this almighty pop!

indie pop ain't noise pollution

2011-11-29T20:58:00.000Z

Roque Ruiz the man behind Cloudberry isn't one to mince his words or keep his thoughts to himself , any one who has read his blog or the inserts that accompany his 7"'s will testify to this, I may not agree with all of what he has to say but I do applaud him for actually standing up and saying exactly how he feels, no matter who he might hit in the crossfire or what shots get fired back at him. He lives for his label, pumping every available money into it, he is constantly discovering new bands and old bands from yesteryear. I do try and keep up with his output but it's not easy . I've just caught up with some of his recent-ish releases and I am really impressed with them, not to take anything away from past releases but these last few have taken the label even higher .

Zipper - Holidays in Moscow starts off nice and gentle and then turns nice and noisy. Not sure what instrument is doing the lead parts but I love the sound, a melodica is listed on the sleeve but they must have ran it through a distortion pedal to get that pure sound of joy.

Oh! Custer - Forget It The sleeve is beautiful , the back looks old and sun bleached a nice effect, while we are on about effects if F.M. Cornog from East River Pipe is reading this and wondering where is echo/delay unit disappeared to , maybe you should give Oh! Custer a ring. Both songs also remind me of a slightly lo-fi Cavalcade.

Gold-Bears - Something to think about is danceable and catchy in equal measures. Full of those early MBV drum rolls and trebly guitar noise, this has to be the best song released on Cloudberry so far, but this is an e.p. and So Natural is as well, Jeremy reckons he sucks on guitar if this true then judging by the guitar solo on this song then my guitar playing must be absolute garbage! Yeah Tonight on the b-side is one of those rare pop moments when the flip side is as good as the A. I've just read in Cloudberry fanzine number 6 that they have an LP out on Slumberland, how did I miss that?

Caucus - Wondering Ones Starting like a long lost Hurrah song and then turning into something that can really only be described as a dreamy-RIDE-like pop tune.The b-side is a cover of a Rocketship song that I've not heard before, a band I have to admit I missed out on, I was lost in the indie wilderness at the time I think, luckily I was rescued by Jimmy Matinee who did introduce me to them but not this song I love you like the way I used to do which manages to fuse all the MBV years together into one dynamite of a song.

Persian Rugs - Always All , this is Canadians somehow managing to sound like Australia to me and bands like the Falling Joys and The Killjoys. You must then flip it over for I Have Been Assured my favourite of the two with it's girl/boy vocals and an almost beatle-esque bridge and some mighty fine slide guitar too.

Very Truly Yours - Sleep In The Clouds I could listen to the voice of the girl from Very Truly Yours forever, really I could, it's as beautiful as a biggest blue sky on the sunniest summer afternoon. This song has me floating away especially the bit at the end when the strings come back in on there own, …..mmmmm.

Youngfuck - Black Tulips / 204,7 Electric heartbeats push these songs along, one side makes me feel sad the other lifts my spirits. One side is like the Wake the other New Order, Cloudberry it seems have discovered a new band for Factory Records.

This should really be in a fanzine but I've no idea when/if I'll do another, I'll probably just stick to writing about what I like here. Please visit the Cloudberry Records web site and have a listen to some of the songs to see if I'm right or wrong about them.

something about your face i wish that you were mine

2011-08-26T13:48:00.001Z

Play People - Never let me down e.p. (this almighty pop! 010) coming soon!!!!! (oh la-la, oh la-la)

ride another wave, moving on your own

2011-08-26T13:48:00.000Z

Sunrain - Born Alone e.p. (this almighty pop! 009) coming soon!!!!!

I'm not sleepy and there ain't no place I'm going to

2011-08-14T19:05:00.000Z

Soon very soon . . . .

It was 20 years ago today, well 20 years and a few weeks actually but i'm sure no one is counting

2011-08-08T19:12:00.000Z

There should be a Bulldozer Crash compilation coming out soon once all the tracks have been gathered up. It will be a co-release between Jigsaw and Pebble records. Also coming even sooner is number six of This Almighty Pop! fanzine and the last two releases on the cd-r label. Sorry to everyone involved for taking so long.

your technique it leaves me weak, my heart knows it's the beat I seek

2011-04-25T19:04:00.000Z

As much as I like indie music I do like other pop songs as well. I've recently been revisiting my 7" vinyl collection and here's a few that kind of go together, well in my mind they do. Rather than just put up the songs and nothing else here are some meaningless words about them. . . . Joboxers weren't they made up from ex-members of Subway Sect? The b-side of this one was co-written by Vic Goddard. Won't Turn Back was recommeded to me by Malcolm from the Gravy Train a long time ago, The Vapours always reminded me of the Jam especially this song, Time UK featured Rick Buckler, The Redskins had a few classic 7"s, it was between this one and Lean On Me. The Faith Brothers were from around the same time, I hope some these songs seem quite apt at this moment in time. Does any one write protest songs with good tunes any more? Robert Lloyd with a song that should have been a hit, I know I say it all the time about songs that I think are great but most of these could have or should have been. Microdisney's was, I'm nearly certain a video for it was on the chart show. Squire another band that were almost the Jam or maybe wanted to be the Who, like The Moment did, I had an LP by them but it's long since gone. Boys Wonder had all the style and a tune to excite and a Sid James sample, I'm sure some indie band did that before them. The Gents another Mod band who once played at Newton Aycliffe Youth Center, I missed it but I work with the person who organised it when he was only 14. The Big Sound Authority were one of Weller's discoveries and a good one at that. The Mari Wilson song is a b-side and it sounds that good. The Small Town Parade were another Paul Bevoir band. Quite a modish collection at times, so to finish it off , little bit of 'plastic punk' from the Leyton Buzzards who eventually turned into Modern Romance.

1. just got lucky / the joboxers
2. won’t turn back /vic goddard
3. news at ten / the vapours
4. playground of privelige / time uk
5. keep on keeping on / the redskins
6. the country of the blind / the faith brothers
7. something nice / robert lloyd and new four seasons
8. town to town / microdisney
9. does stephanie know? / squire
10. 1, 2, they fly / the moment
11. goodbye jimmy dean / boys wonder
12. new direction / the gents..
13. this house / big sound authority
14. you look so good / mari wilson
15. sunday way of life / small town parade
16. hanging around / the leyton buzzards

I guess I'll never be a popklubb d.j.

yeah, she is my cactus cat, she is my best friend, yeah, she is my cactus cat and our love will never end

2010-05-25T20:33:00.000Z

Here is volume two

download here

catch me please I think I'm falling down

2010-05-25T18:54:00.002Z

Inspired by May's Popklubb which was a girl group/female singers only night here is Michelle Flunkie's choice vinyl cuts full of snap, crackle and lots of pop that she thinks should have been played, maybe some of them were?

download here

just when you thought it could get no worse . . . .

2010-05-11T20:44:00.002Z

something's gone wrong and I know I'm not to blame, a quirk of fate makes every day the same

2009-12-23T11:29:00.042Z

Here for you listening pleasure are 4 previously unreleased songs by Bulldozer Crash. They were recorded in between the Sarah Said 7" and What Happens Now 7". We recorded them over two days at the same studio that the Sarah Said 7" was done, Durham Street Studios in Hartlepool. We were hoping to be joined on the day by Lee 'Patrick' Skelly to play drums and engineer the session but he disappeared just before we got there so we had to fend for ourselves. We did plan to finish the songs off one day but we never got around to it. So here they just as we left them back in 1992. There is also a sleeve and insert included in the download folder.

bulldozer crash unreleased demo's

kiss-kiss-kiss like you mean it

2009-11-29T17:12:00.006Z

This almighty pop stars Play People have just released their third single on the Savoy Discs record label, this time it's a 3 track pop e.p. called Feel Good. The songs are all hook laden pop tunes that make me feel sad and nostalgic for days long gone. Listen out for some ukele and a little dubreq stylophone action too. Track 3 "What I Mean To Say" (nukele version) is my favourite for today, that chorus could be by one of those Micky Most produced pop band's from the 70's, nice. If you would like a copy of your own order it here . If you haven't picked up the band's 7" Goes Out on Cloudberry now might be a good time before it sells out.

I'm a little bit behind the times with Bye Bye, Duffel Boy number one fanzine which came out in the summer, but I've just nabbed myself a copy from Caramel distro those stockists of fine fanzines for over a year now. It's written by Pete Green whose "Everything I Do is Gonna be Sparkly" song occasionally shows it's face and brings a smile to mine when shuffle is engaged on my ipod. The fanzine has a great interview with Stuart Indie Tracks, the mighty Horowitz and a nice article by Marianthi which made feel like I really should be doing more. It's a bargain at 70p! Caramel also sent me a free copy of Wishful Thinking an indie pop publication full of bands nearly all new to me as well as a nice interview with Ed from Shelflife.

walk out to winter

2009-11-11T21:39:00.004Z

On friday Popklubb shares it's birthday with my daughter, so I'm not going to be able to make it. I've still done my mix cd even though I won't be there to swap it with anyone. It's a little obvious with winter approaching, but someone might enjoy it.

Walk Out To Winter

1.Walk Out To Winter / Aztec Camera
2.Winter / The Loft
3.Strawberries Are Growing in My Garden (And it's Wintertime) The Dentists
4.Winter On Victoria Street / The Clientele
5.Lonely Winter / The Bee Gees
6.Winter In / Gene Clark
7Winter Is Blue / Mike Crowther/Vashti Bunyan
8.Winter Is Gone / Nick Drake
9.The Winter Proper / The Lucksmiths
10. I smell winter / The Housemartins
11. Through The Winter / Saint Etienne
12. Winter Plume / The Adventure Babies
13. A Winters Sky / The Pipettes
14. A Girl In Winter / Ben Watt
15. Winter Seems Fine / Dolly Mixture
16. Summer Becomes Winter / Brighter
17. The Cold Swedish Winter / Jens Lekman
18. Another mellow winter / Mellow
19. Winter / James Iha - Let it come down
20. Dead Of Winter / Eels
21. White Winter Hymnal / Fleet Foxes
22. A Hazy Shade Of Winter / Simon & Garfunkel

r.i.p. jonathan

2009-11-01T16:33:00.004Z

Jonathan Whitfield who played bass for Kosmonaut , sadly died in a motorcycle accident during the early hours of Saturday morning.

never realised (jonathan's song).mp3 live at the cluny, newcastle upon tyne 31.10.2002

part of the goodie bag for the gig

2009-07-01T21:46:00.003Z

come on over, y'know we've been waiting for you

2009-07-01T11:25:00.002Z

Why don't you love me like you did before?

2009-06-09T21:02:00.001Z

We will never die, no, no, we will never die.

2009-05-20T20:53:00.003Z

Under the April sky

2009-04-20T21:42:00.002Z

Hey honey what you trying to say
As I stand here don't you walk away
And the world comes tumbling down

Hand in hand in a violent life
Making love on the edge of a knife
And the world comes tumbling down

And it's hard for me to say
And it's hard for me to stay
I'm going down to be by myself
I'm going back for the good of my health
And there's one thing I couldn't do
Sacrifice myself to you
Sacrifice

who the hell are bulldozer crash?

2009-02-28T23:18:00.003Z

a bulldozer crash interview and some songs by them.

the estuary is calling me

2009-02-22T20:04:00.003Z

in the city think of where I'd rather be
near the trees or summer breeze
down by the lake we'll still 'til late
instead of bars we'll watch the stars

www.thisalmightypop.com

ever get the feeling you've been cheated?

2009-01-12T23:40:00.001Z

all we are still saying is . . . .

2008-12-30T22:44:00.001Z

positively teenage

2008-12-19T23:12:00.004Z

My compilation cassette positively teenage has recently been posted on takethepills.blogspot.com. I didn't think the sound quality was quite as bad as that, I'm sure it sounded better back in 1990. When I get chance I'm going to scan the fanzine that came with it, each of the bands wrote a page for it, well most of them did, for the ones that didn't I told a few fibs.

