The Big Blowdown

Twat *

2010-08-08T18:08:00.002+01:00

So we head off in ex's car to take the boy and his mate to the Big Chill festival. I stayed for the weekend last year and had a great time, but I have decided to give festivals and camping a miss for the rest of my life. Anyway, back to this year. So we head off just shortly after the ex has told me twice that the car will need petrol.

Get through London with no problems. M4 is quite quiet and off to the Welsh border we head. Quick stop at service station to stretch our legs. Another stop at Good Pub Guide pub of the year 2009. Get on the M5 and not far off the junction we need to get off to get the road to Ledbury (where the Big Chill is being held). Well, what is going on with the car. It's dragging. What the fuck? It's conking out. In middle lane so carefully have to negotiate back into slow lane and come to a halt in the hard shoulder. It's ran out of fucking petrol. What a fucking idiot I am! And thank fuck we made it onto the hard shoulder cos motorways are pretty scary places to be when you are either stopped or going slow. We think this as lorry after lorry goes past us shuddering the car which we then decide to get out of. First move is to phone ex to find out if she is in the AA, but don't get an answer as she is probably in meeting at work. Nothing else for it but to walk little way and use phone on motorway. They ask if we are covered and I say no. JJ points to Green Flag sticker on car but I dismiss this as I say that sticker has been on there since we got the car many years ago. Anyway, mechanic on phone takes £95 payment and says he'll get to us in about 30 minutes. Two truck turns up and takes us to the petrol station. On way - and about 200 yards from where we were stuck - roadworks are on and sign says free breakdown recovery in place. Petrol station less than mile from where we were stopped and, while JJ flirts with mechanic - I fill up the car. Mechanic fucks off and I pay for petrol. Back out to car and ... it doesn't start. Fuck, fuck fuck!!! Just no way is it starting. Don't know what to do. Ask some people around for advice but they cannot offer anything. Now I'm standing around looking totally lost and confused and thinking I'll have to get mechanic back out, which doesn't seem to upset JJ too much. Just then, however, blokes with lots of tattoos asks if I want a jump start. Brings jump leads out and, in less than two minutes, the car is off and running. And off to the Big Chill it is.

As I said, the plan was to drop boys off at the campsite and then JJ and I were heading off to Ludlow for night in hotel.

Get to Ledbury and all is well and we locate the gate we are to go into. Only problem is that thousands of others are going in at the same time and we crawl and stop and crawl and stop. Eventually get in the gate and make our way so slowly along dirt track to the car park. But I suddenly get scary thought - how the fuck are we going to get back out of this single track dirt road? All four of us at about the same time then decide to about turn. Do that with difficulty and force cars into the hedge so that we can get out. Get to the gate and ... no way out as cars coming in both lanes from the direction we want to go in! But, luckily, just few minutes later we see and opening and out we go. Can think of nothing else to do with the boys but to dump them at side of the road with all their gear and the beer supplies for them and all their mates. Just as we are about to say our goodbyes, the ex sends me a text to say that the car is covered by Green Flag breakdown service. Reidski is 100 quid out of pocket for nothing. But, hey, it was an adventure. And JJ and I then have lovely evening in Ludlow.

And then the nightmare really began - going into dining room for breakfast the next morning I noticed only one big table round which everyone is sitting, with two empty seats for JJ and I. Some forced small talk ensues with the idiots we are forced to spend breakfast with. This, folks, was worse than the previous day.

* John Cooper Clarke

Bionic*

2010-04-11T17:29:00.002+01:00

This was so good.

I'm so glad they made a comeback - however brief that might be!

*King Adora

Just Like Nothing On Earth *

2010-03-13T13:50:00.002Z

My son - aka the boy - was the talk of his sixth-form college yesterday.

Background: the boy has had a tough opening period in his A-level years (all his own doing right enough, what with the dope-smoking and massive absentee record).

Yesterday, friends of friends who are in another class were mentioning how a student who never turns up for class achieved an A mark in philosophy in recent test. Meanwhile, over in sociology, teacher asks the boy to stand up and then declares to class just how "proud" she is of him for achieving A in recent test and asks him to pass on his revision hints to rest of class. The boy says: "I didn't really do any revision!"

The boy goes along to philosophy class and realises that the student they have been talking about his him. Form teacher turns up at class and marches the boy to head teacher's room and tells her: "This is the boy I was telling you about." Head teacher says to the boy: "That any student can get A marks for sociology and philosophy is quite an achievement. That you, who never turns up for classes can do this, is quite phenomenal. But you have done it, so I can only congratulate you!" The boy's mates and fellow students are aghast at his marks. The boy thinks it's hilarious.

Had to admit, it was very funny. Well worth the tenner I gave him for beers!

And, yes, I know we all hated those kids at college/school who SAID they didn't do any work and then passed all exams easy. But the boy really, really, really done nothing!!

*The Stranglers

Out of State

2009-09-12T11:29:00.001+01:00

Going to see Richmond Fontaine with JJ in Bedford tonight. There simply isn't much better than a RF gig (seen them five or six times in the past), so looking forward to this.

You Dont Know My Friends

2009-08-15T12:16:00.001+01:00

Tom Brosseau - probably my highlight of The Big Chill last weekend.

Simple Stuff*

2009-07-18T13:37:00.002+01:00

How sweet!

How weird!

Btw, having a whale of a time recently. Been to two amazingly brilliant gigs with JJ in past couple of weeks. Silversun Pickups at Heaven was fantastic. TV on the Radio at Brixton Academy was probably even more fantastic. Got new role at work - now part of the boss class!! Getting tickets to the Big Chill with the boy and his mates. Planning to take the boy to Paris for few days. And lots and lots of other stuff.

Dipped into Facebook for first time in months today. Still don't really know what it's all about!

* Echo and the Bunnymen

I'm Wishing On A Star *

2009-06-13T11:29:00.002+01:00

This sketch got the Australian TV programme it appeared on suspended for a fortnight and led to the sacking of the head of comedy (I think) of the ABC channel in the country. I think it's quite funny. But, then again, I may be sick - or maybe I just understand the difference between satire and offensiveness.

*

Rose Royce

Crazy *

2009-05-29T16:22:00.003+01:00

Right, I haven't watched one minute of Britain's Got Talent, but with all the publicity surrounding Susan Boyle, she must be worth a punt. £25 at 10/11 with William Hill!

Will I watch it tomorrow night? Will I fuck!

* Seal

Happiness *

2009-04-03T17:17:00.001+01:00

Quite right too! Fucking disgrace - you wouldn't get me drinking for six hours three days before I go to work!

*Ken Dodd

One Question*

2009-03-20T11:43:00.000Z

Why?

Up The Hill Backwards *

2009-03-09T22:33:00.002Z

Walking up from Deptford to Blackheath on Friday, JJ and I were enamoured by this sight. Don't know if you can spot the bloke working away, but he was the only one we spotting from the junction down the bottome (one way goes to Greenwich, one to Lewisham, one to New Cross and, the road that we were on, goes up to the heath). He was just standing there with a pick in his hand hacking away at one small spot on the road. No-one else spotted working until we got right up to Greenwich Park. Don't know why, but we both this very funny.

* David Bowie (JJ can tell you about my brilliant impression which is part Bowie part Anthony Newley)

Scum*

2009-03-07T14:38:00.002Z

If it wasn't for the score today, I'd be celebrating this news. As it is, I'm merely laughing my head off.

Oh, and for those who say that Celtic and that other lot need each other, no we don't!

*Napalm Death

It's A Beautiful Day *

2009-03-07T14:15:00.002Z

Err, no it's not! Just saw the following on my computer screen:

SCR6: FT St Mirren 1-0 Celtic

* Can't bring myself to write the name of this band. Let's just say that the singer is the most horrific person ever in the history of the world!

In The City *

2009-03-07T10:42:00.003Z

This pic taken from what I probably consider my favourite spot in the world. The pic doesn't at all do justice to the view one can get from next to the Royal Observatory in Greenwhich, but thought I'd share it with you as it's the first pic I've posted from my new camera, which JJ gave me for Christmas.

And it's got me back to blogging again!

Talking of the Royal Observatory, I've been passing it by for over 20 years now, having spent many days in Greenwich Park since I moved to London in 1988. Can't really beat cycling to the park on a sunny Sunday afternoon with a couple of beers in your bag and settling down to watch the cricket. Yesterday was sunny but couldn't have cycled up the hill to Blackheath, the road once again being dug up all the way from just beyond Wicks right up to the roundabout outside the park. So up the hill we strolled and into the Royal Observatory (well, it's free entry these days - how long before the Tories (for they shall win the next election unfortunately) stop the subsidies of our museums and galleries?). A very pleasant experience, if not mind-blowing. Not such a pleasant experience was the whiff of manure coming from the Rose Garden. But, with around 90 different rose beds for the 90 different roses here, this place will look magnificent come the middle of summer.

Bloody hell, not blogged for about two months and all I go on about is flowers!!

*The Jam

Mr Writer *

2009-01-10T13:33:00.002Z

From today's Guardian, a wonderful sentence in a review by Brian Logan of the horrific-sounding Mandy Patinkin's one-man show in London:

"Some people love this stuff; the rest of us are agog that it hasn't been criminalised."

*The despicable and odious Stereophonics

Books *

2009-01-04T21:52:00.002Z

"But he was only a weakling and a bully and a near-murderer, scumbag, self-pitier, miser, liar, ass and oaf on the outside - who isn't? Somewhere on the inside there was a decent human being. Oh, all right: Rex Harrison was an absolutely irredeemable cunt who tried to murder me - but still, you have to try to forgive people, no matter what. Otherwise we'd be back in the jungle.
I forgive you, Rex."

So, come on, that extract is from which autobiography published last year?

