Tuesday, June 29, 2004

notes from a small bedroom

On a recommendation from Tim I thought it seemed like a good idea to participate in the experimental travel gig. You know me though, dead excited and wanting to do things straight away. I noticed that the rules state that you can change the rules…. So instead of paces I'm using centimetres. This meant I could achieve my journey without leaving the room. Here’s the results. Judge for yourself:

1. The first stage is your starting point.

Quite literally, starting with the basics.

2. Walk in any direction for 50 - 100 paces, turn 180 degrees. Stop.

I feel a bit exposed now.

3. Turn 180 degrees. Continue walking untill you see something blue. Stop

The Monkees CD is the first blue thing. I think that my favourite track is Listen to the Band. I heard it on a pre-show tape at a James gig around the time of the Festival of the Tenth Summer in 1986 at Manchester Town Hall and I'll always associate it with that great time.

4 Make a left turn, walk 50 - 70 paces. Stop

Hey! It's only a small room!

5. Walk in any direction until you see something that is, or looks like the number 7 or 11. Stop.

Bloody Hell! I really should be working!

6. Take the first left continue and look for somewhere to sit. Stop

I'm thinking that my trainers look crap in this picture. Can I assure you that they were quite dear.

7. Choose any direction and walk for 25 - 50 paces. Stop

These box sets are too tall to stand up... also the spines have all faded because the sun blazes in here in the morning.

8. Continue walking untill you see an unusual colour, shape or texture. Turn 180 degrees. Stop

Further along is the book I got from the Peter Saville Show at the Design Centre. It has fluoro-orange wrapper and a version of the great wave texture from Unknown Pleasures on its cover.

9. Turn 180 degrees. Keep walking in any direction untill you see an archway or unusual building feature. walk to it and stop.

Stops the door boinging into the wall.

10. Head for home and keep looking for something that catches your eye. Stop.

Blimey! A J-Lo CD. Fancy.

Monday, June 28, 2004

the impossible bird




Found this great little tool here. Enjoy!

Clitheroe
Cocklick End
Hard Crag
Big End
Buttock
Menlove Gardens
Ramsbottom
Nob End
Gaping Gill
Breasty Haw

throwing stones and pulling strings



As predicted, the 'open gardens' happening was pleasant enough despite some sidetracking for beer and cricket. E2004 gets increasingly interesting as the New Order of European Football kicks in. Czech Republic to win?

Now the challenge this week and next is to clear the desk without becoming too demob happy. Less than two weeks to holidays and I need to start grubbing around for foreign plug socket converters and mosquito spray whilst trying to remember the PIN number for the credit card I never use and the combination for the suitcase which is now potentially locked forever. I think it's got the mozzy spray and plug thingies in.

Last year the iPod joined us on holiday for the first time. What a revelation. Previously, the annual fortnight has been played out to the endless soundtrack of a particular child-friendly CD per location. Italy will always ring to the sounds of Atomic Kitten's Right Now. Cornwall is forever Ricky Martin. France belongs to Aqua. Now, with Mr Jobs little ingot on boards we happily hop from Madonna to Ron Sexsmith to Erykah Badu to Glenn Tilbrook to Guided By Voices to Angie Stone to Folk Implosion to Atomic Kitten (for old times sake).

Right... now about clearing that desk....

Sunday, June 27, 2004

50,000 watts of goodwill



There's something grrr about Alison Goldfrapp, but I'm not sure what it is. Sure the thighboots help, but her horse-hair tail looked better than the stuff on her head on BBC3's Glastonbury coverage and overall she looked somewhat desiccated. Nevertheless, there's still something grrr about her. (I hold similar views re Roisin Murphy of Moloko, so maybe it is the boots.) At one point though Alison's fruity warbling was described in our house as akin to the cat hacking up a furball. I liked it though.

There's something less than grrr about Edith Bowman who must have lost her luggage en route to Glastonbury and had to borrow from her Mum. Franz Ferdinand were calmly assured of their greatness and of course went down hugely. I'm afraid that, thanks to Sky+, I sped through most of the Kings of Leon's set at x30 because, whilst I love their gonk-rock, they're nothing to watch. I skipped through Oasis too, stopping only occasionally to admire Liam's Ice Station Zebra fishtail parka. They're quite dull aren't they?

