I’m working in an office block behind Piccadilly Circus today. I “got in” last night so, although it wasn’t peak traffic, it was still pretty awful. Such is London but as I had a van load of equipment, I had no choice other than to drive. Today, I find that Extinction Rebellion, having been moved on from Trafalgar Square, are planning to disrupt the Tube as a way of further publicising their agenda. To me, this seems to be madness. Disrupting the journeys of 5 million passengers who aren’t driving will surely bring negative publicity won’t it or am I missing something? London has a mayor who has already made driving in London more expensive and doesn’t seem to be afraid to introduce unpopular measures around traffic and pollution so are Extinction Rebellion barking up the wrong tree or are they merely doing what’s needed to highlight the severity of the climate change crisis? FWIW, I’m broadly sympathetic and agree that change is too slow but I think their efforts would be better employed targeting cities that don’t have congestion charging or Low Emission Zones although Londoners seem to have got used to paying the charges and the traffic is » Continue Reading.

Preparing an evening meal often involves choosing music to accompany the chopping and cooking. Trawling the Sonos, tonight’s forgotten gem that I stumbled on is World Party’s Put The Message In The Box. Have a good evening everyone.

https://youtu.be/DXDJbqws3MY

In which ver Floyd’s lighting director has to deal with local follow spot operators and trying to find someone to turn out the house lights. Oh, and someone taped the crew comms. Apologies if you’ve seen this before but it popped up on a Facebook group and made me smile.

https://youtu.be/DTUtmMONI-Q

Musing about my school days over on the 70’s thread, I realised that my adult life was pretty much defined by a couple of decisions I made fairly early on. The first was around the age of 11 when my parents asked me if I wanted to go to the local private secondary school. They didn’t do much beyond ask the question and I replied “no”, partly because money, while not really tight, wasn’t splashed around much, my parents having grown up between the wars in modest circumstances and I was aware it would be a considerable expense for them. I also had no idea what the school was like so declined the offer because of my fear of the unknown. What they should have done was taken me to the open day and let me make an informed decision. I might have liked what I saw and enjoyed my later school years rather than enduring the unambitious mediocrity of the school I actually went to. The second was the result of a casual conversation with a friend who had just started her first job after a government retraining scheme. I was in a dead end job, having given up » Continue Reading.

Labelled With Love by Squeeze just came on the radio. I love the moments that happen occasionally where I hear something and am reminded of just how great a song is and this was just such a moment. Have a great day everyone.

https://youtu.be/j3R7Op1oufA

Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon is on the Robert Elms show on BBC Radio London today from about 10.30am if I heard correctly. Available later on iPlayer/Sounds or whatever they’re calling it this week.

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We have two cats. Recently, we have sort of acquired another. He has a home a few doors down from us but seems to prefer our house, barging in whenever we open the door and making a bee line for our cat’s food bowls then hanging around as if he lives here. His name, of course, is Buddy.

https://youtu.be/jwNAl2wtkok

With artists increasingly becoming cottage industries, responsible for all the stuff that record labels used to do, such as fronting recording costs and organising tours, many have financed new albums by using fan funding site Pledge Music. Unfortunately it seems that, recently, Pledge haven’t been passing on the money they received on the artists behalf, making it difficult or impossible for projects to be completed. More info here https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/8494827/pledgemusic-crowdfunding-owes-artists-thousands-late-payments?fbclid=IwAR2pRRFqx69gLT1lo7z-nAzbflZMnJEe1_65OFSgNqOIk_A0ipMe_RW4_ZA

Soundtracking my time in the kitchen tonight is Cock a Hoop, The latest album by The Men They Couldn’t Hang. They’ve always used real people, places and events in their lyrics and this album is no different. If you feel so inclined, please post songs that mention real streets. First up King Street Serenade about the street in Hammersmith.

https://youtu.be/Zt3QS-dCs0g

My elderly Acoustic Research AR EB101 turntable needs a new stylus. It was quite an expensive deck in its day (about £400 in the late 80s) and the last time it had a replacement was years ago when I had the motor replaced. since then, it’s been in and out of storage and I’ve neglected the stylus. Your recommendations please along with any tips for fitting and setting the weight. Instructions are long gone I’m afraid. Thanks, you lovely people.

I know there are few fans of They Might Be Giants here. You may be interested in their appearance on the latest WTF podcast. Incidentally, Marc Mason seems to have mellowed of late to the point where I no longer feel obliged to skip his opening preamble.

From the podcast site: “John Flansburgh and John Linnell tell Marc the unlikely story of how a couple high school friends became a two-man band at the height of the New Wave performance art era in crime-ridden New York City and somehow carved out four decades of mainstream success as They Might Be Giants. The Johns also talk with Marc about children’s music, selling out, the early days of MTV, Malcolm in the Middle, and more.”

http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-902-they-might-be-giants

This popped into my head this morning. James passed me by a bit at the time but this is a corker. Have a good Friday.

https://youtu.be/g_qZ5B-yioU

I just saw this on a friend’s Facebook page. Considering he spends most of his working life on corporate nonsense, this must have made his day.

Well it was a little job at the V&A, a couple of mics on a stage (with me just as a tech). Well Donovan turns up with his son and a band consisting of Danny Thomson and John Paul Jones (yes that John Paul Jones). During the rather talented solo guitarist that followed John Paul wonders over and has a chat (with me!) moments latter we are joined by Mr Thomson, a Mr R Daltry, Carl Palmer and Paul Weller… Truly we are not worthy!

On the Robert Elms show

Brummies who use the city’s trams will have a new announcer to warn them of the stops. It’s only Ozzy bloomin’ Osbourne! I wonder if Transport For London can get Billy Bragg to do “Mind the Gap?”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/articles/5442f39b-c4bf-42eb-a42a-e75d40b9a63e

From a new album How The West Was Won, coming at the end of June, I’ve heard this on the radio a few times and I’m hoping the rest of the album will be as good as this.

https://youtu.be/KlGEO2v8xH8

Continuing a very occasional theme where I post songs that randomly catch my attention, usually because I haven’t heard them for ages, here’s Mink De Ville: Spanish Stroll. I heard it on the radio yesterday when it brightened my day. Have a good weekend.

https://youtu.be/h3kTKLkC6T4

Iron Maiden engage the audience in the traditional “He’s behind you!” routine.

View post on imgur.com

I’m surprised that the news of Bananarama’s reunion tour hasn’t been deemed worthy of mention here. From shambolic chancers to the biggest selling girl “band” ever. Love them or loathe them (I’m expecting a majority of negative comments), they achieved something and are obviously held in some affection. Anyone got tickets? Anyone got a secret copy of Deep Sea Skiving hiding behind their Smiths LPs?

I just heard this on the radio and boy, did it take me back. My brother was a big fan of The Strawbs and made me listen to a lot of their stuff but this was the only one that really grabbed me. It still makes me think of him. Any of you have tracks that instantly remind you of siblings?

https://youtu.be/PIMSo2eLLP0