Clutch Grabwell Plantation Club Show Review. Iraqi President Says No To Death Penalty For Saddam.

Clutch Grabwell Plantation Club Show Review

Last night Clutch Grabwell rocked a small gathering at the Plantation Club in Worcester, Massachusetts. The boys were in fine from from the moment they hit the stage with longtime favorite "Precious Time". Lead singer John Boyle was undeterred by the fact that the crowd of 60-odd people was smaller than most crowds to whom they have performed at this venue, even going so far as to guess that the sparse numbers were due to the public's eagerness to indulge themselves in the new Wendy's Ranch Sandwich that is too good for words (insert heavy sarcasm).

Some of the covers were "Burning Down The House" by The Talking Heads, "Vehicle" by the Ides of March (with a little dig at Bo Bice tossed in) that featured a slinky guitar solo from Mark Campbell and "Suspicious Minds" by Elvis Presley (complete with Johnny harassing couples on the dance floor during the verses).

The rhythm section of Tony Dintino on drums and Jeff Campbell on bass guitar held the groove for Mark's guitar solos and for some nice back-and-forth interplay between the two horns of Lennie Peterson on "electric" slide trombone and Andrew Hickman on saxophone. Peterson, who designed the band's logo, threw out some chaotic sounds as Hickman provided a jazzy feel to his fluid runs. John Boyle was his usual self-consciously conspicuous self as he danced on chairs and mingled with the people on the dance floor as he belted out the songs.

Overall, it was a typical performance from these masters of mixing musical genres as they ran the gamut from jazz-influenced heavy rock to funky R&B that kept the fans dancing and singing along throughout the evening.


Iraqi President Says No To Death Penalty For Saddam

In yet another potentially bad bit of news for the Bush Administration concerning the mess they've made in Iraq, new Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said he would not agree to the death penalty for Saddam Hussein if the notion comes up during the upcoming former Iraqi leader's trial. Yahoo News APF story excerpt:

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said in remarks that he would not sign a death sentence against his ousted predecessor Saddam Hussein even if it costs him his job.

"Once his (Saddam's) interrogation is over, he will go before a tribunal," Talabani told Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel in an interview. Should a death sentence be issued against the former dictator, "I will not sign it," he said.
"I am a man of principles. I cannot forego my principles for the sake of my post. If there is a clash between the post and the principles, I will give up the post and keep the principles," Talabani said in a snippet aired in advance of the full interview broadcast.

Talabani said in May that he would not sign a death sentence against Saddam, whose trial on charges of crimes against humanity during his iron-fisted rule over Iraq is expected to come up within the next two months.

Full Story

An interesting rumor about Saddam's trial is that the Bush people are attempting a plea-bargain. Now a logical question about that possibility is: If the case against Saddam Hussein as the absolute incarnation of evil, hell-bent on destroying the United States is so strong, then why the hell would U.S. prosecutors even think about a plea-bargain? Possible answer: Because to let Saddam take the witness stand in his own defense would be to open up a potentially embarrassing can of worms for George Dubya and his Daddy. Especially when he tells the court about the cozy chemical weapons deal he made with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld back in the early 1980s when Rumsfeld was a Reagan White House fixer.

That story can be found at the incomparable Bartcop site, issue 1223. Scroll about halfway down the page to the story titled: Who Will Testify At Saddam's Trial from Joe Conason's New York Observer column.

Bartcop Issue 1223