Tuesday 31 December 2013

Old Long Sime 31/12/13

So that time of year again. As those that know me know I'm not a huge fan of New Year's Eve. So many people seem to wax on about a fresh start and then wake up on the first day of the year with their head wedged in the u-bend, their phone in the fridge and their clothes in a shredder.

Anyway, happy New Wednesday for tomorrow. If you really feel that something's so wrong in your life that you need a fresh start then just do it. You don't need a specific date. Saying that I've just got engaged to the Lovely Tracey and am moving to Chesterfield in the New Year but that's just a coincidence!

(Quick footnote in the middle of the blog. Obviously as I've mentioned before a footnote should be at the foot of the blog. Looking at the size of this blog it's probably more of a chestnote. If it was summer it'd be a roasting chestnote. I'm gonna shut up and get back to the point. Had the best meal of my life at The Van Dyk Hotel in Chesterfield on Saturday night, finally knocking the Paris restaurant from 1991 off the top spot, and in between the beef bourguinon and stilton Tracey accepted my stuttering proposal. Insanely happy are the words I'm looking for here).

Back to the blog.

Auld Lang Syne!? Really. Let's look at that. I made need google translate for this.

'Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind.'

So, in effect, let's celebrate someone I've forgot all about and not only forgot all about but no-one else remembers them either otherwise they'd have reminded me. Raise a glass to absent friends but not someone you have no idea about!

And one more little rant. Saw a thing on facebook saying it's not only a new year but a new moon tonight. Double celebration!! Get bent. But apparently this is a very rare event. Not happened for 19 years!! Given the planet is 4.5 billion years old 19 years is bloody frequent!

Rant over.

Treated myself to some new boots yesterday. I'm not happy with that sentence. First off as a Yorkshireman it just dunt scan rate. Tret misen to some new booits yesterday. That's a bit better. But it wasn't really a treat. I needed new boots. I'm a bloke. I have 3 forms of footwear. Shoes for best, trainers and boots. The boots had developed a hole hence the need for new boots. Did the usual shopping tactics. Found boot shop, found boots, bought boots, went home. Sadly on getting home I found there were two left boots in the box. Maybe the shop assistant had seen me play football at some point and thought I had two left feet. Back to shop, located right boot and home.

Anyway, enough for this year. Go careful tonight. Next blog will probably be from under a crooked spire.

Laters

SS

.

Sunday 22 December 2013

Bar Handbag.

Dea-tráthnóna!

Good to have the Irish on board.

Train travel again. A train should never do an emergency stop but the one I was on last week did. I like my trains to slow gently to a halt before leaving me stranded. This one just slammed the brakes on though. And then we got the announcement that we'd stopped due to a fault on the unit. Unit? Really?

So that was that then. Stuck in the middle of nowhere til they worked out what to do with us. Or so I thought. But no. Almost immediately the train set off, and I might add at some pace. This was even more worrying. A faulty unit careering through the wilds of South Yorkshire with apparently not a care in the world. I was anticipating being derailed at any point and landing next to half a fox. The fact that arriving in Donny necessitated another emergency stop made my relief to get off even greater. I gave a passing thought to the poor souls left on the train heading to Scunny but then again they were off to Scunny. They deserve all they get.

Quick think. Do I know anyone in Scunny? Bugger. Yes. Sorry Fiona.

So it's that time of year again. I've mentioned before that everyone should have to work a bar for two weeks of their life. Bar staff would get so much more respect that way. I've re-evaluated that. Everyone should work a bar over Christmas and New Year.

Quick quiz. A bar is long enough for 5 people to stand at. The queue is about 5 deep at the bar. You're at the back of the queue. Basic maths says there's 25 people waiting before you. Do you:

A: Wait patiently and hope you get served in turn. (Good bar staff will always try to serve in turn but it's not always that easy).

or

B: Make your way to the serving hatch at the side of the bar, lean through and kick the barman who's already serving someone and yell 'I'm next.'?

Yes that happened to me on 'Mad Friday'. People forget the power bar staff wield. I, politely, told the 'kicker' he'd get served when it was his turn. twenty minutes later I deemed it to be his turn and, still politely, told him that kicking me was unacceptable and that he wouldn't be getting served in this pub now or for that matter ever again. Actually I wasn't that polite. I'm not gonna lie to you, I hope I ruined his day.

And can we stop calling it Mad Friday. It just encourages people.

So with all that in mind I've had 25 years, give or take, of that kind of behaviour so I don't think I'm gonna miss the pub game too much when I leave. On that note my leaving do is at The Leopard on Jan 5th. Feel free to come say hi/bye.

I made the mistake of attempting to Christmas shop yesterday. Last Saturday before Christmas. What an idiot. The lovely Tracey mentioned needing a handbag. I'm a bloke. What do I know about handbags? So I got her something useless, impractical and pointless instead. Obviously I can't divulge what just yet. This morning saw me wrapping presents. I'm hopeless at it. It basically looks like I've thrown wrapping paper and sellotape at a box and miraculously some of it stuck. I should say that anyone who gets a gift from me also gets some of my hair in there too. I'm generous like that.

Anyway, probably my last web log before Christmas so have a good one, stay safe and be nice to those poor sods who have to work all over Christmas!

Laters

SS


Thursday 12 December 2013

This Is An Ex-Sausage. Thursday 12/12/2013

Short blog, my mind's elsewhere, but I thought a blog was necessary.

I'd like to think over the last year or so we've got close so feel free to share personal moments in my life with you.

This morning I had, what I believe is known as, a minor operation. Without going into too much detail I've had a couple of tubes snipped. It wasn't too bad. I was, so to speak, comfortably numb.

What was more alarming was the build up. The diagrams they show you of the 'procedure' do resemble stills from a low budget gore film and whoever modelled for the diagrams is a very developed chap. Hope the surgeon doesn't expect us all to look like that otherwise this morning he'd have been very disappointed.

