Tag: Jawbreaker

Breaking Up The Band – 25th June 2023

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

We are a dysfunctional family of four
Carrying our tools across the floor
Ready to give you all from the heart
Before finally ripping ourselves apart

Going from friends to colleagues
We grew along with our intrigues
Soon we melded ourselves into one
Deciding to take the whole world on

The fun stopped one night in the rain
The last note ringing could never explain
A flick of the switch to mark the end
The crowd goodbyes a dearest friend

Dining out on those glories past
Provoked so many questions asked
Time will put in order the truths
The connection made by these four youths

written after reading the Jawbreaker interviews in We Owe You Nothing

Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good again. I had better energy and was able to do my warmup in the morning before coffee. The rest of the day has been a steady supply of all right.

Today I’m grateful for:

The beautiful fat dark clouds covering the tops of the mountains this morning after a night of intermittent rain. It looks like it will rain more but I decided to ride my motorbike out for coffee so that I could remember the feeling of being cold (the rain is cold but the air isn’t).

The best thing about today was:

Finally getting to see the Swans win again and with their biggest-ever victory margin as they scored over 200 points against the troubled Eagles. It wasn’t much of a contest but it was better than watching another dire struggle and losing. I managed to beat my shirts into shape getting the ironing done at the same time too. A winning day.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

I’ve wrenched something in the middle finger middle joint on my right hand and it hurts like hell. I’m not sure when I did it. I did a bit of weeding but I can’t remember feeling anything untoward at the time. It could’ve been when I was hanging, though I don’t recall anything much then either.  Playing an hour of guitar probably hasn’t helped either. I’m going to handle it by going to sleep and hope it feels better in the morning.

Something I learned today?

The biggest winning margin the Swans have had is 171 points, which they equalled today. It’s also the first 200-plus point game by any team since 2011. I don’t think it reflects how good the Swans were but how bad the Eagles were.

What is my favourite form of self-expression?

Is this not the living breathing thinking acting form of myself? If I move, if I open my mouth. My favourite form? Myself as a whole. Take it or leave it.

I took this picture from Facebook because it’s fascinating to see Chiang Rai in 1977 which is when I’d just moved to my grandparents’ house in Dorset. It was also 2 years before Amy was even born. This made me think of everything Amy’s grandmum must have seen change in her lifetime here. Time is fast, time is slow.

The Chiang Rai Alternative Hour #66 – The Ducks and Drakes of Evil – 28th November 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I don’t know how much longer we can keep this up. The ducks and drakes of evil are for a lesser form of people. The razor cuts, one hundred and twelve times, across the throat, the voices of reason.

Highly curated, carefully selected and specifically ordered* for your listening edification by world-renowned DJtenzenmen, who has over 100 years of experience in this business.

This week there’s music from Action Beat, Slapp Happy, Shudder To Think, 7 Seconds, Marnie Stern, Sleaford Mods, Slade, Neutral Milk Hotel, Sun City Girls, Umlaut, The Dickies, Dangerous Girls, Jawbreaker, Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Users, Orthrelm, Massicot and Trumans Water.

Incidentals taken from the Church of the Sub Genius Hour of Slack.

Listen right here or Podbean, Stitcher, Apple, Amazon…..all those cool places I guess.

* ie totally random.

https://www.facebook.com/The-Chiang-Rai-Alternative-Hour-107307097314670/

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful for a few hours of whisky-inspired singing to old favourite songs in my room last night.
I am so happy and grateful for the nice shirts I like to wear. I started wearing them at work just to stand out a little from the boring office shirts people always wore. Now I really enjoy a good-looking shirt.

The Chiang Rai Alternative Hour #45 – 3rd July 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Music from Craw, Idylls, The Stranger Steals, Cause for Effect, Spray Paint, Chesterfields, Show Business Giants, ZNR, Caustic Resin, Full Fathom Five, Jawbreaker, Slugs, The Things To Come, BUBS, The Wimps, Elvis Costello, The Wanderers, If I Look Strong You Look Strong, Jimi Hendrix Experience and XTC.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to see the misty clouds on the mountains this morning. It made me happy to see such beauty.

