Free Man in Oxford

Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah @ Shepherds Bush Empire

2012-02-09T18:48:00.000Z

A very AC/DC gig that started so well, then a rather bland directionless middle, then ending well. I managed to get a place on the barrier at the front and the first three numbers stormed along. At the end of those three number, the six photographers who were camped out stage side of the barrier, and who blocked our view from time to time, then left. So without anybodu blocking my view it was time to get out my camera. Managed to get off two shots before big bouncer told me it was not allowed. 'Thats a professional camera, its got a detachable lens, you can't use it.' Yes its a DSLR but hardly the quality of the professionals who minutes before were just in front of me. Christ its an Ebay second hand special 6meg Nikon, hardly professional. So I tucked it away, listened for a couple of more numbers, thought they were becoming samely, vocals not well mixed in. Strange group, looked like they had just left their day job, put some jeans on, and got up on stage.
So I left the front to seek out somewhere else, and yet again, pull camera out, one shot, and 'you can't do that here, its a professional camera.' So yet again I put it away, feeling rather pissed off as there in front of me, were the smart phones, held aloft, taking photos and videos. Whats the fucking difference!
The crowd were strange too. not a sell out, but still quite packed, but whilst a lot were enjoying the gig, with yes hands clapping above their heads etc. the end of each number was greeted with just polite applause. Set ends, no more,more, more, and again a ripple of applause. But everybody stayed, and sure enough, CYHASY came back on stage for a further three numbers which was already planned as they were listed on their set list taped to the stage in front of each member. Very strange gig, 5 or 6 very good numbers but the rest was average. Not the group I saw six months earlier at End of the Road Festival.

Chatted with one of the senior bouncers in the foyer afterwards, he knew about cameras and even he thought this ban was a joke and mainly historical. The tip was to get a compact camera, but can I afford an Olympus Pen?

The Iron Lady

2012-02-03T17:36:00.003Z

Poor film indeed, so poor I fell asleep through the last quarter.
Went under duress, and was not my choice at Clapham's Picturehouse
Meryl Streep deserves an Oscar as does the makeup department.
5 / 10

Great Tracks No6, Sometimes It Comes So Easy by Blackie and the Rodeo Kings

2012-02-01T17:56:00.001Z

Recorded in 2009, this Canadian alternative country group are virtually unknown in the UK and it is only due to hearing this track played by Bob Harris on his Beeb country show, they would have passed me by.
It starts with a false start, then just gets into a groove, and what a groove it is. Simple repetitious drumming on the snare drum with lead guitar and keyboard fill over the top, it just shows how by keeping it simple the end result is quite something else.
The rest of the album is good too somewhat reminding of one of those bands you come across playing in a bar/pub and armed with a drink in hand you have a bloody good time.

The Descendants

2012-01-29T09:06:00.002Z

Whilst a decent enough film, this is not an Oscar award winning performance by Clooney, good though it is. Recently Cloony's films have always been watchable, from Syriana to Up in the Air (we can forget the Oceans franchise) and this film follows in that rather rich vein, but lets not get too excited. It's the sort of story the BBC does well at although without the exotic locations.
What did strike me about the film and the book it was based on, is that someone, whether it was the author in the first place, or the director, knew Joni Mitchell's song Big Yellow Taxi.
She said back in 1970 (before the book author was born)
'I wrote 'Big Yellow Taxi' on my first trip to Hawaii. I took a taxi to the hotel and when I woke up the next morning, I threw back the curtains and saw these beautiful green mountains in the distance. Then, I looked down and there was a parking lot as far as the eye could see, and it broke my heart... this blight on paradise'
For that is the back story, the opening shot is of a multi laned highway crammed with cars going through urban sprawl with a hint of the sea beyond, and Cloony's character is having to decide what he is going to do with an unspoilt piece of coastline his family have held in trust with property developers offering vast sums for the rights to redevelop.
Then to compound the link, his wife comatose in a hospital bed looks like Joni Mitchell in the long shots, high pronounced cheekbones and long golden hair.
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel *, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They took all the trees
Put 'em in a tree museum *
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Hey farmer farmer
Put away that DDT * now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man

Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got
Till it's gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

7.9 / 10

Ani DiFranco @ Union Chapel, Islington

2012-01-11T18:37:00.001Z

Our first visit to the Union Chapel and what a wonderful venue, but real star was Ani DiFranco. Bought her cd Dilate a couple of years ago but it has received only sporadic playing but a chance to see her and the venue proved irresistible.
Already slightly late we found seats up in the balcony which offered a good view but one more focussed on the pulpit and not the performer. Enjoyed the last couple of numbers by the support act Ruth Theodore especially her guitar playing, but it was when Ani hit those first guitar notes did the hairs on the neck stand up. I went hunting for different location for photographing from and discovered some empty pews to stage right and spent the majority of her set from there.
A couple of real highlights for me were the 'unloved happier' discarded track from her latest 'Which Side Are You On?' cd and the very impromptu duet with a member of the audience who joined her on stage and played one of her guitars. It turns out that he is Declan Bennett, an Ani fan, singer songwriter back over from New York. A magic moment indeed.
A great 90minute solo performance receiving a well deserved standing ovation, and a great gig.

Set list:
Little Plastic Castle
Dilate
As Is
Unworry
Lifeboat
Swan Dive
Rain Check
J
See See
Unknown Poem
Mariachi
Do Re Mi
Overlap
Albacore
If Yr Not
Which Side Are You On?
Gravel
32 Flavors

The Heart of Robin Hood @ RSC Stratford upon Avon

2011-12-29T23:30:00.002Z

Panto is always different in the hands of the RSC and this production keeps up their tradition of offering us something different, last years Matilda now a hit in the West End, and the equally stunning Beauty and the Beast a few years back bear testimony to the fact. We bought some restricted view tickets late and whilst I had a narrow metal cruciform post in front of me it only detracted a fraction from the stage only a few metres away.
9 / 10

Below is Paul Taylor's review from the Independent who gave it 4/5 and I won't argue with that.

The greensward is a massive 40-foot high slope in The Heart of Robin Hood, the RSC's captivating new Christmas show.

The characters enter by sliding down the near-vertical back wall of Borkur Jonsson's set with an elating whoosh. Their other main route into the proceedings is by insertion upside down on ropes lowered from a lofty canopy of oak branches. Since the Company started performing on high-altitude thrust-stages, niftiness at dangling in a harness must have become virtually an audition requirement for actors at the RSC. And there's no one better at choreographing this form of suspense than Gisli Orn Gardarrson of Iceland's celebrated Vesturport outfit. Ending with a lyrical aerial twirl by the now-entwined hero and heroine, his is a Christmas production that, in the best possible sense, keeps things above the heads of young and old alike.

If the dominating slope approaches a 1:1 gradient, Robin Hood is on an equivalently stiff learning curve in David Farr's wittily revisionist new version. Looking a bit like a Joe Orton fantasy with his bare chest and laced-up leather trousers, James McArdle's blunt, Yorkshire Robin starts off as an emotionally arrested boy who heads a gang of ullulating thugs dedicated to self-interest. Then along comes Iris Roberts's winningly spirited, blonde-bobbed Marion who (shades of Rosalind in As You Like It) is forced to lead a double life. In the castle, she feigns betrothal to Martin Hutson's pervily psychotic Prince John. In the forest, she masquerades as Martin of Sherwood, spearhead of a rival, more caring-and-sharing bunch of thieves.

A bit too politically correct? Actually no, because there's lashings of irreverence (Little John is played a drily philosophical dwarf); some good gruesome gags (such as playing for time by playing puppets with the corpse of Guy of Gisborne) and a lovely fool in the burly shape of Olafur Darri Olafson's Pierre, a self-involved French fop (“”Green is not my colour”) who later quite gets off on faking “butch”. And there's a frizzy-haired dog who parps on a clarinet and wild boar who saws on a cello before it is removed as his innards during a ritual disembowelling.

There are also disturbing elements in the central story of the traumatising dangers facing the two children of a man who was hanged as a subversive for refusing to pay Prince John's fraudulent Holy Contribution Tax. For this reason, I think it would be safer to take children a little older than the 7 upwards suggested by the RSC. Otherwise, warmly recommended.

Great Tracks No 5, Facelift by Soft Machine

2011-12-22T23:53:00.000Z

Recorded in 1970, this the opening track on their album titled 'Third' is made up from two live recordings, primarily from Fairfield Hall, Croydon but some from the Mothers Club in Birmingham a week later
"Facelift" is the most radical track of the four on the double LP being some 19 minutes long. A majority of the finished product is essentially a live recording, involving tape collage, speeding up, slowing down, looping and backwards playing of tapes, the ending being the most memorable part, where two different treatments of the same basic riff (one from the live concert, the other, at double speed, from their Spaced project) are heard simultaneously, backwards. Facelift is bassist Hugh Hopper's composition and is an extended rock-jazz improvisation of the basic rift. Use of tapes in an live situation was ahead of its time, now a band would have a couple of laptops and an array of Boss loop pedals. Hopper did in fact employ a fuzz pedal. Saw them twice, once at the UCL student union in a large room with a very low ceiling, then when they made history by becoming the first 'rock band' invited to play at London's Proms in August 1970, a show which was broadcast live and subsequently released as a cd.
Very influential, and could have easily chosen any of the three other tracks, so a brief note for 'Slightly All The Time' and Robert Wyatt's 'Moon in June'
.

Great Tracks No 4, Sweetest Decline by Beth Orton

2011-12-18T15:41:00.001Z

One of current favourite tracks at the moment, a very simple gentle ballad in fact that just oozes laid back calmness. The string background just lulls you into a great sense of well being and then over the top a simple repeating melody on piano (Dr John The Night Tripper???) and Beth's glorious vocals over the top.
Wonderful chill out music, you could loop it forever.

Great tracks No3: Astral Weeks by Van Morrison

2011-12-13T19:08:00.002Z

Released in 1968, such a great opener on such a great album. Beautifully scored with the minimum of instrumentation, acoustic (rytham) guitar, upright bass, flute, maracas, and a slewing string section. Lyrically said to be going head to head with Dylan at the time but criticallt reviewed as 'impressionistic' and even 'stream of conciousness' this 43 years later sounds as contemporary as the come. Within a five to six years and after the release of St Dominic's Preview it was all downhill for Van the Man.
A must for anybodies album collection.