* The Teardrop Explodes

Lost Weekend *

2009-01-04T18:05:00.004Z

I had just said goodbye to JJ after a rather wonderful lunch and couple of pints. I was heading away from her car, walking back to the campsite and a lump came to my throat and a tear fell from my eye. "For fuck sake, Reidski, get a grip," I screamed at myself. "It's only a fucking music festival!" But it wasn't any music festival. I had been to countless music festivals over the years. Chilled out at Glastonbury, got down with the indie kids at Reading, went mental for the Manics and Pistols at Phoenix and relaxed and drank loads of guinness at the odd Fleadh or two. But the festival I was heading back to was like none of those. It was the Download festival and it was the worst weekend of music I have ever had to put myself through. It was the 13-15 June 2008 when the football European championships were on - big reason for not wanting to be at Download there.

For the uninformed, Download is heavy metal and associated music. For the uninformed, heavy metal and heavy rock music fans are probably the worst sort of music fan.

Thought it might be fun - well, first night was Motorhead followed by Judas Priest followed by headliners Kiss. Well, it wasn't fun, it was boring as fuck. Motorhead were tedious, but, hey, they then launched into a few late 70s numbers. Only for only other sad bloke on his own to come up and start fucking talking to me until Motorhead walked off stage. "Who are you here to see," he asks. "Err, Motorhead were the only band I wanted to see the whole weekend but, as you can see, they have now gone off and, as you talked to me for half of their set, I've missed them," I reply. So, off I go to hang about elsewhere away from Kiss's number one one fan, or so he told me, to check out music on the other stage. Some shite metal band are on, so I have my fifth or sixth pint of cider of the evening. I trundle back round to the main stage and Judas priest singer is coming on stage on a Harley Davidson motorbike. "Please, please, please take a run right off stage," I think. But he doesn't. Instead, he gets off the motorbike and starts shrieking over some goddam awful music. Exit Reidski to watch some emo shit on the other stage. Yes, should have said, some emo gets a look-in here also. I then decide to go back to tent and read and drink whisky. Then it's walk - well, should really say trek as the campsite is a 30 minute walk from the stages - back to catch Kiss, thinking they would be funny. They weren't, they were fucking tedious, embarrassing and a musical disgrace. Spinal Tap did this much better than this. So off I trek back to tent after about three mind-numbingly bad songs to read and drink more whisky. I then don't get any sleep all fucking night as heavy metal fans are all fucking anti-social cunts (JJ, I know I vowed never to use this disgusting word again, but surely I can use it when referring to the people at Download?) who stay up all night being really noisy and vicious and parading around the campsite saying they are going to set alight to tents and get enough people together to beat up all the security guards. I didn't participate.

Ok, shit night, but when the noise kind of stopped at about 8 in the morning I did manage a couple of hours sleep until meeting JJ and how I needed to see her. First, though, I had to take something to the car and made the long trek to the car park. Got there and thought, oh shit, where the fuck is the car? My problem being that rows and rows of cars of indeterminate shape (all cars look alike to me) and colours (I am colour blind so cannot easily pick out colour of car that I want). So, after hour or so of looking I call my son - he is the reason why I am here, but more on that later. He comes to my heroic assistance - much as he and his mates did with the tent (but that's a boring story of my incompetence and impatience and desperation for a pint). They evenutually track the car down and I get on with what I need to get on with. And then meet JJ outside this hell hole. We had fantastic time and, as I say above, I then have to go back to the abyss. But, after pulling myself together, I did perk up as I had the idea of spending the evening in the car park, listening to the football on the car radio - can't remember now which games were on that Saturday night. So was all happy about that and missing the music cos there were no bands on on the Saturday that I had any interest in at all. So get myself a couple of pints and my book and take the long trek to the car - this weekend is a series of long treks, innit? Get to the car and, am just about to put radio on and it hits me: can't get MW on this fucking car radio! Shit! Get a stupid fucking local FM station whose presenter declares this evening a "football-free three hours". Shit, won't even get the scores. But, at least it's an indie station so sit - very sadly - in the car listening to music for three hours. Sitting in car, I just know from experience, is a million times better than watching the headliners on the main stage - The Offspring, who are the worst band every in any history of any world. Terrible excuse for a band. Then it's long trek back to campsite and being kept awake all night. Heavy metal cunts!

Hey, get up for last full day. Music is shite. How many more burgers am I going to eat? When am I going to wash? Can I take 70,000 festival-goers on in a fight?

Anyway, cannot remember any bands I watched, but seem to remember quite liking on of them - Simple Plan, I think they were called. Watch the headliners on the second stage, the Finnish band Children of Bodom, who take their name from a massacre of a group of kids in Finland many years ago - how sweet. Their vocabulary between songs consists of telling the crowd, including me I suppose, that we are the "best motherfuckers in the motherfucking world, you bunch of motherfuckers." Don't think I'll be introducing them to my parents the next time we all get together!

And then another sleepless night. And not too bad getting out of the car park. And drive down the motorway. And could not wait to get through my front door. But, first, it was put my son through his front door. About six months previously, I promised the boy that I'd take him and his mate to Download. Everyone said I was mad. I thought I could handle anything. I couldn't handle Download at all, the weekend, the superb lunch with JJ notwithstanding, was a fucking nightmare.But, as the boy got through the door and I annnounced my goodbyes, he declared this to be the best weekend of his life. I gave him freedom. I gave him a couple of beers. I hardly saw him all weekend. He saw lots of bands that he's right into. I felt like a nice dad, at last!

But, hey, I was glad it was all over. Fucking horrid!

* Lloyd Cole and the Commotions

Dazed and Confused *

2008-12-20T13:28:00.002Z

I think it's Estelle that's the idiot here. The interview was one of my TV highlights of the year. Paxman said and did nothing wrong and Dizzee Rascal came across as intelligent, funny and someone who is not up their own arse.

*Led Zeppellin

Wolf like Me *

2008-12-16T12:00:00.001Z

Stunning. Just fucking stunning! JJ, next time this band are in town, we have got to see them.

*TV On The Radio

P.S. And, hey, Marc, thank you so much for the introduction to my favourite new band.

Career Opportunities *

2008-12-10T17:25:00.001Z

Gie's a job!

* The Clash

Fucked Up *

2008-11-29T13:18:00.000Z

What a fucked up world we live in!

* Dead Prez

The Crying Game *

2008-11-21T21:25:00.001Z

Fantastic pic.

* Julie London, I think

Grotesque *

2008-11-18T11:33:00.002Z

This is the kind of thing I get invited to. And, btw, any relations between the rant below and this is purely coincidental:

HYATT REGENCY SPECTATOR
Special Event for Spectator Readers - Monday 8 December 2008
MASTERS AND COMMANDERS
‘An Evening with Andrew Roberts’

In celebration of the launch of his new book ‘Masters and Commanders’ – How Roosevelt, Churchill, Marshall and Alanbrooke won the war in the west, Hyatt Regency London – The Churchill invites you to an intimate evening dinner with acclaimed historian and biographer Andrew Roberts on Monday 8 December 2008.

In Masters and Commanders Roberts shows how the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians ultimately rested on the decisions taken by four strong-willed and toughminded men, each with his own view on how to win the war.

In true Churchillian spirit, Executive Chef, Ben Purton has created a special three course menu, with selected wines to match.

The event commences at 7:00 pm with a champagne reception in The Library Bar.

Tickets priced at £125 and strictly limited include: champagne reception;
3-course meal; selected wines and a signed copy of the book
‘Masters and Commanders’.

RESERVE your place NOW by calling 020 7961 0044 or email
robertsdinner@pressholdings.com quoting reference ARD

*The Wonder Stuff

Tourette's *

2008-11-18T11:13:00.002Z

Read a report in the Morning Star yesterday about the Labour Representation Committee's annual conference from the weekend. The headline referred to the conference highlighting the twin threats of the BNP and "state fascism". Ok, I do think there are good people involved with the LRC - Benn, McDonnell, et al - but stories like that indicate that those involved are a bunch of nutjobs. State fascism? Come on, there is a hell of a lot wrong with our society and with our government, but we are far from having a fascist state. The trouble with groups such as the LRC is that they believe that, as they get some nutty Trots (AWL), self-styled communists (just who the hell are the International Group of Communists) and social democrats in the same room together, then this in some ways represents a broad movement. No, it just means that, as always done in the past and as is done now, the left talks to the left, but only those sections of the left that other sections of the left agree with. What a waste of time and energy. Well, would you spend your free time organising with a group which a few years ago referred in disparaging terms to the immoral "sex-for-pleasure" mentality pervading British youth? That was the NCP, by the way! As I say, fucking nuts!

And while I'm on a rant, isn't it about time the Stoke the War Coalition wound up. How many conferences is it going to take before they realise they are wasting their time?

* Nirvana

Hanging Around *

2008-11-18T10:40:00.002Z

Stuck indoors this morning waiting for a new laptop to be delivered. I can't stand that waiting here doing nothing, particularly as I had to wave off JJ from my doorstep earlier on. I think that's only the second occasion I've done that as we usually travel across London together before she heads off home.

More annoying than hanging around doing not a lot was Northampton's performance against Leeds in the FA Cup last night. The Cobblers' defence was hopeless and the goalkeeper (just called into the England Under-21 squad) was dire, so mixed with a terrific hat-trick by Leeds' forward Jermaine Beckford and a 5-2 defeat was the result. It did not make for good television - yes, Cobblers on TV for second time in just over a week!

While watching the game, I came out with one of those comments that fans of lower league teams really must hate. "When it comes to football, isn't it all about disappointments?" A terrible thing to say when you consider that I support a football team which has, in my lifetime, has reached three European finals (winning the European Cup once), won, at one stage, nine league titles in a row, won countless Scottish Cups and League Cups and is in the process of going for four SPL titles in a row. But the fact remains that I view football in negative terms. Weird that!

Anyway, here I sit, doing bugger all, waiting for my new computer .....

*The Stranglers

Hang Me Out To Dry

2008-11-07T14:28:00.001Z

Not been to a gig for a while, so off to the Astoria with JJ tonight hoping the Cold War Kids are on top form.

Dance Wiv 'im

2008-11-07T14:21:00.001Z

Fantastic stuff from Dizzee Rascal. But some of the comments on the youtube messageboard about it are rather disturbing!

