overyourhead - some irreverent musings by a gay London guy - crawling though technology, love and life... so you don't have to.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Leigh on Sea...
On Saturday Stu and I drove out east to Leigh on Sea. We had a great time nosing around Kerry and Fergal's new gaff, then Ange arrived and we all went to lunch with Fay and Andy and Sheila and Martin. We got to see Fay and Andy's new place too. All great fun to see everyone and catch up with their news. There are a few snaps below
Friday, October 12, 2007
Hairspray...
Last night Stu and I went to see the new staged production of Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London's glitzy West End. And what a wow it was.
We sang and we laughed until tears rolled downour my cheeks. We'd seen the New York production earlier this year but this was way, way better. And it certainly put the film into the shade.
The energy on stage was quite incredible. It was almost exhausting to watch all the dancing and jumping about. The acting and singing was just perfect. The set design was spot on too. And boy did we like the sound. You could hear every word sung and every line of dialogue. Something other theatres should ruddy well focus on.
Newcomer Leanne Jones was just brilliant as Tracy Turnblad. She is on stage pretty much constantly for two hours and was never less than excellent for a single moment. Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad was an utter star - believable as a fat woman and delivering a perfect comic performance. Mel Smith as Wilbur Turnblad was funny, perfect for the role and who knew he could sing so well?
The original score is by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the acclaimed animated musical South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and it is as witty and laugh out loud funny as that film ever was.
As I was saying to Stu on the way home (with suitable post-show euphoric hyperbole), "seeing shows like that is one of the reasons why we live in London".
We sang and we laughed until tears rolled down
The energy on stage was quite incredible. It was almost exhausting to watch all the dancing and jumping about. The acting and singing was just perfect. The set design was spot on too. And boy did we like the sound. You could hear every word sung and every line of dialogue. Something other theatres should ruddy well focus on.
Newcomer Leanne Jones was just brilliant as Tracy Turnblad. She is on stage pretty much constantly for two hours and was never less than excellent for a single moment. Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad was an utter star - believable as a fat woman and delivering a perfect comic performance. Mel Smith as Wilbur Turnblad was funny, perfect for the role and who knew he could sing so well?
The original score is by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman who co-wrote the music and lyrics for the acclaimed animated musical South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and it is as witty and laugh out loud funny as that film ever was.
As I was saying to Stu on the way home (with suitable post-show euphoric hyperbole), "seeing shows like that is one of the reasons why we live in London".
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Thomas Dolby...
Last night Ben and I went to see Thomas Dolby at the Carling Islington Academy. Ben had organised the tickets and it was great to spend the time with him.
Dolby was promoting his new live CD/DVD The Sole Inhabitant which is sort of a greatest hits live.
Like Roger Hodgson the night before Thomas Dolby a true musician and a gifted song writer. His medium happen to be synthesisers and samples but some of his songs are really very beautiful. We were treated to all the hits including The Flat Earth, Airwaves, the fabulously titled (and witty) Your Karma Hit My Dogma, Europa And The Pirate Twins, She Blinded Me With Science, One Of Our Submarines and Hyperactive!
He had some interesting anecdotes too. Like when Trevor Horn had finished touring about South Africa with Malcolm McLaren and recording riffs for the Duck Rock project he had some riffs left over. So over a spliff one day Horn, in his big scientist-from-Blade-Runner glasses, says to Dolby, "want this riff?" And Dolby took it. Spliff riff.
As a surprise at the end of the gig we were treated to a guest appearance by Lene Lovich. She and Dolby sang Sway as a duet. Great fun.
My stand out track of the night: I Scare Myself
Funniest bit of the night: when Lene Lovich came on stage and after the initial applause had died away Ben shouted out from the gallery, "Are you still mad?" The place fell about. As did she.
Last night Ben and I went to see Thomas Dolby at the Carling Islington Academy. Ben had organised the tickets and it was great to spend the time with him.
Dolby was promoting his new live CD/DVD The Sole Inhabitant which is sort of a greatest hits live.
Like Roger Hodgson the night before Thomas Dolby a true musician and a gifted song writer. His medium happen to be synthesisers and samples but some of his songs are really very beautiful. We were treated to all the hits including The Flat Earth, Airwaves, the fabulously titled (and witty) Your Karma Hit My Dogma, Europa And The Pirate Twins, She Blinded Me With Science, One Of Our Submarines and Hyperactive!
He had some interesting anecdotes too. Like when Trevor Horn had finished touring about South Africa with Malcolm McLaren and recording riffs for the Duck Rock project he had some riffs left over. So over a spliff one day Horn, in his big scientist-from-Blade-Runner glasses, says to Dolby, "want this riff?" And Dolby took it. Spliff riff.
As a surprise at the end of the gig we were treated to a guest appearance by Lene Lovich. She and Dolby sang Sway as a duet. Great fun.
My stand out track of the night: I Scare Myself
Funniest bit of the night: when Lene Lovich came on stage and after the initial applause had died away Ben shouted out from the gallery, "Are you still mad?" The place fell about. As did she.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Roger Hodgson...
Last night Paul, Guy, Cesar and I went to see Roger Hodgson (formerly of Supertramp) at the Royal Albert Hall. It was a right old flashback to my youth with such anthemic hits as Take the Long Way Home, Give a Little Bit (twice), The Logical Song, Even in the Quietest Moments, Breakfast in America, If Everyone Was Listening, Dreamer, It's Raining Again and many others. We were also 'treated' to some of his solo work which wasn't have bad; Lovers in the Wind, Along Came Mary, Love is a Thousand Times and Oh Brother.
Playing more or less solo Hodgson rightly earns the title of a one man orchestra. With either guitar, electric or traditional piano he created an impressive wall of sound. Standout songs for me were both from the Crime Of The Century album; Hide In Your Shell and the sublime School. Fab night out.
Last night Paul, Guy, Cesar and I went to see Roger Hodgson (formerly of Supertramp) at the Royal Albert Hall. It was a right old flashback to my youth with such anthemic hits as Take the Long Way Home, Give a Little Bit (twice), The Logical Song, Even in the Quietest Moments, Breakfast in America, If Everyone Was Listening, Dreamer, It's Raining Again and many others. We were also 'treated' to some of his solo work which wasn't have bad; Lovers in the Wind, Along Came Mary, Love is a Thousand Times and Oh Brother.
Playing more or less solo Hodgson rightly earns the title of a one man orchestra. With either guitar, electric or traditional piano he created an impressive wall of sound. Standout songs for me were both from the Crime Of The Century album; Hide In Your Shell and the sublime School. Fab night out.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
The Year of the Sequel...
In looks as if 2008 will be the year of the sequel; the long awaited Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the not really wanted The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the much anticipated The Dark Knight and the bound to be fabulous Hellboy 2: The Golden Army have all popped up on my radar. Mind you, 2007 seemed to be the year of the threequel; the disappointing Shrek the Third, the awful Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, the not as good as the first two Spider-Man 3 and the truly dire Rush Hour 3.
