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  1. Has no one else done anything in June?

    Seen

    One gig this month: The Magic Numbers at Colchester Arts Centre. During the evening we learned that Romeo Stodart and his other half, Ren Harvieu, now live in Colchester. I reckon they had family staying, as Romeo and Michele’s mum joined the band on stage for a closing singalong of Harvest Moon. The choice of a Neil Young song was telling. The rockier sections of the show—much louder and more intense than I’d expected—reminded me more than anything of Neil Young’s electric sound. For my money, Michele is the star of the show (though Angela Gannon’s vocals are always a treat), so I was more than happy that the opening set was just Michele performing her more country-leaning songs solo.

    One theatre trip too—or rather to the bowling green in Colchester’s Castle Park, which hosts the open-air Theatre in the Park series. We’ve got tickets for a couple more shows later this summer, but this one was Twelfth Night, performed with gusto by a talented young cast. They had fun with the play’s confused identities by swapping roles for the final act. The production had a Britpop theme, and the cast were so young I realised none of them would have been born when Britpop strode the land. Ironically, the musical theme meant the original songs were cut from the play, as was much of Malvolio’s persecution—but what remained had such energy and charm that no one left feeling short-changed.

    One trip to the cinema too? Go on, then. Actually, make it two. One was The Ballad of Wallis Island, which has been rightly praised elsewhere on these pages. The second was 28 Years Later, the latest (and reportedly last) in Danny Boyle’s zombie series. Twenty-eight years after the Rage virus was unleashed, Europe is virus-free, but mainland Britain remains overrun with zombies. A small community of the uninfected now lives on Holy Island off Northumbria. The film is, shall we say, episodic. There’s the bit where the boy is taken to the mainland to slay zombies to test his survival skills, the bit where he takes his mother (a fantastic performance by Jodie Whittaker) off the island in search of a doctor, the bit where he meets said doctor—a mystic Ralph Fiennes—and then the bit at the end where… well, I’m not giving that one away. Let’s just say it was truly unexpected.

    And one more show (or is it two? See below), when we took a trip to London in the heatwave and saw the Comedy Store Players improv night for the first time in decades. They’re still masters of their craft—batting lines back and forth with practiced ease—and it is a reliably fun night out. I was especially glad to see Josie Lawrence back in the line-up; her particular genius for improvising songs as dazzling as ever.

    Read

    As part of the Essex Book Festival, Robin Ince was interviewed about his new book Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal at Colchester Samaritans. I say “interviewed,” but after one question he launched into a monologue that lasted the full slot, and then took more questions from the audience than he did the interviewer. The book explores the prevalence of neurodiversity in the population, and how recognising it can improve life for everyone. It delves into whether diagnosis leads to over-medicalising normal personality traits and draws on Ince’s own experiences of being diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed anxiety medication. That thread was biographically interesting, though it resonated less with me (if there’s one thing I don’t struggle with it’s ADHD). But the central message—that openness and accommodation for neurodivergent minds can make for a better, kinder world—is hard to argue with.

    • I checked. We saw The Hothouse Flowers in Bath, which was nice. I’d do more but work can be unpredictable so buying midweek tickets months in advance is fraught with potential problems plus son has moved back in after breaking up with his girlfriend and daughter is back from uni for summer. Boxes and shite everywhere.

  2. November? I am currently sweltering on the Tube in London.

    June was pretty horrible, life is full of stress and loss. Hope a vacation might help. Plus thing was my IBD indicators plummeting and that Tracks II seems to be something of a revelation

  3. OK.
    Two gigs well actually one and a gigette.

    The Tiger Lillies in Bradford a pop up venue in a park in Bradford, along with my son and girlfriend. If you like the Tiger Lillies then you know what to expect, there were lots of songs I’d not heard before. I’d asked an old friend’s daughters if they’d like to go but they were busy so I asked their dad, cue grimace as if he’d been accidentally goosed by a cattle prod. I can’t persuade him how excellent they are.

    The gigette was Paul Jones at The Cat Club Pontefract a talk about his life, career and all points NSWE. Very engaging, and a superb pair of shoes. Whipped out the harmonica for a quick song.

    Trip to York for a talk about Prince Rupert of the Rhine commander in the English Civil War, the previous one not the present Uncivil War. Many years ago I’d been in the Sealed Knot so it brought back a few memories of those times.

    Read the Kate Mossman book and started the Dave Davies book.

    Watched The Power of Parker, filmed in Stockport where my son lives. greatly enjoyed.

    Not much else that I can remember, but I probably will much later.

  4. June?

    Saw Pulp, fantastic gig. Saw Charli xcx, the loveliest crowd, great vibes, great fun. Saw Duran Duran supported by Nile Rodgers + Chic, wall to wall hits.

    What have I heard? I do these weekly seven song playlists every Wednesday for fun, to cover what I’ve heard and what’s crossed my mind:

    Apple Music
    http://tiny.cc/7songs113
    http://tiny.cc/7songs114
    http://tiny.cc/7songs115
    http://tiny.cc/7songs116

    Spotify
    http://tiny.cc/7songs113spotify
    http://tiny.cc/7songs114spotify
    http://tiny.cc/7songs115spotify
    http://tiny.cc/7songs116spotify

  5. 2 gigs in June. Bella Hardy at Bury Met Box, accompanied by Jenn Butterworth on guitar. They were great! Plus SykesMartin (That’s Miranda from Show of Hands and Hannah from Edgelarks / Gigspanner Big Band) at my local Folk Club. They were mesmerisingly good, with a load of instruments to choose from, and the knack of always sounding greater than the sum of the parts. They were also impressively professional, arriving after an 8hr non-stop jouney from Devon and playing in a very hot hall on what was the warmest day of the year. If they were exhausted they didn’t let it get in the way of their performance. They only tour once a year but I commend them to the Massive.