And of course every bugger just happens to know 'someone' with a horror story about the snip. I was praying they all knew the same person.

The only painful bit is the two needles, er, either side. The snipping itself just feels like lots of tugging. That possibly makes it sound better than it actually is. Also a bit odd is the nurse's hairdresser spiel. Although she didn't end with the 'Something for the weekend?' line.

It is a bit like a visit to the dentist. The anticipation is far worse than the event itself and you come out all smiley thinking that was easy.

And then the anaesthetic wears off.

As Weller once sang, 'Lights going out and a kick in the balls.'

Laters

SS



Saturday 7 December 2013

I Have No Idea Of A Title Now! Saturday 07/12/13

For Neil Cope after a conversation in The Woolpack toilet about lack of blog.

I've just seen an old english sheepdog crossing the road with what can only be described as saddle bags. All his owner had in his hand was the dog's lead. I thought this worthy of a mention so figured I may as well blog.

Do I miss doing the show? Well of course. The Cocteau Twins' Pearly-dewdrops' Drops has just come on random play on The Leopard jukebox and I immediately reached for pen and paper thinking I must play that on Monday's show then realised I don't have a show. D'oh! Still I'm enjoying the lie-ins in a warm Chesterfield bed more than I'm missing the show. Wish I'd done that Springsteen special before I left though.

I've spent a lot of time on trains recently. Yesterday was particularly spectacular. Due to the adverse weather conditions it took an hour and ten minutes to get from Meadowhell to Doncaster. This included 40 minutes parked, there's no other word for it, in Hexthorpe next to half a fox. That made pleasant viewing.

Obviously time on trains means time at stations. Advertisements at stations are like none I see anywhere else. Adverts for books I get. Something to while away the journey instead of looking for the other half of a fox. Although once you're on the platform waiting for your train it's a bit late to go book shopping. At Chesterfield station there's a lot of adverts for The Samaritans. Is advert the right word there? Not sure what that says about Chesterfield. Personally I hate leaving the place so it kinda makes sense.

At Sheffield station God's put quite a few billboards up. If God needs to advertise then he really is in trouble. And I'd worry for someone who sees a poster saying 'invite God into your heart' and thinks, 'Oh, OK then.'

So Samaritans and God. What does that say about train travel in this country? I'll be honest it's my 2nd favourite mode of transport after flying but you cant fly from Donny to Chesterfield.

OK, I'm off to email someone about how wanting 213 slices of a particular ham is excessive for a band rider.

Laters

SS

Playlist

:-(

Tuesday 3 December 2013

BAIBS Friday 29/11/13 - The Final Show

Günaydın!

Turkish. Bit late on parade if they're here for the playlist, still welcome aboard.

Speaking of late it's now 4 days since the final show yet I'm only just blogging about it. The reasons are tenfold. (Ten may be an exaggeration). To start with Friday morning was way more emotional than I'd imagined, and trust me I'd expected it to be heart wrenching, so my mind really wasn't in blogging mode post show. I was all press passed up for The Enemy/Reverend gig at Dome on Friday night but gave it a miss purely cos my head was in a very distant place. Also I was working all weekend so not a huge amount of time to get this blog right. I still probably wont. And finally the whole Sine career ended on a bit of a sour note due to a text I received after the show and I've been deliberating whether to mention it here or not.

I've decided this will be the only mention of it suffice to say it's the main reason this blog has took so long to write and that the sender of the text probably doesn't realise just how much it hurt.

That's only threefold really but it's enough folds to merit the delay.

Anyway, I've thanked and thanked people on Facebook over the last few days so wont get too gushing again. But to everyone who came down and performed on the show (Tobin James, David Bailey, James Taplin, Bo - who wrote a song especially - Alistair Pearson, The Missing Pages, The 48ks) to Ross Cameron from Bang Bang Romeo for giving me the world exclusive play on their track Carnival before it goes global, to fellow presenters Mark Kelly and Jonathan Jones for your kind words, to my gorgeous girlfriend Tracey for being at my side throughout, to everyone who sent such wonderful messages and to all who have listened at any point over the last 4 and a bit years I simply cant thank you enough.

I'll miss everything about the show, apart from the 5:30am alarm clock, hence me getting out now! A final thanks to regular requesters The Cushty Librarian, The Milky Bar Kid, Renowned Author Mr. P, The Insignia Boys and Netti Spaghetti.

And to Sine FM thank you for the opportunity. Thanks To Sine FM I got to interview The Wedding Present and The Vaccines and give Dave Gedge a cold and compare hair length with Justin Vaccine. I got to get drunk with 8 different nationalities in Strasbourg and be hungover in The European Parliament.I got to wander round a small town in Luxembourg and be excluded from choir practice. Sadly I missed out on the Bradford trip!

So what now. Well the blog will continue due to popular demand (Cheers Andy) though it may be less frequent. Possibly a name change too, sausage being breakfast related and all that. Watch out for The Freelance Peanut, an old nickname and I really cant be bothered to explain right now.

Right, I'm off to nurse my wounded knee. Fell over on a very polished floor in the toilets at Donny station yesterday. Disappointingly not one person in there said 'While you're down there.' And I've lost a hosepipe. The two events aren't related.

Laters

SS

Playlist Friday 29/11/13

The Mighty Ship - The Housemartins
Dignity - Deacon Blue
Radio Nowhere - Bruce Springsteen
Recover - Dexters
Here Comes Your Man - Pixies
The Whole Of The Moon - The Waterboys
All Together Now - The Farm
Cherry Bomb - John Mellencamp
Aubrey - Stone Ugly
Wetsuit - The Vaccines
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side - The Smiths
Adore Me Dear - Bang Bang Romeo
I'm Your's (Live) - The Simon Saynor House Band (David Bailey, James Taplin, Tobin James)
Piano Man (Live) - The Simon Saynor House Band
Temptation - New Order
Can Stand The Rain - The Talks
When It All Comes Down - The Icicle Works
Fortune Teller (Live) - The 48ks
Lazy Boy (Live) - The 48ks 
Happy Christmas Day - The 48ks
Like A Dancer - The Enemy
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles 
End Of The Line - The Traveling Wilbury's
My Sweet Lord - George Harrison
Don't Go - Kiziah And The Kings
Cure (Live) - The Missing Pages
Webs Of Memories (Live) - The Missing Pages
Fairytale Of New York - The Pogues
Gold - Spandau Ballet
Utopia (Live) - Alistair Pearson
The Binary Song (Live) - Alistair Pearson & James Taplin
Wrecking Ball - Bruce Springsteen
Kennedy - The Wedding Present
Church Not Made With Hands - The Waterboys
Neverland (live) - David 'Bo' Ramsay
Whisper (Live) - David 'Bo' Ramsay
Jungleland - Bruce Springsteen
Carnival - Bang Bang Romeo
Millionaires - Famous Villains
Ballad Of A Blue Poet - John Lennon McCullagh
This Is The Sea - The Waterboys
So Long And Thanks For All The Fish - Neil Hannon

Thursday 28 November 2013

BAIBS Thursday 28/11/13

Buongiorno!

Ah Italy. One of my favourite places. Spent my 11th birthday up Mount Vesuvius. Not sure you wanted, or needed, to know that.

Didn't see one busker as I walked through town but I did see a 6 foot chicken. So that's all good.

I have problems with my ego. I've always liked to think of myself as reasonably modest. I was a guest on Andrew Isaacs's show yesterday, Doncaster Is Great. He invites the great and the good of Donny on for a chat. He's been nagging me for ages to come on and as it's my final week at Sine I finally succumbed. He insisted on calling me a star which, whilst flattering, I also found a tad embarrassing. But at the same time my ego does love it when I walk into a pub and everyone knows me and even more so when they praise the show.

Another ego boost came yesterday when I was inadvertently included on a Doncaster Tourist Board guided tour. Before I continue I must mention that out Tourism Board has just won an award at The White Rose Awards. Hats off to Colin Joy and all his team for their tireless, and very often unappreciated, hard work. I was walking past said tour, being guided by my mate Andy, who said a quick hello and enquiry after my yak before he then proceeded to explain to the group who I was and what I did. I should say I'm available for all future tours and at 6'5 I could come in very handy. 'OK ladies and gentlemen. Half hour lunch. Feel free to explore on you're own and we'll meet at 1pm under Saynor.' (Many thanks to the late great Douglas Adams for that joke.

You'll all be pleased to know that I've just successfully negotiated my third cup of coffee of the day. Although after yesterday's shenanigans there is now a ban on all drinks in the Sine FM studio. Apologies to all my fellow presenters that my legacy would appear to be you going thirsty.

So final show tomorrow. It hasn't quite sunk in. I was doing some vague maths and although this is far from accurate I reckon I've done somewhere in the region of a thousand shows. Hard to tell given time off etc. Here's something else I worked out that I'm quite proud of. The two marathon shows that I did with Mark Kelly add up to 152 hours. Some presenters at Sine do 1 hour long show a week. It'd take just under 3 years to clock up that kinda radio time for them. Or if you want to look at it another way, one team's Premiership season (ignoring cup games) lasts 57 hours. Again, a player would have to be ever present for 3 seasons to match the biggest shows hours.

Too squeeze everything into tomorrow's show I will be starting at 6am. So many people who want to come in for a quick chat or play live. Again I am deeply flattered and humbled. I shall leave all the gushing for tomorrow's blog.

Just a quick thanks to the lovely Tracey for agreeing to get up at 4am to get me there on time.

Laters

SS

Playlist Thursday 28/11/13

The Mighty Ship - The Housemartins
Wrecking Ball - Bruce Springsteen
Ma And Pa - Fishbone
Heavyweight Champion Of The World - Reverend And The Makers
Black Man Ray - China Crisis
Blink Of An Eye - You Addiction
Wake Up Boo - Boo Radleys
Reputation - Section 60
Start Wearing Purple - Gogol Bordello
Forty-Five Hundred Times - Status Quo
I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses
L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N - Noah And The Whale
Given To Fly - Pearl Jam
Hjerteknuser - Kaizers Orchestra
Down At The Doctors - Dr. Feelgood
Cemetry (An Ode To The IRS) - Bang Bang Romeo
Like A Dancer - The Enemy
Reach Out I'll Be There - The Four Tops
Where Did Our Love Go? - The Supremes
(Love Is Like A) Heatwave - Martha Reeves And The Vandellas
Good Enough - Dodgy
Weather With You - Crowded House
Just Another Girl - The Killers
Minute Mile - The Rifles
Ripples - The Coopers
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

Wednesday 27 November 2013

BAIBS Wednesday 27/11/13

Fourth coffee's a charm.

It took me 4 attempts to drink a full mug of coffee today. 1st one was at half 5 this morning in Chesterfield. Coffee made, cigarette lit and my taxi came early. Couple of gulps and on my way. Coffee number 2 was purchased at Chesterfield station. Another stamp gained, free coffee tomorrow. Just as well as I didn't get to drink this one. Got on the train and as I sat down dropped my coffee all over the table. I was still mopping the mess up as we pulled into Sheffield. To add to my woes my leg went dead on the train and as I got up to alight at Donny I fell over. And on arriving at Sine I trapped my fingers in one of the shutters. One of those days. 3rd coffee came courtesy of Helen at Sine and as I reached for a kitkat I knocked my coffee, losing half of it over the keyboard. Apologies to all at Sine for losing the use of the letters L, O and K and for the letter I deciding it wanted to continue life as a 9. On today's playlist I claimed to have played ust Fr 9fe by 9ggy Pp. Still they can sack me after Friday or take it out my wages. My fourth attempt at coffee came on the train back to Chesterfield and despite travelling down a track that appeared to have speedbumps the coffee successfully made the journey from cup to stomach without to much fuss.

