The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

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What did you do yesterday?

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What did you do yesterday? Is the name of my current favourite podcast. It sees generic sports broadcaster Max Rushden and Irish funny man David O’Doherty talk to people (usually stand up comics) about what they did the day before, usually in great depth. I suppose that you would call this a ‘waffle cast’ (similar to the likes of Richard Herring, Adam Buxton, Elis and John’s podcasts) where nothing important happens, but you spend an hour or so listening to funny people being funny. I’d recommend it, if you’ve nothing better to do.

Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to open this up to the massive as I don’t think that we’ve had one of these sorts of “what have you been getting up to” chats for a while. It’s nice to check in with each other, but also on a slow news week I’ll only need 11 contributions to get me into the top 10 most commented of the last 7 days! Of course, I am sure that no one will be that interested in what I did yesterday, in the same way that I don’t need to know what Ross Noble or Tom Rosenthal got up » Continue Reading.

The Vintage Souvenir Ticket Generator/Favourite ticket stubs

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Looks like The Charlatan’s Tim Burgess has solved the problem gig goers have been facing for a while, by launching an online souvenir ticket generator. For those of us who like, hoard or display tickets to gigs from the past, the TOOIK hitmaker has announced a tool to help satisfy the need for a physical stub. As mentioned here in the NME, it’s to help promote the London Merch Market- https://www.nme.com/news/music/tim-burgess-unveils-vintage-souvenir-ticket-generator-ahead-of-2026-london-merch-market-3906276

And here’s a link to the ticket generator- https://merch-market.co.uk/ticket-generator

So, this leads me to two questions- Do you have a favourite ticket and if so what do you do with it? I was always a bit jealous of a friend of mine who kept all of the old tickets and then had them framed. I think I have a few in a box in the loft. Perhaps I should go up and have a look, although I’m not sure if I could get away with having many of them on display.

A small favour- gratitude

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Hey everybody,

I have a small favour to ask. Mrs. Paws is currently at the end of two years studies at the university of please yourself, California and is carrying out a bit of research. As part of her psychology course she is asking for people to complete a short, five minute online activity, the focus of which is ‘Gratitude.’

Over dinner last night she told me that she is particularly looking for “men, over the age of 50” to complete this exercise and she asked me if I knew of any. I told her that I knew of a place where most of the congregation were in that category and so here I am. If any of you would like to participate in this (or just have nothing better to do) then on behalf of Mrs P I would be very grateful myself. Here’s the link- https://openss.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6Gd6xc98tOqvQFg

Glastonbury Tales

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As it’s Glastonbury this weekend I thought I’d see if anyone had any tales of their own trips to Worthy Farm? I’m sure a fair few of us have been over the years and surely some of us can remember a story or two of your trip to (what no one outside of the UK calls) the greatest music festival on earth. The music, the mud, the long drop toilets- here’s the place to share your experience (the duller the tale the better, if mine are anything to go by).

Random versions of albums bought in obscure places

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I’m not sure if this has been asked before but I’ve been wondering about this over the past few days. Spurred on by my daughter now owning a Nirvana tee-shirt (because she’s a teenager) I was reminded of a time back in October 1993. Along with a couple of friends I was travelling through India, backpacking for a few months as a means to escape getting a proper job. My music format of choice at the time were cassettes and so my rucksack was filled with all manner of stuff I’d taped off of friends especially for this trip. I suspect it was mainly indie stuff from the late 80’s/early 90’s, perish the thought I’d have been listening to anything from the subcontinent itself.

Anyway, whilst in the city of Shimla up in the Himalayas we found a shop that had a collection of cassettes of western bands, amongst other things. They appeared to be official releases (unlike bootlegs we found in bigger cities) and so I came into possession of a copy of the Indian release of Nirvana’s third album In Utero (because I was a teenager). It cost the princely sum of 45 Rupees (about a quid » Continue Reading.

End of the Road 2023

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Last weekend we headed off for our first festival of the summer, attending the rather lovely Stowaway festival. It was our second year at the festival and it’s vibe is mainly ‘old cheesy quavers’ who have married, had kids and now have a nice job in marketing, but want to go out and cut some shapes like it’s 1996! Most of the line up were DJs rather than live acts and I quite enjoyed being at a festival where there wasn’t too much on the line up that I wanted to see (I did really enjoy Frenic, Waldo’s Dream and the Easy Star All Stars live, plus David Rodigan’s DJ set).

