Monday 28 April 2014

You've got nine others!

早上好

God knows what the Chinese make of all this. Anyway, Good Morning.

Well here we go again. My weekly memory test.

Monday 21/04/14

I'm glad we play Scrabble on a Monday. Makes it easier to remember. I lost of course. 1 for 10 now. I'm sure plenty of other things happened on Monday but for the life of me I cant remember. Going well isn't it. Scrabble finished after midnight which meant we'd encroached onto my birthday so got an early present (blow up walking stick) and made bacon. We were hungry. 

Tuesday 22/04/14

46 today. Pigging hell, how did that happened.

I'm writing this in bed (I know!!) and the biggest wasp ever has just come to join me. Be back soon after I've stopped screaming like a girl. 

Had a quiet birthday, saving myself for the weekend. More of that later. 

Did that thing of trying to remember previous birthdays. All I remembered was big tulips in the 70's, my 11th birthday up Mount Vesuvius, getting alcohol poisoning in Retford, Rovers drawing with Crewe and the announcer playing Kings Of The Wild Frontier for Simon Gaynor and having the worst day at work ever at Donny Cables when EVERYTHING went wrong. 

Wednesday 23/04/14

No. No idea. Open mic night at Cask. I know that much. Shakespeare's birthday and Ken Perkins dedicated a song to him. Nothing else is leaping into my mind. When we get to Saturday night you'll realise why I cant remember much.

Just remembered some more previous birthdays. Crowd surfing at Waterfront Nightclub in Hull on my 30th and Liverpool band The Steeples playing Rock Bar on my 40th. Only another 39 to remember.

Thursday 24/04/14

Failed, again, to help fix a fence or do owt in the garden. Julie and I had every intention of doing something useful but failed. The evening found me at The Leopard to see The Talks. Aaaaaaggggghhhhhh!!!! That just reminded me I was meant to do a phone interview with them on the radio yesterday. Something else I forgot! 

A sad night at The Leopard. It closed this weekend. It had that feel about it. Another important music venue lost due to the pure greed of pub companies. Successive governments are just standing by and watching pubs/venues die whilst blaming them for binge drinking and letting the supermarkets sell alcohol at ridiculous uncompetitive prices. Doncaster needs The Leopard. Hopefully it will be back but until the owners offer sensible rent and beer prices it wont happen. Simple as that. 

Talks were awesome as always with quality support from Counting Coins and The Starkins. There were hugs all round and I feel even worse about missing the interview now.

Friday 25/04/14

A busy one. At Sine in the afternoon to finally edit interviews I did some time ago. Doctor's after to be told I'm obese. Julie has now took to calling me Obese Wan Kenobi. I'm off to buy some fruit. Back at Sine for 6pm to cover for JJ on The First 45, Sine FM's new music show. As I've mentioned before I get sent boatloads of new music, all a bit hit and miss. I dropped on on Friday though and found some gems. Made the show a lot easier and I really enjoyed it. See you the other side of The First 45 Playlist.

The First 45 Playlist Friday 25/04/14

Hit The North - The Fall
Itchy Feet - The Monday Club
I Could Be A King - The Dunwells
Don't Mess With Me - Brody Dalle
Dancer - Auction For The Promise Club
Night Mail - Public Service Broadcasting
Shimmer Gold - Dexters
Hedonism (Just Because It Feels Good) - Skunk Anansie
Carnival - Bang Bang Romeo
Goshen '97 - Strand Of Oaks
Bullfrog Blues (live) - Smoking Beagles
Fictional State - To Kill A King
Play Piano - Barstow Bats
Laughing In Spanish - Polkadodge
Tokyo - The Ramona Flowers
Dave - Missing Andy
Into The Night - The Greasy Slicks
In The Garden - The Starkins
Blue On Blue - Counting Coins
Don't Look Behind You - The Talks
When I Close My Eyes - Middleman
Be My Yoko Ono - Barenaked Ladies
5 Years Time - Noah And The Whale
Bring On The Dancing Horses - Echo And The Bunnymen
Follow You Home - Embrace
Tears - Colleagues
Minute Mile - The Rifles
Leipzig - Balthazar
Do It All Over Again - Spiritualized

Had a quiet night planned, still saving myself for Saturday. Starsie was doing a support slot at Cask Corner. For once she was on time. Sadly the guitar she was borrowing wasn't. Organised as ever!

Saturday 26/014/14

Fixed a fence!!!!! Staggering. As was always going to be the case I held things while Julie hammered and drilled and did DIY stuff. Mrs. Aardvark is also a very talented gardener. Knows all the names and everything. I don't so apologies to all horticulturists out there for this next bit. There was a big bush/plant/tree/shrub thing (see!) that had gone a bit mental and needed pruning. Again I helped by holding things while Julie pruned. Sadly whilst grappling with the undergrowth she mistook my middle finger (right hand) for a thick twig and proceeded to try and prune it. You could hear the screams in Fishers, Indiana. In my defence 41 hours later and it's still bleeding. 

