Thursday, November 28

Lucio came round last night with the equipment to network our computers. Now we both have broadband. Bliss. Thanks Lucio.

We're off to Zurich tomorrow morning for the weekend to stay with our friend Tom and see the Christmas market. Hurrah for Easyjet cheap returns. Gorra drive to Luton at 5am though. Still, we should be fingering cute Christmas tree trinkets by 10am.

Lucio (regular readers will remember that our friendship was tested recently but is now rock solid again) is off to Australia on Sunday to see his family. Luckily, he is back in time to host his annual Christmas day gathering complete with too much food, too much wine and way too much hookah pipe.

So, have a smashing weekend everyone and make sure you vote wisely at Peters place.

Tuesday, November 26

100 Gay Great Britons.
Apparently you can vote for dead ones too. But obviously we won't be able to thank them for their valuable contributions to our lives. Never mind.
Here's my top ten. In no particular order.

1. Alan Hollinghurst
2. Peter Tatchell
3. Boy George
4. Mark Simpson
5. Nick Partridge
6. Patrick Gale
7. Morrissey
8. Serena McKellen
9. Alexander McQueen
10. Aiden Shaw

All alive and gagging for gratitude.

Sunday, November 24

It's a dull ache rather than a pain and it's been there for a week. Started to worry me around Thursday last week and by Friday night I was googling for 'testicular cancer'. Mmmmmm, I seem to have several of the symptoms. Oh dear. Down to the local BUPA hospital yesterday for an inspection. Very nice Indian woman slapped on some latex gloves and gave me a bloody good handling. Told me to stop worrying about the big C. Said it was probably an internal infection and sent me home with antibiotics.

So down to Duckie last night with Darren, Martin and Lucio to celebrate the life of Yootha Joyce. Photocopy blow-ups of Yootha all over the pub. Man About The House on the telly on stage. Some whippersnapper next to me asked if the picture of Yootha was Paula Yates! He looked about 19 so I smacked him. They really are the best DJ's in the world you know. They blew that pub apart last night. 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker' being particularly memorable. Chig will be pleased to know that 'Band Of Gold' slotted in very nicely between 'Hotel Yorba' and 'Being Boiled'. Got very drunk, which numbed my aching knackers.

Thursday, November 21

It's not that......
......todays music is shite, god knows I loved the Strokes album and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs singles, but there's no revolution, no new-ness, nothing unique. When was the last EXCITING movement? Britpop? Acid House? fuck knows. Dug out my records last week, plugged in my old Dual deck and rediscovered NO Wave/Post Punk. It wasn't much of a movement I know but, for me, contained as much excitement as Punk. No Wave music reasserted the original anarchy and amateurism of punk rock while rejecting the formulaic rhythms of rock and roll, and the structure that came with regular chord changes and verse/chorus organization. These musicians explored the extremes rhythm and the textures of noise that could be produced with garage band equipment. As raw and fresh as it was, no wave sounded like an amalgam of weird 60's experiments, a blend of Sun Ra, the Velvet Underground, Yoko Ono, and Captain Beefheart, with echoes of disco thrown into the mix.
Amazon delivered to me today two vinyl albums; A South Bronx Story by ESG and In The Beginning There Was Rhythm by various artists. ESG were formed at the start of Hip-Hop. They became the most sampled of groups ever among their contemporaries such as Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Marley Marl and Grandmaster Flash. Shortly afterwards they were adopted by the underground dance scene. ESG are indeed the only group to play at the opening night of Manchester's legendary Hacienda and the closing night of New York's equally legendary Paradise Garage where they shared the night with Larry Levan. Originally signed to Factory Records in the UK their first album was produced by Martin Hannett and recorded at the same time as A Certain Ratio's classic To Each album. Current artists such as Le Tigre and Peaches constantly cite ESG as inspiration. In the early '80s, ESG inspired the new wave scene from dark and moody to dance-y, quirky, and all-around more inspired by black music, when they found themselves opening for acts like the Clash, A Certain Ratio, Public Image Ltd., Liquid Liquid, and Gang of Four.

