Thursday 31 January 2013

BAIBS Thursday 31/01/13

I once saw a storm get stuck. I was camping in the Lake District when a storm rolled over the mountains, it then dropped and got stuck in a natural bowl and just rolled around the mountains for hours. The claps of thunder lasted about five minutes. This is another train of thought thing all to do with my ears.

It's very windy today, so much so that my earphones kept getting blown out on my walk home. I presume my ears are so big that the wind got stuck in them and just rolled around in there. Still, the wind gave me the opportunity for enigmatic hair. Windswept and interesting I believe is the phrase. Or messy if you prefer.

I looked less enigmatic as The Doncaster Free Press attacked me. There were pages of the Free Press whirling round outside the Frenchgate Centre and one page wrapped itself round my head. Proper cartoon style. There's just no way of maintaining any dignity when this happens. You can't pretend it's not happened and just walk on. Even more ludicrous would be the pretending you meant to do it ploy. As in the pretending you were scratching your head move when you waved at completely the wrong person. At what point would you mean to wrap a newspaper round your head. Your only option is to calmly remove it and hope in that time you'll come up with some witty one liner to show how unphased you are. I scrambled at it with my hands, tore it to shreds, realized I was being stared at and went with 'Well. that's annoying.' Don't think I really pulled that one off.

Back in a mo. Starting the new smoking outside policy. And I've had a banana instead of cake. It's like a whole new lifestyle.

The gremlins obviously had a lie in today. got to 9 o' clock and I dared to think glitch free show. Then it all went pear-shaped. Why do we say pear-shaped? What's wrong with a pear's shape? I quite like it. And pear-shaped implies wrong but surely to pear pear-shaped is perfect. If things go wrong for a pear does it think 'It's all gone avocado shaped.'?

Did you know after people gave up on the world is flat thing a lot of them thought it was pear shaped. Is there a Pear-Shaped Earth Society?

Totally lost what my point was gonna be now.

Let's just leave it as the internet hates me.

Laters

SS

Playlist Thursday 31/01/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Too Much Pressure - The Selecter
My Very Favourite Stalker - The Adulescents UK
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side - The Smiths
American Slang - The Gaslight Anthem
Blink Of An Eye - You Addiction
Stingin' Belle - Biffy Clyro
L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N - Noah And The Whale
This Is Real - The Enemy
Polly - Nirvana
Flashlight - The Pilots
Shock The Monkey - Peter Gabriel
A Certain Romance - Arctic Monkeys
Learn To Fly - Foo Fighters
All Together Now - The Farm
Mind Mischief - Tame Impala
Can You Dig It - The Mock Turtles
Lost Weekend - Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
The Woodpile - Frightened Rabbit
Valerie - Mark Ronson ft Amy Winehouse
Valentine's Day - The 48ks
Men's Needs - The Cribs
More Than This - Roxy Music
Bag Of Bones - The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
1979 - Smashing Pumpkins
The Distance - Funeral For A Friend
Sally Cinnamon - The Stone Roses
Some Candy Talking - Jesus And Mary Chain
Roadhouse Blues - The Doors
Reputation - Section 60
Two Doors Down - Mystery Jets
The Healing Has Begun - Van Morrison
Another Love - Tom Odell
Shelter Song - Temples
Public Image - Public Image Ltd
Pretty Vacant - Sex Pistols
Caught By The Fuzz - Supergrass
Spread Your Love - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

Wednesday 30 January 2013

BAIBS Wednesday 30/01/13

My charm offensive goes on. My good friend, author, Richard Pierce dropped in to the studio today to do an hour's radio with me on his way up to York and I managed to offend both him and his wife. Richard lives in Suffolk and I said Norfolk. That's like someone saying I'm from Lancashire. And his good lady wife's Norwegian. I said Scandanavian. Apparently that's like calling the Irish British. Although U2 had won a shed load of Brits before someone pointed out the obvious error.

So I learnt how to insult Norwegians, Richard learnt that Alright is by Supergrass (though I presume that was a momentary blip) and we both learnt that we both have a thing about Stevie Nicks.

A productive morning I'd say.

I also learnt that I've gone up two jeans sizes since Christmas! Think I may have to stop blogging about it and actually do something! Emergency jeans shopping today then. As you all know shopping for me is thus: in, buy, out. Not so easy with jeans. I'm an odd shape it would appear. Tall people aren't fat apparently. So a lot of trying on various waist/leg combinations and a lot of breathing in was required before I reached the 'out' stage of my shopping tactics.

Had a meeting down at The Keepmoat today re Rover's match day music. I'll be honest I'm not a fan of the whole trying to build up an atmosphere thing. It's down to the fans to create atmosphere. I've been watching Rovers over 30 years and don't remember having to be told to sing or cheer a goal. Maybe I'm living in the past. Football has changed in that time. Maybe the fans have too. Still, as long as that's what people want I'm happy to push the buttons. One thing we agreed on was that we shouldn't need music to celebrate a goal so no more Tom Harking. I guarantee a backlash on that one.

OK I'm off to call my mate Al from Sunderland a Geordie.

Laters

SS

Playlist Wednesday 30/01/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Fire - Kasabian
Slow It Down - Amy MacDonald
Across 110th Street - Bobby Womack
Debaser - Pixies
Upstarts - Johnny Marr
Old Yellow Bricks - Arctic Monkeys
Sun - Two Door Cinema Club
Hunger - Frankie And The Heartstrings
Feel About You - The 48ks
Kiss Tried To Kill Me - Black Spiders
Never Knew Your Name - Madness
This Is How It Feels - Inspiral Carpets
I Can't Explain - The Who
Temptation - New Order
Is This Our Day In The Sunshine - Section 60
You Love Us - Manic Street Preachers
One Way Trigger - The Strokes
Get Back - The Beatles
Don't Let Me Down - The Beatles
Special Brew - Bad Manners
Banquet - Bloc Party
Chapel Of Love - Elton John
When It All Comes Down - The Icicle Works
Babies - Pulp
Sing For The Deaf - Missing Andy
The Distance - Funeral For A Friend
Hoppipolla - Sigur Ros
Night Boat To Cairo - Madness
Antarctica - Sound Of Guns
Alright - Supergrass
Adore Me Dear - Bang Bang Romeo
Sparky's Dream - Teenage Fanclub
Slumdog Millionaire - The Beeds
Vicar In A Tutu - The Smiths
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

Tuesday 29 January 2013

BAIBS Tuesday 29/01/13

Train of thought. I love it when you just let your mind wander and wonder how you got from thinking about cuttlefish and their place in modern society to the overture from Rossini's Thieving Magpie. (I backtracked and eventually worked out the link: Cuttlefish - Fish - Marillion - Marillion's entrance music when playing live). I'm making this up. The link works but I've never once contemplated cuttlefish in any context. Maybe I should. Nope. Tried it and can't even picture a cuttlefish. I'm tangenting already and I haven't even started yet. Still, that's the point of a random train of thought, I guess.

Cheese.

That's were I meant to start. I went from cheese to accents and wasn't sure how. I was eating some cave flavoured cheese. I say cave flavoured. It was stored in a cave for a year (Yes, Wookey Hole again) because apparently the temperature in the cave is the optimum for maturing cheese. Maybe we should put chavs in caves, see if they mature. Actually just put chavs in caves full stop. Proper cavemen. Be like evolution never happened. Lost my thread again.

Cheese. That was it.

I'm on a roll now.

A cheese roll?

Help!

Right, it's quality mature cheddar cheese. Totally gorgeous. The blurb says it picks up some of it's flavour from it's surroundings in the cave, in the same way an unguarded onion will flavour everything in your fridge, hence cave flavoured cheese. If it is cave flavoured I recommend eating caves.

Which is how I got to thinking about accents and how when some people move from the place they were raised pick up the accent of the place they've moved to. (Think cheese speaking with an onion accent). I don't have a broad accent but it is definitely Yorkshire. I have noticed the further I am from home the broader my accent is. I once found myself in a pub in that London with a Barnsley lad and a chap from Bradford. We'd never met before but as the conversation went on our accents got so broad even I couldn't understand me. I presume it's a subconscious effort to maintain one's identity. I've lived in a fair few places apart from Donny (London, Hull, Scarborough, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Dudley) and only once had an accent influence me. The Scouse one. Found myself still mainly Yorkshire but saying la at the end of every sentence. Looking at the list I'm so glad I kept my accent. Hull and the West Midlands! Nasty. No offense.

I love that saying. No offense. It's quite obviously offensively otherwise you wouldn't say it. I'm gonna replace it with offense.

So, Hull and the West Midlands! Nasty. Offense.

Anyway, things to do. Gotta plan tomorrow's show. la.

Laters

SS

Playlist Tuesday 29/01/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Quiet Night In - All The Young
The Day We Caught The Train - Ocean Colour Scene
No More Heroes - The Stranglers
Smooth - New Killer Shoes
Revolution - The Beatles
Fortune Teller - The 48ks
Hot In The City - Billy Idol
Up The Junction - Squeeze
First Of The Gang - Morrissey
The Distance - Funeral For A Friend
Oh Yeah - The Subways
Town Called Malice - The Jam
Taste It - Jake Bugg
Never Fade Away - Spector
Thunderstruck - AC/DC
Too Much Too Young - The Specials
One Way Trigger - The Strokes
Local Boy In The Photograph - Stereophonics
Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
Jubilee Street - Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
The Jean Genie - David Bowie
Adore Me Dear - Bang Bang Romeo
Rat Trap - The Boomtown Rats
Antarctica - Sound Of Guns
Post Break Up Sex - The Vaccines
Don't Stop - The Rolling Stones
Light My Fire - The Doors
524 Fidelio - The Wedding Present
5:15 - The Who
In-Between Days - The Cure
The Woodpile - Frightened Rabbit
Genius Of Love - Tom Tom Club
Rock The Casbah - The Clash
Molly Gray - The DN All*Stars
Baby I Love You - The Ramones
I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
Black Chandelier - Biffy Clyro
The Sweetest Thing - U2
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

Monday 28 January 2013

BAIBS Monday 28/01/13

So it's only been a weekend, two days radio and blog free - same as every weekend, but because I've been away feels like ages since I blogged or shouted at the gremlins at Sine.

Had a brilliant weekend down in the Mendips. Which reminds me, I was thinking of joining the gym. Take your time. Spent Saturday exploring the caves at Wookey Hole then had a wander round Glastonbury Tor.

                                                           'Glastonbury Tor pre-wander'

It's a beautiful part of the country. One of many. I have no problem with foreign holidays and sun seeking but make sure you've taken in the delights of this beautiful island first. There is some stunning scenery the length and breadth of this land. Maybe we don't have the weather but give me the Lake District in the cold over Benidorm in the sun EVERY time.

I mentioned I get excited spotting things while travelling. Nearly made Cherry Blossom crash as I spied the tip of the Pyramid Stage near Glastonbury. I got a bit giddy. I really am easily pleased.

I'm a geek, we know this about me already. Maps is where my true geekiness lies. I love maps. I will sit and read a map for hours. I insisted on navigating all weekend despite Ethel the sat-nav being on hand. We started off with a mutual distrust. She didn't trust my map reading skills, I held her responsible for people losing the art of map reading. By the end of the weekend I think we had a grudging admiration for each other. I only had to overrule her once. As if the A303 then A36 is really the best route from Stonehenge to Frome. Tut!

This may sound big headed but I'm an intelligent bloke. Sadly I have no common sense. In the kitchen at Sine today and my lace was undone, for a change. Bent over to tie it right in front of the door and got cracked in the head as someone came in the kitchen. I'm such a plank. And predictably within 20 yards of Sine FM Towers my lace was undone.

Stop Press: Just read the original line up of The Boomtown Rats are back together. This excites me. Never the coolest band but I love them. Two number ones when number ones counted can't be dismissed. It's a bizarre coincidence but the first single I bought myself was Rat Trap (1978), the first album I bought was Tonic For The Troops, about a year later when I realized other things than singles existed, and the first band I saw live was The Boomtown Rats, Donny Gaumont in early 1985. Cost £4!!!!! Saying that I've still got my Glastonbury 1989 ticket. £26 for the whole weekend!!

Regular readers may wonder what happened to the postponed blood donating session from way back. It's today. I'm off to give my armful now.

Laters

SS

Playlist Monday 28/01/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
One Step Beyond - Madness
Run Right Back - The Black Keys
The Cave - Mumford And Sons
Jungle Beat - Rico ft The Specials
Hold On - Don Broco
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall - Coldplay
Somewhere - The Pilots
Dancing Song - Little Comets
Munich - The Editors
Animal - The Pigeon Detectives
Perfect Skin - Lloyd Cole And The Commotions
The Drugs Don't Work - The Verve
Small Circles - The Rainmakers
Cigarettes And Alcohol -Oasis
There She Goes - The Las
Waiting For The Man - The Velvet Underground
Candy - Paulo Nutini
Sha La La La Lee - Small Faces
When The Sun Goes Down - Arctic Monkeys
One Way Trigger - The Strokes
Spies - Famous Villains
You've Got The Love - Florence And The Machine
Nancy Boy - Placebo
The Chain - Fleetwood Mac
Barriers - Suede
Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't Have) - The Buzzcocks
Bassline - Reverend And The Makers
Rise - Public Image Limited
Let The Day Begin - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Some Sort Of Homecoming - U2
The Cutter - Echo And The Bunnymen
Born Slippy - Underworld
Big Yellow Taxi - Counting Crows
We Wear Our Bones - Bang Bang Romeo
Pretty Vacant - The Sex Pistols
Let Him Dangle - Elvis Costello
The Universal - Blur
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers



Friday 25 January 2013

BAIBS Friday 25/01/13



Told you there'd be Stonehenge photos. Stop off on the way to Somerset cos I've never seen it before. I tried to be overawed. It is a stunning piece of engineering but, same as when I saw the Mona Lisa, you see so many images of it when you finally come face to face with the real thing, you're that used to it, the sense of wonder starts and ends with your eyes. Plus it was bloody freezing. I was trying to think of an ancient prehistoric race toiling to move these monoliths hundreds of miles but all I could think was Spinal Tap.

                     'Can I ask a practical question at this point? Are we doing Stonehenge tomorrow?'

So I'm writing this blog from the Premier Inn, Frome with the rain beating down outside as facebookers in Donny go snow mental. This weekend involves Wookey Holes, chalk horses, witches, scrumpy and a christening. Thankfully no Rovers game tomorrow so I'm not missing out there. Missed out on a few choice gigs but I'm sure The Worzels will be performing somewhere local tomorrow.

I still get excited travelling by the stupidest things. Passed Donnington, Silverstone and Thruxton. Couldn't help but wish Brand's Hatch had been en route too. Overtook Notts County FC off to play Leyton Orient tomorrow, coming the other way were Leicester City on there way to Huddersfield. Got giddy over the dreaming spires of Oxford. I'm so easily pleased, especially given our most ancient of monuments failed to move me. Maybe it was the fences and the closeness of the road. Big things are planned on Salisbury Plain re Stonehenge. Maybe next time I'll have an epiphany.

Well, bizarrely for this blog I end on it's bedtime.

Boing

SS

Playlist Friday 25/01/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Friday On My Mind - The Easybeats
New Rose - The Damned
Start Wearing Purple - Gogol Bordello
Here It Goes Again - OK Go
Animal - The Pigeon Detectives
Sweet Child Of Mine - Guns 'n' Roses
Leather Jacket Love Song - The Cribs
Summer's Child - The Coopers
Black And White Town - Doves
Dirty Old Town - The Pogues
Getting Away With It - Electronic
Birthday - Sugacubes
Step On - Happy Mondays
Just To See You Run - Bang Bang Romeo
Everyday Is Like Sunday - Morrissey
Empire State Of Mind - Alicia Keys
Tumblin' Forever - The Penny Lovers
Baggy Trousers - Madness
Soul Uncensored - Section 60
Hands Off She's Mine - The Beat
Johnny Come Home - Fine Young Cannibals
The Bartender And The Thief - Stereophonics
Valley Of The Dolls - Generation X
Upstarts - Johnny Marr
Spread Your Love - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Wishful Thinking - China Crisis
Poison Ivy - The Lambrettas
Lead The Way - The 48ks
Chemicals - Various Cruelties
Give Up - Miles Kane
Brassneck - The Wedding Present
You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover - The Strypes
The Size Of A Cow - The Wonderstuff
High On A Hill - Ian McNabb
I'd Rather Go Blind - Etta James
'A' Bomb In Wardour Street - The Jam
Boys Don't Cry - The Cure
It Hangs - The Darlingtons
Old Yellow Bricks - Arctic Monkeys
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers







Thursday 24 January 2013

BAIBS Wednesday 23/01/13

Well this is gonna be confusing but I'm sure we can work through it. First off though some new hellos:

Buon pomeriggio
Dia dhuit
Buenas tardes
God eftermiddag

And again if any readers from Italy, Ireland, Spain or Sweden would like to drop me a line I'd be most grateful. Or drop me a lime if you prefer. That's what that sentence first said.

Right, no blog yesterday cos I just ran out of time after Gran retrieval from Mablethorpe, but no show today due to the mother of all migraines parking in my head and refusing steadfastly to budge. And I should warn you that tomorrow's blog could appear anytime over the weekend. Off to Somerset after Friday's show for the weekend. Expect photos of Stonehenge, mentions of scrumpy, river cottages and crying babies. (Going to a christening).

Games on facebook. They do my head in for two reasons:

1: The constant filling of news feeds with people needing a new broom to rescue their sheep from their broken combine harvester or a scrutcheon pin to fix their rollercoaster. Does my head in but more than that....

2: The games are bloody addictive. I'm currently desperately trying to mix candy just so I can beat The Black Spider who's ahead of me. I'm coming for you Ozzy! I have to confess to having a farm for a while. I only joined Farmville to help my kids out. Within weeks I was on level 49 and they were both still in single figures. I even got to the stage were if I knew I was offline for a while I'd plant crops that I knew took a while to grow so I didn't lose any. Ridiculous. One day reality kicked in and I hit the block button. Cold turkey, it's the only way. I had a cold turkey on  my farm called Geoff. He's dead now.

Another thing I've forced myself to just stop doing is superstitions. I've never been particularly superstitious, I deliberately walk under ladders just to prove a point. Though this did once cause me to get paint all over my favourite Sex Pistols t-shirt so maybe there's something in this ladders thing. I did have three superstitions though. I always walked the same way to school and had to walk between two particular trees in Grove Park, despite them being out of the way. God knows why. I was never lucky at school. None of the lasses I fancied went out with me and I was always in trouble for not doing my homework. Admittedly I could have sorted the homework one out by just doing it. Why I thought that walking between two certain trees would miraculously cause the essay on 'How the Versailles Treaty Affected German Foreign Policy' to be suddenly sat in my school bag I don't know.

When I played football I always put my left sock and boot on before the right. I'd read that Alan Warboys did this and it worked for him. It's something I still do to this day. Force of habit more than anything though.

And finally. like a lot of football fans, I always had to wear the same clothes when I went to watch Rovers. The only change was an away shirt for away games. Same underwear, jeans, trainers, coat etc. I honestly believed in this one. Just to confirm it as well Rovers were on a great run in the 1983/4 season. Lost one game in about 24. That one loss was away at Blackpool and I'd worn the wrong jeans! But it was some time in about 2001, back in the conference days, big game at home to Rushden and Diamonds and we'd won well the week before. Put my 'uniform' on only to discover a pen in my coat pocket. I couldn't for the life of  me remember if that pen had been there the previous Saturday. I sat on the stairs wracking my brains for about ten minutes before sanity kicked in. How could a pen in my pocket affect how Rovers played!? I got changed, making sure nothing I wore was the same as the week before. Rovers won. I was cured. Christ knows what I'd have done if we lost.

Oh and England lost to Argentina in the '98 World Cup not because of Beckham's petulant kick, or Batty and Ince's woeful penalties, but because I wore facepaint for the first and only time.

As a brief follow up to the Famous Villains review etc. Please go to the link below. (not really a link, you'll have to copy it). It's the live session and chat they did on the show last Tuesday. Well worth a listen.

https://soundcloud.com/famousvillains/interview-live-acoustic

I'm off to get dressed. Left foot first.

Playlist Wednesday 23/01/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Pelican - The Maccabees
Quiet Night In - All The Young
Island In The Sun - Weezer
Rubber Bullets - 10cc
Sun - Two Door Cinema Club
That's Entertainment - The Jam
Frog Princess - The Divine Comedy
Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Not Too Young - The Tricks
Last Train To London - E.L.O.
Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
Lost In The Supermarket - The Clash
Best Of You - Foo Fighters
Hunger Strike - Temple Of The Dog
Beat It - Michael Jackson
Let The Day Begin - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Regret - New Order
Rave On - Buddy Holly
You're Smile - Kiziah And The Kings
Star - James
Bring On The Dancing Horses - Echo And The Bunnymen
Everything Counts - Depeche Mode
She Comes In Fall - Inspiral Carpets
Jennifer - Little Comets
Fluorescent Adolescent - Arctic Monkeys
On A Day Like This - Elbow
Surrender - Cheap Trick
Fishing For A Dream - Turin Breaks
Two Tribes - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Another Love - Tom Odell
Lucky You - The Lightning Seeds
Mansize Rooster - Supergrass
Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
Can You Dig It? - The Mock Turtles
These Days Are Mine - I Am Kloot
Place Your Hands - Reef
Why You Looking Back Down - You Addiction
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers






Tuesday 22 January 2013

BAIBS Tuesday 22/01/13

You'll have to wait a bit. Bacon butties have just turned up.

Needed that.

Not as destroyed as I have been after previous years Best Bar None Awards ceremonies but still a tad fragile. The tux has gone back, pork scratching free. I'll miss it. And for those that asked:


Me, in tux, with carriage home.

Congratulations to all last nights winners, particularly Cask Corner who won best pub and were the best overall winner too. It would have been better without the mayor's annual real ale rant. I love real ale but don't need it ramming down my throat. Er.......you know what I mean.

Cask is a great pub though. Great atmosphere, quality service and a quality product. And becoming a great live music venue too. Last night proved that along with Cask there are some great bars in Donny but in these hard times the pub industry seems to be suffering more than most. It's alright saying use it or lose it but people are seriously struggling financially and a night out is becoming a luxury. Again it comes down to the government who need to let pubs play on an even playing field instead of battering them with unrealistic taxation and blaming pubs for ALL the anti-social behaviour. Best Bar None schemes show that the pub trade as a whole is putting it's house in order and then some. A little help wouldn't go amiss.

My favourite kind of day today. Crisp, sunny, a clear blue sky but still cold. Sadly this means that the pavements are either slush or compacted, lethal sheet ice. The walk to work was a struggle. Imagine how much worse it would have been if I'd been carrying a tux, a broken bag, a coffee and have the button break on my jeans causing me to walk in such a way so that my jeans didn't fall down. With a hangover on top of all that. I'm gonna get pretentious and say 'suffering for my art.' It's an odd thing though. Sober on a clear path I'll easily fall. Give me alcohol and/or ice and I'm steady as a rock.

Prepare for a late blog tomorrow. Off to Mablethorpe for Granny retrieval.

Laters

SS

Playlist Tuesday 22/01/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Happy Hour - The Housemartins
We Take Care Of Our Own - Bruce Springsteen
Kings For The Weekend - Missing Andy
Indian Summer - Stereophonics
I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys
Gotta Get Out - The 48ks
Making Plans For Nigel - XTC
Double Dutch - Malcolm McLaren
Silly Thing - The Sex Pistols
There Goes The Fear - Doves
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
Common People - Pulp
Leather Jacket Love Song - The Cribs
Heroes - David Bowie
Bad Mood - The Vaccines
The Changingman - Paul Weller
Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones
Fish 2 Fry - The Jim Jones Review
Teenage Kicks - The Undertones
Another Love - Tom Odell
Elysium - Section 60
Layla - Derek And The Dominoes
Live And Let Die - Guns 'N' Roses
Lip Up Fatty - Bad Manners
Feel Good Inc - Gorillaz
Party Fears Two - The Associates
London Calling - The Clash
Forever In Blue Jeans - Neil Diamond
She Bangs The Drum - The Stone Roses
Never Tear Us Apart - INXS
Dead And Gone - The Black Keys
Hersham Boys - Sham 69
Chain Gang - Sam Cooke
Pretty In Pink - The Psychedelic Furs
Hello, I Love You - The Doors
45 - The Gaslight Anthem
Vicar In A Tutu - The Smiths
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

Monday 21 January 2013

BAIBS Monday 21/01/13

I do like a nice brazier. That's brazier. You know, the wood burning thing. Though it's possible the burn your bra feminist movement was just a typo. Walking home, trudging through snow, sleet giving me the damp Bee Gee look again, someone had a brazier in full flow. Warmth and the smell of burning wood. Lovely. I looked across to Cusworth in the hope of seeing sledgers to get the full winter effect. Sadly Cusworth Hall was in a cloud. Hope it's OK in there.

I don't normally moan about the weather. I moan more about people talking about the weather, even though that's what I'm doing now. Why is it with snow everyone's suddenly an expert. 'Too cold to snow', 'The clouds are full', 'Clouds are too high to snow.' What? I just let the weather do what it does and then I venture into it. But today's different. Today has to clear up cos I'm going out tonight and I've hired a tux for the occasion.

Tonight is the Best Bar None Awards at the Racecourse and I've been asked to present the Best Door Staff award (Sponsored by Sine FM). Best Bar None was originally set up in Manchester in 2003 as a Home Office funded scheme. Doncaster's Best Bar None started in 2006 and since then it has widely been regarded as the model that all BBN schemes should be based on. It is officially recognized as the most innovative BBN in the country. Something Donny should be proud of and enormous credit is due to Andy Constantine and the hard work he puts in all year round.

As a former licencee I know how testing the criteria are just to get accredited let alone win an award. It has made Doncaster a more enjoyable and safer night out. Police statistics show a drop of over 50% in violent crime since the scheme started.

The awards ceremony itself is great fun. The town's licencees letting their hair down is always gonna be messy. Last year I woke up at 8am the morning after on the floor of The Hallcross, still in my suit, covered in pork scratchings. If there's no show tomorrow you know why.

So how was your weekend? Mine was quite splendid. Tom Hark in action at The Keepmoat on Saturday as Rovers' excellent run of form continued. I'd say our best home performance this season. Orient didn't play particularly badly. We just didn't let them play. Good to see Brian Flynn get off to a winning start.

Saturday night was another excellent home town gig: Famous Villains, The Penny Lovers and The Coopers at The Leopard. See yesterday's blog for more on that.

Right, I'm off to check the paperwork on my tux hire. See if I'm covered for pork scratching damage.

Laters

SS

Playlist Monday 21/01/13

Tom Hark - The Piranhas
Spies - Famous Villains
Never Knew Your Name - Madness
This Is Real - The Enemy
Paper Boat - The Penny Lovers
Antarctica - Sound Of Guns
Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
Hate To Say I Told You So - The Hives
Adore Me Dear - Bang Bang Romeo
Recover - Dexters
There's No Other Way - Blur
Pure - The Lightning Seeds
Everything Must Go - Manic Street Preachers
International Bright Young Thing - Jesus Jones
Sexcrime 1984 - Eurythmics
Bats - The Darlingtons
Under China - Auction For The Promise Club
This Charming Man - The Smiths
Whippin' Piccadilly - Gomez
Hold On - Don Broco
Barriers - Suede
Hotel California - The Eagles
Back To Black - Amy Winehouse
I Don't Like Mondays - The Boomtown Rats
War - Edwin Starr
Hey Ho - The Beeds
Black Chandelier - Biffy Clyro
A Girl Like You - Edwyn Collins
Kings Of The Wild Frontier - Adam And The Ants
Front Row - The Fallows
She Belongs To Me - Bob Dylan
Best Of Friends - Palma Violets
Transmission - Joy Division
Red Light Spells Danger - Billy Ocean
My Sharona - The Knack
What You Do To Me - Teenage Fanclub
To Be Like - China Rats
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers



Sunday 20 January 2013

FAMOUS VILLAINS @ The Leopard. Saturday 19/01/13

'Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think.'

A lyric written in 1949 by Herb Magidson that holds as much relevance today as it ever did. For me it sums up live music. There is NO better feeling than seeing a quality band enjoying what they do. I've seen bands play before who obviously didn't want to be there (Babybird springs to mind more than anyone) and by the end of the set the crowd that stay to endure the whole, painful performance fully share the wishing they weren't there sentiment.

The Leopard was blessed last night not only with three extremely talented bands,but bands who thrive on playing live for the pure enjoyment of it all.

The Coopers started proceedings. Flowers bedeck the mic stands and bass drum. They include the best hat/hair combo I've seen for a while, the finest mustache this side of Movember and a singer you will fall in love with immediately. Instrument changes mid song, an array of brightly coloured bells and songs that make you forget the snow outside and convince you it's summer. The pure joy of their tunes and performance are just infectious. Doncaster crowds can be notoriously stand offish. Within 2 songs this Leopard crowd is dancing, singing and clapping, the place awash with big smileys. The Coopers are like Arcade Fire on happy pills. They will storm the festival scene in the coming summers.

As individuals The Penny Lovers are probably the most experienced band on the Doncaster scene. It shows. Accomplished, professional catchy pop/folk tunes and in Neil Richards the best in onstage banter. I first heard Mick Humphrey sing some 27 years ago and always loved his voice. The passing of time has not diminished his effortless delivery, and with a band that are just pure confidence this is Yorkshire Americana at it's best. Another band that deliver smiles in abundance.

Famous Villains take the stage looking good as always. They're a good looking band. Suited and booted, looking cool, a class act. In a time of style over substance though Famous Villains deliver both. They kick straight into Burn This City and the crowd is bouncing, singing so loud Anthony's vocals are sometimes drowned out. It's and up for it crowd and an up for it band. Sweating already the band still ooze class. It's that enjoyment thing again. Tobin kicking his stool away and just hammering his keyboard, Chris on drums just never stops smiling, Anthony fling his guitar around in a madcap dance, Neil, well Neil's just Neil. Front of the stage, urging the crowd to come along for the ride, annoyingly talented. And Jarrad on bass the epitome of cool. The band slow things down with Changes In The Moon then the mass singalong that is Goodbye Life. More smiles. Every song is a gem, Willie Nile's One Guitar thrown in for good measure. They show their diversity with 8 o' Clock Blues but never lose that distinctive Famous Villains feel. We're into Millionaires. Last time I saw them live was the first time I'd heard Millionaires. So perfect a song it made me cry. It had the same effect last night. They finish with the epic Spies and it's all over too soon. A last hurrah as Anthony asks the crowd if they can join them. The 5 of them stand in the middle of the sweaty, smiling throng, belting out Neil Young's Heart Of Gold.

There's some serious musical talent in Donny right now and these guys are right at the forefront of it. With a management deal in place it promises to be a big year for the Famous Villains. I for one cant wait.

Famous Villains Set List

Burn this city
Changes with the moon
Goodbye life
Engine
Ready to Die
Valentine
One Guitar (Willie Nile cover)
Lying at the side of you
Beg and Steal
8 o clock blues
Millionaires
Spies
Heart Of Gold (Neil Young cover)


Saturday 19 January 2013

BAIBS Friday 18/01/13

So a particularly late blog but yesterday was just hectic. Running round frantically after the show to get everything done before the oncoming blizzard. The blizzard never really materialized. Things could have been less frantic.

It's my son's 21st on Monday. 21!! I feel old. We had the party last night. Well who parties on a Monday night? Best Bar None, that's who. More of that Monday. As I've mentioned before I'm hopeless at buying presents so enlisted the help of my eldest daughter. She mentioned a game shop where Liam, my son, liked to shop. I know nothing about gaming or the whole comic book thing. My geekiness lies elsewhere. Found the perfect solution for my present buying dilemma though. Liam was in the shop. Made it a lot easier. He got a dungeon and a dragon.

So Liam's party last night as well as my best mate Ian's 45th birthday yesterday means I'm writing this a tad worse for wear.

So that was part one of the hectic weekend. Tom Harking at The Keepmoat this afternoon. Rovers v Leyton Orient and with Tranmere (1st) playing Brentford (3rd) there's a good chance Rovers will be top tonight. I fully expected today's game to be off but excellent work by the groundstaff all week, volunteers sweeping the pitch this morning and the weather not quite as bad here as predicted it's game on. Gonna be pigging cold though!

Tonight it's Famous Villains supported by The Penny Lovers at The Leopard. Seriously excited about this. Famous Villains are one of my favourite bands. Not just in Donny but ever! First time Cherry Blossom will have seen them and she had the stitches out yesterday so is in full on party mood.

I'm guessing Sunday will be a rest day, especially given Monday night could be messy.

There's all kinds of whirring noises coming from the kitchen which have just resulted in a plate of scrambled egg on toast and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice appearing. My cue to go.

Laters

SS

Playlist Friday 18/01/13

Swan Lake - Madness
Battleship Chains - Georgia Satellites
Bright Side Of The Road - Van Morrison
Hoppipolla - Sigur Ros
This Ladder Is Ours - The Joy Formidable
Sitting On My Own - The 48ks
Back Of My Hand - The Jags
Good Enough - Dodgy
E=MC2 - Big Audio Dynamite
By Your Hand - Los Campesinos
Molly Gray - The DN All*Stars
Speak Like A Child - The Style Council
Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers
American Slang - The Gaslight Anthem
When You Were Young - The Killers
High And Dry - Radiohead
King Of Pain - The Police
Walk - Foo Fighters
Talking Woman Blues - The AVIT Blues Band
The Unforgettable Fire - U2
Regret - New Order
London Calling - The Clash
You Jane - The Wedding Present
Modern Love - David Bowie
Gimme Shelter - The Rolling Stones
Made Of Stone - The Stone Roses
Hard To Beat - Hard-Fi
Can I Play With Madness - Iron Maiden
Across 110th Street - Bobby Womack
Cool For Cats - Squeeze
2-4-6-8 Motorway - The Tom Robinson Band
Hush - Kula Shaker
Never Fade Away - Spector
I Got You - Split Enz
My Girl - The Temptations
Always Like This - Bombay Bicycle Club
Saturn 5 - Inspiral Carpets
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers