January leaned heavily towards crime and murder. That was very much on purpose. Murder is my thing. In books, obviously. So, it probably won’t shock anyone that most of what I read involved somebody not making it to the final chapter. On paper, it was a decent start to the year: six books, 1,880 pages, which works out… Read More »
There’s always a theme. This month it was Favourite 90’s Album. The club was still at Bryn’s, but this time in his new record room. Same people, same arguments, just different seats. The decade did the heavy lifting and the opinions did the rest. Coxy – Ill Communication by Beastie Boys (1994)Coxy opened proceedings with noise and intent.… Read More »
Exactly one year to the day since I last saw them, back when Neil, Hammy and myself did the 100 Club. Great for my numbers OCD. This time it was Colchester Arts Centre, which is a former church. Always a good sign. High ceilings, echoey walls and that faint feeling you’re about to be judged by someone who’s… Read More »
Talking About It vs Doing It Before anything else, I should say this. Once again, my wife Katie has been fully supportive of this madness. Her only concern is my weak knee, the one I smashed up a few years back when I came off my bike because the Port of Felixstowe forgot to put salt down when… Read More »
ON THIS DAY – 5 January 1976Bob Dylan – Desire Released fifty years ago today, Desire still feels like one of Bob Dylan’s more reckless decisions. And I mean that as a compliment. This was Dylan swerving hard when most people would have played it safe. No easing you in. No gradual transition. Just a sharp turn and… Read More »
ON THIS DAY – 23 November 1970Cat Stevens – Tea for the Tillerman Fifty-five years ago today, Cat Stevens released Tea for the Tillerman. I was seven months old at the time, so my biggest achievement that year was probably not being sick on anyone. Meanwhile, Cat quietly put out one of the most enduring albums of the… Read More »
Some years slide by without leaving anything except a couple of receipts and a hangover. 2025 was not one of those years. This was a year of gigs, chaos, rail disasters, pints that tasted like regret and friends and family who turned every trip into something worth remembering. Music mattered, but the cast around me mattered more. As… Read More »
Norwich UEA – Saturday November 15th Another gig with Jimmy, another adventure derailed by public transport. Tickets were booked, trains booked, plans made… and then the dreaded Rail Replacement announcement. The rattler from Felixstowe rolled into Ipswich a full ten minutes after the coach to Norwich had departed, which meant only one thing: two pints in The Station… Read More »
By the end of the eighties the football comic was on its last legs. Gary Lineker’s Hot Shot was meant to be the rescue act. Big name on the cover, slicker paper, a bit of shine. But this was issue 14 of what ended up being just 28 before it quietly merged into Roy of the Rovers. I… Read More »
Nine pence. That’s what Saturday cost.A walk to the paper shop, breath in the air that smelt like chip fat and damp leaves, and there it was – Roy of the Rovers. Thirty-odd pages of glory, mud and moral certainty. Cover – “Racey’s Rocket!” Roy in full flight, red shirt flashing, a blur of hair and optimism. Racey’s… Read More »