Rangy Manatee

crack park

2011-07-16T12:11:00.002+01:00

An evening in crack park, enjoying a last can before accepting we are too tired to giggle at our wit any more. A man came off his bike in slow motion, landing softly on the dark grass at a hilarious velocity, the opposite of speed. We mocked him jovially, suggesting he probably walk his bike the rest of the journey. Home? Where was he going, diverting through crack park at a late hour? We were

Bill Callahan - St Georges Church, Brighton, 19/08/09 Review

2009-08-19T01:20:00.008+01:00

(Image found at smahut.com/BlogQuenelle) On the way to St George's Church this evening on an impossibly warm summer's night (one we feel we're owed), wearing my new canvas sneakers from Shoe Zone, clutching

Young, Marling and Me, an epic

2009-06-06T15:11:00.005+01:00

American drawl: “Hey if you guys need anything, just let me know. Anything, really, I'm your man.”Polite wavering English voice: “Umm, yeah we were wondering if we could get a beer or something?"American: “Done, no problem. That it?”English: “Yep, I think so.”American “Ok guys, whatever you need yeah?”English: "Yeah thanks a lot. Man."The American was Neil Young's tour manager, Elliott. A

My tiny little world

2009-01-05T13:48:00.001Z

Too much time has passed, too many of my old posts start in a similar vein but here goes. Of course, I am spurred on by a bit of enforced spare time while holidaying in the Isle of Wight and a nostalgic jaunt through a few old posts. As I chuckle to myself, secretly enjoying my own distant wit and find myself wondering exactly who it is/was who writes/wrote those old rambles I get my tenses

Postcard from Israel

2008-09-21T09:05:00.002+01:00

I'm in Israel! What's been going on?I went to a great wedding. The English/Israeli thing worked a treat. We had all the traditions of the hebrew celebration, with the English non-Jewish Martin getting to stamp on a glass; an enormous buffet dinner to satisfy even the most petrified of Jewish women that I might be starving to death; and dancing with wild arms to 80s pop. But then we had the

when you've been to the army

2008-09-12T20:11:00.003+01:00

when you've been to the army, it really changes you, you know like I used to live with two guys, and they both, you know, they hadn't been to the army and when we need to clean the place, they're saying let's just pay the two hundred, get someone in to do it. and when you've been to the army you don't want to spend money that you don't need to. you can clean the house

Pinch and a punch

2008-03-16T21:29:00.005Z

Coming down from a four day hangover, I realise that I am still somewhat prone to dangerous bouts of excitement. On my 25th birthday party, I found myself accepting the kind offers of drinks from all my friends. At some points the drinks were lined up as if forming one long continuous booze funnel. Within about half an hour I was prancing about like a pickled idiot, gibbering and giggling like

Excuse me sir

2008-03-08T10:53:00.004Z

While walking through the food market in Brighton, a woman walking towards me said, bold as brass, “hey love, do I have bird shit in my hair?”I looked at her, quite an old dear, with pulled back white hair, scrubbing a bit of tissue at her scalp like a squirrel.My initial image of a large dollop of black and white goo seeping down the side of her face, like some kind of aged adult movie star, was

Brighton Pebble Museum

2008-01-29T20:36:00.000Z

Click here to see more from the Brighton Pebble Museum

Bar Bad Nobbery

2008-01-11T14:45:00.000Z

Yesterday evening was one that will have me cringe and giggle in equal measure for a while to come. I was booked to play a paid ‘busking set’ at a posh bar in Brighton. I played here before Christmas and had a lovely time. However when I arrived last night, to a bar of three old men, the manager was understandably reluctant to pay me quids to entertain just that old trio. I sat, had a

BOOZY CHILDREN TREATED IN CASUALTY

2008-01-11T00:26:00.000Z

…was today’s newsstand headline on the Argus stand. My vision: A hospital ward at midnight. I imagine rabbles of children clutching bottles of yellow Reef. Surrounding them are laughing men and women in green cotton suits - the doctors and paramedics - uncorking champagne and going ‘waaaaaaay’ when it makes the big pop and fizz.Their smiling parents, comfortable on the accommodating

Ring of mummer

2007-12-23T19:04:00.000Z

Last night played host to the most memorable and enjoyable of evenings. Graeme Walker, artist, country and anarchic architect pulled together a bunch of lunatics to perform a mummers play for the unsuspecting (and frankly undeserving) Brighton public. For those who don’t know, a mummers play is an old folk tradition; a bawdy riot of a play performed at Christmas time in houses and pubs

A Wight Off

2007-12-21T00:05:00.000Z

My the writing has escaped me. I am trapped in a never-ending cycle of delusory excuses, half-finished recording sessions of lonesome musical diatribe; time spent idly scratching the surface of the internet, searching for mythical and well-paid jobs whilst generally trying to keep on top of the mounting piles of matter that seem to accumulate in inconvenient piles directly in front of any part of

Therapy Broadcast

2007-11-10T14:28:00.000Z

See my blog entry entitled 'Therapy'. It refers to Graeme Walker's two hour performance in The Harkers Building in Newcastle. Myself and Adam (along with Graeme in the first clip) played drums, guitars, loop pedals, glockenspiels and organs along to his live exploration of disappointment, despair and rejuvenation. Here are two excerpts of the performance. The sound quality is unfortunate, but

Fireworks, more fireworks! Ahhhhhhh!

2007-11-05T08:59:00.000Z

It’s morning and it’s Monday. Spaz-eyed and zombie I made the brisk walk to work through the frosty bright glow of the parks.Yesterday was a busy one at work. Just myself manning the phones while the whole of the UK’s cats and dogs decided to take themselves for a fireworks-based adventure. You’d think people would know that it’s remarkably difficult to explain to even the most intelligent

Jog on...

2007-10-31T20:44:00.001Z

Today was rather full of event. It was payday at the Gifted Sluts Office. I had my marching orders all but rehearsed. I was sure they would deny me my bonuses and any commission I was owed. Given that I’ve already taken a pay cut by moving from sales to reunification (I earn no commission here now), I had built up a pre-emptive stock of righteous indignation to unleash upon the management

Animal Assembly

2007-10-30T20:46:00.000Z

Last night I walked the long and winding Brighton streets with Effie to St George’s Road to enter a house of the Lord. Inside was around 400 of Brighton’s finest, ready to face a weird situation. Animal Collective in a church.I’ve been to Church gigs before. I’ve watched many a priest rock his sermon on the pulpit. I’ve witnessed countless boys choirs sing their little hearts out for the

Crumbs and a baking tray

2007-10-28T03:52:00.001Z

You find me fidgety and awake. Is it two or three am? The clocks are changing. I’m listening to the music of Akron/Family. It is uplifting and positive and beautiful. It soars above cynicism and criticism. It is good. And yet what is going on? I am dreadfully awake. Hot and bothered. The heating has been on too long and I collapsed into bed far too early to be able to remain

Registrate

2007-10-23T12:16:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was painful. Groggy and unwashed, I dragged myself up the hill. The same hill I watched Alistair McGowan drag a suitcase up on Saturday night. I had felt that he should have taken a taxi. Perhaps he was nearly there.I sat by my desk, struggling my way through the slow dribble of admin. My desk is positioned by the front door. Everything that I may or may not be doing on my literal

Hail to the brief

2007-10-23T12:14:00.000+01:00

This morning I listened to the new Radiohead album on the way to work. The Pitchforkmedia review pointed out an interesting thing – that the days of shared excitement and enjoyment of a new release are well behind us. When was the last time the entire ‘indie’ community got excited at the same time about a new album? One could indeed imagine thousands of people across various demographics

Pissing net mureau

2007-10-21T15:57:00.000+01:00

The days go marching on. Today I sit on this beautiful bright Sunday, farting into my cords, watching the shadows change by the Nissan Micra parked opposite. Today the office is empty. Only myself to deal with the dizzying admin involved with the re-joining of wayward animals to their bureaucratic owners. I check the inbox. Registration emails. They stack up by the minute. Hundreds of

The what?

2007-10-20T20:48:00.000+01:00

Yeah. The blog has taken a turn for the unproductive. I wish I was strong enough to allot that necessary hour per day to write, but it seems I am not. This particular hour is being paid for by the company I work for. I’m somewhat reluctant to mention it by name as my boss is the kind of paranoid freak who records all phone conversations, doesn’t allow internet access and is in the process of

The Sea Summons

2007-08-23T20:07:00.000+01:00

Brighton is unfolding; teasing my senses and taking my money. I am slowly exploring the city and the sea.I find a youthful jukebox airDancing bears in pantsClose shaves with bus wing mirrorsEndless rubbles of discarded televisions and stereos,Beyond repair through insistent rain and wind damage.I spend my days now in a roomStrip lit and drafty,Speaking casually to callers about the implicationsOf

Therapy

2007-06-27T23:28:00.000+01:00

I've just returned from the Harkers Building, providing music with Adam for Graeme Walker’s evening art performance. The title: Therapy. Having spent four months preparing a month-long residency in the space, he was told one day into the project that it wouldn’t be permitted. Fire regulations.

Hoof!

2007-06-27T02:33:00.000+01:00

Everyone said they were coming to Deerhoof. All my friends. As it turned out, no one that had actually told me they were coming, came. I even cancelled a headlining Nachmi gig at the Head of Steam in order to get myself to Sunderland to see one of the most inventive, original bands kicking around. So there I am on the Metro by myself, venturing to Sunderland on my tod, when an incredibly wired

"Dude!"

2007-06-10T14:53:00.000+01:00

Recently I have noticed that people call me dude. When serving drinks at the bar, “thanks dude.” On bumping into someone in town. “Alright, dude?” When playing music in the streets. “Duuuuuude!” Dude? I

2007-05-14T11:33:00.000+01:00

Tonight, I am appearing on a live two hour music radio show, Bearbones Radio.www.bearbones.netEnglish time, 8-10pm. Do tune in and listen. We plan to play pretty much tirelessly for two hours, incorporating Nachmi classics, unheard songs and extended explorations into sound.

Oldham and Academia

2007-05-13T12:52:00.000+01:00

I spent over five hours yesterday in university, sweating; remembering the physical effort required to maintain concentration and follow ludicrously convoluted speech.I attended a symposium on aspects of music and Will Oldham hosted by Lars Iyer and William Large.The first discussion by Pete Dale entitled 'The Shape of an Event' led to the most maddening and esoteric discussion. His lecture cast

Old Joy

2007-05-11T11:34:00.000+01:00

Having received a phone call from Hal practically demanding that I come down to see Old Joy, I made the pilgrimage across the bridge to the new location of The Tyneside Cinema. The reason I got the phone call in the first place is because country-folk-rock jack of all Will Oldham plays a lead role, and Hal is aware of my rather exuberant passion for all things Will. Talking in giggles and punchlines. Continuing ironic disdain. Red wine first. Then whisky. Cheap cheap whisky. Enlarging our throats and slapping them with dirty fire.