o
v
e
r
y
o
u
r
h
e
a
d
.
.
.
|
|||||||
|
| |||||||
|
Crawling through technology, life and love Contact me: hotmail home 
Listening: Playing: Pool Paradise - GC on Wii iTuning: Podcasts - Chris Moyles, Mark Kermode and Stephen Fry Reading: All Bits and Bobs: Wish List Gerry's Lyrics Pop Quiz Minipops Quiz Sites I like: Marc Almond Top 40 Singles News IMdb The Register Hacks Recent GBlogs Arsenal FC Some blogs I enjoy: bboyblues2000 bitful blogadoon brainsluice chig groc minkered scally sparky troubled diva Books recently read: Time Out Guide to Havana (and Cuba) And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks - William S Burroughs and Jack Kerouac At My Mother's Knee ... and Other Low Joints: The Autobiography - Paul O'Grady Star Maker - Olaf Stapledon My Booky Wook - Russell Brand When You Are Engulfed in Flames - David Sedaris Then We Come To The End - Joshua Ferris A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon The End of Mr. Y - Scarlett Thomas I Never Knew That About London - Christopher Winn The Arsenal Miscellany - Adam Gold Young Hearts Run Free: The Real Story of the 1970s - Dave Haslam Magical Thinking - Augusten Burroughs Veronika Decides To Die - Paulo Coelho Time Out Guide - Amsterdam Lillian's Story - Kate Grenville The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins Schott's Original Miscellany - Ben Schott Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J K Rowling A Gay History Of Britain - Matt Cook Time Out Guide to Madrid Time Out Guide to New York Kingdom Come - J. G. Ballard The Hours - Michael Cunningham Mutants - Aramand Marie Leroi A Young Man's Passage - Julian Clary Growing Pains - Billie Piper The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath Wild Swans - Jung Chang Highbury: The Story of Arsenal N.5 - Jon Spurling Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins - Rupert Everett Affinity - Sarah Waters Lighthousekeeping - Jeanette Winterson Tipping The Velvet - Sarah Waters The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini Of Human Bondage - W Somerset Maugham Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier Lucky Man - Michael J Fox Labyrinth - Kate Mosse Fingersmith - Sarah Waters The Night Watch - Sarah Waters The Pedant's Revolt - Andrea Barham The Republic Of Trees - Sam Taylor Written On tbe Body - Jeanette Winterson Untold Stories - Alan Bennett The Plot Against America - Philip Roth Read All About It - Max Clifford The Folding Star - Alan Hollinghurst Thursbitch - Alan Garner Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim - David Sedaris Staying Alive - Matt Beaumont The Bookseller Of Kabul - Asne Seierstad Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince - J K Rowling A Short History Of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson Count Karlstein - Philip Pullman The Shadow Of The Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood The Spell - Alan Hollinghurst The Double Life Of Daniel Glick - Maurice Caldera The Smoking Diaries - Simon Gray Straight- Boy George Digital Fortress - Dan Brown Deception Point - Dan Brown The Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith Angels and Demons - Dan Brown Sydney - Time Out Guide Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood Eleanor Rigby - Douglas Coupland The Scarecrow and His Servant - Philip Pullman Tha Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky Planet Simpson - Chris Turner The Line Of Beauty - Alan Hollinghurst Barcelona - Time Out Guide The Closed Circle - Jonathan Coe The Clerkenwell Tales - Peter Ackroyd Copenhagen - TimeOut Guide The Butterfly Tattoo - Philip Pullman The Broken Bridge - Philip Pullman In Search of the Pleasure Palace - Marc Almond Brick Lane - Monica Ali Vernon God Little - DBC Pierre Last Exit To Brooklyn - Hubert Selby Jr You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers Touching The Void - Joe Simpson Life Of Pi - Yann Martel Istanbul - Time Out Guide Millennium People - J G Ballard The Duchess Who Wouldn't Sit Down - Jesse Browner Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland Eats, Shoots and Leaves - Lynne Truss The Wind-up Bird Chronicle - Haruki Murakami Our Man In Havana - Graham Greene