Race For The Prize *

2008-11-03T18:39:00.002Z

For some strange reason, I entered a seven-mile race, which took place in Leicestershire yesterday. My aim was to finish. My second aim was to finish in under an hour. I did both - 59 mins, 55 secs. I was well chuffed. That I came in 266th place wasn't a problem as there were around 420 in the race. I have never done any running other than the odd workout on a treadmill before.

* Flaming Lips

Sometimes *

2008-10-29T18:41:00.002Z

Yes, sometimes I blog, but, these days, that is not very often at all. It's not like I've not had material recently: the fantastic time JJ and I had at a family wedding recently, Kris Boyd's disgraceful behaviour, Millwall's excellent form which has seen them go top of League One, Celtic's embarrassment against Manure, the end of capitalism (yes, according to Simon Heffer in the Evening Standard, Gordon Brown now presides over a socialist economy now - what a numpty) and other related stories. Talking of which, it's not all bad news.

And I've got lots to tell JJ when she returns from Egypt: more footie stuff such as the horrid Redknapp going to Spurs and, err, Brand and Ross being suspended by the BBC (what a disgusting pair they are).

So, I could write about all that stuff, but I won't, cos a mixture of laziness combined with the fact that I need to buy a new computer means it is very frustrating sitting down to blog or do anything on this fucking PC.

Not that anyone has visited this place for some time .....

*The Stranglers

P.S. anyone who does drop by should also visit Inveresk Street and check out the pics of Darren's lovely new baby boy - a right wee cracker!

Watching The News *

2008-09-22T21:29:00.004+01:00

Many questions will inevitably arise from a story which has dominated
the news from my home town in recent times. So, I'll answer any which readers want to pose. Please read on ...

First, there was a warning.

Then, there was the event itself.

But disaster followed.

And, then ... aaah, a happy ending is on the horizon!

Footnote: The Carters Society is some sort of secret society for horse riders in the town - a bit kind of Bareback Masons, if you like. And it organises the highlight of the cultural calendar in my home town.

* Iggy Pop (from the brilliant Zombie Birdhouse album)

Comin' Back To Me *

2008-09-12T18:05:00.004+01:00

In the absence of an original thought in my head, I'll do that questionnaire thingy that lots of other people have been doing. It's a where-were-you-when thing. So here goes:

Princess Diana's death 31st August 1997
Had a late night drinking and listening to music with friends. Got up with rotten hangover to go to my job on a newspaper. Like I always done then, I put Ceefax on to see what news I would be putting on the pages. "Oh fuck," I thought. "There's going to be fuck all else news today!" Thought we would have done something similar to what our paper did when Princess Anne married Mark Phillips. That particular event got a paragraph on page 3 along the lines of: "Many roads in central London were blocked off yesterday as crowds watched the wedding procession of Anne Windsor and Mark Phillips." Classy!
Back to the Diana story, felt no emotion for her whatsoever other thank thinking what a huge story it was. I then think that the events over the weeks following her death convinced me that the fight for a just and classless society was going to be a long one.
And, by the way, we did put it on the front page. "Death of an icon," was the headline. Quite a good one, if you ask me. The story went along the lines of how she was created by the media and pretty much killed by it.

Margaret Thatcher's resignation 22nd November 1990
Weird, but cannot remember what the hell I was doing. As JJ and Darren have both mentioned, my memory is also of that scene a few days before she went outside the British Embassy in Paris when Bernard Ingham showed John Sargeant out the way. Fucking hilarious. What wasn't so hilarious was the fact that she had been at some EU summit selling more sovereignty to the Eurocrats. But, no, have no memory whatsoever about what I was doing when she actually resigned.

Attack on Twin Towers - 11 September 2001
Was in the newsroom of the newspaper that I worked and was the first to spot the story on Ceefax. People ignoring it at first until I said that we should really switch to the news. Then what happened was a mixture of the bizarre (one colleague phoning her aunt in Toronto to ask if she was okay - twat), some fear (our office was in spitting distance of Canary Wharf and we were all convinced we'd see a plane or two heading our way) and the ridiculous (the decision not to put the twin towers attack on the front page. That distinction went to some NUT delegate's speech to the TUC in which he mentioned some fucking nonentity of a local dispute teachers were having in Haringey or some shithole like that). It was a surreal day. It was also this day that I thought: "Fuck, there goes any hopes that Bush would be an isolationist!" And I'm not making that one up in hindsight - it was fucking obvious early on what the response was going to be.

England's World Cup Semi-Final against Germany 4 July 1990
By the time this game came round, I was getting well pissed off how jammy England were in this tournament. To this day, I have no idea how Cameroon failed to beat them. I have no idea how Belgium failed to beat them. So, there I was in my front room of the flat on Telegraph Hill absolutely desperate for Germany to win. And there I was with my partner at the time. At the moment the final penalty went skyward, I was running up and down the hallway shouting "ya fucking beauty!" She was in the front room crying her eyes out. We nearly split up over that one. Luckily, though, we hung on for a few more years and produced a weed-smoking beer-drinking giant of a boy.

President Kennedy's Assassination 22 November 1963
In Dallas with the other operatives. 'Nuff said!

*Jefferson Airplane

Radio Radio *

2008-09-11T23:45:00.003+01:00

The following from the Guardian Guide last Saturday about a radio programme which was on earlier tonight:

The history series Document (8pm, R4) returns with the tale of how, in 1974, Howard Wilson considered handing Northern Ireland to its southern neighbour.

This has been from writer (who would probably have sourced it from some listings press release), to sub-editor, to chief sub-editor and then to editor prior to publication. So, did the writer get it wrong, or did someone change it? Whatever, that is quite an error for that many people to make, don't you think? Or is it me that's the ignorant stupid idiot here?

And that's to say nothing of the ideological slant of it!

* Elvis Costello and the Attractions

Mad About The Boy *

2008-09-05T22:44:00.002+01:00

The boy can infuriate his mum and I at times (but not that often, it has to be said). He can also take the piss out of us big time (and he does quite often). The latter can be entertaining. And both can fuse together at times. For example, take his GCSE Maths exam. He took this a year early. He was taught up to Pass C level. On day of results coming out - you know, when it hits the news and you see all those stories and pics of kids going along to school to receive results - the boy declared that the school was shut (lying wee jobby). Next night, me and his mum take him out for a curry (he always orders vindaloo, by the way), and, after couple of questions about why he still didn't go and get his result, he declares: "In year 10, it's only the deeks who get the results! I'll get them when I got back to school."

Two weeks later, he returns to school. First day, he says: "Didn't have maths, so didn't get my result." "Fuck, why didn't you just walk along to the bloody corridor and ask, ya wee shitebag?," is what I wanted to ask, but didn't. Boy just laughs the whole thing off.

Skip forward to tonight and I have just about forgotten that he's even sat a GCSE. Walking past his house (yes, on way to mine from train, I pass the boy's house) and see his elbow hanging out the window, I shout out his name and he appears. "Did you get your result?" I ask. "Yes, he says, I got a D. But it is a high D, so it's nearly a C." "Yes," I respond, "but it's also nearly a E,." "Dad, it's a high D high," he says. "What?" I ask. His answer: "You're an idiot, man! I got a B!"

I have no idea what the boy was saying to me. But, all I know is that he got a B for a GCSE in maths, in a subject which he has only been taught up to C level, and he's taken the exam a year earlier than he should be taking it.

I've very proud of my boy. If only he didn't force me to go to the Download Festival this year, then everything would be perfect!

* Noel Coward (but covered by countless people such as Eartha Kitt, Julie London, Dinah Washington and all sorts of others)

Insight*

2008-08-24T19:03:00.002+01:00

And, on the subject of reading material on trains (see below) and still on the evening in question, the train I boarded at Milton Keynes after spending a lovely evening with JJ drinking and eating had a very weird catalogue sitting on it when I took my seat.

Among the products on sale are a silver vertex distance guide, flippers, Maddox Phoria measure, face dot test panels, a red/green Lorgnette, a fixation ball, and amsler grid pad.

So what was the profession of the person sitting there before me?

*Joy Division

Hellnation *

2008-08-24T18:51:00.003+01:00

I'm loathe to pick up those free papers you get bombarded with when travelling in London. Saying nothing of the content - well, okay, on the content, just how many times a week can you have pictures of Any Whinehouse acting like a drunken and drug-addled lunatic? - I really object to all that waste. I read somewhere that the paper isn't even recycled, hence they contribute to tonnes and tonnes of wasted paper every day. Grotesque really!

Nevertheless, pick one up I did last week as a result of my having finished my book on the train from MK to London. Once again, it was confirmed why I shouldn't encourage these twats to produce a newsless newspaper. One cracking piece did catch my eye, however. This was a whole page on how to "write the perfect love letter." Among the sage advice it offers are these:

Make it personal: Letters should be crammed with compliments. Fill it with those gushy things nobody else will ever have noticed.

Send it on a memorable day: Choose a day that's meaningful in some trifling but romantic way.

Pick your paper with care: It won't be noticed if it's written in blue biro on torn paper.

Get in touch with your emotions: Don't just say "I love you," write "I love you desperately.

What really struck me about this was the thought that I had already read this in one of the Khmer Rouge Strippergram posts!

*Dead Kennedys

Sealed With A Glasgow Kiss *

2008-08-19T22:47:00.003+01:00

I was going to post this with a bit of comment, but, on second thoughts, it needs no comment whatsoever. Only to say, it's a classic! The headline alone is fantastic!

* Carter USM

Things Your Mother Never Told You *

2008-08-19T22:11:00.003+01:00

It's about time I got back to blogging and I can think of no better thing to blog about than the 50th anniversary production of West Side Story, which JJ and I went to see at Sadlers Wells last Thursday.

I am certainly no expert on musical drama, dance or anything really but ... stunning is the word for this one. Yes, we all know the story - gang warfare, love across a cultural and racial divide, teenage alienation, turf wars, racism, poverty, a fear and hatred of outsiders. Yes, as I say, a story we all know, but ... it's done so well, the musical is beautiful, the lyrics mind-blowing, the choreography mesmeric, the social message so strong (but not over-bearing) and a mixture which comes together so perfectly (well, with one very slight flaw, in my opinion).

