Dear Jonathan,

I’m checking out your site for the first time. I just wanted to inform you that just last night in Los Angeles, a pretty amazing band called The Special Moments performed a very impressive tribute to you. It was at a very hip nightclub called The Hyperion Tavern apparently part of a weekly event called Club Ding-a-Ling. I grabbed their set list…

1. Everyone’s Gone to the Moon
2. Good News Week
3. Gay Girl/Time and Motion
4. Don’t Let Him Touch You
5. Johnny Reggae
6. It Only Takes a Minute
7. This is Reggae
8. Wuthering Heights

They not only performed your songs but also spoke at length about your unjust imprisonment and read several passages from your autobiography (I can’t believe Jagger credited you with inspiring him to record Honky Tonk women b/w You Can’t Always get What You Want---that’s amazing). This group basically seemed to be on a campaign to clear your name and bring awareness to your innocence.

Well, how did it go over? Jonathan, the crowd absolutely loved it!! And this wasn’t your ordinary gaggle of desensitized sheep. In attendance were some of the great minds of today’s music scene in Los Angeles including Don Bolles (of the Germs), Tiffany Anders, Courtney Shanks (from Blood on the Wall), John Scheer (of The Supreme Dicks), Jimi Hey (of all Night Radio and The Beechwood Sparks), Chris Colthart (from Papas Fritas), Nora Keyes (of the Centimeters), The girls from Pearl Harbor, John and Toko from Enon, Members of The Garbaj Keatz, Jessica Espeleta from (Weird War) and Greg Fiering (creator of Migraine Boy).

I wouldn’t be surprised if your website hasn’t had an avalanche of “hits” from curious Los Angelenos who were hipped to your sounds for the first time last night. Anyway, I just wanted to give you a scene report and reason to add another, very deserved feather to your already abundant cap.

Oh, I forgot to mention they also performed a very intense rock opera about a different British tragedy (your imprisonment being the first)…The Falklands Islands War. I think it was called Eric. I found a link to it here….
blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2006/03/the_great_lost_.html

I have never heard of them before but they were fantastic, and obviously VERY REVERENT supporters of you and your career.

Keep the hits coming,
Mo Masood (Imran’s Dad)

Thank you so much Mo, although, unless I get confirmation, I shall assume this is an amusing and well informed hoax!

If it's true it's brilliant and about time. In all the fuss it is about time someone actually listened to the music. I was very impressed by the number of views to your music, even some of the newest and lesser known like Shipman, Wilde, Satan and VP itself - hundreds of thousands of views.

Is the book selling well? I know 4 people who have bought it and liked it.

65 My Life So Far has shifted a few hundred so far. It's not going to top the charts at the moment but at £20 a time it is bringing in the cash!

Pity this LA 'ghost band' didn't play Mary My Love ...my favourite JK song by a country mile. The number one national and international hit that never was.

Interesting you feel that FC - I love Mary too and think one day that will top the charts for someone.

Indeed, it was surprisingly large download sales of Mary My Love via iTunes from Scandinavia that made me create Vile Pervert; The Musical and it appears over the striking end credits!

Not a hoax- here's some proof from facebook- not much, but something to go on.

Also, I checked out the link to the Falkland rock opera... it's... um, interesting.

Ding A Ling post

do ya think Mo Masood is Special Moment's publicist ?

I'm terribly cynical about the dear old Internet, having been acquainted with it since the early 90s.

Pinches of salt flavour all my meals.

Confirmation e mails have arrived from several Los Angeles music fans so thank you, Special Moments, your support is appreciated and Mo, sorry for doubting you!

I was there. It was fabulous. Everyone loved it and cheered.