ESG


Dancing at Club Soul Kitchen in Newcastle (later to become the top geordie label Kitchenware) on a thursday night in 1982 to ESG's 'Moody' followed by 23 Skidoo's 'Coup' was always one of the highlights of my week. Flat-tops, tartan shirts, Levis red tabs, Doc Martin loafers with tassles, lager 'n' black, girls with french plaits and 50's blouses, smoking while dancing then storming off the floor because the DJ was playing Theatre of Hates 'Westworld' for the third time that night. Memories. Fading fast.

How raw do you like your dance music? Does modern techno feel like a soft blow to your skull? There used to be a better way. In the Beginning There Was Rhythm is a compilation of British post-punk bands, including the Slits, Gang of Four, Throbbing Gristle, and Cabaret Voltaire. Lots of drums and wires, knife-sharp scratchy rhythm guitar, crappy synths, and old funk and reggae samples. Men shouting political slogans and naked women covered in mud. It may sound old, but it sure as hell isn't dated.This stuff is primal, made by people who were finding new ways to move us. Picture early man banging animal skins with sticks and that's your average live Slits show.
These songs came out of the bleak setting of industrial England in the late 70s and early 80s. The Thatcher administration came into power, and skinheads and members of the National Right roamed the streets. Against this climate, bands emerged embodying a new racial, sexual, and musical diversity. DJs spun reggae records at punk shows. Tape loops and synthesizers joined the guitar as lead instruments. Funk, dub, and experimental music were bigger influences than the Velvet Underground.
If there's anything's wrong with 'In The Beginning There Was Rhythm', it's that it's too short; the story of post-punk could take up several box sets. Many bands got left out, and it would also be interesting to hear how the bands developed-- for example, to watch the early Human League with its craptronic keyboards and all-guy line-up grow into the band that created the synth-pop masterpiece Dare. But the problem with big anthologies is that they inevitably use tracks that are important but aren't fun. This album, on the other hand, doesn't have a single limp tune. So, imagine you are in a cold, crowded warehouse in Deptford, rigged with neon-lights and heavy amps, people look like they are members of the Nazi Youth yet wear anti-nazi-league badges, Johnny Lydon is starting a drunken brawl in one corner and somewhere on a stage a heroin-addicted drummer is banging away like there is no tomorrow. You get the idea.

A Certain Ratio (which one d'ya wanna fuck most?)




Wednesday, November 20

East to West, which is best?
They all have their merits. Route number 3 lets me see this everyday.

Route number 1
Lea Valley reservoirs, Seven Sisters, Stoke Newington, Islington, Smithfield meat market, Victoria Embankment, Parliament Square, St James Park, Victoria. 40 minutes.
Route number 2
Lea Valley reservoirs, Seven Sisters, Dalston, Shoreditch, Tower of London, City, Victoria Embankment, Parliament Square, St James Park, Victoria. 40 minutes.
Route number 3
Lea Valley reservoirs, Seven Sisters, Manor House, Stoke Newington, Highbury, Upper Street Islington, Sadlers Wells, Holborn, Shaftsbury Avenue, Haymarket, Pall Mall, The Mall, Buckingham Palace, Victoria. 40 minutes.
Gotta love 'em!
A fight between friends over who had the hairiest buttocks landed one of them in the hospital and the other in jail, according to police. Police in New Jersey said Emmanuel Nieves and Erik Saporito were talking with friends Wednesday about their buttocks when the conversation became heated. Nieves got so upset, he allegedly pulled a knife and slashed Saporito on the head. Saporito is in good condition after being treated at a Hackettstown hospital. Nieves is being held on $25,000 bond. Charges include aggravated assault, terroristic threats, weapons offenses and criminal mischief.
Thank you for bringing this gem to my attention.


Tuesday, November 19

It's at this point when you wonder "are these my last seconds on this sweet earth?".
For Sale
* 1985 Blue Volkswagen Golf
* Only 15 miles on the clock
* Only first gear and reverse ever used
* Never driven fast
* Original tires
* Original brakes
* Original fuel and oil
* Only 1 owner
* Photo here

Sunday, November 17

SHAME


Another weekend over. Where does the time go?
* Sopranos, series 3, DVD. Nearly watched 'em all now.
* Re-mixing and mashing old vinyl tunes into each other on Cool Edit Pro.
* Rabbit Proof Fence. Go, just go.

Friday, November 15



How could I have possibly forgotten how brilliant 'Junk Yard' by the Birthday Party and 'Pirates' by Rickie Lee Jones were? How have I survived without them for so long? Can you tell I'm sitting on the floor amongst a pile of vinyl squealing with delight at the clicks and pops on 25 year old records?


Like Alan said, it’s terrible when you want to post but have nothing to say. And so, in the spirit of laziness, here’s a list of stuff which particularized this past week:

* Crazy busy at work despite not being paid enough to do it

* Diana had one. Here’s mine, my rock

* To friends, and long may they continue to be

* Short back and sides

* The warmth of vinyl, illustrated by a new phono pre-amp

* Transport crisis. Give them 40% Tony.

* Barry

* Waterproofs, everyday this week

* Only 200 12” copies of Bjorks new song exist and I have one

* Saturday is 12 hours away.............

Wednesday, November 13

Manhattan spread out before us...................


"did you remember to turn the iron off at home?"

Monday, November 11




My dog has cancer in his mouth and my best friend is questioning my commitment to our friendship.

Sunday, November 10

Ministers and Minarets


Just like I thought, time flew. Jet lag, meetings with Ministers and dinners at the British Embassy all conspired to make the whirlwind trip simply whizz by. Good to be back. And to gifts too! Roller Coaster Tycoon 2 has sucked up most of my weekend. Bjorks Greatest Hits has entertained my ears and my husband has got us tickets to a special low-key Manic Street Preachers gig at Brixton Academy on 8 December. Hurrah! I should go away on business more often! (thanks kidda)

Tuesday, November 5


I'm on the red-eye to Tashkent tonight. A whirlwind visit which will hopefully pass in the blink of a snow-leopards eye. Missing you all already. But especially you.

Monday, November 4


Arrived at work this morning to discover that these had been installed over the weekend. How nice.

Sunday, November 3

Just got back from watching Donnie Darko. Amazing. Brilliant. Clever. A script and a half.
Which Donnie Darko character are you? I was Gretchen (and I get to sleep with Donnie).
Ma and Pa after they discovered I was a homo!


Saw '28 Days Later' last night. Like Darren said, as we dashed from multiplex to car in a shocking downpour, "it was a good ITV drama but a poor cinema experience" ('Chimera' anyone?). True. The scenes shot on digital video were blurry and colour washed (remember how good DV can look? see '24 Hour Party people') and the script was, as Darren said, very ITV after the watershed. Good stuff included seeing London streets totally deserted, zombies running faster than Linford and the sly little homage to Romero's 'Dawn of the Dead' (which takes place in a Budgens supermarket instead of a huge shopping mall). Better than 'The Beach' or 'A Life Less Ordinary' though. C'mon Danny, 3 stinkers and 2 winners, get ya finger out!
We watched 'Wild Things' on dvd when we got home. Much better. And you get to see Kevin Bacons cock!

Friday, November 1

I've been off work today. My boss gave me the day off as I'm off to Uzbekistan next Tuesday for four days. I've got to take a Tory MP and show him how a Government should NOT be run. Oh! silly me, he already knows that.

Been painting all day. The oven has now vanished (see below). Now the walls are pure white, just like a very small art gallery but with no pictures. Have you any idea how long it takes to get all of the paint out of a sheepskin roller? Frickin ages.
Did I mention that Jimmy Corkhill was in the next room to us in our New York hotel? He's a bummer you know.

Death To Cool
Shoreditch Twat is on TV right now. Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ironic. And funny!
Oh how we cheered when 'Nick' Lavelle (read James) was killed by the sniper. Hurrah!