So those are the elements which those of us like me are well familiar with from watching the film throughout our many years. But I certainly didn't think I would be seeing such an amazing production as that put on during this limited season at Sadlers Wells. The music was perfect, but certainly not in any shallow and clinical way - it was pounding, it was soaring and it was highly emotional. The cast belted the songs out in cracking form - to say nothing of the quality acting. And, as for the dancing, well, as others have remarked about West Side Story, it was in many ways unique in the way the beat and rhythm (are they the same thing?) are so unlike anything that was being danced to up until it was opened in 1958. One writer (Martin Samuel in the Times - brilliant piece, btw, which I should really link to) compared it to his contemporaries in the '70s pretending they could dance to Jethro Tull, believe it or not. But, anyway, the movement of those at Sadlers Wells was pretty outstanding. Whether the fight scenes, the gym dance scene, the Puerto Rican women doing America or any other scene, we had grace and beauty moving around the stage, with what seemed to this totally amateur eye as perfection.

So what was this flaw that grated on my mind? The Officer Kruppke song! I was of the belief that this production messed around with the running order of the songs, as this very comic turn comes shortly after Riff and Bernardo are killed in the rumble. My view, based on what I remembered of the film, was that this appeared earlier in story. I thought this as I just couldn't get my head around the fact that a bunch of teenage lads would be in the mood for messing about when their gang leader had just been stabbed to death. They would have been shitting themselves, no matter how much of a bravado front they wished to put on. So a bit of research - and JJ seeing the film at the weekend - confirmed that, indeed, this silly song comes much earlier in the film, but, in fact, in the original stage production, it was in the same order as the Sadlers Wells show. A strange thing for Robbins, Bernstein and Sondheim to have done, but, hey, they are still a collection of geniuses.

Fuck, sorry for going on there, but it just sort of played on my mind a bit.

Anyway, it in no way spoiled things as this was way up there with the greatest spectacles - musical or otherwise - that I've ever seen on a stage. I've been cranking my brains since last Thursday to come up with something better and I just can't get there. I loved Brigadoon, which was the first major show I ever went to see on a London stage. A production of Madam Butterfly at the Royal Albert Hall was beautiful. The Play Wot I Wrote - with Ranulph Fiennes making the guest appearance that night - was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. But ...

Perfect music, perfect ensemble acting and dancing, beautiful lyrics and singing. This was all anyone could ask for. Perfect!

* Wayne County and the Electric Chairs

I Don't Mind If You Forget Me*

2008-08-01T23:12:00.003+01:00

Tried to post Kool and the Gang doing Celebration, but something went wrong. But, hey, if it has appeared twice already, then won't I look stupid.

Anyway, anyway, anyway, thanks to TNR, my computer is working again and I'm back online at home. I've much to discuss, like ... err. What was it again? Can't remember, now. But back in time for football season about to start. Watched Celtic play abysmally against Spurs tonight - what utter garbage. Message for Darren: forces of darkness for the league (I think you know why I do this now!).

Went to see Jefferston Starship at the 100 Club last night - what a fantastic, groovy, far out and truly wonderful experience.

But the big, huge, massive cultural highlight of the week was booking tickets for JJ and I to see West Side Story at Sadlers Wells - absolutely cannot wait til Thursday August 14th. It will be fantastic.

Anyway, so glad to be back and will be annoying you lot (all three of you) big time!

Recent music purchases: Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane; Idlewilde by Outkast; lcd soundsystem; Infinity Land by Biffy Clyro (which reminds me, must blog about Dowload, which was the worst weekend of my life, but was the boy's best weekend, which made it brilliant, really. If you know what I mean!)

*Morrissey

Happy Anniversary *

2008-06-28T10:09:00.005+01:00

This blog is four today. It's getting a bit tired and jaded (unlike it's creator). I think PC problems at home are to blame. Talking of which, anyone know of a free anti-virus software that I can download. I assumed that such things were easily available and, me being a skinflint and all that, haven't bought a package yet. Anyway, you never know, I may get back to doing the odd post now and again in the near future.

Should really blog about my trip to the Download festival. And about a hilarious Q&A piece I read in one of the London free papers with Sarah Brightman a few weeks ago - it's been sitting next to my computer at home for ages. And, from the same paper, the bizarre concept of former Thompson Twins member Alannah Currie now designing furniture which incorporates stuffed animals - I kid you not. Here's a taster from a piece in the Guardin from I don't know when:

3. On using roadkill: The foxes, swan, lamb and blue tit on my chairs are memento mori. I'm a vegetarian, so I did a lot of research to find the right taxidermist who uses animals that die naturally or are roadkill. I had to wait eight months for the swan. As far as fitting the animals into the chairs, I'm very specific. For instance, for the foxes, I measured the back of the chair, drew exactly how I wanted the foxes to be positioned and sent these drawings to the taxidermist. Then I sewed them in when they eventually arrived. All the furniture is made to be robust. It is functional art - there may be a lamb on the chair, but you can lie beside it or use it as a cushion. To me, they are very beautiful but disturbing at the same time

Fucking nuts!

*Little River Band

Welcome To The Cabaret *

2008-06-03T23:22:00.001+01:00

Limmy gets a bit angry!

* Christy Moore

The Oil Song *

2008-05-30T17:24:00.001+01:00

Well, we didn't really think it was just affecting some British lorry drivers, did we?

* Steve Forbert

Saturday Night *

2008-05-25T11:56:00.002+01:00

I went to this last night. It was stupid, puerile, crass, post-modern rubbish ... I had a great time. Well, I had a great time when Arse Full of Chips were on stage (as well as when they were running round the audience spraying after shave, fake snow and water at everyone) and when Kunt and the Gang was on doing his rather unique set. As for the other two bands, well, come on lads, hardcore thrash punk was rather tieresome back in 1981 never mind 2008. Back to the fun ... Arse Full of Chips put me in mind of Goldie Looking Chain without the decent music and the Welsh accents. And while the Welsh "rappers" did have their own uniforms, being the bling and stuff, Arse Full of Chips went in for a rather different uniform of the likes of animal costumes and Captain Fantastic outfits. Songs were about how racist Jade Goody is, buying dodgy kebabs and the suggestion that you really shouldn't eat the leftovers the next morning and how shit their home town of Matlock is.

Basildon's Kunt and the Gang, described by Bizarre magazine as a "one-man filth machine", is, err, a one-man filth machine. In town to promote his One Last Wank and One Last Cry CD, his songs are, on the whole, about ... can you guess? ... wanking. Cuntsticks, a rather alternative version of Chas and Dave's Gertcha, was among the highlights for me. He really is the ultimate purveyor of post-modern nonsense. As I say, I loved it! Of course, in six months, I'll hate it cos it really is musical comedy which has a very short life span. But I'll enjoy it while I can.

* Blue Nile

You'll Never Walk Alone

2008-05-22T23:00:00.001+01:00

No comment!

The Sound of Silence *

2008-05-11T00:16:00.000+01:00

I am saying fuck all!

*Simon & Garfunkel

Wow *

2008-05-10T15:21:00.003+01:00

The Sun amazes us with its super soaraway predictions yet again!

*Kate Bush

Music Was My First Love*

2008-05-10T14:54:00.006+01:00

From Andrew Brown, a tag thingy! So ...

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they’re listening to.

Venus by Television. The layers upon layers of guitar on this song are simply stunning. Got the Marquee Moon CD recently from Amazon, along with first two Talking Heads and Magazine's live Play, which still hasn't arrived about six weeks after being ordered.

No I In Threesome by Interpol. Fabby fabby song. Went to see them with JJ last year and thought they were totally brilliant live.

All My Friends by LCD Soundsystem. Pounding rhythms. Sometimes on when I'm running in the gym - no better track to exercise to.

Hey Lucifer by British Sea Power. A damn fine band who I would love to see live. This one has a great football-style chant to it.

Cracking Up by Nick Lowe. Downloaded this onto my MP3 player recently. An oldie, but a goodie.

Blacklisted by Neko Case. Another one I downloaded recently. Never came across her before seeing mention at Counago and Spaves. Beautiful voice, lovely music.

Magnificent Five by Adam and the Ants. From the Kings of the Wild Frontier album - still a classic in my opinion!

There, Andrew, done it. As for another seven people to do it ... come on JJ, tnr, Darren, John, Martin, Lisa and The Fatalist, get writing.

* John Miles

Scots Wha Hae*

2008-05-10T14:24:00.005+01:00

I'm finding the row over Scottish Labour Party leader Wendy Alexander's call for an early referendum on Scottish independence to be rather bizarre. That Gordon Brown, at Prime Minister's Question Time, failed to back her comments, says volumes about just how split they are.

I think Alexander's tactics to be very astute. Why wait another two or three years for a referendum? Well, if you are in favour of winning the referendum, then another couple of years in the union won't be such a big hardship, surely? This would give the SNP time to show how responsible they are in government. It would also, of course, give time for a Tory government to be elected in London and thereby causing more grief for Scotland, being, as it is, traditionally difficult in recent decades for the Conservatives to get a stronghold in the country. More resentment toward the union will obviously surface should this happen.

Alexander, on the hand, can see that, the earlier that a referendum takes place, the better chance of a No vote for independence. So what's the problem with her Labour colleagues?

All I can read into things is that Gordon Brown is a control-freak and that the split has occurred as a result of Alexander showing some autonomy. How dare that northern upstart try to develop a policy which does not follow London's lead, eh? It is also all about Brown's - and Blair's before him - obsession with panels, commisisons, inquiries, etc. This one, the Calman Commission, which is supported by Labour, Tories and Lib-Dems, will no doubt come up with a conclusion which does nothing to clear the matter up but which merely confuses the matter further or, at best, supports the establishment of an English Parliament (and how can any person with more than two brain cells oppose such a thing?).