In looks as if 2008 will be the year of the sequel; the long awaited Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, the not really wanted The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the much anticipated The Dark Knight and the bound to be fabulous Hellboy 2: The Golden Army have all popped up on my radar. Mind you, 2007 seemed to be the year of the threequel; the disappointing Shrek the Third, the awful Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, the not as good as the first two Spider-Man 3 and the truly dire Rush Hour 3.
Monday, October 08, 2007
The Twiglets...
Last Friday I went over to see Ben, Sarah and the triplets. Everyone was in a fine form. They have just had their garden landscaped and it looks great. Sarah cooked us a lovely lunch and afterwards we went for a walk and a runabout in Crystal Palace park. Below are a few snaps I took.
Arsenal 3-2 Sunderland...
Paul and I went to the game on Sunday. And a close game it was too; missed opportunities, two off the post, a disallowed goal and a sending off. We had the run of it though so a fair result.
Paul and I went to the game on Sunday. And a close game it was too; missed opportunities, two off the post, a disallowed goal and a sending off. We had the run of it though so a fair result.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Criminally Bent...
A fortnight ago I got a call at home. A man with a thick Scottish accent asked me to confirm my name. He couldn't continue the telephone call unless I confirmed my name. Why? I hesitated. And then he asked me to confirm my date of birth. And then the first line of my address. Naturally I was reluctant to give any of this information (hello? identity theft?) but after a bit of umming and ahhing I finally gave them to him. That seemed to satisfy him so I asked him what the call was about. He said he was from a company called AIC - a debt collection agency - and was telephoning on behalf of Lloyds TSB. According to their records I owed them £28,500.
Frankly I was stunned. I'd not been in debt for years (ok, apart from my mortgage) and last time I checked my bank accounts were hovering in the black not the red. I questioned the guy, trying to get some sort of confirmation that it was really me he wanted. He was nothing short of rude, abrasive and evasive. As far as he was concerned he had got his man and it was his job to make me pay up. I did suggest that maybe he'd got the wrong person but he said, "then why do I have your telephone number and how come your date of birth and postal address all match?". He had a point. I was a bit flumoxed. All I could say was, "I'm sure there's been some sort of mistake." He put me on hold a few times while he 'checked his records' before conceding, "Well, it *may* be a mistake but apart from your middle name everything matches." Then he hung up.
I called Lloyds TSB later that day and they had no record of any such debt. Or of my details being passed to any debt collectors. I was concerned, but not overly. A simple mix up that would sort itself out. How wrong I was.
The following week AIC called again. This time I'm out so they left a voice message again demanding payment. And threatening court action. Yikes! Luckily this time they left a reference number.
So the following day I go into the Lloyds TSB branch in Islington and ask to speak to a bank manager (you could hear the sniggers). "We don't have bank managers any more, sir. Can I help?" said Mr Cheery Man behind a counter. An hour and a half later we were both still in one of the side offices of the bank still on the telephone trying to find out hat was going on. Mr Cheery Man had called just about every single possible department in Lloyds TSB up and down (and out of) the country. Brighton... Scotland... Bangalore... you name it. As least he believed that I wasn't actually in debt (hey, he had my account details in front of him) so his mission was to try to find out who had erroneously referred me to the debt collection agency. Mr Cheery Man starts each call the same way, "Hello there. I'm staff. I have sitting next to me a very good customer of ours..." but doesn't seem to making much progress.
Until finally a breakthrough. He's tracked down the person who forwarded my details to the debt collectors. A Mr Alan Ingeldew. But... he's out of the office so we're left hanging as to why he's done so. D'oh!
Fast forward a week and I've now had a letter threatening to take me to court, a telephone call saying it's being 'dealt with' and I've tried to chase this Ingeldew guy to find out why exactly they think I owe them money and ask for a letter admitting they've made a mistake.
Grrrr.
A fortnight ago I got a call at home. A man with a thick Scottish accent asked me to confirm my name. He couldn't continue the telephone call unless I confirmed my name. Why? I hesitated. And then he asked me to confirm my date of birth. And then the first line of my address. Naturally I was reluctant to give any of this information (hello? identity theft?) but after a bit of umming and ahhing I finally gave them to him. That seemed to satisfy him so I asked him what the call was about. He said he was from a company called AIC - a debt collection agency - and was telephoning on behalf of Lloyds TSB. According to their records I owed them £28,500.
Frankly I was stunned. I'd not been in debt for years (ok, apart from my mortgage) and last time I checked my bank accounts were hovering in the black not the red. I questioned the guy, trying to get some sort of confirmation that it was really me he wanted. He was nothing short of rude, abrasive and evasive. As far as he was concerned he had got his man and it was his job to make me pay up. I did suggest that maybe he'd got the wrong person but he said, "then why do I have your telephone number and how come your date of birth and postal address all match?". He had a point. I was a bit flumoxed. All I could say was, "I'm sure there's been some sort of mistake." He put me on hold a few times while he 'checked his records' before conceding, "Well, it *may* be a mistake but apart from your middle name everything matches." Then he hung up.
I called Lloyds TSB later that day and they had no record of any such debt. Or of my details being passed to any debt collectors. I was concerned, but not overly. A simple mix up that would sort itself out. How wrong I was.
The following week AIC called again. This time I'm out so they left a voice message again demanding payment. And threatening court action. Yikes! Luckily this time they left a reference number.
So the following day I go into the Lloyds TSB branch in Islington and ask to speak to a bank manager (you could hear the sniggers). "We don't have bank managers any more, sir. Can I help?" said Mr Cheery Man behind a counter. An hour and a half later we were both still in one of the side offices of the bank still on the telephone trying to find out hat was going on. Mr Cheery Man had called just about every single possible department in Lloyds TSB up and down (and out of) the country. Brighton... Scotland... Bangalore... you name it. As least he believed that I wasn't actually in debt (hey, he had my account details in front of him) so his mission was to try to find out who had erroneously referred me to the debt collection agency. Mr Cheery Man starts each call the same way, "Hello there. I'm staff. I have sitting next to me a very good customer of ours..." but doesn't seem to making much progress.
Until finally a breakthrough. He's tracked down the person who forwarded my details to the debt collectors. A Mr Alan Ingeldew. But... he's out of the office so we're left hanging as to why he's done so. D'oh!
Fast forward a week and I've now had a letter threatening to take me to court, a telephone call saying it's being 'dealt with' and I've tried to chase this Ingeldew guy to find out why exactly they think I owe them money and ask for a letter admitting they've made a mistake.
Grrrr.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Songs of Mass Destruction...
Annie Lennox's fourth solo album Songs of Mass Destruction is out and you can see the video for Dark Road here.
Annie Lennox's fourth solo album Songs of Mass Destruction is out and you can see the video for Dark Road here.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Holiday in the UK...
Did you know that the statutory holiday entitlement in the UK has just changed? From 1 October 2007 the entitlement will increase from four weeks to 4.8 weeks (24 days if you work a five-day week). A further increase to 5.6 weeks (28 days if you work a five-day week) will take place from 1 April 2009. The bad news is that all eight Bank Holidays are included in that total.
Did you know that the statutory holiday entitlement in the UK has just changed? From 1 October 2007 the entitlement will increase from four weeks to 4.8 weeks (24 days if you work a five-day week). A further increase to 5.6 weeks (28 days if you work a five-day week) will take place from 1 April 2009. The bad news is that all eight Bank Holidays are included in that total.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Say You’ll Be There!...
I've just got Spice Girls tickets. For Sunday 16th December 2007 at the O2. Yay!
I've just got Spice Girls tickets. For Sunday 16th December 2007 at the O2. Yay!
My Weekend...
When I was at infant school each and every Monday morning we had to write something in our dark red writing books. That something was always entitled "My Weekend". Our rather uninspired form teacher Miss Hammond was probably suffering from a hangover and it was her way of keeping us quiet for an hour. To write what we did over the weekend. Now most seven year olds weekends are a matter of routine so the usual drivel was spouted, copied forward from the previous week; "Dad took us swimming on Saturday morning at Hatfield Pool. A big boy splashed me", "Mum took us shopping at the Howard Centre. Boring" and the classic "We went to Granny's house for lunch on Sunday. We had to behave".
So it is with some glee that I can report that this weekend just gone was not a matter of routine. On Friday Marcus invited round to dinner at his to meet the new addition to his family, Martin. Martin is an eight month old kitten and very handsome too. And "why the name Martin?" we asked. Think Little Britain and the college administrator calling her superior, "Hello Martin, it's Linda".
On Saturday, after I'd had my run in with the bank (more on that later), Andy and Kevin treated us to a night out at the IMAX. We went to see Transformers. Great special effects. Perhaps less great was the plot. Fun though.
After the cinema Stu and I went to Duckie. Three great acts; a traditional drag act dressed rather appropriately as The Queen, then we had the original Walker On The Wild Side Miss Holly Woodlawn and finally Miss Hula Hoop (think Malcolm Mclaren's double dutch meets hula hoops).
On Sunday Stu's mum and dad and rest of his family came over to his and we had a lovely afternoon eating, drinking, chatting and laughing. I finally got to meet his brother, sister in law, nephew and niece. And very nice they all are too.
So that was 'My Weekend'. Take that Miss Hammond.
When I was at infant school each and every Monday morning we had to write something in our dark red writing books. That something was always entitled "My Weekend". Our rather uninspired form teacher Miss Hammond was probably suffering from a hangover and it was her way of keeping us quiet for an hour. To write what we did over the weekend. Now most seven year olds weekends are a matter of routine so the usual drivel was spouted, copied forward from the previous week; "Dad took us swimming on Saturday morning at Hatfield Pool. A big boy splashed me", "Mum took us shopping at the Howard Centre. Boring" and the classic "We went to Granny's house for lunch on Sunday. We had to behave".
So it is with some glee that I can report that this weekend just gone was not a matter of routine. On Friday Marcus invited round to dinner at his to meet the new addition to his family, Martin. Martin is an eight month old kitten and very handsome too. And "why the name Martin?" we asked. Think Little Britain and the college administrator calling her superior, "Hello Martin, it's Linda".
On Saturday, after I'd had my run in with the bank (more on that later), Andy and Kevin treated us to a night out at the IMAX. We went to see Transformers. Great special effects. Perhaps less great was the plot. Fun though.
After the cinema Stu and I went to Duckie. Three great acts; a traditional drag act dressed rather appropriately as The Queen, then we had the original Walker On The Wild Side Miss Holly Woodlawn and finally Miss Hula Hoop (think Malcolm Mclaren's double dutch meets hula hoops).
On Sunday Stu's mum and dad and rest of his family came over to his and we had a lovely afternoon eating, drinking, chatting and laughing. I finally got to meet his brother, sister in law, nephew and niece. And very nice they all are too.
So that was 'My Weekend'. Take that Miss Hammond.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Sickipedia v2.0...
The sickest joke site ever gets a makeover. McCann jokes, Jacko jokes, Glitter jokes... all of humanlow-life is there.
Here are a couple of the tamer ones:
I said to the wife, "I thought I saw your name on a loaf of bread today, but when I looked again it said 'Thick Cut' "
Little Johnny walks into his parents bedroom to find his Dad giving his Mum one. His Dad smirks and throws a pillow at the door saying, "Get outta here, you little shit!" A couple of hours later Dad hears a whole lot of commotion coming from little Johnny's bedroom. He goes up to find little Johnny giving his Grandma a right royal seeing to. Little Johnny smiles, "It's not so fucking funny when it's your Mum, is it?"
And of course there's the sickest joke ever... but I'll let you find that one yourselves.
The sickest joke site ever gets a makeover. McCann jokes, Jacko jokes, Glitter jokes... all of human
Here are a couple of the tamer ones:
I said to the wife, "I thought I saw your name on a loaf of bread today, but when I looked again it said 'Thick Cut' "
Little Johnny walks into his parents bedroom to find his Dad giving his Mum one. His Dad smirks and throws a pillow at the door saying, "Get outta here, you little shit!" A couple of hours later Dad hears a whole lot of commotion coming from little Johnny's bedroom. He goes up to find little Johnny giving his Grandma a right royal seeing to. Little Johnny smiles, "It's not so fucking funny when it's your Mum, is it?"
And of course there's the sickest joke ever... but I'll let you find that one yourselves.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Erasure...
Last night Stu and I went to see Erasure at the Royal Albert Hall. We met up with uber-fan Guy and Cesar for a bite to eat first in South Kensington and then headed up the road to see the boys.
OneTwo were on first (the bar was full but for me and few other people in the auditorium). I like them though.
I went to Erasure's first every gig way back when (1985?) at The Bell in Kings Cross. And it was as fun last night as it was then. Happy uplifting tunes. Great show. And Andy's voice was as good as I've ever heard it. Fab.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Bournemouth...
Last weekend we went away to Bournemouth for the weekend to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary. Obvious my mum and dad were there, as were my brother and sister with their families so all told we were thirteen. We all stayed in the Royal Bath Hotel (looks nice but the food was terrible) which was right down on the sea front. We spent the time wandering around and generally hanging out which was great fun actually. And on the Sunday drove along the coast a bit to Mudeford to revisit some of the places we used to go as kids when my granddad had a flat down in the area. It brought back memories of forty years ago when our sole two week summer holiday was to stay at 16 Bure Park. Below are a few snaps.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Arsenal Turns a Tidy Profit...
Now I know where my ticket money goes. Arsenal: Income £200.8m, match income £3.1m a game, operating profit £51.2m.
We're playing well though so no doubt criticism will be hard to find.
Now I know where my ticket money goes. Arsenal: Income £200.8m, match income £3.1m a game, operating profit £51.2m.
We're playing well though so no doubt criticism will be hard to find.
Friday, September 21, 2007
The Artist formerly known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince...
Tonight we've got tickets to go to the last night of TAFKATAFKAP. I've not been tothe Dome O2 (apart from a brief look round in 1999 while it was being built) before so that should be fun. And everyone says the gig is fun so that'll be good too. Bet he goesn't play my favourite Prince track though... Mountains (which seems to have been all but deleted from his back catalog).
Update: the tickets fell through so we didn't get to see him. D'oh!
Tonight we've got tickets to go to the last night of TAFKATAFKAP. I've not been to
Update: the tickets fell through so we didn't get to see him. D'oh!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Arsenal 3-0 Sevilla...
Last night Paul and I went to see Arsenal start their Champions League campaign. And what a start it was. We whopped their Spanish behinds 3-0. Come on you Reds!
And adding to our joy was the sound of the bubble bursting over at Chelsea.
Last night Paul and I went to see Arsenal start their Champions League campaign. And what a start it was. We whopped their Spanish behinds 3-0. Come on you Reds!
And adding to our joy was the sound of the bubble bursting over at Chelsea.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
100 Movies, 100 Quotes, 100 Numbers...
Very clever film clips mentioning all the numbers from 100 to 1.
Very clever film clips mentioning all the numbers from 100 to 1.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Lofty Notions...
I moved to my flat about ten years ago and something that's always been in the back of my mind is to get a loft conversion. What with urban life being what it is there's always the need for more space. As sadly I don't have a garden I can't extend backwards there are but two choices; move or expand upwards.
I had thought about moving but to be honest I like it where I live. I'd be hard pushed to afford one the houses in my area and I'm not sure I want the hassle of moving. Mind you having the builders in for three months (that's three builders 'months') may not be the easy or sanest option either.
Anyways, the folks next door, Simon and Annabel, are getting their loft done so I decided to do the same. Islington Planning application forms aren't the easiest to navigate and I need much help from my friendly neighbours. But guess what? Last week I got approval with conditions. So next step is to try and work out what all the conditions mean ("fenestration treatment" anyone?) and get someone round to quote.
Then there's the months of dust and scraping around to pay for it. 'Deep breaths', 'eye on the prize' and all that.
I moved to my flat about ten years ago and something that's always been in the back of my mind is to get a loft conversion. What with urban life being what it is there's always the need for more space. As sadly I don't have a garden I can't extend backwards there are but two choices; move or expand upwards.
I had thought about moving but to be honest I like it where I live. I'd be hard pushed to afford one the houses in my area and I'm not sure I want the hassle of moving. Mind you having the builders in for three months (that's three builders 'months') may not be the easy or sanest option either.
Anyways, the folks next door, Simon and Annabel, are getting their loft done so I decided to do the same. Islington Planning application forms aren't the easiest to navigate and I need much help from my friendly neighbours. But guess what? Last week I got approval with conditions. So next step is to try and work out what all the conditions mean ("fenestration treatment" anyone?) and get someone round to quote.
Then there's the months of dust and scraping around to pay for it. 'Deep breaths', 'eye on the prize' and all that.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Duckie...
On Saturday Stu, Paul and I all went to Duckie. All the usual lovelies were there and all three of the acts were fab; queercore Jean Genet, burlesque troupe Scarletine Delight and brilliant comedienne Jessica Delfino. Fab.
On Saturday Stu, Paul and I all went to Duckie. All the usual lovelies were there and all three of the acts were fab; queercore Jean Genet, burlesque troupe Scarletine Delight and brilliant comedienne Jessica Delfino. Fab.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Oh Brother!...
My brother Simon and I went out for a quiet beer and chin-wag last night. But the Brothers Green being who we are we soon fell in with the wrong sort (Hi Laura! Hi Richard! Hi Maura!). Drinks were bought, taxis were flagged and before we knew where having heart to hearts and doing tequila shots off the Walkabout in Upper Street. Lordy! Great fun.
My brother Simon and I went out for a quiet beer and chin-wag last night. But the Brothers Green being who we are we soon fell in with the wrong sort (Hi Laura! Hi Richard! Hi Maura!). Drinks were bought, taxis were flagged and before we knew where having heart to hearts and doing tequila shots off the Walkabout in Upper Street. Lordy! Great fun.
Kiki & Herb - Stick the Yule Log in the Shepherd's Bush...
Kiki & Herb - Stick the Yule Log in the Shepherd's Bush. One night only, Weds 19th December at the Shepherds Bush Empire.
[Thanks Kevin]
Kiki & Herb - Stick the Yule Log in the Shepherd's Bush. One night only, Weds 19th December at the Shepherds Bush Empire.
[Thanks Kevin]
Thursday, September 13, 2007
My Europe...
Psst! Wanna save some money on mobile phone calls while you're away? O2 (and all the other UK mobile telecom providers) have been forced by the EU to cut their roaming charges. Hurrah I hear you cry. And the savings really are quite substantial. With O2 receiving or making a call used to cost you 99p a minute with Pay&Go when you're away. Now it's just 35p to call and 18p to receive regardless of whether it's a landline. mobile or whatever. Cool.
The only catch, if you can call it a catch, is that you have to register first. Simply call 2266 free from your O2 mobile or text MYEUROPE to 21300 for free.
My Europe includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faeroe Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guernsey, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Isle of Man, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Davidson exits after TV gay row...
It's not like anyone was actually watching the show but good riddance you homophobe.
It's not like anyone was actually watching the show but good riddance you homophobe.
Doctor Who series five not until 2010...
Alerted by the Register is a press release from the BBC: "Doctor Who is one of the BBC's best loved and most successful dramas. Its journey over the past three series has been one of the most ambitious and exciting that we have had, and I'm delighted to be able to confirm not only three exciting specials for 2009, but a fifth series in 2010." Apparently David Tennant won't be in series five - just the specials in 2009.
Alerted by the Register is a press release from the BBC: "Doctor Who is one of the BBC's best loved and most successful dramas. Its journey over the past three series has been one of the most ambitious and exciting that we have had, and I'm delighted to be able to confirm not only three exciting specials for 2009, but a fifth series in 2010." Apparently David Tennant won't be in series five - just the specials in 2009.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Martha Reeves and The Vandellas...
On Friday night Stu, Darren, Chris and I went to see Martha Reeves and The Vandellas at the Jazz Cafe. We had a good time rocking and bopping around to (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave, Nowhere to Run, Jimmy Mack and of course Dancing in the Streets but basically it was a triumph of style over substance. Frankly Martha has lost most of the voice she once had. Mind you she was never the #1 vocalist but last night she sounded like Tina Turner with tonsillitis. Still, as I say, we had fun. The stars of the show probably being her Vandellas - two of her sisters Lois and Delphine.
On Friday night Stu, Darren, Chris and I went to see Martha Reeves and The Vandellas at the Jazz Cafe. We had a good time rocking and bopping around to (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave, Nowhere to Run, Jimmy Mack and of course Dancing in the Streets but basically it was a triumph of style over substance. Frankly Martha has lost most of the voice she once had. Mind you she was never the #1 vocalist but last night she sounded like Tina Turner with tonsillitis. Still, as I say, we had fun. The stars of the show probably being her Vandellas - two of her sisters Lois and Delphine.
Friday, September 07, 2007
The fun has continued in Spain although now we are ready to come home. We are currently sitting at Barcelona airport staring at a large 'Endarrerit/Retrasado' sign at our gate. Which I'm guessing ain't good news.
Wednesday
We decided to spend the day in Barcelona itself. We got the train to Gracia and walked down to the main square. We rambled down Las Ramblas, wandered around the Royal Square and went up on the roof of the main cathedral. Then we sat on the top deck of a tourist bus and took in the delights of Gaudi's architecture including the Sacra Familia and the parks to the north. Suitably tour guided out we met us with Moo and have coffee and beers in a café and indulged in the favourite Spanish pastime of people watching. We headed back to Sitges early for pizza and bed.
Thursday
The last day of our holiday we took it easy. A wander down to the beach and a spot of lunch. We bumped into Patrick in El Horno happy hour, had a great steak at Buenos Aires and an early night.
Friday
Up at 7am we were packed and at the airport nice and early...
That 'Endarrerit/Retrasado' sign still hasn't shifted so looks like we may be here from some time yet.
Wednesday
We decided to spend the day in Barcelona itself. We got the train to Gracia and walked down to the main square. We rambled down Las Ramblas, wandered around the Royal Square and went up on the roof of the main cathedral. Then we sat on the top deck of a tourist bus and took in the delights of Gaudi's architecture including the Sacra Familia and the parks to the north. Suitably tour guided out we met us with Moo and have coffee and beers in a café and indulged in the favourite Spanish pastime of people watching. We headed back to Sitges early for pizza and bed.
Thursday
The last day of our holiday we took it easy. A wander down to the beach and a spot of lunch. We bumped into Patrick in El Horno happy hour, had a great steak at Buenos Aires and an early night.
Friday
Up at 7am we were packed and at the airport nice and early...
That 'Endarrerit/Retrasado' sign still hasn't shifted so looks like we may be here from some time yet.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Well, it's been a fun few days in Sitges.
Friday
Having recovered from the flight we got a swift taxi to Simon and Paul's place, dropped off our bags and headed out to see Simon in Bears Bar. We saw our German friend Rene on the way. We just stayed for a couple, bumping into Rod, Frank and Jim.
Saturday
We had a bit of a lie in and then popped out for some posh brekkie at Al Forno Café. We had to leg it to the supermarket to get stocked up with supplies for later (shops in Spain always seem to be just about to close just when you want them to stay open). Then Stu and I went to the nudist beach in town (not that we stripped off you understand being the shy, and let's not forget pale, English boys that we are). We bumped into Marcus who had been there since eleven and settled our newly bought mats and sun brolly next to the lovely Marc, Bernd, Rene and Tomas. We chatted, swam and read our books soaking in the warm sun and equally warm company. Later that evening we decided to both curl up on the sofa with a good bottle of wine rather than undo all that good in a bar crawl.
Sunday
We got up early, cooked ourselves breakfast and headed to the supermarket to stock up for lunch. In true British style we were planning to cook a big roast on a hot day. So we had a fun afternoon preparing the veg while watching Arsenal thrash Portsmouth. The roast was pretty scrumptious though I say so myself. The girls were coming in from Barcelona later so full of good cheer we headed off to the beach to meet them. Emma, Moo, Georgie, Nerylene, Ping and Meco were all there. We went for lesbian beers and then posh nosh on the front. Stu was particularly taken with the black paella (squid ink, yuck!). We rounded off the lovely evening with a bevy or two in XXL.
Monday
Paul had arrived the previous night so after breakfast in Al Forno Café he, Stu and I went for a walk along the front. Down on the gay beach we bumped into Marc, Bernd, Rene, Tomas et al. Later that evening we headed up into the hills to the Germans' gorgeous apartment for a barbecue. We had a great time - they are all such lovely guys and they couldn't have made us feel more welcome.
Tuesday
We had another lie in. It's really hot here and unfortunately Stu hasn't been sleeping too well. Added to this we discovered that Stu is allergic to cats! And Simon and Paul have two very long haired moggies. So we've been dosing him up with antihistamines on top of everything else for the past few days. It's just been nice lots of nothing here actually so lazy days here have been the norm. In the evening we did head out for happy hour at Al Horno though. Rammed into a tight space with gorgeous bears and cheap booze? What's not to like? Back to the apartment for cava sangria we were joined by Marcus before we all went out for Argentinean steaks at Buenos Aires. Lovely.
Friday
Having recovered from the flight we got a swift taxi to Simon and Paul's place, dropped off our bags and headed out to see Simon in Bears Bar. We saw our German friend Rene on the way. We just stayed for a couple, bumping into Rod, Frank and Jim.
Saturday
We had a bit of a lie in and then popped out for some posh brekkie at Al Forno Café. We had to leg it to the supermarket to get stocked up with supplies for later (shops in Spain always seem to be just about to close just when you want them to stay open). Then Stu and I went to the nudist beach in town (not that we stripped off you understand being the shy, and let's not forget pale, English boys that we are). We bumped into Marcus who had been there since eleven and settled our newly bought mats and sun brolly next to the lovely Marc, Bernd, Rene and Tomas. We chatted, swam and read our books soaking in the warm sun and equally warm company. Later that evening we decided to both curl up on the sofa with a good bottle of wine rather than undo all that good in a bar crawl.
Sunday
We got up early, cooked ourselves breakfast and headed to the supermarket to stock up for lunch. In true British style we were planning to cook a big roast on a hot day. So we had a fun afternoon preparing the veg while watching Arsenal thrash Portsmouth. The roast was pretty scrumptious though I say so myself. The girls were coming in from Barcelona later so full of good cheer we headed off to the beach to meet them. Emma, Moo, Georgie, Nerylene, Ping and Meco were all there. We went for lesbian beers and then posh nosh on the front. Stu was particularly taken with the black paella (squid ink, yuck!). We rounded off the lovely evening with a bevy or two in XXL.
Monday
Paul had arrived the previous night so after breakfast in Al Forno Café he, Stu and I went for a walk along the front. Down on the gay beach we bumped into Marc, Bernd, Rene, Tomas et al. Later that evening we headed up into the hills to the Germans' gorgeous apartment for a barbecue. We had a great time - they are all such lovely guys and they couldn't have made us feel more welcome.
Tuesday
We had another lie in. It's really hot here and unfortunately Stu hasn't been sleeping too well. Added to this we discovered that Stu is allergic to cats! And Simon and Paul have two very long haired moggies. So we've been dosing him up with antihistamines on top of everything else for the past few days. It's just been nice lots of nothing here actually so lazy days here have been the norm. In the evening we did head out for happy hour at Al Horno though. Rammed into a tight space with gorgeous bears and cheap booze? What's not to like? Back to the apartment for cava sangria we were joined by Marcus before we all went out for Argentinean steaks at Buenos Aires. Lovely.
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Things that go bump in the night...
I hate flying. But a drink before the flight usually helps. And so I had a pint of Stella Artois to relax me before Stu and I jetted off to Sitges last night.
Well, it turns out the only good thing about being at Luton Airport is you get a chance to have a second pint of Stella before the flight to (really) steady the nerves. On this occasion it turned out there were further delays so Ms Artois came to visit a third time too. So as you can imagine I was positively beaming with joy as Stu and I strode towards gate 15 and joined the Speedy Boarding queue for EasyJet flight 2269.
The joy was short lived however. The takeoff was fine as was most of the flight (apart from Little Miss I Can't Stop Talking in the row behind us). No, it was the landing that got me going.
The approach to Barcelona Airport seemed smooth enough as we gently descended. However just as we touched down on the main runway we were all thrown back into your seats as the plane shot forward. The engineers screamed and we soared up into the night sky again.
What we didn't know then, but the captain confirmed a few minutes later, was that there was another plane on the runway and we'd had to perform an emergency takeoff.
Everyone else on the plane just tutted, carried on chatting to their neighbours or continued to read their books and magazines.
I clutched my knees, rocked backwards and forwards and started to cry.
I hate flying.
I hate flying. But a drink before the flight usually helps. And so I had a pint of Stella Artois to relax me before Stu and I jetted off to Sitges last night.
Well, it turns out the only good thing about being at Luton Airport is you get a chance to have a second pint of Stella before the flight to (really) steady the nerves. On this occasion it turned out there were further delays so Ms Artois came to visit a third time too. So as you can imagine I was positively beaming with joy as Stu and I strode towards gate 15 and joined the Speedy Boarding queue for EasyJet flight 2269.
The joy was short lived however. The takeoff was fine as was most of the flight (apart from Little Miss I Can't Stop Talking in the row behind us). No, it was the landing that got me going.
The approach to Barcelona Airport seemed smooth enough as we gently descended. However just as we touched down on the main runway we were all thrown back into your seats as the plane shot forward. The engineers screamed and we soared up into the night sky again.
What we didn't know then, but the captain confirmed a few minutes later, was that there was another plane on the runway and we'd had to perform an emergency takeoff.
Everyone else on the plane just tutted, carried on chatting to their neighbours or continued to read their books and magazines.
I clutched my knees, rocked backwards and forwards and started to cry.
I hate flying.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Holiday...
Overyourhead is off on it's hols today; Sitges for a week. So if you see me on the beach say hi.
Overyourhead is off on it's hols today; Sitges for a week. So if you see me on the beach say hi.
It's all happening up the Arse...
So we're in Group H of the Champions League with teams we've never met before; Steau Bucharest, Slavia Prague and either Sevilla or AEK Athens. It remains to be seen what they're like.
And in unrelated news David Dein has sold his 14.5% to a russian, Alisher Usmanov. Hmmm.
So we're in Group H of the Champions League with teams we've never met before; Steau Bucharest, Slavia Prague and either Sevilla or AEK Athens. It remains to be seen what they're like.
And in unrelated news David Dein has sold his 14.5% to a russian, Alisher Usmanov. Hmmm.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Arsenal 3-0 Sparta Prague (5-0) ...
Paul and I went to the game last night. It was fun but a bit of a walk in the park. So now we're through to the Champions League group stages. Yay!
Paul and I went to the game last night. It was fun but a bit of a walk in the park. So now we're through to the Champions League group stages. Yay!
Brain Teaser Answer...
The two sons rowed to safety first, one son rowed back. John rowed to safety and the other son rowed back to the island. The two sons rowed to safety first, one son rowed back again. John's wife rowed to safety and the other son rowed back. Finally, the two sons rowed to safety.
The two sons rowed to safety first, one son rowed back. John rowed to safety and the other son rowed back to the island. The two sons rowed to safety first, one son rowed back again. John's wife rowed to safety and the other son rowed back. Finally, the two sons rowed to safety.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Brain Teaser...
Last week John and his wife found themselves stranded on an island. Unfortunately, they were also stranded with their two sons, with no clear means of rescue. Luckily, John came across an old rickety boat which he knew could carry either one adult or two children. How did he rescue his family?
Last week John and his wife found themselves stranded on an island. Unfortunately, they were also stranded with their two sons, with no clear means of rescue. Luckily, John came across an old rickety boat which he knew could carry either one adult or two children. How did he rescue his family?
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Bearforce 1...
I don't whether to laugh or to cry. I Feel Love, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), Boys Boys Boys (Summertime Love), Showing Out, Don't Go, You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) and a bit of KLF, Frankie et al. Oh yes, they murder all the 'classics'. One wonders whose tongue is in whose or which cheek. They are Dutch though so we can perhaps forgive them much.
[Thanks Rog]
I don't whether to laugh or to cry. I Feel Love, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), Boys Boys Boys (Summertime Love), Showing Out, Don't Go, You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) and a bit of KLF, Frankie et al. Oh yes, they murder all the 'classics'. One wonders whose tongue is in whose or which cheek. They are Dutch though so we can perhaps forgive them much.
[Thanks Rog]
Monday, August 27, 2007
Madonna - The Beat Goes On...
You heard Madge's new single yet? A co-lab with Pharrell Williams. I'm not very impressed. Maybe it'll be a grower. On and on the beat goes, on and on the beat goes etc etc. I hear we can expect her next LP to be an R&B album featuring Felix da Housecat, Timbaland and Timberlake.
UPDATE: Oh dear. I dreamed about this song last night. So looks like it's in my brain already. Curses!
You heard Madge's new single yet? A co-lab with Pharrell Williams. I'm not very impressed. Maybe it'll be a grower. On and on the beat goes, on and on the beat goes etc etc. I hear we can expect her next LP to be an R&B album featuring Felix da Housecat, Timbaland and Timberlake.
UPDATE: Oh dear. I dreamed about this song last night. So looks like it's in my brain already. Curses!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Arsenal 1-0 Man City ...
Yesterday Paul and I went to the game. "Top of the league? You're having a laugh. Top of the league? You're having a laugh." Not after Fabregas's late winner they weren't. We went bonkers. Naturally a trip to Duckie was in order.
Yesterday Paul and I went to the game. "Top of the league? You're having a laugh. Top of the league? You're having a laugh." Not after Fabregas's late winner they weren't. We went bonkers. Naturally a trip to Duckie was in order.
Friday, August 24, 2007
My Daemon..
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Sparky...
Last night the lovely Sparky and I met up for a coffee and a bite to eat. It was good to catch up, hear his plans for staying in the UK and, I confess, to spend time with someone who is "dorkier than me by half". And hey, I now know what a glyph is (think 'hieroglyph' with less of the sacred 'hiero'). We bumped into Guy and Cesar too. And why not go marvel at Sparky's new typeface, Gina.
Last night the lovely Sparky and I met up for a coffee and a bite to eat. It was good to catch up, hear his plans for staying in the UK and, I confess, to spend time with someone who is "dorkier than me by half". And hey, I now know what a glyph is (think 'hieroglyph' with less of the sacred 'hiero'). We bumped into Guy and Cesar too. And why not go marvel at Sparky's new typeface, Gina.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Brain Teaser...
At a recent Pets Anonymous reunion, the attendees were discussing which pets they had recently owned. James used to have a dog. The person who used to own a mouse now owns a cat, but the person who used to have a cat does not have a mouse. Kevin has now or used to have a dog, I can't remember which. Becky has never owned a mouse. Only one person now owns the pet they previously had. Rebecca said very little throughout the meeting and nobody mentioned the hamster. Can you determine who owns which pet and what they used to own?
At a recent Pets Anonymous reunion, the attendees were discussing which pets they had recently owned. James used to have a dog. The person who used to own a mouse now owns a cat, but the person who used to have a cat does not have a mouse. Kevin has now or used to have a dog, I can't remember which. Becky has never owned a mouse. Only one person now owns the pet they previously had. Rebecca said very little throughout the meeting and nobody mentioned the hamster. Can you determine who owns which pet and what they used to own?
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
George Michael - The Road to Wembley...
The other night I watched something I'd recorded from last Sunday night, a documentary called George Michael - The Road to Wembley. It was basically an interview with the man himself, some behind the scenes footage in the build up to the show and a number of songs from the live concert itself. The stage looked amazing. How did they do that stage / projection? He sounded great too.
But the jaw dropping moment came during the interview conducted by that idiot Chris Evans. When taking about the previous times George had performed at Wembley - Live Aid, Wham The Final, Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday Tribute concert in 1988 - Evans questioned him about the Mandela concert in more detail.
"Did you meet Mr Mandela. On the day?" asks Evans.
George completely dead pan says, "Well, he was still in prison."
Evans smiles weakly, "Oh, was he? So he wasn't there..."
Squirm along 2m 30s in to the video.
The other night I watched something I'd recorded from last Sunday night, a documentary called George Michael - The Road to Wembley. It was basically an interview with the man himself, some behind the scenes footage in the build up to the show and a number of songs from the live concert itself. The stage looked amazing. How did they do that stage / projection? He sounded great too.
But the jaw dropping moment came during the interview conducted by that idiot Chris Evans. When taking about the previous times George had performed at Wembley - Live Aid, Wham The Final, Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday Tribute concert in 1988 - Evans questioned him about the Mandela concert in more detail.
"Did you meet Mr Mandela. On the day?" asks Evans.
George completely dead pan says, "Well, he was still in prison."
Evans smiles weakly, "Oh, was he? So he wasn't there..."
Squirm along 2m 30s in to the video.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Cork...
This weekend just gone Stu and I went to Cork to see the lovely Clodagh. The equally lovely Heather was also over from the States from Kansas City (that's Kansas City, Missouri not Kansas City, Kansas as she pointedly pointed out). We had a great time sampling the local ale in the odd Irish snug bar by night and wandering around the shops in Cork's fair city by day. We also found time for some great meals out and a tour of the Jameson distillery at Midleton. Luckily Helen was back in time from her Croatian cruising to join us on the Saturday night which was great.
Below are a few snaps of the trip.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Radio 1's New Covers' Album...
Anyone who knows knows I'm partial to a cover version. So it is with some delight I see that Radio 1 is releasing a covers' album to celebrate its 40 years on the air. The idea was that each band had to pick a hit from each of the past 40 years. So for instance Robbie Williams got 1970 and decided to record Lola by the Kinks - doing it with Guy Chambers too which is nice. Album's out in October I think. Here's the full track listing:
1967 – Flowers In The Rain (The Move) covered by The Kaiser Chiefs
1968 – All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix Experience) covered by The Fratellis
1969 – Cupid (Johnny Nash) covered by Amy Winehouse
1970 – Lola (The Kinks) covered by Robbie Williams
1971 – Your Song (Elton John) covered by The Streets
1972 – Betcha By Golly Wow (The Stylistics) covered by Sugababes
1973 – You’re So Vain (Carly Simon) covered by The Feeling
1974 – Band On The Run (Wings) covered by Foo Fighters
1975 – Love Is The Drug (Roxy Music) covered by Kylie
1976 – Let’s Stick Together (Bryan Ferry) covered by KT Tunstall
1977 – Sound & Vision (David Bowie) covered by Franz Ferdinand
1978 – Teenage Kicks (The Undertones) covered by The Raconteurs
1979 – Can’t Stand Losing You (The Police) covered by Mika
1980 – Too Much Too Young (The Specials) covered by Kasabian
1981 – Under Pressure (Queen & David Bowie) covered by Keane
1982 – Town Called Malice (The Jam) covered by McFly
1983 – Come Back And Stay (Paul Young) covered by James Morrison
1984 – Careless Whisper (George Michael) covered by The Gossip
1985 – The Power Of Love (Huey Lewis & The News) covered by Pigeon Detectives
1986 – Don’t Get Me Wrong (The Pretenders) covered by Lily Allen
1987 – You Sexy Thing (Hot Chocolate) covered by Stereophonics
1988 – Fast Car (Tracy Chapman) covered by Mutya Buena
1989 – Lullaby (the Cure) covered by Editors
1990 – Englishman In New York (Sting) covered by Razorlight
1991 – Crazy For You (Madonna) covered by Groove Armada
1992 – It Must Be Love (Madness) covered by Paolo Nutini
1993 – All That She Wants (Ace Of Base) covered by The Kooks
1994 – You’re All I Need To Get By (Mary J Blige) covered by Mark Ronson
1995 – Stillness In Time (Jamiroquai) covered by Calvin Harris
1996 – No Diggity (Blackstreet) covered by Klaxons
1997 – Love Fool (The Cardigans) covered by Just Jack
1998 – Ray Of Light (Madonna) covered by Natasha Bedingfield
1999 – Drinking in LA (Bran Van 3000) covered by The Twang
2000 – The Great Beyond (REM) covered by The Fray
2001 – Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus) covered by Girls Aloud
2002 – Like I Love You (Justin Timberlake) covered by Maximo Park
2003 – Don’t Look Back Into The Sun (The Libertines) covered by The View
2004 – Toxic (Britney Spears) covered by Hard-Fi
2005 – Father & Son (Yusuf & Ronan Keating) covered by The Enemy
2006 – Steady As She Goes (The Raconteurs) covered by Corinne Bailey Rae
Anyone who knows knows I'm partial to a cover version. So it is with some delight I see that Radio 1 is releasing a covers' album to celebrate its 40 years on the air. The idea was that each band had to pick a hit from each of the past 40 years. So for instance Robbie Williams got 1970 and decided to record Lola by the Kinks - doing it with Guy Chambers too which is nice. Album's out in October I think. Here's the full track listing:
1967 – Flowers In The Rain (The Move) covered by The Kaiser Chiefs
1968 – All Along The Watchtower (Jimi Hendrix Experience) covered by The Fratellis
1969 – Cupid (Johnny Nash) covered by Amy Winehouse
1970 – Lola (The Kinks) covered by Robbie Williams
1971 – Your Song (Elton John) covered by The Streets
1972 – Betcha By Golly Wow (The Stylistics) covered by Sugababes
1973 – You’re So Vain (Carly Simon) covered by The Feeling
1974 – Band On The Run (Wings) covered by Foo Fighters
1975 – Love Is The Drug (Roxy Music) covered by Kylie
1976 – Let’s Stick Together (Bryan Ferry) covered by KT Tunstall
1977 – Sound & Vision (David Bowie) covered by Franz Ferdinand
1978 – Teenage Kicks (The Undertones) covered by The Raconteurs
1979 – Can’t Stand Losing You (The Police) covered by Mika
1980 – Too Much Too Young (The Specials) covered by Kasabian
1981 – Under Pressure (Queen & David Bowie) covered by Keane
1982 – Town Called Malice (The Jam) covered by McFly
1983 – Come Back And Stay (Paul Young) covered by James Morrison
1984 – Careless Whisper (George Michael) covered by The Gossip
1985 – The Power Of Love (Huey Lewis & The News) covered by Pigeon Detectives
1986 – Don’t Get Me Wrong (The Pretenders) covered by Lily Allen
1987 – You Sexy Thing (Hot Chocolate) covered by Stereophonics
1988 – Fast Car (Tracy Chapman) covered by Mutya Buena
1989 – Lullaby (the Cure) covered by Editors
1990 – Englishman In New York (Sting) covered by Razorlight
1991 – Crazy For You (Madonna) covered by Groove Armada
1992 – It Must Be Love (Madness) covered by Paolo Nutini
1993 – All That She Wants (Ace Of Base) covered by The Kooks
1994 – You’re All I Need To Get By (Mary J Blige) covered by Mark Ronson
1995 – Stillness In Time (Jamiroquai) covered by Calvin Harris
1996 – No Diggity (Blackstreet) covered by Klaxons
1997 – Love Fool (The Cardigans) covered by Just Jack
1998 – Ray Of Light (Madonna) covered by Natasha Bedingfield
1999 – Drinking in LA (Bran Van 3000) covered by The Twang
2000 – The Great Beyond (REM) covered by The Fray
2001 – Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus) covered by Girls Aloud
2002 – Like I Love You (Justin Timberlake) covered by Maximo Park
2003 – Don’t Look Back Into The Sun (The Libertines) covered by The View
2004 – Toxic (Britney Spears) covered by Hard-Fi
2005 – Father & Son (Yusuf & Ronan Keating) covered by The Enemy
2006 – Steady As She Goes (The Raconteurs) covered by Corinne Bailey Rae
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Mock the Week...
My mate Ben is on Mock the Week tonight. BBC2 9pm: "Dara O'Briain serves up another topical buffet for Frankie Boyle, Hugh Dennis, Russell Howard, Andy Parsons and guests (Ben Norris and Ed Byrne) to fill their satirical plates. Adult humour." And guess what? Ben is on IMDB! Yay!
My mate Ben is on Mock the Week tonight. BBC2 9pm: "Dara O'Briain serves up another topical buffet for Frankie Boyle, Hugh Dennis, Russell Howard, Andy Parsons and guests (Ben Norris and Ed Byrne) to fill their satirical plates. Adult humour." And guess what? Ben is on IMDB! Yay!
Peru capital rocked by earthquake...
Oh blimey. My just turned seventeen nephew is in Lima at the moment about to fly back to the UK. Hope he's OK.
Update: Just heard. He's quite safe. There were two quakes apparently. It might delay return flight home though.
Oh blimey. My just turned seventeen nephew is in Lima at the moment about to fly back to the UK. Hope he's OK.
Update: Just heard. He's quite safe. There were two quakes apparently. It might delay return flight home though.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
The Simpsons Movie / 28 Weeks Later / Transformers / Hairspray...
The Simpsons Movie...
We watched The Simpsons Movie over the weekend. The 'overheard on the tube' section in Time Out got it about right: It's like two good Simpsons episodes and one crap one.
28 Weeks Later...
And we watched 28 Weeks Later too. Nah. Preferred the first one.
Transformers...
And also I found time to watch Transformers. Total crap.
Hairspray...
And to round the weekend of film watching off we went to see Hairspray. Not as good as the stage show (link was at hairspraythemusical dot com now broken) but we laughed and laughed and sang along. Travolta was the worst thing in it! Shame they had all but cut the best song Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now too.
We watched The Simpsons Movie over the weekend. The 'overheard on the tube' section in Time Out got it about right: It's like two good Simpsons episodes and one crap one.
28 Weeks Later...
And we watched 28 Weeks Later too. Nah. Preferred the first one.
Transformers...
And also I found time to watch Transformers. Total crap.
Hairspray...
And to round the weekend of film watching off we went to see Hairspray. Not as good as the stage show (link was at hairspraythemusical dot com now broken) but we laughed and laughed and sang along. Travolta was the worst thing in it! Shame they had all but cut the best song Mama, I'm A Big Girl Now too.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Lunch in the Garden...
Sheila and Martin bought their lovely four month old daughter Lily over on Saturday afternoon. Stu cooked lunch and we went for a walk in Southwark Park. Lovely.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Arsenal 2-1 Fulham...
Just fifty seconds in to the first game of the season and Jens Lehmann's dreadful error left us one nil down. Paul and I were in despair. Still, we pulled a couple back in the end to get a much deserved win.
Paul and I have moved seats - we were up in the Gods - now we're behind the goal at the clock end and a very exciting place to sit stand it is too!
Snaps below.
Friday, August 10, 2007
The Good Doctor Life...
Tom! Barbara! Oh Toooom! Barbara! Margot! Jerry! Tom! Barbara! Jerry! Doctor!
Tom! Barbara! Oh Toooom! Barbara! Margot! Jerry! Tom! Barbara! Jerry! Doctor!
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Brain Teaser...
Below, 10 nine letter words have been broken into chunks of three letters. These chunks have been mixed up, no chunk is used twice and all chunks are used. Can you determine what the 10 words are?
ent sen oom ush ile cro
cla rbr ise lis ssr lig
hai mar htn age ess new
sag clo gar ion ing oth
enc ine col our erw cod
Below, 10 nine letter words have been broken into chunks of three letters. These chunks have been mixed up, no chunk is used twice and all chunks are used. Can you determine what the 10 words are?
ent sen oom ush ile cro
cla rbr ise lis ssr lig
hai mar htn age ess new
sag clo gar ion ing oth
enc ine col our erw cod
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