Friday, February 28, 2003
Today I booked tickets for all four nights of Blur. I figure it is going to sell out anyway so if I change my mind then I can always sell them. I am sure they'll be brilliant although the first night is on the same night as the Sonys so I will have to see about that one - depends who's nominated.
Anyone else who likes Blur or woul like a good laugh should buy this weeks NME because there is a really funny article about the new album in it. They have got a pre-production copy of the album and have written desriptions of all the tracks and sample lyrics which are some of the funniest I have ever read. They are clearly taken out of context and now I am older and wiser I can laugh along with the NME rather than being offended on Blur's behalf. The track-listing is hard to belive and is as follows...
Ambulance
Out Of Time
Crazy Beat
Good Song
On The Way To The Club
Brothers & Sisters
Caravan
We've Got A File On You
Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club
Sweet Song
Jets
Gene By Gene
Battery In Your Leg
It will certainly make interesting listening and is inevitably going to go to the top of the hit parade. Hurrah. I am particularly looking forward to "Battery In Your Leg", it conjures up all sorts of images. Apparently it is a very "difficult" album. I think Damon might have gone slightly mad during the past three years which might explain Graham's departure. Who knows..? Who cares..?
Anyone else who likes Blur or woul like a good laugh should buy this weeks NME because there is a really funny article about the new album in it. They have got a pre-production copy of the album and have written desriptions of all the tracks and sample lyrics which are some of the funniest I have ever read. They are clearly taken out of context and now I am older and wiser I can laugh along with the NME rather than being offended on Blur's behalf. The track-listing is hard to belive and is as follows...
Ambulance
Out Of Time
Crazy Beat
Good Song
On The Way To The Club
Brothers & Sisters
Caravan
We've Got A File On You
Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club
Sweet Song
Jets
Gene By Gene
Battery In Your Leg
It will certainly make interesting listening and is inevitably going to go to the top of the hit parade. Hurrah. I am particularly looking forward to "Battery In Your Leg", it conjures up all sorts of images. Apparently it is a very "difficult" album. I think Damon might have gone slightly mad during the past three years which might explain Graham's departure. Who knows..? Who cares..?
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
Today I have found out that I am one of 20 lucky people to be in a pop video for one of my favourite bands. Can't tell you who it is for yet cos I don't want to tempt fate, but I am *so* excited. I might be a performer yet! It's being filmed next week and I cannot tell you how excited I am. Daydreaming about what it is going to be like has made my day somewhat less boring, along with the fact that I couldn't get out of bed and got to work at half nine.
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
The word on the street is that Blur are doing 4 nights at the London Astoria in May. This leaves me with the dilemma of how many times to go and see them and whether I want to revert to my Blur-ite days, and whether they are going to be any good without Coxon. I should think I will go at least twice....
Anyway, the Chortle awards were last night and as a result I rolled in to work at 10am having "not set my alarm and overslept", that's the official line. It was a lot of fun... Kitson won two awards and Dara O'Briain, Chris Addison, Mathew Osborn, Garth Marenghi and others that I am having trouble remembering... (see chortle site) all deservedly won too. All I will say is that Dave Gorman was robbed. Can't remember what he was up for or up against but I am sure he should have won.
Having dyed my hair back to its natural colour at the weekend, all the reasons for dying it in the first place are flooding back. I look even pastier and iller than normal (I think being hungover is contributing slightly to this effect) and somewhat gothic. As a result I am carrying round blusher in my bag in case I go out and don't want to look like the living dead. Might change colour again next month, not sure.
Anyway, the Chortle awards were last night and as a result I rolled in to work at 10am having "not set my alarm and overslept", that's the official line. It was a lot of fun... Kitson won two awards and Dara O'Briain, Chris Addison, Mathew Osborn, Garth Marenghi and others that I am having trouble remembering... (see chortle site) all deservedly won too. All I will say is that Dave Gorman was robbed. Can't remember what he was up for or up against but I am sure he should have won.
Having dyed my hair back to its natural colour at the weekend, all the reasons for dying it in the first place are flooding back. I look even pastier and iller than normal (I think being hungover is contributing slightly to this effect) and somewhat gothic. As a result I am carrying round blusher in my bag in case I go out and don't want to look like the living dead. Might change colour again next month, not sure.