    • SykesMartin came to the Saltworks by Northwich too and I confirm all that you say. The quality of their performance shows so many things, not least their love for performing and the material, but it also shows a great respect for their audience. That standard doesn’t come by accident, or purely by natural talent, much as that may be there; that only comes from devoted practice, and it shows.
      Earlier that week, I made the worthwhile journey to Sheffield to dance to Topette!!

      But most of the month, I was on my jollies in Portugal. My head was utterly in the right place to enjoy days of striding out from all sorts of towns around the country. (Fortunately, I like the heat; half the days, it hit 40.) I have a perverse habit of holiday reading consisting of things that bear no relation to my travels; so by day I was loving the dry landscapes of the Douro and Alentejo, while by evening I was rooted in the hyperlocal landscapes of Alan Garner’s ‘Thursbitch’ and Macc lad Tom Kitching’s ‘Where There’s Brass’.
      I got a local recommendation in Lisbon for a Fado restaurant and was seated in front of the artists. Fado isn’t my thing really – I find it somewhat overwrought – but it was brilliant to see it live from close quarters.

      As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a great cinema-goer, nor book-reader; I have no TV. Beyond music, my next artistic passion is architecture. That is often the focus of my rambles / rides. So my first days on holiday were filled with exploring Sintra. So much to see, but I honestly think I may have found my favourite building anywhere. Sundays are so quiet in Portugal, and I walked to the Palacio de Monserrate, to be first in. I had the place to myself for the first half hour, even managing to check out the acoustics of the music room with an impromptu gig. Joy and delight – that’s what the best buildings bring you.

  6. Well, I’d better get the big news out of the way first, as it impacted everything else…
    My dad died on the 25th of June, peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his children. We had all had time to say goodbye during his final week, when it was obvious that he was just hanging around for the final curtain call. So, as sad as it was, we were grateful that he didn’t have to be in pain anymore and that his death was so peaceful. He didn’t have more than a few months until he would have been 99 years old, so definitely didn’t pass too soon.

    I was asked to write a poem for the memorial service, which I’ve done – it came pouring out fairly easily, to my surprise. My sister-in-law is an actress/director and will read it at the service to ensure that it gets read without emotional breakdowns! Lots of music will be played at the funeral and the memorial, his own recordings and family and friends playing live. I think it will be lovely, but we’re all highly emotional people so the crying will probably be epic! In fact; I went to my local antique shop/estate sales shop and found myself a stack of crisp embroidered handkerchiefs for the upcoming event…paper tissues probably won’t be able to handle it (and I couldn’t find any new ones in the regular department stores I visited).

    Read:

    As you can imagine, reading wasn’t my priority this month… I only finished a couple of Agatha Christie novels I hadn’t read before and had found in the charity shop for near nothing. And, for the same reason (need of light reading material that didn’t require much focus) I also read a couple of kids books from ancient times, also charity finds.

    I struggled with three “proper” books, which I’ve now decided to either DNF or pause.
    I’ll pause the endless Viking tome, which I’m mostly through but not in the mood to power through to the end at the moment.
    The Yoko Ono biography is also a pause – I’d barely started reading it anyway, so when I go back to it eventually, I’ll probably begin from the start again. Not in the mood right now.

    And I’m thinking about DNF-ing the Kazuo Ishiguro novel When We Were Orphans, I started reading it on my trips to visit dad at the end (I honestly didn’t think of the unfortunate title until I’d already started to read it…) and can’t seem to want to pick it up since he passed away. It can also be because I’m finding it very dull, so far!
    I haven’t decided what to read instead – but something happy, preferably!

    Seen:

    I had planned to begin my annual film festival at home in June, but I only had the opportunity to (re-)watch Manhattan Murder Mystery before everything was turned upside down.
    But I very much enjoyed seeing it again, and hopefully July or August will see me returning to my film schedule. In the meantime I’m just watching the usual channels on YouTube. The Women’s World Cup may get some views as well.

    Heard:

    After one of the longest delivery delays in online ordering ever, Marc Almond’s covers album I’m Not Anyone finally – and by then surprisingly – arrived one day. Of course I love it – I love everything he does!

    I also bought the reissues of Pete Shelley’s albums Homosapien and XL-1, timeless masterpieces both of them and on heavy rotation in June! Homosapien is the one I have the deepest emotional and nostalgic connection with, but both are just brilliant.

    Another nostalgic comfort album is Abandoned Luncheonette by Hall & Oates. I used to have it on cassette but never got it on CD until now. Perfect vibes for me right now.

    I also suddenly found two CDs (actually three, but one is on its way) from one of my all-time favourite Swedish artists; Anders F. Rönnblom, one from -22 and one from last year. He’s so productive that it’s hard to keep up sometimes! Great stuff, as usual, especially the album from 2022; Wisdom of the Ancient Ones (don’t get fooled – the lyrics are all in Swedish! 😀 )

    I got the Suzanne Vega album Flying with Angels, but have only listened to it once so I can’t tell if I like it yet.
    Same with Foxwarren – 2…I was very hyped for this one because I love Andy Shauf and I really fell for his first Foxwarren album. There are some lovely tunes here but the problem is that they all have added sound clips from some awful old film, with dialogue that ruins my enjoyment of the actual songs. If they had been interludes that you could skip, but no…and they’re not short enough to avoid being annoying. Hopefully my first impression and irritation will die down as I keep playing it!