(A01) The Love Parade - Dave Clark 5
(A02) The Gravy Train - Devil In Your Shoe
(A03) Lavender Faction - In My Mind
(A04) The Sunflowers - Sunflower Babies
(A05) St.James Infirmary - The Sun Don't Shine
(A06) The Mayfields - Out To Sea
(A07) Penny Candles - Memory Box
(A08) Regulators - Southside Johnny
(A09) Remember Fun - P.S. Elaine
(A10) Church Grims - Plaster Saint
(A11) Marc - Clearer, Brighter, Sharper
(A12) Felicity's - Why Don't You Come Round
(A13) Crimson Mints - Makes Me Want To
(A14) Mousefolk - Wishing The Summer Away
(A15) The Fat Tulips - All That Matters
(B01) The Love Parade - Eternally
(B02) The Gravy Train - All Fall Down
(B03) The Sunflowers - Sunflowers Mum
(B04) Perfect Kiss - So Many Alike
(B05) Church Grims - Seen It All
(B06) Panda Pops - Submarine
(B07) The Williams - Still Keep Coming
(B08) St.Christopher - Charmelle
(B09) The Driscolls - It's Your Daughter
(B10) The Sohfas - Thorns
(B11) The Spinning Jenny's - Gardeners Weakly
(B12) Bulldozer Clarts - Walks Away
(B13) Librarians - Stripping In The Cemetry
(B14) Strawberry Story - For The Love Of Billy
(B15) Hellfire Sermons - Down All The Days
(B16) Patrick Skelly & The Prescriptions - Land Of Tears

i will treasure you

2008-12-19T21:57:00.004Z

Mike from Slumberland Records asked if I'd be interested in putting together a podcast for his site , I said yes and it's now online, you can download it from here http://www.slumberlandrecords.com/extras/podcast/20

I hope you enjoy it. I meant to embed this photo in the mp3 file but somehow forgot.

I seem to have a big blue sky obsession going on at the moment.

that summer feeling is gonna haunt you the rest of your life

2008-11-27T14:04:00.007Z

It was Popklubb's second birthday a couple of weeks ago and everyone was invited to do a mix cd and swap it for one someone else had done. Mine was an unseasonal collection of summer songs, I hope who ever picked it out the box found some songs to enjoy. I'd like to thank Stretch(?) for mine which was full of great songs by Jethro Tull, Sting and the Chieftans, nice one, cheers for that. I've uploaded the songs from my CD here . . . that summer feeling and included the artwork too. Kris from Heaven Is Above Your Head also did a mix and you can read how to get a copy of that here . . . Design to Warm.

that summer feeling

1. Summer Smash / Denim 3:38
2. Summer High / Adventures In Stereo 1:53
3. Summer in the City / The Lovin' Spoonful 2:43
4. the end of the summer on bookbinder road / Cocoanut Groove 3:07
5. Here Comes The Summer / Corduroy Utd. 3:08
6. A Sweet Summer's Night on Hammer Hill / Jens Lekman 3:28
7. That Summer Feeling / Jonathan Richman 3:57
8. Hey Sunshine / Let's Whisper 2:31
9. Indian Summer / Beat Happening 3:05
10. Summer Has Changed / Blackﬂower 4:19
11. Summer Babe / Pavement 3:14
12. Double Summer / The Chills 3:09
13. the summers ﬁrst kiss / Celestial 3:55
14. Summershine / The Sea Urchins 4:03
15. Next Summer / Brighter 2:58
16. The Summer You Love / St. Cristopher 2:27
17. Summertime / Galaxie 500 6:00
18. Warm July / Sodastream 4:24
19. Wild Rice / Summer Cats 3:32
20. You'll Never See That Summertime again / Friends 4:47
21. Summer Is Here / Go-Kart Mozart 3:26
22. Summer Of Their Dreams / Virginia Astley 3:22

stay beneath the covers child, don't miss the dream, don't be the first to go, don't trust no one.

2008-10-16T17:09:00.010Z

I know it's well out of date now,but I was going to use this review in the next fanzine, but I'm not sure when that will appear so I thought I'd best put the review up here instead. . . . . . .

Indietracks Festival Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th July, 2008

saturday
I couldn't believe it, getting stuck on the bloody steam train for nearly three quarters of an hour and just making it to the church to hear the final strains of Still Corners last song of their set, not a great start to the festival, I was gutted that I'd missed them playing one my favourite songs of the year History Of Love live. Silverdrop were the first band of the weekend that I was to fall for. They certainly have a star in their main man Bjorn, a cross between the dance moves of Ian Curtis and the mannerisms of Wayne Coyne. The music really caught my ear, so I had to buy a CD_R from them that came wrapped in some lovely wallpaper for only £2.

I only caught the last two tracks by the Paralellograms one of which was a cover of Steamin Train and I swear if you closed your eyes you may well have thought you were listening to Tallulah Gosh. The Kabeedies were angular but very bouncy too and did well despite only having three strings on the bass guitar.

The Lodger were wonderful, I nearly managed to miss them while i was sweating every bit of water out of my body in the church watching Darren Hayman, I'd heard him do my favourite - Caravan Song so when Neave phoned to say "Night, Night" and I walked outside into the still shining bright sun and the pure pop sound of My Finest Hour I was never going back in the church. The Lodger were brilliant with those disco guitars pretending they were Chic just like Orange Juice they can't help themselves. Highlight was The Good Old Days especially those falsetto "Alright, alright" , I hope no one is ever subjected to my version as I sing along to them .

The ageless Harvey Williams played about 5 songs on his keyboard before he put a smile on everyone's face and picked up his guitar and treated the audience to some classic Another Sunny Day. He almost lifted the roof off the church when he did Anorak City changing the words to fit , I'm nearly sure he rhymed Swanwick Junction with serving luncheon .

(Harvey Williams - Anorak City)

sunday
After a nice lie in until 10 in my comfy Travelodge bed, I headed towards Swanwick Junction once more, on arrival I picked up a couple of presents for Neave from the gift shop including a train whistle that I'm sure she will annoy her mother with.

Brontosaurus Chorus (best or worst named band of the weekend? The jury is still out on that one.) were the first band for me on the morning , there was about 7 or 8 people on stage making true summery pop sounds. The Middle Ones were laughing, smiling , giggling and totally excited to be playing their songs in the church, and what lovely indie folk pop songs they were, those harmonies were a delight to listen to.

A band that for me stood head and shoulders above almost every one else today were A Classic Education. Songs that at times were anthemic in a similar way that Hurrah!'s were. If Esurient Communications were still alive I feel almost certain that this would be the label for them. Best song was a new one inspired in part by the Grandad of the singer with Elliot Gould's eyes. I would have bought a copy of the bands 12" but I was afraid that it would warp in the tremendous heat, so I will have to try and order it online when I get back home. Just like the festival compilation which sold out before I could nab myself a copy.

(a classic education - wartimes )[the grandad song I mention]

All the band's start times were somehow messed up today so I didn't catch the start of the Rosie Taylor Project's set, so I'm not sure if I missed them doing Maps for Lovers, it was made up for a little bit when they did Black and White Films.

Strawberry Story said that this was to be their last ever gig as they were too old and were retiring, which is a great shame as Hayley had the biggest and nicest smile of any of the bands playing. One of the bands I was really looking forward to seeing was The Wave Pictures and they didn't disappoint. Playing my favourites, the singles from the last album, which had a great punky edge to them.

I thought I had missed the Dierdres but because of line up changes I managed to catch them, they were jumping around like crazy people, I'm not sure if it was the heat of the day that had got to them, but they were certainly excitable and lots of fun. Until today I had ignored the Manhattan Love Suicides, they looked the part and all their songs were fuzzed up bubblegum overdosed guitar pop, I must buy something by them now!

Another great weekend with only one regret, I forgot all about Gregory Webster playing on the train at 3.15, maybe I'll catch him another time.

(gregory webster - the world keeps on turning )

welcome, welcome we've been waiting for you, come on over you know we all adore you

2008-10-09T00:10:00.005Z

Click on the words above and listen to "It's time" my favourite song this week.

www.thisalmightypop.com

i tried to laugh about it, cover it all up with lies, I tried to laugh about it, hiding the tears in my eyes

2008-09-28T20:41:00.001Z

flower and chocolate

2008-09-16T23:47:00.004Z

Neave's guinea pigs.

she carved his name into a tree , etched a heart t.l.f.e.

2008-09-14T00:06:00.002Z

could this be the start of something? could it be the end of a phase? could it be the start of the future? could it be the good old days?

2008-09-06T21:18:00.002Z

I know you really shouldn't take months to write a fanzine, but it's been 18 years and I was a little rusty around the edges. Finally it's here though, this almighty pop! number five, I hope someone enjoys it and my spelling mistakes and bad grammar don't spoil it too much. It comes with what I think is an excellent compilation CD, and is on my this almighty pop record label, which I am about to start this month. The first band on the label is Play People and you should be able to buy their CD single by the end of next week. I will also be selling the last bunch I have of the first four issues of this almighty pop as a package deal, as much as I have liked them hanging around in my garage for the last 18 years it's time for them to find new homes, thats if anyone will have them. For details on the new fanzine, the record label and the old fanzines head on over to www.thisalmightypop.com

this almighty pop! number five .... about bloody time!

2008-09-04T23:36:00.002Z

2008-07-25T23:15:00.002Z

I found this amongst the this almighty pop original photocopies, I can't remember but maybe it was meant to go in number one. I just wish I could find the tape Kevin Pearce sent me with those songs on.

Where's Clare Grogan Now?

2008-07-08T22:30:00.001Z

I share my birthday with a silver beatle

2008-06-22T21:28:00.005Z

the winter turns to springtime,
and the springtime turns to summer,
we discover how we've lost another year

And your lips were warm your hands were cold
I never thought I'd feel this old
Isn't grey hair just the first light of a new dawn?

all words © withered hand new dawn

sunny day and i'm looking for her you see

2008-06-02T22:34:00.009Z

I'm not normally the gloating type but I had to mention the wonderful little pop artifact that dropped through my letterbox the other day. It's a small 3" cd-r , lovingly put together by Kris of Heaven Is Above Your Head and who is also the ace guitarist with A Smile And A Ribbon. I really didn't want to break into to it, but I had to, I managed to loosen the red thread that was holding it together and place the mini cd into the player, there is a great selection of songs on it, some I'd heard, some I hadn't and some I'd forgotten all about like Po!'s "Sunday Never Comes Around".

Sweet Sixteen by A Smile And A Ribbon gets mentioned in an earlier post below and it's nice to hear it again after the bands triumphant UK tour. Once I get This Almighty Pop! number five finished, my next silly idea is to start a cd-r record label and I want to release something by A Smile And A Ribbon but I fear by the time I get around to it they will be just too big or just say no when I ask them.

Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam

2008-05-19T22:38:00.004Z

I'm on a mission to expose my 4 year old daughter to what I think is good music, before it was bedtime tonight her favourite two songs were Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam by the Vaselines and Doing It Right by the Go Team, . Not a bad start.

In return she's promised to teach me some new chords.

apples are good

2008-05-17T21:13:00.008Z

I am forever downloading songs from other peoples blogs so I thought it only fair that I start and do a few play lists myself. I've been bringing in the odd crate or two of my 7"s out of the garage and these songs are the ones that caught my eye and needed to be played. They are all a bit crackly as in their time they were played quite a lot and it seems I didn't look after them as I thought I had. No real theme to them but I have noticed quite a few scottish and north east connections.

Speak to me Rochelle always reminded me of Orange Juice. Oranges and Lemons is from the Prescriptions one and only 7", it is an organ led garage theme from 1960's Hartlepool. For some time Jesse Garon and the Desperadoes were one my favourite bands and The Adam Faith Experience was one in a line of perfect singles. Me and Michael were just talking about Prefab Sprout the other night on the way to the Jens Lekman gig at the Cluny so Lions in my own garden (exit someone) needed a play. Freak Storm was (i think?)the first Hellfire Sermons single, I've just ordered their compilation CD from Bus Stop I wish it was here now. Make It Better was co-written by Terry Gibson who I put my first gig on with. I wish there was a Gravy Train compilation I could order from Bus Stop or any label come to that. Honey Trap were a band that I saw at the Broken Doll and I seem to remember their music reminded me of Felt, Make Me Happy has guitars that could almost be from Poem of River, Riding the Equator in particular. Cincinnati brings to mind Strawberry Wine MBV ,even though I can't remember thinking that at the time. I Remember Caroline is from a test pressing of Watercolour 3 (was it ever properly released?) it sounds a little warped and has some terrible surface noise, sorry. Ain't That Always The Way, I've got a tape of Paul Quinn and Edwyn doing this and Pale Blue Eyes live on radio one but I've no idea where I might find that. I love the way they released Little Things even though Terry Hall is pissing his back off and swearing halfway though.

1. Speak To Me Rochelle / The Desert Wolves 2:27
2. Oranges And Lemons / The Prescriptions 3:20
3. The Adam Faith Experience / Jesse Garon and The Desperadoes 3:06
4. Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone) / Prefab Sprout 2:35
5. Freak Storm / Hellﬁre Sermons 3:33
6. Make It Better / The Gravy Train 3:38
7. Make Me Happy / Honeytrap 2:38
8. Cincinnati / Holidaymakers 2:26
9. I Remember Caroline / The Sweetest Ache 3:04
10. Ain't That Always The Way / Paul Quinn 3:07
11. Little Things / The Colourﬁeld

download apples are good

i fell in love with a girl

2008-05-12T22:02:00.015Z

It was mine and Michael's first Popklubb experience on Saturday night, we've arrived at the party late , seeing as it has been going since 2006. The venue is really nice, not sure but it must be some sort of working mens club , a really nice big hall, it had to be for the amount of people who turned up. The live music was provided by one of my favourite Swedish bands A Smile And A Ribbon, they played a storming set. Quite a few new songs I'd not heard before but I wanted to hear again straight away, like Sweet Sixteen. There were six in the band this time as they were joined by a saxophonist who embellished some of the songs beautifully , especially when he picked up the flute. He did have a flute didn't he? They also feature on guitar my joint favourite blogger Kris from Heaven Is Above Your Head, it seems such a long time since someone has wrote so enthusiastically about the music that they love. Kris told me that not all of the band are into indie music and infact the drummer is a guitarist in a hardcore thrash band. They all wore Black Flag t-shirts at the gig before this one.

Just before they played their last song The Boy I Wish I Never Met, Kris dedicated a song to an old band called Bulldozer Crash, which made me smile a lot. The rest of the band as well as the crowd looked puzzled and bemused as I think only me and Kris had heard of them, still it made my night as I've not had a song played for me since the Love Parade gigs all those years ago.

I also fell love (again!) on Saturday night, she had the nicest smile I have seen, no really she did, she danced nearly all night with her friend and her friends boyfriend, but I just sat, cos I can't dance for toffee, anyone know of anywhere I can I get indie dance lessons in the north east? I guess it goes without saying that of course I didn't even talk to her, I don't even think she noticed I was there. She might be at Jens Lekman tomorrow night, fingers crossed!(She wasn't but her friend and boyfriend were) Not that I'll speak to her then either. Dear me, I'm sounding like a daft teenager instead of a forty year old, ahhh... so fuck!

I run to her house like it's all downhill

2008-05-06T23:48:00.006Z

If only I had someone's house to run to like it's all downhill. Actually maybe I don't as I'm not as fit as I was when I was 19, and I'd probably have a heart attack before I made it half way. Reading parts of Fresh Air last night reminded me to give this Waltones track a spin . I just recently added it to my iTunes library so I thought I would share it. I first heard a song called Bold by them on a flexi-disc with the fanzine Irresponsible Spirit and it has remained a favourite, even the crackly whirry flexi version that I have also recently ripped. There is a compilation of everything they did available from Cherry Red called You've Gotta Hand It To 'Em. As much as I love my crackly vinyl it might be nice to have them all in one place , there is also a few unreleased songs on it. The Corn Dollies were another band who were on Medium Cool who I really liked, I must dig out Forever Steven and Be Small Again two more perfect songs. One of which was produced by Robert Forster but I can't remember which one. Here is the Waltones songs , enjoy the static.....
Bold
Downhill

remember arthur seaton said he wouldn't be beaten

2008-05-05T21:22:00.003Z

This was in amongst my fanzine originals. I once had it printed onto a t-shirt and thought I looked cool as fuck. When I look at it now I'm not sure I got the words right. Was it "wouldn't" or "won't"? Time to find that Pale Fountains LP in the garage, I hope those mice can't eat their way through my plastic record cases.

fresh air

2008-05-05T21:09:00.003Z

I did a little tidying up in my garage today, only to find it was being used as a home for at least one family of mice, which wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't used my fanzine collection for bedding, quite a few have sadly been destroyed, fanzines that is not mice. The little blighters have also been nibbling away at the originals of This Almighty Pop, but Fresh Air managed to escape intact. The only fanzine I sold every issue of, well I only printed 100 and sold them for 20p. I've just scanned and printed myself a copy, if you fancy doing the same I've also done a PDF of it that can be downloaded here Fresh Air

I love the way you look when you forget yourself

2008-05-03T23:11:00.002Z

See I haven't forget, will get it in the post this week. For the same photo effect go here http://labs.wanokoto.jp/olds

I woke it was the first of May, wading through cherry blossom falling

2008-05-01T21:20:00.007Z

I very nearly forgot to give it a spin today. It would have been nice to have put this on my ipod and woke to it this morning. Never mind, maybe I'll remember next year. If your reading this and it's still the first of May download it from Kris's old The Rain Fell Down blog here...

The Rain - First of May

Oh dear, I had a funny feeling that I was starting to repeat myself, now I'm sure I am ....... First Of May 2007

simply thrilled honey

2008-04-20T22:17:00.005Z

Just found this today in my garage while I was rummaging about looking for a big spanner that I needed so that I could try and fix my toilet cistern. My first ever gig promotion, whatever happened to Terry, The Gravy Train or This Almighty Pop come to that.

mrs robinson's daughter part three

2008-04-19T12:57:00.007Z

Here is a link to an mp3 of the song I wrote about her when I was in Bulldozer Crash. Mrs Robinson's Daughter.mp3

We had joy we had fun (Mrs Robinson's Daughter Part Two)

2008-04-19T12:40:00.014Z

Gable End of 184 Tindale Green. ("When a scabby football is your only friend, it's just you against the gable end")

A girl called Susan was my childhood sweetheart.

We moved to Tindale Green in 1973 and she did too. It was a new council estate that was still being built around us. They were known locally as the matchbox houses as they were built without roofs. Well, they had roofs just flat not pitched. I can't remember the day we first met,maybe it was at school or perhaps we just started playing together that first summer. One of my first memories is of a great big hill of soil, which we would run up and down and sometimes stand on the top singing "I'm the king/queen of the castle", that was until a bulldozer came and took all the soil away and flattened our hill. One day Susan was upset maybe even crying about something, don't remember why, but to try and cheer her up and make her laugh I started to walk towards the hill of soil and at the same time I dropped my trousers, it seemed to do the trick, she laughed anyway.

She was the first girl I ever kissed, she was too nice though because there was two of us who wanted to be her boyfriend so she used to share her kisses between me and Darren Slade. We would sit with Susan in the middle underneath Darren's window cill and she would kiss me first then turn her head and kiss Darren and then turn back to me and give me a kiss and this would go on and on until her lips were sore or one of us had to go home for our tea.

That fence is where our wall and fence was,probably long since replaced with this one.

There was a big fence with a brick wall in the middle near where Darren lived and we would all climb on top of the wall and sing songs but the only song I can remember is Cliff Richards "Summer Holiday", we use to belt it out at the top of our voices, yet none of the neighbours complained....."We're all going on a summer holiday for a week or two -oo -oo...."

There used to be a great big tree just across the grass from Susan's house that we used to climb, not too far up though because we were scared and still quite young, but one day we scaled up it . After we'd been up a while I managed to get down, but Susan's couldn't, so she told me to go and get her dad , and that was probably the moment I lost her forever. Her dad was a giant policeman so instead of going and telling him his daughter was stuck up a tree I went home and left her up there.

The tree almost in the centre is THAT tree.

Something else we would do together would be to lie on the grass side by side looking up at the clouds to see if we could see anything up there. I'm nearly certain we once some elephants in the sky, I once wrote a short story about it called "Elephant Clouds", must try and dig that out someday.

There are loads more I could write but I think I better wrap it up now with few lines of how it all ended.

We were in the same class for five years at senior school, so we continued to see each other everyday we were there. Things change I guess when you go to a big school, more people to mix with and I suppose it was there that we drifted apart, she had other boyfriends and I had other girlfriends, but still at the back of my mind I always thought I would one day go back to Susan and she'd welcome me with open arms. What a big head! I remember writing on a piece of paper that I would love her forever and pushing it down a gap in the floorboards of my bedroom in 184 Tindale Green. I wonder if that bit of paper is still there nearly 30 years later. We left school in 1983, I knew she'd got married when she was 18 and at the time I was totally gutted. We never spoke to each other again for 24 years, not until last week.

I took these photos last year sometime when I was feeling a little nostalgic while working in Tindale Green.

i saw you walking across the street and I saw the boy you were going to meet

2008-04-15T23:46:00.002Z

I spoke to Mrs Robinson's Daughter today, for the first time in 24 years.

hair like a girl

2008-03-08T23:01:00.002Z

"...john opened the bottle and there was this almighty pop!"

2008-03-08T22:52:00.002Z

When she was about 15 my sister-in-law Esther , used to work as a waitress in the Bay Horse pub in Middridge. I would usually be round her house when she came in from work on a Friday night and would help her count her tips from the evening. One night she came in and said that her boyfriend John had opened a bottle of champagne and there had been this almighty pop! And so the name of my fanzine was born. I decided to resurrect the name for the gig me and Michael are organising next Sunday night at the Head of Steam in Newcastle. Hopefully it will be the first of many. It's the first gig that I have helped organise since the one to promote issue 3 and 4 of This Almighty Pop! at the Magnet Social Club in Gateshead way back in 1990 I think. It Featured The Lavender Faction, The Gravy Train (are you out there Malcolm?), The Love Parade and The Perfect Kiss. It was a disaster from start to finish, but I'll save that story for another time. Just wish I could find one of the posters advertising it, there was a great photo of Edwyn on it.The first 50 (wishful thinking?) through the door next Sunday will get a goody bag with badges, a mini zine and anything else we decide to put in between now and then. The theme for the evening is hair, which I think is rather cruel seeing as I haven't got much. If your in the area please come along and say hello.

last-fm gig link

it's gonna be, a lonley lonley day

2008-01-04T23:21:00.001Z

I'm not sure if i am still classed as a matinee artiste anymore but I've been doing their year end poll and thought I would post my favourite songs of the last twelve months here . I don't think they were all released in 2007 infact I know they all weren't , but this is the year they let themselves known to my ears. In no particular order

1. The Clientele - The Queen Of Seville - This song sounds so lavishly expensive, diamonds, pearls, gold and silver. His voice is incredibly velvety, somewhere girls and boys must be swooning over it. Does it remind anyone else of Luke Haines or Green?

2. Sodastream - Warm July - I only just discovered them this year and then they went and split up a few weeks after I saw them play one of my favourite gigs. This song reminds me of painting Georges new house in Durham last summer and the journey back, wanting to race back to my ex-wifes so I could see Neave before her bedtime, but I usually found myself stuck in traffic at Nevilles Cross, singing along to this. Oh, how I love my iPod all those songs at the touch of a button or two.

3. Darren Hayman - Caravan Song - One of my biggest regrets of 2007 is not sticking around to watch Mr Hayman's performance at the Indie Tracks festival, I was shattered and just wanted to sleep so I buggered off early.Monday morning in the car on the way home after the festival, I just kept playing this song over and over again, the kind of song that makes me want to sing along to it at the top of my voice , I wish I could write a song that would have that effect on people.

4. A Smile and a Ribbon - Book Cover - Another band from Indie Tracks who were head and shoulders above the Fat Tulip sound-a-likes that everyone else seemed to be going crazy for at the festival. The opening lines of this song have been my own personal theme tune since first hearing it.

5. The Go! Team - A Version Of Myself - Almost shambolic and with a childlike beauty that stopped me dead in my tracks when it popped into my head while itunes was in shuffle mode. I feel terrible admitting it but I've been ripping CD's straight to my MacBook and listening to them on that before the CD actually makes it onto my CD player. I never thought I would ever do that .

6. Horowitz - Pop Kids Of The World Unite - Easily my favourites from Indie Tracks, their punky fuzzy wuzzy pop songs stole my heart while watching them, and if I wasn't quite so sensible but a younger and much dafter version of myself I would be spending my redundancy on starting a record label and I would want Horowitz to be on it. I guess though I better hold onto that money just incase those painting jobs don't come in for a while.

7. Cherry Ghost - 4 A.M. - I've been listening to far too many sad songs this year, songs that remind me of what I once had and that make me wonder if I will get anything like it again. The upbeat countrified feel of it still can't cheer me up, but I keep playing it over and over.

8. Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins - Melt Your Heart - Another sad one with oh so true opening lines that also became a theme which I have had recurring through my days this last year. This one could easily make me cry if I listen to it too much.

9. Parker Lewis - Wasting Time - This band were introduced to me in the last week of the year , they have got loads of great tunes but this one has all the ingredients that I like .. a lazy vocal drawl , jangly guitars and oohwoohwooh backing vocals that embed themselves in your head, oh yeah and they are Swedish.