The Chiang Rai Alternative Hour #23 – 1st February 2020

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Music from 65daysofstatic, Stormy Six, The Controllers, Kerosene 454, Jawbreaker, Die! Die! Die!, Death, Minutemen, Beefeater, Red Cross, Necros, Hanadensha, Versus, Au Pairs, The Paper Chase, Blast, Soul Inc.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to see my friend Fern again.

Take a good hard look at people’s ruling principle, especially of the wise, what they run away from, and what they seek out.

Marcus Aurelius

Weight: 80.3kg
Resting heart rate: 44

To-do list

  • Record TCRAH/upload. ½
  • Put together card for Kru Noon.
  • Do more drawing practice.
  • Do the Coursera meditation. ✅
  • Enjoy evening with Amy, Aing and Gus.

Well, looking at these five challenges it seems like I didn’t do much yesterday!

I did spend a bit more time reading as I was diving into the book about a girl’s abduction and trying to imagine myself in her position. I wanted to try to write down being there and all the thoughts going through my mind.

Later, I compared it with being a prisoner within your own mind – a place we can never escape.

I sorted out more CDs and feel that that task is getting closer to completion.

By the evening and time to go out, I was feeling very relaxed and happy.

As we were driving to the evening festival Amy got upset because I didn’t drive the way, the direction, she wanted. Her anger got more and more and I felt very embarrassed in front of Aing, Gus and Nu. There was no real need for it and I tried to brush it off as best I could.

Unfortunately, I was only able to do this for a short time until I felt sadness and anger too. I had to go and sit by myself for 5 minutes and calm my mind. I felt better when I returned but by then I was exhausted. Amy had a few beers and was happy though I was worried that she would drink too much and start getting violent with me again.

Things were ok though Amy was getting louder and I just felt like I wanted to be somewhere quiet. The noise of the festival was relentless, from every direction and incoherent. It gave me a headache. I tried to constantly talk myself in a positive headspace but it just got worse as Amy loudly tried to put me down in front of the others again. I couldn’t/didn’t want to have an argument in front of others and Amy knew this and used it to her advantage.

We got home and things had calmed down until Amy came and started on me again. I was tired and cranky by this point and bit back and we went to sleep unhappy with each other. I feel like there is something else behind this behaviour, not just a desire to try and control me.

I’d like to talk with Amy about this but will have to find the right time and try not to just get into another argument.

Something else that has been bothering me is Amy always talking about how all the money is with her and everything is in her name. At first, it was just a bit of fun but I’m not amused anymore. It feels like a fascist hold over me. I’m ok for her to take care of all that stuff but I don’t need reminding of it every week.

Again, I think Amy is not happy these days and doing these actions to compensate. I’d just like to see her happy and positive again – preferably without alcohol.

Wandered for years, looking for the good life, there’s no such thing, just life itself- 18th December 1994

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Back up the train lines, bright and sunny day over the pollution, block our minds and see only wonder, there’s still a lot to wonder at, the sun and the people drive us barmy at Circular Quay and the Rocks Market, we watch jugglers juggle fire and tell jokes and poor aborigines sit on the concrete, painted up in ritualistic spots and dress and would we know what it meant, could be just some piss take aborigine joke on the tourist influx, Nippon camera’s flashing. There’s an advert on TV of a Japanese women giving birth and as the baby comes out it takes a photo! I don’t know what it advertises, cool huh?

We get on the ferry to Manly, up the river past the north and south head with it’s view out to the open sea and where the boat starts to feel the pull and tug of ocean waves. As we set off we video the Harbour Bridge and Opera House and we’re amazed that there’s all these tall ships in the harbour and then recall something about the Endeavour making a special journey into Sydney for some celebration of Captain Cook’s landing, or something like that, I’m not much cop on history.

So anyway, we’re here by accident videoing these magnificent ships as they sail past the Opera House and wonder at how we could ever have timed things this perfectly, people would be killing themselves for shots like these, though at the time it all seemed quite insignificant, busy taking in the beautiful breeze across the water, watching the whitewash trail behind us.