No sooner have we got back, unpacked and done the laundry for one festival, the Paws family are now getting ready to pack for our second festival. We’re heading off down to Dorset and back to End of the Road.

We’ve not been to EOTR for five years, but prior to that it was pretty much an annual event for us since 2007 (Mini Paws having celebrated her first birthday and taken her first steps there). I picked up tickets back in September last year on the hunch » Continue Reading.

The Hundred

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So the ECB’s answer to the Indian Premier League and the Aussie’s Big Bash finally arrived yesterday evening, having been postponed for a year. I’m sure most of us are aware of the premise, but if not it’s a new cricket competition where each side faces 100 balls that are divided into five (or 10) sets (rather than a six ball over), so it’s shorter than T20 cricket but otherwise still follows one day cricket in that the team who scores most wins. Unless it rains.

But was it any good? Well, it was like cricket… Only shorter. I actually liked that each innings (are they still called that) lasted less than 80 minutes. I find that in T20 the amount of overs per hour has dipped down and down in recent years. Another positive is that the men’s tournament and the women’s tournament are running side by side, lots of double header games, higher profile for the women’s game etc. And some of the games are live on the Beeb, can’t be bad. Last night’s game (are they still called that) was between the women’s franchises representing Manchester and the Oval. it was pretty close, came down to the » Continue Reading.

Peak Vinyl/Time to cash in the chips?

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Here’s a couple of questions I have been pondering for a while- Have we reached peak vinyl? And is now the time to cash in the chips? Let me explain. Most of my vinly I cherish and play and, to be honest, it has memories and stories attached to it that I would never want to part with. However, I have a few records that, it turns out, might be worth a few quid. Some of these records I have not put on the turntable in at least four house moves, and with the possibility of another house move coming up next year I am starting to de-clutter and move things forward. I happened to keep buying records in the 90’s whilst most other sensible people moved on to CD’s (or got a better hobby) and it turns out that what I thought would have been common items go for a bit. Quite a bit. One particular record is on Discogs for between £100 to £500 (it’s on ebay for £400). Now, I know that just because it says it costs that much on a website it doesn’t mean I’ll get that much, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get more » Continue Reading.

A word or two on Matt Elliott

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A word or two on Matt Elliott

As I seem to have been the only soul to have voted for Matt Elliott’s album this year (Farewell to all we know) I thought I might write a few words about the musician and how I ended up coming across him. In 2005 I found myself at a festival watching this (unknown to me) singer and guitarist. He was looping his instrument and voice, something that at that time I hadn’t come across on stage, and it was intense, really intense. Matt Elliott (for it was he) was show casing songs from his then current LP ‘Failing Songs’ an album that I picked up not long after. It’s a blend of (I guess) folk music styles (I would have said French but his press release suggests Balkan) but it was the lyrical content that really struck me (and stuck with me). It’s not a happy listen, seemingly the singer looks at life and existence through a lens of despair or perhaps resignation. I played the heck out of the album over the next year or so, and then for some reason I didn’t look for a follow up and I never heard » Continue Reading.

The best thing you’ve done this year

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2020 eah? Didn’t quite go the way any of us had hoped. But I am sure that some good has come out of this year. Whilst having a run at lunchtime (that’s new for 2020) I thought about some of the things that have worked out for me this year, and I wonder if anyone else has any accomplishment that they feel particularly pleased about?

So, what’s the best thing (or things) you’ve done this year? This is the place for a humble brag, boast or a something that you’re really proud of. Fill your boots and feel proud that something went right this year.

The Rover’s Return

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So, the English pubs are to re-open in 13 hours time. Can’t see anything wrong with that, nor the carnage of opening all day on a Saturday when we should all be socially distancing. Still, it’ll be nice to go back to the local boozer, won’t it?

So, two quick questions at the massive- What’s your ‘local’ like and will you be going back to it any time soon?

My answer is that I am unlikely to be going back to the pub if I can help it. I never thought for a minute at the start of lockdown that I’d think this, but I really don’t miss the pub at all. My local (as in the nearest , but also most frequented) really isn’t up to much. The vibe is one of cheap booze rather than quality drink, you’ll get a fight in there around the pool table if Spurs have lost (google maps tells me that we are 67.8 miles away from White Hart Lane) and the jukebox is dominated by the greatest hits of the 80’s and 90’s. The pub has changed landlords about 12 times in the eight years that we have lived around here. » Continue Reading.

