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Bettie Serveert’s Keepsakes: “Velvet Goldmine”

The members of Bettie Serveert are alt-rock survivors. They have been performing in various incarnations since 1986, and they released critically acclaimed debut album Palomine in 1992. Joining the core lineup of vocalist/guitarist Carol van Dyk, guitarist Peter Visser and bassist Herman Bunskoeke on new album Pharmacy Of Love (Second Motion) is drummer Joppe Molenaar (of fellow Dutch band Voicst). The group recorded the LP in relative isolation in Waimes, Belgium, in order to better concentrate on honing its sound, and the result is a mix of the classic Bettie Serveert vibe with new modern-rock flourishes. Van Dyk, Visser and Bunskoeke will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our Q&A with van Dyk.

Carol: Velvet Goldmine was made in 1998, but I saw it for the first time last week. I’m a big fan of Ewan McGregor and was browsing the web looking for stuff he had done when I bumped into this one. Great actors, great soundtrack! The film is basically about Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), a bisexual glam-rock icon, and Curt Wild (McGregor), a performer who doesn’t back down from sex, nudity or drugs on or off stage. Also featured is a very young Christian Bale as a glam-rock fan and reporter. Eddie Izzard plays the manager. A lot of musicians participated in this movie: Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood; David Gray; Suede’s Bernard Butler; Roxy Music’s Andy Mackay; the Stooges’ Ron Asheton; Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Steve Shelley; the Minutemen’s Mike Watt; Gumball’s Don Fleming; Mudhoney’s Mark Arm; and many more. McGregor covers the Stooges’ “T.V. Eye” and “Gimme Danger.” Nice one!