Halfpenny’s nickname was ‘pence’ IIRC. The same team had ‘Bomb’ (Adam Jones) ‘The Count’ (Stephen Jones, who looked like Ray Reardon), Matthew ‘Smiler’ Rees and Martin ‘Nugget’ Williams.

That’s similar to my Precision (pictured in my avatar). It’s a Mexican Fender, bought (covered in dust at the back of a shop, but new) for £225 in 1999. Since then I’ve changed all the hardware, bit by bit. Only […]

I might not be the person to give advice as I have a Precision and a Jazz. I love the piano-like ‘ding’ of a Precision, plus they’re indestructible (as my 1999 one will attest). I like that 50s one, simply because […]

Go on, then. Today, it is:

1 – The Beatles – The Beatles
2 – Spilt Milk – Jellyfish
3 – Skylarking – XTC
4 – Talking Book – Stevie Wonder
5 – Court and Spark – Joni Mitchell
6 – Risque – Chic
7 – I’ […]

I did mine in GarageBand, and it was fairly simple because I found a ‘vocal only’ version of SOTW online, it’s in the same key (and roughly the same tempo) as DIA. As for isolating tracks, changing pitch etc – way […]

This is my favourite at the moment.

I did my own a few months ago. Ian Gillan sings ‘Smoke on the Water’ over Steely Dan’s ‘Do It Again’. Worked a treat, but I got a cease and desist from Steely Dan’s people…

Enjoy your project, Fitter – I did the same a couple of years ago with an old Tanglewood Tele which had a great neck but poor guts. I saw a photo of a very expensive Red Tele and figured that I could convert what […]

On the advice of Messrs Hepworth and Ellen on a recent podcast, I shelled out on I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, the biography of Warren Zevon. Although the general shithousery of the man is an eye-opener, what possibly […]

The Dandy Warhols’ allotted 15 minutes had pretty much elapsed before Vodaphone used ‘Bohemian Like You’. The resultant cheques must have been useful, and the rereleased song, which failed to chart the year […]

Though that style of modern country is not my thing at all, I really enjoyed Mr Urban. He’s a hell of a performer and guitarist, isn’t he?

The paper (and the Radio Times) had marked out the finale as a two-hour programme, so me and the GLW were ready for even more twists and turns when it… just ended. Aside from Carrie actually going through with […]

Oh my. This is horrible news. I remember playing the first FoW album and someone asking if it was a greatest hits, such was the quality of the songwriting. I feel lucky I got to see them a few times and had hopes […]

My good friend Adrian is a successful YouTuber, and has a (free) beginner’s course. He stays away from ‘Michael Rowed the Boat Ashore’ stuff, which is a good thing in my book.

Can’t wait for the rest of this. In other Jellyfish news, apparently Jason Falkner is finally putting out a new album, and rereleasing his two Elektra albums. If the world is ending, it’ll be to some top tunes….

IIRC Giles Smith noted in his book Lost in Music his old acquaintance Nik Kershaw wore the long fingerless gloves at the begininning of his career to hide his wedding ring. Steady on, girls!

Like The Big Moon , a proper band who don’t take themselves too seriously. Especially like this Wes Anderson-y video.

Definitely want to see this one. I only found out about Mr Rogers a few years ago and have been blown away by what a force for good he has been to generations of Americans. The second clip has me blubbing like a […]

Quite. In the early days of the Who he’d be smashing Rickenbackers which a) should carry a capital sentence and b) are ‘neck through body design’ ie it’s all one bit of wood from top to bottom, so very hard to […]

There’s an apocryphal story about Mariah Carey doing a promotional appearance who, on seeing the ten or so steps to the stage, turned to the organiser and said ” I don’t do stairs”.

The entitled rich kids of […]

I think Jodie Whittaker is doing a pretty good job as Doctor, a couple of annoying tics aside, she can really act. The stories are better this series than last year’s lot, most of which were along the lines of […]