Saturday night was my birthday party night. All tarted up with a big fat plaster on my finger. Was fashionably late, as per, and sadly missed most of Laura Kelly's set. My good friend David Bailey got up to sing for me and I, rudely, missed his birthday dedication having a fag outside. Smoking Beagles then tore the place apart although the night was a blurry Wainwright and cherry wine mess. Thankfully they'd run out of Mead. A massive thank you to everyone who turned up and played musical chairs at 3am. Was in bed for 6am. Successful party I'd say. And my son met his cousin for the first time! Happy days.

Sunday 27/04/14

As you can imagine bit of a slow day. Made bacon again. Necessary for a hangover. Sine Fm for 6pm for The Other Way. Bled all over the desk. Thankfully Julie turned up with an emergency plaster. Was joined on the show by Sick Note Tez. My mate Terry Dunn had took a day off work to do the show. Had a good chat about music and scrabble, got four quality tunes out of him (the one about the dead neighbour's cat is amazing) and he let me sing backing vocals on Molly Gray. Awesome!

Cask Corner again for the Roots and Acoustic Songwriting Competition sponsored by Sine FM. 10 stunning acts all vying for the public vote to win the opening spot at this year's Doncaster Folk Festival. Had a really great night and so hard to decide who to vote for. Congratulations to Jade-Lee Saxelby for winning in what was a very close vote. 

And so to bed with a kebab. That'll help my obeseness. Yet another health kick starts today!

I'm off to clean a fridge and carry a watermelon.

Laters

SS

The Other Way Playlist Sunday 27/04/14

The Other Way - Polkadodge
Pearly Dewdrops' Drops - Cocteau Twins
Juxtaposed With You - Super Furry Animals
Monkey Gone To Heaven - Pixies
Love Like Blood - Killing Joke
Home Brew (Live) - Sick Note Tez
Transmission - Joy Division
Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads
Roxette - Dr. Feelgood
Recover - Dexters
Three Coins - Woah! Tiger
The Reincarnated Neighbour's Cat (Live) - Sick Note Tez
Always The Sun - The Stranglers
Shot By Both Sides - Magazine
Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon - Urge Overkill

Ferryman Interview

A Storm Is Coming - Ferryman
I'm Falling - The Bluebells
In The Garden - The Starkins
Planet Takeaway (Live) - Sick Note Tez
American Girl - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
Play Piano - Barstow Bats
National Express - The Divine Comedy
Roll The Dice - The Colliers
Molly Gray (Live) - Sick Note Tez
Silence Is Easy - Starsailor
Karma Giles (Live) - Sick Note Tez
Goshen '97 - Strand Of Oaks
Sheep - The Housemartins
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers



Monday 21 April 2014

Lay a big f**k off egg for me.

So last week's plan of doing this daily to keep things fresh in my mind (which didn't work anyway) has gone by the wayside. I have an excuse. I've just not thought of it yet. I do have the last paragraph of the previous blog as a reminder. It's failed though. Can't remember why I argued with a bus driver and the holiday firm I just don't wanna talk about.

Anyway.....

Monday 14/04/14

So apart from pointless arguments with officialdom what happened Monday? I WON AT SCRABBLE!!!!!!!! I know!!!!!!! 9th attempt and unaided by mead I was finally victorious. Opened with the 7 letter Leading and the rest as they say is history. I've been promised it wont happen again but let me just rejoice in this moment. The mead came out in celebration as did a quiz book. All a bit of a mead blur really apart from the question Which band did Beyonce Knowles used to be in. Julie was given the clue 'What you were born to be and someone older than a toddler but not an adult' and, somewhat magnificently, came up with the answer Dance Teen. Genius.

Tuesday 15/04/14

Er.

Wednesday 16/04/14

Oh hang on. Bits of Tuesday have just come back to me. Sooner I sort this bloody shop out and have some structure to my days the better.

Tuesday 15/04/14

Interviewed German rock band Ferryman, though traditional I've not even begun editing it yet.  (I don't know what's happening here but every time I start a new sentence the font changes. It's all very confusing). Thankfully Ferryman are fronted by ex-pat Andy Jones. I've not spoke German, apart from ordering a pint of Kaiserbartenfurtenbrau, for over 30 years. Great interview and even better band. Ended up drinking and dancing to the early hours. That could be why it took me a while to remember Tuesday.

