listen to the radio

Spaceage Superstar has just had it's first play on the radio. BBC Radio Cleveland's Pure show has just given it a spin, I'm smiling from ear to ear. Why did it sound better coming out the radio? David Macmillan the DJ said we were from Darlington which is fine and he really liked the robot and panda on the cover.

surely some mistake

I'm over the moon because northern_electrix are one of this weeks recommended listens on the front page of indiestore.com Here is what they had to say.....

"northern_electrix 'Spaceage Superstar'
When musicians claim they like messing around with instruments, it usually spells trouble. Not so with northern_electrix who here serve up a total corker which kicks off like Primal Scream before swelling into our favourite tune of the year so far."

Thanks very much indiestore.

tell my girl that I miss her

Well I went to my first gig of the year last night. I hate going to gigs on my own but thats what happens when you don't have friends who share your "weird and strange" tastes in music. I'm glad I ventured out on a windy northern night ,my little Polo was getting blown all over the A1, but I got there in one piece . Parked up in Fenkle Street car park, unfortunately I didn't have enough change on me to last all night, which meant I was going to have come back out at 10 o clock to top the meter up, I do it everytime,forget to take change. The gig was at the Head of Steam straight opposite the railway station, after turning the wrong way I asked a lad I was passing, who was a bit of a giant , (at least 7 foot tall) if he knew where it was , he was heading there aswell, so showed me the way, I should have bought him a drink but I never, sorry mate. This was the first time I'd been to the venue, but what a really great basement. I was really expecting it to be full of young people but I would hesitantly say they were outnumbered by the over thirties, not many as old and bald as me though. Anyway I stood around like a plank on my own drinking coke because the dry cider was off.


The evenings star attraction were Perth popstars Sodastream, having only heard a handful of songs but read Alistair's rave reviews, I knew I would enjoy them. Also playing were ex- Lust boy band St James Infirmary and Milky Wimpshakes Pete Dales new folk combo.

First band on were Ashington, Northumberland's St James Infirmary, It was probably The Broken Doll a very long time ago where I last saw them, I'm sure I've got a tape of it somewhere, I used to always take my recordable walkman to any gig I went to, I really wish I'd taken it with me tonight,quality was never great, but it was always nice to listen back. Seeing as it's more than 10 years since I heard the band all the songs were new to me, Gary the singer always seemed a bit of mad songwriter or maybe that should read eccentric, he hasn't changed going off the songs the band played tonight. The first one being Young People Fuck Off, mmm nice, I'm 39 so I knew he wasn't talking to me. They played some beauts, including Matty Cabbage House, which reminded me of some of the houses I have painted in the past. A short walk is a modern folk classic. They also did a great song with a female member of the audience supplying the vocals. I was hoping for The Boy Detective, maybe I should have shouted for it.

Next band on were Pete Dale and the Beta Males with some great political songs. Unfortunately mid-way through their set I had to make my way back to the car park and drop another 70p in the meter. I did manage to catch a handful of songs before I went though, best were Why I am a terrorist, Menwith Hill with it's jazzy tinges that reminded me of the Beiderbecke Affair, Music Rules is my favourite though, that sorrowful violin is heartbreaking, just wish the song was twice as long. After running around the streets of Newcastle like a mad man looking for Fenkle Street ,I am unbelieably shit at re-tracing my steps. Ray Mears has taught me nowt. I found it eventually, totally shattered, not used to dashing about. I made it back in time for the last 10 seconds of the last song. I was going to go and say hello to Pete and ask him if he still had my copies of Are you scared to get happy which Mike from They Go Boom!! had lent him years ago but chickened out, might e-mail him about them though.

After getting bashed in the back with the yellow case of Sodastream's double bass, it was time to enjoy some of the best songs I'd never heard before, I had read about the band being the best Australian band since The Lucksmiths, who were the best Australian band since The Sugargliders who were the best Australian bands since The Go-Betweens. So I had to go and see them. They are but two .... a singer guitarist and double bass / saw(!) player. The songs they played just soared straight into me, yes they were a little like previously loved Australian bands but they also had something else, something special, something that made me feel warm inside . Not a song played that I disliked, not a song played that I didn't love. Sodastream, my new favourite band,I am now furiously searching the internet for the bands back catalogue and can't wait for those CD's to start dropping through my letterbox.