More disasters came with a failed attempt to buy a charger for my iPod. It's a little shuffle thing and apparently chargers for it no longer exist. I tried various electrical shops in town with no joy at all. One particularly helpful shop assistant, in a store I wont name but always makes me fancy a poppadom, tried to sell me something that wouldn't do the job but looked nice, and was cheaper than the name brand alternative, which also wouldn't do the job. He did suggest the apple shop though. Didn't get a charger but I've a bag full of Granny Smiths.

Hmmmmm not one of my best. I did walk twice round the Frenchgate Centre looking for said Apple shop. It had made a definite effort to confuse me by:

A: Not being called the Apple shop but KRSC or something and
B: Being very shut.

So another day of music free train journeys. Still, I do get to listen in on people's conversations. I have no idea what was being said on the other end of the phone but the young lady behind me didn't sound happy at all when she said, 'We're not doing that again. It made a right mess and I'll never fix that hole.'

Accordion busking day in Donny town centre. One busker made me want to do a hornpipe before leaving me feeling sea sick. Another duet made me pine for real coffee, croissants and gauloises cigarettes.

I'm now going to attempt coffee number 6 of the day.

Laters

SS

Playlist Wednesday 27/11/13

The Mighty Ship - The Housemartins
Chasing Rainbows - Shed 7
Seven Seas - Echo And The Bunnymen
American Slang - The Gaslight Anthem
North-South Divide - John Lennon McCullagh
Stingin' Belle - Biffy Clyro
Thunderstruck - AC/DC
I Useta Love Her - The Saw Doctors
Supersonic - Oasis
Born Under A bad Sign - Richard Hawley
Can Stand The Rain - The Talks
On A Mission - The Skints
Holidays In The Sun - The Sex Pistols
Panic - The Smiths
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
Waterfront - Simple Minds
Days Are Forgotten - Kasabian
Transmission - Joy Division
Graceland - The Bible
Under China - Auction For The Promise Club
Lust For Life -  Iggy Pop
Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix
A Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
Mardy Bum - Arctic Monkeys
The Dead Of Night - The Tricks
If Ever I Stray - Frank Turner
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers




Tuesday 26 November 2013

BAIBS Tuesday 26/11/13

Corresponding blog 2012: I was waffling on about sawdust in my waffles and rolling around in rook pies. I'll be honest, I have no idea!

Big shout out, can you shout out in a blog?. Big write out to Darrin Snider and Jack Barkley from Fishers, Indiana in the good ol' U.S of A. Is that a bit patronising? As you may, or equally may not, be aware Darrin and Jack are the guys who gave myself and Mark such sterling support from across the pond during the 80 hour show. And once we got past the cockle/clam confusion we were flying. We've stayed in touch since and the last I heard they're planning on naming a cocktail after Mark and putting on SiFest just to raise money to get me to the States so we can have a pint. If this is all true it's a plan I'm all over! Although it brings to mind a Monty Python joke:

Why is American beer like making love in a canoe?

It's f***ing close to water.

Is that my invite gone?

And why do we do this whole thing with the asterisks? We all know what that word says. Does it become less offensive due to the missing 'uck'?

I've just had a message from an old friend saying they dreamt about me last night. So I replied with the obligatory 'scary' and got nothing back. That's just annoying. Just cos I always take the p**s (there we go again) about your inability to keep your leg unbroken there's no need to freak me out. You know who you are.

In a similar vein I may have insulted a pigeon this morning. I had a dream about a pigeon. Nothing spectacular. It was just walking round the car park with a toy dragon in it's mouth. Analyse that f**cker. (I'll stop that now). Anyway, I passed a pigeon on the way to Sine FM Towers this morning and told him I had a dream about his mate last night. So many presumptions there. For a start it could have been a she. And what I've basically said is you're not good enough to be in my dream but your mate is. Or even worse the pigeon could have been thinking 'I think you'll find that was actually me in your dream.' So what I've said to it/him/her is you all look the same to me. I always thought I was more open minded.

I believe I've waffled enough and the Chesterfield train is calling. Not literally but you know what I mean.

Laters

SS

Playlist Tuesday 26/11/13

The Mighty Ship - The Housemartins
Breathe - Prodigy
Roadhouse Blues - The Doors
Seven Nights,Seven Days - The Fratellis
Atmosphere - Joy Division
Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello
Hearts Arte Breaking - High Hazels
Kennedy - The Wedding Present
Never Fade Away - Spector
Night Mail - Public Service Broadcasting
Hot In The City - Billy Idol
Torn On The Platform - Jack Penate
Drink, Dance, Play - Young Kato
Dreaming - Blondie
Rag Doll - Aerosmith
I'll Be Fine - White Valentine
Get Back - The Beatles
This Is Real - The Enemy
Spanish Stroll - Mink De Ville
One Drop - Public Image Ltd.
Coming Around - The Vans
Drinkin' my Whisky - Slug The Nightwatchman
Fisherman's Blues - The Waterboys
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Elysium - Section 60
Shackled And Drawn - Bruce Springsteen
What You Do To Me - Teenage Fanclub
Heroes - David Bowie
Goodbye Kiss - Kasabian
Golden Brown - The Stranglers
The Miracle Of Love - The Eurythmics
I Lost Myself At Hello - Infirmity
Proud Mary - Ike And Tina Turner
She Bangs The Drums - The Stone Roses
You And Your Ego - Hail To The Eskimo
Coffee And TV - Blur
The Sweetest Thing - U2
Valerie - The Zutons
Goodbye Life - Famous Villains
Is  Vic There? - Department S
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

Monday 25 November 2013

BAIBS Monday 25/11/13

I thought it would be interesting to look at the corresponding blog for this time last year and see what I was up to. Nothing much has changed really. I was waxing lyrical about tie shopping, satsumas, pie and seeing The Vaccines live. I do actually remember that tie shopping trip vividly in fact from my vantage point sat on my bed I can see said gold, could be orange, tie.

