem to have very little to say. Then are those who have consistently fought against growth and change, who would rather fight for their right to maintain their antiquated, sometimes ignorant points of view, as if the age of the perspectives themselves is what validates them. Yet, the first technology is of the mind. It is the shift in perspective that allows us to streamline possibilities of understanding as reflected through invention. And quite simply, we are coming of age.

In this age it is our responsibility to challenge ourselves beyond cultural traditions and delineate between what we have perpetuated through ignorance rather than wisdom. We face an opportunity to broaden our worldview through the exchange of technology and information. We need not rely on what teachings of the past could not anticipate. It is an opportunity to forge ahead and beyond the wavering shortsightedness of our religious leaders, elected officials, teachers, principals, and sometimes parents and live in simple accordance with what we can feel deep within ourselves. We should no longer be surprised to sometimes find ourselves seemingly more intelligent, informed, or insightful than our leaders and bosses, rather we should feel encouraged to inspire and share our most informed selves in our every encounter. And that, my friends, is what has led me to write you today.

While sitting on a plane, on my way back from Lollapalooza, reading Thanking The Monkey by Karen Dawn, it struck me that this was the second awesomely inspiring and informative book I was reading this summer without sharing my thanks by spreading the word. I am sometimes hesitant about making a big deal about my vegan diet, as I have considered it a personal choice worth little discussion. Yet more and more, I have found myself attempting to encourage people who ask me where I find my inspiration, or what issues do I find important, or how can we curb warfare and violence to consider what we ingest. A story was recently recounted to me of a popular TV chef who chose to raise little piglets on his show to insure that they were fed organic food and not injected with chemicals (as is the practice on most factory farms), all for the sake of fattening them up for their slaughter and another primetime recipe. Yet, the time that this chef spent with these pigs taught him a valuable lesson (more valuable for the pigs, no doubt). What he learned was how intelligent pigs are. In fact, in recent times, it is common knowledge for most that pigs are arguably more intelligent than “mans best friend” and companion, the dog.

For our chef, this meant switching gears and realizing that he could not consciously kill this intelligent animal, that it would constitute a murder as brutal as slicing your fluffy pets neck and watching it writhe and bleed to death, or sticking an electric prod up its ass and electrocuting it, if the fur or skin is of value…
It may seem like I have just taken a turn to the graphically extreme, I wouldn’t want to make you “lose your lunch”, but these are the common practices perpetuated by the factory farm industry on millions of animals a day, in the name of your breakfast lunch and dinner. And, no, I’m not simply talking about pigs, but also cows, chickens, turkey, horses (that’s right horses. Everyday), and fish. Everyday, our species participates in the mass genocide of other species without care or concern or even questioning whether the violence that we ingest and condone plays any role in our apathetic support of the war machine we have become.

How is it that we as human beings can represent both the highest and most developed and lowest and least concerned forms of intelligence of any living species? Are we simply glued to age-old barbaric traditions that cloud our senses and render us inhumane in our dependence on comfort foods and practices? Is our dependence on foreign oil the only thing we need to curb? What about not so foreign species?
Some might argue that artists are a race or species apart from the common person. Yet we all identify with the teachings of Gandhi, the genius of Einstein, the art of Leonardo Da Vinci, Picasso, Rembrandt and the talent and compassion of living artists like Alice Walker, Will Smith, The Mars Volta, Dead Prez, Prince and countless others. Some of us choose to emulate their styles, their fashion, their career choices, but why not their diets? If our brightest most celebrated stars all have this one thing in common why are we so slow in connecting the dots for ourselves? Perhaps the biggest issue at hand is not what our cars run on, but essentially what do we run on? The fact is that factory farms are the number one users of crude oil, not cars. That’s basically what it takes to kill approximately one million chickens per hour (just in the US). More than half of our water supply goes to feed animals being fattened for slaughter. The methane gases that contribute to global warming are produced majorly by cow farts in factory farms, not to mention the amount of fossil fuels needed to create just one pound of beef.

Yep. You doing the math? Basically if we shifted our compassion towards animals, the domino effect would heal the planet. We’d no longer be cutting down rain forests to create more space for cows to graze, we’d stop depleting the ocean of the necessary (keyword: necessary) food chains that our eco system depends on, diseases including many cancers, heart disease, obesity, and others which find their root in the food/toxins we ingest would slowly disappear as would our taste for violence.

Which brings me to the other book I read this summer that inspired me to reevaluate every aspect of what I’ve been taught through the news and media, especially concerning the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. That book is The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein.

So what are you reading?

I know what you should be listening to,

Niggy.

I've been casting around for a suitable opportunity and subject on which to pop my blogging cherry for a while now and last night a perfect one presented itself. I was taken to a screening of Goth Cruise, a "feature length 'gothumentary' about the enduring allure of goth culture in the US and UK" which follows a bunch of goths as they set sail on the 4th annual Goth Cruise aboard the monied-pensioner heaven of cruiseliner Explorer Of The Seas. As the captions put it - Population: 150 Goths. 2500 Norms. Marvellous.

If you've ever wanted to know what happens when goths grow up, what's in a "goth soup" or whether goths sunbathe, don your best black eyeliner and run to see this film. Whilst we went along expecting a giggle at the men in black, we actually saw a funny and touching portrait of a bunch of mostly very sweet, intelligent, welcoming misfits who are fiercely proud to be different and don't give a toss what the "norms" think of them.

