AVFC Rule OK

Not everyone who's anyone who might just happen upon Vinny Peculiar is aware that I am a born and raised and lapsed and re-engaged Aston Villa fan. As kids we went to every home game from age 7 until 15. The Holte End was eventually abandoned in favour of TREX and girls and then PUNK ROCK and women, usual stuff; years were spent in a world of sporting indifference. It's only in the last five years or so that I have returned to supporting the club with any amount of passion. This is part of the story behind the new single Replica Shirt, the story of returning to roots, to the rediscovering of self. The song also tracks a father daughter relationship and the shared joy of football rituals. So imagine my delight when I get a call from Andy Woods, S&D's Radio Plugger, who informs me that he's made contact with the press team at Villa Park, they like the song and want to run a feature in the programme. Not only that but they will play it at the next home game [Leeds 7th Feb]!! Well, I don't think I've felt as proud as this in all my life. Never ever in all my life. So come next weekend I'll be in the Trinity Road Stand, just like before, half an hour before kick off, probably in tears, hugging my daughter and just feeling glad to be alive. See you there.VPx

Spell chucker

Thanks to everyone who reminded me that compare should have been compere with a sqiggley thing above the e. This recent update-email-error provoked a response from far and wide. Now I feel duty bound to make similar mistakes in all future communications. Thank especially to Bob McGraw from the local Aspergers Society, it's good to know you care. The new VP band is taking shape as rehearsals commence next week for the tour. Once again we're in CRASH Studios in Liverpool. The plan is to do some of the tour shows with the band and some solo. The logistics of this are currently being juggled around and around and around. More on this to follow. It's exciting to be playing with a band again, childishly so, though we still haven't found a drummer. Neil Carter, regular VP drummer, is on family sabbatical so if you know of anyone who might fancy it tell them to get in touch. . There's not a lot of cash in it, the hours are long and you'll be away from home for what seems like an eternity. On the bright side a couple of us have counseling certificates, should you reach the brink of a nervous breakdown. Thanks be to Mike Butler from City Life Magazine [the Time Out of the north] for his inspired 8/10 review of Growing Up with VP in this months publication which has been added to the reviews section on the site. Do check it out do. Also added to the site in Filmography a few choice moments in the life and times of yours truly, make of them what you will and let me know do so, VPx

Radio Radio

Old enough to remember the Elvis Costello classic para subversive Radio Radio single? His dig at the bland and sorry state of the airwaves way back when ...1979 or something, with radio in the title all the stations played it, the DJ's didn't have a clue. I still love Elvis Costello, last time I saw him, for the encore, he switched off the pa and sang opera. Now it takes a certain something to pull that one off. Meanwhile I'm doing an interview and a couple of live songs this Sunday evening [18th Jan] on The Dave Monks Show at KCR Radio 106.7 FM so tune in and turn on do. Mr Cooke has been out and about all day here in Mancunia flyposting the next Kitchen Sink Disco at The Star and Garter on 30th Jan, which features yours truly on compare duties, The Hector Collectors, Neil Anderson plus a DJ set by the one only Andy Rourke, so do come on down and get your old Smiths vinyl signed by one of the real fab four. VPx

News

Solo acoustic tour dates now confirmed with others in the pipeline, once it's all sorted I'll add to the site gigography. >20th Feb - Manchester, Star & Garter >21st Feb - Edinburgh, Caledonian Backpackers >26th Feb - Bath, Moles >27th Feb - Leeds, Hi-Fi Club >28th Feb - Liverpool, Cavern >3rd March - Rhyl, Blood & Lipstick @ Blu >4th March - Winchester, Railway >5th March - Cambridge, Portland >6th March -London, Spitz >7th March - Leicester, Musician >9th March - Birmingham, Coel Castle I'll be doing several of these gigs with London blues angst singer/writer Helene [formerly of barefoot Contessa] www.helene.org.uk her current album POSTCARD is staggeringly heartfelt emotive and raw and well worth checking out. Here in disorderly life central in a vain attempt to sell my sordid soul I do a shout n pout photo shoot in a pretty little Manchester pub called The Knot with the all star American 'Candy Girl' [and I don't mean that rude]. Dan the king of photo shopping will be on hand to remove the red eye and other unfavorable blemishing. More good news...[surely not! ] I have an ALMOST FAMOUS feature in the reputable award winning UNCUT magazine which comes out in the March 04 edition, the interview was conducted by Manchester based journalist Sarah-Jane who has written nice things before about VP; at this rate I'll be on top of the pops come next Christmas. On a more somber note Grahams funeral passed off with great dignity and spirit and entirely without God [which was inspiring in itself],so many heartfelt tributes to a wonderful man indeed, VPx

Closure

Graham died on Christmas day. Jamie rang me to inform just moments after my last post on this site, a great release and yet such a great loss, cancer as ever the most ferocious monster. My thoughts go out to his family, Slajana, Ceiron and Jamie and to all his friends. He will be missed by so many. I first met Graham at Calderstones Hospital in the early 90's and sought refuge [as many others did] in his office sanctuary to discuss the relative merits of Messrs Brautigan, Kerouac, Ginsberg, Bukowski, et al. [Ok we did some proper work also but...] Graham was inspirational, he inspired people to check out the margins, he was like a walking dictionary of pop-lit counter cultural cool, he got me into loads of literature/musical stuff, Johnson, Fante, Childish, Corso, Magnetic Fields, +++ not forgetting Beat Scene the Coventry based beat generation magazine [my subscriptions overdue but its on the way Kevin I promise] as well as supporting my own muso/poetic endeavors [no matter how futile they seemed to me]. Graham was a marvelous antidote to the depressive inertia of the creatively moribund, he helped people believe in themselves no matter what and I consider myself truly fortunate to have been his friend. It was Graham who introduced me to the Blackburn/London indie-band collective tompaulin whose debut album 'The Town and The City' I co-produced with Rob Ferrier in 2001. Graham loved tompaulin with a passion that was positively inspiring [and occasionally irritating] though we forgive him the enthusiasm of the proud parent [I've been there myself with my daughter]. I vividly remember with great affection the night we went to see Ianthe Brautigan at Manchester Waterstones reading from her book 'You can't catch death', the look on Grahams face when she started reading, she sounded just like her father, and there we were, this group of Richard Brautigan fans, soaking up the words and feeling something, something unique...something beautiful..something very Graham. Grahams death leaves us empty, it's premature and it it sucks... still I know who my moneys on to win the heavenly pub quiz....Graham Melia, I will miss you, RIP, with much love, Alanx