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Shrine: Fans will flock to pay tribute to Marc Bolan

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SHINY SHRINEY PEOPLE

Marc Bolan would have turned 60 at the end of this month had he not been in the passenger seat of his purple Mini when his girlfriend, Gloria Jones, crashed into a sycamore tree. The couple were on their way home to Barnes after a night on the town. The 30th anniversary of his death this weekend, 16 September, seems as a good time as any to make the pilgrimage to one of London's less well-known rock shrines.

Earlier this year the site of that fatal crash (Gloria escaped with a broken arm) was officially acknowledged as a landmark on Enjoy England's rock heritage trail. Directions and more information than you could ever need can be found at www.tag.mercurymoon.co.uk/tree-history-0.html).

After a walk through the woods outside Barnes station, I finally spot the red-and-white crash barriers along Queen's Ride that weren't there when the couple's Mini sped over the humped railway bridge and into the tree that has since become a focal point for grieving fans.

Behind the barriers is a large noticeboard covered in photos and poems, some smart wooden steps and a large bronze bust of the singer, underneath which is the legend: "Sad to see them mourning you when you are here within the flowers and the trees." He has stars in his hair and a Union Jack plectrum tucked into his shirt.

There are also Christmas decorations, wind chimes, lots of bright plastic flowers in the undergrowth and numerous swan ornaments in reference to his first big hit, Ride a White Swan.

No one else visits during the time I spend there, but it still seems to be a busy place. A fresh bunch of chrysanthemums sits beside the steps with a note from some Russian fans. A message signed by "A cosmic jeepster! Verona from Germany" dates from the day before my visit, and a page of poetry was pinned to the tree by "Louise and Danny" the day before that. It will be a lot busier this anniversary weekend, although the real hardcore fans will be going on a "Marc's Mystical Roots" tour of Glastonbury and Stonehenge.

The woman mostly responsible for making this unlikely monument a place worth visiting is Fee Warner, a pink-haired superfan from Brighton who, as an 18-year-old in the weeks following her hero's death, legally changed her surname to Bolan. She now goes by her married name at the insistence of husband Kev. Kev is not a T.Rex fan, but he did build the steps beneath the tree in 2000, and also allowed their son's middle name to be Marc.

"I suppose the site of his death is a slightly morbid focal point, but the alternative is the little white rose bush and two plaques at Golders Green Crematorium," she tells me. Her devotion extends to the leasing of the crash site from Network Rail by her T.Rex Action Group, and she even personally paid for the bronze bust after fundraising by a rival fan club failed to bring in enough money.

"My father always hated Marc Bolan, so I thought it was quite amusing to spend my inheritance on him." This week she will be replacing a statue of the god Pan at the site, that has had its head stolen, and she was recently unamused at having to remove a large toy Shrek from high in the tree's branches. It's not a particularly peaceful place, but it is colourful, not bleak. Just occasionally, there is a break in the traffic and I can hear the wind chimes twinkle and the birds sing.

MTV KILLED THE VIDEO STAR

Rihanna's mega-hit Umbrella was named Best Video at this week's MTV Video Music Awards. For what, exactly? Some big-budget sparks and impressive hotpants? Far more memorable is the latest YouTube hit, the excruciating promo for Buttons by Australian singer Sia Furler (type "Sia Buttons" into www.youtube.com).

Sia, previously best known as the voice of chillout act Zero 7 and for her stirring torch song Breathe Me, now gets a new claim to fame by being the girl who allows her face to be twisted into all sorts of uglifying distortions by clothes pegs, clingfilm, stockings and even a condom while singing her new single. "It was fun, apart from the whole-clothes-pegs-on-my-face moment," she says. "That was f***ing painful. I actually had to have a break and regulate my breathing."

It's a brave move when female singers are urged to look sexy above all else, but also a smart one. YouTube is now the best place to go for pop videos, the instant accessibility of thousands of clips placing it miles ahead of MTV, and on its small screen a simple, brilliant idea filmed on the cheap is likely to get far more repeat viewings and sharings than an overpriced explosion-fest. Look at the single-take formation dancing videos of pop-rock band OK Go, which became two of the most-watched YouTube clips ever last year.

Sia plays the Bush Hall on Tuesday. You may not recognise her without all the cellophane wrapped around her face, but at least her gorgeous voice will be unhindered.

AN EARLY LISTEN TO ...
The Hives
The Black and White Album (Polydor)

Just as they have progressed from black-andwhite Colonel Sanders ties to black-and-white school blazers, so the sound of screaming Swedes the Hives is changing subtly too.

For their fourth album, released 15 October, they've recorded outside of Sweden for the first time and worked with big names including REM producer Jacknife Lee and, most surprisingly, hip hop star Pharrell Williams.

Thunderous garage rock is still the cornerstone, but there are also synthesizers on It Won't Be Long, fast-paced dance rock on Hey Little World and in the stop-start beats and children chanting of Try It Again, probably their best song to date.

Pharrell contributes jerky funk guitar on T.H.E.H.I.V.E.S, which ends up sounding like Blondie's Rapture, and massed "woohoo"-ing on the typically energetic Well Alright!. The whole thing reveals an ambition that suggests the band's on-stage cockiness wasn't just posturing. If they don't sell millions this time, they never will.

NEW ON THE NET

• PJ HARVEY makes her comeback with a sublime new album on 24 September. She doesn't really do hit singles, but will be releasing new song When Under Ether as an album preview in download stores on Monday.

• Prior to the October release of the marvellous new album by Idaho singer-songwriter JOSH RITTER, it's well worth getting acquainted with his previous work. Visit www.joshritter.com/music.shtml where you can find two free downloads from each of his last four LPs.

• FIONN REGAN'S live performance of his ballad Be Good or Be Gone was one of the surprise highlights of last week's Mercury Prize ceremony. Now he's offering a free download of the song's innovative video, provided you do his marketing for him and send this link on to four more friends: www.bellaunion.com/fr video/share_with_friends.php

 

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