I'll whizz through yesterday's coverage later, but for now, let's have minute for Natasha Kaplinsky. If she loses out in the Strictly Come Dancing final to that bloke from Eastenders with two wooden legs, it's criminal. He doesn't know his cha from his cha. NK is perfect though... I must start watching BBC Breakfast more.

Saturday, June 26, 2004

altavista social club



Another one of those summer traditions today... yes the school fair. So here's what we're gonna do. In sub-zero temperatures we're gonna follow a tarted-up manure lorry stuffed with lurid children in fancy dress underneath their parkas around the streets for 20 minutes. Scoff an ice-cream (ideally it should be hail-stoning by about this time). Watch a penalty competition (I know... I don't know if my heart will really be in it). Drink a can of luke warm ASDA lager. Buy some home-made parkin. Eat a dog-burger. Come home.

Now tomorrow is a more recent fixture for genteel country folk such as wot we is like. Yes it's 'open gardens' day in the village. This means that those who have sufficient time and energy to devote to the upkeep of their plot stick the kettle on and make some buns for their nosey neighbours to bob round and have a poke round their geraniums. This is a little moment of glory for those who have spent recent weeks a-diggin' and an opportunity for people to peek into the back windows of people's houses that they rarely get to see. Ooh, look at all that chintz! Nice plasma-screen! etc. A hoot, no doubt.

Next week... it's the Gala! If you feel like guessing the number of sweets in a jar and picking up an out of date copy of J2EE for Dummies whilst dragging a skriking oik off a half-deflated bouncy castle, come along.

Friday, June 25, 2004

not to mention...



Top Tips from Tim. Hackensack is purchased along with its buddies from Welcome Interstate Managers and I can tell you that it serves to brighten up the drizzly drive from Eccles to Salford.

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

the turning of the tide



I'll report this straight and you can make your own mind up. In ASDA at Halifax on Saturday an announcment came over the PA asking customers with St Georges flags on their cars to remove them as they were causing offence to the local Asian community. Most of those flying the flags simply left their trolleys where they were in the aisles and headed for home. Now my question is, if a customer complained to staff that a Pakistan flag on a car windscreen was causing them offence, do you think the store would have put out the announcement?

you gotta go there to come back... if you must



Whilst I did mention it in passing, it's probably worth reiterating the excellence of the new Pixies tune Bam Thwok!, available only from iTunes. Had I not been off on my hols I'd have been going to see them in Manchester on 10th July. For those lucky types who will be attending they'll be pleased to know that Pixies are supporting the Stereophonics (I know!) so they'll be able to leave Old Trafford well before the 'Phonics plug in. I think that bloke in the 'Nics has a reasonable voice, but just wish he'd stop inflicting St'ics songs on us.

It's Glasto time and, as usual, you could make up a decent line for one day out of all the pap that's spread across the whole festival. How about this for one day's Glasto entertainment:


Kings of Leon
Goldfrapp
Franz Ferdinand
Snow Patrol
Chicks on Speed
Tindersticks
British Sea Power
Scissor Sisters
Badly Drawn Boy
Divine Comedy
Belle & Sebastian
Morrissey

Headliners: Black Eyed Peas


No?


hwc



Sheryl Crow... workmanlike, uninspired and dull, with a crowd bussed in direct from ASDA. End of review. From 100 yards though she looked a bit like Liz Phair. So here's a picture of Liz Phair.

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

isn't it ironic? don't know boss... can't tell.



I'm sorry but I don't really believe that American's 'get' The Office. It's the same as how they laugh at Monty Python but aren't sure why. They are so embarrassed at not understanding irony that LA has got everyone together and said 'right, come on, The Office, It's big in the UK and it's all about irony... let's make like we understand it and embrace it'

Best Boy's Dolly Grip: 'But Boss... it's not funny'
Mogul: 'Ha ha... you're trying out irony now aren't you?'
Best Boy's Dolly Grip: 'Er... no. I don't get it Boss. The Office isn't funny'
Mogul: 'You're fired!'
Best Boy's Dolly Grip: 'Ha ha... you're trying out irony now aren't you, Boss?'
Mogul: ' No... you're fired!'

So anyway... Ricky Gervais has won a load of awards Stateside (neither he nor they know why) and, Archie Bunker style, they're making an US version of The Office (neither he nor they know why). Also, RG now gets himself invited to do cameos in hit TV shows such as Alias... previously mentioned here. Now I don't know if you saw the little fluff documentary about Gervais and Alias shown at 10pm last Sunday on Bravo, but it's quite clear that he and the LA team were worlds apart humour-wise and work-ethic wise. Even the show's producer JJ Abrams in dribbling plaudits all over Gervais and The Office clearly hadn't got a clue why Gervais is funny. Neither had the show's stars who struggled valiantly to bond with RG whilst obviously thinking 'what a dick'. Weird.

However, Gervais also came across as a completely unprofessional div at the other extreme to the Alias crew who must have been pulling their hair out at his slackarse attitude as he giggled or fluffed his lines for the umpteenth time.

Americans might want to stick with Benny Hill and Mr Bean and accept their shortcomings. Gervais though also wants a slap.

Changing the subject... at a time when iTunes, Napster and MyCoke are just gearing up, can you believe that they want to reinvent the single? Also, this should not be funny.

Not sure why but I'm going to see Sheryl Crow tonight at the MEN Arena.

He: 'Why don't we park somewhere other than the Arena carpark cos it gets so busy after the show?'
Me: 'Sheffield?'

why we write



I've spent a little time this morning taking a tour around various blogs in order to understand what makes people tick. Some blogs leap out at you as being of immediate interest either through their design, their textual content, some references to blogs, music, writers etc who you already admire or, on occasion, through the mearest smattering of smut! Anyway, I took a stroll through A Free Man In Preston's blogroll and then bounced around.

From Witho I ended up at mynus where, in a comment on the very first post I found a link to an excellent article regarding writing of 'the living web'. It's thoughtful, thorough and encouraging. Maybe people have already read it. Maybe it's the blogger's mantra. I just though it was pretty good.

Took a look at fluxblog yesterday which has a great Scissor Sisters verion of The Ferdies' Take Me Out. Also check out dINbOT and this great mash-up of Britney vs Wire.

Monday, June 21, 2004

what not to wear



Now Milkshake is a great disposable pop tune. As is Kelis' latest single Trick Me. But have you seen the videos.... good God girl get a stylist? Rarely seen anyone with less of a clue and attitude. I don't know anywhere which sells jeans like that. The Big Man shop near Oughtibridge maybe?


spritzers on ice in new york city



Pavement Top 10

1. Two States
2. Major Leagues
3. Range Life
4. Trigger Cut
5. Summer Babe
6. Father To A Sister Of Thought
7. Cut Your Hair
8. Shady Lane
9. Grave Architecture
10. Unseen Power Of The Picket Fence

Sunday, June 20, 2004

tractorfest!


yeah and, indeed, right



The Observer puts The Stone Roses eponymous debut ahead of The Beatles' Revolver in the 100 Greatest British Albums of all time. Really? Maybe. Both albums are definitely of their time.

It's interesting seeing the Top 10 lists of some of the contributors, most of which are desparately contrived, or put together by 'ver management' so as not to embarrass the 'star'.

Let's take Will Young for a start. His published Top 10 is a follows:

1. Love & Affection Joan Armatrading
2. Be Yourself Tonight Eurythmics
3. Stronger Than Pride Sade
4. Abbey Road The Beatles
5. Sticky Fingers Rolling Stones
6. Let's Dance David Bowie
7. Blue Lines Massive Attack
8. Staring At The Sea: The Singles The Cure
9. The Stone Roses The Stone Roses
10. Echoes: The Best Of Pink Floyd Pink Floyd

Sorry but I only believe number 3... and even then I think Diamond Life is more likely.

Anyway, never one to pass up the opportunity of a list I tried to construct my own Top 10 and realised in so doing how much US stuff would actually fall in my overall Top 10. Therefore, I have my British Top 10 and my US Top 10.

British Top 10:

1. New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies
2. Specials - Specials
3. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Don't Stand Me Down
4. Divine Comedy - Casanova
5. The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace
6. Boards of Canada - Music Has The Right To Children
7. Stereolab - Dots & Loops
8. The Jam - Setting Sons
9. The Durutti Column - Without Mercy
10. Athlete - Vehicles & Animals

US Top 10:

1. Pixies - Doolittle
2. Bob Mould - Workbook
3. Guided By Voices - Alien Lanes
4. 10,000 Maniacs - In My Tribe
5. Sebadoh - Harmacy
6. Sugar - Copper Blue
7. Tortoise - Millions Now Living Will Never Die
8. REM - Document
9. Pavement - Brighten The Corners
10. Indigo Girls - Indigo Girls



Saturday, June 19, 2004

what's the time? it's time to stand still



So it's another shopping tale. Sainsburys was chocka with the slowest of the slow today. Just fancied some Green & Blacks and was told. 'You won't need any of that Dad', so there goes my surprise for Father's Day. Now, I wonder what it means when you pay for your petrol and are handed a fistful of Euro 2004 medals when you only qualify for two.

Now apparently you can have your loved one's ashes turned into a synthetic diamond. Alicia Witt's in London. As is Molly Winegum.

Unfortunately, the picture which goes with this article in today's Times on the Beastie Boys isn't available online but take it from me they look too old to be standing like that.

good news for people who love bad news



The Ferdies coninue their quest. Sad news re Johnny Ramone. New York Dolls reunion seems to work. Spyware law. Comedy. Tumbleweed.

Thursday, June 17, 2004

i am so back



Thank goodness. My PC is back at long last and, touch silicon, it seems OK. Plus I have an extra four USB ports to attach crap to it with. Great.

Now I meant to link through to this stuff the other day but couldn't. First, Invisibility Cloaks. Second, mid air messages. Third, Muggers refuse to nick crap phones.

I've been suckered into iTunes after all. Bam Thwok!

robert forster - 2541

I always like bands who know when to get off the stage. Encores shouldn't be compulsory and neither should long sets. We're back on the quality vs quantity tip again. This means it's acceptable for Bruce Springsteen to do 4 hour sets, but the Jesus and Mary Chain's early 15 minute sets were no less worthy.

I bring this up because I watched Peter Gabriel's Growing Up Live DVD yesterday which was filmed in Milan last year but was, of course, identical to the show I watched at Wembley last week. Now I understand that the logistics surrounding such a show dictate that a lot of things remain the same across dates. I also understand that many fans hear rumours re the show's content and want to share in the same spectacle. However, when even the song intros and 'ad libs' are more or less scripted then surely some of the magic is lost.

It's always really nice to go to shows and see artists inject unexpected cover versions into their sets, even better when this it in response to an ad hoc request from the floor (e.g. Richard Thompson's cover of Substitute at his recent Manchester show), and shows like PG's Growing Up simply can't accommodate this.

Anyway, time for a list:

Flaming Lips - Can't Get You Out Of My Head
New Order - Sister Ray
Pixies - Lady In The Radiator Song
Sugar - You Really Got Me
Hüsker Dü - Eight Miles High
Laptop - It's Still Rock'n'Roll To Me
Divine Comedy - The Model

I could obviously go on as could you.

Wednesday, June 16, 2004

sure but she's a real fake

I did venture into easyeverything but didn't stay long and deleted the unfocused blog entry I hacked out before sending. I ended up in a lousy hotel. It was scruffy, smokey, hot and noisy... Never again.

A meeting this morning then the aim is to travel oop North out of rush hour. A good plan except for overhead cable damage in the Stevenage area. Doh!

iTunes Europe launched yesterday. I'll take a look I suppose (when I get my PC back) but fond as I am of MP3s and my iPod, something anal in me likes to know that I still have the CDs.

I even find myself saying things like 'CD packaging isn't as intrinsically enjoyable as that which housed vinyl LPs' (admittedly I don't say things like this THAT often but you get my drift).

Also, a combination of MP3s, playlists and shuffle functionality means that the 'art' of truly knowing and loving an album is dead. I connected with music in my youth completely differently to the way I do today. Part of this was due to saving up for specific records and then cherishing them (The Jam - Sound Affects, Specials - Specials, New Order - Power, Corruption and Lies, The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace...). Part of it was the linear process of listening - end to end, side 1, side 2. The music was recorded and sequenced to be enjoyed in this way. Even today I'll hear a track on the radio say and, as it fades, have the next track on the album cued up in my head ready to kick in. (Admittedly I'm almost exclusively listening to 6Music when this occurs).

Also, I used to learn these records by rote. Every word, every solo memorised. Even now I can irritate my family by singing every word of songs unheard for years (and often never heard by them).

The Bluebells - Cath
Heaven 17 - Crushed By The Wheels of Industry
James - Just Hip
Rain - Lemonstone Desired
The Beat - Hands Off She's Mine
ACR - Knife Slits Water
The Wedding Present - Kennedy
Aztec Camera - Orchid Girl

But, hey, look what I'm doing... I'm creating another mental playlist. Maybe we've found a way of expunging the filler tracks which we used to put up with ( The Police - Be My Girl Sally, The Human League - Get Carter, The Jam - Music For The Last Couple...). That being said the quality:filler ratio has significantly worsened since the advent of CD with average playing times jumping from 34mins to 65+. Indeed, the little shiny disc's defining release, Dire Straits 'Brothers In Arms' was purposefully all filler just to test the concept. Also the 80 minute capacity of the CD was the death of many a career... especially those who confused quality with quantity e.g. Prince, squiggle and TAFKAP, and those who were just confused e.g. Prince, squiggle and TAFKAP.

When was the last time you bought a record which really blew your mind? Not one which you thought was 'pretty good' or even 'brilliant' but one which you listened to time and time and time again until you felt that your life would never be the same again? Maybe this is purely a factor of youth in that you haven't heard much music and you have a mind prone to being blown by any stray Pixies, Smiths, R.E.M. orJoy Division track ( or worse Queen, U2, Sting, etc - some never recover). Anyway, you are now old enough and wise enough to know that To The Five Boroughs ain't gonna cut it, so why are you going to buy it?

Lastly, why are iTunes tracks 79p in the UK but only 99c in Europe. Somebody call Robert Kilroy Silk.

Monday, June 14, 2004

version control/summer in the city

The usual Monday psych warfare. I would say at least there's Euro 2004 but after last night... Phew!

Revenge's One True Passion v.2.0 arrived from Amazonia this morning but remains unplayed. Looking fwd though.

The Smoke beckons again tomorrow. Now I would've taken in the Divine Comedy at the Bloomsbury Theatre, but sadly they're all sold out. So, unless a tout comes good, it looks like it'll be an evening of easyeverything plus footy in a pub somewhere.

I am heartily sick of trying to browse the web via an old b&w Handspring. It's like reading a newspaper through a keyhole, so blogging in the relative comfort of easyeverything on Tottenham Court Road should be quite fun. It's normally full of Japanese students Telnetting on bizarre BBSs.

Sunday, June 13, 2004

the needle and the damage done

Emile Heskey! Come On Down!

t-shirts & shoes

A hot one today. Not a day to spend in a shopping mall. So anyway, spent the afternoon in Meadowhall, where it's pretty hard to buy anything which isn't emblazoned with the flag of St.George. No bad thing at a time when patriotism has been deemed so politically incorrect in this country.

I get criticism for only buying the same things. CDs, gadgets, t-shirtt and shoes. Well I avoided CDs (there's a few in the post from Amazon). I would've bought an infra-red remote shutter release for my EOS 300D but they had none in stock. Didn't look at t-shirts at all. Couldn't resist a pair of Merrell Gore-Tex XCRs! Doh! Typecast!

horsing around

It cost a second mortgage to go to the show. No way was it worth it, but there you go. A friend was competing in the show-jumping so got some pretty good pics of him. There were some jodhpur related distractions but other than that it was Tractor City.

England v France later of course. They tend to rise to the occasion at these events. Let's hope they do tonight. Either way, the otherwise humdrum Baddiel and Skinner are back with Fantasy Football League. Speaking of which, the renaming of Divisions 3 and 4 to League 1 and League 2. What's that all about? Bloody marketing. Huddersfield's McAlpine Stadium is also to be renamed as part of a new 10 year sponsorship deal and this will be announced at the Blue concert! Let's hope it's something better than Blackpool FC's Pricebuster's Stand. Morty'll be spinning.

The Claire's Accessories Stand anyone?

Friday, June 11, 2004

uh! tears baby

Bad news! Looks like my PC won't return until mid next week. So frustrating as I seem to have lots to link to, some CD and book links to change and some pics to add. Sheesh! It's like a library in here.

Check out Boblog (sorry you'll have to use the link at the top of my 'blogs, blinks, blah' list in the sidebar). It's gone mad this week as he finds himself embroiled in Reagan vs AIDS controversy. The sane world is stunned at the shameless revisionism at the core of the media coverage of Reagan's death and his 'achievements via soundbite', but Washington DC must surely be the hub of this maelström. It certainly seems so from Bob's blog, but he marshalls the debate well, without losing sight of the fact that - Hey! It's his Blog!!

All this PDAing is giving me muscly fingers. I've got grip like Spidey.

Tomorrow I will buy Mozzer's 'You Are The Quarry'. Today I listened to Echo and The Bunnymen 'Porcupine' in the car, plus Gabriel's 'Up' on my iPod whilst on the train home from London.

The end of a busy week and one where I'm getting PC withdrawal symptoms. Euro 2004 kicks off tomorrow to take my mind off things.

Now, does anyone remember Win! Scottish band from around 1982? They had a minor hit with 'You've Got The Power'? Well anyway, two words... Franz. Ferdinand.

Is there anybody there?

Thursday, June 10, 2004

do you do voodoo you?

The entire day I've spent with my ear glued to my phone. Radiation sickness here I come. Tomorrow I'm back in the smoke hoping to avoid card sharps and racketeers. It's also Friday which means I may see my computer once again... Although this could now be Monday which doesn't please.

Saturday will be about tractors, dogs, majorettes, sheep, cattle and home made cakes. Yes it's the local agricultural show. Alternatively another nearby village is holding a 'scarecrow' day. This is where you buy a little map, have a cup of tea and a scone and then trundle round people's garden's to observe the often bizarre scarecrows they've created for the occasion. I've no idea of the background to this type of communal weirdness... I think it may be a relatively new phenomena and it's an odd one too in that people go to a lot of effort when creating these effigies (no doubt there'll be an England team of straw somewhere) but they're rarely there when people wander by to have a nosey at their efforts. We'll see. It might have to be overpriced dog-burgers and endless stalls selling crap fudge, home-made soap and those green fold-up camping chairs with drink holders in the arms.

service degradation

Blogging by pda inflicts a certain discipline on one. Yesterday's tale could have been even longer (the cab driver threat was significantly underplayed), but my aching stylus-gripping fingers couldn't take any more.

Also email-blogging doesn't easily allow for the odd appropriate (and often inappropriate) links and graphics with which I try to brighten up the place.

Worse still. No way to comment or respond to comments. Hey Beth, Tim.

Machine will hopefully return tomorrow and normal service resumed.

Wednesday, June 09, 2004

don't give up

Blogging by email via an old pda until my machine returns from the doctors! I'll attempt a more considered review of the Peter Gabriel show soon... but first a little tale about what happened on the way.

A colleague and I (he also attending the gig) had spent the day working in central London. Running late, we had to get to Wembley, check into our hotel, eat and then get across to the arena. We planned to get off the Tube at Wembley Central and grab a cab to take us the last mile to the hotel. When we got to Wembley though, not a cab in sight. We didn't fancy the walk on the hottest day of the year so decided to find somewhere on the High Street to eat and then ask the restaurant to call a cab. So we found a pizza joint and pretty soon we were enjoying beers'n'bruschetta. The guy at the table next to us had almost finished his meal when I noticed our waiter plus two others suddenly go outside and start handing out flyers. I also clocked our waiter hand something else to a guy walking by on the phone. My colleague and I then twigged that it was the credit card of the guy at the table next to us who'd given it to the waiter in order to settle his bill and clearly we were watching a card cloning racket in operation. I said that somehow that card will reappear once it's been skimmed. Next thing a car pulls up and a guy leans out to 'collect a flyer' and slips the card back to the waiter. He re-enters. As do the others, suddenly losing all interest in flyers. The card is given back to the customer and he's none the wiser.

Now here's the thing. They've noticed us watching their every move and now there getting v nervous and clearly talking about us. What's more, we're still all suited up so they think we're CID!!! We decide to pay by card knowing there's no way they'll chance skimming it. In the meantime the waiter brings this huge black guy over and tells us he's our cabbie. Nervously, we envision ourselves finishing off the evening wearing concrete overcoats. Anyhow, we paid and left and the cab-ride was uneventful. It was only later we realised that what should have cost us about £50 only cost £25. In other words, we'd been given a mega 'police' discount for turning a blind eye to the cloning scam.

So, two things learned:
1. There's a card cloning scam on Wembley High Street.
2. Those involved are happy to bribe who they think are the police.