First open fire of the year

2011-12-10T16:22:00.001Z

A taste of winter to come maybe, but this afternoon lit the first open fire of the year.
Listening to Nick Cave's 'Dig, Lazarus Dig' to be followed by John Martyn's 'Solid Air' a classic indeed.

Great Tracks No2, Tip Your Way by The Felice Brothers

2011-12-05T18:26:00.001Z

On the evening when I have just learnt The Felice Brothersgig tomorrow night has just been postponed until March and I was going. IanFelice hospitalised with shingles in Berlin, I offer this concluding track oftheir second and eponymously called The Felice Brothers.

It’s a list and but a simple and mesmerising one, the rhythmlike the Unthanks before is driven along by someone tapping their feet. Thesong slowly builds, thirteen verses in all, an example....

Tip the corner bum everyday
Tip the New York whore in the sleigh
Tip the carousel girl, tip the monkey in curls
Tip your way into heaven's gate.

And then picking up pace to a rousing finish...

Tip your own true love in the rain
Leave her there where the saxophone's play
Boy you're young as can be, you got country to see
Your a long ways from heaven's gate.

Probably not the most well known, and the three times I havehad the pleasure of seeing them live, not performed live, but like most of thesongs on the cd, a tune you can hum/whistle/sing along too.

This should be a must have album, don’t pass it by becauseyou have never heard them.

Again wonderful

Great Tracks No1: Felton Lonnin by Rachael Unthank and The Winterset

2011-12-01T19:34:00.001Z

Felton Lonnin is the opening track of Bairns and a remarkable starter it is too, both contemporary and timeless, it is a traditional Northumberland song arranged by Johnny Handle but given the sister's unmistakable slant. the centre section containing an atmospheric interlude entirely of strings and as described on the attributes, feet. The foot tapping provides the rhythm whilst the string section has a minimalistic but Chinese sweep to it, I have not heard the likes of it before.
Opening verse goes.................

 The kye's come hyem, but Aa see not me hinny;
 the kye's come hyem, but Aa see not me bairn;
 Aa'd rather loss aall the kye than loss me bairn.
 Fair faced is me hinny, his blue eyes are bonny,
 his hair in curled ringlets hung sweet to the sight;
 O mount the old pony, seek after me hinny,
 and bring to his mammy her only delight.

Wonderful

Some photos from the National Geographic Photo Contest 2011

2011-11-28T18:02:00.001Z

Follow this link for the rest

Gesso in Jericho

2011-11-28T13:10:00.001Z

Discovered a very small private gallery in Jericho, a small enclave just north of Oxford city's centre a couple of weeks ago and the highlight of their new exhibition is this work above by Oxfordshire artist Pamela Franklin. If I had the cash to spare I would have bought it, but what it did do was to fire up my rather asleep need to paint. Franklin's work is built up on worked layers of gesso (boiled rabbit skin and chalk in her case) with colour and in this case (middle bottom) silver leaf, worked into the surface. The surface is also etched revealing the white gesso below.
So now armed with a largish sheet of MDF and a tub of gesso, I have started my first painting in 40 years, the result, hopefully will be revealed here in the future!

My Week With Marilyn

2011-11-27T08:51:00.001Z

Good old BBC, its rewearding to see that our licence money has not gone to waste, when dear ol' Auntie, you can produce films as good as this, and long may it continue.
Compelling portrait of Monroe by Michelle Williams and a convincing Colin Clarke from Eddie Redmayne but it is Kenneth Branagh as Olivier that took the spot light for me.
With the exception of Dame Judy and surprisingly, Emma Watson of this parish and onetime guest of the FMIO house, all the other British luvvies became a distraction.
However one to see and an Oscar becones for someone.

8.75 / 10

Okkervil River @ Koko, Mornington Crescent

2011-11-23T17:46:00.001Z

Set List
Wake and Be Fine
For Real
Rider
The Latest Toughs
Piratess
Song of Our So-Called Friend
We Need a Myth
White Shadow Waltz
The Valley
No Key, No Plan
(Acoustic)
So Come Back, I Am Waiting
It Ends With a Fall
Your Past Life as a Blast
Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe
Lost Coastlines
Unless It's Kicks

Encore:
It Is So Nice To Get Stoned
John Allyn Smith Sails
Westfall

Saw Okkervil River at this years EOTR Festival where we even had a quick chat to lead singer Will Sheff as the band walked through the secret garden. So for the first thirty minutes of the gig I did not recognise the band at all. Far too heavy a sound with an overpowering drumming dominance. Then something happened, around So Come Back, I Am Waiting, the set mood changed, slightly more emphasis on a pop sound, audience participation, but the change was noticable. Two women standing in front of me appeared to be politly bored, exactly how I was feeling too, and then it changed, they started to bop, started to get involved, and the gig came alive.
Full marks to Will Sheff, he gave it his all, a great lead man, looking when bespeckled like Jarvis Cocker, and this was the band that I saw at EOTR.

Revanche

2011-11-20T03:35:00.001Z

2008 film about the ill-fated love story between a Viennese ex-con and a Ukrainian prostitute who get involved in a bank robbery and a policeman and his wife in rural Austria. Nominated in the 2008 Oscars for best forign language film losing out to the Japanese film, Departures.Convincing and natural film, without any musical soundtrack at all (very refreshing)and neatly tied up finish.
8.5 / 10

Vintage Trouble @ The Plug, Sheffield.

2011-11-13T17:55:00.001Z

Top notch gig from start to finish. Had the advantage of being able to sit/stand stage left as they played to a packed and sold out 350+ audience. Soul singing mixed with driving rock music is not a sound we see or hear these days, but believe me, Vintage Trouble really really make it work.Brilliant evening, do not miss if you have the chance.

The Help

2011-11-06T07:50:00.002Z

Decent enough movie with excellant performances all round from the mainly female cast, quite touching and funny. Reminded me of friend's helper in Cape Town who would bus in from the outlining townships to keep house during the week. She was however well looked after and respected.
8/10

Wilco @ Camden's Roundhouse

2011-10-29T13:01:00.000+01:00

Nels Cline on twin neck in the usual 'lets lean back' pose

Nick Lowe joins Wilco for 2nd encore number of 'Cruel to be Kind'

First visit to The Roundhouse since May 1970 when tried to see The Doors Play The Camden Rock Festival. That was sold out so got tickets for the next night which was headlinned by Family. Since then the venue has been somewhat refurbished which has been well done but the old balcony which was on the line of the inner columns has now disappeared and pushed back much further. It was on this new balcony that we disappointingly found us. Fortunatly smuggled in a decent lens hence the shots above. Annoyingly Tweedy addressed his mike with his back to our side.
An Ok set, but just Ok, not enough rapour with the audience, for when he did he came over as amusing reflecting on his 17 years of touring. The more diverse the music, soft moments followed by 'noise' the better it came across, but there was just too many soft rock numbers which fell flat.
Nick Lowe came on for a magical rendition of Cruel to be Kind, proving I suppose once again what a good song writer he is.

Highlights
Black Bull Nova (how catchy can you get but with aggresive rock noise layered over the top)
Via Chicago (amaxing juxstapostion of pure noise and Tweedy's singing)
I'll Fight (again how catchy can you get)

Setlist

One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)
Poor Places
Art Of Almost
I Might
At Least That's What You Said
Bull Black Nova
Via Chicago
Born Alone
Box Full Of Letters
War On War
Hummingbird
Whole Love
Impossible Germany
Open Mind
I'll Fight
Pot Kettle Black
Dawned On Me
A Shot in the Arm

Encore:

The Late Greats
Cruel To Be Kind
Heavy Metal Drummer

Eilen Jewel @ Camden's Cecil Sharp House.

2011-10-26T13:01:00.000+01:00

Jerry Miller, fabulous guitar player in the old mould. Great sound out of his Gretsch.

Along to the home of England's Folk and Dance HQ in Camden, The Cecil Taylor House. Not what I expected or wanted as it was primarily a seated affair. All four sides of the purpose built hall, complete with I think Douglas Fir panelling was three rows of stacked bench seating. Ok for a big barn dance, but not for the EJ Band. In someways after all that I spotted a seat available in the front row slightly left of centre. Perfect for a couple of snap shots but lighting was poor so new it would be difficult to get a decent shot without having to resort to Photoshop. Shooting in RAW format at least gives me a good chance.
Yet again Eilen Jewel and her band do not fail to impress, songs ranging from the self penned, to covers and two Loretta Lynn numbers, all undertaken in old style short 45rpm time.
EJ clearly was annoyed that nobody would get up and dance and so a dialogue with the audience ensued, including myself and all was good fun. Cannot recall any other performer that has such a good rapport with their audience. Many requests were shouted from the audience but with such a good back catalogue not all could be accommodated. Unusually a majority of the songs were up tempo except for my requested Codeine Arms which she played in the second half. Last number up was an extended Shakin' All Over with guitarist Jerry Miller playing an excellent and long solo on guitar. The set ended and to a man and woman, EJ got a standing ovation from the 350 crowd.
It just makes you wonder why the masses love crap like X Factor, oh well, it keeps the cream for me to like and follow, and hopefully you too.
Before the band started Jerry Miller was tuning up his guitar on stage, it looked different to the one I had seen him play on three previous occassions which was bright red. I mentioned this to the professional photagrapher sitting next to me who low and behold asked him at the end of the first set. it turns out to be the same guitar, he had not changed it. Looking back to the Tingewick gig a year ago, it is bright red but exactly the same, JM did say the natural timber finish changes with the lighting, and I am guessing that the lighting at the earlier gigs were heavily in the red spectrum.

We Need to Talk About Kevin

2011-10-22T12:59:00.000+01:00

Somewhat entertaining film which relies on Tilda Swinton's manipulations of her facial muscles to great effect. On reflection afterwards holes in the (film) story appear which although not read, probably don't surface in the book.Ezra Miller convincing as Kevin as does Jasper Newell as the younger Kevin.
One big hole in the plot detracts from the overall good impression given by the film.

7.8/10

Po' Girls

2011-09-20T19:25:00.001+01:00

End Of The Road Festival 2011 @Larmer Tree Gardens, DorsetS

2011-09-07T22:30:00.015+01:00

Back again for the 2011 festival managing to make the first act on stage, Secret Sisters, and see the finishing Act, Johannah Newsome (tedious) out on the Sunday night. Warm and sunny on the friday, mixed the other two days with a squally shower for the duration of the impressive Midlake. Layout different from last year as the Woods Stage had been added for the headline act which ensured a lot of tooing and froing between it and the far nicer Garden Stage. But with slopes down to both stages, a good view was always available. There was a degree of sound spillage between one stage and another and also felt that the bass was a bit prevalent so marring the sound.

Secret Sisters
Opening act of the weekend on the Garden Stage, liked their self penned songs and shows promise but their covers were just covers.

Caitlin Rose

tUnE-yArDs

arebh Turek

Clap Your Hands And Say Yeah!

Magic Garden

Joan as Police Woman

The Walkman

Lykie Li

Beriut

The Fall

The Diagrams

Gruf Rhys

Mogwai

Okeril River

Lanterns on the Lake

Tinariwen

Laura Marling

Midlake

Joanna Newsom

Tedious

The Skin I Live In

2011-08-28T06:39:00.000+01:00

Spanish film by the prolific director Pedro Almodovar who bought us 'All About My Mother' and Volver to name but two. Described by Almodovar as "a horror story without screams or frights" I can safely say he hit that one right on the head. Worth seeing.

8.5/10

Super 8

2011-08-21T04:52:00.000+01:00

A damn good film even if the ending final quarter of the film could have been handled much better, ie the military running out of control. References to other Spielberg films did not annoy though and it was good to spot them, and the little Super 8 film that was shown as the credits rolled was a little joy to watch.

8.2 / 10

Tree of Life

2011-08-07T05:50:00.001+01:00

A very beautiful but at the same time incoherent and rambling film by Terence Malik which left us rather speechless at the end. Camera work was some of the best I have seen as Malik chronicles the origins and meaning of life through a family in 50'sTexas.
At least 6 people walked out within the first quarter of the film but the rewards came for those that were patient.
3/10 to 9/10 Unclassifiable.

Three Films

2011-07-31T06:58:00.001+01:00

The Old Boy
South Korean film about man privately imprisoned for 15 years and the aftermath of being released.
Quite extraordinary.
8.5 / 10

The Road Home
Chinese film featuring the debut of actress Ziyi Zhang,
A rather beautiful film
9/10

Bridesmaids
Not as funny as hype makes it out to be, Strong believable performance by central character and co-writer Kristen Wiig saves film from being crap.
Disappointed
6.75/10

Win Win

2011-05-22T07:18:00.001+01:00

Another satisfying movie without any pre release hype surrounding it. Unlike POTC4.
The more hype, the worse the movie is, QED.
Amusing, watchable, with the films title only giving away the eventual outcome to spoil it. In the vein of Little Miss Sunshine and Sunshine Cleaning, its a film about ordinary folk keeping theirs, and their family lives together. No big stars to recognise and spoil the drama, but then I cant think of a recent film that we came out of and spoke about, apart from saying 'that was good'
8 / 10

HANNA

2011-05-08T07:29:00.000+01:00

Yet another movie that I had heard nothing about, which is always a good thing, so on a rare rainy saturday evening we made our way around to the local Vue.
A couple of things to say about the Vue chain.
Good

Its close
Parking is easy
Decent seats/screen size/sound system/sight lines

Bad

Ticket buying as they sell you the ticket and then try to sell you drink/ice cream/popcorn muck. No wonder why the proles are getting obese.

Anyway, back to film, central role of Hanna played by Saoirse Ronan very convincing and must be Oscar nominated, who has totally Baltic Sea looks until you see her real life Irish image, they did a great job there.
Sound Track was by The Chemical Brothers, which I felt intrusive to begin with but then grew to like. If it was not the fact that I could recognise a few of the actors, local lad Tom Hollander for a start it would have been marked higher.
7.6/10

L'affaire Farewell

2011-05-01T07:49:00.000+01:00

French film based on the French Intelligence's involvement that led to the eventual breakup up of the USSR. It would have been even better if David Soul and too a lesser extent, William Defoe had not been cast. Whilst they had only minor roles, it was the intrusion of recognisable actors faces that took away the story telling element of the film.
7.8 / 10

Wille Nile Band

2011-04-17T08:27:00.001+01:00

A rocking show from Willie Nile who simply showed how rock can be done.
Impressed.

His drummer had only one pace which was thumped out using what can only be described as flat rubber blades on a chisel handle. The result was a dull thump, nothing fancy, that just powered all the songs along.

Rape of Lucrece

2011-04-17T08:00:00.001+01:00

Camille O'Sullivan in a solo 80minute rendition of William Shakespere narritive poem The Rape of Lucrece on the thrust stage of the Swan Theatre. Props? two pairs of shoes, and a couple of stacks of A4 paper with what looked like the poem text printed on it. To the rear of the stage her pianist Feargal Murray and co writter of the songs sat behind a grand.
She held the stage and the audience in hushed silence, relating the story and adding a half a dozen songs of her own. Not know as a song writer I guess this was quite hard for her and there was a tendency to bring in themes and mottifs from songs she knows. Some worked, especially the short opener and an excellant closer but some didn't and could have done with more work.
A brave undertaking.
The revamped RSC at Stratford looking so much better for its rework with the main stage now in thrust formation and the audience stacked up on vertical balconies surrounding the stage.

Boothby Graffoe / Nick Pynn

2011-03-20T08:56:00.001Z

Caitlin Rose

2011-03-09T21:30:00.002Z

An Audience with Camille O'Sullivan @ Shaw Theatre, Camden.

2011-03-05T07:33:00.001Z

Caught a UTube clip of her performing Kirsty McCall's 'In These Shoes', checked out her back story, that of award winning Irish Architect, badly injured in car crash then singer of torch songs including Bowie, Cave, Waits and those from Germany's Wiemar cabaret scene, and thought interesting.
This gig popped up only metres away from the office at King's Cross in the Shaw Theatre, and tickets were quickly purchased.
The gig was a charity event to raise funds for the Roundhouse and started of with Camille giving the audience some of her background, then question and answer, and then a number of songs. She opened solo with Jacques Brel's Amsterdam which was jaw droppingly stunningly brilliant. One of those tingles up the back moments. She was then joined on stage by her pianist and they ran through more numbers including a dramatic Rock and Roll Suicide.

First rate singing voice, although completely self taught, full of emotional expression, but with humour too.

Will be seeing her again!

True Grit

2011-02-26T16:25:00.001Z

Story telling at its best. Dont know why Jeff Bridges is getting all the plaudits, although he is good(again) for it is Hailee Steinfeld that really holds centre stage.
Just look at the poster, Matt Damon is on for about 15 to 20 minutes total, Josh Brolin 5 minutes tops but Hailee Steinfeld is on for 90% of the movie, where is she on the poster, she should be up for leading actress oscar, however she is down for best supporting actress.

8.5 / 10

Mama Roisin

2011-01-30T06:58:00.004Z

If it wasn't for the poor stage lighting, The Bully on Oxford's Cowley Road would be a great little venue. (not enough and what there is is too RED dominated).
Anyway it is a cold Saturday night and what better way to warming up than to go and see Mama Roisin.
A young Swiss trio playing a mixture of Cajun, Zydeco music with the energy and rawness of a punk band. Line up of percussion (including extensive use of the washboard), guitar and banjo, and accordion, with Harmonica, a loud hailer and maracas adding to the sound.

Being Swiss, and suspect from a French speaking canton around Lake Geneva, they are particularly adept in getting over the French/English sound from Americas' deep south. It was also rather charming when between songs introductions were done in heavily French accented English which I am sure the women in the audience fully appreciated.
Shortish set, which we made our entrance during the first number (75minutes) galloped along at a pace with dancing mainly by the women down at the front. Joined half way through by two Oxford based friends, they slipped into some roaring Delta blues and even a surfing song.

But in someways the highlight was their last encore number where they unplugged themselves and got down into the audience and played walking around amongst the crowd, washboard, banjo and accordion. Extraordinarily excellent.

Here is a link to a Guardian article about them.

Black Swan

2011-01-23T07:40:00.000Z

Oscar winning performance from Portman although she overacted the self pleasuring scene as if she was a porn star. Probably the best central performance role for a woman in a long time, she must be in every shot.
Very decent film which builds to a climax in her performance in Swan Lake. The shots of the dancing are very well done although there is endless flutterings of arms, but the hand held camera on her shoulder got annoying.
But walked out afterwards with the glass only three quarters full.
8.25 / 10

The King's Speech

2011-01-16T07:05:00.000Z

Quite simply the best movie we have seen for a long time. Colin Firth puts in a very solid and convincing performance, but for me, and SWMBO, Geoffrey Rush is the real star, watchable for every single frame he is on. Should scoop all the awards and deservedly so. Only minor quible, the period lighting is taken a little bit too far.
9.75 / 10

Kevin Montgomery and the Endangered Livers

2011-01-16T06:46:00.002Z

Friday night, Tingewick, and first gig for 2011. Disappointed to see on arrival all the seats had been spread out and were at least occupied by the crowd seeing the support. Bad omen, as it will depress atmosphere. Had a quick one in the pub opposite, and notice Kevin Montgomery and band come in and take drinks back to their Winnebago parked outside the hall. Get in and position myself very close right of stage but standing up leaning against the wall.
KM opens up with him and his regular guitarist and another guy on electric piano. 3 songs during which I feel my phone going off in my pocket. Third song ends, and Weather Report's Palladium erupts from my trouser pocket, KM fortunatly makes a symphatic joke about it, I go to switch off, notice alot of repeat messages, read one, and discover bad news which I am powerless to do really anthing about. Go outside and find higher ground as signal very poor and get the real news. Not good.
Go back inside and sit on large storage radiator at rear of hall only half listening to show so was not receptive to what was going on.
However, show was distinctly average, I suppose I imagined something a bit more, but not be. Nothing new, nothing fresh, nothing that stood out. Best song was Jackson Browne's 'These Days' where his guitarist did sound like David Lindley and there was another self composition but cant recall what is was called.
Good bloke though, and by the end at least two more orders of pints had been delivered from the pub, endangered livers indeed. I know find that although from Nashville, he lives in Glasgow, has been a backing singer for Presley and Dylan, and his father Bob, was best mates and song writing partner to Buddy Holly, so some pedigree there.

Somehow I think he needs a new and better producer.

Like Water For Chocolate

2011-01-09T07:11:00.001Z

1992 Mexican film taken from a popular novel by Laura Esquivel, the director, Alfonso Arau's then wife. Based on food and lust it was rather charming and funny in places and rattled along at a quick pace which in someways was its pitfall as it really could have been a pot boiler.
Picture from the dvd was in a strange square format on our HD tele, and when changing to full screen, most of the subtitles went missing.
8.25 / 10

HDR Photography

2011-01-02T23:01:00.001Z

First real attempt at HDR photography. 3 images combined into one, one under exposed by 2 stops, one normal and the third over exposed by 2 stops. Notice the ghost image of the blue rope. The normal one has been tweaked in photoshop but more understanding needed.

This one is untweaked.

New Years Goal

2011-01-01T15:10:00.000Z

Set myself a target to ride 1000miles in a year. That does not sound a lot, in fact 3.65miles a day. But then I have no chance during the week so it is going to be a weekend activity, which makes it 25miles over two days.
So with the help of my trusty Garmin ETrex Venture mounted on the handlebars and Garmin Connect set up to record all my activities I was away.
So 8 miles today.

The Promise

2010-12-26T08:42:00.000Z

The Promise is a 2005 Chinese epic fantasy film directed by Chen Kaige and is based on the Wuxia romance The Kun-lun Slave, written by Pei Hsing at the time of the Tang Dynasty.The budget was rumored to be $42M, surpassing the cost of Hero, and is yet again as with all Chinese films beautifully shot by Peter Pau.
Convoluted storyline and not the best of the recent chinese films we have seen, but its cinematography more than makes up for it short comings.
8/10

Tales of the Red Tuft

2010-12-23T22:12:00.000Z

An exclusive book to Kindle
Tales of the Red Tuft, Prince Harry's tale

The American

2010-12-12T05:46:00.000Z

Very decent thriller in the european fashion...not a lot of action...brooding silences...great photography...but an edge of seat movie just the same. Clooney yet again picks a decent role...has he had a dud role in the last decade? and he can pick his co-actresses. Which is the source of the only grumble...you would not get that class of hooker in an out of the way Italian hill town.

8.9 / 10

New Delhi

2010-11-05T14:18:00.002Z

Tuk Tuk, note Swastika

Statue in Hari Krishna Temple

Taxi Drivers smoking Hash!

Top Gear nightmare


That Swastika emblem again. The swastika is one of the 108 symbols of Hindu deity Vishnu and represents the Sun's rays, upon which life depends.

Goa (days 3/4)

2010-11-05T10:37:00.000Z

Goa (day 2 cont)

2010-10-20T04:36:00.000+01:00

More rain but by mid afternoon a clearance had started ending in a reasonable sunset promising more for day three. Short lived as it rained yet again during the night but this morning its hot, steamy and blue skies.

Goa (day 2)

2010-10-19T07:35:00.002+01:00

Monsoon still around here so its heavy showers and occasional sunshine. Even the locals say it is the latest they have know it to disappear.

The cows here like the beach life however!

Show of Hands

2010-10-14T22:14:00.049+01:00

I had heard some good things about Show of Hands but it took an interview and a couple of numbers on Radcliffe and Marconi's Jurassic Walk a couple of weeks ago which made me sit up and notice. With Empty Rooms promoting them in Buckingham' St Peter and St Paul's parish church as part of SOH Cathedrals and Churches tour a last minute appearance by me on the door would not prove a problem. And so it proved, Feeling fit enough after arriving back in Oxford at 7.30 from London, which was followed by a forty minute drive, I managed to park up close by and walk up to the church through the old centre of the town. I had driven past the church many a time, but had never stopped to look.

As I walked through the west door, the group emerged onto a wide raised stage located in front of the rood screen with the choir behind. I took a spare seat upstairs as this was indeed a sell out of some 300+.

There then followed three numbers by Steve Knightley and Phil Beer accompanied by Miranda Sykes on double bass and what a superb sound they made fully utilising the acoustics of the church. Vocally it was the best sound I have ever heard at a gig and in Steve Knightley, the best male singer I have witnessed.

They took a break after the opening numbers, introducing their support singer Jackie Oakes, another Devonian. More in the folk tradition, she was totally unaccompanied, the opening number in which she sat down sang whilst playing two fiddles laid on her lap, one hand picking the bass line on one fiddle whilst the other picked out the lead line on the other, quite extraordinary. What X Factor and the like are doing I have simply no idea, and it is in fact contemptible, for her was real talent on show. She did three songs, and SOH came back on for a further three before breaking for 20 minutes.

I moved down from the balcony, grabbing a glass of wine (all for church funds of course) and explored the church looking for other vantage points to take photos, and to stand as sitting down is most stultifying.

Second half started with Steve Knightley singing away from the mike and stage in the centre aisle, two verses went by when the third verse, and totally unnoticed by me as I was practically standing next to her at the rear, Jackie Sykes, playing violin as she sang, started to walk down the aisle. They swooped verses, Steve standing still and Jackie preceding down the aisle. It was a song about marriage, and a excellent way of staging it. Jackie eventually reaching Steve by the altar.

Sykes then did a further three songs,followed by SOH winding up proceeding with two of the songs I had heard on the R&M show, AIG (Arrogance, Ignorance and Greed), Boys of Summer and a song co written back in 1992 with three exiled Chilean musicians, the leader a mining engineer, called Santiago. This of all nights when the miners were being bought to the surface over in Chile.

Not a foot tapper of a gig, as they had modified their set to use the churches acoustic qualities, but nonetheless, xxxxxxx excellent!

Eilen Jewell Band

2010-10-09T17:23:00.004+01:00

For the third year running, a late summer early autumn Eilen Jewell Band gig and she never fails to give a great performance. Back again at Tingewick we came along in a party of 14, missing the opening number due to being in the pub opposite with its slow serving. We were greeted by rows of seats taking up the body of the hall which was a great disappointment, but I quickly headed for the front side and stood. The serried ranks of seated cut the atmosphere somewhat and if it was not for some heckling from the side (me) and a number of those standing at the back, Eilen would have had a problem of whipping the audience up, although must say the seated ones were certainly enjoying it.
So what must have been a 100 minute set, she covered songs from all four of the studio albums plus one of the Sacred Shakers side project. A mixture of mainly her own penned songs, and a couple of covers the heckling started when introducing one of her songs, the audience decided it was time for requests. Although known for playing numbers suggested by the audience, she appeared initially taken aback, but soon went for it and for the last third of the set played the requests. In doing so she then entered a dialogue with the audience and reduced the dulling effect of the seated ones immediately in front of her.
Before the two number encore the band did the ever expected Shakin All Over, which of course featured a tour de force of Gretsch guitar playing from Jerry Miller.
And so everybody then went home happy except for the few that made it back over to the pub for a further drink, to be joined by the band again, it had been suggested. I stood the band a drink which was reciprocated by Eilen back to me. Our party had been debating before the band came in how they make a living out of touring so I asked Johnny Sciascia to explain it to the gathered throng. He took my place at the table, and i think the much appreciated discussion went on for another twenty minutes.
Thank you Johnny for being such a good egg, and thank you Eilen for the drink. Next tour it has to be Oxford.
The only downside arrived next day when I realised that I had left the smeary UV filter on my camera which notched the aperture down by one stop and with the minimal lighting in the venue, rendered the images rather unexposed. I have tried my best to enhance them but they have become rather grainy. I need a much faster lens if I am going to carry on doing this.

Avatar

2010-10-03T07:42:00.001+01:00

Take Roger Dean's art work from the 70s', add a bang bang, shoot them up, good v evil, 'man with no name' storyline and you have Avatar.
After half way I was rather bored with it as it descended into a stereo-typical Hollywood movie.
For the half a billion dollars it cost, a complete waste of money.
Very disappointed, expected something much better.

As a film, 5/10
As a visual experience, 9.75/10

Tamara Drewe

2010-09-19T05:41:00.000+01:00

Adapted from Posy Simmonds's Guardian comic strip we thoroughly enjoyed this BBC film probably more so because we knew nothing about the comic strip or even the film itself. After all it was a Saturday night and nothing to do after such a fun packed weekend previously.

And it was that fun packed weekend that for us was the key. Set in Dorset, which becomes more attractive everytime we set eyes on it, that link was quickly established, and the writers, living in Oxford, became oh so real. Then the double whammy, Tamara Drewe, being a journalist, goes off to do some work, open shot of music festival with in the foreground the Tipi Tent and the Big Top beyond, surely not the EOTR festival? Oh yes it is, for next shot is the Garden Stage looking out at the audience with the trees and follies forming the backdrop of the outside auditorium. Full crowd and we were there only six days previous. Could not believe our eyes.
The storyline gets a bit thin from the middle onwards as it tries to resolve itself in this compressed format but excellent performance by Tamsin Grieg as the wife and Roger Hallam as the philandering author, and Gemma Arterton is not bad as Tamara Drewe.
Again I have to agree with Rotten Tomatoes rating
7.8 / 10

The Felice Brothers @ The Troxy

2010-09-18T17:53:00.003+01:00

So three days after seeing them at EOTR, here we are on the Commercial Road in London's east end seeing the Felices again.

The Troxy is a grade 2 listed Art deco cinema converted into a multi use venue. Holding 2600 it certainly is not a Hammersmith Apollo, or the old fabulous Rainbow, let alone Shepherds Bush Empire, a fact the James Felice obliquely refers to during the gig. It is a cavernous space, with a small stage and a poor sound system.

We arrived and made our way down to the front, previous act just finishing off, when the Felices come out and start setting up their gear. The drum kit is assembled before our eyes and then everything is then all miked up. This did not look right to me, main act should not be having to do this, and it ate into their allotted time.

Trigger, Roger Lloyd-Pack, came and stood in front of me with his daughter Emily Lloyd in tow (it could have been the other way around) and we proceeded to have a pleasant chat whilst the stage was readied, that is his mop of grey hair in the photo taken from my phone.

