Chemically Clean and More Bollocks

From a pharmaceutical point of view, I'm the cleanest I've been in years. And it feels odd.

I've stopped taking the painkillers/anti-inflamatories that I've been taking for the last 14 months, stopped taking the synthetic morphine, not even a paracetamol since Friday. And no alcohol for two and a half months. I've had no pills (other than my diabeatnik-related ones) for two days now and it'll probably be another few days until the chemical remnants are fully out of my system. I've felt a bit strange all day and I can't really describe it. I thought that maybe my blood glucose was playing up but it's not (it seems under control for the first time in ages). It feels odd though. What's that old Ian Dury song about wanting to be straight?

Is this how the rest of you feel all the time?

Never Mind The Bollocks!

Mr Lydon's Army Of One site reports some important news:

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ Virgin Records are releasing a series of stunning limited edition vinyl reissue replicas. The Sex Pistols first four classic 7" singles – the only singles that really matter – will be released one a week throughout October; followed by the legendary ‘Never Mind The Bollocks... Here's The Sex Pistols’ LP.

'Anarchy in the UK', 'God Save The Queen', 'Pretty Vacant' & 'Holidays In The Sun' will be issued in heavy-weight paper sleeves featuring all the original iconic artwork. ‘Never Mind The Bollocks' will complete the series; issued – just as it was originally released on October 28th 1977 – with the one-sided 'Submission' 7" single and 'NMTB' poster. It's the proper bollocks!

Release Dates:

Anarchy in the UK / I Wanna Be Me - October 1st

God Save The Queen / Did You No Wrong - October 8th

Pretty Vacant - October 15th

Holidays In The Sun / No Fun - October 22nd

Never Mind The Bollocks - October 29th (with Submission 7" & poster)

I never bought 'Anarchy' when it first came out so I'll make up for it this time round. But gosh, 30 years is a long time...

More Bollocks

As I've said before, fans have responsibilities as well as the joys of fandom, so I dutifully went to HMV after work to pick up the CD single of Maximo Park's 'Girls Who Play Guitars' (the CD also has a bonus track not available for download). In I go, happy-go-lucky and looking forward to a bit of a browse when I notice they've got the barriers up and crowds are filling the aisles near the stage... o bugger, there's a band on!

I scurried over to the singles section beside the stage and luckily the Maximo's single is on the 'public' side of the barrier so I grab a copy. Phew!

Shortly afterwards the band appeared. They're Japanese and no-one mentions their name and I'm not interested enough to look it up. They're loud and presumably 'experimental' or something. Wailing guitar and wierd synth sounds backed by relentless drumming. OK. Radical. I could well image some of the manga-esque kids there thinking this would scare their parents but really, it's not that new. As I left I thought they sounded a bit like Can on speed. Do young people still speed?

Now, I might think they're shite but I'll defend their right to be shite if they want to be. And I'm pleased that HMV stages these little promo gigs - I've seen the Maximos and Buzzcocks at HMV after all. So good on ya's for being brave enough to get up on stage and do your thing and good on HMV for hosting it. Just don't do it when I'm shopping for new releases, ok?