10. Duke Special - Last Night I Nearly Died - Apart from reminding me of my 6 day hospitalisation this year I do still think it's an almost perfect pop song, nothing much more to say about it.

the snow fell down

2008-01-03T22:31:00.001Z

Nothing like a snowball fight and a bit of sledging to make you feel alive, even if my fingers did feel as if they were going to drop off.

i've got a chip on my shoulder, i've got a hole in my soul, got a heart that is broken and a story that has already been told

2008-01-02T16:28:00.000Z

12.00 p.m. today was the deadline for when I had to let my employers for the last 24 years know whether I wanted the pittance of a redundancy they were offering me. I said yes. I don't fancy the alternative, which is to be transferred over to a private company who could send me to work where ever they want me to. So the plan is to start my own Painting and Decorating business, probably the only thing I am good at. So I should be really seeing has thats all I've been doing since I left school. It's all I have been thinking about the last few months and all over Christmas , lots of sleepless nights, a big decision, that I really didn't want to make but it's done now. So if anyone reading this needs a spot of decorating done and you live in County Durham , I'm the man for the job!

nothing is ever as good as it was

2007-12-29T20:32:00.000Z

I've started ripping more of my cd's into iTunes over the Christmas holidays and in one of the crates of cd's was a copy of the unreleased Bulldozer Crash e.p. Accidental Bleeding. The five songs on it were once going to be released on James Brands' Maladjusted Electronics LTD label, but James just vanished never to be heard of again, so the songs have just been collecting dust ever since. I thought that I would stick one song up here , it's a little different to most of the stuff released on Sunday and Heaven records, I don't even think we used a guitar on this track. I was just getting used to using my computer to record audio. This session was the guinea pig session, so I'm not sure if all the distorted levels were intentional. I'd like to put all five songs up eventually but I really need to get permission from Marc first, seeing as the other four were all written by him, whereas this one was a joint effort. Are you there Marc, yay or nay? Over the last year I have a few requests for a Bulldozer Crash compilation, I don't think any label would be interested so it would have to be a self released one. I have been slowly remastering some of the songs Jyoti sent me from his master copies, so I would like to do it sometime, just not sure exactly when it will all come together.

Accidental Bleeding MP3

shaking, laughing and everything (I wish I was!)

2007-12-28T01:59:00.000Z

I'm feeling a bit sad and lonely tonight so probably not the best time to be writing in my blog, I just thought I would write a list of some of stuff at this moment in time I really want to do next year, I hope I manage some of them, so in no particular order ....

1. record an l.p.
2. write a real fanzine
3. fall in love at least once
4. read more books
5. organise a gig in newcastle with michael
6. make a good go of working for myself
7. stop buying dvds and not watching them
8. buy more cd's
9. take more photos
10. go to more gigs
11. visit some of those ancient sites around Britain mentioned in Julian Cope's The Modern Antiquarian

porterfield 73

2007-09-11T21:35:00.000Z

Ian Porterfield has died today. He scored the stunning goal for Sunderland against Leeds in the 1973 F.A. Cup final. It was a beaut. Me and Geoff also named the studio where we recorded all the Kosmonaut songs after him. When I was younger and enjoyed football I scored quite a few goals as Ian Porterfield then as Gary Rowell, then I started collecting records and wearing glasses full time and my football career and interest in it came to an end. I think I'll watch the final again on Saturday though.

and the world comes tumbling down

2007-08-26T22:11:00.000Z

if i could settle down, then i would settle down

2007-08-19T22:53:00.000Z

indietracks festival 28th and 29th July 2007 Midland Railway, Butterley.

Admittance code printed. Google Maps printed and numbered 1 to 4. Travelodge reservation printed. Camera and camcorder batteries fully charged. Clothes all packed. Time to go.

It seems so long since I was in Derby, once upon a time when we we young and foolish and thought pop music could change the world and Marc lived in Normanton we would head over to Jyoti's Satya studios all the time, well it seemed like every other month, but I know it wasn't . The streets of Derby have changed so much since my last visit, next time I come I will be investing in either a Tom Tom or Garmin Navigator, it's got to save me a fortune in wasted petrol and hopefully stop me driving the wrong way up and down one way streets. Google maps are not ideal when your driving on your own , it's far too dodgy trying to read directions aswell as keeping an eye on the road.

I finally found my way to Butterley Railway station. It's really nice and quaint, my Uncle Brian would love it, he's really into his trains these days. It's very 50's with a Railway Children vibe about it. I got my ticket for unlimited steam train travel for the weekend. I decided to leave my car and go for my first ride up to Swanick Junction where all the action was taking place. The train ride was over far too quick, as I stepped onto the platform I could see indie kids and indie old folks all over the place. I thought I was going to be outnumbered by all the young 'uns but didn't feel out of place at all.

I went to the big engine shed to get my red wristband ,free indie tracks badge and buy a copy of the festival guide. I managed to catch the last couple of songs from the first band of the day the Loves, then my tummy started rumbling so it was over to Johnson's Buffet for a cup of tea and a ham bun. Then it was time to leg it back over to the shed for The Hermit Crabs, who Jimmy Matinee has been known to rave about. After their I walked out and bumped into Jyoti, who was taking care of Cats On Fire for the day. When they took the stage they looked like pop stars in the making, especially Mattias the front man with a ton of style and attitude. You can just tell he knows he's probably in the best band of the festival, just the way it should be. Their guitar infused music was incredibly exciting and thrilling and a total pop experience that reminded so much of the first time I saw The Love Parade at the Broken Doll , they put a great big smile on my face, I just wish I could grow my hair like Mattias , oh how I long to have a quiff again!

Seeing Rose McDowall live was one of the big reasons for me coming down to the festival, I loved Since Yesterday so much. I can remember it being played on Radio One for months before it was a hit . They did a live session on Richard Skinners Saturday afternoon show probably around that time , they played a beautiful song called Sunday Morning and that was I think my first introduction to the Velvet Underground. I wasn't really expecting any Strawberry Switchblade songs but I was crossing my fingers, hoping that just maybe. Rose played her set in the Church and I loved it, not only did she do Since Yesterday and Trees and Flowers but Sunday Morning and a beautiful version of April Skies to finish with. I managed to camcord some of the songs with my new camcorder, but I really should have had more practice with it before the festival, it might make you feel sick when you watch it. I'll put it up on YouTube as soon as I get chance, at least you'll be able to hear the songs.

I never saw the Orchids in their Sarah heyday so I wasn't going to miss this one. It was a treat to hear some of my favourite ever songs played live for the first time. Everyone knows the songs so well but hearing them live they seemed even more uplifting.. I've never seen a bass player so high on playing , he looked like he was having the most fun out of any of the bands I'd seen all day. A George Clooney look-alike commented to me the next day that he reminded him of Mani's dad!

I didn't stick around for the How does it Feel disco, thought I'd better find my Travelodge in Mansfield , I left it too late to get into the one at Alfreton, I won't let that happen next time. It took me about an hour to find it, according to Google maps it was only 22 mins away. Still better than camping out.

Got up on Sunday morning and headed for the festival, first band on were A Smile and a Ribbon who I didn't want to miss as one of there members is Chris/Kris the author of the excellent And The Rain Fell Down blog, which like one of my other favourite web sites Tangents has ceased to exist. They didn't disappoint either, a fine blend of all the best girl bands going as far back as the fifties, certainly not Fat Tulip/Talullah Gosh copyists as I had been lead to believe. They looked the part aswell, not sure which one was Chris though.

Then it was over to the church for Horowitz who were probably my favourite band of the weekend. There was only three of them and a drum machine but they made the poppiest , fuzziest and catchiest perfect pop tunes. One of them is apparently a ex-Rosehip , a band who they said received their very first fan mail from my friend Michael Robson , each member sent him a separate reply, so he told me the other night. Jyoti remarked that there was something a bit Bulldozer Crash about Horowitz, I had to agree and maybe thats why I liked them. The singer also a reminded me of Pete Shelley when he was rolling his eyes up to the sky. I bought the bands LP and their Tracyanne single and if you are after some exciting pop blasts I suggest you do the same. Every now and again I toy with the idea of starting a record label , if I was to start it next week instead of fitting a new kitchen I would ask Horowitz if they fancied being on it.

Another band who I would want on the label would be Countryside who may have been the youngest band at the festival. The noise they made was gorgeously warped yet splendid. I've no idea what FX pedals they were using but the sound that was being coaxed out of their guitars and synths was dreamy.

The last band I saw was Wake The President who were much better than the "new Belle and Sebastian" label some have tagged them with. They've got there own sound and style, I loved all the songs I heard so I was gutted that I'd only managed to squeeze into the packed church halfway through. The finale was their cover of Psycho Killer, where they managed to get the whole audience up on there feet.

I buggered off after them, I was shattered, shame I missed Darren Hayman as I have since grew to love his Caravan Song. It was a great weekend and I really enjoyed my first festival. If I'd known they were as good as this I wouldn't have waited until I was 40. As I was checking out of my hotel in Mansfield on Monday morning I passed two of the guys from The Electric Pop Group , I was going to say something but didn't.

last night i nearly died but i woke up just in time

2007-06-01T23:03:00.000Z

I don’t know what is going wrong with my insides, but I have just spent the last six days in hospital with terrible stomach pains and a temperature spiking at 40 degrees at times. I have never felt so ill in all my life, at times I really did think maybe I was never going to get better. I had been having pains in my stomach for a couple of weeks and everytime I went to the toilet I would double up in agony, not wanting to go to the doctors I just put it down to eating something dodgy and my insides would put it right on their own. Only that didn’t happen, the pain just got gradually worse, until last Thursday night when it felt like hot lava was running through my veins one minute and the next I was camped out on Everest with no clothes on unable to stop shaking .

I decided tomorrow I would go to the doctors and get sorted, so I did. She wasn’t impressed I’d waited so long and immediately had me admitted to hospital. Then the tests began, I won't go into all the gory details, but it was very painful. They found out that I had an Urinary tract infection, but that didn't explain the stomach pains or the high temp, I was put on a drip and given tablets to bring down my temp. Over the next 5 days, I was suffering with high temps, low temps, low blood pressure, a blood thinnning drug was stuck straight into my stomach with a couple nurses saying, there wasn't much to get hold of. I was put on an antibiotic drip, then in tablet form which brought me out in red blotches all over my body as soon as I took one, but they made me take another just to make sure that thats what I was allergic too, so I took another one later in the day and sure enough I went ever redder and blotchier. Another sample came back and I had a small bowel infection, but apparently that wouldn't have caused the high temp either.

I couldn't sleep on a night, because I was sharing a room with someone who talked out-loud in their sleep, someone else who snored at incredible volume and another who was a sleep walker.When I did get to sleep I kept having Life On Mars moments, Jack Regan, Kojak and Kwai Chang Cain featured heavily , saving my life on numerous occassions.

I'm so glad that I had treated myself to an ipod for an early 40th birthday present to myself, the battery just managed to make it until I got discharged, I just wished I'd had time to put a few video clips on to watch before I went in, but I guess the batteries wouldn't have lasted quite as long. Have to go back and have a scan on my kidneys in a few weeks. But for now I'm just pleased to be home. Now I'll quit whinging, I'm still alive.

my last fm album quilt and recently played widgets

2007-05-13T21:17:00.000Z

Isn't that sweet?

She changes colour with the sky, as the cars go rushing by

2007-05-07T20:35:00.000Z

Took Neave to see the Angel of The North today, she'd seen it on Nina and the Neurons last week, and recognised it from trips to Newcastle and the Metro Centre and asked to go and see her. It's quite disgaceful living only 20 odd miles away from her and never actually going to see her until now, I just got used to passing her on the A1, and that seemed enough. I knew she would be big but standing right next to the giant rusting 50's sci-fi movie robot with wings made me feel so small. I was quite disappointed with Gateshead Council for allowing BNP graffiti to be daubed on the angels feet and the dog poo smeared up them was an unpleasant sight. Apart from that though she's incredibly impressive.

Created with Paul's flickrSLiDR.

I woke it was the first of may, wading through cherry blossom falling

2007-05-01T22:20:00.000Z

I used to always try to play this song by the Rain whenever it was the first of May, if I ever forgot I would be gutted because it just wasn't the same playing it a day later. I had been thinking about it today and would have loved to have heard it, but like all my vinyl, it's still in a crate at the back of the garage. I probably would have hunted it out tonight if my garage door wasn't broke so I can't get it. New door been fitted tomorrow though. I usually check the Rain fell down blog and noticed a new entry today DROP 55 is all about the Rain song and there is a downloadable mp3 available, have a listen to hear a lost classic, and then remember to play it early on the morning of the first of May next year for best effect. Chris/Kris who writes the rain fell down blog, didn't think the song had been released but I have definately got it on an LP by the Rain , with this song on it,I think it's called To The Citadel, can anyone confirm this?

