Gather round the firepit, help yourself to a drink from the flasks – or the coldbox if you prefer – then please tell everyone : what have you been listening to, watching, reading, playing, seeing, exploring, whatever ?
Blogger Takeover CXXVII
by 83 Comments
Films I enjoyed:
Eddington
Joaquin Phoenix in a violent, dark-comedy-contemporary-western type thing. Overflowing with contemporary references, particularly Covid-related, it seems at times like it’s trying a little too much to capture the 2020 zeitgeist. But overall I thought it was great fun and Phoenix has never been better.
Eden
Jude Law in Ron Howard’s latest film based on the true story of a small group of people who went to live on an uninhabited Galapagos island and didn’t get on very well. I found it entertaining and intriguing enough to further investigate the actual events (there’s a documentary on YouTube).
Caught Stealing
Darren Aronofsky’s latest is clearly very influenced by Guy Ritchie, marrying gangster violence with sort-of-comedy. The supposedly comedy elements (mostly revolving around a pair of Heredi mobsters who are religiously observant but morally unscrupulous) aren’t funny and spoil it a little, but overall I found it entertaining.
Films I didn’t enjoy:
Hamlet with Ian McKellen
What on earth was the point of this? Actually, it’s not a bad production, with plenty of interesting choices and excellent performances… apart from 85-year-old McKellen playing the titular young prince. His performance is ok (though he sometimes looks as if he’s reading from an autocue) but casting an old man in the role means his relationship with the other characters, especially Ophelia, simply doesn’t make sense. I think I’d find it less jarring to see Christopher Biggins star in a remake of Terminator.
Nobody 2
I don’t remember that much about the first film except the fight on the bus scene, which is my favourite screen fight ever. This sequel is just appalling, like a cross between National Lampoon’s Vacation and Home Alone. Not helped by an ultra-hammy performance from Christopher Loyd.
Freakier Friday
Don’t ask. I don’t often give up on films, but I had to give up on this one after 40 minutes or so, because it was just too unbearably crap and also because I couldn’t keep track of who was supposed to have body swapped with who.
I’d rather see DAve Lee Travis play MacBeth.
The week after next I’m going to see a production of Hamlet in which Suzy Eddie Izzard plays, well, everyone as I understand it. Which should be interesting.
“Forgive me, but you’ve got shit shoes on – you shitty shoed bastard!”
I’d be interested to read what you think of Izzard’s Hamlet.
A friend who’s an English teacher saw it recently and said it was excellent. I’ll be interested in your views on it too.
Christopher Biggins seems to have time on his hands since he retired from being the Dame* in the Cambridge Arts Theatre panto, and rides his bike whilst painting watercolours. Well, I assume he stops riding to paint, but you never know… Try speaking to his agent?
(*) not David Bowie. Now, that I would like to see…
Are you not mixing him up with the similar wearer of colourful shirts and oversize glasses, Timmy Mallett, who seems to have made a graceful departure from the limelight in this way?
I met him, Timmy, a few times when we were both students at the same university. He was like his TV persona even then. A genuinely nice bloke.
Ah, you’re right, I’m mixing up my luvvies.
Timmy Mallett was the Dame in 1987/88, and now rides his bike and paints. Christopher Biggins took over for, seemingly, decades afterwards. I don’t know if he owns a bike, although I used to see him regularly on my bike ride home from work.
I was stay at a B&B last week and that awful GB News was on in the breakfast room. Biggins appeared on that a couple of times with his views and opinions
SEEN
No films this month, and TV has been a bit thin on the ground…been eagerly awaiting the return of Slow Horses but too early to comment on that just yet.
The Girlfriend (starring Robin Wright and Olivia Cooke) is an Amazon Prime mini series that Mrs L decided we should watch. It didn’t look promising but an enjoyable hammy performance from Robin Wright (to a great extent reprising her “high flying and ruthless” role from the American House of Cards but with added nutjobness) ended up being an enjoyably fun if slightly predictable watch.
READ
Robert Elms “Blitz…The Club That Created The 80s” is a well written and observed chronicle of London’s late 70s and early 80s new romantic clubbing scene by one who was there throughout. To me it always sounded frightful and elitist, (and it was…I went to one of the later spin off clubs, The Wag, once or twice) possibly even slightly Thatcherite, but Elms does a good job of reframing it and even this old sceptic was convinced. However, it does irritate slightly that this is yet another book claiming to define the 80s. Well it didn’t define mine, which was much more Smiths, Red Wedge, Bunnymen, Early REM etc.
HEARD
The Chameleons “Arctic Moon” is a terrific return from the Manchester band, with most of the original players present. Icy and atmospheric it has something of the very early Simple Minds in it too. (Not the flag waving later stadium straddling version.)
The Divine Comedy’s Rainy Sunday Afternoon is a good listen, beautifully executed, and although I’m enjoying it at the moment I have a feeling it might outstay its welcome before too long.
David Byrne’s Who Is The Sky I really wanted to like but there’s just something I find slightly irritating about it. Hard to pinpoint exactly but it all feels just a bit overthought perhaps?
I had a similar feeling with Robert Forster’s Strawberries album…lovely sound, nicely played, but just a tiny bit “ooh I’m going quirky on this one” for me. I say this as a long term Go- Betweens fan.
AOB
Health update…after a total right knee replacement in late 2023 I now need the left knee doing at some point in the future. Damn.
Work update…I love being self-employed with my vintage clothes business. It’s almost a year since I left my job/career in Education and although the disposable income has shrunk somewhat I am happier and more content than in years. Met some nice people too. I do always realise I’m very fortunate to be able to do this.
@nick-l Jury is out for the new Cams album for me and my mates. A few classic moments but a bit one paced too. Maybe the annual Manchester Christmas gig will be a revelation
That’s interesting to hear…I’ve usually found their other albums long term growers, not immediate at all, but found this one very quick to like and sink in. I can see with hindsight what you mean about the one pace thing but it added to the atmosphere for me.
Never seen them live, always kind of admired them from afar. Definitely my loss I think.
Deffo worth seeing! Uk tour in November
@nick-l Mr Elms is a great writer and broadcaster…..but he does think the world revolves around him, like a Zelig in Bowie Trousers. I remember him “discovering” Jazz in the 80s before anyone else (eye roll)
You definitely get the impression that he was quite fortunate to very much find himself in the right place at the right time. He’s also based pretty much an entire career on it!
Robert Elms is the guest on the latest Word In Your Ear podcast. He claims that that scene was anti rock. Anyone who listened to Gary Kemp’s interview on the same podcast will know that he went with his brother to every night of a weekly month long residency of AC/DC at the Marquee. More recently he was in Dave Gilmour’s band. You can’t get more anti rock than that.
Nick Mason’s band, definitely: but has Gary Kemp also played with Gilmour?
Apologies, you are correct.
Almost the end of the festival season, with Bromyard and Banterfest. You know the drill; I don’t see much on stage, ‘cause I’m usually singing or dancing, and at Bromyard I was. As is often the case, it was the collaborations that caught my ear. Mike McGoldrick with Tim Edey; of course, McGoldrick rarely makes a false step, but it was the tone of Edey’s guitar which really lifted the whole occasion. Sandra Kerr & James Fagan renewed a friendship with Tim van Eyken to great delight. Both collaborations drew influences from Canadian traditions, which always seems to work for me.
Banterfest was a new festival for me, and I was impressed. A village hall with, effectively, only one venue means you are stuck with what you’re offered, but there was no filler and narey a dull note. Simon Care has been in the business long enough to be an excellent curator and his guest list was striking – Reg Meuross, Urban Folk Quartet, Steve Knightley, the Young ‘Uns, The Wilsons. Phil Beer was a constant presence – he obviously just loves being there – and what with Miranda Sykes giving a solo set, one just wondered whether we might get a treat from the past, but I guess the wind is not blowing that way yet. What struck me was how, in just four years, this little festival has developed such a tight knit, loyal and enthusiastic audience; they’ve already sold most of their tickets for next year. The audience also made for some delightful post-gig sessions, with Banter and some of the artists also getting in on the act.
Oh, and I heard the same song sung at both Bromyard and Banterfest, but by quite different artists, and it went down a storm. It’s official; Solsbury Hill is now a folk song.
Elsewhere, I had a long weekend cycling on the Isle of Man. It’s 23 years since my last visit, which is crazy given how close it is to the northwest of England. I am fascinated by what makes places tick, and how life works, especially on islands, what with them being, y’know, insular. I like my architecture, and Douglas is full of grand residences and the magnificent prom. This suggests there was always money here, long before tax avoidance became popular. Where did it come from on a small rugged island bobbing about in the middle of the Irish Sea? If it wasn’t for difficulty of access, it would be the most sought after town in the north. Anyway, I had a fine old time, cycling around looking at ancient Celtic crosses, bonsai unmodernised churches and fabulous coastline, squeezing in a trip to Ramsey Folk Club and a session in Laxey Sailing Club, and what a generous welcome I was given wherever I went.
Finally, one gig at the folk club: Sally Ironmonger and Brian Carter, who were at their very best with their pithy lyrics, gentle stage bickering and Brian’s fretwork on top form. They are probably not on anyone else’s radar on this site, but I can honestly say I would rather have been there than at many a festival headliner.
Chesh! If I’d known you were on IoM, we could have had the first ever Afterword mingle on the Isle! I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.
Are you resident there? I never picked that up.
Yes, indeed! Moved over in 1991 to work at the local hospital, not necessarily intending to stay…
…and I’m still here!
At Hartlepool, in the middle of storm Amy, for their folk fest. Amongst the many no-shows is Tim Edey, which is a pain, as I find him such a fine player, if so very odd.
Off now to see if the Rheinland Sisters have made it…
Good to know: hang in there, man…
Read:
Fox by Joyce Carol Oates. She is someone I’ve been aware of for years (she’s published 45 novels, for god’s sake) but never read before. This is a tour de force about a paedophile schoolteacher who comes to a sticky end. Oates imagines herself into the minds of the teacher, his various victims and the cop on his trail. It’s a difficult and uncomfortable read, as you might expect, and a long one too, but I read it with what a former colleague of mine described as palsied fascination.
The Broken Afternoon by Simon Mason – the second mystery featuring DI Wilkins, sexy black cop in Oxford, following A Killing in November. Atmospheric and very very good.
Departure 37 by Scott Carson. An engaging paranoid SF thriller in which airline pilots all over America are called by their mothers, many of whom are dead, and told in no uncertain terms not to fly tomorrow – in case something happens. A case of mad Cold War chickens dreamed up by mad scientists coming home to roost. Nonsense, but enjoyable nonsense.
Seen:
The Hack: not in the same league as Mr Bates…largely because the details are horribly familiar to anybody who has read Private Eye or The Guardian over the past 20 years. But compulsive and enraging. David Tennant and Toby Jones are immense.
Not just Fred Dagg, But Also John Clarke. Brilliant doco about the puckish (but also deadly serious) NZ/AUS humorist/satirist, made by his daughter. Actually saw this in the cinema – all four of us who were there laughed till we cried and vice versa. Clarke was beloved in A/NZ, not much known elsewhere – but do watchit if it ever comes your way. https://youtu.be/Un2XZGTJsK4
There must be other things, but buggered if I can remember.
Heard: the usual smorgasbord of this and that. Been listening to a lot of Archie Roach, prompted by an interview I heard. He was one of the stolen generation, and his stories of the struggles he went through were riveting and moving. His music ain’t half bad either.
Other news: I seem to have taken up busking in my old age, raising funds for the local community centre, with a friend who is young enough to be my son. Our rendition of The Gambler makes old beardies driving past in their utes cry, and you haven’t lived if you haven’t heard me murdering Perfect Day.
More John Clarke, a tribute after his untimely death of a heart attack while out bush walking.
Fred Dagg/John Clarke was part of my childhood. A national hero. That film is great, really well researched and edited. The man was a bloody genius, and he came from New Zealand!
Seen: the Diplomat ahead od Season 3, and Andor ahead of Season 2 (yes I know i am behind the times).
Had never seen Knives out till just now, and they were great fun so off to the premier on Wednesday (the Bradford City of Culture one, not the big one).
Listened: Beta Band in Leeds – fine if a bit heavy on bongos (to my surprise). Gene at The Brudenell were brilliant.
Finally listened to the first Boygenius The record which is great.
Bought the new Idlewild today (bargain download at £5 from their website). Seeing them week on Saturday. Will listen later.
Read: Nick Harkaway Sleeper Beach builds on Titanium Noir, but loses a little because we are now more familiar with the world. Orbital by Samantha Harvey may have won the Booker (and is generally fine) but lost me with getting the Earth/Sun distance wrong. Fairly basic. An enjoying a History of the Bible by John Barton. Not making me religious though.
Other stuff: watched Salford V Swindon as a neutral, which was a good game. Apparently Becks was there. Got into trouble for applauding Salford’s great first goal. Think I was forgiven (on account of me driving everyone there). Quite fun being about 10 ft from the goalkeeper.
Sport
Rather pleased Notts. pipped Surrey to the County Championship (I can’t stand Alec Stewart), otherwise it’s me 28th football fixture tomorrow, not bad for 4th October!
TV
Dancing’s started on Saturdays, my only concession to prime-time TV, don’t really like it much, and there’s a new series of Shakespeare and Hathaway that I do like.
Cinema
‘On Swift Horses’ – A strange one this. Set in California in the 1950s, it is beautiful to look at (especially the outfits worn by Muriel) but it is instantly forgettable! Really quite enjoyed the two hours, can now barely remember any of it.
‘Deaf’ – Now, this is more like it. A Spanish film about a deaf mother and hearing father raising a baby. Hmm, doesn’t sound great, does it, but will probably be my favourite film of 2025. Wonderful. We were the only two people watching it, while next door they were pouring into ‘Downton Abbey’… the British public, eh, gotta luv ’em… the ‘will of the people’.
‘Hamilton’ – The theatre production shown at the cinema. Loved it.
Pop
Another excellent freebie this month… Dylan in Greenwich Village… it’s been a good year for these, and we had a record fair, the first one for two years. Got a whole load of good stuff (Don Drummond, those late 60s indie LPs by Peter Howell, Twink), and yet the only one I’ve listened to so far is a 1970 compilation on Doctor Bird called ‘Hot Shots of Reggae’ (£4). I’m fascinated by that rocksteady / early reggae period, yet I’m in absolutely no danger of buying a Bob Marley record.
All Seen
Two gigs this month. First was Louis Brennan and Friends at the Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon playing a variety of Louis’ originals and covers. Among the ‘friends’ special praise goes to Hannah Nicholson and Magic Number Angela Gannon on vocals. Angela’s solo take on I Would Rather Go Blind was thrilling. The final number was Knowing Me Knowing You, and frankly I could have lived without the guy behind us who added an Alan Partridge ‘Aha!’ at every opportunity, to his own, and only his own, increasing hilarity.
The other show was Christine Collister at Colchester Arts Centre. Christine tours far too rarely and she’s an outstanding singer. She started her set with a traditional a Capella Manx song (like @fitterstoke she lives on the island), but the majority of the set was built around a project she recorded in lockdown. The songs are themed on Manx myths and due to distancing restrictions, and the fact that Christine was living with her mother who’s Alzheimer’s made having strangers around even more difficult, collaborators’ contributions were created on Pro Tools and played through a laptop for the gig. Although she was at pains to point out that real people had created the music I found the effect of her singing to a laptop backing quite sterile, and was relieved whenever she picked up her guitar.
Finally, only 5 to 10 years behind the curve, we’ve just got Netflix. Gosh there’s a lot of good stuff on there, isn’t there? We’re doing our best not to watch the first episode of a dozen different things and stay focussed on a couple of series at a time.
Christine Collister – was the project “Children of the Sea”? She produced a rather fine CD with hardback book set, beautifully illustrated, in 2023 – sounds like the thing.
And, of course, while we both live on the island, Christine is actually Manx – while I am just a “comeover”! 🙂
That’s the one. She had sold the last hardback book set the night before, but apparently the CD has a QR code to access pdfs of the stories and illustrations.
Heard:
Suede – Antidepressants
Since reforming, they have released a clutch of superb albums (arguably better albums that their first time round). Antidepressants stomps along full of angst, wisdom, and experience. Maybe not quite at the same level as previous Autofiction but still blinking good.
New albums on order from Len Price 3 and Humdrum Express.
And celebrating the 46.5th Anniversary, a 4 CD + DVD Box Set of SLF debut Inflammable Material due through my letter box next month.
Seen:
The Guest – twisty, turny BBC Drama (set in Wales)
Coldwater – twisty, turny ITV Drama (set in Scotland)
Hostage – Netflix 4 parter that oh so nearly worked, but I felt the ending was too neatly done
The Hack – ITV Drama based on real events – thoroughly enjoying it (2 episodes in)
Read:
Mojo – more out of habit than any real desire to be honest (is it me, or is it getting a bit dull?)
Home Insurance documents
Washing Machine Instruction Book
Nothing else of consequence
AOB(1)
Bought a new Washing Machine – I can work it with my phone (not sure I really need to, but I can).
Delivered and fitted by AO – all good, apart from the Integrated Door Fixing Kit was missing.
Not to worry says AO, we’ll get it ordered for you.
A week later, nothing has arrived. Back on the phone to AO who put me through to Haier who ordered all the parts but say they can’t tell me when it will be delivered.
Another week later – the package from Haier arrives … 2 screws!
Back on the phone to AO, connected to Haier, I suggest incompetence on their part. They agree, and arrange for a new machine to be delivered.
It arrives, AO gadgy comes in to fit it, I suggest he could just nick the fixing kit and save a job of replacing a perfectly function machine with another one.
Turns out he has to replace the machine or the paperwork will be confused (he confesses “that’s mental!” but does as instructed.
All sorted … no, one of the hinges is knackered so I’m now waiting for one hinge to be delivered.
AOB(2)
Fast failing on this seasons Fantasy Football – I feel like a cross between Ange Postecoglou and Rueben Amorim – on paper (or on screen in this case) the Team I have should be dandy, but my selections and transfers just don’t seem to be garnering many points
Re Mojo: it’s not just you…
Whaddya mean GETTING??
I bought a new washing machine about a year ago. A Samsung. It has Bluetooth and WiFi, and it plays a pilnky-plonky tune – with a false ending – when it finishes. I chose it because it has a 5-year g’tee, but I’d have been even happier if it didn’t do all that and was 50 quid cheaper. In theory I could set it to email me when the spin cycle is finished, but what would I do with that? Email it back and say “go on, then, empty yourself?”
I’ve also got a stack of unread Mojos (and Uncuts), but I’ve been reading something called ‘books’ instead.
We have a Bosch washing machine had it for 20 years+ it makes a racket going through the spin cycle but otherwise it works perfectly
It doesn’t send me emails if it did I’d take a bloody hammer to it
Can’t you filter the emails as spam?
The last comment was a joke the Bosch m/c has never had email ability
We have a couple of those cordless vacuum cleaners that have the email thingy but why the hell set something up like that? A totally bonkers idea
Vacuum cleaner to Pyramid:
I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do.
I have a robot vacuum cleaner that sens text messages to me
“I am stuck”
“I have completed my mission”
“Please empty my bin”
Wilf sends me more messages than my daughter
Probably a lot cheaper to run as well.
Gigs: The Crazy World of Arthur Brown at The Parish Huddersfield. Always a pleasure to see him and he doesn’t disappoint.
R J McCarty, he plays bass for The Grand Slambovians in Penistone, I’d planned to see him in Stockport with my son but the day it was on my son’s girlfriend had to have an operation so that was out and then he was playing in Sowerby Bridge but that was the night I’d planned to see CWAB so I just saw a support set hopefully I’ll see a full set next year.
Roy Harper at the Bridgewater Hall Manchester another elderly statesman with his son Nick accompanying him. Supposedly a farewell tour but at the end he said he’d hope to return there next year! Good to see and the sound for the Bridgewater was excellent. Made me listen again to some Harper.
I asked the friend who was giving me a lift home where he was sitting, “M9” which was odd as I’d got seat M8 wed booked separately and ended up sitting together.
Watched television, nothing stood out.
Films: Downton Abbey as it was my birthday treat for my wife, I didn’t fall asleep which I’d threatened to do. Guest appearance of Noel Coward, so I downloaded some Coward to play in the car on the way home.
New Spinal Tap, it could have been so much better.
AOB after five months waiting from accepting an offer on our house we had two weeks to complete and organise removals to our new place, luckily we’d had plenty of time to pack. So the last day of this month we finally moved, unpacking will take up the next few months.
I like Roy Harpe but his son’s voice, I’ve really tried to accept it but his shouting/singing is too much
September/early October has been an interesting month.
Watching has been largely Australia-specific stuff that I will have trouble accessing in the States – Last Cab to Darwin, Jack Irish, Mystery Road. I’m going to miss Aussie tv
Read…well, ‘1271 – The battles that saved England’ is good. Informative, clips along at a good pace, and manages to keep the granular and the big picture working well together. I started Stuart McBride’s Logan McRaes series. Mixed feelings; the plotting is good, the pace is good. It’s just unremittingly grim.
Listened – the new Milltown Brothers is the only new stuff of note. Other than that, random play on the phone.
AOB – I leave Australia on Thursday, after 5 years in Alice Springs. I’ll probably update more and better next month when the move has settled in., But the last few weeks has been packing, decluttering, and getting ready. I’m not happy to be leaving, as we’ve generally had a good life here. We delayed my flight back so I at least wouldn’t miss the NRL Grand Final, which is nice. But I’ll miss Australia dreadfully. It’s a country, and town, where when you go to the cop shop to get papers certified, they call you ‘bro’ and you call them ‘mate’. Now I go back to sirring and ma’aming everyone. It’s going to be a rough adjustment.
Seen
Cheers
I caught a few episodes of Cheers over the summer. Channel 4 are currently in the Kirstie Alley era, which is my favourite. It had been years since I have seen an episode, but it remains eminently watchable.
A Man on the Inside
Ted Danson plays Charles, a retired widower, who takes a job with a private detective. He goes undercover at a retirement home to investigate a theft suffered by one of the residents. Danson is elegant and charming, as are his co-stars, many of whom all the sort of older actors so under served by most films and tv shows. It’s a handsome show; everyone has a lovely wardrobe and the retirement home itself (that overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge no less) is as idyllic as the Arconia in Only Murders in the Building.
This could be a frippery, an insubstantial confection that just floats away into the ether. But there is real heart here, with the fear and reality of dementia a constant presence. With older members of our own family suffering from this debilitating and upsetting illness, the show often left me with my lower lip quivering. And of course it’s chastening to watch Danson, as dapper and youthful as he appears, after seeing him in his Cheers incarnation.
Plebs
Dropped on Netflix during the summer, nearly a decade after its final episode aired. Daft, rude and childish – I’ve been really enjoying it.
Read
Empire Falls
We’re in Maine, the natural habitat of John Irving and Stephen King and Empire Falls has echoes of both writers. The eccentric families, doomed /angelic mothers that people the novel are reminiscent of Irving. Meanwhile a late swerve into the gruesome moves us closer to King country.
It’s a good, chunky read
Three Burials by Anders Lustgarten
A short, sharp shock of a book that’s thrilling, funny, sad and angry. Telling the tale of a young man who risks it all in a small boat crossing the channel.
Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym
1970s and 4 people work in an office near to the British Museum in London. All 4 are reaching retirement and all seem to be leading small, isolated lives. As the novel progresses, the characters begin to realise that there could be an opportunity to have a closer relationship with one another. It’s a quiet, thoughtful novel that resonated with me after I’d finished it.
SEEN: I’m going off long form telly in a big way, finding all series fizzle out sooner or later, with, increasingly, most annoying me after a couple of episodes, wheres, previously, many lasted a couple of series before so doing. I have lost count of those we have jettisoned. (And, judging by the first episode of the new series, Slow Horses may too have jumped it’s shark)
Blue Lights, s.3, has had a few dodgy moments, the karaoke at the end of s.2 truly awful. But the meat of the new series has been strong, even if let down by the cops relaxing together sequences. So we made that to the end, if more out of duty House Of Guinness, mind, was just fabulous and preposterous nonsense. Classic Stephen Knight and hitting all his cliches with glee. Watched it all over 2 nights. Loved it.
HEARD: A good good month for music, with many likely candidates for the AWEotY poll presenting al at once. I would include Percy’s new one, Saving Grace, amongst those, if bettered by A’ Chailleach by Kim Carnie, Leveret’s Lost Measures and Kirsten Adamson’s Dreamviewer. Carnie, the singer out of Mànran, delivers a solid set of new Gaelic songs, often based on old texts, and it is superb. Leveret sound as if they are suddenly having fun, as they play their technically proficient complex patterns of fiddle, concertina and melodeon. They have always been good, now they are better. And Kirsten, daughter of the late Stuart, has built on the promise of her last, with the best country-rock release in yonks. In any other month, the new Kathryn Williams, Mystery Park, would be the best of the month, instead having to take a 4th equal, with Plant. But, if you like her stuff, this is arguably closer to her earlier work than some of then more recent.
No gigs for a while, but am currently in Hartlepool for a very windy folk festival, beset with a few issues that have tested the organisers and not a few punters, myself included. But that’s for next month.
My god! House of Guinness may well be the most basketful of Irish Tosh I’ve ever seen. Laughingly atrocious in every possible way
Not keen, then?
Don’t pin it on the Irish. We didn’t make it!
How are the accents on a sliding scale from “the Commitments”, to “Far and Away”?
Has Aiden Gillen appeared in it yet? Or Nesbitt. They must have the hardest working agents in showbiz.
It is exactly because it is so shite that it is so very very good. Zillions have been spent on delivering this monster. Unlike, say, Mobland, which is so cheap it has Irishman playing bad Irish.
After being horrified by the first episode. By the time I got to the end of episode3 I was hooked. Loved it, and I was especially impressed by the Anglo-Irish accents of the two elder brothers. A hard accent to master…although other ‘Oirish’ accents I admit are a bit over-played.
I hope SK gets to make further seasons ..
Q it’s utter nonsense and has every Stephen Knight cliche going – and every Irish cliche – but it is also highly entertaining.
Exactly! Classy telly.
HEARD
Last weekend I went to a concert put on by some local musicians here in Sydney. Up first was a tenor sax player and a cello player playing the most beautiful, uncategorisable music. Turned out it was this – The Box Tree by Skúli Sverrisson & Óskar Guðjónsson. It’s the kind of music that may possibly have been previously mentioned in despatches here – languid, ambient, rather gorgeous.
SEEN
Spinal Tap – The End Continues
Hilarious, despite what you might have read elsewhere. Macca and Elton acquit themselves well. “Erase my browsing history”
if 2 instrument languid, ambient and rather gorgeous is your thing, try the double bass and piano of Bremer / McCoy
It still feels like September to me, it got cold for a few days, but lately it’s been mostly sunny and relatively warm again. The radiators turned on for a couple of days, but they’ve been turned off again.
I’m still only working half-time, got an extension by my orthopedic surgeon because four hours is about what I can cope with before the pain gets too bad. My lower back and on-and-off sciatica started to act up, and adjusting to that in my movements and walk must have upset my knee, which got worse again.
For a glorious week or two I could actually walk normally up and down stairs, but I’m back to doing it toddler-style (or a weird sideways leg-pendulum + crow jump down stairs if I’m in a hurry). But I’m doing exercises for both my back and my knee in rehab now, so it’ll get better, I hope. At least now there’s no stress as the new deadline is in late November.
Read:
September was busy so I barely had any time to read, but I did finish the book I was in the middle of last month, and then I read the memoirs of Neko Case; The Harder I Fight The More I Love You. An absolutely brilliant read, beautifully written, and what a story… The poverty and parental neglect of her childhood/teenage years gave me almost Demon Copperhead vibes…but a love of animals and music somehow kept her strong enough to get through it.
Unfortunately it makes the very long list of female memoirs recalling a rape situation…very few don’t. 🙁
Now I’m a little more than half-way through one of my most anticipated reads of the year; Dusk by one of my favourite contemporary authors, Robbie Arnott. Gorgeous language, so far an interesting story, but I can’t tell where it’s going yet. I am still fully expecting to cry towards the end…his books tend to have that effect on me! But I’ve had to take an unexpected break from reading over the weekend, otherwise I would probably had finished it by now. And apart from some music mags, that’s all I had time to read in September!
Heard:
I’ve had time to get into the latest album from Big Thief; Double Infinity, and although I don’t think it’s their best one, every listen has made me enjoy it a little more, and now I really like/almost love it.
But it needed some extra time, not a love at first sound kind of album.
Molly Tuttle – So Long Little Miss Sunshine is fine, if you enjoy a bit of country, but has a few too many tracks that are a bit too dull and anonymous.
I have no idea what made me order Blue Reminder by Hand Habits, and when it arrived I was first convinced that they had sent me the wrong CD…until I checked my order. I guess I must have read a review that got me curious, but I can’t find it. Unfortunately I didn’t like it and I wish I hadn’t bought it! It’s definitely not awful, just a bit dull and sounding like so many others. A few stand-out tracks, but even they are a bit lackluster…
I also bought one of my old favourite 80s albums, the reissue of Soft Cell’s brilliant This Last Night In Sodom, which I’ve only owned on the original vinyl. So that’s been getting a fair amount of listens accompanied by enthusiastic dancing while cooking and doing the washing-up. A work of absolute genius.
Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album Man’s Best Friend is also perfect for bopping around to in the kitchen; catchy and funny. If you enjoyed her last album, this is more of the same.
I haven’t had enough time to get my head around the new album from Neko Case, called Neon Grey Midnight Green – I love her music, but it usually takes me a bunch of listens for the songs to really grow roots in my mind and heart. It’s sounding promising so far – two listens in – but I won’t know for sure for a while. But once I find that bond with her songs, they stay forever.
Swedish artist Titiyo (sister of Neneh Cherry) finally has a new album out; Hemland, many years after the previous one. Sadly it’s not an album of originals, “only” a covers album, but she does it very well and doesn’t pick the obvious choices. Quite a few nice duets as well, with other great artists. All the songs are in Swedish, written by Swedish artists (well: there’s a cover of a Swedish lyrics version of a Bob Dylan song). I’m slightly obsessed with one track that I’d never heard before, and now must try to find the original version of – so that’s always a fun part of covers albums!
I’ve tried to get through the latest Jeff Tweedy album Twilight Overdrive, but since he’s “done a Taylor Swift” and made a triple album…I’ve only managed one listen so far. But from what I’ve heard in that go, I’m going to love most of it, I’m sure of it.
And speaking of Taylor Swift; it can’t have escaped anyone that her latest album The Life of a Showgirl got released on Friday, and I’ve been listening a bit obsessively to it all weekend. Probably one of my favourite albums by her, lots of 90s musical references, lovely melodies, great production, twelve absolute bops. Big D energy, in every way… 😀
AOB:
I’m finally getting back my cooking mojo, after eight months of heating up stuff, first because I couldn’t stand up long enough to cook anything advanced without pain, later because I had lost my will to cook.
But the autumn vibes made me long for home-cooked stews, soups and casseroles, so in September I’ve cooked lots of yummy dishes, often the kinds that takes hours while spreading wonderful smells throughout the rooms.
Today I cooked two dishes for the upcoming week, full of mushrooms, root vegetables, zucchini, onions and delicious sausages in one and tender beef in the other. One a luxury version of Mac’n’cheese, the other a luxury version of the Swedish dish Pytt-i-panna.
After the diet I’ve been feeding on for the past eight months, this is heaven. 🙂
Thos seems to be the time of year when I see most gigs. I wrote about a couple here including Wilco in Alberta which my very sick cold friend John failed to see. Then Pogues, James and Morrissey at CityFolk in Ottawa. Last night I saw Elbow in a venue a 5 minute walk from my former Toronto residence. Really top modern place (History), great sound and Elbow were excellent, and I got the tickets for next to nothing
Started reading Deliver from Nowhere about the making of Springsteen’s Nebraska, preparation for the biopic coming out in the next couple of weeks. Also reading a chapter every night of Craig Brown’s Beatles book. It won’t be my favourite Beatles book, but very enjoyable
At home dealing with illness and general reluctance to go to school.
And John died just over a week after his visit with me to Alberta. Damn.
So sorry, dai.
Thank you.
Sorry to hear that, Dai.
Thanks
That’s tragic, Dai. I hope you’re doing OK.
My gig buddy had bad news in his poo sticks during lockdown and had surgery followed by a year of chemo. We’re going to a pub gig in a couple of weeks, and I can’t help feeling slightly protective of him, even though I’m the one who is immunosuppressed and should be avoiding the coughs and colds of the general public. I also can’t help being grateful to the NHS that he’s still here to come to the pub with me.
Sorry to read that Dai.
My condolences Dai.
Diolch PS
Sad news Dai, very sad
Condolences, Dai.
Thanks all.
@fentonsteve
I have been struggling with it, but I know whatever I am going through it’s 100 times worse for his wife and kids and other family members.
It was similar to your friend, I urged him to get a colonoscopy when he had bad symptoms, he was diagnosed with colon cancer, but it had spread, much chemo, procedures and operations followed . He never complained and remained eternally optimistic throughout, but it got him in the end, only 50 years old
Jeez, only 50. That’s no age at all.
Thankfully, everyone I meet knows I have Crohn’s so they’re not afraid to say to me “I think I have IBS” and my reply is always the same: go to your GP and get them to refer you to Gastroenterology. It took until I was 43 to be referred and I don’t want anyone else to go through that. I’m lucky that’s all they found.
My gig buddy has just taken early retirement at 60 (from a career in the public sector). Life’s too short to work until you drop.
Yep, I am working on that if I can realistically do it
Seen
Amongst the usual blue lights dramas Mrs F prefers, I enjoyed series two of Annika, The Guest and (on Netflix) Fool Me Once (from the team behind The Guest).
Read
John Harris’ Maybe I’m Amazed was an interesting read, from the opposite side of the fence, as someone with an offspring about to start post-grad studies in Autism and a career in SEN support. Put it this way, I’ll be supporting her for a good few years yet, and the Student Loans Company are never going to see a return on their outlay.
Kate Mossman’s Men of a Certain Age, during my week holiday at the Suffolk seaside.
Heard
I’ve been going down an early-70s Shirley Bassey tunnel – anything Johnny Harris touched is funky as a mosquito’s tweeter, and I’ve picked them all up for a quid or two. The most expensive was a minty LP of I, Capricorn, which cost me three whole pounds.
My Charity Shop Classics Disco special episode seemed to go down well, although it was a pain to edit – the first draft was two and a half hours long.
AOB.
Had my first week of holiday this year in Southwold, avec Mrs F, sans Offsprings. Lovely, especially as work has been mental for both of us. We’ve been going there for so long, it feels like home from home and, going outside of peak season, it was quieter and we got to bump into many of our previous neighbours.
Still haven’t heard from the Gastro team when I’m going to start on Humira. Kidney stone lasering is booked for first week of November. At the end of next week, we’re hiring a campervan and will be visiting the NEC Campervan show in it, followed by a long weekend in the Cotswolds.
What kind of campervan are you hiring @fentonsteve ? If you haven’t already booked it, or driven one before, I’d err on the side of caution and not get a gigantic one. And regarding the NEC Campervan Show, I’d recommend some pre-planning as to what you might want to check out, as it is completely overwhelming when you are there!
We went to the NEC show last year on the Saturday, having hired a VW van (about the size of an Am*z*n delivery van) for a week during the summer, so we had some idea of what internal layout we didn’t want.
Mrs F has joint/mobility issues, so we don’t want the sort with a pop-up top which involves climbing a ladder to go to bed. And I’m 5’10” tall and don’t want to whack my head on the ceiling every time I stand up.
We narrowed the choice down to two fitting-out companies near Durham, both Fiat/Peugeot vans, then found one for hire near Towcester. So we’re picking it up on the Thursday, spending a night on a site near Nuneaton, then the NEC show on Friday. After a day and a night in the van, we’ll know what we like (and don’t like). Then the rest of the weekend on a site near Tewkesbury.
We’re not thinking of buying until early 2027, but we were going to the Cotswolds anyway, so this kills two birds with one stone.
Ah of course, I remember a similar chat on here last year now. I’m the same height as you and our Autosleeper Kemerton, (Peugeot Boxer) is fine for us. Hope you have a fab trip.
A mate I used to work with converted (a Royal Mail van a Leylsnd Sherpa if I remember correctly) into a mobile home
By the time he finished it weighed about 4 tons was a beast to drive and did around 10 miles a gallon
I think it spent a long time on the driveway
Some of the vehicles on display at the NEC were converted horsebox-size with granite worktops and gold taps (and £100k+). I dread to think what MPG they get. Driving it must be like a lorry.
We’re not going to live in it, just go away for a long weekend/week at a time. Two weeks tops. We lose my mum’s static caravan in Norfolk at the end of 2026, and to replace it would cost about the same as a campervan. And campervans can go to other places.
I doubt he spent more than a couple of hundred on i
Granite worktops/gold taps? More like wooden planks and cast off corporation taps
On the fiddling post, I already detailed my live music experience for the month – Beethoven and Vivaldi. The 7th symphony was extraordinary – the more time I go to see it performed, the more I love it. The Vivaldi was good for being performed by all players on their feet except the cellist and harpsichordist, the main violinist performing entirely without score.
My recorded music this month came from Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, Lucinda Williams, Quantic, Transglobal Underground, Loop Guru, Children of the Bong, (plenty of) Bill Laswell, Mark Stewart, Pigbag, Gong, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, MC5, Prince, Howling Wolf – I’d like to be at the party where they all turn up.
I’m particularly taken by the Children Of The Bong album – ‘Not Serious’, released in 2023. Back in the 90s, they were one of my favourite of the Planet Dog techno/trance stable/ school of bands, but I thought they’d disappeared.
Apart from that, I’ve been bingeing the Sherlock & Co podcasts, which are an exhilarating ride through the complete canon, updated to the 21st century, like the Cumberbatch/Freeman tv series, but without the irritating on screen visualisations or the Moffat/Gatiss overconvuluted Easter eggs and callbacks.
The last few months I have had every intention of posting to this which I always did religiously. Sadly things got in the way unintentionally. This month I am back on track although a little later than I had intended.
HEARD:
A strange impulse buy was Mr.Norris changes brains – a triple cd compiled for an unheard of Belgium label called Eskimo Recordings. It is mainly jazz/funk/psych orientated but does include
Iron Butterfly and The Pretty Things amongst artists new to me. Highly recommended.
Songs for Nina and Johanna by James Yorkston and friends is an album I bought after hearing a track on 6music – very enjoyable with great vocals from Nina Person and Johanna Soderberg. Has a fitting autumnal feel to it.
Ron Sexsmith Hangover Terrace – better then his more recent releases which seemed a bit throwaway.
Cass McCombs – Interior Live Oak – possibly in my top 5 albums this year – every song hits the mark.
Absolutely love it.
Jeff Tweedy – Twilight override. Very good but possibly a little too long. First disc is my favourite but each new listen reveals something missed on previous listens. Still one of the most vital US artists out there in my opinion.
Boo Boos-Young Love. love anything Eels related and this pairing with Kate Mattison is an unheralded surprise. An Eels record with duetted female vocals – gorgeous.
Mulatu Astatke – Mulatu plays Mulatu. Some of his best known pieces reworked. Astounding.
Charles Lloyd – Figure in Blue – amazing version of Somewhere (West Side story) and one of his own compositions Ancient rain. Just lovely. Trio includes Jason Moran on piano. Last time I heard him he was playing Synthesisers for Yes – this suits him better if you ask me.
READ:
Just started reading O Brother by John Niven – Very early in but I know I am going to enjoy this one.
He writes really well.
SEEN:
On screen Don’t let’s go to the dogs tonight. Deeply moving film about a white farm owning family in Zimbabwe when Mugabe gets elected. Brilliant cinematography and some strong acting including the role of 8 year old Bobo played by Zikhona Bali – astonishing.
Enjoyed the 2 part Miriam Margolyes New Zealand adventure and made me want to go.
Blue Lights – superb.
Concerts – Andy Fairweather Lowe – very good. Cat Stevens Very good.
Morgan Fisher – possibly the worst gig I have ever seen in my life. Played on one Mott album.
Can’t sing in tune, his keyboard was either not in tune or he played duff notes. Took credit for
Bohemian Rhapsody – Fuck off. Gig was in two parts, I left after the first part.
AOB:
I joined a Gospel choir and have my first public performance next week. Excited and I enjoy it very much indeed.
@stevet
I’ve ordered that James Yorkston cd after seeing him and Nina Person do one track on Later. Hope it’s as good as that one song!
You won’t be disappointed @Freddy-Steady played it again yesterday. Gets better with repeat listening.
Yes: the Yorkston/Persson/Söderberg album is excellent.
And seeing them perform it live, three weeks ago, was even better.
Forgot to mention The Accused. Quality writing from Jimmy McGovern again. The episode with Steven Graham and Sean Bean as a Transvestite was absolutely brilliant.