Anyway we got a full set, with I think three new songs, one of which sounded promising, 'Helen Fry' was added, but no St Stephens End, and to the disappointment of sections of the audience, no 'Whiskey in my Whiskey'.I thought they reluctantly did it at EOTR so maybe they are dropping it from their repertoire.

James F as always was immense in all meanings of the word. Farley was enjoying himself roving around the set. doubling up with the drumming occasionally near the end and using his washboard to crash the crash symbols. But their antics were restricted by the small stage.

The gospel song 'Two Hands' as second encore concluded the proceedings.

The Felices have hardened their sound, and listening to a bootleg recording of a year previous afterwards confirms this.

The Troxy's sound system mushed everything.

Set List

1. Marlboro Man
2. White Limo
3. Run Chicken Run
4. Murder By Mistletoe
5. Step Dad
6. River Jordan
7. Love Me Tenderly
8. Goddamn You, Jim
9. Roll On Arte
10. Fire!
11. Frankie's Gun
12. Turn On The TV
13. Frontiers
14. Let Me Come Home
15. Take This Bread

Encore

1. Helen Fry
2. Two Hands

End of The Road Festival

2010-09-13T13:40:00.048+01:00

Finally after getting the tickets some two months previous, we arrive at the festival with it already underway. We check into our B&B just over a mile away, and go for an early evening meal in the 'Museum Pub' in the village of Farnham where we were staying. It is fair to say that it was the most expensive gastropub I have ever been in, but I can easily attest, I had the best steak I have ever had, wit for the first time, tripple cooked chips. Superb poached fig afterwards which we shared and it was back to the B&B where the other half not surprisingly opted for an early bed whilst I got on my bed, and in the pitch dark...no road lights..I cycled up the road then track heading for the lights and banners, then tents, then tall Indian folly standing in a field, then find the entrance, then given my first arm band of honour.

Our friends were already at the Garden Stage for Modest Mouse, and with reasonably explicit directions went to find them. I was wearing a Hi-Viz orange jacket and although I hand told Mike that was what I was wearing, must have walked straight past them, and not to meet up with them until the next morning.

So what follows are all the bands we got to see in chronological order.

But one interesting note, the hi-viz gives you access, or questions...'do you know when its predicted to rain' was one such question. Walk through a crowd, easy they just part aside. Big 35mm digital camera around your neck and you pass for officialdom.

Modest Mouse

All I knew about Modest Mouse was a colleague at work said they were a bit to heavy for his tastes having seen them at Glastonbury this year. And so it turned out. Driven on by two drummers sitting side by side, a sight I have not seen since the mid 70s with the likes of the Dobbie Brothers and Weather Report, it was not surprising, but throw into that mix, lead guitarist, Issac Brook playing Ukele and banjo as well, then an interesting mix is guaranteed. At times very good but yes, a bit to heavy.

Edwin Collins

Just caught the closing numbers of this set and the first time I had seen him. Considering he has suffered two strokes I was mightily impressed. He bowed out to a great version of his hit, 'A Girl Like You' which featured a first rate guitar solo from an unknown woman. Who was she? (if it was a she)

The New Pornographers

Looking forward to this gig of the closing headliners in the Big Top but was a little disappointed. Went close to the stage to begin with but the vocal mix was poor so headed to behind the mixing desk which did improve the sound somewhat. But the lightness of their vocal interplay on the record was missing for most parts but the sound of four of them whistling in harmony on one particular song was a joy. But again like Modest Mouse, interesting in places.

Citay

Never heard of Citay until a few days beforehand when I got notice from The Band Room in the North York Moors that they were playing there the night before this gig. The boys up in North Yorks know their music so that was good enough for me. We arrived late after a memourable tour around Salisbury Cathedral and they sounded rather good in a Grateful Dead type of way. Must look out for them again.

The Unthanks

First revelation of the weekend, these girls were brilliant, why have I not seen them before, a mystery! Folk music could describe it but it was much more than that.

Caitlin Rose

Second revelation of the festival following immediately after The Unthanks for me as I had heard only two tracks from her first record 'Own Side Now'. Only 23 years old, all her own songs and a killer voice, she mentioned off handely to the audience something like 'I am not a diva' but she is sure on her way to becoming one in the Patsy Cline / Loretta Lynn mode. She is more contemporary than those two giants and the sound although backed with telecaster and pedal steel is certainly not twangy in the Nashville way. Could do with adding a drummer to her live performances to give it a bit more steel. She was very well recieved from the crowd in the Local Tent, and performed a rare encore for the festival which kept strictly to their timings. One to watch out for.

Brakes

Caught a couple of songs from this Brighton based group, post punk with a bit of attitude, worth looking out for again.

Yo La Tenga

Never even heard of this cult New York band before a I have never heard such a schizophrenic group like this before. For a three piece they made a lot of noise, when they got a rhythm going it was like Scissors Sisters but only better, or it got little more experimental they were good. But then they started messing around either with extreme guitar feedback or some very twee songs and they were rubbish. In the end I did not know what to make of it.

The Felice Brothers

The last day and after a late morning and early afternoon spent down on the coast, here are the real reason that bought us here, The Felice Brothers. We got a good position, just left of centre near the front but not to close. And what a joy they are. Songs were sung a long with by the crowd, humour appreciated, and although not as animated as we had previously seen probably because of the limitations of the stage, it was good to see a group really engaged with the crowd. James Felice, the big bear of a man, wielding his accordion around with gay abandon is the real star, overshadowing his brother Ian the lead singer. Greg Farley on violin and washboard is the mad man on stage and although restrained today he still added as usual to the whole performance. It was interesting to note that Dave Turbeville had his drum kit set up right of stage, slightly elevated and facing in onto the stage with Christmas the bass player longside. Such a great idea as he occasionally would stand up to get more force into his bass pedal movement and it all felt more at one with the rest of the group rather than playing facing out at the rear of the rest of the group. A curtailed set because of strict adherence to festival timings and finishing on a reluctant 'Whiskey in my Whiskey' Their sound was harder than a year ago and listening to a bootleg recording noticeably so.. The crowd wanted more and James Felice looked apologetically at us when he came back onto the stage to clear away their gear.

The festival crowd's favourite band IMHO

Mountain Man

We came over to the Tipi Tent for a quick session of Mountain Man, three women to be precise, singing a cappella with the occasional acoustic guitar accompaniment. A sweet sound they did indeed make and worth exploring more. We stood behind the mixing desk which had a warning notice stuck to it which read, Tipi Tent, levels not to exceed 90db, No Exceptions. (90db is not particularly loud), but give him his dues, the engineer did in fact take measurements

The Low Anthem

And now the third revelation of the weekend, The Low Anthem. Their latest cd, Charlie Darwin is OK but that just about it, but the live performance was something else. Playing mostly acoustic instruments, including a bowed saw, they filled the garden stage with a beautiful sound, slightly haunting, but fresh and quite removed from anything else we heard all weekend, and any other time to be truthful. Very enjoyable, and annoyingly they played the Bully on the Cowley Road a year ago.

Wilco

And finally the last act of the weekend, Wilco, big stage presence, a good light show, and a tremendous noise making a fitting ending to a great weekend. Will need to check out Wilco properly.

Next years earlybird tickets sold out within 9 hours of going on sale this week, and that shows what a great festival the End of The Road is. Will we go again?

The Old Rectory, Farnham

Partial view of where we stayed only just over a mile from the festival site albeit downhill of it. A good steady climb up but a free wheel back down in virtual darkness. Well recommended.

Mike's Sunday Morning Breakfast

Sunday late morning, Mike who only had a coffee so far, was hungry and decided that it was time for breakfast (or entree for lunch later) so for that it was a beaker of jellied eels and whelks. Its called a strong stomach.

The Secret in Their Eyes

2010-08-29T06:25:00.004+01:00

Knew little of this film apart from seeing the odd good review which had mentioned that it won best foreign language film at the Oscars (not that is anything to go by).
So with no baggage associated with it, we went off to see it in our local 'art house' cinema The Phoenix, in Oxford.
Disastrous start when wife managed to spill her piping hot coffee over some guys leg, scalding her hand, and no doubt soaking his trousers. To be followed by us dropping the packet of MMs' all over the floor and due to the low rake of the seating, ten minutes of bobbing and weaving to read the subtitles because of heads obstructing the line of sight. Eventually a couple two rows in front of us got up and left so we regained clear line of site. But the problem maker, a tall guy in the front row remained bolt upright, still obscuring the view for others below but thankfully not for us.
The film needless to say was very good, good believable central roles well acted, set against Buenos Aires during the Peron years.
Worth seeing.
However, one small complaint, the subtitling is poor at times with text set over white or yellow background and therefore unreadable. I could have done with having headphones on with an english dub translation being run simultaneously, but open enough so that you could hear the sound of the film as well. Now there is an idea.

8.5/10

S.C.M. Waterstones, Oxford

2010-08-22T07:32:00.006+01:00

Up to humour, terminal free, and rather quickly Second Class Male is up on the screen. Step back, phone camera out, click, step back a few paces and click. Left it on there.
Walked along to Blackwells (the worlds premier bookshop...possibly) but they are a bit old fashioned and no terminals to be had.
Got home, bugger, out of focus, but notice the backdrop is cookery. now there is a subject that has not been used yet.

Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

2010-08-15T07:16:00.002+01:00

Our local 'Art' picture house showed the first movie as I guess a pre-cursor to the new one, so with nothing to do off we went. Knew nothing about the book or the film apart from the hype over the books success, which probably accounted for us not seeing it in the first place. One of our fellow commuters was an editor for the UK publishers, Quercus, who on mentioning the book to me a year ago, meant nothing.
Anyway, thoroughly enjoyed the film even though it did get to the stage of all films of this genre of plot reveal, plot reveal, plot reveal..... But nevertheless, well made and shot, good performances all round with believable characters, and this being Swedish, actors unknown to you, and a decent plot. A couple of very arresting scenes, and revelation that the Swedes had their own version of the Nazi party. Although now I can remember that the founder of Ikea had been accused of one time membership.
However what is astonishing is that Hollywood are doing a remake of it with Daniel Craig in the lead (have you ever seen a chiseled looking hack???) and Emily Watson (her of this parish) as the girl with the tattoo. Cut her hair short for the audition apparently. Cant imagine the girl who sat on this sofa three years ago doing those scenes of a sexual nature.
Rotten tomatoes score correct.
8.7/10

Richie Hayward

2010-08-14T07:30:00.002+01:00

Richie Hayward the drummer and founding member of the group Little Feat died yesterday from liver cancer.
I shook hands and chatted with him in Oxford a year ago before their gig at the Zodiac club in the Cowley Road. He was slight and showed the obvious signs of being a rock musician on the road. But given his slightness, he was a remarkably powerful drummer, and I admired his playing at the gig in the way he orchestrated the group from his perch behind the drums.
What was also remarkable was that I heard this on the BBC radio news last night, and they devoted quite a bit of time on it. This for a group that is hardly known in the UK apart from the affectionadoes.