Me and Neave had a walk in Bluebell Wood on Sunday morning, well I walked she scootered, took my new camera that I am still fumbling about with so photos aren't that great,but put a few up on flickr if anyone fancies a look.

if only i had john lennon's hair, i'd shake my head wildly and sing yeah, yeah,yeah!

2007-03-25T21:30:00.000Z

Just thought I would post a few MP3's from the Denver single that was put out on the Spanish Elefant record label back in 1996 (I think). My favourite band at the time were Felt, (they are still up there in my top 10 of all time) as you might be able to tell if you have a listen to "World of Pages" . I recorded the songs on my Tascam 688 just after Bulldozer Crash decided to go on an extended vacation. "World of Pages also features the keyboard wizardry of Jyoti Mishra who also indirectly named the band . I used to always have short hair, then for some foolish reason decided to grow it and Jyoti said I looked liked John Denver ( I always thought more Harvey Williams), so again I foolishly thought Denver sounds like a good name for a band! If only I'd been thinking ahead and thought that with a name like Denver the chances of my bands name ever coming up during a Google search was going to be zero! The b-side "Elizabeth Brown's Wedding Day" was me trying to sound all summery like Long Hot Summer by the Style Council and failing miserably. I have also included the song "You, Me and Brian Epstein" recorded at around the same time and released on a compilation CD from America which I never received a copy of. If you would like to have a listen to the songs you can download them from my public Box.net account here....

world of pages 7"

i was bitter for a while but now i know it's true, look for the good in others and they'll see the good in you, fa fa fa faaaa

2007-03-05T22:31:00.000Z

Once again it's been a while since I wrote anything in my blog. I thought once I bought this MacBook I would be keeping it more up to date with at least one entry a week. I have been adding bits to my northern electrix web page a little more regularly. There has been a free mp3 download of Ocean Child which managed to use up all my regular bandwidth allocation on my web providers server so I had to upgrade to another GB , which was duly used up. Thankfully it was the end of the month so my bandwidth got reset on the 1st. Every thing seems to have died down now, I think it was the review on indie-mp3.co.uk that created the traffic. I'm not complaining though , hopefully a few of those who downloaded the song liked it.

David Macmillan the Radio Cleveland DJ who has been playing Spaceage Superstar has asked me to go on his radio show to talk and play some more of my songs. It's one of those things I've always wanted to do while I've been in bands, it's just a shame I'm doing it on my own instead of when I was in a band. I am really happy about doing it, but scared about it it as well.

Like loads of people for the last few years I have been buying all sorts of stuff off the internet , records, dvds, music equipment, computer bits and bobs and local farm produce. Everything has been fine until last week when I noticed a couple of payments on my card that I didn't recognise. So I googled the name of company and it was connected to online poker sites, knowing that I hadn't visited one of those sites , my heart sank, some bastard has my card details and spending my money. But who? It could be any number of the company's where I have bought goods from in the last few years. I didn't notice the unauthorised payments until 3 days after they occurred and it was 11 at night. I still searched for numbers for my bank. The fraud department was shut. Customer services couldn't help , the cancel your card number kept hanging up on me and the lost or stolen number couldn't cancel it because it wasn't lost or stolen, even though I said "OK then it has been lost", they still wouldn't cancel it. So I had transfer all my money out into another account in case they tried to use it again before I got to the bank to cancel my card. Now I can't get any money out for five days when my new card arrives. It has made me rethink my use of my card on the internet. I'm so used it. Not sure what to do. But I'm pissed off.

I've decided to board out my loft so I can get loads of the stuff that is blocking up my garage into it, so that I can then convert that into a room that I can use as a recording studio. Even though I have just set up all my gear in the corner of my bedroom. You wouldn't believe how happy having all of musical equipment at my fingertips has made me feel. I haven't recorded anything yet, I'm just re-acquainting myself with it all. Some of it has been boxed for over three years. It was packed away before Neave was born. Lifting some of it out of their boxes was like when I first bought them. Back to boarding out the loft, it was going so well until I came out, tidied everything away hoovered up etc, then went to turn the light on and nothing! I must have screwed through an electric cable without releasing it. Shit and bricks. I couldn't be arsed to go back up that night and sort it so I did without lights upstairs for a night. Next morning I was back in the loft looking for the hole in the wire . I ended up taking up every board that I put down the day before and some from the previous week, but could I find the damaged cable, not likely. So I went back down tried the lights and the buggers worked fine. All I can think is I kinked one of the cables and then unkinked it whilst looking for the damage. Arrggghhh, now I have got all those boards to put down again. I may have damaged a few in my anger to find that cable.

listen to the radio

2007-01-11T21:13:00.000Z

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

2007-01-11T18:02:00.000Z

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

2007-01-09T20:51:00.000Z

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.

i loved you once but i gotta go ...... yeah

2006-12-16T21:01:00.000Z

Well I'm still in love with my MacBook, I know I need to get a life but I'm fine for the moment, really I am . I registered www.northernelectrix.com the other day seeing as iWeb makes it so easy to design a site, it makes a lovely change from doing it all in notepad. I've started with a few pages more to come soon. I know i'm doing all the obvious stuff like using the reflections on the images just like in iTunes but I really like the way it looks. I resisted the urge to make the background black which made it look all the more like iTunes. If you get chance have a look and maybe download a song . There is also details of how you can either buy real cd's or mp3 downloads.

today will be yesterday so soon

2006-12-10T19:57:00.000Z

I'm typing this on my shiny brand new MacBook. I finally succumbed to the world of the Mac and so far so good. It's taking a bit of getting used to but I'll get there. Even though it's a totally new OS for me to get my head around most things seem so easy to do. One of the first things I've tried to do is import some Bulldozer Crash footage from a DVD which was a breeze to do. Then I split it up into the 3 songs and have stuck them up on YouTube. The quality isn't that great but someone out there might like to see them. It's the start of me sorting everything out to do with Bulldozer Crash, I've just registered the bulldozercrash.com domain and will be setting up a web site with more downloads and stuff real soon, something else the Mac seems quite good at doing with relative ease.

The gig is from the Heaven Records Party at The Old Vic Tavern, Nottingham 05.12.1992.
Marc Elston - Vocals,Guitar and hat.
Jyoti Mishra - Bass and suit
Stephen Maughan - Guitar and back
Roland - Drums

If you want to see the other two songs this is the way to go

Bulldozer Crash - Changing
Bulldozer Crash - Headfirst

what was that you said to me, well not that it matters

2006-10-31T21:22:00.000Z

Back to work tomorrow, oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Actually I hated the first few weeks after the operation, it's a terrible feeling not being able to walk very far without having to stop because your in far too much pain to carry on. After that though I quite got used to just taking it easy, no rushing around getting breakfast, sometimes even having two breakfasts, if I was up early enough. I don't think I've ever listened to so many songs that I wanted to listen to, yet I still never managed to digitise all my CD's. I spent far too much money on DVD's , will I ever get around to watching them? I doubt it. I've even done a spot of recording, never finished a song but started quite a few. Look out for the LP sometime next year.

Also look out for a CD of all Bulldozer Crash songs that I hope to release early next year, if Marc is up for it. If there are any Bulldozer Crash fans reading this I've just uploaded some very old photos from 1991 and 1992 to my flickr account.

Just noticed tonight that my new single spaceage superstar(3" mini cd-r actually) has just been released on i wish i was unpopular records. You can buy it here

a long hot summer just passed me by...

2006-10-25T00:19:00.000Z

...shooby dooby
dooby do aaaaah .

Another selection of some of Neave's handy work with the camera..

" height="60" alt="october06#2 089" />

2006-10-02T22:40:00.000Z

Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have fallen in love with? I have on far too many occasions and it's just happened again, unfortunately it's not a girl this time, it's quite sad really because it's Apple computers, for about two hours today I just sat watching quick time movies about the features of the new MacBook and the iLife software it comes with , I have even been watching presentations about the operating system. I have fallen head over heels with it all, if it works as good as it looks like it does in those clips I can see myself converting.

I had a little go on one of the white MacBooks in PC World the other day and thought it was quite magical (it is a computer I'm talking about isn't it?), the buttons on the keyboard were enough for me to want one all rubbery and squishy like Christopher Scotts' old ZX Spectrum, and now that I know all the stuff that it can do and what comes as standard, I want one now. I have ignored them for so long and I just wonder how long they have been this good. There are a few rumours on some of the Music Tech forums I frequent that Apple may update them with better processors just in time for Christmas so I might hang onto until then.

I installed iTunes today aswell, all part of my new Apple infatuation. It took ages for it to organise the library thats on my external USB drive. I love the way it displays the record covers. Today I also purchased my first song from the iTunes store . White Town - "A New Surprise". It was just what the doctor ordered lifting my spirits sky high. It seems such a long time since I heard a new song by White Town I didn't really know what to expect. It certainly wasn't this groovy upbeat handclapping little number. I wish I could get up and dance , but for now though I'll satisfy myself with some serious head nodding and a bit shoulder shimmying. A song I think about loving life , the Jetsons and not golfing on the moon. It makes me smile and laugh and I know it's the song I will want to hear when I first get up tomorrow morning. It doesn't take that much to make me smile just 79p for a download on iTunes. . . . .try it here. Once you hear it you'll want to buy the new 7" vinyl e.p. on the Swedish label Heavenly Pop Hits which it includes "A new surprise" and 3 other tunes.

2006-09-27T20:56:00.000Z

I do try and do a little bit for the enviroment, but probably like most people not nearly enough. We have got the green recycle bins that the council come and empty every fortnight. This is just for paper, tins and glass. I also collect all my cardboard from packaging, cereal packets, ready meals (well I do live on my own and sometimes just can't be arsed to cook) and when I've got a decent amount, enough to fill the back of my car I tottle off to the local council recyle depot and deposit in the right skip, they seem to be well organised, and have skips for most things that can be recycled . They also have what looks like a stall for selling stuff that other people have thrown away, I always check to see if there is any analogue synths dumped but there never is.

The council also come and collect all our garden waste, grass cuttings etc which goes to some big compost pile and they sell it back to us at the recycle centre. I bought some for my little organic veggie patch that I used to have at my old house. I managed to grow some potatoes, carrots, radishes (anyone can grow them, so my old next door neighbour Dave told me as I pulled my first one up, I was over the moon I'd grown something I could eat!) turnips (they were called red top milans, if my memory serves me well) my faourites were peas (karina) they were beauties. I've really missed not growing any this year, once I get myself sorted out I'm hopefully going to dig up a little bit in my new garden and grow some veg again for next year.

I bought a book from Amazon called Save Cash and Save The Planet and I keep delving into it every now again and try and put some of it's advice into practice, nearly every lightbulb in my house is an energy efficient one,I'm looking into getting it cavity wall insulated, I thought a house built in 1983 would have already been insulated but no such luck. As you can tell I've got a long way to go before I save the planet. The Guardian on Saturday had a free Green Living Guide with it and made interesting reading . In it's top 10 recommendations of what we can do now was sign up for an organic vegetable box from a local farm. Well the nearest farm that I could find that delivered here was in Richmond but I thought I'd give it a go and ordered a mini veg bag, a mini fruit bag, some organic butter and 1/2 dozen organic eggs. It all arrived this morning left outside the back door while I still in the land of nod. Thats my organic fruit bowl on the right, I also got some lovely plums aswell. So far I've only tried the eggs, I had a fried egg sandwich for my dinner and it was very nice, it always reminds me of Quadrophenia when I have a fried egg sandwich. I must add that to my DVD wish list. I can see me spending a fortune while I'm off on the sick for the next few weeks. I've already ordered 5 while I've been off...... Ripping Yarns, which I never watched when it was originally broadcast, so need to catch up . Mr Benn which I did watch but I'm buying for Neave, (really!) I'm sure she'll enjoy it. Planet of the Apes the 6 DVD box set of the films, I remember I was a big fan of the TV series when it was on but never paid much attention to films , so now I am. Blakes 7 series 3, the best Sci-Fi show ever as far as I'm concerned. The Complete Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, it always used to make me piss my back off and I'm not sure I've seen them all. I do have a terrible habit of buying DVD's and never watching them, I guess it's a nostalgia thing, it's usually stuff that I remember watching when I was younger. 70's police shows strangely enough, Starsky and Hutch, Kojak, The Sweeney. Some some sci-fi too, Blakes 7 , Tomorrow People, Moonbase. Comedy aswell . . . . Citizen Smith, Scully, Solo. I tend to start watching a couple of episodes then I go and buy something else and start watching that then go and buy something else and it just goes on.