Friday, February 21, 2003
It took me just over an hour, but look! I made it all pretty again! Yay me.
Also, I have to share -
"Do you remember the 1990s? Ahahahahaha!"
Thursday, February 20, 2003
Turns out he is eating those "Thai Bites" that are in the advert with the "Thai" river market with the "Thai" man who has a cockney accent. It is a crap advert for a product that invades my airways on a regular basis. Their consumption should be banned from enclosed spaces.
Today I am mostly excited by the fact that in the mid-week charts, "Pain Killer" by the beautiful Turin Brakes is at number 4. I intend to make my contribution to their chart success by purchasing both single formats this evening before making my way to the Hammersmith Apollo to see Peter Kay, "the funniest man alive" - Chortle readers.
"Summer rain, dripping down your face again....
summer rain, praying someone feels the same....
take the Pain... killer, cycle on your bicycle...
leave all this misery behiiiiiiiind"
Listened to my promo copy of the album on the way to work and it put a spring in my step and a smile on my face. I also nearly started singing but then realised I was in London and we don't do things like that down here, we have to be moody, walk very quickly and bump into as many people as possible without apologising.
Eurgh. My boss is eating something that absolutely stinks. I think it might be sick mixed in with crackerbread. I think I am going to faint.... I can't breathe.
"Summer rain, dripping down your face again....
summer rain, praying someone feels the same....
take the Pain... killer, cycle on your bicycle...
leave all this misery behiiiiiiiind"
Listened to my promo copy of the album on the way to work and it put a spring in my step and a smile on my face. I also nearly started singing but then realised I was in London and we don't do things like that down here, we have to be moody, walk very quickly and bump into as many people as possible without apologising.
Eurgh. My boss is eating something that absolutely stinks. I think it might be sick mixed in with crackerbread. I think I am going to faint.... I can't breathe.
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
So, the inter-railing story so far...
Fri 21 March - Sharon gets a GNER train down to London after work. Susan hopefully meets up with her in London after seeing Turin Brakes at the Brixton Academy (if she manages to persuade someone to come).
Sat 22 March - Team CL get the train from Susan's home town of West Wickham to Waterloo East, where they connect onto the Eurostar which will take them into the heart of gay Paris (pronounced gay pareeeee)
Tues 25 March - We say a fond farewell to Paris and jump on a Thalys train to Brussels where the first leg of our David Gray/Aqualung stalking tour begins. We have been kindly offered refuge with one of the Cribbin clan, who funnily enough is a Scouser. Not an Irish as you would expect. The gig at the Ancienne Belgique is on the 28/3 and is now sold out.
Thurs 27 March - We take 3 trains to the small dutch town of Tilburg where that night we complete the David Gray leg of our journey at the beautiful Tilburg 013 which has also sold out. Word has possibly got out that we are going to be there - hence the quick sale of tickets.
Fri 28 March - Sees us heading back into Paris and out the other side to the beautiful city of Tours and its suburbs which are home to a huge number of Chateaux and will be home to us for three glorious nights.
Mon 31 March - Onwards and southwards to Lyon where we are only staying for 2 nights in order to break the journey to the south of France. Possibly the best bet for comedy in France.
Wed 2 April - Yet further on to Avignon and I think you will agree from that link that it looks absolutely beautiful. Granted, it won't be all that hot or sunny when we are there, but we will be there, and you won't... har har har.
Sat 5 Apr - Its back up northwards to Paris for a quick mosey around town and then back through the Eurotunnel to London.
Sun 6 Apr - Sharon wings her way back up to Scotland and we reflect on what a superb fortnight we have had.
So ner.
Fri 21 March - Sharon gets a GNER train down to London after work. Susan hopefully meets up with her in London after seeing Turin Brakes at the Brixton Academy (if she manages to persuade someone to come).
Sat 22 March - Team CL get the train from Susan's home town of West Wickham to Waterloo East, where they connect onto the Eurostar which will take them into the heart of gay Paris (pronounced gay pareeeee)
Tues 25 March - We say a fond farewell to Paris and jump on a Thalys train to Brussels where the first leg of our David Gray/Aqualung stalking tour begins. We have been kindly offered refuge with one of the Cribbin clan, who funnily enough is a Scouser. Not an Irish as you would expect. The gig at the Ancienne Belgique is on the 28/3 and is now sold out.
Thurs 27 March - We take 3 trains to the small dutch town of Tilburg where that night we complete the David Gray leg of our journey at the beautiful Tilburg 013 which has also sold out. Word has possibly got out that we are going to be there - hence the quick sale of tickets.
Fri 28 March - Sees us heading back into Paris and out the other side to the beautiful city of Tours and its suburbs which are home to a huge number of Chateaux and will be home to us for three glorious nights.
Mon 31 March - Onwards and southwards to Lyon where we are only staying for 2 nights in order to break the journey to the south of France. Possibly the best bet for comedy in France.
Wed 2 April - Yet further on to Avignon and I think you will agree from that link that it looks absolutely beautiful. Granted, it won't be all that hot or sunny when we are there, but we will be there, and you won't... har har har.
Sat 5 Apr - Its back up northwards to Paris for a quick mosey around town and then back through the Eurotunnel to London.
Sun 6 Apr - Sharon wings her way back up to Scotland and we reflect on what a superb fortnight we have had.
So ner.
Monday, February 17, 2003
Today being so disorganised from the weekend, I have managed to leave my purse at home along with all my cards and money. It can be illustrated by use of this simple equation... No money + No nice people at work to ask for money = Bloody starving all day + I wish I'd had breakfast. Well done me. I did rummage in my bag and find 36p, 30p of which I put into the crisp machine. Not that the crisps made it out of the machine and into my stomach. As luck would have it their fall was blocked and I was left distraught punching the machine. So all I have eaten today is an orange club, and I don't even like chocolate - that's how hungry I am. Just under an hour before I am running out of work. Was going to buy some chips on the way home, then remembered that my purse is still at home and I have a very bad memory. I think we have already agreed I am quite special when it comes to remembering things.
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
A mere one week after I began competing in the contest of Consecutive Number Plate Spotting (CNPS), I have reached a grand total of 9.
The problems with the CNPS game are many and varied. My first immediately stumbling block is remembering to play the game in the first place – I get distracted by looking where I’m going when walking along the street, or reading books or newspapers while travelling when what I should really be doing is staring at every car that goes past, looking for the incredibly difficult to spot “1” or “01” that will allow me to start the game.
On Friday I saw it, and honestly – I nearly cried out with joy. The “02” followed rapidly. “3” and “04” appeared at lunchtime. And on it goes. It’s nice to have a purpose. I did a little dance of celebration when the "9" passed me by this morning. I'm into double figures now. Cheg on, Mr Rich.
If you would like to play, and would like a note of the full rules and regulations of CNPS, go here.
This game is a very good game.
Monday, February 10, 2003
Mini-site is up - there are one or two flaws that I have yet to iron out but I will do that this evening - the home buttons link to the wrong page but nevermind. And there are a few more sections to come, thought I'd best put up what we had though. It makes very good reading. Party article will go up as soon as I get the photos back from doubleprint on disc.
Friday, February 07, 2003
I am very bored now.
Only 2.5 hours to go - not that that is any consolation.
This weekend I am mostly going to Brighton and putting the mini-site online.
Just got a phone call from one of the FX traders - someone has made a £20k mistake... and it wasn't me... har har har.
Will get Adrian to deal with it cos "I ain't got the aufority..."
Only 2.5 hours to go - not that that is any consolation.
This weekend I am mostly going to Brighton and putting the mini-site online.
Just got a phone call from one of the FX traders - someone has made a £20k mistake... and it wasn't me... har har har.
Will get Adrian to deal with it cos "I ain't got the aufority..."
Sorry for the sudden end to that last blog entry. I am quite busy at the moment, as you know, with lots going on in my little brain.
Went to see Steve Furst's "Celebrity Squares" last night. Took Donna with me who is a Lenny Beige fan and she loved it. It was so funny. I know I've made this point before but Lynn Warrell-Thompson (who for some reason I keep calling Lynn Faulds-Wood who, as we all know is a real person, portrayed by Huge Dennis in the Mary Whitehouse Experience..."this banana......is a potential death-trap..") was spectacular. I can't remember many of the characters names but they were all brilliant and all have such potential to be developed further. Hope he takes another show up to Edinburgh this year - I don't think enough people saw it last year. It was at the Soho Theatre, and when we got there there seemed to be some kind of Luvvie party going on and what's more I spotted a couple of the people I sat with at the Perrier lunch last year in Edinburgh. Comedy people I spotted included Julian Barratt, who along with Noel Fielding is at long last filming a TV pilot of the Boosh on Friday 21 December - go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/tickets/shows/boosh.shtml to get tickets and come along. I also saw David Mitchell, James Bachman, the scottish lass from Trevor Lock's play in 2001 who was in a Yes car credit advert and the icing on the cake was Kate Copstick. That's right...look impressed.
I've done quite well seeing lots of comedy recently. I have also not even thought about ebay for days, almost weeks. I am still after lots of comedy DVDs so if anyone has any they'd like to give me then please do email me and tell me what you would like me to have!
"She comes from Wensleydale....she's said he's soft and creameeeeey...."
My internet connection here is terribly slow at the moment and it keeps giving up. Trying to suss out train times in Europe for when we are travelling. We have one or two bastard journeys but they each have at least one connection and some time to kill in between so Sharon's back should be ok. I think that is the least of our worries - jumping up and down at gigs at the end of the first week might be the bottleneck in our trip. Still, we have agreed that if the worst happens, Sharon will sit in a cafe drinking cafe au lait and eating pain au chocolat and I will go off exploring on my own. It'll be superb, Sharon will be fine, I don't know what you're all worrying about.
My latest thought on France is the possibility of hiring a car when we are in Tours cos there are lots of chateaux to explore and I gather there is some lovely countryside and windey roads and rivers to see and not a huge amount of buses or trains. All depends on how much it costs obviously, but it would be fun. Will check out the car-park situation in Tours... I don't think I've ever legally driven on the right hand side of the road. Despite my years of driving experience I think it would freak me out somewhat and take a bit of getting used to.
Went to see Steve Furst's "Celebrity Squares" last night. Took Donna with me who is a Lenny Beige fan and she loved it. It was so funny. I know I've made this point before but Lynn Warrell-Thompson (who for some reason I keep calling Lynn Faulds-Wood who, as we all know is a real person, portrayed by Huge Dennis in the Mary Whitehouse Experience..."this banana......is a potential death-trap..") was spectacular. I can't remember many of the characters names but they were all brilliant and all have such potential to be developed further. Hope he takes another show up to Edinburgh this year - I don't think enough people saw it last year. It was at the Soho Theatre, and when we got there there seemed to be some kind of Luvvie party going on and what's more I spotted a couple of the people I sat with at the Perrier lunch last year in Edinburgh. Comedy people I spotted included Julian Barratt, who along with Noel Fielding is at long last filming a TV pilot of the Boosh on Friday 21 December - go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/whatson/tickets/shows/boosh.shtml to get tickets and come along. I also saw David Mitchell, James Bachman, the scottish lass from Trevor Lock's play in 2001 who was in a Yes car credit advert and the icing on the cake was Kate Copstick. That's right...look impressed.
I've done quite well seeing lots of comedy recently. I have also not even thought about ebay for days, almost weeks. I am still after lots of comedy DVDs so if anyone has any they'd like to give me then please do email me and tell me what you would like me to have!
"She comes from Wensleydale....she's said he's soft and creameeeeey...."
My internet connection here is terribly slow at the moment and it keeps giving up. Trying to suss out train times in Europe for when we are travelling. We have one or two bastard journeys but they each have at least one connection and some time to kill in between so Sharon's back should be ok. I think that is the least of our worries - jumping up and down at gigs at the end of the first week might be the bottleneck in our trip. Still, we have agreed that if the worst happens, Sharon will sit in a cafe drinking cafe au lait and eating pain au chocolat and I will go off exploring on my own. It'll be superb, Sharon will be fine, I don't know what you're all worrying about.
My latest thought on France is the possibility of hiring a car when we are in Tours cos there are lots of chateaux to explore and I gather there is some lovely countryside and windey roads and rivers to see and not a huge amount of buses or trains. All depends on how much it costs obviously, but it would be fun. Will check out the car-park situation in Tours... I don't think I've ever legally driven on the right hand side of the road. Despite my years of driving experience I think it would freak me out somewhat and take a bit of getting used to.
Thursday, February 06, 2003
Hello people.
