Summer in the City

Was that too predictable as a title? Well, it's been hot today, hot Hot HOT!

And I had to wear a dratted tie and (can you believe it) shoes (for the first time in weeks). I've been in sandals for weeks now and I really noticed the difference. I think it was something like 32C today - it certainly felt it.

Vidjos...

I picked up my S L A D E 'Wall of Hits' video from the post office this morning and I've just watched it, seeing the Lords of Noize strut their stuff on my hooj telly! Wow! It was well worth the wait, seeing them young and brash and loud again. If only there was a video or DVD of them live on stage, that was their real element, working the crowd and striding across the stage, music booming out of the speakers. I would've liked to have more videos from 1972-73 included, but they may not have made any for those songs.

They introduced each video with some anecdotes or memories of what it was like for them at the time. Don's was particularly sad for 'My Friend Stan' which was just after he got out of hospital after the car crash, his forehead still scarred. It ends with the video for 'Radio Wall of Sound', with Jim on lead vocals and all them in big hats.

I need a proper retrospective, music and image, including some of the excellent 'B' sides. Maybe one day, but for the moment I'm happy with my video!

Since I so rarely have the video wired up I've also taken the opportunity to watch my Buffy Sainte-Marie promo video of 'The Big Ones Get Away'. It's a beautiful video, with Buffy talking about the song and album before and after the video. I love the image of her reaching up for the crescent moon and wielding it like a knife to protect her man. What a lovely lady she is.

"Don't the wars come easy, baby, but don't the peace come hard."

Phew ....!

That's another working week over and I didn't quite get round to clearing what I'd meant to do on Monday. That gets tiresome after a while. Maybe next week... I need a holiday and I really mean *need*.

37 items up on eBay, mainly old videos I'm selling as '2 for 1' - if they don't sell this time it's off to the local Oxfam shop with 'em (or maybe the bin).

The good news is I'm getting luckier in buying S L A D E stuff on eBay (or maybe I'm just paying more). Not only did I win the auction for the 'Wall of Hits' video but I've just won the 'Slade in Flame' novel! I read it in 1974 so I'm looking forward to a good re-read.

It's All Too Beautiful...

Sorry, but I'm listening to M People at the moment before putting the CD up for sale on eBay ... I got high... I touched the sky... It's all too beautiful...

The joy of today (other than surviving an e-crime meeting at the Home Office) is that i won a S L A D E video on eBay - I'm always outbid on S L A D E items on eBay so I'm delighted to have won the video! It's the only 'official' video release of S L A D E hits so I'm happy - who's to say if there'll ever be a proper retrospective?

Spent seemingly ages this evening putting stuff onto the eBay turbo lister for sale in the 5p listing sale on Thursday. Let's see if it works... I have so many old videos to get rid of ...

I have been awarded the singular honour of being a linked blogger with the Princess Dawn of the Crystal Palace, aka Right Nasty, aka redhairedqueer. She has so many names. I'd do the same but I've got no idea how to do it. Keep it simple is my motto!

Been reading the David and Leigh Eddings book, 'The Elder Gods'. It starts off being intersting but soon becomes the standard banter about killing people that made 'The Belgeriad' so interesting and novel. The current book seems to just rely on the same litearary tricks rather than going anywhere new. Which is a shame. Would've been nice to have a different take on a new world rather than the tried and true old techniques being brought to bear. Still, I'm enjoying the book and will probably get the second book when it's available.

Rain Rain Go Away ...

It rained this morning
It rained this afternoon
It rained this evening
... and it's still raining ...

The ground needs the rain but can't we at least get through August before autumn starts? Pretty please?

A dribbly, damp day, started late and finished late. Been working on my website but still not quite satisfied with it. And I still need to come up with an idea for page 5 - a miscellaneous photos page might be useful but it wouldn't really add anything to the overall site. Need to get my thinking hat on.

Been reading about John Lydon's new CD & DVD due out in October - 'The Best of British £1 Notes' - a compliation of Pistols, Public Image Ltd and solo stuff. There's a great track list to both CD and DVD and really looking forward to it. Click on the album cover art for details.

A Sunday laze ....

Well, here's another post - who'd've thought it? I usually give up doing things a lot quicker than this. Anyway, where was I....

Oh yes, the Scissornanas. Bananarama were excellent with some very energetic dancers in tow, only sang 5 songs but they included 'Robert De Niro' and 'Venus' so I was happy. All songs had the same booming 'boing boing boing' beat (that always reminds me of that Run DMC song from yesteryear) which was a shame - would be nice for them to do a thing with a band rather than a backing CD... But they were great nonetheless.

The Scissor Sisters were excellent too with Jake and Ana working the audience really well (although Right Nasty, who was down on the dancefloor, tells me her bad language was a touch on the hippy side compared to how vicious it normally is). I thoroughly enjoyed them and liked most of the new songs. Odd to think that I got their album the week it came out (as a present from Christopher) and it's taken this long to see them live.

After a lazy day yesterday, I'm having another one today (well, that's what weekends are for). Possibly shopping with Chris later this afternoon - the DVD+RWs I got the other day don't work for some reason, the burner keeps rejecting them, so I'll try some DVD+Rs instead.

I might also download and burn some CDs. My S L A D E fetish is increasing and so many of their records are no longer available, but iTunes has some for download so I should probably get them before they're deleted. There ought to be a proper retrospective of S L A D E, both on CD and DVD, so I might have to start a campaign ... I'm bidding for the 'Wall of Hits' video on eBay but I always seem to be outbid for S L A D E items of eBay. And I still have the joy of Noddy Holder's autobiography to read (I'm saving it).

Major problem is that S L A D E (or rather Slade2 led by Dave and Don) might be playing either Croydon or Tunbridge (according to the website, looks like it's an either/or kind of thing) on 9 December which, of course, is the same night that Steve Harley plays Shepherds Bush. A quandry indeed. I'm rediscovering Steve as well at the moment and two of his CDs arrived from Amazon on Friday ('Pyschomodo' and 'Timeless Flight') and it was a joy to hear them again after maybe 20 years... Will need to think this through....

And I must do some work on my fledgling website - a couple of the pages don't look very good at all. Then I can add links. Life is soooooo busy!

Day 3 and my 3rd post in the little brother house ... withdrawal symptoms anyone?

Another day at work (blah blah blah) but I've got the excitement of a meeting at ODPM tomorrow - since it's summer and hot then I will still, of course, still go in short sleeved open shirt and sandals (and trousers of course). It's too hot to be too formal.

Anyway, I'm off to see the Scissor Sisters and Bananarama tomorrow night so I need to be suitably dressed. Scissornama as they've come to be called...

Been playing round with my website this evening and added a photo of Kelly Holmes, a great hero and lovely person.

And here's a photo of me in Florence - yup, real Florentine pavement and pidgeons in the background!

I was full of cold at the time having stood for about 3 hours in the wind-tunnel that is the queue to get into the magnificent Uffizi Gallery the day before. It was worth it (but next time I'll book a ticket in advance).

First post... Numero Uno ... um ...

... and that's probably an end to the humour (if that's what it is). From here on in, direst seriousness.

Today I held a gorgeous baby called Charlotte. She seemed to enjoy the taste of my finger and hand and knawed away at me with great pleasure, dribbling on my hand and happily gurgled away while staring at me with those big blue eyes. She didn't poo on me or be sick (although she christened the carpet in my office shortly after I handed her back to mummy).

Currently listening to one of my favourite albums - 'Tropical Brainstorm' by Kirsty MacColl.