Onto the show. Gabriel was excellent as was the show itself, conducted in the round. Lots of daft spacey props. It resembled what someone in the 1970s might imagine a gig in 2004 to look like. Little chubby PG was pretty energetic and in fine voice. He was, however, guilty of some Comedy Dad dancing on occasion. Most of the hits were in there plus some newer stuff. No Genesis. It was pretty tight, as it should have been for the last night of a two year tour.

The PG Crew were mostly staying in our hotel and the one next-door and they were definitely in party mode including a guy from the support who entertained his bandmates and the rest of the bar with some acrobatic groupie sex in his overlooking open-curtained hotel room. Classy.

expletive deleted

Wrote a drunken but accurate review of the gabriel show on a web kiosk last night but felt compelled to remove it this morning. More later.

Monday, June 07, 2004

art crisis



Probably a bloglite week coming up as I scoot around the country doing mundane things to pay bills. Gabriel's show at Wembley should brighten the corners a little... assuming the tickets arrive. The pc will spend the week at the doctors getting new power supply etc. The car is also getting new shoes.

Have stemmed the flow of alcohol into my bloodstream and whilst feeling somewhat better for it, find that I sleep like a log and struggle to get out of bed. My motivation is scarcely improved... still it's nearly weekend.

Now, I quite like Alias... daft as it is. It has amusing cameos, silly wigs and ludicrous plotlines. It just needs cheerleaders and it'll be pretty much perfect. 24 I've lost patience with and haven't watched the last five or six. Big Brother... not even interested any more but did catch a few minutes of utter victim Kitten doing something pointless. Enough.

Saturday, June 05, 2004

admission now free



We'll be going underground tomorrow. Bob Mould's blog changes every time you look at it. He's experimenting with the new graphics he's been tinkering with. He has a nice take on Washington DC life, some interesting friends and some varied interests, musically and otherwise. Been listening to the great 15 60 75 tonight and this classic record.

Nearly bought a great pink t-shirt with Outrage printed on it today until someone said it might be a bit statementy. D'ya think? Got bought a Kiss Ass shirt instead. Nearly got a book by Gene Simmons and also nearly bought Deborah Curtis' book about Ian and Paul Morley's autobiography but really did come away with nothing. Watched the BBC4 Richard Thompson prog which I Sky+'d last night. Brilliant musician, but how he balances Sufism with everything else I don't know.

babbage



My machine is kaput... think it's the power supply as I've been through 20 fuses in a week. Also Norton 2004 has crippled its speed and completely scuppered any chance I ever have of receiving mail. So it'll be going to the doctors on Monday. I'm having to post using a pre-war abacus.

I've been enjoying the multiple personality from Preston this week. Preston is clearly the rock and roll capital of the North (after Hebden Bridge).

Wednesday, June 02, 2004

aceless wonder

.

1 x monkey; summarily shocked



Last minute rearrangements mean that I will be attending the rapidly aging one's Wembley Arena show next week. Not Half Man Half Biscuit I grant you but Graham Coxon was sold out.

Now Supper's Ready is, by all accounts, a 70s LPsidetastic classic and, indeed, a crowdpleaser. However, I just can't get past the phrase 'Mum-tiddly-washing'. Sorry about that.

Someone told me last week that they know someone who liked Wings better than the Beatles. What's more, they also preferred The Style Council to The Jam.

This got me thinking. Maybe there are prople who preferred The Armoury Show to The Skids; The Madness to Madness; Starship to Jefferson Starship; Preston School of Industry to Pavement; Frank Black & The Catholics to Pixies. Of course, I could go on. Instead try this and jfdiy.

it's got a good beat



The biggest of news. Oh yes. Tomorrow Peter Andre comes to town to open the new HMV. I hope he brings Eddie Jordan with him cos I used to like him when he was in the Beatles. Which reminds me, what was the names of that Political Party that George Harrison bankrolled who were in charge of Yogic Flying. Shame they're not around this time. Everyone's gonna have to plump for UKIP... the Third Reich you can dance to.

dancing in the streets of total network solutions



So I thought it'd be funny to share the insights afforded by Call Centre Confidential to a colleague. Unfortunately I mistyped the URL by one letter and he thought I was recruiting him into some cult. Check it out:

http://callcentrediary.blogspot.com/ is what it should be

http://callcentrediary.blogpot.com/ is DEFINITELY NOT

O h m y G o d . Still, it could have been worse... not a sackable offense!