Sincere apologies for my lengthy absense. I've been
learning about France and planning and plotting and
stacking my credit card as a result. Between us we
have currently spent £551.64 on inter-rail pases,
Eurostar tickets and YHA membership (Youth Hostel
Ass.) We have yet to buy holiday insurance, Paris
accommodation or accomodation anywhere else for that
matter. This whole holiday is making me want to go
travelling around Europe for a few months - anyone
fancy coming with me? I am thinking next year or even
after Edinburgh depending on cash. I spose I should
wait and see how this goes.
Anyway. the itinterary is pretty much sorted now. We
are going London to Paris, Paris to Brussels, Brussels
to Tilburg, Tilburg back to Brussels then onto Paris
then to Tours, Tours to Lyon, Lyon to Avignon and
Avignon to Paris, Paris to London. And Sharon has the
extra pleasure of a return trip to Edinburgh on top of
all that.
We have got a lovely place to stay when we reach
Avignon. It is called href="http://wb255.lerelaisinternet.com/english/index.html">Hotel
d'Anglaterre - which I thought sounded like a good
plan. I arranged it in my bestest french, with the
help of a nifty translator. Check it out - keep
clicking on the main picture to see photos of the
hotel. It has a roof terrace and everything, looks
lovely. It's just inside the old walls of the city
and about 10 mins from the centre. Can't believe we
are actually going.
The nice man at href="http://www.013web.nl/">Tilburg 013 has
recommended two places to stay which are near the
venue so I will call them at the weekend. They are
bound to speak English - most Dutch people do. I
don't know a word of dutch. How exciting. You might
like to count how many times I type the work
"exciting" in each posting and calculate my average.
I think it will be pretty high. Brussels is sorted as
we are staying with Sharon's cousin, and we are just
waiting to hear back from the hostel in Lyon. This
weekend, all that remains for me to do is sort out
Paris, Tours, Lyon and Tilburg accomodation.i.e
everywhere other than Avignon. And once that is done
I am going to read all about where we are going and
make a list of places we can go to which are nearby.
There are hundreds of chateaux in and around Tours, it
sounds beautiful. We are going to try and find a
french comedy club too - not that we will understand a
word of it. It'll be an experience!
Sincere apologies for my lengthy absense. I've been
learning about France and planning and plotting and
stacking my credit card as a result. Between us we
have currently spent £551.64 on inter-rail pases,
Eurostar tickets and YHA membership (Youth Hostel
Ass.) We have yet to buy holiday insurance, Paris
accommodation or accomodation anywhere else for that
matter. This whole holiday is making me want to go
travelling around Europe for a few months - anyone
fancy coming with me? I am thinking next year or even
after Edinburgh depending on cash. I spose I should
wait and see how this goes.
Anyway. the itinterary is pretty much sorted now. We
are going London to Paris, Paris to Brussels, Brussels
to Tilburg, Tilburg back to Brussels then onto Paris
then to Tours, Tours to Lyon, Lyon to Avignon and
Avignon to Paris, Paris to London. And Sharon has the
extra pleasure of a return trip to Edinburgh on top of
all that.
We have got a lovely place to stay when we reach
Avignon. It is called href="http://wb255.lerelaisinternet.com/english/index.html">Hotel
d'Anglaterre - which I thought sounded like a good
plan. I arranged it in my bestest french, with the
help of a nifty translator. Check it out - keep
clicking on the main picture to see photos of the
hotel. It has a roof terrace and everything, looks
lovely. It's just inside the old walls of the city
and about 10 mins from the centre. Can't believe we
are actually going.
The nice man at href="http://www.013web.nl/">Tilburg 013 has
recommended two places to stay which are near the
venue so I will call them at the weekend. They are
bound to speak English - most Dutch people do. I
don't know a word of dutch. How exciting. You might
like to count how many times I type the work
"exciting" in each posting and calculate my average.
I think it will be pretty high. Brussels is sorted as
we are staying with Sharon's cousin, and we are just
waiting to hear back from the hostel in Lyon. This
weekend, all that remains for me to do is sort out
Paris, Tours, Lyon and Tilburg accomodation.i.e
everywhere other than Avignon. And once that is done
I am going to read all about where we are going and
make a list of places we can go to which are nearby.
There are hundreds of chateaux in and around Tours, it
sounds beautiful. We are going to try and find a
french comedy club too - not that we will understand a
word of it. It'll be an experience!