Wednesday 16/04/14

Beer with my best mate Ian. I was gonna say that I don't drink everyday but this blog would seem to disprove that. I'm going right off the diary idea. I would like to point out that many times you will catch me at the end of the night in Cask Corner a thus:


Anyway after, erm, some beer (bloody font changed mid word then) and much putting the world to right and arguing about Basement Jaxx I hit the coffee and open mic night and Ian broke his own self imposed curfew.

I'm sorry but I'm very distracted. Mrs. Aardvark is looking at corsets on ebay.

Where was I? 

Sod it. I need a cigarette.

5 minutes.

I'm back.

Let's just skip the rest of Wednesday.

An ostrich egg was involved at some point. I remember that.

Thursday 17/04/14

Woke in my own bed which is confusing enough. I do like to go back occasionally just to let my flat know I'm still alive and doing OK. Had a meeting today with a very nice chap from the Doncaster Chamber Of Commerce. All very productive and Aardvark Records is another step closer. This week I shall be mostly writing a business plan. 

Friday 18/04/14

Went to buy boots. Failed. I'm so fussy and my feet are so big. Size 13 at the last census. Ended up Easter shopping and then foolishly thought that going from town to Balby to Wheatley then back to town and in the middle of all that showering and eating was only gonna take an hour. I wasn't aided by a taxi driver who's knowledge of the streets of Donny was akin to my knowledge of the life cycle of the Mongolian Kumquat. Shower was a waste of time. I was a sweaty mess. Cask were throwing a hastily thrown together gig after a band had cancelled on them and I'd agreed to compere/host/MC, whatever the word is for waffling on stage while people ignore you and wait for the next band. It is testament to the musicians of Donny that the cream of Doncaster talent came out to perform and it ended up being one of the best nights out I've had in ages. Although Jon Kelly was horrified at the mug of coffee. 

Saturday 19/04/14


Sheffield bound again. Bang Bang Romeo headlining at The Leadmill for This Feeling.  Bit of a mixed bag. First band Two Skies were enjoyable in a prog-shoe-gazing kind of way though the songs did get a bit samey. Had enough quality to keep me interested though. Next up were indie band The Outfits who, after nicking Bang Bang Romeo's dressing room, swaggered on stage in that everything-that-is-bad-about indie kind of way. Their small cluster of fans were chanting in that everything-that-is-bad-about-indie-fans kind of way. One of their fans at one point instucted me to 'Dance you f***ing c**t.' Nice. I politely declined. I remember when I worked at the Tut and Ian Brown (Stone Roses) was playing at The Dome. The chav factor was in full effect. One of my least enjoyable days there. Even with the following The Outfits had they still had to beg for applause after every song. Never good. Bang Bang Romeo walked on stage and already owned it. They have evolved into one of the freshest, most complete bands on the circuit, in any town they play. It's not a question of if for BBR but when. They will be huge. The most melodic, pounding, cultured wall of noise you could wish to hear topped off with the disarming and mesmerising vocals of Starsie. She never fails to dazzle me and is quite simply one of the finest singers I've ever heard. 

The journey home was fun. Last train cancelled, please bugger off to the bus station for the crappy bus that's gonna get you home at some point this year. That's what the sign actually said. Maybe. Anyway, a bus home that adds a good hour onto the journey. Stopped every-bloody-where just for no-one to get on or off apart from Rotherham. Oh and my iPod had died and the radio was counting down the top 40 worst songs in the history of history. Heading into Donny it went right past my flat. I wanted to get off due to a combination of jeans and belt malfunction. And I was wearing the wrong kind of socks. 'Can't stop here mate.I'm not allowed.' But that's my flat and that thing right outside it is a bus stop. 'Sorry mate. Rules is rules.' Got to Donny train station at 1am to find most of Doncaster pretty much shut. Donny is obviously the antithesis of Jesus. Comes alive on Good Friday but definitely dead by Easter Sunday.

Sunday 20/04/14

Early taxi back to Balby to rectify the failed jeans/belt combo then back to Wheatley for Easter Sunday activities. Food, wine, Baileys, mead, quizzes. (Won again - oh yeah). A couple of strong coffees and off to Sine for this week's The Other Way. Finally got Julie to talk on air. She had promised to thank all the musicians who helped out Friday night but think the wine may have had something to do with it too. Tried to do an Easter themed show but only really came up with four remotely relevant songs. Taxi straight after the show to The Blacksmith's Arms, Harworth to see Jack's House and Polkadodge. Great gig though the room was a veritable sweat box. Still, worked the quiche and cake off. Claudia the chicken had no issues this week either as Polkadodge sweated their way through one of the most energetic sets I've seen for some time. Another band for whom the question is when, not if.

So that's it. I'm sure there's loads more but I'm becoming increasingly aware how fallible I am. 46 tomorrow for God's sake. Plus there's still corsets on the computer next to me so think I can be excused.

Laters

SS

The Other Way Playlist Sunday 20/04/14

The Other Way - Polkadodge
Roll Away The Stone - Mott The Hoople
Born Under A Bad Sign - Richard Hawley
Meet Cute (Welsh Version) - The Wedding Present
Itchy Feet - The Monday Club
F.E.A.R. - Ian Brown
Can Stand The Rain - The Talks
Cured Of Youth - Tennis
Life On Mars - David Bowie
I Am The Resurrection - The Stone Roses
April Skies - The Jesus And Mary Chain
Hunger - Frankie And The Heartstrings
Had Enough - The Enemy
Johannesburg - Bang Bang Romeo
China Grove (Recorded Live at Cask Corner) - Smoking Beagles
Loosy Lucy - The Steeples
The Way Were Made (Made In England) - Missing Andy
Falling Down - The 48ks
Red Light Spells Danger - Billy Ocean
Minute Mile - The Rifles
Don't Go - Curtis Faultless & Alicia Awa (Music Bomb)
The Catfish - Polkadodge
The Light Is Always Green - The Housemartins
Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae
Rango - Catfish And The Bottlemen
Let 'Em In - Paul McCartney & Wings
Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life - Monty Python
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman And The Modern Lovers

Monday 14 April 2014

Scrabble, Chickens, Mops, Nakedness

A change of tack this week. I've not checked but I feel my entries for each day get longer as the blog/diary does on. Possibly 'cos more happens at a weekend but more than likely cos it's fresh in the memory so I'm gonna do each day as it unfolds. Saying that it's already Wednesday so I'm lying to you all. Again. Still, here goes:

Monday 07/04/14

Scrabble and toad in the hole night. A triumph! In so much as the toad in the hole was delicious. The scrabble took it's usual route. 0 for 7. Lost by 127 points. Ridiculous! Octavia insists she isn't worried by my threat of mead. We shall see.

Tuesday 08/04/14

New music day. I may have mentioned before that I get sent a plethora of new music to wade through from bands/pluggers/promoters all wanting some airplay. It's a double edged sword. I have the utmost (that said moist at first - that's a worry) for any act trying to make it but some need better advice. Such as you're awful, just stop it. It does make the odd gem I come across all the more worthwhile though. So as Mrs. Aardvark headed off to do a proper job I sat in with a stack of cds and a million emails. (For a million read 38). I should admit I'd been lax on the emails of late. 

A quick thanks to Tennis, The War On Drugs, Eagulls and A Band Called Quinn for making the process less painful. 

Headed into town for lunch and ended up having an impromptu look at premises in Waterdale. I think I may have found the spot. Exciting times!

Back at Cask in the evening for Polish band 6th Of July. They were very polished. Do you see what I did there? Well worth a listen. The Tyskie flew and my limited Polish came in useless. My limited Polish consists of no words, apart from Tyskie. Did a spot of googling and the only relevance to the band name is that on the 6th of July 1974 Poland beat Brazil in the World Cup 3rd/4th Play Off. Works for me.

Wednesday 09/04/14

Alarm went off at 8. Had to get home to get my toilet fixed. Eventually woke up at half 9. Bugger. Thankfully they were running late too. I should now be drowned centipede free. 

A quick call to the powers that be re Waterdale premises and they're very keen on my idea. I'm a little giddy now!

Let's get this straight. I've failed abysmally in the doing this daily thing. It's now 5pm on Monday and I'm trying to remember what I did last week. I can't even remember what I did this morning.

I know at some point Wednesday evening the rest of my belongings finally turned up meaning this is now home:





If you want to know the full story behind it you'll have to ask. Way too much to go into here.

Wednesday ended up as per at the Cask Corner open mic night. I remember little apart from a disturbing version of Two Little Boys by The Gurning Queens.

Thursday 10/04/14

Thursday. What the pigging hell did I do Thursday? I remember getting trapped trying to get off a bus by two dogs fighting. Or was that Friday? I also know I was meant to help mend a fence. Literally, not metaphorically. Don't think I've fallen out with anyone recently. Those who know me will realise that me helping to fix anything involves me holding things while someone else does all the work. I am totally useless. Thankfully Mrs. A is a dab hand at that kind of thing but the fence still remains unmended. Instead I went on a fruitless search for Cream Soda. Failed at that too.

Friday 11/04/14

Ah this was definitely the day of the two dogs fighting in the doorway of a bus. I got off relatively unscathed apart from tripping over a leash/lead. What's the difference? Friday night ended with more sewage disasters. So glad they fixed my toilet! Finished mopping at 6:30 Saturday morning. The only way to spend a Friday night.

Saturday 12/04/14

A lazy morning before getting picked up by the Polkadodge boys for a trip to Scunny for a gig with The Darlingtons. I have friends in Scunthorpe so will try to be polite. Maybe I should just skip to Sunday. Sadly the sound at The Abacus was poor leading to both bands cutting their sets short. Polkadodge have a chicken mascot, Claudia, who one of the locals took a shine to. Amusing at first but then it became clear she wasn't going to relinquish said chicken. After much failed persuading and grappling, which included her delivering an impressive left jab to my jaw, Claudia was saved and we skipped town.

 

For some reason I ended up drunkenly doing Julie's pots at 2am. I'm sure there was a reason. 

Attempted a three way skype chat with Mark Kelly (Sheffield) and Darrin Snider (Fishers, Indiana). It was an unmitigated failure. Admittedly I've never used Skype before and was drunk. Hardly ideal. On Sunday Darrin was doing a 12 hour marathon radio show raising money for cancer research and the idea was we'd all hook up for a chat on the show.

Sunday 13/04/14

A lazy day before The Other Way at 6. Switched the laptop on just in time for Darrin to Skype me for a chat live on air. We were in bed, naked. Well it was 3:30pm our time! Fence mending had gone out the window again. Eventually got up to do some radio. Was joined on the show by the frighteningly talented and equally frighteningly young Carla May for some live tunage. If you didn't hear her check out the podcast. She has a stunning voice. Tried a live Skype link up but it was chaos in Fishers so we scrapped that idea. Probably just as well. Me and technology etc.

Back home for curry and bonus Scrabble. I was flying. In the lead till Julie played her standard 7 letter word (Insures I believe) and parity was restored. By far my best effort yet. Only lost by 23 points but a loss is a loss. 0 for 8! 

Got Skyped by Darrin again at 11:30. We were in bed. I do get up and dressed ocassionally Darrin. Honest. 

So far today I've had a row with a holiday company and a bus driver (how dare I have the right fare)! What did I say about not falling out with people? But given it's Monday it'll have to wait till next week now for me to regale you with the tales. I've wrote this paragraph purely as a reminder about today, if you catch my drift.

Laters

SS

The Other Way Playlist Sunday 13/04/14

The Other Way - Polkadodge
Whisky In The Jar - Metallica
Don't Look Behind You - The Talks
Song 2 - Blur
Summer's Child - The Coopers
Pictures Of You - The Cure
Lips Of An Angel - Douglas Francis (Exclusive)
I Got Rhythm - Ella Fitzgerald
Bassline - Reverend And The Makers
Slight Return - The Bluetones
Fly Away - Carla May (Live)
Blue Skinned Beast - Madness
By Your Hand - Los Campesinos
Start Wearing Purple - Gogol Bordello
Under Pressure - The War On Drugs
I'm On Fire - Bruce Springsteen
Saturn 5 - Inspiral Carpets
Red Alert - Basement Jaxx
Brand New Me - Douglas Francis (Exclusive)
Ma And Pa - Fishbone
The 8 O Clock Blues - Famous Villains
When I Close My Eyes - Middleman
Lonely - Surburban Winter (Music Bomb)
Beverley Penn - The Waterboys
A Storm Is Coming - Ferryman
Hearts Are Breaking - High Hazels
Dave - Missing Andy
Midnight Wave - Two Wounded Birds
Egyptian Reggae - Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers



 

Monday 7 April 2014

And sleep...

So here we are again. It's Monday therefore I blog. This is dedicated to the chap outside Leopard Saturday night who said how much he liked my blog and I, somewhat rudely, neglected to ask his name.

Been a bit of a hectic week. Thus:

Monday 31/03/14

Scrabble and pie night. The optimist in me says I've turned a corner. The pessimist, or as we like to call him, realist, says this is as good as it gets. Only lost by 71 points. 0 for 6! Time for a change in tactics. I have some 18% Mead lurking in a bag. A mead and scrabble night may be my only chance to win.

Tuesday 01/04/14

Went to the PubWatch meeting to talk about MapFest but never got chance to and then got told off for talking at the back. A very productive meeting. Had a much more satisfying meeting later with my friend Mark Appleyard, commercial lawyer and purveyor of fine vodka. Some very useful advice proffered about the ongoing record store saga. 

That evening found myself and the lovely Mrs. Aardvark at Mezze for Mark Kelly's leaving meal. Lovely meal and a nice touch in offering a free shot after the meal. A debatable touch in leaving all the bottles on the table and letting us loose on it. Full bottles of sambuca, lemoncelli and amaretto consumed had me inadvertently throwing a glass of water over Rob Dannatt as I demonstrated my worst children's entertainer in the world spiel, Mrs. A. tap dancing and Mark's occasional co-host Maddie insisting we went and did some drunken, live, guerrilla radio. Thankfully for once I was the sensible one. The night ended in an impromptu jam session at Cask Corner. I do love a banjo.




Wednesday 02/04/14

Started very slowly and never really picked up speed. Finally got my landlord to agree to fix my toilet after I flushed it and a tiny centipede came out the shower plughole. I'm sure I have a drowned centipede clause in my contract. Wednesday night found me at The Cask Corner Comedy Club with a very giggly Starsie from BBR who I'd promised beer in return for an EP. The EP has yet to reach me because my copy comes with a t-shirt apparently. I'm hoping they're one band who do fat b***ard size. I have a plethora of band t-shirts that I don't fit in.

Thursday 03/04/14

Off to Wolverhampton at 11am with Ian to see the original Quo. The Frantic Four are at it again. Had another run in with a train guard who insisted that our tickets that said Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton weren't valid on the Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton train. We offered to get off at the next stop (Wolverhampton) and start our journey again. He let us off. This once. It's OK though. I can NEVER go back to Wolverhampton. 

Got there about 1pm and started our now tradition of raising a glass as a toast with every pint we had. The list is as follows:

The Tap 'n' Spile (first pub we went in. They had no real ale so we said we'd have a Guinness to which the barman replied there's a real ale pub over the road. Great sales technique!)
The Grand Pasada (we were in The Posada and apparently The Grand Pasada is Al The Loon's favourite pub in the North East)
Simon The Barman (Barman in The Hog's Head who offered exceptional service)
Caroline (stand out Quo tune)
Football Grounds (We'd just walked past Molineux and realised how we both got excited at seeing football grounds)
Robert Plant (local hero who happened to be on the jukebox at the time)
Ageing Quo fans (they were many. All old and proud)
The Brummie Accent
I F***ing Hate Tribute Bands (mine and I cant remember why)
Tell Me If My Breath Smells (got chatting to a guy who's breath could kill at twenty paces and we both agreed we'd rather know if that was us)
James Toseland ( annoyingly talented rider/pianist/singer and good looking to boot who's band was supporting Quo that night. We stayed in the pub)
The Frantic Four
My Friend 
Rick Parfitt
My Friend

There were a couple more but neither of us can remember them. I had a moment prior to the football grounds toast as we walked through a subway where I got a kicking after a Wolves v Rovers game in the 80s. We won 2-0 though so sod em. Decided the subway would be cathartic. This was just before we got to our hotel. On reaching our room I found that my sofa/bed/mattress on the floor had no bedding. I went to reception to mention this where they gave me all the bedding I required. Not quite what I anticipated. 

Quo were magnificent. Forget all the chart nonsense from the 80s onwards, this was proper old school Quo who were, are, one of the best blues-rock bands this country has ever produced. Jim Morrison was a fan. That's enough for me. 

After the gig we ended up in a pub I'm not gonna name where something happened I'm not gonna talk about. Some of you know and it's the reason we made a surreptitious exit from Wolverhampton the next morning and why I can NEVER go back.

Friday 04/04/14

Breakfast in Birmingham. Don't go to the coffee house opposite Birmingham New Street station. It has the tag food with benefits. The benefit being you'll never get fat. £8 for a breakfast that was an insult to the pig that gave it's life for it.


 Back in Donny to the loving arms of Octavia with a gift I can't talk about (Yes all the stuff I can't talk about is related), then off to Sine FM Towers for Mark Kelly's final show. Mark has been a stalwart of Sine FM for over four years and has made The Home Run Show unique. In that time it has been my honour to break two world records with him and enjoy his company on the Strasbourg trip. He is a very dear colleague and more than that one of my best friends. His dulcet tones will be missed as will his larger than life personality. So a very emotional afternoon ended with Julie attempting to take photos of the roof of her mouth. As you do.




Home for a quick scrub up than out. Gigging again at The Leopard. Emma Jade, Famous Villains and The Dunwells. Seriously quality bill. Villains new song showed them going from strength to strength, and they were pretty strong anyway. The Dunwells are simply one of the tightest bands I've ever seen. Indie folk/rock at it's best. There's a reason they've been on the Jay Leno show. If they don't make it huge there is no justice. 

Back to Cask where I bumped into a mate I've not seen in 15 years and won't see for a while again as on Wednesday he starts his cycling trip to Australia! Then my nephew came in, now old enough to drink. A proud, if not ageing, moment. 

Saturday 05/04/14

Gigging again. John Power at The Leopard supported by The 48ks. The now tradition of failing to get out of bed on a Saturday continued and I was so late I missed The 48ks slot. Sorry chaps. Was a bit gutted about that. John Power - bass player with The La's (saw The La's back in the day - brilliant), singer with Cast (seen Cast twice - brilliant) and now solo artist (seen him solo once before - brilliant). So I was expecting something, well, brilliant tonight. Just didn't happen for me. It was all a bit flat and never really got going. I left early and it's very rare I do that at a gig. I was in the 24 hour Spar for midnight buying breakfast. 

Sunday 06/04/14

No radio today as I was gigging again. Quo again in Manchester. A much more sedate evening than Thursday! After the gorgeous Octavia Aardvark had made me bacon, myself and Ian drove over to Manchester Apollo. Ian drove, I looked at clouds. Support tonight was Wilko Johnson. I have to confess to being more excited about seeing Wilko again than Quo. With the frankly awesome Norman Watt-Roy on bass Wilko put in a stunning set. The trademark machine gun strut in full flow as Norman battered his bass into submission. It was epic. Quo were on fire again. The Quo that tour nowadays and are playing Donny Racecourse this summer are just a poor parody of The Frantic Four. Had they hung their collective hats up when they initially intended they would be British Rock Royalty. 

A quick thank you to JJ for babysitting Sunday's show. Seen the play list. A splendid job sir.

So that was my week. In a change of tradition tonight is Scrabble and toad in the hole night. Let's see if a warty amphibian can bring me more luck. 

Laters

SS

Wednesday 2 April 2014

DEXTERS Review Leadmill 29/03/14

Cards on the table: I love Dexters. From when I first heard Recover to the first time I saw them (Leadmill), to sharing Sambuca at Doncaster Leopard and Wakefield Warehouse 23 to sitting in a pub listening to Tom do his David Prowse as Darth Vader impression I love Dexters as a band and as people.

Not always a good thing when it comes to music. There's nothing worse than a band you love letting you down. (I'm thinking Waterboys and Room To Roam here). So with Dexters long awaited album due out on March 17th and live dates to follow it was a nervous time. Could Dexters follow up on their early promise?

I'm an idiot.

Of course they could. And them some.

Debut album Shimmer Gold is a masterpiece. From indie gems Recover, Start To Run and The Hard Way, to the simply stunning Springsteenesque builder that is Shimmer Gold to Can't Sleep (which shows Bombay Bicycle Club where they went wrong on their new album) it is one of the finest debut albums ever. The title track is worth the entrance fee alone.

Dexters live though have always surpassed Dexters recorded, for me the sign of a great band. If you can't cut it live then don't bother. Not only are they musically gifted they are also, well, just, fun basically.

In Tom they have one of the most charismatic singers on the circuit right now. 'Still with us Sheffield' he asks half way through. The responding roar is deafening. 'Have you heard of a song called Reco.....' He doesn't get to finish that sentence.

The set is all off the album with the exception of Nature Of The Beast. A song so good it means I won't have to be nervous in the build up to the second album. They open with Cloudfest. Tom sweating in his sheepskin coat but still the epitome of cool. Bass player Jamie on a speaker stack before the fall that I promised I wouldn't mention. (A late sambuca got him back up there), Ben defying his earlier statement 'I'm the rubbish guitarist.' The crowd are already in the palms of Tom's hands but the band just build and build. It's a moshing mess. 





Oceans ends the set, as energetic as the opener.


Dexters live is an experience everyone has to enjoy at least once. See them once though and you'll just want more. A ten song set list that is over far too soon leaves the crowd desperate for more. 

The future is Shimmering Gold

Set List

Cloudfest
Never A Right Time
They're Blind
Nature Of The Beast
Recover
The Hard Way
Start To Run
Shimmer Gold
Can't Sleep
Oceans

SECTION 60 Review and Interview. Sheffield Leadmill 29/03/14

Section 60 make no qualms about it They're a guitar band. As their website says, 'We are what we are and we ain't gonna change for any trends.' Their loyalty to indie guitar anthems is almost matched by their loyalty to Sheffield United. When they tie their collective flags to a mast they don't hold back.

What this Steel City 5 piece do though is write and play some of the greatest indie guitar tracks since The Stone Roses at their peak. Catchy, singalongs but with deep lyrics that always leave you wanting more. In Daniel Smith they have one of South Yorkshire's finest songwriters.

Two quality albums under their belt already it's live where these boys come to life. Again, lyrically leaving no holds barred, they open with The North Will Rise Again. You're immediately drawn in. Swirling guitars over Chris' impassioned plea of defiance against all that the North has stood firm against over the decades.

Elysium comes third in the set. Bit early for me. I see it as a natural closer. It's epic. It's not just my favourite 60 song, it's one of my all time favourite songs. It builds and builds.  Elysium = A state of great happiness. Sums it up really. The stage awash with dry ice, the crowd already a sweating, grinning mess. 

Reputation follows with the boys 'hiding their halos' in a mass Leadmill singalong. Both the band and the crowd are flying now.


Stop The World followed by the title track of their stunning debut album Is This Our Day In The Sunshine. I'd seen Section 60 probably 5 times before but this is the best yet.

And then it's Champions Of The Underdog and it's all over far too soon. I interviewed the band pre gig and we talked about the following they were building in places like Manchester and London. On this performance it wont be long before they're selling out venues all across the UK.

Set List

The North Will Rise Again
Dream Factory
Elysium
The World Doesn't Revolve Around You
Reputation
Stop The World
Is This Our Day In The Sunshine
A Way With Words
Champions Of The Underdog

Section 60 Interview

SS: I'm backstage at The Leadmill with Section 60, Sheffield's finest. Two quality albums under their belts, Is This Our Day In The Sunshine and Welcome To The Dream Factory, firmly established as part of This Feeling's rosta. Supported Courteeners in the past and Dexters tonight of course. It's going pretty well chaps.

Addy (guitar): Yeah it's going well for us. Finally. We've had a bit of luck with the football. Sheff United use our song Champions Of The Underdog. We've had a lot of people from the football starting to watch us in Sheffield, lot of hits online which has got a lot of interest in the band obviously with The Blades cup run. 

SS: Haven't Sky Sports picked up on it too?


A: Yeah it's been on Sky quite a lot. We've seen it on boxing and rugby on the Superleague show. A few other bits on Sky as well and it's been on 5live. Yeah it's been doing well for us that particular song. It's getting the name of the band out there.

SS: Speaking of football, excited about Wembley?


A: Yeah cant wait

SS: You going down?


A: Yeah we're all going down together in a minibus. 

SS: Good luck to you. So how does the songwriting process work for Section 60?


Chris (vocals): Smits the main songwriter though I got the idea for Champions Of The Underdog from reading Keith Richards' biography. He said something about The Sunday Times being the great champions of the underdog. I just picked up on that, it just leapt out at me. I wrote it down and we just built a song round that. 

SS: It works really well. It's like a Section 60 anthem but you're quite an anthemic band with songs like Elysium, The North Will Rise Again. As a live band you are quality, one the hardest working bands in South Yorkshire, you always seem to be gigging. Is it live that Section 60 really work?


C: For me it is. I don't think there's owt finer. I love just playing with the lads. There's nothing better than getting up on stage and putting what you do in the practice room out there. seeing people sing along. That's great . Going in the studio does my f***ing head in. It gets on my nerves.

Kyle (drums): It's a drag.

C: I just find it stressful. Don't get me wrong the people we work with are great, and to watch a song grow as the day goes on is brilliant...

SS: But it's not till you play it live that you really get the feedback


C: Exactly

K: It's the reactions

C: Yeah it's seeing peoples' reactions that I love.

A: I think the technical side to recording can be quite stressful. We like to play live and buzz off each other. We're a team and we work as a team. 

SS: As the newest member of the band Eddie how does it feel to be with these boys?


Eddie (bass): It;s great. Really enjoying it. Busy all the time, pushing the new song out. I'm loving it. 

SS: So obviously gigging tonight with Dexters, you're in Doncaster at The Social with Sunshine Underground on April 20th. What else have you got lined up?


A: We've got London again next Friday. 

SS: That This Feeling again?


A: Yeah. We've got a few in Manchester coming up. We've got a decent fan base now in Manchester. Probably on a par with Sheffield to be honest with you. We go down well in Manchester. Starting to get a little bit of a following in London. I think if you can crack them major cities then you're doing something right. This Feeling is a great night. 

K: Let's face it, London's not a massive fan of Northern guitar bands but when we go down we always get a great reception there. 

C: When we played This Feeling I couldn't believe how the crowd were just so into it. It was electric. After the gig we had people queuing up to talk to us. 

A: When we were playing for first ten seconds they weren't interested. After forty seconds we'd got em. It was on a par to playing a home town gig in Sheffield. It was great for the band. You need things like that to keep you motivated.  

SS: So Welcome To The Dream Factory came out middle of last year was it?


C: Yeah about May time.

S: We've talked about Champions Of The Underdog. Any other new songs in the pipeline?

C: We've got loads.

K: We're always working with new stuff.

C: But with Eddie coming into the band he's learning the older stuff but we're always writing, we've always got ides bouncing about.

A: To be honest with you I think we're gonna get these gigs out of the way, Eddie's gonna learn the back catalogue, which wont take him long. We feel as a band we're gonna move forward now. It won't take us long to get these new songs sorted. 

SS: I can't wait to hear em. Well it's always a pleasure chaps. Have a great gig and I'll see you down the front.

S60: Cheers mate.