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Musings on the byways of popular culture

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Concert Films – some are really good!

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Having bought my cheap DVD player add on to my MacBook Air I have been exploring a large box of music DVDs in the attic that I haven’t watched in years.

I started with what on here have been seen as amongst the best and in the last two (work) days I have managed to watch the 25th anniversary of The Band Last Waltz and Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads.

Both excellent as I remembered them from 15+ years ago when I last watched them.

I have the long Tom Petty documentary set up next.

Any recommendations for cheap music DVDs not available in any other form greatly appreciated. Didn’t think I would be saying that in 2020!

ATM: Virtual Reality Headsets

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My son is 10 this month and would like a virtual reality headset as a present.

This is something I know nothing about but assume can be out of date as quickly as any new technology can be.

Any suggestions from the Massive.

Budget of £3-500 for something at least a bit future proof.

Trickster – Back To Zero

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With some time on my hands I have been revisiting the records of my youth.

I came across this beauty that I haven’t heard in over 30 years.

It is a power pop/AOR classic from 1979. The band supported ELO on their Out Of The Blue Tour and also supported Boston in the UK in 1979 – good credentials.

Some obvious ELO references in there but a great singer and top tunes.

Album link in the comments.

Stewart Lee on tour 2020

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Venue:

Oxford Playhouse

Date: 24/02/2020

This was the first time I have seen Stewart Lee live despite being a long time fan of his previous work on TV and on stage. The show comprises two separate sets entitled ‘Tornado’ and ‘Snowflake’ with the former being about 70 minutes long and the latter slightly shorter.

Tornado – this for me was the far stronger set and had me crying with laughter at the climax of the set as he went into an Alan Bennett voice bringing together the themes set up during the previous hour. The theme of Tornado is based on a Netflix review that was online for over two years about one of his earlier BBC TV series and describes the show as including sharks falling from the sky…no more spoilers. The other themes of this set include the usual attacks on other comedians as you would expect and a very early visit into the audience to remove someone’s phone! This set was the best I have ever seen from him.

Snowflake – this was a more traditional ‘I am a lefty alternative comedian from the late 1980s’ set and when full tilt at the new Boris Johnson » Continue Reading.

EPC ratings…do these people live in the real world?

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I have a two bedroom house 2 doors up from me that I have on a buy to let mortgage and have happily rented put for the last 12 years.

Now I have to get an EPC rating for it as the tenants who were there for the last 4 years have moved on.

It was built over 100 years ago, has solid stone walls, central heating from a gas boiler, double glazing in all rooms and a fully lagged loft. The EPC rating was a G i.e. in the lowest tenth percentile apparently in the UK. It would be illegal for me to now rent this out to a deserving family until I can get an E rating.

The world has gone mad!

Anyone else here a small time Landlord with these issues?