2020! BOOM!!
Come warm yourself by the roaring fire, help yourself to the drinks and snacks on the sideboard, and please tell us all – what have you been listening to / watching / reading / otherwise enjoying over the last month, and is there anything coming up we should be aware of ?
All best wishes to everyone for a wonderful 2020
Well I’ll kick off
LISTENED – Dabbling with the Afterward faves of the year. Michael Kiwanuka sounds pretty much like the Small Faces if they’d signed to Motown. Ms Moles a fan, me not so much.
Wilco – dull. A bit like Arcade Fire but without the big choruses.
Lizzo – yes yes yes. Party starter and she’s not a bad singer is she?
Hot Chip. Nice, nothing at all new but a good outing.
WATCHED – Christmas is Amazon prime free trial month, so we are working our way through the free movies. Logan Lucky a great caper, and Daniel Craig’s southern drawl is top dollar. Vice is a thoroughly scary walk-through of Dick Cheney’s rise to power, awesome performance by Christian Bale. We are massive fans of the Fountain Lakes foxy duo, but Kath and Kimderella is one of the worst films ever made and deservedly obsure, o Richard E Grant was it a big tax bill that made appearing necessary for you? Suspiria however is truly astonishing, if you’ve not seen it then get the biggest telly you can for a visual assault. Peterloo, The Interview and a few others before the free month is up.
We are also enjoying Seinfeld series 3 – the meta one where they are trying to write a sitcom, and Man In The High Castle series 3. Really it’s only counting the minutes until Rufus Sewell is on screen again, he acts everyone else pretty well out of the park. Him and the Trade Minister. Big discussion last night about whether you could bow ironically in Japan. Not sure.
Very true re The Man In The High Castle. The actors doing the good guys have the combined charisma of a gray wall.
also the baddies have story arcs and character developments – whereas Joe and Juliana appear to just rotate about each other in a get captured/work for the bad guys/go the neutral zone/meet the resistance/meet each other rinse and repeat cycle
Haven’t seen the third season yet, but the second (focusing more on Sewell) was miles above the first.
Currently watching Dark’s second season, which is fascinating, but occasionally hard to follow.
Warming to my theme, Juliana’s hair is a thing of wonder. Impossibly long, lush and flowing it would be a shoe-in for best haircut at the Emmys (a thing they need to do).
She spends a lot of time taking care of her hair for someone who’s chased around by Nazis, doesn’t she?
Give Wilco a few more listens, a definite grower.
Read
The Underground Railway.
Takes the concept of the underground railway literally, with an actual rail system built to smuggle slaves out from the southern states of America. It’s sobering and vivid – told with lovely, clear prose.
Seen
Binged on Marvel films during the month. Infinity War is a great big downer, but Endgame is a thumpingly good finale to the cycle of movies. I had been a Marvel agnostic, but I’m fully converted now.
Star Wars 9. Going to see this was strangely melancholic– my Mum took me and my brother to the very first Star Wars film in ‘77 and I took my daughter to the very last one (in this sequence at least) 42 years later. Who knows where the time goes? As for the film, it’s pretty good with some great action scenes.
Heard
During December I listened to Brian Wilson’s eponymous album from 1988. It’s a lovely thing and some of the tracks always felt festive to me.
I so wish Brian’s solo debut wouldn’t have been made during the peak of terrible production. Still, great songs.
Oh yes forgot we saw the Star Wars on Christmas Eve. It’s kind of forgettable. A rehash of all the greatest hits of the first 8 films, while being buried under the need for CLOSURE on everything. Lame mcguffin, and I cannot believe they did not bring Jar Jar Binks back for the grand finale. It was….OK.
Quite enjoyed the light sabre fight on Southend pier. And the chase through the desert was good fun.
It was a decent enough film, but I’ve always felt that the new characters have been overshadowed by the old guard.
I thought it was pretty awful. Great special effects, but a fairly incoherent script and I never felt engaged with anybody in it, which is surely one of the main reasons for films to exist. But as long as people keep paying to see this stuff (me included), they will keep making these empty vessels that end up printing money. Maybe better than Cats?
Hi Marwood
I remember starting The Underground Railway but really struggling with its use of the language of the era it is depicting. Does it get clearer. I’d like to read it as it seems acclaimed a leading book of the last decade.
READ
Dave Stewart’s autobiography – first half is interesting. The second just kept going THUD as he dropped names left, right and centre. OK, but not much detail explaining how something happened, and too many half-finished anecdotes
SEEN
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is the best film of 2019 – and I only saw it on the 29th December.
Top Gear Special (Seaman) on Amazon – lot’s of dicking about as you would expect
Top Gear Special on BBC – lots of dicking about. I’m starting to think that Paddy McGuiness isn’t a complete arse (just a bit of one)
Christmas TV was (un-surprisingly) bunk – the best bit was pugged away at 11:00 on BBC2 a couple of days ago. Rhys Thomas A Year In The Life Of A Year.
HEARD
The Who – Who. Best for many a year – best since Who Are You probably (it’s like the last 30 years never happened). If it is their last release, it’s a pretty good sign-off.
Afterword CDs arrived before Christmas – thoughts published elsewhere
Did a lot of re-listening to 2019 albums to devise My Top 10.
And then I received a copy of Pixies – Beneath The Eyrie.
I may need to revise my Top 10
Not Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin Dave, but grumpy Eurythmics Dave?
Yup – Grumpy and self-satisfied Dave.
Although I think the lack of detail may be partly down to his narcotic intake
TV: Big shout out (get me!) to whomever on here recommended “Community” – simply the funniest series EVER! Stick with it until halfway through Season 1 as you look at each other on the settee and mouth WTF and then suddenly bam! you get it!
As for film – A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood confirms the fact that Tom Hanks is indeed the finest actor of my generation.
Music – it’s that time of year when I marvel at all the artistes I have never heard of before as the votes cascade in for the AW Album of the Year Poll. Honestly guys (and let’s face it we are mostly guys on here) some of youse are downright weird, never kissed a girl and still think keeping a detailed record of how many times you have listened to “Plippy Plop Live At The Catterick Hippodrome” is somehow hip.
And then there’s Gary still refusing the food parcels, still projecting illegally downloaded films onto the white (where white = not sure what that colour actually is) walls of his barn where he sleeps every night with only the warmth of a pig for company (and little does that pig know what’s in store later on) and still refusing to accept we have a love that whilst still illegal in over 200 countries will never die
I think I can say without contradiction that all of us on The Afterword are in love with little Gary.
Community is wonderful. Even the “gas leak year” has its moments. 6 Seasons and a movie.
Watched: mostly Liverpool -in particular the World Club Championship. The Premier League will always be there, but no we have the other “big” one we have never won.
Rise of Skywalker – hmm. Star Wars by the numbers. As pleasurable but unfulfilling as a bag of popcorn. First time missed the beginning – thought we had missed 20 minutes. Turned out to be about 3 minutes. Too much fans service, too many inexplicable bits.
Dracula (ok this year) – similar in a way. 3 programmes each different in tone – the second is a Agatha Christie whodunnit. I liked the last episode best, though the casual attitude of vampire hunters to a vampire did my head in.
My blast from the past is Farscape – not as dated as you might expect.
READ: The Difference Engine, by Gibson and Sterling. Getting ready for Gibson’s Agency later this month. One of the modern sources of Steampunk.
The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin – an anarcho syndicalisted philosophical discussion of humanity. Don’t know why I hadnt read either of these before.
Listened: This is not a safe place by Ride. Much better than I expected, and one of their best albums.
Keith Jarrett: The Melody at night with you.