Anyway, an apology. I was chatting to my very good friend Dean Cousins on Friday night. His mother, May, is a big fan of this blog and when I found this out, beginning of October I believe, I suggested that we should go out for a sherry some time. Now what I've done there is generalise in a non too complimentary way i.e. Lady of a certain age, therefore must drink sherry. It would seem I'm very much mistaken and for that May I apologise wholeheartedly. She hates the stuff. Nice glass of wine it is. I'm still gonna have sherry though. I love a drop of Bristol Cream.

Just looking back and spell check would appreciate it if I changed satsumas to Matsumoto. Had a quick check. Matsumoto is a Japanese city in the Chubu region on the island of Honshu. It's a designated Special City, twinned with Salt Lake City and looks very nice on the photos. But I doubt you can get 8 for a pound on Donny market. Satsuma is a small town in the Kyushu region. Easily get 8 of them in a small brown paper bag.

It's my final show on Friday. Have I mentioned this? Thought so. I've been writing down tracks that I'd really like to play though not sure I'll fit them all in as there's quite a few artists wanting to perform live too. But, I was wondering, when will I start using proper grammar? That wasn't it at all. I was wondering if you lot out there had one song that would sum up the show? Please be gently with me. The Selecter's On My Radio as a suggestion would just cut me to the bone. And also, there's that quality grammar again, any suggestions for what the very final song should be?

I'll be honest, I've already picked a final track. I'm just intrigued as to what people come up with.

Another weekend gone. Rovers won but it barely registered as Friday night passed in a blur of magic tequila as the lovely Tracey has a birthday party to remember. That I can't really remember.

Right I'm off to find out if exotic pie's on the menu tonight. Pie. See. Told you nothing much had changed.

Playlist Monday 25/11/13

The Mighty Ship - The Housemartins
Common People - Pulp
Geraldine - Glasvegas
The Opener - The Courteeners
Debaser - Pixies
Kayleigh - Marillion
Adore Me - Bang Bang Romeo
Hope Street - The Levellers
The Other Way - Polkadodge
The Only Living Boy In New Cross - Carter USM
Magpies - Wolfgirl
Too Much Pressure - The Selecter
The Killing Moon - Echo And The Bunnymen
The Pretender - The Foo Fighters
Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid
The Power Of Love - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Minute Mile - The Rifles
Permanent -Section 60
Black And White Town - Doves
Pacifier - Catfish And The Bottlemen
When A Man Loves A Woman - Percy Sledge
Ruby Soho - Rancid
Enjoy The Silence - Depeche Mode
Sally MacLennane - The Pogues
Mrs. Robinson - The Lemonheads
To Be Like - China Rats
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers




.


Friday 22 November 2013

BAIBS Friday 22/11/13

Xin chào!

Vietnamese! Staggering.

Two secs. Random play on the jukebox thinks that Celine Dion is acceptable. Celine Dion will never be acceptable. Even if you have fallen off a boat.

Hard earned spent on Desmond Dekker. That's more like it.

So I managed four shows this week! Let's try for the full five next week, my final week. It still hasn't sunk in to be honest. As I keep mentioning you're all welcome to the final show a week today.

Pedestrian crossings. More specifically pelican crossings. Zebra crossings I get. Black and white stripes. Makes sense. But why a pelican crossing? And what about puffin, toucan and pegasus crossings? I Think whoever gets paid millions to name UK road crossings got a bit giddy with pegasus. I'll be honest I never knew puffin, toucan or pegasus crossings existed. Toucan I quite like. It's for pedestrians and cyclists. Two-can. Clever. And you get a Guinness at the other side.

I've totally forgot why I first brought up the subject.

Oh aye. As you know I revel in my pedestrian status. I like to think it's due to some kind of independent, bohemian, eco-friendly attitude but basically I can't drive. If I could I'd never walk anywhere again. But I'm still a proud pedestrian and try to be considerate of others, especially at pelican crossings. If I see a gap in the traffic coming I will refrain from pressing the button and make use of the gap thus negating any hold ups. Sadly what tends to happen is there's no gap, you press the button and the lights change just as a gap in the traffic comes along and as you get to the other side an irate motorist pulls up at a crossing with no-one using it but the lights on red. It tends to leave to a torrent of abuse which is a bit harsh really. I'm sure they'd agree if they knew the full facts.

What's even more annoying is fellow pedestrians who turn up at the crossing after me and, despite the wait light being on, insist on pressing the button because it is quite obvious that we're waiting for the green man purely because I am unable to press a button correctly.

Right, gotta go. I'm throwing a party tonight for the lovely Tracey and I've not actually done any work for it yet. Thankfully others realise the lack of talent to my limits and crack on on my behalf.