Aside from the reactions of their fellow passengers, the best bits include goths playing crazy golf, goths going swimming, goths eating chips and ice cream and the splendid calypso versions of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Cure classics. Oh and Whitby Goth Festival looks absolutely tremendous.

have a goth-gander at the trailer:

Before we begin this voyage across a musical landscape so rich and satisfying you might just explode, I think its important we set the ground work. I am Tamba Emes, descendent of The Emes family, who hail from Birmingham then migrated to London to live in the northern sector of the city and lose their accents. I am one of four children and have been brought up on good manners, good times and good music.

Please allow me to introduce Sir Gestive, he is a small man, 30cm to be precise but larger than life. He has built a career on excellent taste, great conversation and the ability to suggest a tune like no other. First up a typical school disco track me and my dance crew were particularly fond of..........

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hF47WFmo33I (they wont let me embed! Sorry!)

Stay tuned for the next episode in the musical adventures of Tamba Emes............Peace out.

120 for last night

EMBRACE THE HATE - HOLY GHOST REVIVAL
HEY HOUSEBRICK - HOT CLUB DE PARIS
JENNY & THE ESS-DOG - STEPHEN MALKMUS
THE BALLAD OF BESS HOUDINI - PAUL VICKERS & THE LEG
(AFTERNOON) SOAPS - ARAB STRAP
TRADING THINGS IN - THE VOLUNTARY BUTLER SCHEME
A RIBBON - DEVENDRA BANHART
I SUPPOSE - JONJO FEATHER
TAK O TAK - STRICKEN CITY
THIS IS JUST A MODERN ROCK SONG - BELLE & SEBASTIAN
TO BE LOVED - JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN
NAT KING COLE - ADAM GREEN
YOU ARE HERE - NATHAN FAKE
SLAVE OF MY MIND - KIKO
MASHIN ON THE MOTORWAY - DJ SHADOW
AGAIN & AGAIN - ROOTS MANUVA
BOYZ - M.I.A.
STRAIGHT BACK ON IT -YOUNG FATHERS
HOLIDAY - METRONOMY
EMPTY POCKETS - 5 MIC CLUSTER
BIG ASS, MINI SKIRT - THE BODY SNATCHERS
F.K.O - SUBTLE
GHOSTS - LADYTRON
EMPTY - METRIC
HAPPY - MAX SEDGLEY
MORE - JUNKIE XL/TOM HOLKENB
DANCE TO THE MANATEE - FAIR TO MIDLAND
GOING UP THE COUNTRY - KITTY, DAISY & LEWIS
IMPOSSIBLE SIGHTINGS OVER SHLETON - THE VICTORIAN ENGLISH GENTLEMENS CLUB
REVOLVE - HUSH THE MANY (HEED THE FEW)
AFTERTHOUGHT - JIHAE
TO THE SKY - MAPS
IS THERE A GHOST - BAND OF HORSES
NO SOCIAL - THE SHORTWAVE SET

MTV AT OXEGEN WEEK!
We popped over to Ireland for the self-styled 'Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Weekend of the Year', filming all the action from the fantastically varied line-up including Kings Of Leon, REM, Panic At The Disco and The Raconteurs...See the spoils all this week on MTV TWO.

MTV TWO AT OXEGEN FESTIVAL 2008
Friday 1 August, 19:00
Join Fred Blood-Royale as he braves the, um, rowdy Oxegen crowd and chats to Kings Of Leon, Kaiser Chiefs, REM, Ian Brown, The Kooks, Interpol, plus a bunch of punters with cocks drawn on their arms. Splendid.

20:00 KINGS OF LEON: MTV LIVE
20:30 KAISER CHIEFS: MTV LIVE
21:00 PANIC AT THE DISCO: MTV LIVE
21:30 THE RACONTEURS: MTV LIVE

OXEGEN 2008: THE HIGHLIGHTS
Friday 1 August, 22:00

OXEGEN 2008: THE HIGHLIGHTS
Friday 1 August, 22:30

Saturday 2 August:
21:30 THE VERVE: MTV LIVE
22:00 REM: MTVLIVE

Live Oxegen performances can also be seen online right here mtv.co.uk/music, go go go!

THE MYSPACE CHART
Sunday 3 August, 19:00 (and 09:00 and 19:00 daily)
Have your say on the best tracks right now. Get voting at myspace.com/mtvtwo. It’s like a democracy or something…

Rockfeedback.tv EP 4: SXSW Part 1
Thursday 7 August, 21.30
Toby L escorts us around the best festivals the world has to offer. This episode takes us on an intimate, behind the scenes trip to 2008’s SXSW festival in Texas.

OTHER MTV TWO HAPPENINGS....

SEE SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO IN MEXICO!
Sol are giving you a chance to win a trip to see Simian Mobile Disco at an exclusive gig on Saturday 1st November in Tijuana, Mexico. Arriba!

The prize includes a week’s holiday to Tijuana with flights for two people, accommodation in a 4* hotel, 2 VIP tickets to the gig and plenty of Sol on ice, yumm.

To be in with a chance of winning (entrants must be 18 or over), head to mtv.co.uk/sol and answer the simple question.

WIN UNDERAGE TICKETS - LAST CHANCE TO ENTER!!
We have 10 pairs of tickets to give away to this amazing, adult-free festival. All you have to do is head over to mtv.co.uk/underage, confirm you are between 14 - 18 years of age and answer the simple question. Peasy!

GONZO PODCAST EP 7: ZANE MEETS THE MIGHTY BOOSH
The latest and Booshiest edition of the mighty Gonzo podcast awaits your clicking finger here mtv.co.uk/downloads

SPANKING NEW SESSIONS - DAN LE SAC Vs SCROOBIUS PIP
Watch the latest in our amazing series of exclusive, stripped-back sessions from Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip at mtv.co.uk/sessions, recorded especially for MTV at the O2 Wireless festival.

Team Two