Back to the first reason I started this entry, the enviroment. Included with my organic veg bags was a newsletter and I think the best thing to do is just quote it direct, it makes a nice change to have something important here rather than from me ranting about myself or Paul Weller.

"Dr Bruce Pearce, a customer and Head of Research at Elm Farm Organic Research Centre has made me aware of worrying and imminent government plans to legislate with abandonment the production of GM crops. There is a consultation which ends on the 20th October 2006 and he feels that it is imperative that ordinary people and not just the scientists let their views be known - for perhaps the last time ! He writes to you :

“The Government slipped out a consultation in July on the coexistence between GM and non-GM crops. The coexistence regime recommended for England will allow routine GM contamination – “pollution” – of our food, crops and the countryside. What was understood to be the basic premise that everything should be done to minimise cross contamination has been ignored and will have particular impact on organic food and farming. This is despite Government assurance to the organic sector that everything would be done to ensure that any introduction of GM crops did not compromise the viability of UK organic agriculture. The government are proposing minimal separation distances ( even less than the GM industry body recommended ), inadequate notification to neighbours, a weak liability and compensation system and they do not want a register of GM crops/land. To make matters worse they have made it personal to everyone by saying that gardeners and allotment holders have no right to notification or compensation if their own grown food is contaminated.

The consultation runs until 20th October 2006 and it is important that we have our say. The consultation web site can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/gmnongm-coexist/index.htm

Friends of the Earth also provides information at www.stopgmcontamination.org and Elm Farm Organic Research Centre at www.efrc.com “.

If we all spare a few minutes to make our protest heard, it could really make a difference. Once GM crops are established in our environment there can be no recall and the potential impact could be severe."

2006-09-25T11:21:00.000Z

It's three weeks now since my hernia operation, the wound is healing nicely, still in a bit of pain but I've almost given up the pain killers, I don't like putting chemicals in my body, I would never have made a rock 'n roll star, I used to love the image but whenever I was offered anything I've almost always said no, (twice I've tried something but neither seemed to have any effect at all, just like the painkillers for my hernia op.) at the time feeling like a square but I felt better for it the next day and even better now.

I spent the first six days of recovery at my Mam and Dad's, I couldn't really do anything for myself, I just stayed in bed nearly all day the first day, only venturing out to go to the toilet. I didn't feel like eating but the nurses told me had I had to eat lots of fruit and veg and fibre and water , but what I really fancied was a Big Mac, sorry but true. The first morning Neave came up to see me and said "Daddy why are you still in bed?" then she just climbed in and laid next to me for ages, which really cheered me up. She was over the moon the next day she came and I was sat downstairs, "Daddy your up , is your tummy better? Are you going to play with me now?" Sadly, not just yet.

While I was at my Mam and Dad's house I watched allsorts of TV that I wouldn't look twice at like Lovejoy and Poirrot and NCIS, don't ask me why I just sat there like a sponge taking it all in. Just couldn't be arsed to switch channels on the remote control. When I did manage to drag myself away I managed to read a book for the first time this year, a terrible confession but I've just never managed to sit down long enough to get engrossed in one. I've started a few but never finished one, not until Margrave of the Marshes by John Peel and Sheila Ravenscroft. It was one of last years Christmas presents , it was so sad to read, my eyes filled up on a fair few occassions.

Like most people "into music"I used to listen to Peel in my younger days, taping sessions and whole shows , I would listen back to them fast forwarding any songs that I wasn't keen on and then dub the good ones onto another tape, I've still got a couple of compilation tapes with sessions and odd songs on. Off the top of my head I know there is songs by Double D and Steinski, Men They Couldn't Hang, Sensible Jerseys, the stranger the name the better I used to think. I like the fact that there are quite a few blogs and web sites dedicated the shows and sessions. The first time I heard lots of songs was on Peel. Reading this book brought back all sorts of strange memories, I suppose I should have been out enjoying myself when I was so young instead of listening to the radio, just like I should be out now instead of writing this.. Sometimes I would fall asleep with my headphones on and I'd wake to the sound of his (cowboy-ish) theme tune playing, then the pips for the news and if I remember correctly Radio 1 would become Radio 2 until the breakfast show. Before he died I would only occassionally listen to him, usually in the car on the way home, he still played some good tracks, the electronic stuff was the perfect soundtrack to drives home from Geoff's house on those foggy nights after we'd been practising. Reading the book made me want to listen to the radio again and not just Radio 2 while I'm at work.

2006-09-12T22:42:00.000Z

Well it looks like I have survived my first operation. A week ago tomorrow I finally had my hernia operation. I've no real idea how I got my hernia , I'm guessing that it was when I moved house on my own and had to put all my worldly goods including my very heavy crates of vinyl into storage. I noticed a lump , went to the doctors, he told me I would have to have an operation and I've been shitting myself for months ever since.

It's a long time since I'd had a good nights sleep, just worrying about all the things that could go wrong while I was in surgery, I won't dwell on them now because I still come out in a hot sweat. I got up last Wednesday morning at half six,I could see it was going to be a lovely day, hopefully if everything goes to plan and I'm one of the first in I should be out by dinnertime, or so I thought. Rachel was taking me to hospital so I could say bye to Neave, I sat in the back with her and held her hand all the way there.. Me Dad was going to stay at the hospital with me. Got there at 8.30, went in to see the nurse for pre-op blood pressure tests etc (100/50) she said it was very good. She said she wouldn't get me to put my gown on yet as there were two more people having the same operation before me. So we sat and waited and waited, watching all sorts of shite TV that really shouldn't be on air, e.g. the Jeremy Kyle show, it was so appalling it almost took my mind of the operation, I would much have preferred some nice calm relaxing music music to listen to while I was waiting , Radio 2 would have been ideal. I wish I'd thought to take my MP3 player. It did cross my mind on a few occassions to just get up leave me Dad sitting and walk out the hospital and try and live with the pain of the hernia but I resisted those urges.

The time came for me to go and get my gown on , they aren't the easiest things to get on by yourself, all that fastening of ties behind your back, I finally managed to get it on and then it was time to wait and wait some more. More crap TV to watch, and my Dad telling me to try and stop shaking like a leaf, easier said than done. It was 10 past eleven and a nurse from surgery came and took me down to room 5 "just here on the right", now I was papping my pants, they got me to sign my life away , well it could have been, I wasn't paying any attention now I could see the table I would soon be lying on. The surgeon came and shook my sweaty palm and then I had to lay down on the bed while they tried to get a vein so they could inject me with the general anaesthetic, I could feel my whole body just shaking it was like when I go to the dentist only a hundred times worse. The surgeon said "Your shaking all over" (no it wasn't Johnny Kidd a his Pirates doing the op!) "are you cold?" , "No" I replied "I'm fucking scared shitless , I've changed my mind, can I go home?" well thats what I might have said, but instead I quivered like a little child " um...I... I... I... I... I'm just a little nervous, thats all" . "Nothing to be nervous about just take some deep breaths into this mask", oh yes, that made me feel tons better. I managed to count to about ten breaths and that was it, out for the count.

The next I knew I was in recovery, the nurse was by my bed "Stephen, are you OK? Stephen", at first I said yes, fine, then I moved and said actually no I'm not, I was in pain. Which was unexpected because the nurse who did my pre-op said I should be OK if I agree to the pain relief that they stick up your bum, she told me it was very effective and got to work straight away and lasted up to 16 hours, well if i'd had one of those and they told me I had , it wasn't working. I couldn't move without a stinging pain that made me shout. I'm not 100% certain but I think she might have given me a couple of tablets to take round about now, but I was nodding off every now and again, so I can't really be sure. I did notice it was 10 past one though, and thought that it was strange I'd been out for the count so long. I just seemed to lie there for ages, every now and again the nurse would ask if I was OK and I would say "No I'm in a bit of pain, maybe I'm just soft", she never reassurred me, it would have been nice if she'd said, "Your bound to be in pain, everyone is after that operation". The surgeon came to see me and she told him I was in a bit of pain (A bit! A lot!) he told her to give me something which she did, no idea what, but she kept injecting it every now and again. Didn't seem to help at all, I couldn't move without moaning. Time was getting on , it was 10 to 3 and said to the nurse that I shouldn't still be in recovery should I? She just said everyone is different, and once she gave me the last bit of painkiller I could go back on the ward.

It was about 10 past 3 , when they wheeled me back on to the ward, the nurse who gave me my pre-op came to look after me then, she was really nice. I was still in pain but somehow felt better for being up there. I had some water and moaned some more. They brought me some tea and toast but then I just started to feel dreadful, a sick bucket was required, thankfully I didn't have to use it. Geraldine, my nurse asked if I wanted an injection that would stop me feeling sick, why not, I've got all sorts of other chemicals running through my veins, a few more aren't going to make any difference. It wasn't long after this that my blood pressure was checked, then checked again and again.... "There might be something wrong with the machine, test his blood pressure manually, it seems quite low." The student nurse checked it manually and confirmed that it was low. I asked what it was but they wouldn't say. Time to shit myself again. My dad came over to see me and said I looked fine, I didn't feel it. He was only allowed to stop five minutes, so that I could rest. Then I heard a phonecall ... " He's OK but not recovering that well, looking at him now I don't think he'll be home today" , couldn't be talking about me, my Dad just said I looked fine. Then I fell back to sleep.

When I next opened my eyes, I felt alright, no lightheadedness, didn't feel sick, just hungry and thirsty. They checked my blood pressure but it was still low. They brought me some tea and toast , which was the best tea and toast I'd ever had, I started to feel really great, still in pain but better in myself. "Thats better" said the nurse "You had us all worried there for a while, your arms are warming up now and you've got some colour back in your lips", my Dad said "You looked terrible an hour ago", eh? "didn't you say I looked fine?", even the sudent nurse said I was looking a whole lot better. All of that got me worrying again.

The nurses told me I would have to make the effort to get myself mobile or else I was going nowhere except ward 32. I had to be able to sit up, which I just about managed. Then I had to get up and walk to a chair, which was very painful, but I knew I had to or else I was going to have to have an overnight stay in hospital, and that was the last thing I wanted. Blood pressure time again, still low but on the up, a can of pop will help they said, so I chose a can of Lilt with it's totally tropical taste. My eyes lit up when the nurse walked towards me with my clothes and bag ,time to to dress myself, it took me a long time but I managed, even got my socks on! The final test was to go for a pee, this wasn't as painful as I expected, butI still can't stand up for one a week later.

That was it, time to go well one more blood pressure test, almost back to normal, the drip had to come out of my arm , which absolutely killed me, I made more noise from the nurse ripping the tape off my hairy arms than when I was in pain from the op, I think they had double insulated it with tape that was stronger than gaffer tape. It really really hurt. The nurse said I could go so I thanked them all very much and I was out of there. Now I'm just resting.

2006-07-30T22:52:00.000Z

An Effervescing Elephant with tiny eyes and great big trunk

Sorry for all that Jam ranting below , I know there are lot more important things happening in the world at the moment but sometimes you have to get certain things off your chest. I forgot to mention a new blog I started that I am going to try and regularly update. It's all about songs that are my favourites and I never get bored of hearing, the ones on my mp3 player in the car that I never skip over , instead I turn the volume right up and sing along to. If you want to have a look it can be found here...stephen's favourite songs snappy title, eh? Also forgot to mention another great uplifting to the clouds kind of pop single out at the moment by a band called The Legendsthe song is "Lucky Star" and is 2.10 of the kind of synth pop greatness not heard around here since The Big Scientists or They Go Boom!! packed their synths away. Think unbelievably catchy. Have a listen here Lucky Star. Thanks to Tom at indie-mp3.com for that one.

The Syd quote at the start is there because I tried to get my daughter to listen to some Syd Barrett songs this afternoon but she was having none of it,not even Effervescing Elephant. Give her time though , she's not three yet.

2006-07-28T19:18:00.000Z

Life is timeless, days are long when you're young
You used to fall in love with everyone

The Jam were the best band ever as far as I was concerned , between 1979 and 1982 all I really wanted to do was listen to the Jam, talk about the Jam and pretend I could be in a band like them. The first record I bought by them was Eton Rifles, it was a really shiny glossy cover, bought at Binns in Darlington. When I got home I just played it over and over again. I became a Mod, well I had a fake green Parka with Jam badges on it, I bought loads of button badges from a Darlo market stall nearly every Saturday. I joined the jam fan club that was run by Paul Weller's sister and mother.