    AOB:

    Mum turned 94 and just days later she had to go to hospital for a week…it was a misunderstanding with her medications that caused the problems, so it was soon sorted, thankfully! This was going on at the same time as dad was living through his final week, so very stressful for us kids!
    I spent Midsummer’s Eve at the hospital, trying to cheer her up – the hospital food was NOT to her liking. I smuggled in apricot marmalade for her breakfast sandwiches, and cinnamon buns, to compensate for the weight-loss she suffered from those depressing meals.

    I’ve had a new MRI but haven’t heard from the doctor yet about the scan results and what the plans are for my knee ahead. But it’s July, everybody’s on vacation…

    And, finally; I bought a ticket to see Frazey Ford in November, to have something to look forward to. A bit risky, in case the doctors should decide that I need another operation, but I didn’t want to risk missing out on getting a ticket by waiting to find out – that could take a while!
    Worst case scenario, I’ll be there on two crutches, numbing the pain with opioids… 😉

    • Goodness, what a life! Your dad certainly knew how to live and it seems as though he had as a good death as it is possible to have. He will leave a big hole in everyone’s life. I wish you the strength to get through your grief smoothly and swiftly. Best wishes to you all.

      • Thanks everyone for the condolences.

        I feel as if we’ve already grieved him for a while, and him actually dying almost puts an end to our grief, if you see what I mean. Not entirely, of course, but the acute grief has been spent through the later years many health scares and this final year’s rapid deterioration.
        What was left for now is a sense of relief; that he had such a peaceful death; that it didn’t go on too long; that we all were able to say our goodbyes while he was still clear-headed and heard us tell him that he was loved and a good dad; that he had time to tell us that he loved us and how much he had loved his life, but now he wanted to go.
        Of course, while writing this I tear up, and little things will suddenly trigger a memory that will bring a tear to the eye – but in between those fleeting moments (no more than one a day, I’d say) life goes on, and I feel fine; we all feel fine about it.
        We got so much time with him, it would be greedy to ask for more – and once he lost his health at the very end, life was painful and depressing to him, he was ready to get on to the next adventure (if there is one – he hoped there was).
        His very strong heart worked against his wishes for a long while, but finally got the message and let him go.

        • You are me Locust. Dad died last year , he’d had a very good life and was really only ill for the last month or so . His last couple of weeks were bed bound and mainly asleep but awake and lucid enough to tell us he’d had enough and wanted to go. Mum was with him at the last, I’d just left a few hours previously to return home!

          • Yes, you can’t really ask for a better death, can you?
            I wasn’t by his bedside for the last breath either, but he wasn’t alone.
            And all of the important moments that you want to remember had already happened before that sudden, short breath before the silence.

  8. Keeping a written log of my media consumption certainly makes this easier I must say. I could simply list every damn piece of music I actively listened to during June but that would take hours and bore the hell out of everyone. I’ll be brief instead.

    Heard.
    Mostly classical with some jazz is about as brief as I could write this however to put just a smidgen of meat on those bones. I’ve been quietly engaged on a bit of a Mahler binge in the form of comparing Bernstein’s Mahler to Boulez’s Mahler. I chucked Rattle’s latest three efforts into the mix as well just for shi*s and giggles. I’m still engaged on this but despite my long time love for Bernstein’s take on the symphonies I’ve found a small place in my heart for Boulez. Typically Boulez is stand offish, analytical. No added emotional involvement from Pierre, perish the thought. This kinda works as Mahler is already locked and loaded emotionally. Anyway I kinda dig it. I’ll still reach for the Bernstein more often than not but it’s been educational.
    I’ve just started in on doing much the same comparing and contrasting with Sibelius in the form of Paavo Berglund’s first symphonic cycle with the Bournemouth and Leif Segerstam’s with the Helsinki Philharmonic. I think Segerstam just shades this little exercise so I think I may chuck Berglund’s more radical third attempt at the symphonies into the pot to shake things up a mite.
    Apart from these two little projects I’ve been indulging in plenty of one off listens to some opera favourites amongst many other bits and pieces and I’ve been dipping my toe into the symphonies and cello concertos of George Lloyd. A fair chunk of Shostakovich has also played a noticeable part in the month’s listening but that’s something that has become a bit of a habit.

    Read.
    Apart from a monthly Maigret I tucked into White City from Dominic Nolan which I enjoyed, maybe not quite as much as I enjoyed Vine Street the only other book from Mr Nolan I’ve read but it’s an entertaining read. The two I enjoyed the most in June were undoubtedly the final novel in the all too short series of Raven & Fisher books from Ambrose Parry, the pen name of the joint writing partnership of husband and wife Christopher Brookmyre and Dr Marisa Haetzman. It brought the series to a fitting end. The other novel was Rare Singles by Benjamin Myers. It’s the tale of how an over the hill, long forgotten American soul singer finds himself in an a past it’s glory days contemporary Scarborough for one last hurrah after being hired by a group of aging Northen Soul fans for a ‘Weekender’. The story spools out most gratifyingly and was just the ticket as a bit of much needed escapism.
    I picked my way through Listen to This by Alex Ross a companion piece to The Rest is Noise. It’s a collection of his essays written for The New Yorker and it’s a Curate’s Egg of a book. Far from essential reading. A couple of the essays were quite engaging but on the whole not terrifically enjoyable.

    Seen.
    A couple of films in the forms of Warfare which is just another guns and glory war picture. The selling point of this being it’s alleged veracity. That may or may not be so but it was still a seen all this before exercise for me. The other was A Real Pain. It wasn’t, it was an enjoyable if slight watch enlivened by a couple of decent performances.
    I watched the second series of Severence along with the second series of The Last of Us and the second series of The Gold before I watched the first series of Poker Face which is harmless fun.
    Easily the best watch of the month was I Addict on Disney. The title tells you everything and like Warfare it’s a well trodden path but the performances are top notch and elevate it to a recommended watch.
    I’m halfway through the latest series of The Bear so that’s for next month but I will say that so far it’s better than the previous series which I found a little unfocused and bitty.

    A.O.B
    Life goes on in it’s usual tedious way for which I am on the whole when considering some of the possible alternatives grateful. I saw my carpentry consultant on the 2nd of this month and I was relieved when he informed me that he hopes to be able to take a saw to my right hip sometime in the next two to three months. He’s booking me into a very pleasant hospital on the Nth. Wales coast for the procedure so I’m viewing this as a short holiday break. My only concern now is I hope this appointment when it arises doesn’t conflict with my long hoped for cataract surgery. I go for the preliminary tests for that towards the end of August. Fingers crossed it all works out in the end. I can’t wait to get back to my brushes.

    • Good to hear the news about the hip, Mr P.
      Also, if you like a cool approach to Mahler, I’d recommend a listen to the Kubelik set from the late 60s/early ‘70s – it’s become one of my favourites.

      • Thanks my friend. I shall certainly check out the Kubelik cycle. I’m tempted by Chially but haven’t made any concrete steps to aquire his punt at them as of yet. I’m in the mulling it over phase, if I can actually find a set to purchase of course.

        Edith :- I’ve found the Kubelik cycle for a very reasonable price and bought it but I can’t find the Chially for less than £100 so those blighters are getting streamed!

    • I believe you live alone, my brother had both hips done and he was pretty much unable to move for a while, he also lives alone but stayed with friends for a while during the recovery.

      • Yes I do and in a first floor flat accessed via a steep flight of thirteen steps. It’s the aftermath of the surgery, the recovery that gives me the most pause but I can’t carry on like I am. Living day to day with increasing pain and unable to travel anything other than very short distances because of the excess pain any walking causee is intolerable. In short I have no other option, I have to roll the dice on this one and hope I can get through it one way or another.

        • Good luck, hopefully neighbours can help with groceries etc while you are mainly bed bound and your recovery may well be much faster than it was for my brother. Think it was better for him 2nd time for some reason, maybe improvements in the procedure?

          • Diolch Dai. My neighbours wouldn’t notice if I’d died. My consultant reassured me as much as he could. I shall stock up on the necessities, place them within easy reach and hope for the best. Nothing else I can do.

    • Oh, great news! My sister had a hip replacement last year and it changed her life around completely. She had no problems during the healing process and very quickly got back into her normal routines, but she was very meticulous about her daily rehab which probably helped.
      Best of luck with that and the cataracts!

      • Thanks Lo. I will follow the advice I am given by the medical professionals to the letter. I am a very determined and single-minded individual when I need to be. If something needs to be done no matter how difficult I don’t shirk it.
        How’s your knee?

        • Still not co-operating. I’ve been on sick leave again for a while now, since my last attempt to go back to work failed, so not in as much pain as I was then. But that’s only true when I don’t do too much, and “too much” equals “very little”, unfortunately.
          Went on a slow walk after my rehab yesterday – could barely move after I got home (even slower at the end), and in a lot of pain today, so I’m taking it easy.
          Can’t sleep without painkillers.
          Waiting for the results of my MRI and to hear what my docs plans are…but otherwise, it’s OK! 😀

          • I’m sorry Lo. I suspected your reply would be along those lines. I sympathise. Let’s hope the medicos fix us both soon and life can return to something that resembles normality or whatever passes for that at the present time. x

  9. It’s been a shit old June, all things considered. Condolences to @locust and hip hip (SWIDT!) hooray to @pencilsqueezer. Even a much vaunted trip to the flicks got scotched, as the aftermath of the steps wedding fiasco continues to bite hard into my wife’s psyche. We made do, however, by revisiting the splendid filth of Hunderby, discovering an unrealised second series, swiftly purchased on dvd. Julia Davis has encapsulated the wonderful world of Sunday night Thomas Hardy adaptations and injected in some splendid neo-anachronistic wordplay. I’m chuckling as I write, and to merely mention Bubbly Milk has me biting down a guffaw.
    No gigs, including not being, this w/e, at Gate to Southwell after all. In sickness and in health priorities. Hoping Spain, next week, will give a much needed fillip.
    Didn’t bother much with Glasto TV; I never do, to be fair, being the wrong demographic for most of their coverage. But, by chance, I switched over at just the right time for the Shakey show, enjoying the curmudgeonly fury of his set, pleasurably engaged for the full performance. Following the brouhaha around another old codger, I began to watch Rod the Clod on I-player, lured in by the car crash clips on my fb feed. Jings, he was embarrassing.
    On a brighter note, there has been some sparkling new music released. Favourites have included Divergence, by Freya Rae, and the eponymous The Morning Early. The former is an instrumental reinvigoration of Scottish traditional forms, where Rae, a flautist, has teamed up with a harpist and a percussionist. It sounds more African or Polynesian than Caledonian, and is a breezy joy. Added Fraser Fifield on sax, too. The Morning Early are the latest in line of distinguished Glaswegiana jangle merchants, tapping into West coast vibes with the peculiar gift that the central belt of Scotland seems to innately possess. They don’t have any Rickenbacker 12 string, but have also a strong Searchers/beat boom vibe, as realised in that lovely Glasto clip, put up by @nigelt
    Elsewhere and still North of the border, Graham Mackenzie & Rory Matheson have done wonders with the ages old piano and fiddle combo that served village hall ceilidhs so well, pre guitars and amplification. Wonderful stuff, if somewhat niche. Take Six, it is called.

  10. Welcome to the second half of the year, may it be better than the first for everyone.

    My sympathies to Locust for what reads like a good death, if such a thing is possible. My dad died last year after a long debilitating illness and the anniversary will always be at the start of the summer – this year we’ll all spend time with my Mum and two of her oldest friends, which will hopefully help out break in her loneliness.

    Not much for me to report on – the usual summer climate conference, with many events to support while it all goes on around me, the informed discussions ignored while I respond to a flurry of emails.

    I started reading a book on consciousness (Anil Seth – Being You), and informing, intelligent and clearly written as it was, I found the philosophical/ medical combination a bit much for bedtime reading. So I turned to another of my most recently-acquired and unread books – The New Science of a Lost Art
    Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, a 2020 popular science book by science journalist James Nestor. Bought for 2 euros from a flea market stand, it’s yet another example for me of serendipity bringing more reward than consciously-chosen books. Although it starts off overly-evangelical about the secrets it will reveal about the way we breathe, the sucessive series of examples through history of how what could loosely be described as ‘breathwork’ can have remarkable healing effects on the human body and psyche. I’d be interested in the perspectives of the several MDs and health professionals who frequent the AW, in case it’s a load of tosh, but the basic principle (that breathing slowly and calmly through the nose is far preferable to mouth breathing) seems a good one, and trying to follow the approach over the last weeks has certainly helped my sense of well being.

    Musically, a couple of blogs led me to whole troves of Mad Professor, Andy Weatherall and Jah Wobble albums/sets/tracks/remixes – which have been enjoyable soundtracks to my days, and a reminder of how creative producers can be with their own and others’ music.

    TV – I don’t watch much. The Glastonbury was quite broad, though even with 5 stages on livestream, there were acts I would have probably enjoyed more from the smaller stages. Self Esteem was probably my only new discovery that I’ll look out for in future.

    • Regulating your breathing helps control your autonomic nervous system and autonomic dysfunction is at the root of a multitude of ills. Box, rectangular and 4/7/8 breathing are all very calming.

      With regard to nose v mouth, you can suck more air in more quickly through your mouth. A slower, steadied flow through the nose is probably better under most circumstances.

  11. For one reason nor another we did a lot in June. We saw the Last Waltz, Aguirre Wrath of God, Mission Impossible and Tornado at the cinema. The first three you probably know all about, the other was tedious.
    In terms of music we saw the Merry Widow in Holland Park and the 12 Ensemble performing Max Richter’s Four Seasons Recomposed. I wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about the Merry Widow as the press reviewers. The 50s gangster setting was a bit too Ant Hill Mob and cartoonish for me. The 12 Ensemble were brilliant, as ever, and well worth seeing if you ever get the chance. I went on my own to a cello and piano recital by Doraly Gill and Daniel Liu at Clare College in Cambridge. You can sit about four feet away, as I did. It’s quite something to be that close to a brilliant cellist amlmost literally launching herself into her instrument.

    At the theatre we saw the revival of Rattigan’s Deep Blue Sea, which reduced my wife to tears ( in a good way). And we saw a fine student production of Pride and Prejudice in a ferociously hot ADC theatre in Cambridge. I think I enjoyed this most of all primarily because of the wildly enthusiastic young people who made up the bulk of the audience. It reminded me of going to gigs in provincial cities in the 1970s.

    As ever, I marvel at the energy of the students who get involved in theatre, the college choirs etc. Th4y must have been rehearsing this during their exams. They even found time to make a rather fetching trailer. Link here if anyone’s interested.

    https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKSQp0QoGE2/?igsh=NGg4emdwbDIyOGd4

  12. I watched two important documentaries. Both got five star reviews in The Guardian and elsewhere.

    Ocean with David Attenborough
    Who doesn’t love David Attenborough? This documentary is predictably very well-made, with beautiful underwater scenes contrasting violently and sickeningly with the destruction to the seabed caused by trawler fishing. But it ends on a note of hope, with Attenborough pointing out the speed at which the ocean can replenish itself and flourish again if allowed to do so. At the United Nations Ocean Conference on 3 June 2025 the key aim was to get the High Seas Treaty ratified by 60 countries to bring it into force. The agreement was signed two years ago to put 30% of the ocean into protected areas. Fifty countries ratified it, but dozens more promised to do so by the end of the year. This documentary should be shown in schools.

    Gaza: Doctors Under Attack
    After the first five minutes I felt I wouldn’t be able to watch it, it was too upsetting. But as the focus turned more towards the stories of individual medical personnel and attacks on hospitals, the images of children became fewer and it became easier to watch.
    The discussion surrounding the BBC’s refusal to broadcast it (it’s on Channel 4) didn’t interest me, but on reflection it does seem a bizarre choice. In these days of AI and deep fake it’s harder than ever to tell journalism from propaganda, truth from lies. Israel not allowing journalists into Gaza (and killing so many Palestinian ones) obviously doesn’t help. A documentary like this, with credible first-hand accounts and witnesses, is vitally important.

  13. Seen
    The Four Seasons
    Three affluent, middle-aged couples meet 4 times a year to indulge in 5-star quality weekend breaks. They deal with dissolving marriages and the sudden, unwelcome intrusion of mortality. It has a smart script and some winning performances. I get that it is very ‘first world problems’ and that the characters are self-indulgent / lacking self-awareness / downright annoying…but I really enjoyed it.

    Department Q
    Twisty Scottish-set detective thriller. Lots of scenery chewing, gruesome violence and big swears. It’s compelling stuff, but with 9 hour-long episodes it outstays its welcome.

    Romeo & Juliet
    A trip to the Globe – this time we eschewed the uncomfortable seats for ‘Yard Standing’. Thankfully we secured spaces at the front so could lean against the stage (3 hours of unaided standing is not what my poor back wants or needs these days).

    Anyway – this is a fun production, with fair Verona swapped for the swinging saloon doors, Stetsons and gingham of the wild west. The 2 leads are very charismatic and have real chemistry. The production leans into the comedy, but the violence when it happens is suitably gruesome and upsetting, and the denouement of our star-crossed lovers is genuinely touching. Plus – this is London –tickets of less than a tenner a pop is astonishingly good value.

    A Real Pain
    I love a big, splashy action movie. But I think my heart belongs to smaller scale, independent-type films. This one is simultaneously small (small number of cast members, no flashy effects) and large (the protagonists are visiting Poland in honour of their grandmother, a holocaust survivor). And that dissonance rings like a bell. Culkin’s character is annoying but he’s also complex and charming, and the final moments of the film are just heartbreaking.

    28 Years Later
    We skip forward 28 years to a British Isles, isolated from the rest of the world that is free of the rage virus that continues to haunt us all of those years later. We join an agrarian, island-based community, and to a father taking his son on the ritual of adulthood – his first experience of the mainland and the horrors that walk, run and slither across it. This is a striking film, crammed with enough images and ideas to fill an entire franchise. There’s plenty of gore, tense chases and disturbing images. But there are also plenty of quieter moments when our characters consider loss and love, mortality and remembrance. This is a wild, deeply weird film, bursting with ideas, allusions and panicky action scenes. Can’t wait for the next instalment.

    Read
    Klara and the Sun
    For the first half of the novel, information slowly accumulates – Ishiguro in show don’t tell mode. As the truth is slowly revealed, you’re not surprised, but it’s still terribly sad. Feels like a companion piece to Never Let me Go.

    Heard / Seen
    Glastonbury.
    Settled down to watch and, as usual, wittered on about how I can’t bear the idea of camping, queuing for a bathroom, traipsing for miles in the heat etc…

    But I am rather envious of those that saw Pulp. They were magnificent – and the rendition of Common People was thrilling and moving – the Red Arrows screaming overhead midway through a moment of serendipity. Jarvis such an unlikely pop star – yet he’s just brilliantly charismatic and genuine.

    As for the rest, I enjoyed Raye. Not really my cup of tea – but I do find it touching how beloved she is.

    The Ezra Collection were like a burst of joy. Chic were like a jukebox. Charli XCX is wonderfully astringent. Again, not really my cuppa, but she’s a ballsy performer and I like her FU attitude

  14. Well, it’s been quite a time. In light of my ongoing health issues, I have decided to take early retirement & potentially some downsizing. I have also had a few issues with the industry that I work (mostly) in, and thanks to some very good friends who could see how my health was being affected by the work… I made the plunge. I will finish at the end of August; all on good terms. I will go forwards with all the creative stuff that my (sometimes) soul-crushing technology-based work has prevented me from doing. My belief is that this will help me get my health back to a better state.

    Seen: two main things – Poker Face Season 2 (all but one episode have been brilliant). Glastonbury (almost everything I saw was great, music is in rude health).

    Heard: Held By Trees (especially Solace). Beck (most of his stuff), ZZ Top (up to Afterburner), and… I realised that I had never really heard early Fleetwood Mac (who are ripped off by ZZ Top on one of the tracks on Tres Hombres). They were quite good so long as they kept Jeremy Spencer under control – bands from that era often had one foot in the Top Rank circuit, and doing ‘take offs’ of other artists was more common than you might think.

    Read: nothing. Just sodding emails and notifications. Hence my decision to retire!

  15. Seen: mainly Grace, all five series about half an episode at a time. I wonder how many times I’ve seen that advert for a Cupra Tavascan?

    Heard: mainly a load of 50p-a-pop 7″, one quid 12″ singles, and the occasional £2 or £3 LP, mainly picked up in Norfolk. Many have ended up as source material for Charity Shop Classics – my fourth episode airs this coming Sunday, with another in the can, and two more in the works. I’m still not confident about presenting, but I no longer jam my fingers in my ears when I hear my voice coming out of the radio.

    Gig: Boo Hewerdine at the Storey’s Field Centre at the end of May. Last time I saw him was seven years ago with the band (when I did the sound). I’m pleased to report he’s still sounding great but, now in his mid-60s, is beginning to age (visually). My chum from Stuttgart came over for that (and a Waterboys gig earlier in the week). It was great having him around, playing records and talking bollocks. Given the choice of places to go on Saturday, he chose to go charity shopping for music. The AW would fit him like a glove, if only he were online.

    AOB: I’m on the health merry-go-round again. I had to stop taking my Crohn’s meds in early January because a liver marker went off the scale. Had an ultrasound on my liver, which is fine, but that recommended a CT scan of my kidneys – turns out I have kidney stones. Referral to kidney consultant in August (I’m currently in no pain). Urgent referral to the Gastro team in January finally triggered a review in June – more tests to come, then I can hopefully start new meds before I have another flare-up. I’m averaging one hospital appointment per week at the moment…

      • Gastro man is at the big NHS teaching hospital. Minimum of 60 minutes each way, what with traffic, (lack of) parking etc. I went for a chest X-ray on Friday afternoon – left home 90 minutes before appointment, arrived early enough for a cuppa, 90 seconds in the clinic, 90 minutes to get home. What a faff!

        Still, it could be a lot worse. As I locked up my bike, I turned round and saw my ex-next-door-neighbour, in a wheelchair, outside the hospital doors, smoking a fag. She looked like death. Smoked like a chimney, drank to oblivion and/or until the rozzers paid a visit. She’s at least 10 years younger than me, probably not even 45 yet.

        Liver/urologist man (“Call me Jim”) is at one Bupa hospital, kidney stone man is at another. Mrs F has Bupa cover through work, but they won’t cover me for Crohn’s-related stuff.

        • There is nearly always “a lot worse”. I remember talking to a young chap who looked to be in his late twenties outside the hospital where my wife spent her last days. It looked like half his head was missing along with one arm and both legs. A motorcycle accident he told me when he was nineteen. I marvelled at his ability to still be able to communicate but he was lucid and a font of gallow’s humour. I’ve never forgotten meeting him, I mean how could one.
          Hope all is well Fents.

          • I’m fine, thanks, P. As “call me Jim” said, it doesn’t hurt, so I’m not losing any sleep over it. 7mm stones are too big to come out on their own. TMI alert: I do sometimes have to jump up and down to dislodge one if I need to fully empty.

            After six months off the immunosuppressant Crohn’s meds, I’m still showing no symptoms other than a bit of eczema, as my immune system comes back to life.

            It could be a lot worse.

  16. Cricket – excellent series, don’t like Stokes and want India to win.
    Football friendlies next week, can’t come soon enough.
    Been to beer festivals, folk festivals, book festivals, art festivals for peanuts. Can’t move for them. You can keep your Glastonbury and littleoasis.

    So mainly cinema…
    Delighted I was so sniffy about Salt Path last month, I smelt a rat there.

    When The Light Breaks – An Icelandic film (it’ll be the Icelandic film that’ll be brilliant if it’s made it all the way down to where I live, not the British one) and it’s sensational. About a young man dying suddenly and the fall out among his peer group.

    From Hilde, With Love – If a film set in/around the war has a female/away from the battlefield motif, I might go, if it’s about guns, no chance. Compliments A Zone of Interest and This Comes Tomorrow perfectly.

    The Ballad of Wallis Island – Now this ‘IS’ a good British film, in fact it’s a great British film. Funny, witty, poignant, loved it.

    Slade in Flame – Wow… this is the one that needed explaining to its audience in 1975. I’ve got news for you, from the small selection of people (about 20) I asked about it in 2025… 0% had the first clue of what they were going to watch or (more bizarrely) had just watched. Not a Scooby. I know the general public know nothing about pop music, but this was that theory in full technicolour. Mark Kermode’s right, it’s an unbelievable film. I remember seeing it advertised in the Radio Times in the dire – the first time it was on TV? – noting it was Slade and… erm… 1975, whatever that is, but started watching it and was hooked within ten seconds. That opening wedding scene is absolutely genius, what a director!

    There are two great post-60s films about the Golden Age… That’ll Be The Day and Slade in Flame, you can have all the others.

    • It really is a cracker, Slade In Flame, isn’t it? I had the soundtrack at the time (signed too, won it in a Metro Radio competition) but never saw the film (I was 10).

      • Looking after a friend’s villa in the South of France ( I know, somebody has to do it) and spent the last few days reading Salt Path.
        Thoroughly enjoyed, perfect holiday read complete with some apparently insightful insights into the Human Condition.
        Put book down, read Observer.
        Won’t get fooled again….

        • I hadn’t yet got round to the book or the film, but was expecting to. I note that the Gigspanner Big Band hook up with Raenor Winn (as Saltlines) tour has been cancelled, or at least her participation in it, whilst she consults lawyers.

        • I know we have some people here who work or worked in publishing. Would be interested to know their take on the extent to which Penguin did or didn’t do enough due diligence- is this just an occupational hazard or should they have done more to check it out? I haven’t read the book or seen the film but it feels like there were some pretty obvious big questions which shouldn’t have needed too much investigation….

            • Never read the book, seen the film or even heard the Gigspanner project (despite being a massive Edgelarks fan), so I don’t have an emotional investment in the Salt Path drama. I read the Observer article and thought it was well researched, but Raynor Winn’s response on her website is quite convincing too.

              Ultimately I’d need to read the book and study the claims in details to see if I really felt the book was misleading, but I certainly felt more sympathetic to Wynn after reading her response.

    • Very true about Slade in Flame. The lads had lived a bit before ‘the dire’ and I think their experience shows in the film. I feel they are an undervalued band just because they were singles-focused mostly. Even their comeback in the 80s (is that the ‘even more dire’?) had some good songs. But that film + album are the best.

      Here’s the boys doing a Beatles cover…

    • I agree about From Hilde from Love – a fantastic if harrowing film. It was only at the very end that I realised it was based on a true story and that Hilde Coppi is much feted in Germany (or at least East Germany).

  17. Seen: still watching House and rewatching Borgen – damn fine. Trying not to miss the F1 when it’s on. Rewatched That’ll Be The Day for the first time in decades!

    Read: after I finished watching Mad Men, my sister sent me a copy of Mad Men Carousel, essentially a deep dive into the detail and subtext of each episode. I wasn’t sure the show could stand up to it – but it’s good. Made me want to watch the series again! Also one or two PG Wodehouse books, including the Golf Omnibus – excellent! Just started Tessa Dunlop’s book about the Bletchley girls.

    Heard: revisited Mahler, lots of Mahler. Also, prompted by @pencilsqueezer, a varied diet of Sir Thomas Beecham including late Haydn symphonies, late Mozart and lots of Berlioz. Also thanks to Mr P, I think this month is going to find me listening to British female composers.
    Oh, and lots of Zeppelin, for some reason…and early (pre-Jaco) Weather Report.

    AOB: well, I had my robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in May, so June has been all about post-op recovery and getting back to something approaching normal. Well documented side effects to deal with – but all seems to be heading in the right direction. Surgery seemed to go well – just waiting for pathology/PSA results to confirm whether any further treatment might be required. I should find out in the next week or two, so I’m a touch distracted this week…

    Oh, yes – and I’m keeping up the “Sketch a Day” app habit, as recommended by @el-hombre-malo. Had a break when in the hospital but right back into it on coming home. I’m still rubbish, of course. But I enjoy it and I’m improving – a bit!

  18. Here’s my June report.

    Newly Streamed Albums:
    Clifford Brown/Max Roach – Brown And Roach Incorporated (1954)
    Clifford Brown/Max Roach – Clifford Brown And Max Roach (1955)
    Phi-Psonics – Octava (2023)
    Phi-Psonics – Expanding To One (2025)
    Donovan Haffner – Alleviate (2025)
    Benny Golson – Horizon Ahead (2016)
    Allexa Nova – No Language (2025)
    Evidence – See You Later (1991)
    Theo Croker – Dream Manifest (2025)
    Mary Halvorson – About Ghosts (2025)
    Joe Armon-Jones – All The Quiet (Part II) (2025)
    Brandee Younger – Gadabout Season (2025)
    Ronnie Ross – Baritone Sax Legend (2012 compilation)
    Lucky Thompson – Lucky Thompson (1956)
    Geri Allen – Flying Toward The Sound (2010)
    Bobby Wellins-Kenny Wheeler Quintet – The Endangered Species (2025)
    George Benson-Brother Jack McDuff Quartet – The New Boss Guitar (1964)
    Toshiko Akiyoshi – Toshiko’s Blues (2023 compilation)
    ScoLoHoFo – Oh! (2003)
    Sonny Criss – The Complete Imperial Sessions (2016 compilation)

    Cheap Gigs:
    Jon Gordon & Jamie O’Donnell – Jazz at the Elephant, N. Finchley, June 1st
    Kaiyo 3 + Mark Kavuma & Ruben Fox – Karamel, Wood Green, June 12th
    Stanley Dee – The Horn, St. Albans, June 14th
    Roland Perrin’s Blue Planet Orchestra, Jazz at the Elephant, N. Finchley, June 15th
    TW Frontline + TW Youth Ensemble, The Vortex, Dalston, June 18th
    TW Youth Ensemble, Karamel, Wood Green, June 26th
    TW Youth Ensemble + Cherise, Foyles Bookshop Auditorium, Charing X Road, June 27th 7-8.15pm
    The Primevals, Hope & Anchor, Islington, June 27th 9pm-late.

    TV:
    Marion & Geoff, Ragdoll, Shifty, Murder 24/7 all on BBC iPlayer.
    Marion & Geoff is absolute gold. Ragdoll & Shifty unfinished as yet but OK. Murder 24/7 a bit tedious.

    Reading:
    Philip Kerr – A Man Without Breath. Not the best of Kerr’s Bernie Gunther series but historically very interesting.
    Ambrose Parry – The Apple Falls Not Far. A novella related to but not really involving their usual protagonists. Again historically interesting.
    Private Eye, as usual. Depressing confirmation of my opinion about UK/Global politics and business. With some levity also.

    Other Business:
    Spent a pleasant weekend up in Sheffield with friends, touring some good pubs and a few eateries of mixed quality. Also paid a visit to Kelham Island Museum, which I heartily recommend to you if you’re in the area. I particularly enjoyed seeing the massive steam engine there being fired up for it’s daily 1pm run.
    The hotel I stayed at for 2 nights was extremely basic and not cheap enough for what little was provided. Bed, bathroom, no windows in a tiny (clean) room in a converted department store. Tea & coffee not provided but had to be bought from a machine in the foyer.
    My car M.O.T. test, service and Road Tax all had to be paid for in June, so along with my trip to Sheffield, my finances were severely depleted.
    Two car problems were identified. One is now fixed (oil strainer in sump and oil pump innards replaced) but the other one (aircon not cooling enough due to a blockage) has had to be deferred for a while.

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