Laters

SS

Playlist Friday 22/11/13

The Mighty Ship - The Housemartins
Rango - Catfish And The Bottlemen
All Together Now - The Farm
Church Not Made With Hands - The Waterboys
Elysium - Section 60
Yes - McAlmont And Butler
Velouria - Pixies
Adore Me - Bang Bang Romeo
Under My Thumb - The Rolling Stones
Genius Of Love - Tom Tom Club
Houses In Motion - Talking Heads
A Message To You Rudy - The Specials
Never Tear Us Apart - INXS
If I Had A Million Dollars - Barenaked Ladies
Like A Dancer - The Enemy
One Way - The Levellers
Vicar In A Tutu - The Smiths
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
Yesterday's Men - Madness
Oblivion - Terrorvision
Ultraviolet (Light My Way) U2
Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah - The Pogues
Only You - The Flying Pickets
Unbelievable - EMF
Roses In The Hospital - Manic Street Preachers
Elspeth - Southern Sunrise
Magnificent 7 - Bad Manners
You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon
Wouldn't It Be Nice - The Beach Boys
Oceans - Dexters
Ready To Die - Famous Villains
Love Cats - The Cure
Do You Remember The First Time? - Pulp
My Hero - Foo Fighters
Ain't Even Done With The Night - John Mellencamp
Real Gone Kid - Deacon Blue
Rosalita - Bruce Springsteen
You Are The Everything - R.E.M.
Minute Mile - The Rifles
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers


Thursday 21 November 2013

BAIBS Thursday 21/11/13

                                                                                                         مساء الخير

United Arab Emirates!

 I know!! 

Oh pay attention!!!

Top right!!!!

That's what happens when you play Rock The Casbah.

Another late blog. Sorry. My life at the moment seems to be incredibly hectic without that much getting done. I'm spending a lot of times on trains. I'm a big fan of the rail timetable. One of the most inventive works of fiction known to man. The only guarantee is that the time a train is due to leave is the precise time that there is no chance whatsoever of it departing. I have many friends who work on the railways and by no means is this a dig at you but I hold you all personally responsible, and just in case they take that the wrong way for the first time in this blog is a smiley face.

Thus:

:-)

Ah, before the discovery of the smiley face or usage of the somewhat annoying lol so many texts got misunderstood. Though there is nothing as frustrating as getting a text that just says 'lol' or 'K'. 

I'm on a train again later today and just found out there are delays due to signalling problems. If I had a case I'd rest it.

Another short show today due to waking up in Chesterfield, still I'm only two more morning's away from a free coffee at Chesterfield station. I'm looking at free coffee Thursday next week. Today's show was flying until Mark Kelly went and got all emotional on me. It's a week tomorrow that I announced my departure from Sine FM and I thought it was odd that Mark hadn't been in touch with me in that time. He was obviously plotting and putting this together: 


Gotta be honest, all the memories this video stirred had me filling up and the last half hour of the show was a bit of a blur. Luckily the final half hour included a Blur triple play which cut down on having to talk. For some reason, even after 4 years, I still pronounce Blur as Bleugh on the radio. 

Back to Donny tonight to trip over some Darlingtons.

Laters

SS

Playlist Thursday 21/11/13

The Mighty Ship - The Housemartins
The Hard Way - Dexters
Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
(All I Wanted Was) Danger - The Milk
Love Her Madly - The Doors
North-South Divide - John Lennon McCullagh
Save A Prayer - Duran Duran
The Rising - Bruce Springsteen
Saviour - Canterbury
Moondance - Van Morrison
Einstein A Go-Go - Landscape
E=MC2 - Big Audio Dynamite
The Whole Of The Moon - The Waterboys
Midnight Wave - Two Wounded Birds
Teenage Icon - The Vaccines
Why Can't This Be Love - Van Halen
Venus As A boy - Bjork
Birthday - The Sugarcubes
The Death Of You And Me - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Dignity - Deacon Blue
Hotel Room - Richard Hawley
The American Dream - Beast
End Of A Century - Blur
Song 2 - Blur
The Universal - Blur
Minute Mile - The Rifles
Down In The Tube Station At Midnight - The Jam
Panic - The Smiths
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers






Wednesday 20 November 2013

BAIBS Wednesday 20/11/13

Well as soon as the blog's back it buggers off again. Having announced my imminent departure from Sine FM I vowed to do every show leading up to my leaving and fell at the first hurdle.

I have no excuse. Well, I do. There's always an excuse. It's whether it's acceptable or not and mine frankly isn't. I met up with my son Monday night for a catch up and a chat but instead of chatting we just got very drunk. My best mate Ian tagged along. With his bike, the green dragon. I'm praying there's some CCTV footage somewhere of three drunken men on, actually mostly off, a bike. So Tuesday's alarm went off to be greeted with a sod that. Then I remembered why I was meant to be up by which stage a migraine had taken up residency in my head and diving back under my quilt seemed the best option all round.

Oh and many thanks to Andy Milner for saving me some steak and stilton pie. That stuff is gonna be legendary.

Which leaves me with only 7 shows to do. Potentially. The final show on Nov 29th is probably gonna start at 6am (ha!!!) to cram everything in that I want to. You're all welcome to come and join me. I started writing a list of songs I really wanted to feature on the last show. Got a bit choked as I wrote it. It has become extensive and what with the promise of some live performances too I think I'm gonna need 4 hours.

My request policy for the show is pretty much established now. If it doesn't fit it doesn't get played. Which translates as if I don't like it it doesn't get played. I've even said no to the woman I love when it comes to requests. And yes that is the only time I say no to the lovely Tracey. Some may call this arrogance, some may just say if you don't like it get your own radio show. A prime example is R.E.M. - Shiny Happy People. R.E.M. will always be welcome on the show but that particular song is a shocker so it falls by the wayside. But in a pre festive mood of generosity I decided to have a request amnesty but as is always the case people abused it with ludicrous requests so we're back to the my word is law option. You only have yourselves to blame.

Right gotta fly. Well, not fly. I'm on the 12:58 Chesterfield train which really doesn't fly but saying 'right, gotta train' would give totally the wrong idea and is such appalling grammar that I'm ashamed I've even included it here.

