The Pleasure Of The Harbour

The Only People Bleeding Are Us

2008-10-15T15:26:00.000Z

High Low, Silver Lining...

2008-06-05T06:47:00.014Z

I'm having a bit of a heart attack.

All the low lows, mid lows, lows, and high lows are all intact, thanks very much.

And even some low highs and high highs.

No problem there. In the bank.

At ease.

But that jumbo bucket o'guts staring at me from the corner of the harbour has been overflowing for a while now.

And I'm this close to giving the fucker a running kick.

This close.

It'd make me feel a whole lot better. Absolutely no doubt. But I'm also so very aware that I'm also so very likely, so very likely, to go slipping on my arse.

Maybe land on my bum and after the inability to exhale has passed, come round, a little bruised, wipe off the guts and move on.

But my boots are a little worn down, only fit for pootling around the harbour walls shouting at the gulls and my wallet isn't padded enough to cushion the fall, so I'm more concerned that I'm more likely to suffer a more undignified fate.

You know. Miss the bucket altogether and end up in the harbour.

Put my foot in the bucket and slide into the harbour.

Slip, slide, head into the bucket.

Into the harbour.

Slippity, slop.

Splash.

...

Who's Paying The Bill?

2008-01-23T10:40:00.000Z

Just wondering who's going to count the numbers attending the Police demonstration today?

As a rule, the Met normally cut about three quarters off the organisers' estimate.

Applying this criteria could mean that if 15,000 actually did turn up, they'd first give an organiser total of 3,750 and then the working Police would argue that only 937 turned out.

During the last demo I attended I overheard three of the Met's finest apologising to drivers stuck in traffic that "a bunch of students are blocking the road again". It was all so quaint and Eighties and especially funny as it was clearly they who were blocking the road with, er, police road blocks.

Ah, demonstrations, what memories: being penned into Oxford Circus for six hours under the Riot Act to prevent 'the possibility' of trouble; charged by mounted police while sat down eating a sandwich in Hyde Park; watching a Holocaust surviver having to clamber over a collapsed cemetery wall to escape a battening; charged by mounted police, from behind, while walking to our coach in Welling; and constantly being funneled individually through Police lines to be filmed and photographed for doing nothing but attending officially recognised protests...

I'm sure it'll be just the same for them today.

And what a pity, as if they're a little short-handed I'm sure there would have been plenty of ex-miners or maybe Toxteth and Brixton residents up for popping down and giving them a hand with the stewarding? It's their taxes that pay their wages after all...

Hmmm?

No?

Suit yourselves...

All The News That's Fit To Print?

2007-12-11T15:55:00.000Z

'Led Zep Storm London'
'TV Star Bites Homeless Man'

Another 4am Start...

2007-11-25T04:58:00.000Z

It's 5am and I'm being helped along with my early morning insomnia by a flagged-up but non the less it-is-5-in-the-fucking-morning brick filtered bass from a party next door.

I'm staying positive however (although Monday morning might prove another matter).

So how have I been whiling away the wee hours?

Eventually finished watching The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada!

I knew from the first trailer I'd love it and not sure how it took me so long to get round to watching it. All the right mix of Americana, male angst and road movie.

And Dwight Yoakam and Levon Helm anyone? Two really great performances - let alone Melissa Leo and Mr Lee Jones himself.

Here's Levon in one of his two scenes:

And Dwight Yoakam and Melissa Leo:

And here they are doing their regular thing:

The Band with The Staple Singers: 'The Weight'
(Levon's on the drums)

Dwight Yoakam: 'Intentional Heartache'

There But For Fortune

2007-11-21T07:59:00.000Z

I'm walking up Regent Street to work in the mornings lately. This week at 7.30ish. Just in time to catch sight of the homeless guys sleeping in the Posh Shop doorways.

It's a terrible cliche but I wander along with my iPod tinkling away, maybe about to spend £3.49 on a carrot and ginger smoothie thing or £1.79 on a latte or £2.20 on coffee and toast or £3 something on a bagel or nearly £6 on a pack of Marlboros.

I'm suffering a hangover from an unexpected night of 5 pints of £3 odd beer and a £1.89 sausage pasty thing and used a £14 rail-card. I'll spend maybe £4 on Boots sushi at lunchtime and a good chance of a couple more coffees.

I've got to get round to sending back a dud piece of £30 RAM to Crucial, pay an overdue NI contribution, a credit card bill, rent and swap a £13 CD at HMV.

And I saunter past these fellas in the doorways in the morning feeling little more than a passing anger aimed somewhere between Top Shop and Western Capitalism that soon fades back into the everyday background drone.

The frustrating thing is that I feel it doesn't frustrate me enough.

Slippery When Wet

2007-11-19T18:44:00.000Z

Ok, so in other train related news, what on earth is going on when a
train station built in the centre of London has to shut some of it's
entrances when it rains?

The ever lovely Charing Cross had a whole entrance closed and another
on some bizarre one-way system tonight because the floor was slippy.

Are we insane? Does this happen everytime there's a bit of drissle?
And how do you spell drissle?

Enquiring minds need to know. And yes, I am on the old iPhone on the
train.

Again.

Born Again Virgin

2007-11-18T20:18:00.001Z

Here I am sat on the 17.41 from Lancaster to Euston.

It's going to be just short of 11 o'clock when I arrive which seems
extraordinary when I could do London to Paris and back in the same time.

Still, god forbid they should do engineering works on a work day. Take
up everyone's leisure time as long as people aren't held up getting to
jobs they hate on a Monday morning.

Bah...

To be fair I'm probably a bit biley since my trip up in First Class
was quiet as could be. In fact I had a whole carriage to myself, was
fed and watered regularly and made it in under 3 hours.

The very reason I'd spent the extra.

Years ago, when I used the West Coast line on a regular basis I would
openly hiss and curse the First Class coaches as I pushed my way into
Standard Smoking carriages (that's right kids).

Now, with a bit of disposable income, (and credit cards are disposable
income, right?) I'm justifying the "just thirty quid more" based on
the horror stories of non-vehicled friends on Virgin Trains.

Well, as First is now exhibiting all the everyday nuisance that I'd
hoped to avoid, god only knows what Standard is like...

So, I sit here contemplating the classless society and enjoying the
man over the aisle struggling with a monstrosity of a Windows laptop...

I tap away on my iPhone and listen to the girl opposite, who I'd
vaguely flirted with earlier, say to her mate on the phone that she'd
see her AT SCHOOL tomorrow....

I listen to Richard Thompson from the Macbook as I've not got the
right earphone connector for the iPhone and refuse to use the Apple
ones, not out of any particular audio-snobbery (although that would
probably be justified) but because they fall out of my ears and
broadcast more music to anyone within 100 yards of me rather than my
own head...

And more importantly realise that this entire post is merely an excuse
to practice on the keyboard and show off my week old but still magical
new toy (forgot to put any witty bracketed comments in this paragraph).

Well, I'm off for thirty quids worth of complimentary shortbread and
to send this while I've actually got an EDGE signal...

Whoopee!

iWonder

2007-11-17T18:44:00.001Z

So, a few years ago (really, years) I mused that my purchasing of some
crazy PDA thing (m2000 anyone?) would increase the posts to this here
blog.

Which it clearly didn't.

Only time will tell whether the lovely iPhone that I'm sat typing this
on will have a more positive effect.

I've been spending a lot of time reading some great blogs of late and
feel I could at least attempt to offer something of worth.

However, the Cropredy Festival, aging heavy metal stars and the bloody
iPhone is all I can garner.

Well, who knows?

(see, exciting already...)

iBack

2007-11-17T12:01:00.000Z

Well it's been a while since I've popped down to the Harbour but as
I'm sat up by the West Lancashire coast and have my magical iPhone
with me, thought I might drop by and see how everyone's doing.

Alright?

Marvelous...

6 O'Clock. Where Did That Come From?

2007-08-23T17:03:00.000Z

My Body Is Made Of Sunlight

2007-08-23T12:39:00.001Z

Two Quick Things

2007-08-15T14:25:00.000Z

Ok, firstly - within 10 years alcohol's going to be treated like cigarettes 5 years ago and within 20 you'll see it being banned by local authorities, creating 'dry' counties.

It'd be ridiculous but it'll happen, I tell thee.

Secondly and in no way related - you wanna see how FaceBook will look when you're sitting having an Xmas Pudding Latte in Starbucks on your iPhone later in the year?

You wanna?
You wanna?

Go on then: make sure you're signed in, click here and resize your browser to iPhone size.

Whooee!

I am so excited, and I quite literally can't hide it...

iLaughed

2007-08-14T21:33:00.000Z

A Brummy Xmas Anyone?

2007-08-14T11:12:00.001Z

More info here.

From The Fairport Site:

2007-08-14T08:57:00.000Z

"Just a couple of weeks before Fairport's Cropredy Convention 2007, much of the festival site was under water. Yet by Thursday afternoon, it was sunshine that flooded the campsites on the meadows that had been lakebeds just a fortnight earlier.

The sun continued to shine, the rain even holding off during Friday evening when Richard Thompson took the stage in two sets lasting nearly three hours - his mythical 'rain god' personna evaporated in the balmy evening of Friday 10 August although, of course, his 'rock god' status remains undiminished..."

Much more here.

This Petition...

2007-08-13T14:07:00.000Z

...is quite funny.

Er, this.

Check out the signatures...

"Surely one of the events of the year"

2007-08-13T10:51:00.000Z

One field, two pubs, three mates, four-pinters of 6X.

And amazing music.

I've got an essay on the whole thing somewhere, but for now, Robin Denslow will do.

Cheers everyone

Can't Get Fairer Than That

2007-08-07T13:29:00.000Z

Founding member of Fairport get's hands on in the office and on the forums:

Bless 'em...

Mac, Shmac, What About Cropredy?

2007-08-07T07:09:00.000Z

Another good article here.

They've really gone all out on PR this year and it also seems that people are able to write about it without resorting to the usual 'beard and real-ale' cliches...

Well done everyone.

Googapple

2007-08-06T23:08:00.000Z

Apple's .Mac service is out-dated.

Google Apps (mail, calendar, docs, bookmarks etc.) work a treat.

Apple has a product launch at 6pm GMT tomorrow.

Google's personalised homepage is called iGoogle.

Apple boss says .Mac service is going to get an upgrade soon.

Andy says: If Google and Apple get together to offer web applications that backup and share all your stuff across any computer (and the, ahem, iPhone) on Google's servers but with an annual charge to put an Apple sheen on the front-end...

I'm writing the cheque now...

Oh Well, Adolf Liked VW Beatles

2007-08-06T11:06:00.000Z

Full picture here.

Cropredy Now & Then

2007-08-05T08:43:00.000Z

From 1983:

And from today's Observer:

Forget Glastonbury and Womad - the 40th reunion gig of folk's finest band is this year's hottest outdoor ticket

Next weekend, at its annual bash at Cropredy, Oxfordshire, Fairport, the inventors of 'folk rock', will host their 40th-anniversary party, a celebration of four uninterrupted decades of music of enduring quality, played through an inimitable narrative, all washed down with hectolitres of wholesome ale.

...the best weekend break in the world, on the site of a pivotal battle during the English Civil War. You can sit on a deckchair or lie on the grass. You can bring your mates, your lover, wife, husband, children or parents (grandchildren too, these days) and no one will nick your wallet - they get returned, full of cash, to the Lost and Found. Any football results that day will be relayed over the speaker system; you can eat sausages and try to win a signed violin in the raffle. I never saw any chemicals at Cropredy, the odd spliff maybe; but to say that this was an unintoxicated event would be prissy. The closest Cropredy gets to corporate life is a recent partnership with Wadworths beer, sold in gallon containers as well as by the pint. The next day, a Fairport XI takes on the village cricket team - 'Not always feeling or looking our best,' says Peggy.

- FULL ARTICLE HERE (very good it is too)

· The Cropredy Festival: 40 Glorious Years is this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

· Liege and Lief is rereleased by Universal Records, and the 4-CD Dave Pegg retrospective, A Box of Pegg's, is out on 14 August on Matty Grooves Records

'There Was a Manic Feeling in the Air'

2007-08-03T21:45:00.000Z

Good article on 'Liege & Lief' here..

Shiiiiitttttt!

2007-08-03T21:33:00.000Z

All Gone...

2007-08-03T20:02:00.000Z

Cropredy YouTube Extravaganza!

2007-08-01T13:17:00.001Z

Fairport Convention
Then

The Strawbs
Now(ish)

The Strawbs
Then

Iain Matthews
Then

Show Of Hands

Wishbone Ash
Then

Wishbone Ash
Now

Seth Lakeman

Sandy Denny

Going Fast...

2007-08-01T09:00:00.000Z

Again, from their website:

"There are VERY few tickets left for this year's festival. We cannot guarantee that there will be any available for purchase on the gate.

Before setting out to Cropredy if you haven't bought a ticket, please log on to this website to check whether or not we have sold out.

You may also telephone 01623 870668 throughout the festival for up to date ticket enquiries.

For those who have already purchased tickets, you'll be pleased to know that the fields are really responding to the glorious weather we have had this week. It is hoped that most, if not all, of the campsites will be open for business as usual".

Zane Lowe, Sweet Radio

2007-08-01T08:00:00.000Z

If you misssed it, I'd highly encourage you to head over and listen again to the last 15 minutes of Today this morning.

You'll find a very animated and intelligent Zane Lowe discussing, albeit briefly, the new Mark Ronson remix of Mr Dylan's 'Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I'll Go Mine)'.

A snippet of the track (and it's really good) can be found here.

Well done everybody.

And since I can't find a full version of it, here's Bob doing the Cohen brothers' classic 'Man Of Constant Sorrow' to tide us over:

Mr Earle's New Album

2007-07-31T12:59:00.000Z

The Original Unofficial Steve Earle Site:

From Billboard.com

Singer/songwriter Steve Earle will release his New West debut, 'Washington Square Serenade,' on Sept. 25, Billboard.com can reveal. The 12-track set was produced by the Dust Brothers' John King and features a duet with Earle's wife, Allison Moorer, on the track 'Days Aren't Long Enough.'

Also included on the album is a cover of Tom Waits' 'Way Down in the Hole,' which doubles as the theme song for the HBO series 'The Wire,' on which Earle stars. The Brazilian group Forro In The Dark guests on the track 'City of Immigrants.'

'Washington Square Serenade' will be available as a deluxe edition with a bonus DVD, including a walking tour of New York's Greenwich Village area with Earle and a behind-the-scenes documentary.

Earle, who is also writing his first novel for Houghton Mifflin, will tour this fall. A handful of shows are on tap so far, including appearances at Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival and Austin, Texas' Austin City Limits in September.

Here is the track list for 'Washington Square Serenade':

'Tennessee Blues'
'Down Here Below'
'Satellite Radio'
'City of Immigrants'
'Sparkle and Shine'
'Come Home to Me'
'Jericho Road'
'Oxycontin Blues'
'Red Is the Color'
'Steve's Hammer (For Pete)'
'Days Aren't Long Enough'
'Way Down in the Hole'"

Good Vibrations

2007-07-31T10:10:00.000Z

OhMiBod indeed...

Crikey Moses...

2007-07-31T09:23:00.000Z

...they're dropping like flies!

RIP
Michelangelo Antonioni
Ingmar Bergman
Laszlo Kovaks

Talk about the death of cinema.

The Thin End Of The Wedgy

2007-07-30T15:00:00.000Z

Smoking first.
And then..?

More Updates...

2007-07-30T09:04:00.000Z

The deluge which was forecast for Sunday morning fizzled out and the fields were spared another soaking. With a great week of sunshine ahead (so they say....) the fields can continue to recover.

The land owners and myself are still concerned about what several thousand cars will do to the ground however because no matter what happens between now and 9 August, the soil will still be quite soft underneath. It is now obvious that we must keep vehicle movement to a minimum.

PLEASE make sure you stock up with everything you need for the weekend BEFORE you arrive as we will be restricting vehicle departures from the campsites to essential traffic only.

I know that some of you like to go into Banbury to shop / look around but if you do, please take the bus from the Brasenose Arms. We need these fields next year!

Again, from the Cropredy website.

Ready, Steady, Cropredy!

2007-07-29T09:46:00.000Z

1. 'Tuesday Night Is Always Karaoke'
Anthony John Clarke
A Sideways Glance (2002)

2. 'The White Hare' (Digital-Only Remix)
Seth Lakeman
The White Hare (2006)

3. 'Morgan The Pirate'
Iain Matthews
If You Saw Thro' My Eyes (1971)

4. 'Country Life'
Show Of Hands
Country Life (2003)

5. 'One Miner's Life'
Bob Fox
The Blast (2006)

6. 'The King Will Come'
Wishbone Ash
Keeper Of The Light Live (2006)

7. 'Matty Groves'
Fairport Convention
Live Convention (1974)

8. 'Hero & Heroine'
The Strawbs
Hero & Heroine (1974)

9. 'Meet On The Ledge'
Fairport Convention
What We Did On Our Holidays (1969)

Bonus Tracks:

10. 'Da Doo Ron Ron'
Iain Matthews
Tigers Will Survive (1971)

11. 'Reynardine'
Show Of Hands
Country Life (2003)

12. 'The Hangman And The Papist'
The Strawbs
From The Witchwood (1971)

13. 'Dear Janet Jackson...'
Richard Thompson
Unreleased (2004)

Where It Might Have Started Going Wrong?

2007-07-27T09:58:00.000Z

ChickChickChick (HaaHaaHaa)

2007-07-27T09:29:00.000Z

Today's First Trailer

2007-07-27T09:18:00.000Z

One Strike And I'm Out

2007-07-26T14:50:00.000Z

I've posted more today than Postman Pat!!

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously though, Royal Mail management has to negotiate and I support the striking Pats totally.

Fraternally yours,

(I'm off to brave the weather for a haircut)

Cropredy Ready?

2007-07-26T13:37:00.000Z

Gareth Williams (on the Cropredy site) reports:

"Plans are still on track for this year's Cropredy Festival. I have been busy checking on the campsites and negotiating for new fields should any have to be substituted due to the flooding, but no firm decisions will be made regarding the campsites until the end of next week.

The waters have subsided throughout Oxfordshire and at Cropredy the fields are all drying out. With milder weather forcast we are hopeful that this recovery will continue right up to 9 August and beyond.

My thanks to all the local landowners for their advice and help at this difficult time. The ground has taken a real soaking and one worry we all share is that the fields may be damaged by the festival. To this end I would ask you to keep all vehicle movements to a minimum.

We have a cashpoint on site (Field 2), a wonderful bar and many food emporiums. Cropredy itself has two great pubs and John and Christine have stocked the Bridge Stores to the walls in anticipation of your arrival.

PLEASE bring everything you need for the weekend on to site when you arrive rather than making frequent trips to the supermarkets. The less traffic we have on the fields, the better their chance of recovery for 2008.

I shall be posting regular updates here on our website so please log on regularly."

RIP Laszlo Kovaks

2007-07-26T12:43:00.000Z

Aww, I haven't seen Easy Rider in ages.

Shame.

A little drink for you Laszlo...

What The..?

2007-07-26T12:30:00.001Z

Thanks To Mr Gibson (Not You Mel)

2007-07-26T12:15:00.000Z

Nearly Ten Past Two

2007-07-26T10:45:00.000Z

Posts have been a scarce commodity over here at the Harbour recently, but since I've actually got to do some actual writing for an actual real thing with an actual real deadline in about 4 weeks, I'm sure I'll be posting a lot more.

Joy.

Anyhow - since my cultural life seems to have become a rock-horror-folk three-way of late (although it was only anything much different one afternoon in 2002 when I went to The National Portrait Gallery) here's another trailer:

The Gods Bullocks

2007-07-26T09:31:00.001Z

Idea for the revival of the British Barbecue Western:

Shambo Must Die!

A small community of well-meaning idiots band together to protect their precious yet cancer-riddled donkey from a marauding horde of doctors from the future.

When the local sheriff bungles an attempt to oversee the slaughter the townsfolk are joined by nut-jobs the parish over to protect the stupid cow.

Only the arrival of an unelected, mono-syllabic madman, barbecue tongs in hand, stuttering "Shambo must die!" can bring the story to it's inevitable bloody finale.

Possible mini-series spin-off:

We follow the hilarious goings-on at the village of nearby Chokesbury who, when left to their own devices after the entire British Army are re-assigned to kill the foreign-sounding Shambo, slaughter each other over a bottle of Evian in a Tesco's carpark.

Before The Flood?

2007-07-25T14:13:00.001Z

Other than Brown stuttering through PMQs, announcing something to do with shooting anyone who buys a flight to Britain, and some tax-dodging petty-bourgeois idiots, BBC News 24 has reported virtually nothing but 'The Great Flood Of 2007' news since 9.30 this morning.

It's astonishing how much time is been devoted to this shit and although it's driving me mental I can't bring myself to turn it off...

In solidarity, I'm not going to drink any water until all the residents of Chokesbury get an outdoor swimming pool of Evian and a bumper pack of baby-wipes and amuse myself by doing what maybe fucking Auntie should be doing and reading their own bloody website.

Harrumph.

You Can...

2007-07-25T12:25:00.000Z

...er, shove your Mars Bar, mines a:

Lovely.

Trailer Triple Bill!!!

2007-07-24T14:01:00.000Z

'The King Of Kong - A Fistful Of Quarters'

'SuperBad'

'No End In Sight'

Behind The Wall Of Sleep

2007-07-23T18:09:00.000Z

Listen to this fucking song. What a fucking brilliant song.

Fucking brilliant.

All of them.

Sabbath fucking rule.

Thankyou.

Fingers Crossed

2007-07-23T12:18:00.000Z

From the Cropredy website:

Flooding is in the headlines. Western areas of the midlands have been badly affected, particularly the Severn Valley in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire and the Avon Valley in Warwickshire.

Cropredy is not in the worst affected area. However, it is in the valley of the River Cherwell and some of the fields used for the festival form part of the river's natural floodplain. Extremely heavy rainfall on Friday 20 July caused the Cherwell to overtop its banks. The flooding peaked on Saturday morning but by Sunday evening, the river was back in its banks and most of the floodwater on the fields had drained away. As the river level continues to fall, the fields will start to dry out.

Understandably, people who've seen photographs of the floods are asking how it will affect the festival. Don't panic! Most of the site (including the Concert Arena) is unaffected by flood water. And just because the low-lying fields beside the river are a bit squelchy at the moment doesn't mean they'll still be waterlogged in two weeks time. The land is free-draining and dries out quickly.

However, we are not complacent. We are monitoring the situation carefully and members of the team visit the site every day. Even if the weather remains wet, we have comprehensive and flexible contingency plans in place. Remember, the festival has been on the same site for well over twenty years and some of those summers have been very wet. So we've got lots of experience to draw on.

If the weather stays wet, we may have to use alternative fields for camping (as, indeed, we have done in previous years). You may be asked to be more frugal with camping spaces - for example, erecting a large gazebo beside your tent wastes space that could accommodate another pitch. We may also need to prevent unnecessary vehicle movements or ask you to take slightly longer routes round soft ground.

We are confident that the festival will be as successful as it has been in other wet summers. We may need brollies and wellies but we'll all enjoy three days of great music and that unique Cropredy vibe!

And Even More Exciteder...

2007-07-22T09:52:00.000Z

Mr Earle's new album is out in September - nice interview here.

Getting Excited Now...

2007-07-22T09:34:00.000Z

I Had No Idea...

2007-07-17T10:53:00.001Z

Official Site here

Can't Stop Looking At This:

2007-07-16T12:05:00.000Z

Bucket

2007-07-06T16:55:00.000Z

Look who's the compere on the Friday at Cropredy:

And here's the rest of the stage times:

THURSDAY
16.00-16.20 Anthony John Clarke
16.20-17.20 Kerfuffle
17.30-18.50 Wishbone Ash
19.10-20.30 Seth Lakeman
21.00-23.00 Jools Holland R&B Orchestra

Compere: Anthony John Clarke

FRIDAY
12.00-13.00 Hummingbird
13.20-14.20 Mad Agnes
14.40-15.55 The Demon Barbers Roadshow
16.15-17.15 Last Orders
17.35-19.05 Viva Santana
19.25-20.55 Show of Hands
21.15-22.05 Liege & Lief
22.30-00.00 Richard Thompson Band

Compere: Geoff Hughes

SATURDAY
12.00-13.00 Richard Digance
13.05-14.05 Give Way
14.25-15.45 The Bucket Boys
15.55-16.45 Iain Matthews
17.00-17.15 Presentations and Charity Draw
17.15-18.45 The Strawbs
19.00-20.00 Bob Fox & Billy Mitchell
20.30-00.00 Fairport Convention + Friends

Compere: Danny Thompson

OSX Tiger (Tiger)

2007-06-29T14:33:00.000Z

The (all be it unofficial) Mac Daily News is getting some real perspective on the days events in London...

4 Days And Counting...

2007-06-25T20:34:00.000Z

Friday iDay. Marvelous.

Please Welcome...

2007-06-24T08:25:00.000Z

The Richard Thompson Band live from Friday night.

Free stream from NPR.

Ready, Willing...

2007-06-19T22:27:00.000Z

& Disabled.

An Absolute Shower...

2007-06-16T23:42:00.000Z

From here comes this exciting news:

This year's Perseid meteor shower will be the most spectacular for years - and it coincides with Fairport's Cropredy Convention (writes Stevie Horton).

Over the weekend of August 11 and 12, hundreds of shooting stars will streak across the night sky. When the meteor shower hits the earth's atmosphere, a shooting star will light up the sky every few seconds.

The natural firework display results from dust and ice particles of the Swift-Tuttle comet. The grains of debris hit the atmosphere at 30 miles a second and become incandescent as they burn up.

A spokesman for the Royal Observatory confirmed that if the sky is clear, the meteors will be visible across the UK. "Go outside with a chair and a blanket and allow your eyes time to adapt fully to the dark," the spokesman says. "It's not essential to go somewhere remote."

The view will be best between midnight and dawn and it will get better as the night wears on because as the earth turns it will face towards
the oncoming shower. The show will be visible every night from about August 9 to August 15,
assuming the sky is clear, peaking during the last night of the festival.

The meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation of Perseus which is well above the horizon, towards the northeast: at Cropredy, that's looking from the stage towards the top righthand corner of the Arena Field. This year will look even more impressive because there will be a new moon. Viewing conditions won't be this good again until 2015, astronomers say.

You don't need any equipment to see the display but you should be as far as possible from lights. At Cropredy, this means you probably won't see anything from the Arena Field because of the stage lights and the illuminated stalls. But after midnight there should be really great views from the dark campsite fields if the sky is clear.

Good Riddance

2007-06-09T12:42:00.000Z

It's a shame he made it this far but this infamous prick has at last croaked at 84...

In case you don't know him from a great many songs or good old fashioned sixties-fetishizing check the NYT obit here.

Lovely fella.

Billy Blue Knob

2007-06-08T18:48:00.000Z

Saturday Night Fever:

BBC2 21.00 - Seven Ages Of Rock: 'Never Say Die: Heavy Metal'
BBC4 22.10 - Alice Cooper: Welcome To My Nightmare
BBC4 23.30 - Iron Maiden: Rock In Rio

The Seven Ages of Rock is even repeated on BBC1 on Sunday.

Marvelous.

A Triumph of Viral Marketing?

2007-06-07T19:11:00.000Z

Not A Lot

2007-05-30T20:59:00.000Z

It's been a bit spartan on the post front here at the Harbour.

I'd have apologised earlier but presumed I actually spoke face-to-face with any frequent visitors on an almost daily basis.

It comes to my attention, however that a few others actually drop in from time-to-time.

With this in mind (and the fact that a blog without any real opinion or content is a dire waste of pixels) I shall attend to some more thoughtful and considered posts forthwith.

Although not just now, as I'm popping for a drink.

Night Night

Thompson And Twins

2007-05-28T06:50:00.001Z

Got to be worth a pop out in the rain today.

Some reviews are here. The Sun is a little critical...

Happy 40th Birthday!

2007-05-27T23:48:00.000Z

Fairport Convention's first public performance was at Saint Michaels Church Hall, Golders Green, on 27 May 1967.

Video's Gonna Kill Me

2007-05-25T10:48:00.000Z

Dave, over at The Stabbing Robot, is getting all excited about Richard Thompson's new album on Monday and Cropredy in the summer.

And for good reason.

Just to add my tuppence worth, and in case you thought the Strawbs video was as 'how come I can't seem to round up many people to go with me to Cropredy' as can be, here's a couple of real early eighties treats:

And a much more respectable:

Speaking Ill Of The Dead (Belated)

2007-05-18T06:55:00.000Z

R.I.P.

But There's Nothing Wrong With My Feet...

2007-05-15T08:50:00.000Z

Here's the first of an occasional series of posts in anticipation of Fairport's Cropredy Convention.

They're celebrating their Fortieth and it'll be my first, after years of near-misses.

So here's The Strawbs from Tokyo in 1975.

Lovely.

Pants On Fire

2007-05-10T08:57:00.000Z

So much to say but so little enthusiasm to write it down.

If the last ten years is what democracy is all about I'm in for a troubled and angry existence.

According to my Death Watch widget I die in 25148 days, on 24th January 2076.

That's in 69 years.

The night this idiot got in the prospect of having 17 general elections ahead of me was very exciting. But it seems a pretty hollow prospect after the last decade.

The news-junkie in me is looking forward to the next few weeks, in fact the next couple of years. But the bigger part of me - you know, the part that makes you cry at the state of the world - isn't having any of it.

In fact, as I recall talking to both my Dad and his Dad about elections and the future and money and hope and dignity and justice and peace it seems we're just destined to go round and round in circles.

And part of me wishes it was New Years Eve 2075 and time for one last quick drink.

Thanks Tony.

The Only Places...

2007-05-10T08:35:00.000Z

...for a decent analyse of the Blair legacy are here and here.

Er, that's it.

Fact.

Maybe St Stephen Had a Point?

2007-05-09T09:42:00.000Z

Errol Morris and Miller Light

2007-04-25T08:57:00.000Z

These ads are great.

They make me want a bottle of beer, some good food and some manual work to do.

I think he's done some other good stuff too...

I'm Tired

2007-04-05T20:13:00.000Z

Anita Thompson over at the Owl Farm Blog posted this quote today and thought I'd repeat it here.

"I’ve never paid much attention to the Black/Jew/WASP problem; it strikes me as a waste of time and energy.

My prejudice is pretty general, far too broad and sweeping for any racial limitations. It’s clear to me – and has been since the age of 10 or so – that most people are bastards, thieves and yes – even pigfuckers”

Hunter S. Thompson, Fear and Loathing in America

Live From London

2007-04-02T13:00:00.000Z

An exciting announcement from EMI and Apple or a load of rubbish? In real-ish time, here we go...

Or just listen to the live feed here, I guess.

Eric Nicoli, CEO EMI Group:

He's made a joke

It's not an April Fool joke

There's going to be some music

Damon Albarn and crew - oh, and they're not webcasting that. Brilliant.

Oh, yes they are. Very nice.

The man from EMI said Damon thinks this announcement is '....... brilliant'.

The bloody AA man has just arrived - so er, this is getting cut short (not the announcement, just this 'commentary'.

Er, they're going to get rid of DRM I reckon.

That's it.

Thanks for calling by...

Let It Be?

2007-04-01T16:41:00.000Z

Get ready for Beatle-mania:

An EMI 'event' in London tomorrow with Steve Jobs as special guest.

No DRM on EMI downloads and chart madness to ensue very shortly...

Much Too Much

2007-03-30T09:22:00.000Z

Today I have, by any reasonable standards, very little to do and even less to achieve.

Thus far I've listened to Desert Island Discs, not done the first little thing I should have done and eaten two bags of Maltesers with a cup of tea.

And written this.

I'm now telling myself that after the BREAKING NEWS from Iran I'll have a shower and get off my arse.

I'm banking on using the 11.30 - 3.00 'kid's locked in school' window to get out, do the one 'outside' thing and get the fuck back. The rest can be done from here.

Amusingly, I've just been emailed by a 62 year old who'd like to go to Machu Picchu.

I can hardly get out the front door.

I'll keep you posted...

C.S.iPhone Mon Ami!

2007-03-27T19:28:00.000Z

Ok, so holy-fuckin' shit this is awesome dude. Seriously awesome.

(NB. You've got to let the stupid ad play and then click on 'Remapping The Universe' on the right...)

Mr Pogue at the New York Times hints that this guy is going to be involved with future iPhone-tastic multi-touch Apple craziness.

I am well-psyched.

Yes. Indeed I am.

Well done everyone.

Half A Century High

2007-03-27T19:17:00.001Z

'Shoot Out The Lights' by Richard & Linda Thompson was released 25 years ago.

It's nothing short of a masterpiece and I urge you to order it forthwith.

Here's the link to Scabazon (a union-busting bargain at £5.97). Or why not borrow it from a friend...

That is all.

Gordon Bennett

2007-03-21T13:43:00.000Z

Well, clearly this was always going to be an election budget.

And not just centred on the Labour leadership run.

It's a snap general election in the autumn.

He took 2p off income tax...

Honestly, Autumn.

It will be.

Seriously.

Serious.

Defo.

Yep.

'Lectric LP Shortly

2007-03-20T23:09:00.000Z

In the spirit of posts that do nothing but point at other things:

Released at the end of May. Details, as always, can be found here.

Adbra Cadabra

2007-03-20T09:49:00.000Z

Why don't we get these types of ads here?

Stabra Cadabra

2007-03-19T10:47:00.000Z

After your brief stop at the Harbour, why not pop over here.

Well worth it.

Sabra Cadabra

2007-03-12T09:01:00.000Z

So, just in case you didn't know, the Heaven & Hell tour started last night in Vancouver (Canada always seems to host warm-up tours for the US) and I'm looking forward to seeing them as they pass through London sometime in the summer.

And again, just in case you haven't being following this closely, Heaven & Hell is the touring name for what is essentially the Mark 2 line-up of Black Sabbath.

After Ozzy departed in 1979 they made the albums 'Heaven & Hell' and 'Mob Rules' with Rainbow's Ronnie James Dio. They were a return to form after what were generally considered a couple of lack-lustre late seventies albums with Ozzy after the fucking brilliant 'Sabotage' in 1976.

Although the line-up erupted in personal feuding ('Dio' means 'God') and the excellent Bill Ward was bouncing in and out on drums, the albums marked the last true high-point of a ground-breaking band and set the tone for a certain sound most famously echoed in Iron Maiden's galloping riffs.

And talking of high-points, which bitter Ozzy fan do you reckon was responsible for not cropping the bottom of this photo:

Anyhow, Dio re-joined for an album in 1991 and I met Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler outside the stage door at Manchester Apollo on that tour. I also got into the dressing room and met drummer Vinnie Appice and Ronnie himself. Which was great. And he is tiny but very friendly.

So there we go - it's going to be great to hear the Dio-era songs live again (they've got a compilation album out with three new tracks here and Ronnie's personal assistant's MySpace page is here).

Lest we forget however that nothing beats the 1969-1979 Sabbath, although I think 2005 was the last time I'll see that line-up live.

Bill's website is here and I reckon you'll be able to find Ozzy somewhere.

Cheers boys...

---UPDATE---UPDATE---UPDATE---

Pictures of the first gig are popping up here. I know you just can't wait to see them...

Two Soups

2007-03-04T12:12:00.000Z

The prolonged suicide of the Liberal Democrats continues apace.

Sitting here watching Menzies in Harrogate is painful - a bit like watching some old bloke who's wife has just died attending a stand-up comedy class.

This dire speech may have sounded great in the back of the Ford Focus on the way North but his delivery is nothing short of bloody awful. He's easily upstaged by the sign language guy.

Is calling for Blair to go and calling Cameron the new Blair the best he can do? Exactly how many sixth-Formers did that take to write? An 'Axis of conflict' phrase was about as interesting as it got. And that's not very interesting.

And he could hardly raise applause from his own conference floor - the little pauses where his bit of paper told him there'd be a laugh were instead filled by awkward silences.

The thing is - it's not his age that's really the problem, it's the fact that he acts it. So I'm going to start a campaign to get a new Lib Dem leader elected before the next General Election - and my money is on this guy:

He's older than Menzies but can hold an audience like an old pro and only needs one hand gesture to translate his opinions.

Ronnie James Dio for Lib Dem leader. All those in favour?

Man-Flu Over The Cuckoos Nest

2007-03-04T11:13:00.000Z

For those of you concerned by my terrible battle with an almost fatal head cold over the past couple of days, I'm glad to report that I'm feeling a lot better this morning.

Slept until 10 and had my first shower since Thursday.

And with Ming The Merciful's conference speech in half an hour, 'Allo 'Allo on this afternoon and some leftover curry in the fridge, it's going to be a great day...

Thanks for all your letters of support over this very difficult time but I'm now requesting some privacy so I can come to terms with the long-term repercussions of the last two days.

Serialisation inquiries should go direct to my agent.

Fist Past The Post

2007-03-03T21:25:00.000Z

Saw this on Barack Obama's site the other day and was interested in the pretty choreographed 'bending the arc' gestures.

Check it out:

Just long enough for a photo, not long enough to rock the apple-cart, an attempt at wooing the left and consolidating some Afro-American support away from the Clintons?

Kind of crude, but can't imagine any of our lot trying it.

Yet.

Dawkin TV Blues

2007-03-03T18:39:00.000Z

So contrary to my hitherto firmly held convictions, there is a God - and he's a spiteful son of a bitch, not to mention a fucking gymnastic enthusiast to boot.

There's been days when I've chosen to sit and watch back to back seventies detective shows instead of seeing old friends, but for two days when I'm genuinely house-bound there's been just less than fuck-all worth watching on the television - Rising Damp on ITV3 and Beverley Hills Cops III on TMF being the only morsels he could bring himself to throw me.

And just to prove that this isn't a secular coincidence the Freeview box is stuttering, the DVD player is busted and the broadband is playing up.

Clearly in the scheme of things it may not seem much, but as I sit here up to my red raw nose in tissues, full of a cocktail of Lemsip, Beechams, something called Aspo and just a wee bit of booze, I feel like someone's out to get me.

And I was Catholic long enough to know that nothing riles Our Lord more than asking him for frivolous things like good television of an afternoon.

Expenses Habit

2007-03-03T09:42:00.000Z

Wiped out with a nasty cold yesterday - all day in bed, head feeling like a football.

Not so much better this morning but at least there'll be a Rockford Files on, please God.

Seriously, if there is an interventionist God I'd like it to make sure there's a Rockford Files or a Columbo on this afternoon. And not the fucking 80's tele-movie Columbo, but the real good 70's ones. (Well, the late 90's ones aren't too bad, but if I've got the attention of some sort of God I reckon I might as well aim high).

You know what though, not one of the really generic Rockford's either - finishes one job, turns down new job, doesn't get paid from old job, doesn't understand why he's beaten up by two henchmen, takes new job because he's got no money and he's 'involved now anyway', unwittingly gets his Dad involved, thinks he's been doubled crossed by girl who approached him in the first place, wittingly gets his dodgy mate involved, realises the girl has been a little untruthful but for the right reasons and anyway she's wearing those tight 70's nylon flares.... er, then eventually he doesn't get paid, not even his bloody expenses.

You know what, I don't mind actually, as long as it's not the Columbo with the crazy Architect guy - it's good but I've seen it a million time recently.

How about the Johnny Cash one?

Huh?

Anyone?

Size Doesn't Matter

2007-02-27T09:07:00.000Z

A stream of the new Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio track, 'The Devil Cried' is here.

Oh go on, you'll enjoy it.

Yep

2007-02-13T13:33:00.000Z

to you...

We Report, You Decide

2007-02-11T18:51:00.001Z

Well, here we go.

Super.

RIP Benjy's

2007-02-05T10:09:00.000Z

With the sad breaking news of Benjy's going bust (if you thought the poor sods on £2.30 an hour looked miserable normally, check out Bond Street Tube branch this morning, it's like East Berlin in 1987) here's a picture of their van.

Goodnight and good luck.

Brooker Hates Macs

2007-02-05T10:07:00.000Z

Charlie Brooker has a lovely rant against Macs here.

Past Tense

2007-02-03T10:33:00.000Z

Just sat watching Blair making some speech to a Labour Party 'policy forum'.

This may not be the best way to spend a sunny Saturday morning (although having spent Friday night watching The Two Ronnies it may be a step forward) but it's noticable that Tony Blair has begun to speak about himself and Prescott in the past tense.

It's the same tactic as his 'apology' over Iraq. Don't actually say anything, just keep on saying that you have.

And it's palpable that every time he makes a speech, his next sentence might be his standing down announcement. Especially since in Prescott's preamble he basically said there'll be a leadership election in 'the next few months'.

Hmm...

Oh, and he's just used the old "Take the Lib Dems for instance.., no really, you can take the Lib Dems" joke.

Well done Tony.

So it's going to be an interesting year for UK politics, especially if there's a snap General Election in the Autumn, followed by a blinder in the States in 2008.

R&M

2007-02-02T20:33:00.000Z

I feel old.

This is brilliant and is both 'years ago' and 'only yesterday'...

RTMP3

2007-02-02T19:14:00.000Z

Oh, the frequency of posts here is pitiful at the moment.

So once again, and in lieu of any real blog action, here's a link to a free Richard Thompson MP3 from his new album 'Sweet Warrior', out in May:

'Dad's Gonna Kill Me'

Not only great to hear the Mr Thompson Band, but as 'Dad is to Baghdad what 'Nam was to Vietnam a little bit of politics too, ladies and gentlemen...

"Procrastination...

2007-01-14T21:15:00.001Z

... is the deferment or avoidance of an action or task and is often linked to perfectionism.

For the person procrastinating this may result in stress, a sense of guilt, the loss of productivity, the creation of crisis, and the chagrin of others for not fulfilling one's responsibilities or commitments.

While it is normal for individuals to procrastinate to some degree, it becomes a problem when it impedes normal functioning. Chronic procrastination may be a sign of an underlying psychological or physiological disorder.

The word itself comes from the Latin word procrastinatus: pro- (forward) and crastinus (of tomorrow).

The term's first known appearance was in Edward Hall's Chronicle (The union of the two noble and illustre famelies of Lancestre and Yorke), first published sometime before 1548. The sermon reflected procrastination's connection at the time to task avoidance or delay, volition or will, and sin."

@Wiki

Slack Babbath!

2007-01-13T10:27:00.000Z

I Phone, You Phone, I Want an iPhone

2007-01-12T15:28:00.001Z