Alexander is a Unionist. Brown is a Unionist. It surely should have taken anyone, just anyone, with a modicum of bravado, to have said to Brown: "Gordo, she's onto a winner here. We should break with that Calman Commission pish and back an early referendum. The longer we wait, the bigger the danger to our beloved Butcher's Apron.!" Of course, such is Brown's control-freakery, the respons would have been: "You're sacked!" But at least the point should have been made. And are those cunts in the Cabinet, or all those hordes of ministers and junion ministers so shit scared of Brown that they feel they cannot give him advice? What a weird thing democracy is!

For what it's worth, I would like to see an independent Scotland - not as part of some shitty fucking monarchic set-up, like that right-wing tosser Salmond has been proposing. And why do I think this? Well, it's different. It would be a laugh. The bottom line is, it can hardly be any worse than we have at the moment, can it? But I suppose it has fuck all to do with me as I haven't lived in Jockland for nearly 20 years.

* Robert Burns

Questions & Answers *

2008-05-05T18:44:00.005+01:00

Darren told me to do this, so I will:

1. What was the last 1980s song you heard?

Thompson Twins with (I think) Love In Your Heart. It was playing in the gym as I was getting dressed this afternoon.

2. What was the last thing you saw on You Tube?

Arthur Scargill - and please let me explain. Someone at work was astonished at the musical content at You Tube. He then bizarrely asked if you can "get things like Arthur Scargill speeches on it?" I proved the point.

3. What was the last entry on wikipedia you viewed?

Bloke by the name of JH Thomas who was a right-wing General Secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen in the 1920s who then went on to become a member of Ramsay Macdonald's national government, so you can imagine what a shitbag he was!

4. Last computer /video game completed?

Don't do them.

5. What did you last Pig Out on?

Don't really do "Pig Outs", but, as there was food left in the dishes last night when I went out with the ex and the boy to the rather brilliant Nouvelle Spice on New Cross Road, then I'll plump for that. So we had chicken rogan, lamb shislack, some other chicken dish, rice, nan, onion bhajis and poppadums and dips.

6. What is the last undeleted text message on your mobile?

"Oh dear! Poor Reidski! Have you seen some you think you like any where?" Txt from JJ after I sent her one when I was out on an unsuccessful shopping expedition.

7. When did you last have a conversation with someone other than a family member?

It's more unusual for me to have a conversation with someone in my family, but, anyway, I think it was probably just before I left work on Friday when I was bemoaning the political landscape that we are about to enter.

8. Aside from where you live, what is the last village/town/city you visited?

Northampton on Friday night - wonderful night, only spoiled by a nightmare journey home during which I thought I was going to have to sleep on the streets of Watford.

9. What was the last Competiton you won?

Won King of Leon CD Because of the Times in a Radio 6 competition. Or maybe it was the two 5 litre kegs of Heineken I won in a thisislondon.com competition! Can remember!

10. What were the last 3 Blogs you visited?

JJ, TNR and, as I still retain hope that it will return, Dodgy Boozers.

Not passing this on to anyone as I don't want to incur the wrath of the likes of that bloke over at The Fatalist who was enraged that JJ had the audacity to do so.

* Biffy Clyro

Getting Better *

2008-05-04T17:33:00.002+01:00

Since April 16th I've been saying it - Celtic can and will win the league title. That night we had just beaten the huns with a last-minute effort. We've beaten them again since. Yesterday was a struggle against Motherwell and, really, we were lucky to get the three points. But, hey, football is all about scoring more than your opponents and that is what Celtic did. Today, Rangers looked ropey. Ok, Hibs didn't do enough to pressure the defence, but Novo was far from his best and Cousin was anonymous.

I'm convinced we will win it!

*The Beatles

Computer World *

2008-05-04T17:07:00.002+01:00

Thanks to Darren, I found out that yesterday was World Shutdown Day, as thought up by a bunch of middle-class do-gooder computer geeks. We use computers too much, too much social networking and not enough socialising, they say. Their plan was to go out and clean up parks and stuff instead of starting up their computers. Did we all follow suit, then? Did we fuck! We took this guy's advice and had a World Don't Tell Me What To Do Day instead.

*Kraftwerk

Twat *

2008-05-04T16:49:00.000+01:00

The world is mad!

* John Cooper Clarke

Stir It Up*

2008-04-16T22:57:00.002+01:00

Apropos of nothing, this is what some buddhists get up to of an evening.

*Bob Marley

Maybe*

2008-04-16T22:49:00.002+01:00

Thank fuck for that!

Right, here goes .... I think we can win the title!!!!!

*The Wonder Stuff

2008-04-15T22:48:00.001+01:00

Warning! This may offend!

Down Came The Angels *

2008-04-12T21:14:00.003+01:00

John Stewart hits the winner!!

"No decent football on today," I mention to JJ on the phone first thing this morning. "There's only Queen of the South against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final, which will be boring and one-sided. So I'll just go for a session in the gym and make my way back home very slowly."

I get in and everyone on the radio is raving about what an amazing game this was and it's one of the biggest surprises of the season. I just watched the highlights - totally mental. Well done The Doonhamers!

*Lift To Experience

For Pete's Sake*

2008-04-12T20:33:00.003+01:00

A little filler on page 8 of today's Guardian newspaper - accredited to "Agency" - informs us that the New Cross pub which was used in the filming of Shaun of the Dead, The Duke of Albany, is now closed and is to be redeveloped and turned into flats.

Well, not quite sure which "Agency" the Guardian takes its stories from, but I have to tell them that this pub, just round the corner from me, has been boarded up since I first moved into this place last May. In fact, a little bit of research and I wouldn't be surprised if it tells me that it has been closed since before they used it for the location of the Winchester in the film. I'll check that out! Hey, just done it and found this, which shows that the Guardian's Agency is at least 21 months out of date!

And it was fucking obvious for ages that it was destined for flats. Much the same as The Royal Archer, which is a five-minute walk away and has also been boarded up for a couple of years. While I had never been in the Duke of Albany, I can definitely say that the closure of the Royal Archer is no fucking loss whatsoever. Walked in there with the ex once and it was a stereotype (from American Werewolf in London?) in which the darts did seem to freeze in mid-air and in which the punters did actually stare at the two of us the whole time we were there - which, it has to be said, wasn't fucking long at all as we got out of there pretty damn quick.

Back street pubs - avoid like the plague. Unless, of course, they are like Skehan's up Telegraph Hill!

This post is not supportive of property developers - they are all cunts - but more of a wonder at just why this little piece was in a newspaper today!

* The Monkees

The Short Answer*

2008-04-05T18:19:00.002+01:00

Telephone conversations you wish you didn't have with your 14-year-old son:

Me: Hi sonny, your mum's out tonight so I'm coming over to stay the night.
The Boy: Cool. When are you coming over?
Me: I'll be over later and make us dinner.
The Boy: Yeh, but exactly when?
Me: Not sure. Why do you need to know?
The Boy: So's I know how long I can put off hiding the empty beer bottles.

Parenthood is such bliss!

* Billy Bragg

Revival *

2008-03-28T12:49:00.002Z

Someone round the corner from me has a poster in their window which states: "This Is Holy Week." But it's not. Holy Week was last week. Fucking idiots!

* Soulsavers

Everyday I Write The Book *

2008-03-28T12:39:00.003Z

Big Boom is a writer. He is also a "celebrity bodyguard" but that's not important right now. Big Boom is the author of If You Want Closure In Your Relationship Start With The Legs. This book wins The Bookseller magazine's Oddest Title of the Year award. I think his latest book might be in line for next year's prize - How To Duck A Sucka: A Guide To Living A Drama-Free Life!

*Elvis Costello and the Attractions

For Madmen Only *

2008-03-16T14:22:00.003Z

Is it just me, or does anyone else hate those fucking smug looking cunts in that Ford car advert? You know, the one where they pointlessly play instruments which have been made from car parts. They really do look like a horrible bunch of bourgeois tossers!

I could be wrong, of course!

* UK Decay (saw them supporting Theatre of Hate in Glasgow about 25 years ago. Great gig!)

More Endless Art*

2008-03-15T15:54:00.001Z

This was their reply to the original which had only blokes in it.

Btw, don't you get some really dumb fucks making comments on Youtube. One asks who was doing the "voiceover" on this, obviously assuming that some sad fuck had simply put this together on their fucking laptop or something - stupid cunts!

*A House

Call Me Blue*

2008-03-15T15:49:00.001Z

Whatever happened to?

* A House

Brimful of (K)asha *

2008-03-14T17:52:00.004Z

What is kasha? Why did someone put a comment on a very old post of mine asking if I was going to eat some to celebrate the election victory? And what "election victory"? At least he got it right in describing me as a "commy twat" - err, actually, it should have been "commie", but let's not quibble!

* err, what was their name again?

These Hands *

2008-03-14T17:03:00.003Z

JJ and I went to a truly fabulous production of Frankenstein at the Royal & Derngate Theatre in Northampton last night. In fact, it was stunningly good. Running parallel with the traditional Mary Shelley story of the man who created a monster - or is it the other way round? - was that of a story of infanticide. Mary is an inmate at a top security mental hospital after killing her daughter by locking her in a freezer. Yes, that was a shocking part of the narrative. Shocking too was the scene when Frankenstein's "monster" killed his creator's young brother on stage. I don't think I've ever seen anything so powerful and somewhat shocking on a stage in my life. Shocks apart, this was a great theatrical experience and raised many questions about who were the monsters and who were the victims. Some scenes were almost ballet-like - well, there were two "movement directors" in this "physical theatre" company's production (yes, sounds a bit wanky I know) - with the monster in particular making superb use of the stage and the wonderful props. It may have taken a little while to get one's head round the parallel stories (well, it took me a little while) particularly as dialogue from both were running at the same time. But not too long before confusion was banished from this blogger's little mind. The link is that Mary's only activity in the hospital is her intense reading of ... Frankenstein. Wonderful acting from all, ace props, wonderful music and ace lighting. If this production finishes its run with the finale in Northampton tomorrow night, then I will be gobsmacked. See it if it comes to a theatre near you!

*The Damned

I've Seen Everything*

2008-03-09T21:30:00.002Z

Had a bit of a lie-in today, not getting out of bed till about 11. Had been staying over with the boy but left him to his own devices and came home to shower and stuff. Since then, I have watched highlights of this from last night, this (and, yes, Celtic were lucky), second half of this (and just how bad were Boro?), this, this (Baggies are now my pick for the cup) and I am now watching this (Xavi has just scored a cracking equaliser). Sad? Or should I have been doing something like this instead?

*Trashcan Sinatras

We Have Joy *

2008-03-08T16:33:00.005Z

JJ and I had the most wonderful time in Paris. Not sure that either of us has ever done so much walking before. Well, not since we were last in Paris.

Previous visits to this city have seen me merely gasping in awe at the beauty of the city and the exterior of the buildings. This time, however, we made sure that we actually went into a building or two, apart from the odd bar and restaurant of course. Add to this was a discovery of places and parts of the city which I/we had never seen before.

A view of Paris from the steps of the Sacre Coeur is simply stunning. But equally as stunning is the inside of the basillica itself, with its unbelievably beautiful mosaics and stained glass windows. Then, after having previously discussed whether to take a trip to the Pere Lachais cemetery, we instead decided to visit the Cimetiere de Montmartre - and we were well happy that we did so. Graves of Zola (well, a monument was visited as his body has since been moved elsewhere), Nijinsky, Berlioz, Offenbach (who he, I wondered, before JJ informed me that he composed the Can Can)and many other famous people we had never heard of. The cemetery itself is a beautiful sight, cut into an old quarry. Some people find cemeteries romantic, so, if you are one such person, then this should be a must when you next visit Paris.

Then it was on to the architectural beauty of the Passages Couverts, a series of glass-covered passageways which have largely remained untouched since being completed in the first half of the 19th century.

And, after all that, it was then on to the Musee d'Orsay and, well, fuck me, wow and various other exclamations. A beautiful building both inside and out, this former railway station houses some cracking art. Visit and see for yourself.

Then, a nice couple of drinks followed by a really disappointing meal, which certainly did not spoil a beautiful day.

Be back to this with a bit more later maybe. Maybe mention the free champagne and wine on the way there. And maybe the perfect location of the hotel, situated as it was just north of the Sacre Coeur. But, then again, maybe not. I may just leave the rest for JJ to describe.

* Killing Joke

Happy Birthday

2008-03-02T16:06:00.001Z

Hope you are having a good one JJ!

One With The Freaks *

2008-02-29T17:14:00.005Z

Right, so I burnt JJ a CD this week, but I dont have any CD cases. So I just looked on the shelf for a case from an old CD. I picked up Hillbilly Rock, Hillbilly Roll by The Woolpackers. Now, I wonder if she'll guess why I had that particular CD?

*The Notwist

Madness *

2008-02-24T18:11:00.003Z

Watching the League Cup Final this afternoon reminds me of the afternoon of the League Cup Final of 2006. The match between Man Utd and Wigan was not too memorable, with Fergie's side strolling to victory. And it was not too memorable as a football match as I didn't get to see much of it. Rather, what was memorable was that I got caught up in some blogging and, subsequently, e-mailing madness. I remember that I wrote some innocuous piece which had something to do with Ken Livingstone and, I think, his spat with the Evening Standard journalist who he likened to a nazi. As I say, totally innocuous. Next thing I know I'm getting bombarded by comments from a then regular visitor to The Big Blowdown accusing me of making all sorts of psychological insults or whatever. Our spat on the comments then calms down and I agree to delete all my contributions. This bloke, by the way, requested that I change my blog, which he got short shrift over - yes, asking me to censore my own fucking crappy blog. But, as I say, I think it has all calmed down. But then I start getting fucking mental e-mails from this cunt. And, as I do, I reply to every one. This, by the way, is all taking place while I'm trying to watch the fucking football. Anyway, this goes on all fucking afternoon and I realise that I'm dealing with a fucking psycho. But it eventually all comes to an end and the e-mail exchange comes to an end. Then I notice that not only have I been deleted from his blog roll (big fucking deal, I thought), but all those who are regular commentors on my site get deleted from his site too. And then they get put back on again. And then they get taken off again. Then he deletes his own blog and starts another one.

It was fucking mental.

And there I was watching ALL of the League Cup Final today with the odd thought of that very odd incident. And I'd like to think that something awful which affected someone I am madly in love with only a few weeks later had nothing to do with this nutter, but, you know, I've never been too sure about that.

*Madness

On Top *

2008-02-24T17:57:00.001Z

Well done Tottenham, fully deserved it!

*The Killers

Two-Faced Cunt*

2008-02-23T20:59:00.003Z

Arsene Wenger on today's incident. Just how irritating is this guy? Okay, the tackle was not good and the resultant injury was sickening (hope Eduardo gets well soon), but the referee took the appropriate action - i.e. sent Taylor off. But let us cast our minds back just seven days and we remember what he said after his own players were going in with the studs raised and taking kicks at Nani, just cos the United player had the audacity to play a bit of keepy-up when the Arse got well tanned in the FA Cup tie. For those who don't remember, he said:

"We were incensed and most rightly so.
"It is difficult enough to swallow when you are three or four goals down - you do not want to be teased or humiliated."

He should have been more incensed at his players' performance as it was absolutely pathetic! But, instead, he excuses some disgusting behaviour - nothing less than assault really - by those he teaches the beautiful game to. Cunt!

UPDATE: Wenger apparently put out a statement later on saying he shouldn't have said what he said and that maybe his words were said in haste. So, good on you Arsene for taking that back. Still a cunt, mind!

* Don't know if any band has penned such a song but they should

Down All The Days *

2008-02-23T19:42:00.003Z

Darren mentions Daniel Day-Lewis. Which means ... link to Millwall. Yes, the posh boy is a Lions fan and why not. In fact, I think he's got to be most famous Millwall fan. Sitting here wracking my brains and, no, can't think of anyone more famous than he. He hints that it was going down the Den and hanging round Deptford and New Cross that got him into acting here:

"At the age of nine or ten, when I first started following Millwall, I was already entering into a world that was fascinating to me and bore so little relation to the household that I came from. I suppose that kind of began it."

And, yes, of course he can be a right nutter when it comes to meticulous planning for a role:

"For Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans (1992), the actor was able to prepare for the role of James Fenimore Cooper's 18th-century hero Hawkeye by living off the land for six months, learning how to hunt, fish and skin animals."

So, nutter, but one of ours. Good luck tomorrow night Daniel ... err, I'm sure you do actually read this blog?

* The Pogues (and also the name of Christy Brown autobiography)

Live And Let Live *

2008-02-23T14:01:00.003Z

Christian churches do move into the strangest places these days. Take one stretch of the Old Kent Road/New Cross Road alone. No longer is the former Southwark Library next to B&Q a community resource for everyone. And, not far down on the other other side of the road there is some Christian stuff going in (I think former, or maybe it's just part of) a gas works. A bit further down, towards the Hatcham Park Tavern (bizarre that I've been around these parts for coming on 20 years and I've never ventured into this now closed down pub) what once was a mechanics is now a huge fuck-off of a congregational hall for all things Jesus and God and shit.

And it is in the latter venue that tomorrow sees the start of an 8-day conference. The Divine Intervention Conference 08, with the subheading of the "The battle is the Lord's", will, no doubt, see many people get together for seminars, meetings and sing-songs on subjects such as "intensive practical ministerial training", "church financial management", "cell group formation & development" and "church administration and management."

Wonder how many Socialist Worker paper sellers will be around?

*Love

Crazy To Exist *

2008-02-21T22:47:00.003Z

Warning, Warning. Some liberal guff coming up from Reidski. And it is ...

... wouldn't the world be a better place if it was populated by people like this?

"We try to convince them that there is a different future for them." I think that's a rather lovely sentiment!

*Josef K

Shiny Happy People *

2008-02-16T15:20:00.002Z

Film scenes we wished the censors would have allowed, thanks to our friends at the Strippergram.

*Fatima Mansions (cover of the REM song)

Food, Glorious Food *

2008-02-16T14:48:00.003Z

Shout goes out to this place. JJ and I went last night and had starters (fried goat's cheese in breadcrumbs for me, Caeser Salad for JJ), followed by sirloin steak for JJ and rump steak for me, accompanied by some really tasty chips and washed down with a bottle of lovely sauvignon blanc - all for £39. Always worthwhile checking out offers on toptable.com.

* Cast of Oliver

Went Crazy*

2008-02-16T14:44:00.001Z

Come on Danny, this just isn't what a cool cat would do!

The Lonely Goatherd

2008-02-13T22:42:00.001Z

This is educational, not entertaining .. ok?

*Julie Andrews and the rest of the Sound of Music cast

Hail Hail

2008-02-09T12:22:00.000Z

I've just unearthed the fact that it was 35 years ago this week that I attended my first ever football game when Celtic beat Kilmarnock 4-0 at Rugby Park. I don't remember much about it but one extremely vivid memory is of my Uncle Willie saving a rapidly moving ball from hitting my face. Anyway, the table at the end of the season is above.
Just thought I'd mention it.

Secrets *

2008-02-09T10:24:00.001Z

Apart from The Police, not a bad line-up. But what struck me as I came across this poster, was the cost - £10.95 for the weekend!

* a single from one of the bands in the line-up. Which one? Get Wikking!

Hanging Around *

2008-02-05T18:22:00.000Z

Hanging around with nothing much to do is kind of what I'm doing this evening. Boredom sets in quickly after a lovely weekend like the one I just had. JJ and I didn't set foot out the door on Saturday as we had one of those days and evenings indoors, with no responsibilities or cares. We did decide to venture out on Sunday afternoon, with a walk around Spitalfields (not knowing that the main area of the market is being refurbished at the moment) followed by a rather lovely Mexican meal in Covent Garden. Then it was a bit of a dash to make the pub quiz. Didn't do too badly as our 47 points was only five behind the winners. We were fourth out of about 12 teams. Monday was a wee bit of shopping followed by a drink in the rather strange surroundings of Waxy O'Connors in Chinatown. Then it was "bye bye JJ" - sob, sob, sob.

Btw, I can feel another rant coming on about journalists. Let me just point out two non-stories from the Guardian.

1. Last Friday, the Guardian had the cheek to declare that they had delivered an "exclusive" earlier in the week by stating that Beckham would not make the England squad. Now, for fuck sake, did anyone think he was going to make Capello's squad, considering he hasn't played football for over two months and that, since the turn of the year he has done no football training but has rather spent time on a Unicef mission in Sierra Leone followed by sunning himself on a Rio beach?

2. On Saturday, the Guardian splashed over its front page the fact that Tony Blair was going to become EU President. So, him sounding out some mates took up first half of the piece, but this was followed by the fact that France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Luxembourg and other countries would not give him their support. They would have been as well saying that Bill Cash was going to become EU President - it would have as much basis of truth as the story they did print!

* Stranglers

Heads Will Roll *

2008-02-05T17:48:00.000Z

Guy Roux thinks Rangers are "stupid" - agreed!

* Echo & The Bunnymen

It's yer money I'm after baby

2008-01-27T10:50:00.000Z

The last time I put a bet on was during the World Cup in 2006. What made me put one on this weekend I'm not really sure. But, I decided, the head rules for this one. So I pick the hot favourites - Boro, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Chelsea, ManUtd and Celtic. So, if the latter two win today, I've got forty quid from a £5 stake. Of course, the heart will then take over and I'd put all the winnings on Celtic to win the Champions League - what a chube!

*Wonder Stuff

Blown Away *

2008-01-21T23:40:00.000Z

Hey, I was going to give all this blogging crap up, but thought I'd stay loyal for a bit more. Well, blogging has brought me loads of fucking happiness and love - all in the form of JJ. I've also met stupendous people as a result - I was reminded of this yesterday when I was sat in the same Wetherspoon's pub in Charing Cross Road yesterday where I bored Darren a few years back.

Anyway, I've been wanting to blog about seeing Glengarry Glen Ross (twice) but didn't get round to it. I've been wanting to blog about seeing 39 Steps in Northampton last week, which was very very funny, but didn't get round to it. Also hoped to get round to blogging about going to see Cabaret tomorrow night (where shall we eat beforehand, JJ?), but haven't had the time or inclination to.

Also wanted to mention some great sounds I've been listening to lately.

Soulsavers - It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land
Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
Proclaimers - Life Without You
Modest Mouse - don't know the name of it
Hot Chip - don't know the name of it
LCD Soundsystem - don't know the name of it
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Mekons - Natural
Gay For Johnny Depp - Blood: The Natural Lubricant
Suicide - Suicide
British Sea Power - British Sea Power
British Sea Power - The Decline of British Sea Power.

Also, some great books have been devoured.

George Pelecanos's The Night Gardener - absolutely beautiful novel. The name of this blog hints that I've got quite a thing for Pelecanos and this book will prove why. Fucking stunning.

Harlan Coben's The Woods - thought it a bit derivative at first as it hints at one or two of his other stories, but still quite a romp. And he'a a fucking good writer.

JM Coetzee's Disgrace - stupendous, but not a pleasant read by any means. Morally complex (and it's not often I'll come out with bollocks like that) and not easy to work out.

Iain Banks's Whit - a lovely lovely story about a Stirlingshire religious cult. The description of the main protagonist leaving the cult on an inflated inner tube and getting all the way to Edinburgh by river and sea is a delight. Don't understand why I didn't get round to reading this when it came it out.

* The Pixies

The Only Living Boy In New Cross*

2008-01-21T23:30:00.000Z

Ok, should have done some research before writing this, but big shout goes out to the Young Mayor of Lewisham, whatever his name is. It seems that this geezer organises gigs, the latest being at the Albany in Deptford last Friday night, catering for the borough's teenagers. The boy tells me that there were "hundreds" there on Friday and that the place was "totally bare" and "skein" (not sure if that's how you spell this new yoof word, but I do know that it means "cool" or, even, "good"). The thing is, the boy and all his mates and, according to the boy, most of the young people around, know the name of the Young Mayor (I don't, obviously) and it made me wonder about comparing the ratio of youngsters who know the name of their elected Young Mayor to those "adult" voters in the borough who know the name of our mayor. Then again, who gives a fuck?

*Carter USM

I Am A Cliche *

2008-01-21T22:05:00.000Z

"Bus inspectors? Bus inspectors? I'll tell you about bus inspectors. Thir aw a bunch of fascist bastirts. I should know, ah wis wan!" (Rab C Nesbitt)

And there Rab kind of sums up my feelings about journalists. Not that I think they are a bunch of fascist bastards, of course, but just that, generally speaking, I hate them. And, yes, I was one. I wasn't a "normal" one. No formal training for the job, other than by attending the right (as in proper rather than wing) party meetings and being able to string two words together. But, as I was paid £10,000 a year when taking the job back in 1996, then having any formal training wasn't such a big consideration (wages when I left in 2002 was £12,000 a year). Good perks though. Got into as many football matches as I wanted. Free CDs - some shite, some excellent (introduced to Camera Obscura by freebie of their debut landing on my desk). Free theatre tickets, usually on opening night which made for some name-dropping about who I shared a table, drink or row with (meeting Ruby Wax, Lulu, Zoe Wannamaker, Peter Richardson and a bunch of others on the same night was quite an experience). Free opera tickets. Gigs. All that kind of made up for shite wages. Only thing was, by the time I left just over five years ago, I hated it. I hated the newspaper I worked for. I hated all newspapers. I hated all print journalism, except for Private Eye (it's starting to really annoy me now, it's getting extremely boring), the Spectator (it was hilarious in the run-up to the last General Election) and Uncut (yes, writing about music counts as journalism! Don't really like it any more as one can only take so much Americana in one's life, but still enjoy Alan Jones's "Stop Me" column). Don't mind broadcast journalists. Well, of the Jeremy Paxman variety and didn't mind Radio 5 over the years, until now. But really cannot stand sports journalists on TV and radio. They really are fucking shite. Take that John Champion on Setanta tonight with his comment about Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez when Villa went in front: "He's not so much a dead man walking, more like a wounded man bleeding!" What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Or that cunt Andy Gray last week in the Blackburn v Bolton game when the ref, correctly, gave a Bolton player offside: "He was very close to getting that one horribly wrong." In other words, he got it absolutely right! It just didn't make any fucking sense whatsoever.

Making no sense of reality - a bit like all the journos speculating and writing about the successor to Steve McLaren as England football manager. When Sven was manager and then when he left the job, the vast majority of the English sports journalists were banging on about the need for an English manager. At the time, there really were only three in the running. The corrupt and unsuccessful Sam Allardyce, the corrupt and unsuccessful Harry Redknapp and the really fucking boring and unsuccessful Steve McLaren. The FA, to their credit, gave the job to the only creditable Englishman they interviewed. The journos were reasonably happy. Then, the players let McLaren down as they played utter fucking shite during the qualifiers, getting beaten by a team that struggled to beat Andorra in their last game, and all the same journos suddenly decided that having an English manager wasn't such a big deal after all - probably cos they only two in the running were the aforementioned corrupt Allardyce and Redknapp. So the journos decide to make up a story that Jose Mourinho wants to be England manager. Journos go on print, radio and TV to implore the FA to get their arses over to Portugal and sign him up. Only thing was, Mourinho never wanted the job. So what will those same journos now say about the "friends" of Mourninho who told them he wanted the job. What have they said about the "sources close to Mourinho" who told them he wanted the job. And what have they said about the "indications coming from the Mourinho camp" point to him becoming the next England manager? All fucking shite and all swept under the carpet.

Pause - fuck knows what the hell I am writing about here!

The person who decided to print the article in the "Work" section of the Guardian on Saturday about what firms should do when one of their employees "reassigns" their gender is a fucking idiot - as is the person who wrote it.

Peter Bradshaw, who wrote a piece in today's Guardian slagging off his own recent piece on Daniel Day Lewis is an idiot.

All journalists who reported on that stupid cunt Clarence Mitchell's press conference yesterday about Madelein McCann and the so-called "stranger on the beach" is a fucking idiot.

Newcastle fans are idiots - nothing to do with journalism, but, come on, they are, aren't they?

All journalists in Britain who continue to bombard us with stories about the fucking US primaries/caucases is a fucking idiot cos it has fuck all to do with us - it's not our fucking country, idiots!

All journalists who write columns about problems people experience at work and doesn't suggest that these same people should be in trade unions is a fucking idiot.

Err, time for bed as I really have no idea at all what all this shite is about!!

UPDATE: The journalist who has just said on BBC News 24, commenting on Edmund Hillary's funeral, that "his work in Nepal gave him a god-like status there" is a fucking idiot.

*X Ray Spex

Love Thing *

2008-01-05T12:19:00.000Z

Is this the best band name ever? I get the hint that this person thinks so.

And, on the subject of journalists (eh?), they really are a bunch of lazy bastards. I remember reading a really boring press release a few years back and seeing it printed word for word in the next day's Guardian with some cheeky cow's byeline on it. Anyway, I digress, it's just that I don't see the same journo regurgitating this press release!

*Spice Girls

Hang Me Out To Dry *

2007-12-31T20:01:00.001Z

A new year video for you all (all two of you, that is) from one of my fave bands of the past 12 monts. Their debut album, Robbers and Cowards, really was fucking brilliant!

*Cold War Kids

Let's Go Out Tonight*

2007-12-30T19:28:00.000Z

Of all the things to cheer you up ....

I've been feeling a bit down in the dumps over the last 24 hours or so. Have had man-flu and can't stop coughing and spluttering and sneezing. Not spoken to anyone over the weekend but the bloke down the pub yesterday at lunchtime when watching Hibs play the huns. Saw and heard the news about former Celt Phil O'Donnell collapsing and dying at the end of the Motherwell-Dundee Utd game yesterday. Believe it or not, I was also a bit down when both Raymond Van Barjneveld and Phil Taylor got beaten in the darts World Championship. And, of course, JJ has left the country for a few days.

I was feeling that sorry for myself that I had considered not replying to - never mind turning down - and invite from the boy's mum asking if I had wanted to go round for usual Sunday dinner tonight.

But ... listening to Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division does you the world of good. So, bottle of wine goes in bag and off I go for roast chicken, spuds, veg and lots of glasses of the white graped drink! Just hope she doesn't mind me watching the semi-finals from Alexandra Palace!!

* The Blue Nile

Suck *

2007-12-30T18:27:00.000Z

Sad news indeed about Phil O'Donnell. This quote probably sums the player up:

"You couldn't find a bad thing to say about him.
"There weren't any off the pitch incidents - nothing. He was just a great, great footballer and a great leader."

*The Wedding Present

The Message *

2007-12-14T15:38:00.000Z

One of those meme things is doing the rounds. This one involves composing a letter from the person you are now to your 13-year-old self. Here’s mine:

Dear Teenage Reidski

What a horrible little cunt you are. And what a bunch of horrible little cunts your fellow school pupils are. But, we can’t change history, so you’ll just have to put up with it and society will just have to put up with you. Life will improve in later years, I promise.

Yours sincerely
The More Mature Reidski

*Grandmaster Flash

Praying Hands *

2007-12-06T22:52:00.000Z

Please, please, please ... the people who committed this crime, please make your way to SE14 immediately please. Note to self: get down to the local boozer this weekend and await some amazing offers!

*Devo

Changeling *

2007-12-04T14:09:00.000Z

Some people may have noticed that shops and bars are closing at London Bridge Station. It's all in preparation for building beginning on this. Looks rather exciting to me!

*Simple Minds

Can't Shape Up*

2007-12-04T12:56:00.000Z

This was the start of a series of unfortunate events for JJ and I over recent days. The night following our Amersham visit, we met up in the Euston area, so decided to have dinner in Drummond Street in one of the very many superb Indian restaurants there. Only trouble being that the one we plumped for was far from being superb. Rude and unwelcome staff who never cracked a smile throughout our stay. Bland food. Small portions. Bottle of water cost £4. If only we had read about the place here first. We shall not be returning.

A few days later we find ourselves with a day off work and so go up to the West End for window shopping. We wander around and make our way through the streets of Mayfair and decide to have a drink. As you do in such places, we head for the bar to order. We are told by friendly bloke to take a seat and someone would be over to take our order. We wait. We wait a bit longer. And we wait even longer without being asked what we would like to drink. We wonder what is going on as there are plenty of staff around and not very many customers. The staff are busy though. One is filling the ketchup bottles with ketchup. Another member of staff is filling up mayonnaise bottles with mayonnaise. Another is talking to the one filling up the mayonnaise bottles with mayonnaise. Another member of staff is talking to the one filling up the ketchup bottles with ketchup. Another member of staff is cleaning tables which have neither people nor empty drinks on them. The latter is eventually asked to go and take orders. She tells her colleague that she is busy. She is then told to go and take orders. She makes her way over to our table and asks me what I would like. I tell her. She turns and walks away. I tell her to return and take JJ's order. She takes completed order (only after saying that she doesn't understand what a slimline tonic is) and then goes to the bar. She then walks from one till to another about five or six times. She then seems about to talk to the mayonnaise bloke but holds back. She then seems about to talk to the ketchup bloke but holds back. She then stands in between them both and looks decidedly indecisive. JJ and I are laughing. But, after over five minutes of this, we decide to leave. What a bizarre place!

We then take a walk through the back streets and try to find our way back to Oxford Street. A few turns and we are unsure where we are but think we're going in the right direction. Just to make sure, we decide to ask a traffic warden the way to Oxford Street. We ask, but we don't get an answer as said traffic warden refuses to acknowledge our existence. He mumbles something as we walk away, but we decide to take a chance on our own directions rather than wait for the rude cunt to finally give us an answer.

With all this stuff, we could have been forgiven for getting a bit narked, but we weren't. Laughed it all off and had wonderful time together.

*The Wonderstuff

Rubbish *

2007-12-04T11:40:00.000Z

Wheelie bins. France. Fuck-ups.

There, the person who looks at this site every morning at around 9am after doing a Google search on "reidski" will no doubt be happy now, I suppose. Whoever you are, can you either comment or fuck off?

Anyway, back to the issue at hand. Aren't there some weird, wonderful and very sad stories about wheelie bins around? Try this one and the bizarre and rather scary thought that we are all being spied upon. Of course, that stupid Tory cunt Andrew Pelling gets rather confused about the issue and brings the Soviet Union into the argument for some strange reason, but we'll ignore him and concentrate on the rest of it.

And there is also a far from funny one about a wheelie bin fire here, a tragic story indeed. Poor wee lad.

And we find an example from this wheelie bin story about the dangers faced by Britain's firefighters, not from fires but by young neds. Must be tempting to give lads like this a right kicking.

And has anyone came across a more peculiar habit than sniffing wheelie bins? Read about it here - obviously very strange people up in Teesside!

*Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine

New Brat In Town *

2007-11-28T10:41:00.000Z

Isn't great when a right dive of a pub gets a refurbishment and is tranformed into a really really nice boozer? Nice decor, nice furniture, nice choice of food, an excellent looking listings for future gigs (Subway Sect on Saturday night) and a half decent selection of beer (not too hot on the bitters or real ales and no wine by the bottle). Ladies and gentlemen, I give you ... ta ra, The Amersham Arms. A most impressive transformation for what was a real flea pit to a place which is great to go along at any time of day for a relaxing pint or two. And really nice people behind the bar. Well, that is, there were until Monday night!

Here I have been banging on to folks about how nice the Amersham is these days and that I couldn't wait to take JJ in there for a drink. Monday night sees us with our first real opportunity to do so. I go to the bar and I'm served by the most miserable and rude people I have ever had the misfortune to be served by in my 27 years of going to pubs. A truly hideous person. So it was drink drinks and leave and let me ponder whether I ever enter the place's doors again - apart from Saturday night, of course, if JJ fancies going to see Subway Sect! I really don't want to come across anyone like this in there again!

*The Auteurs

Last Night*

2007-11-20T20:31:00.000Z

Went to Arcade Fire gig at Ally Pally last night - WOW! What a fucking set, that was!

There was JJ, the ex, the boy and me. For various reasons, we missed both support acts. It was pissing down with rain. Ally Pally is a shit music venue (you can't see the band - the stage really should be two or three feet higher).

But, hey, what a sound. And what a performance Arcade Fire put on. Can't think of a more energetic band on stage in my 29 years of going to gigs. Can't think of a more amazingly beautiful set of songs to be heard live. Lovely way in which they segued Neon Bible into a cover of Age of Consent, by the way. Brilliant way in which they thrashed out every song. The visual backdrop helped those of us who were toward the back of the aptly named Great Hall in this beautiful venue as the set-up does not suit those of us who are below six feet six. And the generally appreciatiave and knowledgeable crowd diminished that most annoying of incidents at gigs - those cunts who talk all the way through - what is that all about? (a campaign really has to be started to get any idiots who talk too much at gigs thrown out). For reasons known to me and mine, a tear rolled down my cheek when No Cars Go was heard, but I then shook myself together and joined in the singing.

This was an amazing sound, an amazing set, an amazing live band.

Ok, I was rather nervy about the ex joining JJ and me for the evening, but I think it all worked out very well. Except for my incessant nonsense during the car journey home, of course!

JJ and I go to see Interpol at Ally Pally next week - think we'll try to get there early and get down the front!

* The Strokes

Final Scene*

2007-11-18T12:21:00.000Z

Well, it wasn't to be. I don't agree with McFaddyen that the ref robbed us. Nah, he was just rubbish. Now, I don't usually comment on the performance of refs or their assistants - which infuriates the hell out of JJ, btw - but this one cannot go by without a few words. Italy should have been 2-0 up, but had a perfectly good goal ruled out for offside. Scotland's goal was well offside. And that free-kick at the end was simply not a free kick. At worst, it was a throw in for Italy. But, there we go.

World Cup qualifying draw takes place on Friday - bring 'em on!

* Delta 5 (And, to cite another of their's, Anticipation is definitely so much better)

Beautiful World*

2007-11-17T13:32:00.000Z

Football is just a game. It is a very stupid game of 22 people kicking or catching or heading a round object on a green patch of land. Football is not a metaphor for life, living, society or community. Football is meaningless. Football is not important. Fooball is crass. Football is divisive. Football breeds racism, reaction and contempt for "others". Football is the playground of the super-rich. Football exploits working class people.

Football also makes me happy.

At 5 o'clock today, the Scotland football team will take to the field and I will cry. I will shout at the television screen. I will jump out of my seat frequently. Today, I am thinking there are no huns, fenians, blue Brazils, Arabs, Thistle, Ayrshire Killie, Dons, United, Meadow, Vics, Pollock, Arthurlie, Jambos, Hibbees, Rovers or any of that. There is just one thing today - WE ARE SCOTLAND! Come on ya fuckin beauties - get right intae them!

* Devo

Ill In The Head *

2007-11-09T15:22:00.000Z

Lawrence Donegan wrote this load of old bollocks in yesterday's Guardian:

Glasgow's chance
The city of Glasgow will learn this week whether or not it will host the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Let's hope it does. Let us hope, too, that Scotland's first minister, Alex Salmond, who has travelled with a delegation from Scotland to Sri Lanka, where the announcement will be made tomorrow, will use the occasion of Glasgow's success - if that is what it turns out to be - to celebrate the city's reinvention as a modern, vibrant metropolis capable of hosting the world and not, as the nationalist-run Scottish government tends to do these days, as an excuse to wrap himself in the saltire.

As I say, what a load of old bollocks!

*Dead Kennedys