Laters (because that obviously is grammar of the highest order)

SS

Playlist Wednesday 20/11/13

The Mighty Ship - The Housemartins
Jungle Music - The Specials ft Rico
Country House - Blur
Is This Our Day In The Sunshine - Section 60
Pacifier - Catfish And The Bottlemen
Five Get Over Excited - The Housemartins
Can Stand The Rain - The Talks
Johnny Come Home - Fine Young Cannibals
007 (Shanty Town) - Desmond Dekker And The Aces
Saturn 5 - Inspiral Carpets
Smile - Lily Allen
Babies - Pulp
Back Of My Hand - The Jags
Do I Wanna Know - Arctic Monkeys
Everest - Public Service Broadcasting
Sabotage - The Beastie Boys
Fire - Kasabian
Love And Pride - King
Brilliant Mind - Furniture
Fat Old Sun (Live) - David Gilmour
2-4-6-8 Motorway - Tom Robinson Band
The Hard Way - Dexters
Always Like This - Bombay Bicycle Club
Hotel California - The Eagles
Slight Return - The Bluetones
Seven Nation Army - White Stripes
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers


Monday 18 November 2013

BAIBS Monday 18/11/13

Return of the blog, once again, return of the blog, top of the world, return of the blog, watch my flow.

Thanks to the superbly overrated Mark Morrison for my blatant plagiarism there.

It's getting on 4pm which is late for my blog but given it's the first one in over ten days I think we should excuse any tardiness and just be glad it showed up at all.

So where have I been you ask? Well as you know I only blog when there's been a show to attach a playlist to and there's been a dearth of shows recently. This is due entirely to me refusing to get out of a warm bed in Chesterfield to catch a 6:15 train to come do a late show every morning when I'm over there, which is quite a lot. It's a lovely place to be, what with the 2nd most gorgeous cricket ground in the country, the crooked spire and a very hot girlfriend.

But, I hear you cry, there have been instances where there has been a show but still no blog.  Well, yes, but thanks to the unique way in which BT is funded I've had no internet access for much of the last two weeks. Douglas Adams once touted the theory that paying your bill only attracts attention to yourself which is when it all goes wrong. Anyway after ten days of talks on the phone to BT (including one instance of 'does the line you're calling on still work') in which I repeatedly mentioned the router being pretty much dead a BT engineer came out to inform us that the router was pretty much dead.

So we're all back up and running now and here we are. But I should guide you back to that fourth paragraph. That is still an ongoing situation and one of the reasons for me making the decision last week to call it a day on the breakfast show. I started in November 2009 and feel 4 years is a good crack of the whip. I'll save any gushing comments until the final show related blog (Friday Nov 29th), for yes, due to popular demand the blog will continue after my days at Sine FM have finished.

On a more sombre note it's a year today that my friend and Sine FM colleague Pete Meredith died. I still miss Yorkshire Pete so much. The funniest and most genuine man I have ever known. I am the proud owner of a certificate from Guinness World Records for the longest radio show ever. Myself and Mark Kelly are credited with the record but it's a simple statement of fact that without Pete we wouldn't have made it. When the record was broken both myself and Mark said let em have it. But when Pete died we independently decided we wanted that record back for Pete more than anything. When we did the 80 hour show it was so much harder and didn't have the same spark about it. That spark was Yorkshire Pete. I should say I've never drunk red bull since that first marathon show and if you're wondering why you need to check the blog for this day last year!

A brief leaf war 2013-2014 update. I ventured up to the Registrar's Office in Elmfield Park today. Why? you ask. Sod off, I reply. I only got a brief look at the park but the leaves are well on top. DMBC will need some industrial strength pointy sticks for this one.



Well it's nice to be back in blogland again but I must dash.

Laters

SS

Playlist Monday 18/11/13

Goodbye My Friend - White Valentine
Hello Again - Neil Diamond

Rest In Peace Yorkshire Pete

The Hard Way - Dexters
Wherever I Lay My Hat - Paul Young
Orange Crush - R.E.M.
Like A Dancer - The Enemy
Follow You, Follow Me - Genesis
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
The Other Way - Polkadodge
Lovefool - The Cardigans
Road Rage - Catatonia
Hunger - Frankie And The Heartstrings
Rise Up - The Skints
You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart - The Eurythmics
Elysium - Section 60
Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Middle Sea - Yuck
Naive - The Kooks
Lip Up Fatty - Bad Manners
Everyday Is Like Sunday - Morrissey
Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway
Silence Is Easy - Starsailor
Imagine - John Lennon
Stingin' Belle - Biffy Clyro
The Dancing Song - Little Comets
Somewhere - The Pilots
A Certain Romance - Arctic Monkeys
Sally Cinnamon - The Stone Roses
Mind - The Farm
St. Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion) - John Parr
Pure - The Lightning Seeds
Not Too Young - The Tricks
Never Knew Your Name - Madness
On My Radio - The Selecter
Rat Race - The Specials
Pinch Me - Barenaked Ladies
Hate To Say I Told You So - The Hives
Kids In America - Kim Wilde
Cherry Bomb - John Mellencamp
Bring On The Dancing Horses - Echo And The Bunnymen
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers 

Thursday 7 November 2013

FAMOUS VILLAINS - Doncaster Leopard 02/11/13

If you did a league table of Donny bands then Famous Villains are firmly established as perennial Premiership title contenders already with one eye on Europe. But they're up against it tonight. New songs and new members always have the most hardened of fans slightly on edge and the Villains have both tonight. Add to this the power surges tripping out stage lights and half the instruments throughout the set and the battering gale outside and it's gonna be one to remember, hopefully for the right reasons.

We needn't have worried. Former Pilots Rob Hamilton (drums) and Richard Cook (additional keyboards) look, feel and sound as if they've been with the band from day one. The new songs are immediately recognisable as Famous Villains' gems and the guys had blown The Leopard roof off long before the storm had chance.