Troy is Childish Gambino?? My axis just spun – cool, cool
You should probably give it a minute before watching Atlanta so…
That’s my head exploding that is
I’ve read an advance copy of Agency. It’s very good (of course it is, it’s by William Gibson), but you’ll need to keep your wits about you throughout the first half! Probably not quite as good as The Peripheral, to which it is a quasi-sequel, but then I think that’s his best book, so no shame there. He’s coming to Bristol in February, and I am excite.
Heard
My latest discovery, too late to affect my end of year top twenty, is Sault who released two superbly minimalist dance albums in 2019, entitled 5 & 7. Little is known about them but writing credits for the songs have been given to Dean Josiah Cover, who has worked a lot with Michael Kiwanuka, Melissa Young, aka Kid Sister, and Cleopatra ‘Cleo Soul’ Nikolic. Tom Campbell is rumoured to be involved. Cover writes, produces and is a multi-instrumentalist. The female vocals are dynamic. The songs are simple, starting immediately with the hook to the dancefloor and never letting go. Not a single moment is wasted. The percussion is precise, the bass sinewy and double-jointed. A touch of echo emphasises the empty spaces. It’s a delicious inflection, subverting the usual language of modern day dance by declaring less is more. This is dance music as perfectly designed as an Apple product, with all extraneous elements removed. Sault’s absolute faith is justified. They allow the funky grooves to do all the talking. The act itself keeps a low profile.
Seen
Gavin & Stacey was a big disappointment. I thought it was the first of at least two parts. Thoroughly enjoyed The Watchmen, though. I loved how each episode looked at the events from a different point of view. I’d recommend it for anyone.
Other
Still haven’t got over the election and now it looks as though the Third World War is about to start.
Happy New Year!!!
Watched: The Sweeney made it over here, so I’m working my way through it. It still stands up. Great TV. Apart from, a few old movies.
Listened: primarily podcasts. My favorites right now are “Dolly Parton’s America” which is profounder than you might think, and The West Wing Weekly, which isn’t.
Read: Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War, which is sci fi done right. And my favorite book of the year, Peter Temple’s The Red Hand: Stories, Reflections and the Last Appearance of Jack Irish.
I got into Jack Irish the TV show, starring Guy ‘Neighbors’ Pearce, and loved it, so I read all the books. The Red Hand is a collection of his reviews, assorted writings, and the start of the last Jack Irish book. What a writer! Not a word wasted, and such a great ear for speech.
Can’t go wrong with a bit of Jack and George. There’s 4 series and 2 films to get through and it’s all good.
I’ve just started re-watching The Professionals. Similar vintage, but feels more dated than The Sweeney.
And The Sweeney has the best theme tune (ever)
Love a bit of Jack Irish myself and didn’t know about The Red Hand book, so thanks for the heads up Sitheref. It comes out on 23rd Jan here.
Heard
A lot of old. I’m working my way through my digital music files, playing everything that’s not been played before, in alphabetical Artist order. Now mostly up to “F”.
Mainly old label samplers and magazine coverdiscs but with a few single artist albums in the mix, such as Steve Earle, Townes Van Zandt & Guy Clark “Together At The Bluebird Café”, David Bowie’s “Toy”, The Grip Weeds “The Sound Is In You”, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings “The Revival Demos” and David McAlmont & Michael Nyman’s “The Glare”. “Together At The Bluebird Café” is an outstanding album.
Also listened to a few things on Spotify such as Rob Luft’s “Riser”, Matana Roberts’ “Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis”, Daniel Casimir’s “These Days”, Yazz Ahmed’s “Polyhymnia”, Anna Meredith’s “Fibs”, Flying Lotus’s “Flamagra” and Kinkajous’ “Hidden Lines”. All enjoyed.
Live Music
Pretty busy but only one really outstanding gig. Daylight Music on December 7th was the Tomorrow’s Warriors Soon Come Big Band playing selections from Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” with Binker Golding conducting. The Soon Come Big Band is the cream of the next generation of London’s Jazz players, mostly teens. A lot of London’s current young jazz stars came through the Tomorrow’s Warriors project, as did the generations before them.