Festivals for the over 60s

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A very quick query for you all to consider

A client of mine was talking about their “bucket list” the other day and mentioned going to a festival again. As far as I can gather, they used to go to music festivals back in the 70’s, but would like to go again “to see what they’re like now.” With this in mind, does the Massive have any recommendations for a festival next year for someone in their late 60s? We’ve only been to End of the Road in the past few years (which seems nice enough) and I wonder if the Larmer Tree Festival would be a winner (as it’s on the same site, but seems less hipster).

I’d be grateful for any ideas or suggestions (as will my client).

Here’s my TV Pitch

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Whilst washing up the dishes this morning I came up with an idea for a TV pitch- Alan Moore’s Love Island. The premise is fairly similar to the usual Love Island, just with the V for Vendetta hit maker presiding over the usual sort of fun and jollity you’d expect with prime time viewing. The contestants would probably be mutants, superheros or mutant superheros and the island itself would not be on a tropical island, but rather a traffic roundabout just outside of Northampton town centre. Whenever the result of the public poll are announced they will be preceded by the refrain from Pop Will Eat Itself’s ‘Can U dig it?’ “Alan Moore knows the score!”

I reckon that this could be a go-er. Anyone else got any ideas to improve this ‘golden age of television?’

Only Connect

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It was the grand final of this series of Only Connect the other night. For those that haven’t seen it Only Connect is an impossibly hard quiz show played between two teams that win nothing more than a glorified paperweight at the end of the series. For my money it’s the best quiz show on TV. I play along at home and if I get five questions right (as in before the teams guess them) I think that I’m doing pretty well, a bit like when you watch University Challenge or Mastermind. Answering a few questions right leads me to think for some reason maybe I could have a go at this programme, for what it’s worth.

Anyway, for the grand final the questions were a bit harder. Didn’t get a single answer right, even the music question (which I can often get). Probably best to stay at home and watch from the comfort of my sofa, rather than end up looking like a knobhead!

The Late Greats

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On Steve Lamacq’s 6music show yesterday he posed a question that I had a big old think about on the commute this morning. I think that he had just played a track by The Prisoners and offered an opinion that their final record was their best and this led to the question “Can you think of any bands whose final album was their best record?” Basically, who saved the best to last, not including bands who only released one LP. Having spent a lot of time this morning thinking about this I have come up with what I think is the best last/final album by a band.

Third by Portishead

I know that they haven’t split up, but it’s been a long time since any new material and it is their best album.

Now, I don’t think there can be too many others, I’ve struggled to come up with some. Are there any others out there that you can think of?

Plastic Mermaids

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Venue:

Lexington, London

Date: 13/03/2019

Wednesday night finds us in North London at the Lexington, a 300 person capacity venue we’d not been to before, to see Plastic Mermaids. They’re a five piece from the Isle of Wight that have been releasing music since 2014 who I have been somewhat obsessed about for the past eight months or so. So far my experience of the band has been limited to their three released E.Ps and their presence on youtube, with their homemade videos something truly to behold. Musically (to my ears) the band seem to pull on late nineties influences- Soft Bulletin era Flaming Lips, 3 EPS Beta Band with the occasional bowed guitar (a la Sigur Ros).

Support came from Cousin Kula who had a polished, seventies/eighties AOR sound to them. A more contemporary reference point might be Tame Impala. Mrs. Paws enjoyed them.

This was my first opportunity to see Plastic Mermaids since first hearing them back in August and I’ve been counting down to this all month, as such an hour set felt like not quite enough. Their set covered they career so far with material from all three of their E.Ps as well » Continue Reading.

Rhyming Couplet of the day

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Here’s today’s top rhyming couplet- I’ll think you’ll agree it’s a killer…

“I’m gonna grow old like Robyn Hitchcock, My hair will be white and my shirts will be polka dot.”

Really glad I got around listening to the new Art Brut album today. Anyone else hear a great lyric today? I’ll happily accept jokes too.

Your new favourite band

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I have had loads of favourite bands over the years. I’m actually off to see one of the first of my favourite bands tonight, who I first fell for back in 1984 and if I ‘m not in my cups by the end I may even post a review on here.

My current new favourite band are called Plastic Mermaids and they come from the Isle of Wight. They sound like a nice cross between the Beta Band’s 3 EPs and Flaming Lips’ Soft Bulletin, which is pretty good to my ears. I guess if you make something that sounds like 1998, then I’m probably gonna love it!

Like the bands I loved 30 years ago I want everything I can get on them. Back when I was a teenager this was pretty difficult, if not impossible. I would have to not eat for a week and save up my school dinner money so that I could afford the £4 for a 12″ EP when I nipped into the record shop on Saturday. Even then I could probably only afford one record a week and if a band had a more extensive catalogue than the odd EP then I » Continue Reading.

Text message of the week

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Had a brief text conversation with my friend earlier this evening – how the other half live… “It’s a strange one. I’m in Berlin with a Korean pop group. In fact, I’m currently in a steak and wine place owned by Yello’s Dieter Meier.”

Didn’t want my friend to feel jealous knowing that I am back to work in Milton Keynes tomorrow. Anyone else had a sickeningly rock n roll sms this week?

Long car journey greatest hits

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Following on from Gatz’s holiday thread, I thought I’d put a bit down about my upcoming holiday. We’re driving off to Cornwall in a few days’ time, which googlemaps insists has a journey time of four hours and 40 minutes. Experience tells me it shall be longer. To while away the hours I have developed a ‘greatest hits’ play list. In my mind long car journeys with the family are all about the greatest hits compilation. I’m not 100% sure why I came up with this idea originally, perhaps it’s so you have something to sing along with, perhaps it’s the familiarity of the tunes and the order of the tracklist, perhaps it’s because most ‘normal people’ when asked would say that they’re favourite Beatles album is “the greatest hits.” I dunno, but I seem to be able to get away with playing greatest hits in the car as it doesn’t offend Mrs. Paws as much as the new album by (enter name here) and occasionally Mini Paws mentions that she likes a song. She rather famously did this one time when we were driving somewhere or another, declaring that “this is a song that they play at Granny’s church!” » Continue Reading.

Festival -or- Jestival

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As some of you may remember about this time last year I asked for some help with my work ‘pub quiz.’ Basically once a year I am asked to devise a quiz along the lines of a pub quiz for the office away day. Anyway, the time has come again, but this time I am very much ready to go. With this in mind I thought I would share the ‘Festival or Jestival’ round with you. Here is a list of bands and artists that my colleagues will have to guess if they have played (or are due to play) the End of the Road Festival, or if they are Jestival- I made them up.

I won’t post the other rounds, but you are most welcome to guess if the artist is Festival -or- Jestival. No cheating now!

What do you get a guy who has everything*

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My watch battery went last night at around 11.50pm. Quite fortuitously it is our wedding anniversary this week and as Mini Paws has yet to master the art of keeping a secret I know that I shall be receiving a new watch tomorrow. This did get me thinking that I don’t think I have ever brought myself a watch, every single one that has gone on my wrist has been a gift, right from the Mickey Mouse one I had as a youngster. So I ask- Is there anything that you have never purchased for yourself, have been gifted and use regularly?

*The answer to the question is, of course, amoxicillin.

Beck Colors

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What does it sound like?:

So here it is… Beck’s pop album. Having worked with some big name producers in his time (Dust Brothers, Godrich, Rothrock & Schnapf, Danger Mouse & Penfold) here we find Beck hanging out and making music with Greg Kurstin (pop producer ‘due jour’ whose next artistic stop is a certain Mr. L Gallagher). And this record has been a long time coming. Beck’s last album, the Grammy winning ‘Mourning Phase’ was released nearly four years ago. In that time we have had singles (Dreams- June 2015, WOW June 2016) and the promise of a new album, but nothing until now. And was it worth it…

Well, kind of. The first thing I noticed about album opener (and title track) Colors is that it is mixed quite high. The top end of this song is, well, right up there. With all of the high frequencies pushed up high I wouldn’t have been surprised if all of the dogs on my street were barking along. Sonically this is a trend that continues throughout the album (the top end, not the dogs barking), but whilst there is quite a contemporary pop sheen on the tracks, there isn’t » Continue Reading.

ATM lego trading cards

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Sorry to have to cheekily ask- Mini Paws is currently collecting the Lego trading cards that they give you free at Sainsburys. IF any one has any swaps they’d like to share with me… er, I mean her, then please let me know.