The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - Mark Haddon Lyra's Oxford - Philip Pullman Doran - Will Self Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides the book, the film, the t-shirt - matt beaumont High Society - Ben Elton Man And Wife - Tony Parsons I Was A Rat - Philip Pullman Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix - J R Rowling Great Apes - Will Self Barrel Fever - David Sedaris Round Ireland With A Fridge - Tony Hawkes Close Range - Annie Proux The Third Way - Anthony Giddens dot.con - John Cassidy The Salmon of Doubt - Douglas Adams One Hit Wonderland - Tony Hawkes The Thief Lord - Cornelia Funke The Corrections - Jonathan Franzen The Cloud Sketcher - Richard Rayner Keane: the Autobiography - Roy Keane A Wasteland of Strangers - Bill Pronzini The English - Jeremy Paxman How to Lose Friends and Alienate People - Toby Young Dead Famous - Ben Elton The Amber Spyglass - Phillip Pullman (again) The Subtle Knife - Phillip Pullman (again) Northern Lights - Phillip Pullman (again) The Bear and The Dragon - Tom Clancy 101 Reykjavik - Hallgrimur Helgason Forward The Foundation - Isaac Asimov Carter Beats The Devil - Glen David Gold The Tin Princess - Philip Pullman Atonement - Ian McEwan The Tiger In The Well - Philip Pullman The Rotters Club - Jonathan Coe Generation X - Douglas Copeland Perfume - Patrick Suskind All Families Are Psychotic - Douglas Coupland The Shadow In The North - Phillip Pullman No Logon - Naomi Klein The Dirt - Motley Crue Miss Wyoming - Douglas Coupland The Amber Spyglass - Phillip Pullman The Subtle Knife - Phillip Pullman Northern Lights - Phillip Pullman The Ruby in the Smoke - Phillip Pullman The Sandman - Miles Gibson Blood and Gold: The Vampire Marius - Anne Rice The Actrocity Exhibition - J G Ballard Shameless - Paul Burston Sing Out! - Boze Hadleigh Brilliant Orange - David Winner New Boy - William Sutcliffe London - Peter Ackroyd Wonder Boys - Michael Chabon One For My Baby - Tony Parsons How To Be Good - Nick Hornby White Teeth - Zadie Smith Lust - Geoff Ryman Tulip Fever - Deborah Moggach Dead Souls - Ian Rankin The House Of Sleep - Jonathan Coe A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers What a carve up! - Jonathan Coe The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon The Grapes Of Wrath - John Steinbeck Heartwood - James Lee Burke Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson Man and Boy - Tony Parsons The Map Of Love - Ahdaf Soueif e - Matt Beaumont The e Before Christmas - Matt Beaumont  
Archives: September 1971 February 2001 March 2001 April 2001 May 2001 June 2001 July 2001 August 2001 September 2001 October 2001 November 2001 December 2001 January 2002 February 2002 March 2002 April 2002 May 2002 June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 December 2009 January 2010 
|
Friday, June 30, 2006
Moby Dick! The Musical... Last night Michael organised tickets for us to go and see Moby Dick! The Musical at the Pleasance Theatre in North London. Lovely lighting.The staging was rather am dram to be honest with awful sound but a spirited performance by the 25 strong cast: think X Factor auditions, think Girls Aloud wannabes, think "I wanna be on the stage, Momma!" And for some bizarre reason everything was performed with an Amercian twang. The plot, such as it was... In order to save their bankrupt and dilapidated school, the girls of St Godley's Academy for Young Ladies decide to put on a musical version of Herman Melville's classic novel of Captain Ahab's search for the great white whale, Moby Dick. A highly comic, satirical romp through this age-old mariner's tale ensues, full of witty double entendres and a wonderful variety of musical styles such as 80's pop, 50's doo-wop, gospel, Gilbert & Sullivan, sea shanty and opera. Great to see everyone though and we did have a giggle. Thursday, June 29, 2006