Before that main event here was also a short set by a really good quintet of kids, led by a skinny young girl who looked about 12 years old, singing “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” and playing the flute beautifully. Good young bassist and drummer too.
Apart from that I saw 2 jazz gigs at the pub. Saxophonist Robert Fowler and band on the 1st were quite sedate but John Etheridge plus band on the 15th were really tearing it up. A seasonal touch was added when local singer Dexter Moseley stepped up to the mic and sang a superb “Christmas Song”.
Earlier on the 15th I’d trekked down to the Half Moon to catch Hank Wangford & The Lost Cowboys performing a (late) lunchtime show. Hank is always good value, with BJ Cole and Martin Belmont in the band plus female vocalist Spanner Robinson.
Daylight Music on the 14th was the last of the year and featured artists from Lost Map presenting Yuletide In A Scotch Sitting Room, with some Ivor Cutler songs and poems performed.
My favourite Steely Dan cover band, Stanley Dee, played their customary Xmas gig at The Horns in Watford on the 19th. 25 Dan songs including a live premiere of “King Of The World” and seasonal versions of “Stop The Cavalry” and “Fairytale Of New York”.
The next night I ventured to The Elephant Inn in Finchley to see Dex & Mercy’s Funk & Soul, a 5-piece band plus two good singers covering EW&F, Stevie Wonder, The Fatback Band, Sly & The Family Stone, James Brown and Maria Muldaur, among others. Their usual female vocalist was away in Barbados for a family Christmas, so alongside male vocalist Dexter Moseley (yes, him again) was London-based Australian guest singer Lily Dior. Yet again a great evening with an obligatory seasonal ending, featuring Shakin’ Stevens’ “Merry Christmas Everyone” and Roy Wood’s “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day”.
TV
“His Dark Materials”, obviously, and finally getting stuck into “Breaking Bad” about a lifetime after everybody else. Can’t recall what else, so probably nothing really exciting. Oh. “Paddington 2” on the box Christmas day and some assorted Xmas dross.
Other
Came down with a cold about the same time as the election but managed to get rid of it before Xmas with the aid of Paracetamol, spicy food, raw garlic, honey and lots of fruit juice.
Completely forgot to add..
Read
Re-read Neil Gaiman’s “The Graveyard Book”, read David Seabrook’s “All the Devils Are Here”, Ambrose Parry’s (pseudonym for Chris Brookmyre and his wife Dr. Marisa Haetzman in collaboration) “The Art of Dying”, James O’Brien’s “How to Be Right in a World Gone Wrong”. These were all good reads.
I also struggled through a bit more of “Straight Life – The Story of Art Pepper” by Art & Laurie Pepper. I’m determined to finish this sometime, despite Art Pepper appearing to be a particularly loathsome person.
Late addition to “Other”
Discovered J.J. Whitley’s Rhubarb Vodka which is inexpensive (£16/70cl/38.6% vol.) and when drunk with tonic is rather like a Rhubarb Crumble in a glass!
This’ll be quick, as I haven’t heard anything new since November, and only seen a couple of things not worth wasting any time on. So just a few books to report!
After last month’s Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones I caught up with the next ones in the series: Castle In The Air and House Of Many Ways. The first one of those two was very funny, the second was fine, but a bit of a let-down after the other two.
Also read a book by a Swedish journalist about his Russian-Austrian-Swedish family history, which was interesting but, though written in a documentary-style, at times it blurred the lines a bit between facts and speculation/fiction, which I always find annoying.
I got Becoming, the autobiography by Michelle Obama for Christmas, and I’m now only a few pages short of finishing it. Probably not a book I would have chosen to buy for myself, but I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting it is.
Another Christmas gift was The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, which I’m about a third way through on my daily commute. It’s good so far, and I have no idea where the story will go, which is a plus.
And of course, as I do every year, I read A Christmas Carol aloud to myself, starting on Christmas Eve. As enjoyable as always, when I ham it up big time and cry and blow my nose all the way through it, sitting in front of my Christmas tree feeling peaceful and happy at last, after weeks of stress leading up to the holidays…lovely! 🙂
Heard
Frank Zappa – The Hot Rats Sessions. Absolutely fascinating. I’ve just been listening on iTunes but might have to purchase the actual physical product (FZ would have loved that term) for the track details and other bits and pieces.
Watched
Fishing Without Nets, a wonderful 2014 film made in Somalia about piracy. Non-professional actors and real locations. It was on SBS On Demand in Australia
Read
Lee Child – Blue Moon. Yeah OK, another bloody Jack Reacher. Same old same old. But I’m trying to get back into reading so I thought I’d start with something I knew I’d finish. (I have a terrible habit of starting books and never finishing them). Now I’m reading an excellent Australian thriller by Jane Harper called The Lost Man – her third one, read her first The Dry a couple of years ago. Very good writing capturing everything about Australian people and the landscape. Predicting her next will be about the RFS (Rural Fire Service)…
TV
I rarely watch BBC1, ITV, Channel Four anymore, but have been watching “The Trial of Christine Keeler.”
As the writer of the piece (female) said in the Radio Times … “she was only 19!”
Don’t believe for one minute this stuff, probably worse, isn’t happening right now in the corridors of power.
Film
“Little Women.” Not normally my style, but thoroughly recommended. Again, a female director and largely female cast.
“Amanda” is next on the list.
Music
Since that f***wit (born 1964) won the Election, I’ve completely thrown myself in all the stuff he hasn’t got a f***** clue about.
Also finally cleansed myself (My God, it feels good) of “Exile On Main Street” and “Sticky Fingers” (which I particularly hate) and about 40 other CDs that rawwwwkkkkkk, via the local chariddee shops.
Read
David Hepworth – “A Fabulous Creation.”
Confirmation, if it were needed, how dull pop music got after the 60s.
After reading Hepworth I always find myself hurtling towards all the things he is lukewarm about … in this case, McCartney’s debut LP and Zappa … although he is spot on about “Ummagumma” and my copy may also find itself in the local Oxy very soon.
Brought two of my girls to ‘Little Women’ on Thursday – we thought it was lovely. Greta Gerwig is proving herself to be a fine director and the cast should win any ensemble awards going…
Seen – Spent most nights working my way through Justified on Amazon Prime. Timothy Olyphant as a US Marshall in a small Kentucky town where everyone seems to be a criminal in some way or other. Enjoying it though. Watched the Gatis/Moffat version of Dracula last night, all four and a half hours of it. It did enough to keep me watching to the disappointing ending, but it wasn’t that good really. The BBC adaptation of A Christmas Carol was even worse though. Very disappointing, as I’d been looking forward to those two.
I also watched the Railway Children the other day. I wasn’t sure whether I’d ever seen it and it became very apparent that I hadn’t. Wish I’d watched it when I was younger. The biggest regret, however, is that I agreed to take the boy to the 4DX showing of Star Wars. By the time the warning came on advising that people with neck/back conditions may find it uncomfortable it was too late. After about half an hour I was in agony, dreading the next fist fight (where the chair punches you in the back) or space fight (where the chair flings you around). Took me days to get over the pain, and I kept spilling my popcorn. Film was so-so.
Read – once again, loads of magazines on Readly. One of the New Year’s resolutions is to read less magazines and more books. I’ve even bought a little light so I can read in bed, as the reading lamp I bought is too light for Mrs Grumpy, who finds it easy enough to fall asleep in front of the telly every night!
Heard – Bought a 10 CD Billie Holiday boxed set before Christmas, so been listening to a lot of that. I really like female vocalists that tread the line between hip hop and contemporary R&B and it seems that they are all influenced by Billie Holiday in one way or another. To say the recordings are 60-70 years old, her voice sounds very contemporary.
One of the albums I picked up after reading someone’s end of year list was American Love Call by Durand Jones and the Indications. Where Billie Holiday’s voice sounds contemporary, you could have convinced me the Durand Jones album was 50 years old. Classic Chicago soul. Also filled the gaps in my People Under The Stairs collection. Very underrated rap group.
Morning all.
I briefly lifted my head over the parapet to watch the news having largely hidden away since 12th December. Tin hat on and back below the lip of the trench I go. Bloody world is on fire it seems.
Seen
Unfamiliar with the brand the boy and I decided to give The Witcher a go on Netflix. By episode three we’d kind of worked out what was going on. It’s silly but fun and we’re looking forward to the next series. Went to see the latest Star Wars. S’ok. Boy thought it an improvement on the last couple but not wildly enthusiastic. He was pleased there were new uniforms on some of the stormtroopers so he’s added to his Lego minifigure collection. Also watched the Death of Stalin which was fun as was Paddington 2.
Read. Mick Herron. Love him. Oh, and the Great Gatsby. It’s nominated at our book club seemingly on a monthly basis and never gets voted in. Not sure I enjoyed it. Also reading The White War – the Italian front in WWI. Shocking. Wasting lives was obviously a contagious disease back then.
Heard. Vinylsanta brought some interesting offerings. But also been following my ears in the direction of female jazz/soul/blues singers.
@happy-harry
I’ve really enjoyed the 3 Mick Herron books I’ve read from the Dead Lions series, though not sure I’ve read them all in the right order. Has he done anything else I should be aware off?
The Jackson Lamb series – of which Dead Lions is the second of about six I think – are good reads. There is also the ‘Oxford’ series that commenced with ‘Down Cemetery Road’ that I liked even more. There are a few standalone novels too but I haven’t got onto them yet.
@happy-harry
Six! I’m sure I’ve only read 3. Will investigate the “Oxford” series…spies?
No not spies, more private investigatory type stories.
With December being more suited to playlists than albums, there’s nothing new to report. Due to joining a new (old) covers band, I’m having to immerse myself in genres hitherto foreign to me, namely funk. Rather enjoying the process.
Cinema – Star Wars (Ok), Jo Jo Rabbit (Brilliant) and Cats (not as bad as people who’ve not seen it make out) all attended. I’ve discovered a cure for insomnia by the way. Sitting through 20 minutes of cinema advertising normally means that I miss a few minutes of the early part of films these days. Can’t stop myself nodding off, so if I feel myself going I just let it happen. Cats wasn’t the most disappointing thing that James Corden was in over Christmas.
Lot’s of tele over the Christmas break. I really liked the new Christmas Carol. The Scrooge character was very believable and the use of Mrs Cratchit was quite terrifying. Gavin and Stacey seemed to just go through the motions. Nothing much to laugh at there, nor was there in that bloody Jack Whitehall thing that he did on Netflix with his Dad. Surely this joke has worn thin hasn’t it?
If you’ve not seen it, I would point you to Iplayer to watch the two series of “Young Offenders” brilliantly funny and surprisingly touching once you get in the swing of it. By episode two you’ll be hooked.
I did a panto over Christmas at the Finchley Arts centre and saw former word favourites Skinny Lister at their London Christmas gig. They weren’t as good as I remember them at one Hepworth’s “Word in your ear” gigs a few years ago at the Lexington, although they still pass the jug of Rum around.
Seen
Continuing to watch The Crown at the insistence of Mrs L. I’ve never really had any interest in the Royals but this is OK and quite watchable. Matt Smith is excellent as Prince Phillip, just as you might imagine him in his younger days.
Watched the new BBC adaptation of A Christmas Carol and found it very disappointing indeed. A shame, could and should have been better.
Currently watching The Trial of Christine Keeler, which is an interesting overview of the early sixties political scandal which almost did for the Tory government, but nothing more. I don’t think I’ve seen anything I wasn’t previously aware of, or been given a different insight, other than really having it underlined just how young Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice-Davies actually were. Perhaps its partly because I am older and now have an 18 year old daughter.
Heard
I was given a new turntable for Christmas so I’m right back into vinyl. Purists may scoff, as it’s a TEAC Bluetooth turntable, but I don’t care as it more than suits my needs. Currently getting a lot of listening pleasure from the A Certain Ratio “Set” compilation, Michael Kiwanuka’s latest, Edwyn Collins’ “Badbea” and Billy Childish’s “Punk Rock Ist Nicht Tot” career spanning compilation. All on beautiful vinyl and I’ve loved every second. Many more to follow I expect.
Read
Out of The Woods by Luke Turner, an at times very personal exploration of one man’s lifelong relationship with Epping Forest. Possibly a bit overshared at times for some, but I thoroughly enjoyed this and admired his honesty.
Don’t Look Back In Anger (The Rise and Fall of Cool Brittania) by Daniel Rachel. I’m not a massive Britpop fan but I really enjoyed the same writer’s book on Rock against Racism so went ahead and read it. The stuff about politics and New Labour were the most interesting bits of the book for me. Read this in the aftermath of the election and it brought it home just how much Labour currently need to broaden their appeal again, to put it mildly. And I voted for them…
December was a bit of a whizz, marred by the hell on earth that was work that month, illness and charitable deeds decimating the workforce, illness and uncharitable deeds maximising the workload.
Hey ho, time to retire again?
Anyhoo, lots of good telly, I thought. I was a fan of both A Christmas Carol and of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. The former applied a new coat of verdigris to the tale, and was deliciously dark, with a fine cast. Dracula was prime ham, with enough references to nearly every earlier incarnation of the story as to keep an audience on their toes, between winces at the dialogue. And lovely to see Mark Gatiss’ Renwick do what Renwick does best, even if absentmindedly in the car was a turn from his usual element. We had bought ourselves the 5 series set of Peaky Blinders, mainly to be able to get the subbies the recent TV scheduling hadn’t allowed. At the end of s.4 I had thought it would be a struggle to keep things going, being shown to be wrongly wrong, as s.5 proved to be one of the best, with one wonderfully welcome character reprise.
The only gig was Bobby Plant’s new band, Saving Grace, reviewed elsewhere, within the body of an earlier attending member’s review. I thought it superb.
Listening was the usual December challenge of compiling a list and scrabbling frantically to catch the ones that others have suggested, and that I might like, ahead of so doing. I gave up the ghost and decided enough was enough early/mid month, since when I have had more leisurely listens of those I had missed.
Late to the party again but hey ho its January and the post Christmas energy levels are not what they should be.
Heard:
Tony Joe White Monument rarities -this is fabulous and a lot of srtuff I wasn’t familiar with.
I can’t recommend highly enough a double album called Krautjazzfuturism – a new wave of German bands inspired by Krautrock, Afrobeat, Jazz and Electronica. Sadly only available on vinyl otherwise this would be on heavy rotation in my car. Also catching up with both of the Big bThief albums and I’m with her that I really should have bought at time of release but which passed me by. It is an excellent album and I hope they do more.
Also Our Native Daughters which I stumbled across by accident after hearing Iggy Pop champion it on 6Music. Perhaps my favourite release of 2019.
SEEN:
Cats – how could the critics get it so wrong.? Wonderfully kooky and have to say a very emotional performance from Jennifer Hudson.
On TV caught up with Guilt which was recommended on the Podcast I was involved with – really enjoyed it.
In concert Billy Bragg was his usual acerbic self, My Darling Clementine played a good but subdued hometown gig. Highlight however was The New Power Generation playing an evening of Prince songs – a high energy gig with all the favourites and a few deep cuts too. Really enjoyed this show and hope to see them again soon.
READ;
David Nicholls – Sweet Sorrow. Not as immediate as his previous two but he is a very good chronicler of relationships with a knack for writing witty conversations for his characters.