And past the ocean pull to dock at Manly and walk one block until you reach another beach that stretches onto the horizon (nearly) with waves tumbling in, knocking over all and sundry stood in anticipation, yes, it’s fun and i wanted to be there but we walked around a path at the end of the beach where sand turned into rocks that fell into the water and then round the corner turned back into rocks and some sand and here was our destination, to see Scott and Lynette and their two daughters, Grace and Sophie, who entertained us with their cheekiness.

We did get to go to the beach but only the small one out the front with gentle rocking waves and seaweed. I had a go at snorkling but didn’t quite get the hang of it, though I’ll try it again in future cos I don’t give up that easily these days.

Anyway, before we know it we’ve had tea and the kids are off to bed and it’s time for us to leave and, get this, Scott says he’ll lend me his surfboard, the one that he practiced on when he was young, free and single and now doesn’t have time at all due to other obligations and more important ones too let’s face it, so I figure I’d better get some practice in too before time runs out for me and, shit, I can just carry it to the beach from where we’ll be living! cool!

Sometimes I can’t believe how well things are going for me and other times I don’t appreciate how well things are going for me. We catch the Jetcat back, which is high speed hydrofoil and hang on to yer hats as evening descends on the city as we approach and head home with keen dreams and high hopes.

Dear Jawbreaker – 3rd August 1994

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Shaun
c/o xx Mallard Road
Wimborne
Colehill DORSET

Dear Jawbreaker,

Excerpt from tour diary

Monday 28th September 1992
Tuesday 29th September 1992

Hi, my name is Shaun, I interviewed you guys for 3 Parent Family fanzine back in 90/91 (?) and was looking forward to seeing you guys play. Unfortunately, destiny has dealt me a bad hand on that score as you can see from the above tour diary, and now to finish it off you are playing in my local scene just weeks after I leave to go and live in Australia!!!

Maybe you could dedicate a song to me when you play? How about the tour song off Bivouac??

Hope it all goes well for you and maybe, just maybe, I’ll get to see you guys someday.

Let us know if you’re ever planning to play Australia!!

Love and Respect

22nd Oct 2024 – If memory serves me correctly I gave a copy of this typewritten letter to Rich Levine in the hope that he passed it to the band before they played in Southampton that year. I’m not sure if that actually happened or not though.

Jawbreaker Tour Diary – 29th September 1992

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

…. and woke up to Mudhoney and X-Ray Spex!

After getting up and breakfast in a cafe which served up some delicious coffee, we sat and watched Neighbours before saying our goodbyes for another six months or so!

Back on the road things were going well until my speedo decided to pack up and all sorts of interference came through on the stereo. Got into Nottingham with no problem but the inner city road system is fucked! I knew I was gonna have a problem parking when I came across a park and ride on the road in and it was about 20 minutes before I found some dark and dank back alley road.

Luckily, I passed the Narrowboat on the way and it was only about a ten-minute walk back. It was 5 o’clock when I got there so I spent a couple of hours bumming around. I went for a walk along the canal which was obviously once very beautiful but today is a muddy murky rubbish trap lined by dirty broken old buildings.

Got into the Narrowboat at about 7 and ordered a pint and got told the gig was off! Jawbreakers singer had to go into hospital for an operation on his throat and they’ve cancelled the 4 UK shows!!!

Well, I had a sit down with my pint and pondered what to do. Well, there was nothing for it except to carry on the tour without Jawbreaker….

Jawbreaker Tour Diary – 28th September 1992

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ 2 Comments

Left home at about midday to go stay with a friend (Zoe) in Northampton. This was a convenient time to catch up on things since last seeing her on my Victims Family trek and also has me most of the way to Nottingham for tomorrow night.

All was going well with the car except for one scary point on the M1 where I was in the fast lane with lorries in both the others and the engine started cutting out. Thankfully it only did it in short bursts and carried on, after a couple of miles things right themselves. Let’s hope this isn’t a bad omen for worse things to come!

Made it to Northampton and even arrived early, before Zoe came back from work. We took her dogs out for a walk and did some shopping in preparation for a pizza and beer evening keeping up with tradition (from the Victims Family tour). We went to get a couple of videos and ended up watching Cheech and Chong’s Next Movie and Still Smokin’. We ate our pizza and drank some beer and laughed at the films into the night.

We ended up dozing off to the Stooges, Deep Purple and Hair……