The Moan Drone

I just watched the immensely disturbing yet uplifting movie that is Donnie Darko once again. Frank and the bunny mask, the time tripping and Grandma Death. That Tears for Fears cover is also quite brilliantly executed by Gary Jules and so much better than the real thing. There wasn’t much else I could do. I did have plans to spend the day recording and capitalising on some free time what with Chris being away in an Ashram getting silenced and subverted by wiry Krishna types in the middle of the Welsh nowhere zone. Instead I’ve endured a day of technical tragedy. The apparent disc drive destruction on the digital 8 track [it’s a Boss BR-8 if anyone has one I could borrow do get in touch] resulted in me spending the afternoon getting all kinds of advice in shops and online to try and sort the problem but it’s still knackered. On top of this my CUBASE keeps crashing so I can’t use that either. It wouldn’t be so bad if I wasn’t about to redo vocals for tracks that I’d planned to dump onto my mates Mac next week in the endless pursuit of the beautiful b side. I’m starting to think there are forces at work affecting these things what with the recent studio disasters, don’t think I’ve ever had such technical troubles so bad. Sorry to whinge on so, lets move on. On Wednesday last I did the coffee bar acoustic gigs at Mangeto in the company of lunch-time legal eagles and press boffins. Decent ordinary people also turned up. The sound was strictly au natural which was great during the first set in a half empty bar but soon it was packed and all those bodies absorbed so much of the sound it was impossible to hear the quieter stuff so I ended up over playing to compensate. Still I hacked away and had a good time even though the journalists covering the Liverpool Festival of Food [my original reason for being there] were nowhere to be seen. Still I enjoyed it and I think it went down OK. Juliet the proprietor was most charming and considerate and I might just repeat the experience towards Christmas in some of the other branches. There is something quite challenging about playing in places not typically set up for the job. I was put in mind of some gigs I did a couple years ago in the Uglyman days for the Borders Bookshops chain which were some of the most easy-going and enjoyable gigs I’ve ever done. Good news is that we have a new keyboard player, his name is Ben Knott and he looks like Jesus on Drugs [only messing Ben!!] which is a good thing. Rehearsals are stepping up a gear, relevant inspiration factors boosted, the tour just around the corner, and while I think about it, The Magnetic Fields play Manchester tomorrow night; I just hope there are some tickets left, VPx

Wonderstuff and nonsense

Funny how I seem to be the only person I know who loves The Wonderstuff, people I ask seem indifferent and invariably none plussed. It's not just a Birmingham thing, though that's a part of it, still I seem to be going back to them more and more. To me they still sound fresh and vital and thrilling and clever and cool. Mission Drive from their Never Loved Elvis album does it for me every time; such a surging whoosh trippy folk happy fuck you little monster confessional to cherish. I love the out of phase guitars and the shearing electro-folk violin, Miles Hunt so bruised and bleeding in that sneering bugger you anyway style he made his own. Didn't he, doesn't he, or perhaps it's all just in my head and mine alone? Answers on an e-post-it please. On a similar theme of fandomania I'm just finishing some lists; soon my top 20 movies, records and psychiatric hosptitals will be available for all to see. I don't know whether people read such things, I do but I'm hardly Terry the Typical? Anyway, the compiling was fun yet fraught with indecision and re- evaluation as it should be and I'm still working on the definitive article. It'll take a bit longer to be sure I'm sure. Men do lists so that's a relief. My girl tells me I am very much in keeping with my stereotype. My mother named me Alan because it was popular at the time, so I became a show off, all be it a part time one which is another story and I'm too tired to tell you. On a different tack I wanted to thank Tim from Whisperin and Hollerin [thanks Tim] www.whisperinandhollerin.com for writing a very fine retrospective review of the GONE album [1998] which I've just added to the site. Not having listened to it for ages, as you don't, I was suitably chuffed. 'GONE' is still available via the site but only just as I'm down to the last box of 25 and those dear old folk at Shadrack and Duxbury are unlikely to reissue it in it's current guise. Not until they recover the missing postage money... apparently. Which brings me on to Billy Liar...again and again and again, for which make no apologies, VPx

Maid in Heaven

Hey lets confess for a change...I managed to elicit some choice homophobic cat calls from some Liverpool workman aka workies due to my innocent parting shots, it's my gay wave apparently. Thanks for the warning Mr Doyle but seriously that's their problem, not ours. Next time I think we should just kiss and take it on the chin like real men. Not sure where this ones going, not sure I'm ready to come out just yet, still you never know, Pete and I do see a lot of each other and are currently planning a Vinny Peculiar coffee shop tour of Liverpool, it just needs a bit of ye olde coordination. Yesterdays radio session on the Lard aka Mark Riley show was a blast, OK so you were probably watching the football but for the record we played I work for god, 2 Fat Lovers and Jesus Stole my Girlfriend. Thanks to all the people who sent in text requests in to the show, many of whom we didn't know personally so much appreciated. The BBC bar was full on footie crazy between songs where we had several few shandys and some terrible canteen sandwiches with frozen cheese filling, all to do with the cooler apparently. I'm often taken aback in radio world at the speed of the questioning hence my never heard of him response to Mark Riley's Morrissey question, needless to say I have heard of him [flippant bugger that I am] and should anyone care I was/am a big Smiths fan, but less enamoured by the Morrissey solo stuff. Futhermore tonight of all nights Be Bop Deluxe play the Academy here in Manchester and I will be there, reliving my youth and probably day dreaming about my first love who shared a passion for Bill Nelson and recalling the day I visited her in Leicester where she was a student having carried a huge cardboard promotional globe [advertising the Modern Music album]that I stole from Birmingham Odeon the night before in a vain attempt to woo her [she was seeing someone else]...my heart cracks a little every time I think about it, Maid in Heaven indeed, cant wait,VPx