Countdown to End of the Road Festival

2010-08-12T20:53:00.003+01:00

A month today, my very first festival that spans more than one day. Three days in fact. The Felice Brothers on the Sunday although their mate A.A. Bondy appears to have dropped of the line up which is a great shame.
Cheating slightly as we have checked into a first class B&B a mile down the road. proper beds, hot showers and a full breakfast to start the day.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

2010-08-08T20:52:00.005+01:00

This was a return visit for us after I think a decade, and it certainly has changed. Now incredibly extensive with additions to both the exhibits but also to the galleries.
James Turrell now has a Skyscape building which despite the rather dull sky, was still impressive. But best of all was the current exhibition of David Nash's, essays in timber, small, medium, big and gigantic pieces, stunning!

Recent Films

2010-08-01T06:20:00.006+01:00

Sin Nombre
Excellent
9/10

Julie & Julia
Amusing
8/10

21 Grams
Difficult but rewarding nonetheless
8.75/10

Let The Right One In
Not a genre I go for but neverless yet another excellent film
9/10

Inception

2010-07-18T08:02:00.003+01:00

The hype to this film had passed me by, could not recall a trailer etc, but yet on Friday morning when we were chatting at work about what we were doing over the weekend, at least two of my colleagues said they were going to see it. So whilst it still starred DiCrapio, I went in without any prejudices.
We had joined friends in Lock Fyne next to the cinema beforehand for something to eat, and two bottles of Riesling were consumed in 75 minutes, but did not expect to see the number of people queuing to get in. Fortunately we had sent the girls in first whilst we paid the restaurant bill so good seats were secured.
The film? A load of old tosh.
Its premise is sound, its execution is poor, turning a good idea into a typical Hollywood blockbuster, complete with the endless shootouts, car chases, explosions and a couple of CGI warped perceptions shots. And worse still, the dialogue is completely drowned by incessant film score music.
Ken Russell's Altered States mixed with BBC's Spooks sprang to mind.

5/10

Sunshine Cleaning

2010-06-30T20:47:00.004+01:00

I think we missed seeing this at the cinema, although for some unknown reason I kept on getting deja vue thinking I had seen this scene and that scene before. Anyhow, what a beautifully 'nice' film it is. The two lead women are terrific, the story absorbing, and for waht is a simple tale, highly enjoyable.
8.35 / 10

Alejandro Escovedo & the Sensitive Boys

2010-06-25T18:53:00.004+01:00

Arrived and Alejandro had already started, never done that before. Was not too sure at first as it was a good deal 'harder' than I had expected. But two songs and I was hooked. A mixture of Alt. Country with Rock and Punk.
Punk stems back to his earlier days when he was a punk, on the bill of the Sex Pistols last ever gig in New York, moved into the infamous Chelsea Hotel, neighbours being Sid and Nancy.
Tight band (not the big band) of lead, bass and drums, mentions especially for his lead guitarist David Pulkingham and drummer Hector Munoz, and went onto play a 1 3/4hour set running through his back and new catalogue finishing with the Stones's Beast of Burden.
And yet again, the sheer muscianship of American performers can not go unnoticed. It makes the English guys look second rate. Why the difference? its because the Americans have such a great music scene all over, and they learn their craft doing gigs like these to 100 or so souls in bars up and down the country. We may have a bit of it in major cities, but Joe Public are only interested in manufactured acts or old acts who just play on their old reputation.
Absolute first rate gig and cant wait to catch up with him the next time he visits the UK
10/10

District 9

2010-06-22T19:50:00.003+01:00

Had heard a couple of good things about this film, but otherwise very low key, so it was much to our surprise what a stunning film it is.
Sharlto Copley is very good in the lead and mainly only role as the others are just bit players. Work colleague from Joburg says he is well known locally. We thoroughly enjoyed it and now not surprised it had 4 Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Visual Effects.
Liked the opening joke, and also the ongoing one about the Nigerians (not surprised their government complained)

9/10

Two BBC Headlines

2010-06-15T13:35:00.001+01:00

Both appear on BBC's News website, and makes you wonder what next?
Child farms 'must improve safety'
Child abuse vetting scheme halted

The House of the Flying Daggers

2010-06-09T19:09:00.008+01:00

Another revisit on Blu Ray for a film we had seen on its initial release. As with Zhang Yimou's other films the use of colour is always to the fore, and again the natural setting of the Chinese landscape is well just gobsmackingly beautiful, must see it.

Zhao Xiaoding's cinematography is outstanding, there is never an off shot, and there are some that the jaw does in fact drop to.

Good story with a couple of very good surprises but the martial arts does go on a little too far which does distract from the overall brilliance.

8.25/10

Prelude to Power

2010-06-04T21:43:00.002+01:00

Absolutely gob-smackingly fascinating read. This is only the second diary I have ever read, Alan Clarke's being the other, but I just cannot put it down. Not very far in but John Prescott is coming out well, and Campbell does deserve admiration.

Stanley Milgram

2010-05-30T07:08:00.004+01:00

Stanley Milgram (August 15, 1933 – December 20, 1984) was an American social psychologist most notable for his controversial study known as the Milgram Experiment. The study was conducted in the 1960s during Milgram's professorship at Yale. Milgram was influenced by the events of the Holocaust to carry out an experiment that would prove the relationship between obedience and authority.
In this experiment, 37 out of 40 participants administered the full range of shocks up to 450 volts, the highest obedience rate Milgram found in his whole series. In this variation, the actual subject did not pull the shock lever; instead he only conveyed information to the peer (a confederate) who pulled the lever. Thus, according to Milgram, the subject shifts responsibility to another person and does not blame himself for what happens. This resembles real-life incidents in which people see themselves as merely cogs in a machine, just "doing their job," allowing them to avoid responsibility for the consequences of their actions. The shocks themselves were fake, the participant who took the place as the 'learner' in the experiment was in fact a paid actor who would simulate the effects of the shock depending on the voltage. Milgram became very notorious for this tactic, and his experiment was soon classed as highly unethical as it caused stress to the participants in the study. The study soon became one of the most talked about psychological experiments in recent history, invading headlines across the world, Milgram finding himself in the centre of public attention. There was a huge divide in the psychological community as many believe that his deception was necessary in proving fault with the human condition and helping to explain the actions of the Nazis in the Holocaust, which was the main reasoning behind the creation of the study.

Wittenham Clumps

2010-05-29T15:11:00.005+01:00

All photos taken last Sunday when temperatures reached a balmy 30C. One of our favourite places, We park up at the bottom by Little Wittenham Church and walk up the hill, around the other clump, Castle Hill, an iron age fort and back down again.
Properly refered to as the Sinodun Hills but also as Mother Dunch's Buttocks.
Great for kite flying and watching the Red Kites, and recent work by the Northmoor Trust has turned the grassland into an oasis of wild flowers.

Hair

2010-05-22T23:05:00.006+01:00

From the outside, this looks just like any 'normal' ~(ie not designer) hairdressers, but walk inside and something strikes you.
The music.
This morning it was Neil Young, cant remember where the first couple where from, but after an interlude where I was played a track by Alejandro Escovedo, the rest of my 45 minute stay was to the sound of Live Rust.
The reason behind all this is that the two guys who appear to run it (but I think there is a woman or two too)are well into their music. Nick who cut my hair, a veteran of Glastonbury, and going this year too, and Simon, a music library second to none.
But it was when I mentioned that Alejandro Escovedo was playing the Bullingdon Arms in a months time (gig link), some 500 metres as the crow flys from where we were as a warm up for his Glastonbury appearance a day or two later, that Simon, who did not know that news, turns out to be a big fan. He delved into his bag, pulled out an ipod or two, searched, found a track, and plugged it into the salon's music system for me to hear, (having never heard him before). What all the women customers must have though, I have no idea.
We then went on to discuss our favourite Joni Mitchell albums, his 'Court and Spark' and Hissing of Summer Lawns' to my 'Hejira' and Don Juan's Reckless Daughter' and not as it is reported, 'Blue'.
Most men will balk at their wash and cut price, but for me, I get that and good music and decent banter. (and I can lean my bike up against their window, thats mine far right)

Four Lions

2010-05-08T23:26:00.003+01:00

Ha ha ha ha ha
8 /10

Mini

2010-05-05T21:52:00.004+01:00

Just come back from a tour of the Mini plant a mile away, although out of sight, from our house. And very impressive it was too. The logistics of just in time component delivery to the somewhat beautiful movement of the robots assembling the cars it was a 2 hours worth spent.
Our tour guide however did not like my questions of the major design fault with the clubman model (OK if you drive on the continent but no bloody good for us right hand drivers) and it must have been the company line reply that he gave...there is no design fault.... rather Germanic in fact coming from an old timer Morris worker and also saying that he wouldn't enter in debate with me over the subject.
it took him 15minutes to lighten up again.
Blue on the map are those, like us, drive on the left hand side.

Still, if you get the chance, take it.

Pan's Labyrinth

2010-05-02T07:57:00.004+01:00

Stunning, stunning film written, directed and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro. Yet again, Lovefilm sent out another film on my replay list which we went to see after hearing Dr Kermode so thoroughly recommend it on the radio back in 2006. If I had not had heard that broadcast I doubt that I would have seen it on the big screen, although I do believe Ross rated it highly and a combination of hearing both spurred me on to see it.
When we saw it at the cinema, our local Vue in fact (would imagine they just thought it was a pure fairy story) I can honestly say that I left with my jaw well and truly dropped. We knew little about the film, which is always useful, nothing of the del Toro, we do now, and it proved to be a real visceral experience.
The good Dr Kermode had this to say about it "an epic, poetic vision in which the grim realities of war are matched and mirrored by a descent into an underworld populated by fearsomely beautiful monsters". Whilst Jim Emerson called the film "a fairy tale of such potency and awesome beauty that it reconnects the adult imagination to the primal thrill and horror of the stories that held us spellbound as children"
See it
10/10

The Felice Brothers

2010-04-30T21:53:00.001+01:00

Booked again for September
The Troxy in east London
Something to look forward to.

Babel

2010-04-25T07:01:00.003+01:00

Saw this when it originally opened back in 2006/7 by accident having failed to make see Last King of Scotland as it sold out five couple in front of us. Fortunatly an American couple behind us said that we should see Babel and on their advice we did.
Stunned was our reaction afterwards and along with Pan's Labyrinth which we saw a few weeks later are still one of my favorite films of all times.
So it was a revisit on BlueRay linked to the stereo last night and proved to be nearly as rewarding as the first time we saw it.
Premise is quite simple in the mode of cause and effect, which Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu and writter Guillermo Arriaga seem to specialise in. (Have to put 21 grams on my films to see shortlist). Shot in Mexico, Japan and Morocco and with at least seven languages mixed into the pot it is an astonshing bit of work. It recieved seven Oscar and seven Bafta nominations and only took best film score in both. And deservedly so.
Even Brad Pitt was good! and Cate Blanchett was equally as convincing in her somewhat restricted roll.
See it.
9.5/10

Damned United & Revolutionary Road

2010-04-18T06:50:00.005+01:00

Finally got around to watching Damned United on BlueRay last night and quite a fascinating watch it proved to be. I thought I was aware going on football wise back then, yes the mud heap that was Derby's ground sticks in the mind as does how dirty Leeds played, but the animosity between Clough and Revie totally passed me by.
Sheen does his rubber faced acting and becomes a convincing Clough and Meaney is equally good as Revie. Not sure about Spall as Taylor though, because he is always seen as being Spall.
There appears to be 11 major factual inaccuracies, which is disappointing and were not necessary, including a couple which Johnny Giles of Leeds took a writ out and got changed. The inaccuracies act to condense the story and make certain episodes easier to understand.
I went to the 1978 League Cup Final between Notts Forest and Liverpool which ended 0-0 at Wembley, the tickets coming from Clough himself. The source was his nephew, a Clough too, but very much a Middlesborough supporter. The flat in London I was staying in at the time was owned by a friend who also knew the Boro Cloughs, but was also best mates with the film's producer, Andy Harries.
8/10

Revolutionary Road

Two films in one night, did not really care much for this film mainly due to my total disbelief in watching DiCrapio in films, I just do not get him at all. The best part in the whole film goes to Michael Shannon as the disturbed son of the estate agent who sold the couple their house. He only has two scenes but he makes the most of the opportunity.
6.5/10

The Epstein and Bob Harris

2010-04-12T21:35:00.005+01:00

Bullingdon Arms, Cowley Road, Oxford, Sunday evening. The Epstein are a local group who could be on a roll, strange coming a day before one of the other big Oxford groups Supergrass, have announced their demise.
A very Americana feel to their sound, all their own work with strong vocals and harmonies and a fine lead guitarist, although did wonder what the keyboard player contributed to the overall sound.
The show started off with Bob Harris announcing the winners of a local band competition, but he startled the audience by saying it was his birthday (cue someone presenting him with a birthday cake with flaming candles, a bottle of bubbly and a card) and that 43 years ago to the day, he was at the Roundhouse listening to early rushes with Mccartney of Sgt Pepper. On that album is 'When I'm 64' and what was he today? 64. From Roundhouse to the Bullingdon.....some journey!

Belle Epoque

2010-04-11T07:43:00.003+01:00

My Penelope Cruz season continues with this early film of hers at the age of 18.
A rather charming Spanish farce which SWMBO got from the library, an excellent choice and keeps my interest in Spanish Films which have a lighter touch than their counterparts to the immediate north.
8 out 10

Point to Point and Bluebells (Easter Monday)

2010-04-11T07:11:00.003+01:00

On the Gallops above Henrietta Knight's East Lockinge stables the annual Easter monday point to point took place, attracting I would imagine some 5000. Weather at least was dry and the great thing about it is that you can get very close up to the action. Walk the course between races in fact. We had a minor flutter with the horse coming in 3rd at 16 to 1. Which would have been fine as I always go each way, but SWMBO managed to put the stake on the nose(it was her first ever bet)
We also came across this small clump of bluebells showing their heads in the late afternoon sun. With reports that this seasons arrivals are late this must stand as a very early sighting

Sun Dogs

2010-04-10T07:00:00.002+01:00

Treated to a pair of Sun Dogs for about 15 minutes through the train window as we mover westwards on the way home last night. Never a perfect pair as the thin cloud layer was interrupted by larger clumps, but between Reading and Didcot there they were, waxing and waning to my left. At one point the right hand one was hitting a particular cloud with such intensity that it appeared there was a second 'minor' sun in the sky.

Hero

2010-04-04T07:19:00.005+01:00

Saw this when it first hit the UK shores but thought it was worth revisiting now that we have HD and Blueray. It remains my favourite of the Chinese Martial Arts films for it is gorgeously and breathtakingly stunning. I cannot recall any other film that is as visually arresting as this. One critic said "one of the most ravishing spectacles the movies have given us" and never a truer word was said.
See it
9.25/10

Don Juan's Reckless Daughter

2010-03-31T19:47:00.002+01:00

Had the record since it first came out in 1977 but had gone off my listening radar for a number of years. Until really the past two weeks, and oh what a glorious recording. From the opening 'Overture - Cotton Avenue' with what some say is the greatest opening bass guitar note, yes its not bad, right through to 'The Silky Veils of Ardor' (probably my least favourite). For me there are five outstanding tracks "Talk to Me" , "Jericho", "Dreamland", "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" and "Off Night Backstreet" . "Paprika Plains" would be up there if the long free piano in the middle was cut down to two minutes long.
We all acept that Joni can write a song, thats a cast iron given, she is peerless but what really elevates the recording into the stratosphere is Jaco Pastorius's bass playing. It just makes you weep to think he went of the rails, and was knifed to death outside a Miami nightclub. Just listen to the recording, put the bass up if you wish, and follow the bass line. This is easy, as apart from Joni's guitar, there is not much more to obscure your listening pleasure. There is, but its very much secondary. A must for any music lover's collection.

Green Zone

2010-03-28T08:12:00.004+01:00

Visually a great film, with Greengrass's style very suited to this genre. It made fighting in the Somme look like a piece of cake. The Americans did not take to the film as it exposes the flawed/rewritten intelligence that they used to go to war, and which unfortunately Tony Blair was duped into accepting. It also highlights America's administration attitude as what to do after the battle was completed and summed up neatly in the interpretors last line "It's not up to you to determine what happens in this country."

8.5/10

Journey into space with a balloon and duct tape

2010-03-25T20:51:00.002Z

It all sounds very Heath Robinson but a digital camera, a GPS device, some duct tape and a balloon were all that was needed to take some breathtaking pictures of Earth that had Nasa calling.

Robert Harrison, 38, used a collection of cheap parts costing £500 to create a balloon-mounted camera that can travel up to 21.7 miles (35km) above the surface of the Earth. The result is a series of pictures taken from a height that only a rocket or weather balloon can reach. Mr Harrison, an IT director from Highburton, West Yorkshire, has launched 12 high-altitude balloons (HABs) since 2008.

The hobby began when he tried taking aerial photos of his house using a remote control helicopter. The experiment failed and Mr Harrison began to research the possibility of using a meteorological balloon to carry a camera. The resulting photographs, which he published online , were so impressive that Nasa has been in touch.

“A guy phoned up who worked for Nasa who was interested in how we took the pictures,” Mr Harrison told The Times. “He wanted to know how the hell we did it. He thought we used a rocket. They said it would have cost them millions of dollars.”

A GPS tracker enabled him to follow the balloon’s progress to an accuracy of 10 metres (33ft) and to retrieve it upon its return to Earth. Both the camera and the GPS device are wrapped in loft insulation, which traps the heat given off by the devices and allows them to function in -60C (-76F) temperatures high in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Describing his first successful launch, Mr Harrison said: “We were sat in a local pub at the time and I was gobsmacked when I got the images. Seeing the highest pictures was amazing — that’s a lifetime achievement.”

The UK Met Office sends up similar balloons every day to measure a range of weather conditions but Mr Harrison holds the record for the highest HAB flight at 22 miles (35km). He is working on his third model, which has a rotating-lens camera and a rear fixed-lens camera, as well as pressure, temperature and humidity sensors

Crazy Heart

2010-03-14T06:49:00.003Z

Simple, real story, with characters you believed in, filmed very naturally, (lighting especially, or should I say lack off) with a top drawer performance from Jeff Bridges. Good little cameos from Robert Duval (fellow producer) and Colin Farrell, with a note to for Maggie Gyllenhaal who played the leading female role.
A very decent film.
8.75/10

Teeth

2010-03-09T20:55:00.002Z

Having had a front upper tooth smashed out some 25+ years ago, today I finally had it replaced with a bridge. And no ordinary bridge, the technique is called A Maryland Bridge, It is fixed to the back of the other upper front with a platinum fixing glued to its back. So its cantilevered, and I must say, they have done a good job. For the first time for many years I can feel the roof of my mouth.

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-06T22:28:00.003Z

Had its moments, but overall it felt rather half hearted. Trouble with Disney films, they dont want to offend, should have been far more darker and hallucingenic, after all what was the Rev Dobson on anyway?
5/10

Crane

2010-03-05T20:13:00.006Z

On a neighbouring site, but very close to our offices is another construction site. Old railway buildings are being converted to form the campus of the University of the Arts London. Between us and the large granary building in the background is the Regents Canal and this mobile crane turned up one day to put in two large section of pre-cast bridge sections. It was huge, must be one of the largest mobile cranes around. It stayed for about five days, getting set up, waiting for the two large pieces to arrive, and then lift the sections into position. Even hardened site men from our side were impressed, and we watched in awe as it simply just picked them up a swung them over.
We were standing five stories up, and the granary is six, it is big!

End Of The Road Festival, Sept 10-13

2010-02-28T21:40:00.003Z

Just found out about this festival to be held in the grounds of Larmer Tree Gardens in Dorset, gardens set up by General Pitt Rivers, he of the most facinating museum in the world here in Oxford.
And what a line up.
The Felice Brothers!!!!!!! Wilco, A A Bondy, The Unthanks, Low Anthem, Ladyhawk and many many more.
The venue looks idyllic, can I go...will we be in India...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
The Larmer Tree at Larmer Tree Gardens

Spam 6

2010-02-27T18:21:00.001Z

They dont come anymore plea(ing) than this I received this afternoon, Just love the double Mr at the start.

I am Mr MR FIDELIX WOODGATE ,A merchant in Dubai, Arab Emirate. I have been diagnosed with Cancer which was discovered very late, due to my laxity in caring for my health. It has defiled all forms of medicine, Right now I have only about a few months to live, according to my Medical Doctor. I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for myself but the oil business. Though I am very rich, I was never generous, I only focused on my business as that was the only thing I cared for. But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make all the money in the world.
I believe when God gives me a second chance and heal me I would live my life a different way from how I have lived it. I have sowed a seed for my healing I have willed and given most of my properties and assets to my immediate and extended family members and as well as a few close friends.
I want God to be merciful to me and accept my soul and so, I have decided to give arms to charity organizations and give succor and comfort to the less privileged of the Haiti Victims, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I do on earth.So far, I have distributed money to some charity organizations in India and Malaysia. Now that my health has deteriorated so badly,I cannot do this my self anymore. I once asked members of my family to close one of my accounts in Saudi Bank and distribute the money which I have there to charity organization and to the less privileged in Bulgaria and Sudan Africa They cashed the money but kept it only to themselves.
Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be contended with what I have left for them already.

The last of my money which no one knows of is the huge cash deposit of twenty two million dollars $ 5 million that I have in the Vault of a Financial company in europe for safe keeping. I want you to collect this deposit on my behalf and disburse it to the Haitii EarthQuake victims in Haiti for the less privileged.
I will set aside 20% for you for your time and efforts. I need your urgent reply so that I will not have to go on searching for a incredible person to handle this project.
If you are okey with the condition, do not hesitate to send me mail to(fidelixwoodgate@contractor.net) so that i will furnish you up with all the information needed.
I wish to hear from you soon.
God bless you.

MR FIDELIX WOODGATE
E-mail: fidelixwoodgate@contractor.net

Richmond Fontaine

2010-02-27T14:37:00.009Z

A decent evening music back in the village hall in Tingewick. A 90 minute set of their own compositions that covered the territory of soft rock but with a hint of Seattle grunge in it. After all they are from Portland Oregon which lies just up the road in US/Canadian terms.
Highlight for me was the guitar playing of Dan Eccles, seen closest in photo below, who with the minimum of electronic aids, one foot pedal, managed to produce a lot of good sound out of his instrument.
See Wiki for more
Pictured in the far left of the photo, is the promoter Mike Trotman who too must be congratulated in bringing decent music out into this corner of Bucks/Oxon.

Spam 5

2010-02-22T21:02:00.001Z

Yes this is getting boring, but a goodie...who falls for this?

Shell Petroleum Development Company Hong Kong
Shell Tower, Kennedy Brown Avenue,
Times Square,Hong Kong/China

BATCH REF: SHHK/008/YY

This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of One Million United States Dollars (US$1,000,000.00) for the 2009 International E-mail Draw which is Organized by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

SPDC collects all the email addresses of the people that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to Yahoo, Aol, Walla,Gmail, Russian Mail,Hotmail and few from other e-mail providers. 100 people are selected yearly to benefit from this promotion and you are one of the Selected Winners this year by this great Oil company.

PAYMENT OF PRIZE AND CLAIM

Winners shall be paid in accordance with his/her Settlement Center. Shell Award must be claimed not later than final claim day from date of Draw Notification. Any Prize not claimed within this period will be forfeited.You have therefore been approved for the payment of the sum of US$1,000, 000, 00 in cash which is the winning present /amount for each winner. This is from the total prize money of US$6,000,000.00 shared among the Winners international winners in this category.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Stated below is your identification number:

REFERENCE NUMBER: SPDC-081511

Please be informed that your CHEQUE,DEBIT CARD, T,T,DRAFT of the sum of US$1,000,000.00 is now with the payee center. Contact your fiduciary agent in China [Dr SIMA LEE] and give them your full detail below so that they will re-insure your winning under your full name and direct you to the bank for payment as your winning numbers fall within the China Mainland Location file

(SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMAPANY AGENT)

Name: DR WILSON LEE (CLAIM AGENT)
E-Mail: drwilsonlee@att.net

He shall immediately commence the process that will facilitate the release of your fund to you.Fill the below form and send to your agent

1. Full name..........................
2. Address ...............
3. Country of origin.......................
4. Occupation...........................
5. AGE...........................
6. Phone number.......................
7. Email Address..........................

Congratulations!! once again.

Yours in service,
Dr. CHUN JIN (CLAIM AGENT)
[Shell Publicity Secretary]

SHELL PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (SPDC),WE ARE TRULY THE OIL GIANT IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!!

Spam 4

2010-02-21T06:36:00.000Z

Dear Sir,
First, I must apologise to you for using this medium to communicate to
you about this project. I am a highly placed official of Government of Nigeria and also a founding
member of the ruling party in Power now, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). I am member of the contract review committee of the Nigerian national
petroleum co-operation which is in charge of managing and supervising the
disbursement of oil sales revenues for the Nigerian government which
covers payment to foreign and local contractors who has executed contracts
for our country. The revenues under our control runs into several hundred
of millions of dollars monthly. My self and other colleagues in the (NNPC)
are currently in need of a foreign partner with whose bank account we
shall transfer the sum of eleven million united states dollars United
States Dollars($11m).
In the year 2004 the federal government of Nigeria through the ministry of finance awarded
contracts estimated to the tuneof seventeen million united states dollars while My self and other
colleagues in the (NNPC) sumbmitted receipt for the tune of $28 million increase or inflate the
amount to twenty eight million united states dollars) to the Nigerian national petroleumco-operation
(NNPC) as a joint venture with a foreign partner, alveco oil of which the said contract have been
implemented and carried out with atotal amount of($17 million) seventeen million united states dollars)
leaving behind the balance of($11 million)eleven million united statesdollars) in excess have been deposited
in a security account deposited (sad)here in Nigeria.However, to make fortune out of this opportunity,
by virtue of ourposition as civil servants and members of the (NNPC), we cannot acquire
this fund in our name. This is because as top civil servants, we are not
allowed by law of the land to own or operate foreign bank accounts outside
our country for now.
And there is the need to transfer this fund to a reliable account. It is
therefore on this note that i have been delegated as a matter of trust by
my colleagues, to look for an overseas partner in whose account we would
transfer the fund hence the reason for this mail.i will want to front this buisness
by standing as the contarcyor /ssub-contractor of project We shall be Transferring
the money to your account with your company as the beneficiary and you are
been paid for a contract which you executed for our country through the
(NNPC) and any other Federal Ministry that we decide to use to siphon the
funds through.
Firstly, our conviction of your transparency.
Secondly, that you treat this transaction with utmost secrecy and
confidentiality. Finally and above all, that you will provide an account
that you have absolute control over.
Note that we have concluded arrangements for the release of the
aforementioned sum to your bank within the shortest possible time as soon
as we conclude talks as we have put in place perfect machineries that will
ensure a hitch free transfer into your account upon acceptance, my
colleagues and myself have made arrangements as to how the eleven million
united states dollars) will be shared; (25%)twenty five percent for you,
(65%)sixty five percent for us,(10%) ten percent for miscellaneous
expenses. should you be interested please endeavor to send me your tel/fax
number to my personal e- mail address; whether or not this offer is
acceptable to you, so as to enable us make other alternative contact on
the contrary.
Finally, let me state here that this transaction will take (10-14) working
days to conclude depending on your quick response, and it is legitimate
and there is no risk or legal disadvantages either to ourselves or
yourself now or in the future you are to treat with utmost
confidentiality.
I await your urgent reply on this transaction while you acknowledge your
receipt upon this letter
Best regard
Bello Kareem

Stanley Brock

2010-02-21T06:20:00.002Z

Stan Brock is a British philanthropist who founded the charity Remote Area Medical in 1985

Stanley Edward Brock was born in 1936 in Preston, Lancashire, England. He was educated at Canford School, Wimborne, Dorset. His father, a civil servant, was posted to the British Colony of Guyana. In 1952, at the age of 16, Stan dropped out of school and travelled by sea to Guyana. During the voyage he learnt of a remote cattle ranch in the Amazon Jungle; his early interest in nature and wild animals led to his first job as a Cowboy on the Dadanawa Ranch.He gained fame in the US with his work on the tv show Wild Kingdom.
RAM is funded through donations and relies on volunteer doctors, nurses, pilots and veterinarians to provide care in poorer communities and whilst initially set up to provide health care to remote parts of Central and South America, it has recently been providing free health care to the US. He has given testamont to two Senate committees.
According to a report in The Independent he:
"...has no money, no income, and no bank account. He spends 365 days a year at the charity events, sleeping on a small rolled-up mat on the floor and living on a diet made up entirely of porridge and fresh fruit."

Countdown to Richmond Fontaine

2010-02-20T07:47:00.002Z

Now six days away as its on a friday night which is a shame, as usually knackered at the end of the working week. Still only a four day working week due to monday being a day of leisure this time around, well it is 2202.
So back to Tingewick for this sold out gig with a couple of friends and meeting up with one we have not seen for a couple of years, but found out was at the Felice Brothers gig at Shepherds Bush we went to.

Stanley Johnson

2010-02-18T21:01:00.002Z

Stanley Patrick Johnson (born 18 August 1940 in Penzance, Cornwall) is a British politician and author, and a noted expert on environmental and population issues. He was a Conservative MEP for Wight & Hampshire East from 1979 to 1984 and is former employee of the World Bank and the European Commission.
His eldest son, Boris Johnson, is the current Mayor of London