I began to collect everything they ever released. Luckily after the success of Going Underground, they decided to re-release all of the 7" singles, so I managed to get them all. I still wasn't a l.p. buyer, they were for grown up's and old fogeys! I finally succumbed when Sound Affects was released , it was the first l.p. I bought, I can still remember buying it from Woolworths down the town, going into the recreation centre to have a few goes on the Space Invaders which I was shit at , my dad walked past the window of the recreation centre and told me to "get home and stop wasting money on those machines". Which I did and I listened all night to songs that are still favourites and no song will ever make me feel like those songs did on a cold possibly november night back in 1980.

I was in love. It was time to start collect all their l.p.'s. Foolishly buying the first two on a cassette from Dowsons in Shildon, which was also the shop that I bought Start! from, I remember it was a sunny day and the shop was quite a hike from my Grandma's, but on the off chance that they had it I was going to risk the long walk. I can remember a lot of the days that I bought my Jam records, Going Underground was one Saturday morning, me Peter McIver (my best friend at the time and whom I formed my first band with, we called ourselves Top Brass, we only recorded one song , the classic "Janice Pearson is a piss pot" (sorry Janice but you did two time us!) strangely enough Peter's sister Marie lives next door to my ex-wife,I should add that Peter's favourite band were Blondie,I'm sure he'd want you to know that). Back to Going Underground, me Peter, Michael Farncombe and John McGlade were off to the baths and I called into Rumbelows to see if thay had it, they did but only the single 7" version, (it was also releasd as a limited edition double 7" with a live e.p.) I still bought it but then proceeded to try and sell it on the way home after we'd been swimming to Donna Mawson, but she wasn't interested.Absolute Beginners was a rainy night after school , I shot down the town on my little sisters Raleigh Strika to get it with the limited insert, from Woolworths again. The Bitterest Pill was bought one morning after I had been to the dentist, it cheered me up after the filling but then I had to go back to school on the afternoon. I don't remember the day I bought Beat Surrender , I was probably too upset with them for splitting up, I do remember listening to all those songs and lving them all, Lesley Watson the mod girl next door who had a real proper parka, could never understand why I loved the jazz tinged "Shopping" the best.

The split up of the Jam also caused me to commit my one and only act of vandalism, it was after the last school disco I ever went to, there was quite a lot of Jam fans at school and on the way home we ran from our school through Hallington Head and up to Fewston Close, calling in at Stocks Green, shaking all the lamposts until they went out and singing "Move on up towards your destination You may find from time to time complications ". we were pissed off but glad that the police never caught us. So why am I writing what must be my longest blog yet? Last Friday I went to see the Gift at the Cumby Arms in Hieghington , which is no more than a 10 minute drive from where I live. The name of the drummer with the Gift is Rick Buckler and his new band so far just do Jam songs, I couldn't believe I was less than a 100 feet from the man who was one third of my favouite band. It annoys me when wankers like Paulo Hewitt go on about Paul Weller being the Jam, as far as I remember there was always three people in the Jam, Weller didn't write the drum parts or all the bass parts, Bruce Foxton and Rick made them what they were as much as Weller did, but the people who write the history of the Jam and Weller whitewash over that. I have nothing against Paul Weller , I really did love the Style Council aswell, they were the first band I ever saw live and I like some of his solo stuff too. Now what gets on my tits is Weller and those who lick his boots saying it dreadful that Rick is going around playing Jam songs in a covers band, how is it a covers band? He was in the Jam who originally wrote the songs! Is Weller a cover artist everytime he plays a Jam song at one of his gigs? Is this a valid argument? I don't know , I enjoyed myself last Friday night and I thought they were brilliant, and it's the nearest I will ever get to seeing the Jam live.The Jam are the only band I ever wanted to see get back together but it will never happen. Mind I was expecting to see a couple more Newton Aycliffe Jam diciples in the audience like Jonathan Hogan and Mark Morgan , who I was in a band with for one summer afternoon, (they were called The Solution) only because I had a guitar and amp, I couldn't play, I'm still not that good. We used to test each other at school reciting Jam lyrics to see who knew the most, I wonder if the kids at school today do that with songs by ........... insert the name a popular beat combo of 2006, I don't know any.

The only new band I can think of that I like at the moment are the Pipettes, I'm old fart who listens to radio 2 most of the day at work, and everytime I hear the start of "Pull Shapes", it lifts my spirits like no other song can at the minute. I'm contemplating buying the LP/CD but then the 14 year old in me jumps up and says just buy the single, but it's probably only available on CD single and that will be £3.99 so I might aswell buy the LP/CD, aaarrrgghhh. Sometimes I do wish the 7" was the only format you were ever allowed to release songs on.

I finally finished a couple of Northern_Electrix songs, and have inflicted or rather sent out copies to friends and labels for possible
comments and criticism. So apologies to all of you who have no doubt recieved it by now without even a slight warning it was coming your way. The cover was my attempt at trying to do something like Cornelius did on the back of his Fantasma record, playing all the instruments himself and looking rather cool too, but it didn't really work for me, as you can see by the picture on the left.

2006-07-01T21:52:00.000Z

Needed to write something about what is at the moment my favourite song of the year even though it may have been released last year, it's by a band I used to love years ago The Bats, looks like they got back together to record another l.p. and it's like they've never been away. The first song on it "Western Isles"is enough for me, it just breezes in through the window, cooling me down on this lazy hot summer night, ( it's like 1976 all over again). Studio banter in songs always score top marks with me, as do gorgeous acoustic guitars, That never faltering voice of Robert Scott's is great to hear again and there are just not enough of those occassional bo-bo-boo's supplied by Kaye Woodward , they really really are dreamy. This album has more that it's fair share of magnificent moments on it ,I don't really want to spoil the surprise, I urge you to buy "At the National Grid" from Egg Records of Glasgow, Scotland. Now! Apart from falling in love with this album , I finally got around to sending Jyoti and Marc a DVD of our knock out performance in Nottingham back in 1992. Jyoti wore a suit , Marc wore a big hat and I kept my back to the audience. Once I figure out how to cut the gig into song segments I'll post them up on You Tube .You never know someone might want to watch them.

2006-05-07T22:22:00.000Z

Just found out that Grant Mclennan died yesterday aged 48 and I feel totally gutted. He wrote some of my favourite ever songs. Bye Bye Pride was the first record I bought by the Go-Betweens, it was to be the start of a enjoyable journey of discovery, all those old singles and lp's that I instantly fell in love with. It's gong to be so strange listening to them now.

2006-05-06T22:30:00.000Z

Neave stayed at mine last night and after we'd been to the shop for a paper for me and Fimbles magazine for her we went for a game of football in my back garden and I was taking some photos of Neave and let her take a few herself you can see the results at flickr. Not bad for a first attempt.

2006-04-21T22:01:00.000Z

Well Dell finally got there act together and fixed the video card on my computer so I can look at the screen now without thinking that I might have a fit. I'm once again going to try and keep the blog up to date. I joined last FM this week , so it's time now to get embarrassed about my taste in music. I'm also starting once again to MP3 all my CD's and hopefully I will also get around to digitizing all my vinyl aswell.

2005-12-28T00:59:00.002Z

2005 hasn't been one of my best years infact it's probably my worst, first my Grandma was diagnosed with dementia, then my Mam had a heart attack, then my Dad was diagnosed with cancer and to top it all off I've split up with my wife. I'm trying to look on the bright side as hard as it is . I just think to myself well my Mam has survived her heart attack , my Dad was given the all clear two weeks ago , I just wish I still lived full time with my beautiful daughter , I hate not being able to go into her room and kiss her goodnight everyday. I also really wish I could have a proper two way conversation with my Gran.

I'm going to have plenty of time on my hands, so I'm sure I'll be making frequent visits to my blog. I'll try and be a bit more cheery and upbeat next time.

2005-04-13T19:53:00.000Z

Played the Pipettes single 10 times in a row tonight, both sides had me and Neave jumping around the room , maybe she is their youngest fan 17 months old today? I feel guilty because it's been sat on the kitchen bench since Monday and I delayed listening to it until tonight because I didn't want to be dissapointed, Alistair had really built them up into something big , so I was really pleased that they lived up to his 'hype'. I should have known everything would be alright.

The sleeve was almost enough to convince me , I'm a sucker for band names written in sand. I love that feeling of taking out a 7" single from it's sleeve for the very first time, it kind of clings to the sides as if it doesn't want to come out then when it does and you play it and this sound explodes around the room for what seems like little more than a minute , you have to dash back to the stereo and play it again and again.

My favourite is 'it hurts to see you dance so well' it's one of those songs that would have appeared at the end of those compilation tapes that I used to do for people when nothing else would fit on, just as an alternative to the Dentists "The Turquoise Castle" .

The best record so far on unpopular, buy it now before they are all gone .....unpopular records only 500 copies.

2005-04-12T21:13:00.000Z

Just uploaded some new photos to my flickr account, they are of newton aycliffe, I took them while I was out walking with Neave a couple of weekends ago. I'm going to try and remember to take my camera everytime we go for a walk and take different shots of the town and build up some sort of archive.

the boating lake

Geoff came over last night , first time I've seen him in 6 months, he's been doing stuff with Robbo, Nev and his drummer mate next door, on his digital multitrack. I'm just going to concentrate on my electronic stuff on my laptop. I really should get in touch with Marc and see if he is up for doing some recording sometime this year.

Been listening to a lot of Field Mice lately, bought all 3 of the LTM releases and I am rediscovering one of my favourite bands.

Really dissapointed that 6 music has demoted Andrew Collins to weekends and replaced him with Steve Lamaq one of my least favoutite dj's. Now what am I going to listen to while Neave is having her milk? Stuart Maconie's show on a sunday afternoon Freak Zone is becoming essential listening.

2005-03-13T22:29:00.000Z

Once again it has been an age since I wrote anything here, this time I really have been busy, well I have been doing something worthwhile for a change. It must be over 22 years since I last did a paper round, I never thought I'd have do it again, but the goverment and their privatisation of council houses policy is forcing me to walk the streets again . I work for Sedgefield Borough Council who are currently trying to sell off their housing stock to a private housing association. They are spending a fortune on trying to get tenants to vote yes to transfer and I have been helping distribute a newsletter trying to persuad tenants to say no. You can have a read of the newsletter here SedgefieldBroadsheetFeb2005 .

There is about 10,000 council houses in the borough and we are slowly but surely getting to all of them. Through snow, wind and attacks by dogs. I'd forgotten how much a shock to the system it was when a dog starts barking at you and you are locked in a garden with it, it makes your heart jump out of chest! The worst injury I've had so far though is a paper cut, which is better than being ravaged by an alsation.

Neave is 16 months old today. My Grandma was 90 last Thursday.

2004-11-06T23:06:00.000Z

Haven't had much chance to write anything in my blog for a couple of weeks , been a bit depressing lately what with John Peel dying and Bush getting back in I haven't really been inspired to write anything. I should be really happy aswell, I have just had a record released on the i wish I was unpopular record label it's a 3" cdr of two tracks under the name northern_electrix . You can hear a sample of one of the songs here ... kiss me slowly kiss me fast.mp3. If you like it you can buy it here iwishiwasunpopular , 3" cdr's have to be the cutest records ever.

I'm definately getting old all I seem to be buying lately is compilations and best of cd's, and last night I was moaning about the fireworks going off, I can't believe how loud they are, a sure sign of old age, moaning about noise! They did wake Neave up though, frightened the life out of her. I've got to be thankfull we are not living in Iraq they have to put up with that every day and hope that they are not hit by a bomb, I guess it's time for me to stop moaning about loud fireworks and getting old.

2004-10-23T00:05:00.000Z

Marc phoned me last night, it was great to hear from him. I refrained from saying my usual... I was going to phone you, even though I had been thinking about him earlier in the day , when I saw a (recent)photo of John Taylor and thought to myself he looks a little bit like Marc. Why don't I try a bit harder to keep in touch with my friends? The new rough trade compilation Indiepop 1 CD collection had reminded him about this almighty pop so he thought he'd give me a ring. We both agreed that the tracklisting wasn't as good as it could have been which is a shame, maybe if/when they do volume two it will be better. I wouldn't have put any of those new bands on it though, I'd probably have filled it with songs by dolphin 7 bands and bulldozer crash. Talking of whom they might be a slight reunion at the beginning of the new year, well we have made some tentative plans for a weekend recording session. I did neglect to tell him that the majority of my recording gear is in the loft and I'm virtually virtual now, just me and my laptop. I guess I've got 3 months to get myself up in the loft and blow off all the dust.
Neave climbed all the way up the stairs on her own today, she'll be walking before we know it and then the fun will be begin, so everyone keeps telling us.