Euroshame 2006...Despite not really enjoying it last year (too hot, too dark, too empty) I think I'll give Duckie  The Coronet / Saturday 1 July / 8pm - 4amOn Gay P**de night Duckie present a Eurodisco were everything is for sale. Punters collect their wad of pink euros on the door and SPEND SPEND SPEND at the common market. The Annual Festival of Homosexual Misery presents 25 international artists in 25 installations as the new europeans turn the Coronet into a post-gay (F)unfair. It’s a nightclub. It’s a market. It’s a rip-off. Now in it’s 11th GREAT year Duckie’s Gay Shame is designed by Robin Whitmore, hostessed by Amy Lamé and soundtracked by the Readers Wifes. Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated? Austria Belgium Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Poland Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden The Netherlands United Kingdom The Coronet 28 New Kent Road, SE1 Elephant & Castle tube 1 minute Tickets priced £15 (about 22 euros) in advance in person from The Retro Bar or on the door on the night (if any are left). Pet Shop Boys At The Tower... Last night David took Pano, Stuart and I to see Pet Shop Boys at the Tower of London. Well, not exactly 'at' the Tower, more like in an open air concert in the moat. In was all part of the Tower of London Music Festival. The support act was Lorraine - a half-decent Norwegian electro-trio who wore black. With a black background. And had gangly arms and legs. But enough of them. It was a fab show.There was real party atmosphere to the evening as we star spotted (Janet Street-Porter and David Walliams) and danced and sang along to Pet Shop Boys hits old and new; Left To My Own Devices, Rent, I'm With Stupid, Opportunities (Let's Make Lots Of Money) and a fantastic mix of Minimal into Shopping to name but a few. The staging was magnificent too as huge light boxes a la Celebrity Squares were wheeled about into different configurations as were giant cut-outs of the boys and the odd giant cowboy hat. Very Pet Shop Boys and very amusing. Actually. A great show. A great band. A great night. Thank you, David. Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Did Something In Bed...I did something in bed last night that I've not done in a very long time. I read. I do like 'curling up with a good Jilly Cooper' (or in this case a good Marina Lewycka). And I find the bedroom a perfect place to read a few chapters and unwind at the end of the day. It helps me sleep too so my brain isn't buzzing with the things of the day. And there was another thing I did too. Or rather I didn't do. I didn't drink. For the first (thirst?) time in a very long time alcohol did not touch my lips at all yesterday evening. And I felt so much better for it. In fact I slept like a baby right through. So note to self: more books + less booze = more snooze. Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Womb environment 'makes men gay'...So it's true... my mother made me gay. But not in the way you might think. Looks like this study "...adds further weight to the argument that lesbian and gay people should be treated equally in society and not discriminated against for something that's just as inherent as skin colour." Shave Everywhere...This is a very funny advert promoting the Philips Norelco bodygroomer. After the guy tells you about the Norelco bodygroomer, click on "MAIN MENU" and "MUSIC VIDEO". [Thanks Bryn] Monday, June 26, 2006
Soft Cell Sex Banned Dwarf Video...Hey, look at this! The legendary banned Soft Cell Sex Dwarf video! [Thanks Hanko!] England Through to the Quarter-finals...David Beckham's goal puts England through to the quarter-finals of the World Cup beating Ecuador 1-0. We'll now be meeting Portugal on Saturday. Goggle Earth...Goggle Earth version 4 has recently come out in beta. It claims to offer "greater coverage and higher resolution". Looks good. Download it here. Friday, June 23, 2006
ASA to probe Big Brother golden ticket fix claims...The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will investigate complaints from TV viewers and newspapers that the Big Brother golden ticket draw was fixed, The Guardian reports. One hundred golden tickets were hidden in special edition KitKat bars distributed around the UK. One lucky ticket holder would eventually secure a guest spot in the Big Brother house, which provoked a bit of light eBaying at prices up to £3k. The eventual winner was 43-year-old stripper Suzie Verrico, who allegedly already "knew she was going to enter the house before she was selected, supposedly at random". The