Synapse shot to the minds ear #2

The Fall - Spoilt Victorian Child

Spent the past Saturday at a wedding in Cardiff. Reception was held in the apparently 5 star St David's Hotel on Cardiff Bay. Spent the entire time, while decimating the buffet supplies (this in addition to the sit-down dinner), with Mark E. Smith's drawling cycling around my bonce.

Not sure what to make of it. Guess I may have been trying to keep it real in the face of all the luxury. Not sure how MES helps with that though. 'Do They Know It's Christmas' may have made more sense. Tisn't the season, I guess.

Had hoped the wedding band, the Classic Soul Dogs, might include 'SVC' in their repertoire, but sadly was not to be. Needless to say they were roundly booed from my quarter.

Had to get my freak on to 'Mustang Sally' instead. No problem with that, of course, but not quite the same as getting loose to a particularly perky Steve Hanley bassline.

Man's eyes flow out water, salt water

Well, we've plugged the Autons Wedgewood Rooms show with the Magic Band enough in advance.

Now read all about the doin's at Between The City And The Deep Blue Sea.

Cuban Boys are BACK!

Seems a week for it, those happy hardcore novelty munchkins the Cuban Boys, always a favourite in the VP villas (particularly for forcing a profoundly irritating tune into the Christmas Top 5 and calling it 'Cognoscenti vs Intelligentsia') have returned with a typically vivacious tribute to the great John Peel.

Download 'The Nation Needs You' here.

Visit www.cubanboys.co.uk to catch up with the pesky f*ckers.

16 Bronsons are BACK!

After a hiatus of about 4 years, the band I managed (not particularly well, I grant) for a year or two at the turn of the millenium, are back.

16 Bronsons, one of the most energetic bands it has ever been my pleasure to witness, were respected throughout the Portsmouth 'scene' for going beyond the punk yardstick, particularly with their epic tune 'Temper Trip' which was sadly never recorded back in the day.

It may well be now though as the band plan to go back to the studio.

Really excellent news.

Visit their new site here - 16bronsons.blog.co.uk

Gimme dat old time religion.

Speaking of the Captain (as per last post), good luck to the assembled Autons, whose support slot with the Magic Band occurs this Sunday. If you can, I urge you to go and support these 3 amazing fellas, and stay around for the Magic Band.

I saw the Magic Band in Liverpool this past weekend and, if you need any more convincing (and shouldn't), my review of their amazing set is the first item to appear in the work-in-progress net pages of Vanity Project #15.

I am just gutted that I cannot make the 600 mile round trip to Portsmouth to see Autons for the first time, and another chance to catch messers French, Lucas, Boston, Whalley and Traylor. The distance would be no problem, but sadly this weekend I am elsewhere. In fact I am hooking up with my old chum, Sheep, my old compadre from our days opening the batting for the Warblington school cricket team, to scoot to Chester-le-Street for the first 2 days of the 2nd England v Bangladesh 'test'. This may be enough time to catch a result, if we go on the first encounter.

After that it's back down to Old Trafford to catch Lancashire playing our boys Hampshire in the Totesport league. The weather forecast is boding well for all 3 days, which is always a risk when you plan these things months in advance.

And you never imagine it'll clash with as important a gig, as I have previously described here, as well as above.

Synapse shot to the minds ear #1

Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band - 'Smithsonian Institute Blues'

Currently the centre of Liverpool is undergoing large scale improvements in preparation for being the Capital of Culture 2008. This is known as 'the Big Dig'. Massive signs proclaiming this are up around town including outside my work building. Can't knock a bit of the Captain playing in the internal jukebox each morning.

Bands say the darndest things

Summer last year, after one of only about 3 harsh reviews Vanity Project has dolled out in it's time (and several hundred total reviews - it takes a lot to really rile us), I got the following message from the band concerned...

"Thanks for the really shite ?????????? writeup - can`t understand the vehemence (it wasn`t a review - it was a tirade), but in all probability you`re yet another miserable failiure of a musician turned wannabe hack. However irrelevant your burblings - I took`em personally, and my razor`s singin` your name into my ear daily. We`ll meet soon. I`ll rewire your little head."

I had already decided to pull the review anyhow as it didn't fit in with VP's 'supportive' policy, but the email did make me flirt with republishing it with a debut right to reply feature. The wannabe hack thing is fairly old, if probably accurate, but it's the threat of a slashing that really makes it stand out from the crowd.

It appears they have forgiven me though as today they sent me another mail out

"Hola Chacho`s Y Chiquita`s - I got`s another ??????????? cd fo` review - can you please snd me a contact address!"

My waste bin's been singing a particular tune recently, I think I've just worked out the lyrics.