2004-10-18T21:48:00.000Z

wishing i was(n't) skinny

I've been off work for a week now, I injured my back trying to pull a washing machine from under a worktop with one hand. Not the brightest of things to do when your a skinny get like me. It sent my back into a spasm and gave me more pain than the whiplash did last Christmas. I've been on all sorts of drugs to get it out of the spasm and to ease the pain, diazepam,ibrufren, co-codamol, codiene phosphate and diclofenac.

If I could jump up and down I'm sure my tummy would rattle. Costing me a fortune in prescriptions aswell! It is getting better but I still can't get comfortable on a night and I can't pick Neave up which is the worst part.

2004-10-16T21:48:00.000Z

Just opened an acount at Flickr and thought I would test it out with this image of a pocket calculator.

2004-10-05T20:31:00.000Z

I think thats it's about time i took some nice photos for this blog, it's looking a tad boring with just text. What I'd really like to do is go and take some photos of the town centre early on a morning before it's too late, it's not as if I'm still in bed at 6.30 on a Saturday morning anymore.
Been listening to John Denver on the way home from work today, I know he's not very fashionable but as he ever been? "Rocky mountain high" and Leaving on a jet plane" to my ears are simply beautiful sounding songs.

2004-10-04T22:02:00.000Z

I can't believe it ...Alistair from Tangents wants to release a Northern Electrix 3" CDR on his "I wish i was unpopular" label, I am over the moon about this, I wasn't expecting that to happen, it's going to be a two track affair with "kiss me slowly kiss me fast" and "i love you baby" I'll be label mates with Shade Tree and the Metric Mile two of my favourite bands of the year.
Went to see me Grandma again, she didn't look aswell as last time but only said one dodgy thing this week about going on a train, good news is she's going to a home in Shildon, hopefully she'll be happy about that.
Rachel is 35 today, going out for a meal on saturday with Esther and Tony.
Just fitted a stairgate , Neave managed to crawl half way up the stairs today.
Ordered a 40gb hard drive for my laptop from dell yesterday, not very big but it might enable me to convert all those camcorder tapes onto DVD and finally finish the bulldozer crash one so I can send it to Jyoti and Marc. Might even try and make one for the NE song on IWIWU. Must remember to send Alistair a CDR of "i love you baby" tomorrow.

2004-09-23T21:56:00.000Z

Finally got around to sending off the CD's to, Computer Music, Future Music, Unpopular records and 9th Wave records, not sure if anyone will like the song but fingers crossed, one of them might. Went to see me Grandma at the home in Chester-le-street last night with my Mam, she seemed a lot better than last week, didn't seem to wander off on much , infact only once, kept calling me Matty but she would sometimes do that anyway. I came away a lot happier, now we just have to get her nearer to home.

2004-09-19T21:11:00.000Z

It's ages since I've wrote anything in my Blog and so I thought I should maybe try and start to keep it up to date again. Lots has probably happened since I last wrote anything here but I'll just write about what's happened this weekend. Yesterday Rachel took Neave to her Auntie Irenes' so I had a bit of time to try and make some music. I finally mixed a version of "Kiss me slowly kiss me fast" I am happy with, I guess I could keep on trying different mixes every week, but then I will never get it sent off anywhere, so I've decided that this is the best I can do, well at least for now. I'm going to send a copy to 9th Wave Records in Washington, I hope they are still going because their website hasn't been updated since May, I'm also going to send a copy to Alistair Fitchetts Unpopular/I wish I was unpopular record label, probably not his cup of tea, but you never know. I'm also going to send copies to Computer Music and Future Music, who I guess are partly to blame for me making this kind of music, so they will probably hate it.

2004-07-10T22:47:00.000Z

Everytime I visit Alistair Fitchetts' site Tangents I get inspired, I really want to sit down and write about music that is mattering to me at that moment, problem is I never seem to get around to it. I'm trying my hardest to keep up with Alistairs' record labels Unpopular and I wish I was unpopular. The first is a vinyl label while the second is a cd-r label, both are as good as each other. I knew that if he ever started a label then it would be this good.

2004-02-13T21:43:00.000Z

Went back to work this week, wasn't too bad, painful the first day, couldn't do much with right arm, but it's gradually got better. Even stopped back a couple of nights and did some overtime, well I'll be taking time off in lieu. worst bit was only having an hour so with Neave before she goes to bed, I've been spoilt while I've been off on the sick, but the weekend is here so have got all day Saturday and Sunday to spend with her.

2004-02-07T22:54:00.000Z

Neck and wrists are still aching but going back to work on Monday, me and Rachel are getting on each others nerves so it's pehaps for the best. Not looking forward to it, really going to miss being with Neave, but until I have my number one record or I win the lottery I guess I'm going to have to go to work. I got in touch with the editor of Computer Music to see what he thought of my synthetic treasure sample cd, but he hasn't had time to listen to it yet, which is a shame, I guess I'm not going to make any extra money at that. This time last year I was writing about starting my own graphic design and web site design company but still haven't managed to start it. I'm just full of shit, I wish I could come up with some great business idea, I think i've been wishing that for the 20 years I've been at the council, either that or wishing I was a popstar, i guess at 36 I must finally realise that it isn't ever going to happen, so now it's time to really just make music for fun, either on my own or with other people, be it Geoff or maybe Michael Robson. I did suggest this to Michael in an e-mail but he conveniently managed to ignore the proposition, even though he is really quite musical, maybe it's just me he doesn't want to make music with, I really wish we had done something togther when we younger instead of just record collecting and writing fanzines. I have just burned him a compilation CD which I am hoping to send to him next week.

Rachel is going to the Metro tomorrow with Esther who has got the istupid dea of going on sunbeds for her holidays back in her head again, I want to talk her out of it but I'm not sure how ? Why doesn't bloody Tony stop her? Surely he loves her more than I do and wouldn't want her to risk anything happening to her.
Bought David Nichols biog of the Go-Betweens from Amazon this week, have started reading it and I am well impressed, I've already been transported back to Brisbane in the late 70's and Glagow in 1980, so far a great book, I just wish all my Go-Betweens records weren't up in the loft. I,I,I,I,I love Lee Remick, she's a darling, darling.

Had a bit of time the other day to record some vocals for Spaceage Superstar (funky song) they don't sound as good as the original ones so will have to practice a bit more and re-record them, when I get chance.

2004-01-31T10:18:00.001Z

Just been watching Sex in the city and Carrie was writing her blog and it reminded me that I hadn't bothered with mine since the accident. Nothing much to write about really, haven't been anywhere. My car was a write-off, Norwich Union are sending a cheque next week for £750. Then going to go out with Trevor to look for a new one , I'd like a Golf but they are too expensive unfortunately, not really sure what we will go for in the end. I am loads better than I was, still aching whenever I do something but the pain is nothing at all as bad as it was. I'll never be able to watch a car accident on the TV again without wincing. Derek phoned yesterday to tell me there was a job going in the garage at work that was right up my street as a crash test dummie.

Neave is doing great, has slept right through the night 3 weeks on the trot. I'm really going to miss her when I go back to work, I've even stupidly started putting on the lottery in the hope of winning just enough so that I don't have to. Rachel has gone out with Esther and Heidi through Bishop tonight, her first real night out on the drink. Paula, Jeanette and Minne Magoo cancelled so she wasn't in the greatest of moods.

Have bought more software synths, I'm becoming a bit of an addict, Dash Synthesis had an offer on for all there synths ...only $129, how could I resist? Eve is brilliant with somefantastic, sounds, Engalis is probably my favourite because the sitar sounds so cool. Also bought Oberhiem's Auto Tune for my vocals, not sure if it will do the trick but have worked out how to do the Cher effect. Haven't done anything musically, just been messing about with odd loops and stuff , will try and get a couple of hours in the back room tomorrow and do some work on "Spaceage Superstar"(funky song). Haven't heard from Geoff since well before Christmas, will have to phone him soon.

Have been watching some of my Christmas DVD's while I've been off work, the first series box set of the Tomorrow People has now been watched and enjoyed, also started watching odd episodes of Citizen Smith, Power to the People, I am definately on a reminising trip at the moment. Have even been watching Man about the house, George and Mildred and Robin's nest on Paramount, is that sad? I'm not sure. I do know Robin's Nest has the coolest theme tune ever though, Denim did a great version of it. My favourite songs of the moment are from the new Belle and Sebastian l.p. "I'm a cuckoo" and track 12 but I'm not sure what that ones called, an excellent l.p. have been singing along to it loads while in the kitchen.

Watched a really sad program last night, "For the benefit of Mr Parris" , 20 years ago up and coming Tory MP Matthew Parris spent a week ion the Scotswood Estate in Newcastle to see if he could last on the dole, he didn't. To follow up that program last year he went back and tried again, this time he just about managed it. He met some really unfortunate people. I know that 20 years ago I would have hated the man and everything he stood for but this time he seemed to have more compassion and I started to like him although he still wouldn't blame Thatcher for the situation some of those people found themselves in. I went to sleep feeling really guilty about where I now live, I know I was only 16 when that first programme went out but I'm sure I was a nicer person then, I cared more about other people and the predicaments they found themselves in, now though I think I just have have a fear that one day I might end up like them, In a tiny little flat somewhere, depressed and hooked on prozac, it just seems so easy to fall into it, lose your job, lose house, lose your wife a never ending downward spiral.. I remember that claustrophobic feeling from my flat in Bishop, Lambton Street suddenly felt like a mansion when I moved in there, all that space to walk around in, it was like winning the lottery!

Have finally started to read a book, I got it off Norman last year for Christmas , Tom Courtney's "Dear Tom", it's all the letters that his mother wrote to him years ago while he was just a fledgling actor, only just started it but so far so good, I am going to try and read a book a month at least.

2004-01-05T11:40:00.000Z

Rachel phoned in sick for me today, probably have the whole week off, couldn't possibly do any painting with this pain. They came to pick up fiesta today, the guy said it was most definately a write-off, so I had to empty all my gear out of boot which really knacked my neck. Alan Reid phoned later and told us the same , so we are just waiting for Norwich Union to get in touch to see what they offer us for the car.

Chatted to Kat from Maladjusted , she said the Bulldozer Crash CD-R was on the way soon, but didn't mention the Kosmonaut 7", I guess there is no rush for that coming out, it's not as if we can promote it at the moment.

Rachel posted my sample CD to Computer Music today so I'm just hoping they like it, will e-mail them Wednesday night, see if they got it OK.

2004-01-04T17:23:00.000Z

Rachel and Neave have gone to Auntie Grace and Uncle Arthurs' with Norm, Esther, Tony and Naomi. I'm going to stay at home, I'm aching still but I can tell it's getting better. Been doing my exercises and the worst one is trying to touch my ear on my shoulder it's a killer. No pain, no gain!

Sorted out CD of Synthetic Treasure to send to Computer Music, so fingers crossed they might want to use some of my samples. That would be nice if I could carve out a side career in sample creating. I guess we'll just have to see what Ronan Macdonald the editor of CM makes of the CD. Also parceled up the kosmonaut CD for Peter of Linplug in return of the RM1V manual that he sent me. Hopefully Rachel will send them for me tomorrow.

Currently downloading FL Studio 4.5, not actually sure what new and exciting features it has but I'm sure in amongst it's 30mb download there is something new that I will like.

Uploaded some photos to Bonusprint last night , so hopefully they will come sometime this week.

2004-01-03T15:12:00.000Z

Feeling much better today, only had two of my painkillers so far and it's quarter past three. Marc sent me a copy of his CD today the liberty ship Tide, mastered by ahem stephen maughan at porterfield 73. I would say it's probably my favourite l.p. of the year!

Esther popped around at about dinnertime to bring back Neave's changing mat, Naomi isn't very well, was sick in tesco's yesterday and has been sick about 4 times today, poor bairn! Neave had a good night slept from 9 last night until 5 this morning.
Catch up from yesterday ............Rachel went to Alan Reid's to pick up a courtesy car, a Ford Ka, which she says is quite nice. Me Mam and Dad came down with presents from Lanzarote, a camel and a punky haired duck for Neave, some rock for me and a spoon for Rachel.