The inimitable Tav Falco has lead the unapproachable Panther Burns since the 1970s. The ditch-diggers of American music, idiosyncratic and effervescent, purveyors of arcane wisdom, Panther Burns have howled their way from Memphis out around the globe through those six decades bewitching, beguiling and sometimes bemusing fans of the blues, old soul and good old rock’n’roll. We’ve checked in with Tav often along the way. We even had a previous Christmas sojourn back in 2016. So of course we were going to ask Tav to join in with our December wide “Bunch of Five” project. Mr Falco went above and beyond and provided us with a mighty missive detailing his recent move out East and laying out his five great things… We’ve split it into 12 parts and we’re sharing it one day at a time to see everybody through into the New Year. It’s the twelve days of Tav-mas! This is part six… If you’re just joining us you can go right back to the start here ⇒ Over to Tav himself...
Among the motivations that propel my world, literally are motorbikes. Every day I ride them as my sole mode of transportation. Presently I own three: a Royal Enfield Interceptor 650, a Thai made GPX Gentleman 200, and a Honda Wave scooter. Due to exorbitant import duties, I could not justify bring my 1960 Norton Dominator down here to the royal kingdom. Upside was that the sale of my Norton to an Austrian enthusiast paid for the entire move here from Vienna with enough funds remaining to purchase the Royal Enfield. Although there is no motorbike ever made that handles and holds the road like a Featherbed Norton, the Enfield feels and sounds British enough and will suffice. Yet those who have ridden the Norton claim that it runs on rails.
TF nearside of his Norton 750 - Memphis 1975 by William J. Eggleston
Norton Dominator running on the Ringstrasse, Vienna 2020
On a ferry with the Royal Enfield Interceptor crossing the Chao Phraya River 2022
The GPX Gentleman is a fleet little café racer running Pirelli tires. It’s the ticket for quick runs around town and for jumping ahead of the ‘mob’ at stop lights. The Honda scooter I have as a workhorse for carrying groceries up to hauling pieces of furniture. A quick and robust machine sporting an aerodynamic fuselage.
“A skittish motorbike with a touch of blood in it is better than all the riding animals on earth, because of its logical extension of our faculties, and the hint, the provocation, to excess conferred by its honeyed untiring smoothness.”
— Captain T.E. Lawrence, aka. Lawrence Of Arabia
Vincent HRD with lady
In terms of the inarticulate rush of sensation astride a motorbike, “I don't want words, but inarticulate cries, meaningless, from the bottom of my most primitive being, that flow from my belly like honey. A piercing joy, that leaves me empty, conquered, silenced.” - Anaïs Nin
Essential Tav Falco's 12 Days of Christmas Info
When Tav Falco, a long time friend of Outsideleft, sent over his Bunch of Fives, it was a bumper collection, requiring an alternative plan and that is Tav Falco's 12 Days of Christmas. Of the many great, great Christmas things Tav has shared with us over the years, this is the most ambitious and the greatest yet.
