hfuhruhurr

Hang on - I just looked at this and my brain hurts.

All since 2010 but ticketless for 2022. Will try but have Rock Werchter booked and a Rammstein clash on Sunday! There's a bit of me that thinks it might be good not to go - just to realise that missing out isn't a total disaster.

Yep - they discussed this on the news just now - there's no international water between us, so any "turning back" would (a) require the vessel to be totally seaworthy (i.e. no one in any danger - queue someone jumping off); (b) require the French to accept the vessel. Otherwise it's illegal. On this topic, never understood, if the most desperate people in the world with no money, in a foreign land can find the people smugglers, why can't we/the french?

My first gig was to be Sisters of Mercy @ Roundhouse on 11th, but now have to cancel (going on hols following day and they will test on check in and if I've picked anything up I'm hosed. Ugh - was really looking forward to it. So, 2 cheap tix if anyone fancies it.

Viddy well

Oh it was gorgeousness and gorgeosity made flesh. The trombones crunched redgold under my bed, and behind my gulliver the trumpets three-wise silverflamed, and there by the door the timps rolling through my guts and out again crunched like candy thunder. Oh, it was wonder of wonders. And then, a bird of like rarest spun heavenmetal, or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now, came the violin solo above all the other strings, and those strings were like a cage of silk round my bed. Then flute and oboe bored, like worms of like platinum, into the thick thick toffee gold and silver. I was in such bliss, my brothers.

I saw him at the Jazz Club in Soho in March 2013 doing what he loved best in the tiniest of venues. (Before he went on stage, I popped to the loo and this short old guy stood in the next urinal - the most famous person I've pee'd with!) The 2013 headline act was amazing, I was so lucky, just before Elvis Costello came on I thought I'd take a punt and walk towards the front. To my amazement I made it all the way, gaps appeared in front of me - to the barrier, front and centre. My mate had been there all afternoon and I found her. No good shots of Charlie, but a decent one of Jagger. They cannot possibly be the same without him - but they're a cut-throat bunch, they'll carry on.

Fine. I've got an old one and basically, there are 3 stages - clipping red and yellow clips together and then the magic bit. The knack is: once you've done the clips, pause, enhance your calm and whisper to it that you're its friend and you've loved your time together. Also, make sure it's lovely and round and everything tucked in. Then when pushing down twist your hand so you make the figure of 8 on the ground. Then without any fear fold it over, it'll be fine. Get the strap over it and then figure out why the bag is smaller than it was when you took it out. If you fail on the twist-to-figure of 8. Start again, don't fight it.

For those going by EurosStar from the UK - you can now book your return trip. Just sorted mine out £26 more than last year (redeemed the e-vouchers from 2020). btw - if you have e-vouchers and it complains about the number of digits, add a 0 to the front - worked for me.

The documentary about ZZ Top (I think it's on Netflix - ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas) is well worth a watch. Fabulous, glad I didn't miss them in 2016 (they clashed with Editors and I nearly got dragged off, although all times were out that year).

I did the Download Pilot, but my next gig is the regular Sisters gig at the Roundhouse early September, then The Specials, Skindred, Bauhaus so far this year. Next year filling up and hoping for the worlds worst clash, I have Rammstein on Glastonbury Sunday but no tickets for the festival.... yet.

Being a sad spreadsheet, I make a note of the bands I see at festivals - and how much it all cost. Per band, it's about £20ish. (2019, 26 bands seen, £500ish cost all in). Works out the same for festivals like Download/Rock Werchter - all about the same per band cost - worst case about £25ish on average. But, those "gigs" are on average shorter, and a lot you'd not pay to see. Crikey I fell asleep in the middle of this boring post, zzzzzz, I've become an energy vampire.

Difficult to pick one of Beefheart's

What a tough question. Favourite band is PIL, but couldn't choose a favourite. Tom Waits all brilliant. Let alone all the metal and punk I love. Dead Kennedys again, too many. So, in the end went for one that hit hard from the minute I first heard it. Acoustic version. Just brilliant.

What would these be like in mud - any chance of them filling up with mud?