 Eddie Adcock and banjo Photo by Hank Widick |
In his late fifties he developed a hand tremor that threatened to halt his playing and his income. The only way he could perform was to drink beer, ever increasing amounts. And then last year, in his seventieth year he had an operation.
It was the most excruciating pain he'd ever experienced he says but it was worth it. He was conscious as surgeons fitted electrodes in to his brain.
And now, in order to play, he turns the electrodes on and the hand tremor disappears.
Eddie talks about his upbringing and his playing and gives a demonstration of how effective the electrodes are.
Click here to see Eddie play banjo during surgery.
Rock and roll high school
"A brave project that counters nationalism, and is run by and for young people." These words of praise come from a panel of judges who called the Mitrovica Rock School "the best project of 2008". The prize was awarded by the Dutch development organization, NCDO.
The school is actually two schools; one teaches Serbian students in the north of the town, the other welcomes aspiring Albanian musicians in southern Mitrovica.
 Edon and Milos are music teachers |
It's still so dangerous that students rarely to travel across the river Ibar which divides the two schools.
The city was once a hub for rock music in the region. Teachers at the pop school want to see it return to its former glory. But does music have the power to restore community spirit and reunite the divided town?
The right not to listen to music.....
Music reviews of "songs I have no choice but to listen to"
By Ross Sutherland
Panpipe Medley by Large Department Store Tannoy System
Diehard fan of Large Department Store sound systems won't be disappointed by this release - Panpipe Medley. From the playful ache of Enola Gay, to the somewhat hopeless plea of Big Spender, all filtered through their trademark panpipe melancholy... Sublimely ponderous.
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From The Guy Who Sits Opposite Me in My Office comes this recent chart entry. It's a cheeky cover of one of last year's biggest tunes. The Guy Who Sits Opposite Me in My Office has been ruthless in the remix, deftly stripping away the production of the original, reducing everything back to the song's critical first five words, which are pitched down in register and looped for approximately two months.
About two weeks into the track, the lyric begins to shift. The original "I've got to find someone", is transformed into the inspired "I've got to find some bum," adding new layers of complexity to the piece. Eventually, as with all releases from The Guy Who Sit Opposite Me in My Office, the melody suddenly lapses into the theme from Dambusters. Challenging stuff.
 Photo: Sabax Flickr |
This tune -- "Repetitive Electronic Noise" by My Neighbour - is one of the most moving compositions I have ever heard though a plasterboard partition.
My Neighbour, prolific as always, has continually churned out poignant epics that simply demand attention. As such, this impeccably timed release reduced me to tears within minutes. My pick for song of the week.
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Other critics might claim that Unidentifiable Ringtone is nothing more than a cheap carbon copy of last summer's mega-hit by Angry Teenager on Bus Whose Ipod Is Too Loud.
Yet this tinny reworking of an unrecognisable 80s power ballad remains an inspired leap in the genre; a cross-pollination of pop vanguard and elder statesman that promises to put the legacy of ringtronica into interesting hands.
With exhilarating relentlessness, Middle-Aged Businessmen on the Train powers through to the end of the song, refusing to ever actually answer his telephone. At six o'clock on a Friday evening, commuters of any generation can relate to his sense of wilful defiance. Better to thrash out a disco sidewinder, than risk getting called back into the office by members of senior management.
Happy Birthday
This one's a predictable re-release every year. Let's face it: it's increasingly irrelevant. Next year, rather than flogging this dead horse, why not try releasing one minute of silence. Infinitely more complex.
That's it for Music Reviews of Songs I Have No Choice But To Listen To.
Tags: bluegrass, Eddie Adcock, kosovo, mitrovica, music, musician, operation, rock, Ross Sutherland, school