UK's tabloid press has had a field day on the growing scandal. The Daily Star claims Verrico declared to drinkers in a London pub: "Watch out for me, I'm going into the Big Brother house," - before she'd won the competition. The Sun, meanwhile, has dubbed the affair "Goldengate", and recently reported that Big Brother housemates apparently rumbled the scam when the draw was made by machine in the house's garden. Specifically, one of them claimed that the winning number randomly selected was not that corresponding to Verrico's ticket. Other reports suggested that every ball in the machine carried Verrico's number 14, although Channel 4 later showed close-up footage of the machine which seemingly disproved this theory. After her arrival at the human zoo, Verrico was recognised by several fellow contestants as having previously auditioned for the show on a number of occasions. An ASA spokeswoman declared: "It has been alleged that the draw was fixed and that the winner Susie was preselected. We are investigating whether the draw was made in accordance with the laws of chance and with an independent observer as the CAP Code requires." Big Brother big cheese Phil Edgar-Jones has already insisted: "There is absolutely no truth in any of the rumours that the golden ticket draw was a fix." Thursday, June 22, 2006
Down On One Knee...A journalist interviews Sir Paul McCartney: "So, Sir Paul, do you think that you will ever go down on one knee again?" Sir Paul: "I'd prefer it if you called her Heather". Duckie Christmas Show: The Class Club...Duckie are doing a Christmas Show at the Barbican: The Pit Theatre again this year called The Class Club. Sounds a hoot. If memory serves me correctly it was something that Ursula Martinez was involved with a few years back. The Christmas "Dinner-tainment" from Barbican regular Duckie, features an entire social structure. Three classes of audience member – remember to dress appropriately – are offered three different meals and appropriate entertainment. Lower class: Corporate turkey roast with trimmings, accompanied by Lambrusco and lager. Middle class: Bio-dynamic, GI-rated contemporary vegetarian cuisine, fair trade crackers and new world wines. Upper class: Silver service, champagne and canapés, ancient rare breed estate game and bespoke puddings. Please call the Barbican Box Office with any dietary requirements. Prices: Lower class: £14.99, Middle class: £25, Upper class: £40 Opening night: 16 December 2006. Closing: 7 January 2007 Times: Mon-Sat & 7 Jan 19:30 (No perfs 25, 26 Dec, 1 Jan), Mats 30 Dec, 6, 7 Jan 15:00 Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Grumpy Old Women Live...Last night Guy treated me to a trip to the theatre - we went to see Grumpy Old Women Live at the Lyric Theatre starring Jenny Eclair, Dillie Keane and Linda Robson. It was very funny, the humour being as sharp as it was board. Basically it did what it said on the poster: "a funny celebration of the pre, peri and post menopausal female condition". Sort of theatre to "tut" along with. And of course it helped to have a few pints both before, during and after. ToTP RIP...Top of the Pops is no more. I think Mike Read somes it up, "I used to watch it years ago but I don't like the music". Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Sandown Park Races... Last Saturday Stu and I were invited to the lovely Sheila's birthday bash at Sandown Park. Sheila's hubby Martin had organised the tickets for ten of us or so and it was but a hop, skip and jump from Waterloo down to where the races were being held at Esher. After a quick canter across the racecourse itself to the grandstand enclosure we were soon basking in the sun, downing a few pints, watching the horse racing and having a little flutter.  It'd been a long time since I'd been to the races and I have to say it was surprisingly fun. Perhaps less surprising was how wonderful all of Stu's friends were... he obviously chooses his friends very wisely because again they were diamond each and every one. Our good luck held betting-wise as we were a little bit up on the day - mainly thanks to Stu's choice of a 6-1 winner in the final race at 5:45. Stu's Dad was there too with his best mate so it was good to meet him too. Above are a couple of pix (click on them for bigger versions) - or the rest can be seen here.Monday, June 19, 2006