As for the power surges I spent most of the gig with my finger in a fuse box just 'to keep the engine running'. (When I wasn't eyeing up the tasty blonde at the bar). OK it meant people had to wait for beer but Famous Villains or alcohol? The Donny sextet will always be my drug of choice.

As always Famous Villains take to the stage looking, well, magnificent really. Tobin on keyboards looks like he should be selling Snake Oil in the 1880's Deep South. You'd buy it too. Jaz tucked in a corner effortlessly keeping the new Kirk/Hamilton rhythm section flowing. Cooky's hammond sound the perfect sidekick to the Snake Oil salesman, Ant energetic as always, a sweat soaked twirling acoustic guitar flying all over The Leopard stage and Neil, stage front, the epitome of cool. I swear this man never sweats.

So these new songs. A lot of bands would slip them into the middle of the set, surround them with old favourites, just to be safe. Sod that. Villains open with new number Beg And Steal and by the end the crowd are already word perfect. The band storm through the ten song set never once missing a beat despite my inability to reach the fuse box quickly every time.

I had Rob and Neil on the show the Wednesday before the gig and said I struggled to pick a favourite Famous Villains song. I'm just reading the set list now. Everyone is a belter from the staccato Changes With The Moon, to the singalong friendly Keep The Engine Running, Goodbye Life and 8 O' Clock Blues to Ready To Die and Burn This City when the boys rock out big time.

To soon the band are off stage. The crowd, baying for more, dripping with sweat. They would have been less wet standing in the storm. Back on stage and again they refuse to play safe by introducing the second new song of the night, Nobody Cares, as the first encore. Then it's into fan favourite Spies before the finale. The last few times I've seen Famous Villains Ant will ask permission for the band to join the crowd. As if they need permission! Normally a raucous acoustic Neil Young standard will follow with huge wall to wall smiles. Not tonight.

Tonight just Ant ventures into the crowd, asks for help with this last song as they only learnt it this week. Tobin slides into the intro of Lou Reed's Perfect Day. It's a little messy, it's a lot ad libbed, it's joyous and a very fitting tribute indeed.



SS

FAMOUS VILLAINS SET LIST 02/11/13

Beg And Steal
Lying At The Side Of You
Changes With The Moon
Millionaires
Valentine
Keep The Engine Running
Ready To Die
Goodbye Life
The 8 O' Clock Blues
Burn This City

Nobody Cares
Spies

Perfect Day

Monday 4 November 2013

BAIBS Monday 04/11/13

I try and keep both this blog and the show light hearted but every now and then something crops up that can't be ignored. This morning was one such occasion and I'll be honest it's peed me right off!

It's that time of year when narrow minded sheep get all protective about Christmas and someone posted on facebook this morning a headline from a paper stating 'Council ban Christmas so as not to offend Muslims.' It's ludicrous nonsense and blatantly untrue. It didn't mention which paper had printed it though the typeface did look very Daily Mailish. Sadly far too many people buy into this bullshit and the despicable BNP prey on just such stories. I refused to let it pass and posted the following status on the breakfast show's page:

If you're gonna post crap about Christmas being banned cos it offends Muslims please get the f**k off my friends list and come back when you've got an education

I then received a text from my boss at Sine asking me to soften it a bit as he was fending off a twitter complaint about it and the show's facebook page does come under the Sine FM banner. I removed any hint of swearing but left the status up and proceeded to find the twitter complaint. The tweet was from Radio Watcher and said is this the kind of message a community radio station should be putting out? 

I tweeted them myself asking if it was the content or the language they'd took offence at and got the reply that they'd not took offence and that it was just a question. To me that reads 'I'm gonna stay right here on the fence, didn't think there'd be any follow up to it and this is a real cop out'.

Anyway I tweeted back that I stood by my statement and as a community radio station surely it is our duty to be vocal about narrow minded bigots, to encourage community and to at least try and educate. I got no reply to that but I'll be honest it had got me riled and was preying on my mind all throughout the second half of the show. 

I appreciate that while anything I say or write is obviously my own view I do have a duty to Sine Fm not to offend. But if, albeit maybe not in the most articulate of ways, speaking out against bigots and racism is unacceptable then we have a very major problem on our hands. I should say that my bosses at Sine fully backed the sentiment of the post but I should be aware of how people view certain things and any anger I'm feeling is not directed at Sine FM at all 

I can't describe how much this has got to me. I'm gonna have a couple of days mulling.

'The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.'

Laters

SS

Playlist Monday 04/11/13

The Mighty Ship - The Housemartins
Fictional State - To Kill A King
Walk - Foo Fighters
She Bangs The Drums - The Stone Roses
Rise - PIL
Drinkin' My Whisky - Slug The Nightwatchman
Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones
Good Enough - Dodgy
Teenage Kicks - The Undertones
American Dream - Beast
Someone's Looking At You - The Boomtown Rats
The Love Cats - The Cure
Good Morning Britain - Aztec Camera ft. Mick Jones
Jump - Van Halen
Cure - The Missing Pages (Happy Birthday Kieran)
Goodbye Life - Famous Villains
Since Yesterday - Strawberry Switchblade
Elysium - Section 60
When Doves Cry - Prince
Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac
After Hours - We Are Scientists
Antarctica - Sound Of Guns
Kid - The Pretenders
Black And White Town - Doves
I See You, You See Me - The Magic Numbers
Bohemian Like You - The Dandy Warhols
Are You In Love With A Notion - The Courteeners
Layla - Derek And The Dominoes
The Great Leap Forward - Billy Bragg (for Radio Watcher)
Sparky's Dream - Teenage Fanclub
The Cutter - Echo And The Bunnymen
The Bartender And The Thief - Stereophonics
Faces - Ratells
Another Nail In My Heart - Squeeze
Cool For Cats - Squeeze
Ma And Pa - Fishbone
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want - The Smiths
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers