Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Some Came Running





Double birthday bubble with Jo Bole's cumpleaƱos barbecue on Sunday (where we caught up with the Pants-Archers) and my 44th yesterday. Me and Shelly went to see Vincente Minelli's 1958 classic Some Came Running featuring Frank Sinatra, Shirley Maclaine and Dean Martin...who gets diabetes in the film! It must be noted, however, that Martin's character, the splendidly named Bama Dillert, doesn't present any symptoms whatsoever...didn't these people do any research, or were they trying to make a subtle point about the big DM being the 'silent killer'? I might start collecting on-screen depictions of diabetes - anyone got any suggestions of good ones? Anyhoo, from the BFI we went on to the Oak to meet up with Judge Ed, Mr Adams, T-Lo and SS and thencely to Simply Indian for some very fine curry indeed.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Culinary Similies and Maritime Metaphors







Spin Spin the Dogs, Tap Collective and Me Me Me were on the bill at the Half Moon on Friday night; strange bedfellows in a way but an intriguing combination - like a three course meal assembled from different cuisines. Richard's been struck low with a pretty potent virus so wasn't around for the gig or yesterday's show, which also featured Me Me Me and a solo set from Joanne Robertson, with Ean and me at the helm, skirting very close to radiophonic disaster for 90 minutes but just about keeping the ship afloat. Richard did heroically raise himself from his sickbed last night for the dexter Bentley gig at the anti-folk night at the 12 Bar, which was also the launch night for the new dB single 'Killer Kane', and featured excellent performances from Congregation and Hans Blix & the Inspectors too. Annoyingly I forgot my camera.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Mary Jane


Finally managed to youtube the Dave Cloud vid from the Windmill!

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Tap and Gun




Twin-drummer fuelled blues grungers the Tap Collective and acoustic songstress Alice Gun put in splendid performances in a sultry Resonance studio this lunchtime. I managed to make an unscheduled guest appearance on one of Alice's songs as I fell onto the radiator while closing the window to shut out the sound of a passing police siren. Mercifully, I'm told, the resultant clang was in time.

Friday, May 09, 2008

Hog Night




Hooked up with T-Lo again on Wednesday night at the Windmill for another Dave Cloud show. Marvellous stuff - I got some great video footage on my camera but technophobe that I am, I haven't managed to get it on youtube yet. Will be playing the interview and a bit of the audio of the gig on the show tomorrow though.
More quintagenarian antics in Hammersmith last night for the Nicholas Edward Cave gig. Not quite as up close and personal as the Dave Cloud nights since we were perched way up in the gods but it was still an amazing show - with a phenomenal version of Stagger Lee at the end.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Cloud and Proud






Went for a bank holiday spin up to the Angel in Rotherhithe in T-Lo's Spitfire with Alfie in the back seat. Then on to the 12 Bar to see and interview the mighty Dave Cloud, who's flown in from Nashville, via Norway, with the Gospel of Power for a handful of London gigs. They were awesome and entertaining as ever - check them out if you can at the Windmill on Wednesday 7th or the Dirty Water Club on Thursday 8th. You won't regret it. Gerry's new side project Debbie Leggo were also on the 12 Bar bill and very good too - imagine three record players blaring out The Fall, Can and Pink Floyd at the same time while a Scotsman shouts about the devil dipping his horns in his pint and you'll have a pretty close picture.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Universality challenged








An excellent session from the fresh faced and charmingly named Gentle Friendly helped to lift me somewhat from my post-mayoral election depression. GF make a magnificent noise with some great equipment, including a really nice old Jen organ, which they rescued from an old people's home and which Daniel plays while drumming at the same time. Very impressive. I was also cheered up by Robin's brief but welcome return to the fold, celebrated with a backrub from Ean.

Last night I was on the Chelsea team at Yara El-Sherbini's Universality Challenge at the Chelsea Theatre. There was a routemaster bus parked outside so perhaps I was a little premature in my lack of faith in Bo-Jo. Then again, it didn't move all night so perhaps not. My team-mates were Garry (Chelsea - Rutter!), Layla and a theology student called Patrick, who we hadn't met before, but who turned out to be the star of the team. Our opponents were the actual SOAS team who appeared on University Challenge this year, beating Magdalen College Oxford, so they clearly knew their onions. Just seeing my surname in lights activated by pressing a buzzer was reward enough for me, but we also got £20 and free booze and sandwiches! Yara was a great quizmistress with some very amusing questions and miraculously we even knew the answers to a few of them. Even more unexpectedly we ended up winning somehow, despite not knowing the difference between a shepherd's pie and a cottage pie.

Spent most of today dossing about the flat before finally mustering the energy for a stroll up to the Thames, where the tide was remarkably low...waiting for Boris to command it which way to flow no doubt.

Saturday, May 03, 2008

Night-mayor

London succumbs to the influence of the world's unfunniest comic, the Evening Standard, and votes in Lord Snooty...and Biffer Bacon of the BNP. Boris Johnson wouldn't know how to run a bath, let alone a city, so don't hold your breath waiting for the return of the routemaster or any reduction in the congestion charge or for bendy buses to disappear. Expect the tube to get worse and the city to get clogged up with 4 x 4's. I don't know who's worse - the Italians for voting Berlusconi back in or Londoners for giving a mandate to an over-privileged bigoted clown.