Animator vs. Animation...There was a spate of funny stick Flash animations a while back - but this is perhaps one of the finest examples. It's by Alan Becker and very funny. [Thanks Rog] Pop Quiz Answers...01. No (22) 02. No (11) 03. No (29) 04. Yes (7) 05. Yes (2) 06. Samantha Fox 07. Hulk Hogan 08. Michelle Gayle 09. Barbara Windsor 10. David Bowie 11. Tina Turner 12. The Smiths 13. The Bangles 14. Radiohead 15. 2003 16. 1980 17. 1982 18. 2004 19. Angela, Pamela, Sandra, Rita, Mary, Monica, Erika, Tina, Jessica 20. 2001 Friday, June 16, 2006
Two Things That Should Never Be Set To Music...As the great Dan Elfman once said when asked if there was anything he couldn't set to music, "Two things... poetry and rimming." Aurélia’s Oratorio... On Rog's recommendation Ian, Guy, Stu and I went to see Aurélia’s Oratorio at the Lyric Hammersmith last night.And what a dazzling display of stage illusion it was! Mixing magic from music hall, variety and circus, it created an extraordinary theatrical fantasy. Aurélia Thierree is an elegant waif with impossibly flexible limbs and a great line in sleight of hand. And she is the grand-daughter of the legendary Charlie Chaplin no less. What makes this more than just another magic show is the way it is presented, Aurelia’s huge range of skills both as an actress, illusionist and dancer makes her irresistible to watch and her confident and fearless corde de lisse is quite breath-taking. I particularly loved the Punch and Judy sketch with its party of comical puppet children. And those red velvet curtains seemed to have a life of their own. Catch it if you can. Thursday, June 15, 2006
X-Men: The Last Stand...Last night Sarah, Stu and I went to see X-Men: The Last Stand in Leicester Square. Sarah and I had seen films numbers one and two but it didn't take long to get Stu up to speed. The film itself was slightly better than I'd thought it would be (awful reviews had made me fear the very worst) but then I suppose when you have such low expectations you can't fail to be pleasantly surprised. Plot holes aside the film was actually quite watchable. And it was nice to see what counts as state of the art in the special effect world. Maybe wait for the DVD. Oh and wait until after the last credits roll. There's a sting in the tale. "Hello, Moira". The Triplets June 2006... Mark and I went over to Ben and Sarah's last Saturday to watch the match and spend some time with the triplets. I stayed the night and on Sunday Ben, Sarah, Dylan, Eve, Lola and I all drove to my parents for lunch out in Welwyn. I was such a lovely weekend and naturally I took a gazillion pictures. The full photo set is here.Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Pop Quiz...Last night Darren, Mark, Stu and I went to the Retro Bar Popteasers Quiz. It was nice to catch up with the boys. We didn't do amazingly well - just twelve and a half out of twenty whereas the winners got seventeen - but fun to do the quiz again after such a long break. Our team name was Dolly Levi and The Matchmakers. More on that later. Why not see how well you do? 01. Did Garbage's Cherry Lips make it into the UK Top Ten? 02. Did Fuzz Box's International Rescue make it into the UK Top Ten? 03. Did Human League's Heart Like A Wheel make it into the UK Top Ten? 04. Did Pet Shop Boys' Domino Dancing make it into the UK Top Ten? 05. Did Alice Cooper's Poison make it into the UK Top Ten? 06. Which celebrity had a single Touch Me? 07. Which celebrity had a single Hulkster In Heaven? 08. Which celebrity had a single Your Sweetness Is Your Weakness? 09. Which celebrity had a single Grin And Bear It? 10. Who originally had a chart hit with Young Amercians? 11. Who originally had a chart hit with Private Dancer? 12. Who originally had a chart hit with There Is A Light That Never Goes Out? 13. Who originally had a chart hit with Eternal Flame? 14. Who originally had a chart hit with Karma Police? 15. What year was I Believe In A Thing Called Love first a hit single? 16. What year was Ace Of Spades first a hit single? 17. What year was I Love Rock And Roll first a hit single? 18. What year was Comfortably Numb first a hit single? 19. Name the nine girls names in Mambo No. 5 20. What year was Mambo No. 5 originally a hit? Bad Omen...On Sunday night Stuart, Dawn and I went to see the 2006 remake of The Omen. Why did we, or indeed they, bother? It was almost word for word, scene for scene the same as the 1976 original. Maybe people were easier to frighten back then but I remember the 1976 Omen as being up there with The Exorcist as one of the scariest movies of all time. Despite the photocopy nature of this remake it failed to capture anything like the fear and dread of the original. Let's hope they don't remake Damien: Omen II or The Final Conflict. Why when they remake films do they just remake good ones? Why don't the remake the bad ones?! Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Cover Versions Revealed...Want to know who else has covered your favourite song? Try Second Hand Songs. I, for one, didn't know that Tainted Love had been covered 7 times no less. In valuable for the pop quiz setter. Talking of which... We're off to the Retro Bar Pop Teasers Quiz tonight I think. Come and join us why dontcha! [Thanks for the link, Stuart] Brain Teaser Answers...Well done Mark and Luca. 1. 400 miles. 2. APPROPRIATED. Monday, June 12, 2006
Brain Teasers...1) Last week I decided to cycle to my uncle's house. On the first day, I cycled half of the distance. On day 2, I cycled one half of the remaining distance. On day 3, I cycled three quarters of the remaining distance. On day 4, I cycled 10 miles. On day 5 I cycled two thirds of the remaining distance and on the final day I cycled the remaining 5 miles. How far is it to my uncle's house? 2) Find a common 12 letter english word containing three P's, two R's, two A's, one O, one E, one D, one T, and one other vowel. Friday, June 09, 2006
Castles In Spain...We have an expression building castles in the air used to describe something that is no more than illusory, or a futile flight of fancy. The French have a similar one that translates as building castles in Spain. So thank you David for this optical illusion of a big Spanish castle. BPI: "We will not sue you for filling your iPod with music you have bought yourself"...This from the BPI (British Phonographic Industry): UK record companies' trade association the BPI this morning (June 6) gave oral evidence to the House of Commons Select Committee for Culture, Media & Sport inquiry into New Media and the Creative Industries. Leading the BPI team was Chairman Peter Jamieson, accompanied by BPI General Counsel Roz Groome and Mark Richardson, Managing Director of BPI independent member Independiente, the label behind Travis and Embrace. BPI reassures consumers: “We will not sue you for filling your iPod with music you have bought yourself" BPI Chairman Peter Jamieson was quizzed on the fact that the “all rights reserved” nature of British copyright law means that – without specific authorisation – any UK consumer who rips CDs they have bought in order to fill an iPod or other MP3 player is currently guilty of copyright infringement. “Traditionally the recording industry has turned a blind eye to private copying and has used the strength of the law to pursue commercial pirates,” he said. “We believe that we now need to make a clear and public distinction between copying for your own use and copying for dissemination to third parties and make it unequivocally clear to the consumer that if they copy their CDs for their own private use in order to move the music from format to format we will not pursue them.” Thursday, June 08, 2006
Bellini and the East.... Last night David, Ian, Stu and I went to the Bellini and the East exhibition at the National Gallery.It was a fascinating exhibition with images from the Muslim and Christian Eastern Mediterranean that were produced by the great Venetian sibling painters Gentile and Giovanni Bellini. Gentile Bellini spent over a year in Istanbul as the guest of Sultan Mehmet II where "it was widely known that they were friends". It was a small exhibition but included Gentile Bellini's exquisite Seated Scribe. Post-gallery we went to The Yard for a beer then Satsuma for eats. Ian, Stu and I then got a bit lost but found ourselves in the Kings Arms for a night-cap. The way you do. Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Ban On Same-Sex Marriage Blocked...The US Senate has blocked a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Ha! Angus's 4th Birthday BBQ...On Sunday Stuart and I went to my nephew Angus's 4th birthday party. Proud parents Simon and Dawn have a lovely house on the Hertfordshire / Cambridgeshire borders and we spent a lovely afternoon in the garden playing with the horses, the geese, the dogs, the chickens and the kids. Stuart braved it all very well and he actually seemed to enjoy meeting my family almost as much as they enjoyed meeting him. Well, why wouldn't they? He's a lovely guy. A potentially awkward hurdle successfully jumped. Sugar cubes and rosettes all round.       Click on any picture for larger versions of the snaps above or you can see the full photoset here. Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Gay = Lame = Rubbish...BBC homophobia complaint rejected. The governors' programme complaints committee - which operates independently of the BBC - acknowledged Chris Moyles' description of a ringtone he did not like as "gay" could cause offence. But the use of the word "gay" to mean "lame" or "rubbish" was widespread among young people, it said. Gallery Gang... On Saturday Andy, Ian, Stu and I went to the Lisson Gallery to see Jane and Louise Wilson's The New Brutalists installation. And very fine is was too - if you like that sort of thing. To be honest Tony Cragg's sculptures just up the road were a bit more fun. Monday, June 05, 2006
Luca snd Stuart's Flat-Warming... On Saturday we went to Stuart and Luca's flat-warming in Vauxhall. And what a lovely new home they have. We had a great time drinking and chatting and meeting new people. Top evening. Well done, boys!Friday, June 02, 2006
LastMinute.Com Boss Key...Do you remember the 'Boss Key'. It was a key that you hit while playing a computer game on your PC at work that brought up a pseudo work screen when the boss came round so he would realise you were wasting your time playing games rather than working. Well, lastminute.com have resurrected the idea. Gawd bless 'em. Thursday, June 01, 2006
The Tiger Lillies... Last night Guy, Stuart and I went to see that veteran avant-garde London vaudeville trio the Tiger Lillies at the Soho Theatre. And what a great show it was.Stand out of the trio was of course the white-paint faced, bowler hatted and ear-splitting falsetto voiced singer Martyn Jacques. He was a charismatic focus. But equally powerful were the saw twanging and drumming of the two Adrians - Stout and Huge (not their real names, surely). Indeed it was the trio's consummate musicianship coupled with their own particular style of Brechtian cabaret that meant the night was as entertaining musically as it was shocking for it's content. You see the Tiger Lillies aren't exactly known for their soft choices of subject matter. Every last damned taboo was tackled in song from paedophilia, cancer, mental illness through to rape, disease and disability. We sat open mouthed and then laughed and laughed and laughed. We were treated to a rousing little ditty about cancer - called , unsurprisingly Cancer. A song about Aunty Mabel ("You could take her for a spin, leave her money in her disabled tin"). And songs like I’m Just a Whore, Kick a Baby Down the Stairs and the glorious Mummy ("Mummy. My mummy. My mummy’s in a mental home..."). There were moments of genuine emotion too such as My Tin Shack. Though even this was tinged with sadness. It was story about death. They played for just over an hour but the time seemed to fly by even faster. But we left happy - with the refrain of many a tragic song ringing in our ears: "I’m a lonely schizophrenic, I feel I’ve been abused..." And the crowd displeasing "I killed my mother, I drank her blood. I killed my mother, up above. I raped my mother..." (some people walked out after this one!) Sadly my favourite TL wasn't included, that Kiki and Herb standard, Banging in the Nails (but you can listen to that particular bit of blasphemy here). < -5 BoyLOGS +5 ? > < webloggers > < # Blogging Brits ? >
|
||||||
