Paint It As Black As U like B

"Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her"

(Plan B), Leonard Cohen 2007
The best place to listen to new music is the car. If the tracks are worthy it doesn't take long until it permeates the mind and soul and makes a permanent imprint.
Plan B's bootleg album 'Paint It Blacker' needs few plays to infiltrate the mind so you wake up at 3am with it whirling round your head like some crazy fucker.

I first heard Suzanne at his gig in Bristol in February. B said Leonard Cohen wouldn't like it. It's very very black. B's usual bitingly good lyrics played over that sprawling unusual voice of Cohen make for the most moreish listening.
The story of the attractive Hooker Suzanne being picked up by the serial killer and her murder is pure horror. Fuck off Zone Horror this is scary stuff.

"Slice slice slice
chop chop chop
Suzanne's begging him to stop"

And her screams as he cuts off her limbs and head makes for difficult listening. The hairs go up on the back of my neck but like some horrific movie it's impossible not to want to hear more.
Fuck it, B this really is fucking clever.
The Paint it blacker CD contains gems at every turn.
"Happy as Larry" with the tale of the Paedophile and the dead child with her knickers wrapped round her neck is so repulsive but so real. B seems to be able to portray the true horror of these real life things. In the end the paedo gets murdered but he wasn't saying that was how it should happen. B has this way of saying something and making you think "Was that right? Should that happen?"
When you've been to his gigs and seen how many kidz love him you realise what a spokesperson he is for them. I truly believe the bloke is a genius. He makes you think.
The lead Track with the catchy Rolling Stones Piece "Paint it Blacker" is the best rap I have heard ever. How many of you out there have ever felt that the world is too full. Too full of everything? Listen to the track. The lyrics will explain.
He's a story teller, he's a spokesperson for this generation. He's talented and he's in your face right NOW.
When your kid come to you and asks for The Fray on his I-Pod, you KNOW it's time to take them on a 4 hour car journey and play B non stop. Kids need him.
Who needs actions when you got words? No-one.

cool or not - I'm confused

Yeah, I know - Dad Rock time! But you know me better. Dontcha? Firstly I see Trin's Beatles keyring. Is she being ironic or what? I HATE the Beatles - talentless middle-class trossers who were uncool even in the sixties. It was them versus the Stones - talented middle-class trossers who were cool for a while. They had that acned hackneyed ASBO look that actually frightened people forty years ago. But Mick was an economist with a degree from the LSE - which is cool by anybody's standards. And Johnny Depp based his pirate of the Caribbean on Keith Richards, the terminally uncool smoker who climbs trees for a day job. I'm still confused.

Then they go and cancel a gig in Serbia because the noise will disturb 300 horses. That is cool by anybody's standards. Not the group that Swissies raved over in the 80s 'cos they thought they were cool - sick making. One of the Swissie returnees gave me and Mad Mike a lift from Vevey to Villeneuve and assaulted my ears with tales of the wonderful Stones - we'd just come back from a Pogues open air gig in Nyon. More confusion.

Now music god Plan B's gone and issued a bootleg featuring the same fellows, Paint it Blacker. And it's fun. But then I loved Paint it Black, Jumping Jack Flash and All Over Now (centuries ago in another life).

Further brain problems and cool/uncool dichotomies as I progress through the album - Radiohead's next. Now I doubt even B could make them fuckers cool!

Music's great!

plan b interacts with the mitchell brothers

Here's B doing a cover of the Mitchell Brothers finest song, Harvey Nicks.

b and killa kela - together!

Yes, found this on youtube! Plan B and Killa Kela together! B did this on his own at Bristol in February. This is live in Norwich in Valentines Day 2007.

the new tom jones, innit?

So Plan B finally got over his cough and did a show at Bristol Uni on Saturday.

The venue was a bit Louisiana, a bit school hall - perfect. We had Professor Green as the support act, he was also helping to run the merchandise stall afterwards, and nicked our pen. We reckon he fancies Lady Sovereign 'cos he did a lovely rap about her.

After the Prof a bunch of hoodies came on stage. Then over the top came the unmistakeable voice of B, and we were off. It was an excellent show, even though he was losing his voice. We were a bit surprised by the teenyboppers in front of us who knew all the words and threw a burgundy trainer bra at him - which made him cross, like when his two friends died of heroin overdoses and stuff.

Then when he finished the show the crowd (mainly student toffs) started asking for an encore and Trin told everyone he wouldn't come back because he had a sore throat and she is a nurse so she should know.

Then he came back and did FOUR encores, run rave stuff and did his Tom Jones bit, innit ...

Catch B whilst he's still hungry 'cos he's going to be big.